Montana Love Letter. Charlotte Carter

to block the sensation.

      He shrugged off her sympathy. “I’ll go get that estimate now.”

      Janelle watched him walk away until Rae tugged on her hand. “What is it, honey?”

      Raeanne pointed toward the soda machine.

      “Ah, of course. Let’s see what kind of sodas he has.” Although she tried to watch Rae’s sugar intake, today was not the day to make an issue of it. Janelle could use a little sugar boost herself. Caffeine would help, too.

      Rae picked an orange soda, and Janelle selected a cola.

      They settled onto the chairs, Raeanne still clasping Ruff in her arms. Cars streamed by on the road out front. The garage was a mile north of the small town of Bear Lake they had driven through in the tow truck. Janelle had noticed a whole raft of motels and a diner. A billboard they passed promoted local B and Bs. Another sign announced that the Rotary met Wednesday at noon at Sandy’s Lakeside Restaurant, which featured fresh fish and steaks.

      A nice little town. About as different from Seattle as any she could imagine.

      Adam returned to give her the bad news about the repairs. The cost estimate was higher than she’d expected. Worse, he indicated it would be the end of next week before she got her car back.

      “I can tell you were hoping for better news,” he said.

      “True. I’m not worried about the money. My insurance will cover most of that. But a whole week?” She shook her head in dismay. “I hate being without a car that long. Is there a car-rental place in town?”

      “Afraid not. I can loan you one of mine. I keep it around for my customers who get stuck without transportation. It looks like a clunker, but I’ve got it running pretty good and it’s insured. You can do some touring, up to Glacier National Park, come back in a few days.”

      “That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” A clunker car would be better than none. As was obvious from her three-year-old sedan, driving a luxury car had never been her thing. “But I hadn’t planned on being a tourist. I was going to do some house hunting, get acquainted with this area, see if it would be a good place to settle down.”

      He lifted his brows. “You’re planning to stay in Bear Lake? Permanently?”

      “If things work out.” She’d left Seattle with no particular destination in mind and a prayer that God would lead her to the right place to start a new life for herself and Raeanne.

      “Well, that’s great. We can always use new blood around here. I’ll help you get your things out of your car and into mine. Where are you staying tonight?” He started walking toward her car.

      “I have no idea. I saw lots of motels in town.”

      He stopped abruptly. “You don’t have a reservation?” He made it sound like an accusation.

      She frowned. “No. I was sure I’d arrive early enough to find a place to stay. I’m not fussy.” She did, however, require clean and neat.

      “Maybe not, but I think you’re going to have a problem.”

      An uneasy feeling crept down her spine. “Why is that?”

      Hailey came running back into the garage, now wearing shorts and a tank top. She’d washed her hair and it was still wet. Janelle noticed she had the innocence of childhood and wasn’t yet into the awkward adolescent stage.

      “We’ve got a big Country-Western Festival going on this weekend,” Adam said. “The whole town is booked solid.”

      Janelle’s stomach sank. “Everything? Even the B and Bs I saw advertised?”

      “As far as I know. The festival’s a sellout every year. Great for the tourist business.”

      Not so great for Janelle. “How about the next town? Maybe they’ll have something?”

      “Not likely. I can call the Visitor Center for you. See if they know of any vacancies.” He plucked his cell from a pocket and punched in the number. “Hey, Ariel. It’s Adam. I’ve got a customer here looking for a room tonight. You got anything?”

      He kept looking at Janelle while he listened. She noticed that his eyes were an interesting shade of gray, and there were crinkles at the corners as though he spent a fair amout of time outdoors. From the look of his physique, he probably did some hiking and camping in the woods around here.

      “Thanks, Ariel. Take care.” He snapped the phone closed and shook his head. “The closest available rooms are in Missoula.”

      Janelle’s shoulders slumped. That would be at least an hour’s ride in a clunker. She blew out a sigh. She didn’t seem to have much of a choice.

      Hailey piped up. “Dad, they could stay in our cottage.”

      Janelle frowned and so did Adam.

      “I don’t know, kiddo,” Adam said. “I’m not sure—”

      “Grandma put fresh sheets on the bed last time she was here,” Hailey interjected, ignoring her father’s objection and directing her attention to Janelle. “It’s got a big bed where you could both sleep.”

      “That’s very generous of you, but—”

      “You don’t want to drive all the way to Missoula, do you?” Hailey’s enthusiasm was hard to squelch. “Besides, we’ve got our own dock and a boat we can ride in. Raeanne, would you like to stay at our house?”

      Rae nodded with the same enthusiasm as Hailey, and her dark eyes glowed with excitement, the chance for a boat ride tempting her.

      During the past seven months, Janelle had denied her daughter little that she wanted. But this was going too far.

      “It’s very sweet of you to invite us to stay, but we really can’t impose on you and your father’s hospitality. If your dad will loan me a car, we’ll be fine.”

      Sliding his hands in his pockets, Adam met Hailey’s pleading gaze.

      “Dad, tell her it would be best if she stayed. You don’t want her to drive to Missoula and have to drive back here to get her car. That would waste a lot of gas, and she’s probably already tired after her accident.”

      Sighing, he ruffled Hailey’s damp hair. “She’s right. It would be a waste of time and gasoline to go to Missoula when we’ve got a perfectly good cottage that you can use. My dad built it for my grandmother after Grandpa died. It’s small but comfortable. The kitchen’s not much, but you could eat with us in the big house.”

      Hailey cheered. Not waiting for further conversation, she grabbed Raeanne’s hand. “Come on, Rae. I’ll show you where you’re going to sleep.”

      They both went racing off, Raeanne willingly, which surprised Janelle. In the past seven months, Rae had become unusually clingy, rarely leaving Janelle’s side.

      “I told you Hailey has never met a stranger,” Adam said, although he didn’t look entirely happy about that attribute.

      “You’re sure it’s all right?”

      “Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s get your gear. The big house is a few hundred feet behind the garage, and the cottage is right close to it. Dad built a boardwalk between them so Grandma wouldn’t have to walk in the mud when it rained. It gave her her own private space, which she liked. I think my mother appreciated that distance, too.”

      Janelle imagined that too much togetherness between a woman and her mother-in-law could create a strain. Not that she’d experienced the problem firsthand. Raymond’s mother had passed away before they were married. For that matter, so had her own mother, whom she still missed.

      Adam popped the trunk of her car and gathered up a couple of suitcases. Janelle had no choice but to follow suit, despite feeling uncomfortable about accepting his hospitality. Especially