Page 14 of Save a Wish

“Yeah. Like suspicious,” Hank said. “Some people think he’s a serial killer with a checkered past full of gore and horror.”

A shiver rippled through me and Hank chuckled.

“It’s mostly town lore,” he said. “And in fact, some folks believe old Jimmy Slater has turned over a new leaf for love.”

“Love?” Like in romance novels?

“Yep. Word is he’s dating Beth Hartley and he’s basically changed everything about himself to be the man she deserves. Kinda sweet, don’t you think?”

“Very sweet,” I agreed. “Did you say Hartley?”

“I did.” Hank made a left turn onto a narrower dirt road. “The Hartleys are a big family in these parts. There’s a whole pack of them and they run Hartley’s Nest, a wildlife rehabilitation center a few minutes from here. A nice gal named Ashley who works at my hardware store married one of the Hartley boys.”

“Which one?” For some reason, I didn’t want it to be Beckett, but that was silly. I’d only had a minutes-long interaction with the man and I didn’t think he was particularly fond of me.

“Logan,” Hank said. “Nice boy. Comes into the hardware store all the time because he takes care of the maintenance of Hartley’s Nest and builds stuff on the side.”

“I met Beckett earlier today,” I said.

“Another nice boy. He’s the youngest of the Hartley clan.” Hank pulled into a semi-circular driveway in front of a charming little cabin painted a deep brown with a dark green door and shutters. When the leaves weren’t so colorful, I’d be willing to bet the cabin blended in with the forest setting quite well. I already felt safer here.

We got out of the truck, retrieved my things and the groceries, and Hank let us into the cabin where I instantly fell in love with the place.

“Oh, this is lovely, Hank.”

At the far end of the room we’d stepped into, a black, iron wood stove sat atop a bricked platform with a wall of bricks behind it. On either side of the stove were glass doors that offered a sublime view of a sparkling pond out back that was rimmed by a variety of trees. A little flagstone patio stretched from the back of the cabin toward the shore and several chairs faced the water.

To the left was a tidy little kitchen with knotted wood cupboards and black countertops made from a stone that had white veins artistically running through it. The hardwood floor beneath our feet was comprised of beautiful, wide boards that looked as if they had a history about them.

A simple, wooden table with benches on either side of it sported a charming display of different-sized pumpkins on a slate tray with bits of colorful leaves strewn about and a large, cream-colored candle. On the wall in that area hung a gorgeous painting of the view outside.

“That painting is magnificent.” I walked deeper into the cabin to get a closer look at the details of the artwork.

“That’s the talent of another Hartley.” Hank came to stand beside me. “Vanessa—though she’s a Hartley-Holland now after having married our town dentist, Spencer—is the only girl of the Hartley siblings and a gifted artist.” He motioned to the painting. “She makes art like this, but I’ve seen her work with other mediums such as metal and wood. Vanessa also teaches art classes both at Hartley’s Nest and in our schools.”

“Being free to make art for a living sounds like such a treasure,” I said.

“Not allowed to do such things where you’re from?” Hank asked.

“Not even allowed to dream such a thing.” I peeked down the hallway.

“Well, anything’s possible here.” Hank nudged me toward the hallway. “Go on, check it all out while I put these groceries away.”

I probably should have volunteered to help him with the groceries, but curiosity got the better of me and I wandered down the hallway instead. The bathroom was cozy with a pleasant red-and-black-checkered shower curtain and fluffy black rugs that resembled bear fur in front of the toilet and the bank of wood cupboards holding a hammered metal sink.

Farther down the hallway, I found two bedrooms. One was decorated in soft burgundy and cream tones with a large, iron-framed bed taking up much of the space. Wooden tables flanked the bed with iron lamps on each. A rustic wardrobe lined one wall and a sitting area was by two windows in the corner.

The other bedroom had a small couch in it that was upholstered in a soft, brown suede that looked so utterly comfortable. A simple desk was by the window and several bookcases lined the walls. By one set of shelves was a single, oversized chair with a small table beside it and a sturdy iron lamp. I instantly knew that spot was where I’d begin reading the books I’d purchased today.

When I came back out to the kitchen, Hank was folding up the reuseable tote bags, all the groceries having been put away.

“I hope the accommodations are to your liking, Miss Sadie,” he said with a smile.

“Much more than to my liking,” I said. “To my loving. This place is wonderful. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather find someone who could pay you what it’s worth right now instead of letting me stay here?”

“I’m certain.” Hank patted my hand resting on the countertop. “Maybe the entire reason I didn’t get around to renting it this season was so that it would be available when our paths crossed. Do you believe in destiny, Sadie?”

“I do.” Another thing my parents never wanted to discuss.