Home to Sparrow Lake (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Lynn Patrick Read Free Book Online Page A

signs of mischief.
    Alex hadn’t been at all prepared to find it in Brian’s sister.
    What a conundrum. He’d wanted to catch Brian in the act; he simply wanted to catch Kristen.
    Two goals at odds with each other.
    Though he’d known Kristen for less than twenty-four hours, he was certain that, if he arrested her brother, she would have nothing to do with him.
    What to do?

CHAPTER FIVE
    A LEX DIDN ’ T APPROACH her for a date again, but in the next few days, Kristen swore she saw him more than anyone other than her aunt or siblings. No matter where she was—home, store or just walking through town—she saw Alex cruise by her in the patrol car.
    Slowly.
    She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or flattered.
    Then she found herself looking for Alex every time she was out on the street. And sometimes she looked out Sew Fine’s windows to see if she could spot a patrol car anywhere around.
    That’s what she was doing late one morning the following week when her sister joined her at the window.
    “What are you looking for?” Heather asked, scanning the area outside the store.
    “Oh, nothing. I was just stretching my legs.”
    “Huh. You’ve been doing a lot of that the past week.”
    “I get tired of sitting so much.” Not wanting to talk about her paranoia over Alex, Kristen started back to the office area.
    Right on her heels, Heather said, “Then get away from that computer and start working in the store.”
    “I only know a little about quilting.”
    “You can learn more. That’s why you’re taking Gloria’s class, right?”
    “I’m not exactly taking it. I’m just checking things out. If I understand the classes and what they provide for customers, I can market them better.”
    “Whatever. It’s a smart move. You never know, you might be ready for Aunt Margaret’s advanced session in no time.”
    “That’s very hopeful of you.” Kristen laughed. “I’m not quite ready for art quilts yet.” She thought about her aunt’s retirement. “Is Aunt Margaret going to keep teaching here at the store now that she’s retiring?”
    “As far as I know, she wants to continue.”
    “But what if we expand and there are more people for classes?”
    “We can hire more teachers.”
    Knowing her sister had made some beautiful quilts, including one for her, Kristen asked, “Would you want to do a class?”
    Heather blanched. “Are you kidding? I’m already working full-time and going to school part-time. And somehow I have to make extra time for the twins every day. If I was going to do anything else, it would be outside. I can hardly take care of my own garden.”
    Which Kristen knew was important to her sister, who was studying to be a horticulturist, specializing in sustainable landscapes.
    “Relax, already. I was kidding, Heather. Like you say, we can get more teachers.”
    “There are several women who come here who have been quilting forever.”
    “Then why do they keep taking classes?”
    “To socialize. They’ve turned it into more of a quilting circle. Everyone brings potluck. So the women eat and talk and work on their quilts. Sometimes they choose to work on group projects. You know, if someone is having a baby or getting married.”
    Reminded of Jason, the man she’d thought she would marry, Kristen turned away, saying, “Sounds like they have a good time.”
    If not her idea of a good time, she thought, walking back to her desk. Before her personal financial crisis, she’d enjoyed going to plays and museums and dinners with her friends. Which went to prove how much she didn’t belong in a small town. She didn’t mind observing a few classes but she didn’t want to be part of a quilting circle—she wanted her old life back.
    And right now, she wanted to eat. It was lunchtime, and she wasn’t about to miss another meal. Grabbing her shoulder bag, she set off through the store to the front door. “I’m going to grab some lunch,” she told Heather. “You want me to bring