Saved by Love (Willow Valley Book 3)
Christine Kingsley
CHAPTER ONE
As she dropped the last box of her belongings on the nearly empty floor of the living room, Abby Stewart was glad for once that she didn't have a lot of personal effects. Climbing the flight of stairs from her car to her new apartment on the town square wasn't bad. At least not the first few times. But after the sixth trip of unloading her car she wondered how movers did this all day every day.
Speaking of which, the delivery truck with her new pillow-top bed should arrive any minute. It was the one indulgence she was allowing herself. Abby glanced out the window, and seeing no sign of the truck, grabbed a box and carried it into the bedroom.
Having brought no furniture whatsoever with her when she came to Willow Valley a few months back, she was grateful that her brand new sister-in-law Lissa had left a few things in her old apartment for her when she'd moved out. The dresser and nightstand weren't much, but they'd suit her needs just fine.
Abby set the box on the dresser and started unpacking it slowly. This was the only box of sentimental items that she'd brought along when she'd left California in search of her father last spring. Lifting a picture frame out of the box, she brushed her fingertips across the glass-covered photo.
"Well, Mom, bet you never would have guessed I'd end up here," she murmured as she set the picture at an angle on the dresser. She never would have imagined that she'd be settling down in small town like Willow Valley either, but as she was intimately aware of, life had a way of doling out the unexpected. Like a brother she never knew existed until she got here.
Hands shaking, she reached back into the box for her mother's jewelry box, a Chinese antique made of lacquered wood with inlaid mother of pearl accents, and placed it next to the picture. She lifted the lid and stared mutely at the simple gold band that stood out in stark contrast among her mother's more elegant gemstone rings, her throat constricting painfully.
"Abby?"
Nearly jumping out of her skin, Abby slammed the lid to the jewelry box and whirled around to find Lissa walking into the bedroom.
"Sorry to startle you, hon. The door wasn't shut all the way so I figured you were still bringing things up and I just let myself in." Lissa's smile was warm, but Abby didn't miss the look of concern in her eyes, or the way her gaze darted curiously to the jewelry box as she came over to give Abby a hug.
"This is gorgeous. Is it an antique?" Lissa ran her finger along the smooth wood.
"Um, yeah, it was my mom's." She reached out a hand to rest it protectively on the box, hoping Lissa wouldn't notice the way her fingers shook. It was ridiculous to think that Lissa would start poking through her things, or that even if she did see the ring inside that she could ever possibly guess it was Abby's. But she wasn't ready to let her new family in on all of her past secrets just yet.
"So, how was the honeymoon?" she asked, hoping to distract Lissa from what she knew was awkward behavior.
Lissa sighed dreamily. "Everything a honeymoon should be. Tropical, private, relaxing."
"So where is Jesse? I was hoping I could put my brother to good use by having him assemble my new bed." Abby glanced at her watch. She was about ready to prop her feet up and get some rest.
Lissa waved her hand. "You know him. He had to go check on the store to make sure everything went smoothly while we were in St. Lucia."
Rolling her eyes, Abby said, "That sounds about right. But I told him not to worry. Everything was under control." Jesse owned the farm supply store in town, and Abby had begun working there a few months back, thanks to Lissa, who hired her to help run the western wear boutique they'd also opened there. "I'm surprised you weren't right there with him. The boutique is your baby after all."
"Yeah, but I'm going to have to trust that you can manage it on your own soon anyway. It won't be long before I'll have more than enough babies to look after." Lissa rested her hands around her blossoming belly, a look of contentment crossing her face. As happy as she was for her brother and Lissa that they were expecting not one, but two baby girls, she couldn't entirely suppress the pang of jealousy and long-suppressed heartache that sprang up.
"Speaking of things I won't be able to do soon, I was thinking we need to get together with Cassie for a girls' night to—"
A shout from outside drew their attention, cutting Lissa's invitation short, and they hurried into the living room and out the front door to peer over the railing. Down below, the driver of the furniture delivery truck was standing behind his truck, which he'd left idling right in the middle of the road, and was waving his arms dramatically as he yelled at two firemen who were climbing out of their own truck to check the hydrant directly in front of the apartment building.
"I don't have time to wait around," he yelled. "I still have more deliveries to make and I have to get back to civilization before dark. I need you to get your truck out of my way." The man sneered in the direction of the firemen, and Abby raised her eyebrows at Lissa. Civilization? And what were they then?
One of firemen shot the man a baleful glance but continued on with what he was there to do.
The other one caught Abby and Lissa watching and shot them a grin and a wink, then turned to the delivery guy, shrugging his shoulders comically. "Well, golly. I don't know nothin' 'bout no civilization, but this here hydrant best be in workin' order 'fore the sheriff comes 'round and has my job."