Tomorrow's Promise (The Hawks Mountain Series) Read Online Free PDF

her feel wanted, the interior and its homey country décor personified the word welcome . A large braided rug covered the center of the rich oak floor in the small, quaint living room, and cheery yellow tiebacks hung at the windows. An arrangement of silk daisies graced the coffee table.
    She continued to explore her new home. The kitchen was small but friendly. Bright rays of sunshine coming through the three windows above the sink washed the kitchen with golden sunlight. Through one of the windows she could see another house peeking through the trees. For a moment, she wondered who her neighbor was. After searching her memory of the town and its layout, she realized that the house belonged to Lydia and George Collins, the mayor of Carson and his wife.
    The idea of having someone close by pleased her. However, if she remembered correctly, Lydia would be more help in an emergency than her husband. Faith turned from the windows to look around the kitchen. She spotted the large pantry and chuckled. The few things she’d bought at Keeler’s Market would barely fill the shelves.
    Footsteps behind her drew her attention to the doorway. Cole entered with his arms full of grocery bags. “I’ll check the attic for that crib.” Cole deposited the groceries on the counter.
    “Thanks.” She looked down at her drowsy-eyed daughter cuddled into her shoulder. “I think Lizzie’s ready for bed.”
    Once Cole had dragged the crib down from the attic and set it up in the smaller of the two bedrooms, Faith put Lizzie and her teddy bear down for a nap. Lizzie snuggled close to her constant companion and closed her eyes. Faith breathed a sigh of contentment. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
    As she reentered the living room, she was surprised to find Cole still there. For some reason, she’d expected him to be gone. He rose from the sofa and grinned at her. “I turned on the electric and the water, but I thought I’d stick around to make sure there’s nothing else I can do for you before I leave.”
    His smile warmed her down to the soles of her sneakers . . . and she hated that it did. The sooner she got him out of here, the better she’d feel. “I think that’s it. Thanks for your help.”
    He picked up his hat from the sofa. “I left my phone number on the kitchen table. If you find there is something you need, just give me a call.”
    Why didn’t he just go?
    She couldn’t look at him. His eyes held too much kindness, too much understanding, too much . . . Faith glanced into the tiny kitchen. “Thanks, but you’re forgetting that I don’t have a phone.”
    “Cell phone?”
    She shook her head.
    “You and the little one out here with no phone? Not good.”
    “Well, until I get a job, I’ll have to hope I don’t need one.”
    Cole thought for a moment, and then took a couple of hesitant steps toward the door. “Well, I guess I’d better get back to the office.”
    She remained silent, mentally giving him a push that would hurry him from the cottage and, hopefully, from her thoughts.
    He took another step, and then turned back to her. “Listen. I’ve been thinking. I need a housekeeper to clean up around my house for me, do some laundry, and maybe fix my supper.” He shook his head. “I’m a lousy cook. I know you need a job. I can’t pay you a lot, but it would be enough to feed you and Lizzie until you find something else. How about it?”
    Stunned, Faith could only stare at him. Her stomach did a somersault. Work for him? See him every day? Handle his things? She was already fighting an attraction to this handsome man, and putting herself in close proximity to him on a daily basis wouldn’t be smart.
    Despite her misgivings about putting herself in that kind of situation, she couldn’t help but feel gratitude for his concern for her and Lizzie. But when she’d left Atlanta, she’d promised herself that she would take care of herself and her daughter. She’d made the mistake of