Sweet Tomorrows Read Online Free PDF Page A

always have been that niggling doubt, that seed of uncertainty planted at the high school reunion when he saw Katie, his first love.
    Starting over by leaving Seattle felt right, and when I was hired by the Cedar Cove School District a sense of renewed purpose filled me. I was going to start my life fresh, without expectations of that happily-ever-after every woman dreams of, without any expectations, in fact.
    As for children, for now, I had my students and my nieces and nephews to shower love upon. Eventually, I’d like to take in foster children and possibly adopt. I’d thrown in the white towel, laid down my hopes and dreams, and surrendered. It took the better part of the year to accept my future, but I had, and I was truly ready to move forward.
    My intended move had upset my parents the most. They were accustomed to having me close at hand. My mother in particular had big plans for me. Plans that included introducing me to every unmarried man she could drag off the street. It’d gotten to be embarrassing, especially when I’d made it clear I wasn’t interested. I’d given love a chance and it hadn’t worked out. No one was at fault. It was sort of like “been there, done that, and had the engagement rings to prove it.” Well, actually, I didn’t have those rings any longer; I’d sold them and planned to use the money as part of the down payment on a house.
    While I choose to believe Mom has my best interests at heart, I also know she was dying to throw me the wedding of the century. That wasn’t going to happen. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I told her, she refused to believe I was serious.
    —
    Letting go of all these negative thoughts, I focused on the inn once more and released a sigh. I climbed out of my car, dragged my heavy suitcase out from the trunk, and started lugging it toward the inn. I planned to start house shopping right away. I didn’t anticipate that I would need more than a month to find what I wanted. I’d already gotten a loan approval and had saved a substantial down payment from the money I’d set aside for the weddings that had never happened.
    On my drive into town, I’d scouted out several neighborhoods and addresses that I’d found on the Internet. Any one of those houses would have suited me, I suppose, but none excited me.
    Call me picky; I wanted more than four walls and a decent-sized yard. I was in search of a place I could settle into and be content for the rest of my life, for however long that would be.
    The front door of the inn opened, and a woman who didn’t seem that much older than me stood in the doorway, watching me as I approached. I had to assume she was a guest.
    “This is the Rose Harbor Inn, right?” I asked.
    She smiled. “You must be Emily Gaffney. I’m Jo Marie Rose. Welcome.”
    This was Jo Marie Rose? I’d only talked to her on the phone and assumed she would be much older. “You’re Jo Marie?”
    “Yes.” She smiled as if she found my surprise amusing. Glancing down at the short-haired dog at her side, she added, “And this is Rover.”
    A mixed-breed dog sat on his haunches and looked intently up at me, cocking his head to one side as if appraising me. Apparently, I passed muster, because his tail flopped against the wooden porch in a gesture of acceptance and welcome.
    “I have your room ready. I hope you don’t mind that I put you up on the third floor,” Jo Marie said as she led the way into the inn.
    I paused and took in the sight. The foyer was smaller than I would have suspected for such a large home, dominated by a staircase that disappeared into the second floor. To my immediate left was a formal dining area with a long table with matching chairs that looked to seat about twenty people. Beyond that was a great room with a fireplace. It seemed nearly every room had a view of the cove, and my eyes immediately went to the blue-green waters. As it had earlier in the photo of the inn, the marina caught my attention as the