Finding Promise (The Promise Series, A Small Town Romance) Read Free

cupboards, hinting at the wood beneath it. The back
yard held a washing line, some of its chord snapped, snaking along the grass.
The yard hosted a wooden entertainment deck with a well-used barbeque. She
pictured an awning over a refurbished deck with a gas barbeque and a picnic
table and chairs. In a far corner sat a wooden tool shed that looked as though
it would collapse as soon as its door was opened. The garden shed could be
replaced and there was enough land to start a vegetable and herb garden. The
back yard wasn’t fenced in and instead was surrounded by the same grass and
bush she saw along the road in front of the house.
     
    Images of Fourth of July barbeques, comfortable conversation
with friends and relaxing evenings on a porch swing assailed her. Things that
she’d only read about and never experienced increased her need to attain the
house. Optimistic and excited, she realised that it was perfect. She could heal
this house and maybe find the opportunity to heal herself too. She might just
have found a place where she could live and belong.
     
    It could not have been more different than the upscale New
York apartment that she’d lived in for the five years that she was married. Her
parents had coerced her into selling the house and moving back in with them,
her father telling her that it was poor form for a woman to live on her own.
Ironically, Caroline had stayed on her own in the apartment more often than she
had shared it with her husband. It was on the day that she signed the final
papers to sell the apartment that she embarked on her adventure. Faced with the
bleak prospective of living with her parents for the next few years until she
was manipulated into another unhappy marriage of her father’s choosing, served
as the final motivation for her to run. She had packed her identification
documents, purse, a few bags of basic clothing and left a note for her parents.
She had also left cupboards full of designer clothing and a safe full of
expensive jewelry. Those things had come to mean little to her. She needed to
get away from the world that she’d been accustomed to, knowing that it wouldn’t
help her heal. I can heal this house and through that maybe I can heal too.
     
    Overwhelmed and nervous but feeling strongly that this was
meant for her, she decided to investigate the sale of the house. Not having bought
a house before, she had no idea what a house such as this would cost. What
would she need to buy the house? She had her identification documents but did
she need anything else? She realised that she needed some answers and walked
towards her car.
     
    A dusty truck, evidently used to hard labor, was pulling up
behind hers. Drat, this better not be another prospective owner. It was a
ruggedly, handsome man and he was heading towards her. “Good afternoon,
ma’am.  Are you lost? I saw your car parked out here and thought that you
might be looking for some directions but that house over there is vacant. Is
there anything I can assist you with?”
     
    “No, thank you. I was just taking a look at it. It’s
charming.” She smiled in what she hoped was a friendly manner, not feeling too
friendly with fatigue beating down at the door.
     
    With work on his mind, Luke said good bye and started to get
back into his truck. “Oh wait. Sorry to bother you, I can see that you’re on
your way somewhere. Could you please point me towards the town?”
     
    “Sure, just head on straight down that road and before you
know it, you’ll be there. You can’t miss it.” He waved good bye as he drove
off.
     
    Imagine that, mused Faith. People here actually stopped you
to ask if you needed help.  If what she’s seen thus far was anything to go
by, the town must be spectacular.
     
    Promise didn’t disappoint her. After passing a few more
houses, she entered the seaside town of Promise within ten minutes. The house
is certainly conveniently located close to town. Her first impression of the
town was