Breene, K F - Jessica Brodie Diaries 01 Read Online Free PDF

nugget. I wanted that cottage, and I was
prepared to fabricate to get it.
    “A fresh start in a distant place
is exactly what I am looking for. This is just one of the places I was looking
into; Texas I mean. I got a job,
so I found the ad and applied.”
    “You see? God was listening. I am
heading to the end of my days, and I desperately needed to give back. Charity
is great, and feels great, but I wanted to give on a personal level as
well."
    Ordinarily I would be irritated
that I was her Petri dish. Or that she was under the impression I needed
charity. But with a sweet little setup like that cottage below, in a price
range that wouldn’t hurt my pocket too much, I’d be her Oliver any day. Hell,
put a red wig on me and throw some coins at my feet, I’m in.
    Her smile widened in a good-natured
way. “Okay, darlin, let’s go have a look!
    We walked out the way we came. Big
rooms, long hallway, grand staircase. We went out through the front door. We
walked around the north side of the house to a little stone path. A large
wooden gate with spikes on the top barred our way until she tapped in a code.
    “The access number is already
written down and placed in the cottage for your convenience," she said as
she continued along the path. “You’ll be safe from your admirers here.”
    Yeah, like I had any of those.
    Across the gate and through the
woods, little red riding hood followed her filthy rich and slightly eccentric
Godmother. We crossed a large patch of perfectly manicured lawn with various
well positioned flower beds. As we neared the cottage, we walked by a BBQ
station with a giant grill, counters, a small fridge, patio tables and chairs,
and a fire pit. I could throw one hell of a garden party on this lawn.
    If I could find some friends to do
it with.
    Beyond that was an Olympic sized
pool. At the far side it had a stone wall with ivy and a waterfall that
appeared to double as a slide. And I would absolutely make use of that slide. I
was still a kid where pool play was concerned!
    The closer we got to the cottage,
the harder my heart thumped. It was like I was going on a date with the hottest
guy in eternity. I had to wipe my palms on my jeans, knocking off a few chip
flacks as I did so.
    She opened the front door and
handed me a key. Then stared, again expectant.
    Into my dumbfounded stare, she
said, "Well? This is your new home. Take the keys, enter, and give me a
tour.”
    She was cracked. Give her a tour to
a place I had never been before? Oh, okay. So, you want to watch me wander
around blindly, do you? I’ll bite.
    The entryway was spacious with high
ceilings and a marble floor. It had a staircase off to the right. Instead of
following it, I went through one of the doors on the left. That led me to a
living room, also with ample space, centered around a sweet little fireplace.
Furniture was ornate and stately, the leather hiding that it was slightly out
of date.
    I continued through an archway into
a dining room big enough to seat six people. The room had a china cabinet
filled with fine China and crystal. I almost instructed her to take those away since I wasn’t adult
enough to be in the vicinity of such items. What if I sleep walked one night
and sold them all on ebay?
    I continued on, my tour totally
forgotten. This place seemed like home. I fit here. As odd as that sounded with
me never, ever having this sort of finery around me, I fit. I found my niche,
and I was going to stay here as long as I could. I loved it.
    After my self-tour was concluded,
and I realized I’d left Gladis somewhere behind, I backtracked through the
house and down to the living room. There she was, sitting on the couch, gazing
out the window with a dreamy smile. She looked up as I came in.
    “Well?” she asked. “How do you like
it?”
    I could feel my face alight with
glee. "I love it! Love it!"
    She got up slowly, as old women do,
and gestured toward the sliding glass door. I followed her out to a patio
overlooking the