Free Forever After by Deborah Raney

the basement, it would leave us without any place to entertain, so …”
    “Up here?” She sounded like a squawky parrot. But surely she’d misunderstood.
    “This guest room is twice as big as either of the downstairs bedrooms. You’ll have a bath all to yourself. I’ve got everything cleaned outof there. And of course, you’re more than welcome to spend time downstairs when we don’t have guests. But we just didn’t want to give up the media room and space to entertain down there.”
    Jenna worked to unclench her jaw. She could not believe they would pull a bait-and-switch like this on her.
    Numb, she followed Clarissa into the guest room.
    Zach’s mother smoothed the bedspread, looking smug. “I think this will work just fine.” She went to open the drapes. “See what a lovely view you have?”
    It was indeed a gorgeous view to a golden meadow behind the house, and beyond that the Morgans’ wooded acreage. But Jenna saw it through a haze of unshed tears. Zach’s parents didn’t owe her anything, and she was grateful for their financial help and for their offer of a place to live. But this was not an option. The guest room was directly across the hall from the master suite. She would have no privacy whatsoever. And neither would they. To get downstairs, she’d have to tromp through the main rooms of the house. And now, instead of having her own little suite, she would be sharing the family room with Bill and Clarissa.
    This was not what she’d agreed to! The thought made her feel like a spoiled brat, and maybe she was, but she felt betrayed, too.
    Bill brought another load of boxes in, and Jenna waited for him to leave before she turned to Clarissa. “I wish you’d mentioned this before.” She would be a guest in their home—company. And how many times had she heard Clarissa say that fish—and company—start to stink after three days?
    “We didn’t really think about it until a couple days ago,” Clarissa said, looking apologetic. “But I thought I’d mentioned it.”
    “No, Clarissa, you didn’t mention it.” She closed her eyes and forced down the roiling anger. Jenna had always known Clarissa wasn’t above a little white lie, but—as far as she knew—this was the first time she’d been on the receiving end of one. “The only thing we ever talked about was me moving in downstairs.”
    “Well, I’m sorry. But we realized that just wasn’t going to work for us. The guest room should suit just fine.”
    Jenna forced a smile and took a step forward, hoping Clarissa would take the hint that she was ready to be alone.
    Bill came to her rescue, bringing in the last of her clothes on hangers. He deposited them in the guest room closet and wiped his hands on his jeans. “That’s everything.” He put his hands on his wife’s shoulders and turned her toward the door. “Now let’s leave this girl alone so she can get settled in.”
    “Come on, Quincy.” Clarissa scooped the dog into her arms and took him out.
    Jenna shut the door behind them and plopped onto the queen-size bed. She loved Zach’s parents, but this was not going to work. She had to find a place of her own, had to get a job and get out of here.
    She began to unpack boxes, but her heart wasn’t in it. Besides, there wasn’t room for half of this stuff in the guest room, even though it was large as bedrooms went.
    She riffled through the junk piled on the floor in search of her cell phone. When she finally located it, she dialed Bryn’s number. It went straight to voice mail, and Jenna hung up without leaving a message.
    She’d made a colossal mistake. She had to go someplace—away from here—where she could think things through.
    She changed into clean clothes, finger-combed her hair, and grabbed her purse and car keys.
    Halfway down the hall to the front door Clarissa intercepted her. “Oh … do you still have boxes to carry in? I thought we got everything.”
    “No. We did. I’m just … going out for a