The House on Blackberry Hill: Jewell Cove #1 (Jewel Cove) by Donna Alward Read Free Book Online Page B

condensation slipping down her fingers as she stared at him. “What?”
    “You don’t want it, right? And you’re going to sell it anyway. So sell it to me.”
    Abby hadn’t seen the offer coming, but she could tell he was dead serious. “I thought you were a contractor.”
    “I am.”
    “And I didn’t say I was selling it.” The words came out, even though she knew them to be a lie.
    He sat back in his chair. “So you’re keeping it? Staying here?”
    “I didn’t say that, either.” She folded her hands. “You were right about one thing. I can’t sell it as it is. It needs work, but I’m still trying to get a full picture. It would be irresponsible to sell to you right now. After all, I doubt I’d get market value. You’ll do the renovations and then flip it for a tidy profit.”
    “So? I’d be saving you a lot of headache,” he persisted.
    “The house hasn’t exactly been the source of my headache today,” she pointed out.
    The waitress came and served Abby’s meal. The smell was enough to make her nearly wilt with pleasure. With a smile the woman turned to Tom. “You want a pint of the usual, Tom? Something to eat?”
    “I ate at Bryce’s, thanks, Tanya. But a pint would be good.”
    So much for getting rid of him, then.
    Abby poured a little of her dressing over her salad and speared a circle of cucumber. “I hope you don’t mind if I eat. I’m starving.”
    “Feel free.”
    She was self-conscious eating in front of him, wondering if he could hear every chew and swallow, but refused to let him take away her enjoyment of the food.
    She washed down the cucumber with her rum and ginger and put down her fork. “Tom … may I call you Tom?” At his short nod she continued. “I’m not going to unload the house on an impulse or because someone pressures me.” Tanya came back and served his beer and slipped away again. Abby cleared her throat. “I’m spending the next few weeks evaluating, and that’s all. I’ll be talking to my lawyer and looking at my options, which may include contractors. I’m sure you’re not the only game in town, and I intend to cover all my bases.” She looked squarely into his eyes. “I feel like you’ve ambushed me twice today. It’s not exactly doing you any favors.”
    He took a long drink of his beer and put it down on the table. “Since we’re moving to a first-name basis … Abigail.” He sighed. “Look, maybe I seem a little pushy—”
    “A little?” She raised her eyebrows, challenging. “You barged into my house an hour after I arrived and now you’ve interrupted my dinner.”
    His lips curved. “Okay, a lot pushy. The truth is, I have a thing for old houses and the one you’ve inherited is a doozy. It was and still is a landmark and just needs some TLC. It’s no more complicated than that. The idea of restoring a house like that is a dream come true for a guy like me.”
    He was being completely honest. She could read it in his gaze and the passion in his voice. Why couldn’t he have said that earlier? Knowing he had a personal stake in it rather than simply seeing dollar signs softened her a bit.
    “All right. I’ll consider your offer. After looking into all my options, of course.”
    He turned his glass in a circle on the tabletop, leaving a wet ring. “Thank you,” he conceded. “It’s just that the house is a real treasure. It deserves to finally be looked after. If you don’t want to do it, I’d like to. There’s so much history there, it would be a shame for it to disappear or be covered up.”
    “If it’s got such historical significance, maybe it should be a museum.”
    His eyes widened. “The town tried to convince Marian to sell it to them for years. She always said no. Said it was supposed to stay in the family.” He looked away. “Or so the story goes.”
    The last sip of her drink soured in her mouth. “In the family? That’s odd, considering we never met when she was alive. Family couldn’t have been