Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) by Bonnie Blythe Read Free Book Online Page A

went on
ahead of him. He sensed tension emanating from her in waves. He
whistled a cheerful tune in hopes of annoying her as much as her
demeanor annoyed him.
    Obviously ignoring him, Sara approached the
counter and asked a store employee to assist her with batteries.
When the clerk asked her about the model of her truck, she looked
over her shoulder with mute appeal in her gaze.
    “It’s a sixty-three F one-fifty,” he replied
with a satisfied grin.
    After Sara made the purchase, Brian loaded
the battery into the bed of his pickup and they drove back to the
farmhouse.
    “Will you need help installing the
battery?”
    “Yes,” she said stiffly.
    Brian kept up a light stream of conversation
during the remainder of the ride, feeling gratified when she
appeared to relax a little. In the barn, he replaced the battery in
the Ford and gave the engine a quick inspection. “Give it a try
now.”
    Sara climbed up into the cab and turned the
ignition. The truck roared to life.
    “Yes!” she cried. Her cheeks flooded with
color. Clearing her throat, she quickly composed her expression and
politely thanked him.
    The brief glimpse of the smiling Sara he
remembered gave Brian the desire to push forward with his mission.
One way or another Sara Andersen would forgive him of his past
behavior toward her. And maybe, just maybe, she’d return to where
she really belonged.
    In his arms.

Chapter Five
     
     
    Sara worked at cleaning the farmhouse over
the next three days, often with Hattie’s help. The truck made
everything so much more convenient, and although it tended to emit
black smoke when she drove, it otherwise ran okay.
    She thought often of Brian’s help with the
battery and conceded his gentlemanly gesture. Beyond that, she
refused to read any more into it. She also noticed his conspicuous
absence. Of course she was glad of the fact.
    Inside the house, Sara had pulled down all
the drapes and curtains to have them cleaned, washed the windows
until they shone, and eradicated the cobwebs from the corners of
the ceiling. She boxed up all the pictures and bric-a-brac and
organized the furniture into what she planned to keep and what
she’d give away.
    By the fourth day, she had to drag herself
over to the house. A colossal headache gripped her skull like a
vise, and she felt hot and achy all over. Determination to finish
made her push on with the work.
    She completed cleaning the entire house
until only her grandfather’s bedroom remained. Sara no longer had
an excuse to put off the task. Inside his room, endeavoring to
ignore her sadness, she gazed at the furnishings with a gimlet eye.
Sara decided the bed needed to go. The mattress looked lumpy and
the frame, scarred and cheap. In fact, most of the furniture was
nondescript and she’d probably just get rid of it.
    His antique roll top desk, however, had been
cared for with a loving hand. She pictured the perfect place for it
in her Crescent City apartment and looked forward to using it as he
had—for her scribbles.
    Heaving a sentimental sigh, Sara started
with the closet and carefully folded up all his clothes. The
familiar smell reminded her forcefully of her loss and tears
dribbled down her cheeks as she worked. Soon everything but his
books and papers were packed away.
    She stood up to stretch her tired muscles.
Her heart roared in her ears. She lurched dizzily, landing on the
floor with a bump.
    Closing her eyes, she waited for the
spinning world to right itself again. When she finally lifted her
lids, she saw the time. Just after three. One more hour and she’d
call it a day.
    Taking a deep breath, Sara cautiously stood
back up and went over to the desk. She settled wearily into the
chair and began sorting through the contents of the drawers. She
planned to box everything up now and go through it at a later
date.
    It felt strange to go through someone’s
personal things, but she looked forward to a more intimate glimpse
of her grandfather. She discovered a journal