The Lakeside Inn, Leeanna Morgan [rosie project TXT] 📗

stark white, and soft purple petals filled the garden to overflowing. Grandma would be so proud of how lovely they looked and of the scent that filled Penny’s lungs with the sweet fragrance of home.

Carefully, she picked a handful of flowers. She’d take them inside to her grandma’s favorite place, sit in her rocking chair, and enjoy what she’d taken for granted.

“Hey,” a man yelled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Someone wasn’t happy. Penny looked over her shoulder. A tall man with dark hair was stalking toward her. She turned around, half-expecting a masked burglar to be hot-footing it out of her grandma’s house.

No one was there. He couldn’t possibly be yelling at her. She hadn’t done anything—

“Yeah, you. Stop picking the flowers. They don’t belong to you.”

Normally, she would have ignored the frown plastered across his face, the smoldering good looks that probably charmed the socks off every female he met. She would have politely explained why she was here and accepted his apology.

But not today. Something about the man annoyed the living daylights out of her. “I’m not a thief,” she yelled back.

“What do you call picking flowers that aren’t yours?” He stood a few feet away, glaring at her as if she was a criminal. “The owner of this property died a few days ago. You’ve got no right to be here.”

“I’ve got every right.” With an angry, pounding heart, she stepped closer to the stranger. Good grief. He was even more handsome up close. “It was my grandma who died. You’re yelling at your new neighbor.”

Wyatt stared at the woman. Deep brown hair the color of rich chocolate fell around her shoulders. Green eyes as bright and clear as a Leprechaun’s lucky jacket shot sparks of anger straight at him. It wasn’t until he looked at the flowers that he realized what he’d done.

The woman waved the roses under his nose. “You should make sure you know who you’re talking to before you accuse someone of being a thief.”

A handful of petals fluttered to the ground. He felt like he’d fallen into a fairytale and woken up in another universe.

He cleared his throat and tried to unfuddle his brain. “Sorry. I thought you were making the most of the lady who looks after the house not being here.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “You know my mom?”

He almost smiled. There was something about her that made him want to reach for his sketchpad and capture everything she didn’t want him to see. “I met Mabel and Allan Terry in the general store. I’m Wyatt. Wyatt Johnson. Your mom said she’s looking after the house for your grandmother.”

Slowly, she lifted her hand to his. “I’m Penny.”

She didn’t trust him, but at least she wasn’t tearing off his head and feeding it to the fish in the lake. “My friend told me your grandma died. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Whatever he thought he’d seen in her face disappeared. It was as if a metal door slammed shut, keeping him away from what she was thinking. “I saw you from my studio.” He said unnecessarily, pointing toward the house he was renting. “I thought I’d better say something in case you took every flower in the garden.”

Penny looked at the roses she was holding. “They were Grandma’s favorite.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she straightened her shoulders and stood a little taller. “Thanks for looking after the garden.”

Before he told her again how sorry he was, she walked back to her grandma’s house. And for the first time in years, a spark of interest made him wish they’d spoken for longer.

Chapter 3

An hour after Penny arrived at her grandmother’s house, her sisters joined her. They were sitting in the living room, watching the boats on the lake, and talking about the man she’d met a short time ago.

“I can’t believe he didn’t recognize you,” Diana said indignantly. “It’s not as if this is the first time you’ve been to Sapphire Bay.”

Barbara sat in the chair beside Penny. “Why didn’t he ask who you were when he first saw you? It would have saved a lot of confusion.”

“I don’t think he’s been living in Sapphire Bay for very long. If he’s the same person Mom was talking about, he doesn’t know many people.”

Diana frowned. “That’s no reason to be rude, especially when Grandma has just died.”

Penny studied her sister’s face. Diana used to be the most relaxed, easy-going person in their family. But after a bitter divorce, her patience was as battered and bruised as her confidence. “He didn’t know I was related to Grandma.”

Diana’s green eyes connected with Penny’s. “I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “Most people are more trustworthy than Derek.”

Barbara made a scoffing noise. “Charlie is more trustworthy than your slime ball ex-husband.”

Charlie, Diana’s happy-go-lucky Golden Labrador, pricked up his ears. His goofy smile and big brown eyes brought a smile to Penny’s face. “It’s okay, boy. We were just saying how wonderful you are.”

Diana rubbed Charlie’s floppy ears. “You’re right. I need to stop judging everyone by Derek’s low standards and enjoy being here.”

“How long are you staying?” Barbara asked.

Diana shrugged. “I thought I’d stay for a few months. The thought of going back to Cincinnati makes me feel sick.”

“Is Derek’s family still giving you a hard time?” The unguarded look Diana sent Penny was all the answer she needed. She held her sister’s hand and gently squeezed her fingers. “It sounds as though Sapphire Bay is the best place for you and Charlie. What about you, Barbara?”

“I’ll head back to San Diego next week. I’ve got a ton of work to do and half my team are on vacation. What about you?”

For a few seconds, Penny said nothing. Even though she’d come to Sapphire Bay for a sad reason, she was enjoying being home with her family. But she had a promotion to work toward, a team who relied on her expertise. And