“After we finish whatever smells so delicious, I get to pick a movie.”
“Something Christmasy,” Tara and Marley managed at the same time.
Though she expected him to balk at the idea after having been so inundated with the season the last couple of weeks, he just smiled as he sat down.
“Of course. Whatever makes my girls happy.”
Marley smiled in satisfaction, and Tara sighed, happy to be included in his little world. They laughed their way through dinner as Tara told them about life of the farm when she was young. By the end of the meal, Marley had convinced Justin to buy goats and chickens when the weather was warmer, though he wasn’t crazy about all of Marley’s plans.
“I still think the idea of bathing with goat’s milk is gross.”
“Women have bathed in milk for centuries. It’s the enzymes or something that make the skin healthy. Besides, it’s going to be processed. It’s not like I’m going to go out in the morning, milk a goat, and then throw it the tub.”
Tara laughed as Justin just rolled his eyes and walked toward the living room. “Whatever, it’s still gross. Who wants to watch a kid shoot his eye out?”
Marley followed him, petitioning for something newer, and Tara turned to finish putting away the last of the dishes. Being in the kitchen again felt new and familiar at the same time. It no longer hurt that the farm wasn’t hers. She only felt joy that now it was Marley’s and gratitude that she could share in it.
Tara stepped into the living room but did not join them at the couch. Instead, she went to find her bag, which she had put her sketching pad and pencils in before she left home. Tara had thought that she would do some drawing as she looked around the land, expecting every view to feel different this time.
She still wanted to capture the new energy that Justin and Marley brought to the farm but like the kitchen, those visages would be familiar even in their newness. Instead, she took her supplies into the living room and adjusted a chair to an angle where she could see the tree as well as the two happy occupants, who were currently bickering over movie choices. With a heart full of joy and wonder, Tara settled in and began to sketch from different view.
Read about Charlotte and Brandon in Charlotte’s Landing,
Coming in 2019.
About the Author
Alexis Lynne splits her time between two worlds--modern day North Carolina and Regency England. Already established in historical romance as Pamela Lynne, Alexis debuts her first contemporary work this fall. She is a happily married mother of five and resides in the beautiful green hills of Middle Tennessee. You can connect with Alexis on her Newness and Wonder Facebook page and on her website, www.alexislynnebooks.com.
For more information on the historical romance works of Pamela Lynne, check out www.pamelalynnewrites.com and connect with her on Twitter at @pamelalynne1.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
About the Author