“Everyone has secrets, do they not? Some they share with those they trust, some they prefer to keep to themselves.”
Wyatt was quiet for a long moment. “I hope you know that if you ever want to share yours, you can trust me.”
Rosa trusted very few people. And she certainly wasn’t going to trust Wyatt, who was only a temporary tenant and would be out of her life in a few short weeks.
“If I had any secrets, I might do that. But I don’t. I’m a completely open book.”
She tried for a breezy smile but could tell he wasn’t at all convinced. In fact, he looked slightly disappointed.
She tried to ignore her guilt and opted to change the subject instead. “The lightning seems to have stopped for now. I am sure the power will be back on soon.”
“No doubt.”
“Thank you again for coming to my rescue. Good night. Be careful going back down the stairs.”
“I will do that. Good night.”
He studied her, his features unreadable in the dim light of her flashlight. As he turned to go back down the stairs, the masculine scent of him swirled to her. She felt again that sudden wild urge to kiss him but ignored it. Instead, she went into her darkened apartment, her dog at her heels, and firmly closed the door behind her. If only she could close the door to her thoughts as easily.
THE WOMEN OF BRAMBLEBERRY HOUSE
Dear Reader,
Several years ago (2007, to be exact!) I wrote a book called Shelter from the Storm. This was a romantic suspense about a small-town doctor and the local sheriff in Utah who work together to rescue a terrified fifteen-year-old girl from a dark and terrible situation. In the process, the doctor and the sheriff fall in love (of course!) and end up providing a warm, supportive home for the girl. I loved writing this book and still get reader emails about it. Many readers who have read Shelter from the Storm have begged me to write a story for the rescued girl, Rosa Galvez. I’m so happy I finally had the chance with A Brambleberry Summer!
Rosa Galvez is a heroine who has faced unimaginable pain and loss. She has managed to build a happy life for herself on the Oregon Coast while keeping her past to herself, until a single father and his adorable son who have suffered their own loss move into Brambleberry House.
I loved returning to this beautiful part of the world and the charms of this historic house at the seaside, and it was such a delight to finally give Rosa the joy and happiness she so deserves.
Happy reading!
RaeAnne
A BRAMBLEBERRY SUMMER
RaeAnne Thayne
www.millsandboon.com.au
New York Times bestselling author RAEANNE THAYNE finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including six RITA® Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer Awards from RT Book Reviews. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at raeannethayne.com.
To all the readers who have asked me to write Rosa’s story over the years.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Excerpt from The Rancher’s Summer Secret by Christine Rimmer
Chapter One
Summer Saturdays in a busy tourist town like Cannon Beach, Oregon, were not for the faint of heart.
As always, the sidewalk outside Rosa Galvez’s gift shop, By-The-Wind, was packed with tourists. Kids in swimming suits. Parents with sunburned noses, their arms loaded with buckets and towels and umbrellas. And, her favorite, older people arm in arm, enjoying an afternoon of browsing through the local stores.
The long, wide stretch of beach that gave the town its name was only a half block from her store, which meant she had a nonstop view of the action, both in front of her store and farther down the beach.
One could never grow bored watching the kites, the recumbent bicycles, the children building sandcastles.
Some hardy souls were even swimming in the shallows, though Rosa always considered it entirely too cold. Maybe her childhood in Honduras had left her too warm-blooded.
Instead, she was busy working the cash register at her gift shop while her newest employee and dear friend, Jen Ryan, rearranged a display of tiny hand-carved lighthouses an artist in Lincoln City had crafted for her.
Nearby, Jen’s six-year-old daughter, Addie, giggled at something in the small children’s area Rosa had created, complete with a miniature kitchen and dollhouse. The children’s area worked beautifully to keep little hands away from the more breakable items in the store while their parents browsed.
While she finished ringing up a cute handmade teapot for her customer, she kept a watchful eye on Jen. This was only her second day working in the store, though she and Addie had been in town for a few weeks. She still seemed anxious, and was constantly looking toward the door as if she expected something horrible to burst through at any moment.
Rosa hoped that with time her friend would lose that skittish air, the impression she gave off that at the slightest provocation, she would grab her child and bolt out the door of the shop.
How could Rosa blame her, after everything Jen had been through? It was a wonder she could even go out in public. All things considered, she was doing remarkably well and seemed to be settling into life here in Cannon Beach. Having her living at Brambleberry House was a joy.
She finished carefully wrapping the customer’s teapot in bubble wrap so it would be safe in whatever corner of luggage it was stuffed into.
“There you are,” Rosa said, handing over the bag. “Thank you for shopping at By-The-Wind.”
