Page 22 of A Brambleberry Summer

“You are correct.”

“I am fine. I like living in your house. It’s friendly.”

She smiled with warm delight. “I am so happy you think so. Some houses, they are cold. Brambleberry House is not that way. When you step inside, you feel like you are home.”

“And it always smells good, too. Like flowers,” Logan said.

Rosa met Wyatt’s gaze with an expressive eyebrow, as if to saySee? I told you.

“Aren’t we lucky to live in such a nice place with beautiful flower gardens that smell so good?” Wyatt replied blandly.

“How is your house coming along?”

Was she in a hurry to get rid of them? No. Rosa had been nothing but accommodating.

“We’re making progress. They’re painting soon, then we need to do the finish carpentry.”

“Thatisprogress. You will be home before you know it, back in your own bedroom. Your dog will like that, yes?”

He loved listening to her talk, completely entranced by her slight accent and unique phrasing. Okay, the truth was, he was completely entranced byher. She could read a lawn-mower instruction manual and he would find her fascinating.

“I think so far he’s having fun being friends with Fiona,” Logan said.

The two dogs did seem pretty enamored of each other. Hank hadn’t been around a lot of other dogs and it was good to see him getting along well with the Irish setter.

Rosa smiled at his son. “Fiona can be a charmer. She is quite hard to resist.”

That made two of them. Wyatt sighed. This had to stop. He didn’t want this attraction. Even after a short time, he still hadn’t come to terms with his growing interest in his landlady.

Seeing her again here in the July sunshine, bright and vibrant and lovely, only intensified the ache that had been growing since the night of the storm.

He pursed his lips, determined not to think about that. “How is Jen settling in, living in Cannon Beach?”

He had only seen the second-floor tenant in passing a few times. She still seemed as anxious and uncomfortable around him as before.

“Good, as far as I know. She and Addie seem content for now.”

Something told him that was a new state of affairs. He didn’t know what the woman was going through but was glad at least that she was finding peace here.

“We bumped into Addie and Jen at the grocery store the other night. Jen seems a little uncomfortable around me.”

If he hoped Rosa might take the bait and tell him what was going on with Jen, he was doomed to disappointment. She quickly changed the subject away from her friend.

“I’m sure I don’t know why. Logan, did I see you walking past my store window today with a bucket?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. My day camp went tide-pooling.”

“Oh, I love doing that at low tide. What did you see?”

“About a zillion sea stars and some anemone and a sea cucumber. Only it’s not the kind you can eat.”

“How wonderful. Is it not fun to see what can be found beneath the water?”

“Yeah. It’s like another whole world,” Logan said. He started regaling Rosa with a few stories of interesting things he had seen during previous tide-pooling trips.

“My teacher said you can sometimes go snorkeling and be right in the water looking at some different habitats. That would be fun, don’t you think?”

“Yes. Very fun. Maybe your father should take you to Hawaii. Or to my country, Honduras.”

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