Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Had
Brian ever really loved her? Or had he just used the words he knew
would melt away her reservations?
    Her thoughts refused to clear. She blamed it
on a lack of sleep.
    Straightening her shoulders, Sara marched
down the driveway. She got all the way to the road before she
realized she didn’t have a car.
    Turning slowly, Sara looked at the main
house. She had no key and didn’t want to attempt a break-in. There
was only one option. Gazing out at the rolling farmland and further
out to the haze of mountains in the distance, she waited for her
heart rate to decelerate. When she felt more composed, Sara walked
back to the cottage.
     
    Brian jumped away from the window when he
saw Sara coming back up the drive. The action caused his head to
spin, and he grabbed the kitchen chair for support until the
dizziness passed.
    He wasn’t as recovered as he let on. Dealing
with the formidable Sara Andersen required him to marshal all his
resources for the morning confrontation. He experienced a stab of
regret knowing she was still grieving the loss of her grandfather.
But they needed to talk and he had to grasp at any opportunity.
    Brian heard her steps crunching on the
gravel as she approached the cottage. He knew she didn’t have a car
with her, and Hattie wouldn’t know when to come without a phone
call. He also guessed Sara didn’t have a cell phone. She was
notoriously stubborn when it came to submitting to the age of
technology. When she knocked on the door, he smiled, knowing he’d
guessed correctly.
    He composed his features
before turning the knob. Step
lightly. He opened the door. “Why, Sara, what a pleasant surprise.”
    She pinned him with a steely gaze. “As you
may have noticed, I don’t have a car. Can I use your phone to call
my aunt?”
    “You don't have a cell?”
    “I know you think I'm some kind of Luddite,
Brian, but bottom line, can I make a call or not?”
    “Of course.”
    She stepped past him, pointedly avoiding any
contact. Brian leaned against the door frame and motioned to the
phone on the kitchen wall. He watched her curl a lock of hair
around her ear before she dialed. When she bit her lower lip, he
knew Hattie wasn’t answering. Brian tried not to let the triumph
show in his eyes.
    Sara finally hung up the phone and slowly
turned around. “My aunt isn’t home and I don’t know where she is at
the moment.” A line appeared between her brows. “Hattie knew I’d
need a ride home this morning.”
    “Do you think she’s on her way here?”
    “I don’t know what time she gets off work or
when she’ll come to pick me up.” Sara clutched her purse against
her chest like a shield. “What am I going to do?” she said more to
herself than to him.
    “Well, you’re welcome to wait here until you
get a hold of her. Or I could give you a ride home.”
    Sara shook her head. “I don’t think you’re
up to driving just yet.”
    Brian shrugged and watched with tender
amusement as a variety of emotions flitted across her face.
Obviously, her desire to leave his presence warred with the
supposed danger of exposing herself to his driving abilities.
    She glanced up at him and quickly looked
away. Brian saw a flash of distrust in her eyes and suspected it
went way beyond the operation of a vehicle. He felt a tide of heat
rush into his face. Perhaps he deserved such a look, but it still
pained him. Brian knew she considered him an ogre and more than
anything he wanted to change that opinion. He'd come all the way to
Oregon to do just that—only finding out from Eli that she'd settled
in Northern California.
    He lowered himself onto a chair. “Since you
aren’t willing to risk being in the truck with me, maybe I could
show you some of the improvements at the farmhouse.”
    Sara quirked a brow.
    “If you’re still concerned about my health,
don’t worry, it won’t be anything too strenuous,” he added.
    “I, um, don’t have a key yet.”
    “But I do.” To prove his point, he stood