California Homecoming Read Online Free PDF Page A

this case, of course.”
    “Of course.”
    He was finally rewarded with a smile and his hopes began to rise. “Then?”
    She shook her head. “Look, I’m sure you’re a nice guy. And handy.” She blushed. “In the best sense of the word.” Her cheeks turned pinker. “But I’m really not ready for anyone to move in yet.” Her dark brown eyes were steady. “And even when I do open the inn, I don’t think you could afford to live here full-time. I’m trying to make a destination property — I don’t know if you know what that is, but it’s going to be pricey.”
    Hunter’s spirits fell.
It always comes down to money, doesn’t it?
A commodity he wasn’t likely to have in abundance any time soon. A veteran’s home loan would have enabled him to get the house with a reasonable payment, but loans for day to day living expenses weren’t available and Santa Cruz was expensive.
    He was lucky he hadn’t been able to get the house. It was time to give up on his dream and move on.
    “Okay.” He turned to go.
    “I’m sorry,” Sarah said quietly.
    Yeah.

Chapter 4
    Sarah shut the door on Hunter’s retreating back, her throat closing around her remorse. She was no better than the people trying to cut veteran’s benefits.
    She put her hand on her stomach. But what if he was crazy? She had a baby to protect. There were too many stories about vets becoming violent when stressed.
    He probably sleeps with a gun under his pillow.
    No. She’d made the right decision.
    Then why did she feel so terrible?
    Pushing the scene aside as she tucked her hair behind her ear, she climbed the stairs to her project. Plumbing was turning out to be a lot harder than Sarah anticipated. Replacing a washer should have been a simple task.
    When she got to the bathroom, she wiped the ever-present tears from her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror. Her dark brown eyes were watery, olive skin streaked with the grease Hunter had mentioned, and her chestnut hair looked like it hadn’t been combed in a month. Dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion.
    I can’t wait for this stage of pregnancy to be over.
    Maybe I can’t do it on my own.
    The image of Hunter’s strong back returned. Having someone reliable to lean on would be a welcome change.
    She squared her shoulders, lifted her head, and picked up the home handyman book she’d gotten at Ocean Reads.
    “Turn the water off under the sink.”
    She’d done that part. Must have been where the grease came from.
    “Remove the cap from the top of the faucet.”
Easy.
    “Unscrew the handle.” That’s where she ran into trouble. No matter how hard she’d tried, the screw wouldn’t budge.
    Maybe if she hit it …
    She took her wrench, smacked the top of the faucet, and tried again with the screwdriver.
    Nothing.
    Back to the wrench.
    She hit the faucet again. And again. Finally, she pounded it for a full minute before tossing the wrench in the sink.
    This time when she turned the screw she was rewarded with a creaking twist.
    She spun the screwdriver. The screw popped out.
    Water sprayed everywhere.
    “Shit!” Sarah yelled at the faucet, grabbed the wrench, and crawled back under the sink. She smacked the shut-off valve on the pipe and gave it another turn. Gradually the water from the faucet slowed to a stop.
    Brutality seems to be the only method that works with rusted metal objects.
    She flung the wrench back in the sink and stomped downstairs. At this rate she’d never be open by spring.
    Sitting with a cup of coffee and pad of paper, she drummed on the table as she thought about ways to speed up the process. This was supposed to be Rick’s job. Wasn’t plumbing, along with taking out the garbage, in the man’s job description? Her father had always made these kinds of problems disappear.
    But her father had also started sleeping with a mistress when Sarah was only three.
    So there you had it. Men were unreliable.
    For her baby’s sake she’d better learn to