Free The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber

and perhaps arrange a meeting so he wouldn’t be an unknown quantity when an emergency arose.
    Peggy reached for her tea again and I did, too. It had finally cooled and I sipped the comforting brew.
    “Anything else I should know?” I asked.
    Peggy thumped her fingers against the tabletop as she considered my question. “Do you have a marketing plan?”
    I did, and we briefly discussed my ideas. She seemed to approve and I smiled at the way she had assumed a big sister role already, even with a touch of well-meaning bossiness.
    “You’ll soon discover that word of mouth is important. You’d be surprised by how much damage one dissatisfied guest can do. I have the name of a great website designer if you need one. Don’t overspend on this when you don’t need to, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    Peggy relaxed against the chair. “Sorry, I get a bit opinionated at times. Just ask my husband.”
    I didn’t take offense. I’d already seen to that and had in fact been working closely with a web designer almost from the day I’d signed the final papers. At least that was one thing I’d accomplished. I was determined to make this venture successful, and yet I wasn’t going to let her make me feel overly anxious.
    “There are national, state, and local B and B associations. Join them.”
    “Do you belong?” I asked.
    “We do. My husband and I have been active on the local and state level. I’ll let you know when the next meeting takes place; I’ll bring you myself.”
    “Thank you, I’d appreciate that.”
    “My pleasure,” Peggy said. “One last thing.”
    “Yes?”
    “How comfortable are you around computers?”
    “Very.”
    “Good. Get familiar with your software programs. You’re going to need them for accounting and for record-keeping purposes. There’s a wonderful program Bob found for taking reservations. I’ll get the name of it for you.”
    “Perfect. That would be great.” I thought about the Frelingers’ reservation book and agreed that I could probably afford to be brought into the twenty-first century.
    “There’s also some excellent software available for property management.”
    I took a deep breath and renewed my vow not to panic at the to-do list. One step at a time.
    Peggy finished the last of her tea and then checked her watch. “Bob should be finished by now, so I’d best get back to the dentist’s office. It was a real pleasure to meet you, Jo Marie.”
    “You, too.” I resisted the urge to hug her. Although the visit had been quick, I felt as if Peggy and I had been friends for a long while. Her take-charge manner was comforting, and it made me smile. “Thank you for the muffins, too.”
    “I’ll pass along the recipe if you’d like.” She reached for her coat and then started for the front door.
    “I would love the recipe,” I said, trailing along after her. I was convinced my guests would enjoy these wonderfully flavorful muffins. Then again Peggy might not take kindly to me sharing her special recipe with my own guests.
    As if she read my mind, Peggy grinned. “Not to worry, I’ve handed this recipe out all over town. The secret, at least in my opinion, is the home-grown blueberries. That’s one of the reasons I’m willing to fight off the deer every summer. Deer might be lovely creatures, but they can be real nuisances.”
    I hadn’t seen a live deer in more years than I could remember—not since I’d been a teenager. I’d thought they were magical creatures when they appeared at dawn or dusk. It surprised me that people who lived outside the city thought of them as pests.
    “By the way, you might want to do something to protect your roses, once your garden is planted. Roses happen to be one of deer’s favorite eats.”
    “Deer venture into town?”
    “They do. They’re more prevalent outside the city, but it certainly isn’t unusual for them to make their way from one backyard to another, munching on everything in sight.”
    I’d find a way to protect the