“Thank you. This is such an adorable shop. We’ve been to every store in town and you have the best merchandise. Authentic and charming souvenirs. I’ll definitely be back before we leave town.”
“I am very glad to hear this.” She smiled and waved the woman and her husband on their way. She was replenishing her supply of bubble wrap under the counter when the front-door chimes rang out again.
She happened to be looking in Jen’s direction and didn’t miss the way her friend’s features tensed with fear and then visibly relaxed when a woman came in, trailed by a young teenager.
Rosa’s day, already good, immediately brightened even further, as if the sun had just come out from behind the clouds.
“Look who it is,” she exclaimed. “Two of my favorite people!”
“Hola, Rosa,” the girl said, beaming brightly at her with a mouth full of braces.
“Hello, my dear.” Her friend Carrie Abbott brushed her cheek against Rosa’s.
“What a wonderful surprise. How may I help you? Are you looking for a gift for someone? I have some gorgeous new purses in and also some fantastic jewelry from an artisan in Yachats you might like.”
“Where’s the jewelry?” Like a little magpie, Bella was instantly drawn to anything shiny.
Rosa showed her the new display and they spent a moment looking over the hand-beaded pieces.
“Ooh. Those turquoise starburst earrings are gorgeous! How
much are they?”
She named an amount that had the girl’s shoulders slumping. “I better not. I’m saving for an electric scooter.”
“You know, that’s the markup amount. I can probably drop the price by ten dollars.”
Bella looked tempted. “I’m babysitting this weekend. If they’re still for sale, I’ll come back and get them.”
“I’ll set them aside until you can get back in,” Rosa promised, which earned her another braces-filled smile.
“You’re too tempting!” Carrie said, shaking her head. “I could blow my entire mad-money budget in here. Believe it or not, we didn’t come in to buy earrings, no matter how lovely they are.”
“Is there something else I can help you find? You should try the new soaps from Astrid Larsen.”
Carrie laughed. “Stop. We’re not supposed to be shopping! I came in because I need to talk to you.”
Against her will, Rosa’s gaze shifted to Bella and then back to the girl’s mother. “Oh?” she said, hoping her voice sounded casual.
Carrie leaned against the counter. “Yes. How are you, first of all? I haven’t talked to you in forever.”
Carrie did not usually drop in just to chat. What was this about? She looked back toward Bella, who was holding the turquoise earrings up to her ears and looking in the mirror of the display.
“I have been good.” She smiled. “Summer is always such a busy time here but I am glad for the tourists. Otherwise, I would not be able to keep the store open. And how are you?”
“Good. Busy, too. Bella is going in a hundred different directions, between babysitting and softball and her music lessons.”
Such a normal, happy childhood. It warmed her heart. “Oh, that is nice.”
“Did I tell you, we have tickets to the theater in Portland next month?” Bella said. “It’s a traveling Broadway production of Hamilton. And then we’re driving down the coast to San Francisco. I cannot wait!”
Rosa hid a smile. Bella had only mentioned the upcoming trip about a hundred times since spring, when she and her parents had first started talking about it. “That will be wonderful for you.”
“Other than that, everything is pretty good,” Carrie said. “Well, okay. I do have one small problem I was hoping you might be able to help us out with.”
“Of course. What can I do?”
“Don’t answer so quickly. It’s a huge favor.”
Carrie had to know Rosa would do anything for her. Theirs was that kind of friendship.
“I was wondering if you’ve found a tenant to sublease your empty apartment until fall, when your renters come back.”
Rosa lived on the top floor of a sprawling old Victorian, Brambleberry House. She managed the property for her aunt and her aunt’s friend, Sage Benedetto Spencer.
Right now, Jen lived in the second-floor apartment, but the older couple who had been renting the furnished ground-floor apartment for the past year had moved to Texas temporarily to help with an ill family member.
“It is still empty for now.”
She didn’t have the energy to go the vacation-rental route, with new people constantly coming in and out.
Carrie’s features brightened. “Oh, yay! Would you consider renting it for the next month or so?”
Rosa frowned. “Why would you need a place to rent? Are you doing something to your house?”
Carrie and her husband lived in a very nice cottage about a mile from Brambleberry House. She had recently remodeled the kitchen but perhaps she was thinking about doing the bathrooms.
“Not for me,” Carrie assured her. “For Wyatt and Logan.”
Rosa tensed at the mention of Carrie’s brother and his young son. While the boy was adorable, seven years old and cheerful as could be, his father was another matter.
Wyatt Townsend was a detective for the Cannon Beach Police Department and always seemed to look at her as if she was up to something illegal.
That was surely her imagination. She had done nothing to make him suspicious of her.
