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Blinking away the heartache, I shivered.

“Everything okay?”

I inhaled a sharp breath of cool ocean air, readjusting my personal items. “It’s just been a while, and I wanted to make sure I had the right address.”

It was all lies, but whatever. Finding courage from the depths of my soul, I climbed the four steps and knocked on the door. No answer, so I knocked again with a little more force.

“Mona!”A high-pitched squeal came from beside me. From the house next door. “Let me grab the keys.” She walked back inside, but I heard her yell out. “My sister’s here.”

Eric, herfiancé, came to the door, along with a couple of others I didn’t recognize. “Good seeing you again, Mona.” He nodded. “Hey, Jesse.”

“Eric.” Jessecleared his throat and gave me his full attention, followed by a once over. “So, you’re the Mona I’ve heard rumours about.”

My eyes went large, although there was really nothing bad for anyoneto remember. That had all been Lily. I was the straight and narrow one. The mother figure type. Old before my time, at least according to the very few friends I had.

“What have you heard?” A slight panic cracked through.

He chuckled, the sweetest laugh I’d heard. “Nothing. Just that the big sister was coming. Remember, small towns talk, and neighbours talk a lot.”

Clearly.

My nearly identical sister, albeit a year and a half younger,crossed the tiny stretch of snow-covered grass between the houses and nearly bowled me over with a hug as blonde hairs flew from her face. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

I patted her back until she broke away. “Me too.”

It had been too long. Even though we had lived only a few miles from each other when she had lived in Vancouver, it wasn’t until she moved back here and found herself that things between us started improving. She’d grown and matured a lot, and I didn’t feel the need to mother her anymore. After all, she was now one herself.

“Oh, hey, Jesse.” She straightened her thick sweater.

“Where’sHenry?” I’d been dying to see my little nephew.

“Sleeping.” She fumbled with the keys and finally, got the right one into the lock, opening the door.

We stepped into the front entrance, cold enough to be mistaken for a large walk-in refrigerator. Our breaths weren’t visible, yet, but it was cool enough to know the furnace hadn’t been running. For hours at least.

“Oh no.”

Lily stormed away to the utility room while I walked down the hall into the living room we once used to hang out in. Only it was different. So different. Long gone were all the knick-knacks and clutter, instead it was calm and homey. It also looked like Beth, her decorator friend, had her hand in the changes. The place was amazing, and seeing it, freed the guilt I’d had about staying here. It looked like any other beach house down this strip, not like a house full of memories, although it was damn cold right now to even make that a possibility.

“The furnace is broken.” Lilyreturned with a pout.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, the pilot light won’t stay lit.”

I was impressed my little sister knew that. I sure as hell didn’t. That was Charlie’s job.A blue job he called it – one that only men should know how to do. I was relegated to the pink jobs – cooking, cleaning, baby-making. Although I was a complete failure on the last one.

“It’s too cold for you to stay here, Mo.”

“Why don’t you stay at my house for the night?” Jesse’s voice called out from the entrance.

I’d totally forgotten he was there. “Oh, thanks. But I’ll be fine.”Staying at a stranger’s house wasn’t high on my list of things to do.

Lily jumped in. “She can sleep on the couch.” She shruggedand gave me a weak smile. “It’s all I’ve got. There’s no spare bed in Henry’s room.”

I patted her arm. “The couch is more than fine.” I’d slept on worst. Especially recently.

Jess cleared his throat.“Don’t be ridiculous, Lily. I have a spare room. She can stay there until the furnace is fixed. Then she’s not a sudden imposition on you.”


Tags: H.M. Shander Romance