Unbroken by Jennifer McNare Read Free Book Online

well-worn pair of cowboy boots, he reminded her of her own grandfather, a wonderful man with a jovial laugh, an easy-going nature and a heart of pure gold.  Sadly, he’d passed away when she was fourteen, two years before her grandmother.  “Thank you, Ben, and please call me Britney.”
    Jake cocked an eyebrow at Britney’s warm tone and friendly greeting.  Was she actually smiling?  He could hardly believe it.
    “So , Britney, are you partial to homemade banana crème pie?” Ben asked.
    “ As a matter of fact, I am,” she assured him with an enthusiastic nod.
    “Well come on in then,” he said , smiling widely as he motioned them toward the house.
    As they started up the steps, Britney’s eyes were drawn to the large wooden swing that hung from the rafters on the left side of the wide front porch.  Two pillows with a bright yellow sunflower print rested in each corner and two large potted plants with pale green leaves and vivid red flowers flanked the sides.  It looked incredibly inviting.
    Pulling open the old-fashioned screen door, Ben ushered them into the house.
    Stepping into the small foyer, Britney was immediately delighted by her surroundings.  A narrow staircase with a beautifully carved wooden banister led to the upper floor, a large dining room opened to the right, and a warm, inviting living room was set to the left of the foyer. 
    Let’s go on back to the kitchen,” Ben said , moving into the living room and then heading toward the rear of the house. 
    As Britney and Jake followed a few steps behind, her gaze swept the tastefully decorated room.  The comfortable looking furniture was reminiscent of a past era and the words country charm instantly came to mind.  Her eyes moved to a beautiful quilt with a five-pointed star in varying shades of yellow and blue that was draped across the back of a large, upholstered sofa and then to the two side tables where numerous family photos were displayed.  Feeling more and more at ease, she followed Ben into the kitchen.
     
     
    An hour later, Britney got her first glimpse of Jake’s cabin.  Just a couple of miles past Ben’s property, it sat within a beautiful meadow, surrounded by a profusion of evergreen trees, tall mountain grasses and brightly colored wildflowers. It was absolutely breathtaking, she noted in relief.  It was also at least twice the size of Ben’s farmhouse. 
    “Like I said, I let the architect get a bit carried away,” Jake said, noticing Britney’s awed expression. 
    The house was a beautiful combination of both rustic and modern styling, built using large, honed wooden timbers and accented beautifully with stacked stone in an array of pleasing earth tones.  An immense front porch ran the entire length of the house and massive, two-story windows reflected the afternoon sun.  It was nothing at all like the small, dilapidated structure where years earlier she had discovered the true meaning of horror.
    “It’s incredib le,” Britney breathed, her tone utterly sincere.  “Your architect was obviously a genius.  It actually looks like it belongs here.”
    “Uh huh,” Jake agreed, pleased by her reaction.  “I wanted something that would add to the beauty of the surrounding scenery and not detract from it.  Other than going a little overboard on the square footage, he did a great job.”
    Britney nodded in agreement.
    Parking in front of the house, Jake pulled the keys from the Explorer’s ignition.  “I’ll pull it into the garage after we unload and put a garage door opener in here for you.”
    “Okay, thanks,” Britney responded, opening her door and stepp ing out onto the wide gravel drive.
    As he moved to the rear of the vehicle to unload their bags, Jake eyed Britney curiously.  During their brief stop at Ben’s he’d seen her smile, heard her laugh and had watched in stunned disbelief as she’d chatted warmly and openly with his grandfather.  He’d discovered that she was an only child like