“I thought he was staying with you while his home is being repaired.”
“He is. And I would be fine with him living with us until the work is done, but everything is taking so much longer than he expected. It has been a nightmare of wrangling with the insurance and trying to find subcontractors to do the work.”
Wyatt’s small bungalow had been damaged in a fire about a month earlier, believed to have been caused by faulty wiring. It had been a small miracle that neither he nor his son had been home at the time and that a neighbor had smelled the smoke and called the fire department before widespread damage.
Rosa knew from Carrie that the fire damage still meant he had to renovate several rooms and had been living with his sister and her husband while the work was being completed.
“That must be hard for Wyatt.”
“I know. And after everything they have both been through the past three years, they didn’t need one more thing. But he’s doing his best to rebuild.”
Rosa certainly knew what it mean to rebuild a life.
“The work will take at least another month.”
“That long?”
“Yes. And to be honest, I think Wyatt is a little tired of sleeping on the sofa in my family room with his leg hanging over the edge. Since the insurance company will cover rent for the next few months, he said last night he was thinking about looking around for somewhere to stay temporarily. He even brought up the idea of renting a camp trailer and parking it in his driveway until the repairs are done. I immediately thought of your empty apartment and thought that would be so much better for him and Logan, if it’s still available.”
The apartment was available. But did she really want Wyatt Townsend there? Rosa glanced over at Jen, who was talking to Addie in a low voice.
She could not forget about Jen. In the other woman’s situation, how would she feel about having a police detective moving downstairs?
“I know it’s a huge ask. You probably have a waiting list as long as my arm for an apartment in that great location.”
Rosa shook her head. “I have not really put it on the market, to be honest. I have been too busy and also I know the Smiths want to move back if they can at the end of the summer, after June’s mother heals from her broken hip.”
That still did not mean she wanted to rent it to Wyatt and his son. She could not even say she had a compelling reason not to, other than her own unease.
The man made her so nervous. It did not help that he was extraordinarily good-looking.
He always seemed to be looking at her as if he knew she had secrets and wouldn’t rest until he figured them out.
That wouldn’t bother her, as she did not usually have much to do with him. Except she did have secrets. So many secrets. And he was the last man in town she wanted to figure them out.
She should just say no. She could tell Carrie she had decided to paint it while it was empty or put in new flooring or something.
That wasn’t completely a lie. She had talked to Anna and Sage about making a few cosmetic improvements to the apartment over the summer, but had not made any solid plans. Even if she had, none of them was urgent.
The apartment was in good condition and would be an ideal solution for Wyatt and his son while repairs continued on their house.
She had to let him stay there. How could she possibly say no to Carrie? She owed her so very much.
What would Jen think? Maybe she would find comfort in knowing a big, strong police detective lived downstairs. Their own built-in security.
“Yes. Okay. He can stay there, if he wants to.”
“He will,” Carrie assured her, looking thrilled. “I should mention that he has a dog. He’s the cutest little thing and no trouble at all.”
Rosa was not so sure about that. She had seen Wyatt and
Logan walking the dog on the beach a few times when she had been walking her own dog, Fiona. Their beagle mix, while adorable, seemed as energetic as Logan.
“It should be fine. The Smiths had a little dog, too. The ground-floor apartment has a dog door out to the fenced area of the lawn. Fiona will enjoy the company.”
“Oh, how perfect. It’s even better than I thought. I can’t thank you enough!”
“He probably will want to take a look at it before he makes any decisions. And we need to talk about rent.”
She told her what the Smiths had been paying per month and Carrie’s eyes widened.
“Are you kidding? That’s totally a bargain around here, especially in the summer. I know the insurance company was going to pay much more than that. I’m sure it will be fantastic. You are the best.”
Carrie and Bella left the store a few moments later, with Bella promising to come back so she could pay for the earrings.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Rosa slumped against the jewelry counter. What had she done?
She did not want Wyatt Townsend living anywhere close to her. The man looked too deeply, saw too much.
Ah, well. She would simply work a little harder to hide her secrets. She had plenty of practice.
* * *
“Sorry. Run that by me again. You did what?”
Wyatt gazed at his sister in shock. She lifted her chin, somehow managing to look embarrassed and defiant at the same time. “You heard me. I talked to Rosa Galvez about you moving into her empty apartment at Brambleberry House.”
He adored his older sister and owed her more than he could ever repay for the help she had given him the last three years, since Tori had died. But she had a bad habit of trying to run his life for him.
It was his own fault. He knew what Carrie was like, how she jumped on a single comment and ran with it. He should never have mentioned to her that he was thinking about renting an apartment until the fire renovations were done. He should have simply found one and told her about it later.
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