The Cottage on Juniper Ridge

“You don’t want to have nothing to show for your money but rent receipts,” Toni protested.

“Not down the road. But for right now, it might be nice to rent. No responsibility. If there’s a problem, the landlord fixes it.”

Toni shook her head. “I think you’re nuts.”

Jen held her phone out. There on the screen was the picture of a cottage with wisteria climbing up the front porch railing and along the roof. “That’s cute. And look at the price.”

“For that price there must be something wrong with it.”

“Well, I’m going to call and ask about it.”

From a nice condo to a teensy house in the mountains—her sister really had lost her marbles. “I wish I’d never given you that book,” Toni said.

Jen ignored her. “Hi, I’m calling about your ad on Homelist. Is that house still for rent? Great. I’d like to see it. Tomorrow morning? Yes, I can do that. Ten? Perfect.” Jen ended the call and smiled as if she’d accomplished something important. “We’re all set. The owner will meet us there.”

“Just remember. You’re only looking,” Toni cautioned.

“Of course,” Jen agreed.

The next morning when they pulled up to the place, Jen quickly slid from looking down that slippery slope into lusting. “Oh, it’s adorable!”

Yes, Toni had to concede, with its white shutters and little front porch it was darling. Camped out at the end of a long scenic road, it sat on a large lot surrounded by pine and various fir trees and came complete with a snow-capped roof. Some kind of tree, possibly a fruit tree, occupied a corner of the lot. But the place was tinier than Jen’s condo.

“It’s not very big,” Toni pointed out.

“There’s only me. I don’t need a big place,” Jen said, and climbed out of the SUV.

She’s going to do something crazy, Toni thought. Was it too late to demand that Jen hand over her checkbook?

A big black truck drove up and parked in front of them and out of it stepped a six-foot hunk of dark-haired gorgeous. Toni forgot about getting her sister’s checkbook. For a moment she even forgot she had a husband and a romantic dinner waiting for her in Seattle. By the time she remembered, Jen and the hunk had shaken hands and were halfway up the walk.

“Jen, wait,” she called, and hurried after them. But she knew she was too late.

Chapter Four (#ulink_5d4611ea-5af1-58a3-82b2-f9c9fdfbda9c)

Never be afraid to start again.

—Muriel Sterling, author of Simplicity

Garrett Armstrong was the owner of this cottage. That meant he’d be Jen’s landlord? She’d take it. No wedding ring on his left hand. She’d take him, too.

Don’t be in a rush, she warned herself. She’d been there, done that. Serge had been a big, hormone-fueled mistake and she didn’t need that kind of heartbreak again. One romantic misstep equaled a starter marriage, but two equaled no brains. She was going to be smart the next time around and pick a man who had his act together. No more falling for a pretty face.

But, oh, what a pretty face this guy had—dark eyes, square manly chin, big shoulders.

You’re here for the house. Oh, yeah. That.

“Where are you from?” he asked as they walked up the little path to the cabin.

“Seattle.”

“Where people have neighbors,” Toni added, an oh-so-unsubtle reminder that Jen was a city girl.

“I’m sure there are neighbors here somewhere,” Jen said.

“There are,” Garrett assured her. “They’re half a mile down the road.”

“Well, that’ll be handy if you want to borrow a cup of sugar,” Toni said with a sneer.

“So I’ll stock up on sugar.” Jen sent her a look that said, “Shut up already.”

She shut up, but scowled in disapproval.

“Anyway, this is only a few minutes from town,” Jen mumbled.

“You’re moving over here for...?” he asked.

A chance for my eggs to meet a nice sperm. “I’m simplifying my life,” Jen said.

He nodded. “Always a good idea.”

“Right now she’s just looking around, getting ideas,” put in Toni, and it was all Jen could do not to kick her.

Garrett the Gorgeous frowned.

Jen could hardly blame him. No doubt he had better things to do than waste his time with someone who wasn’t really interested in renting his place. Was there someone in his life he was doing those better things with? Not that she was rushing into anything. She was just wondering. And wondering wasn’t rushing.

“I’m definitely interested in renting up here,” she said, sending her sister’s mouth slipping even farther down at the corners. “Do you have cable? Wi-Fi?”

“Just got it,” he said.

“That’s great.” Jen wanted to live simply, not primitively.

Then they went inside and she came to a complete, startled stop.

“Oh,” Toni said faintly from behind her.

Oh, didn’t begin to cover it. The cottage’s inside definitely didn’t match its cute exterior. It was one level and that consisted of a great room (well, sort of great) that included a kitchen, a dining area with a rickety wooden table and four equally rickety chairs and living room furniture that no self-respecting thrift store would accept. A tiny hallway scooted past the kitchen, probably leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. The place smelled musty and Jen wrinkled her nose.

Garrett must have noticed because he said, “It’s been closed up for a while. All it needs is a good fire in the woodstove.”

The woodstove was a bonus, she had to admit. Once she imported her furniture and hung some nice curtains at the windows, the living area would look totally different. She moved toward the kitchen, half the size of the one she had at the condo. The cabinets were old and battered, but they could have a second life if she painted them white.

Nothing would make those mustard-yellow Formica counters anything but disgusting, though. Jen pushed away the image of her spiffy granite counters in the condo. Instead, she pictured herself setting out freshly baked bread, making this kitchen homey with a mason jar full of wildflowers on the counter. There was enough room there to work. She could master the art of making pies, can fruit.

Speaking of fruit... “What kind of tree is that in the front yard?” she asked.

“Apple.”