Free Sunflower Lane by Jill Gregory

moment the two women left, Annabelle realized that both of her best friends were staring at her curiously.
    “What? Do I have crumbs on my face?”
    “Wes McPhee, you idiot,” Tess murmured. “Why didn’t you tell us he was staying in your cabin?”
    Charlotte leaned forward, her eyes dancing. “Dish. Is he as handsome as he was in high school?”
    “Give me a break—not you, too.” But a smile curved her lips. “Okay, fine. If you really want to know, he’s even more handsome. But that has nothing to do with me. He’s just a boarder who’s going to fix up Big Jed’s cabin in lieu of paying rent.”
    “Uh-huh.” Charlotte shot her a piercing glance. “Annabelle, what’s wrong with you? I mean, I know you’re gun-shy after what happened with Zack, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move on. Are you going to let Zack Craig control the rest of your life?”
    “Zack has nothing to do with my life anymore.”
    “So why don’t you think about dating again?”
    “I have dated. I’ve dated . . . several men since I came back to Lonesome Way.”
    “Um, that would be two. Two men.” Tess snorted. “That’s hardly several. And you only went out with each of them once. There are plenty more single men in this town—”
    “Yep. But in case you haven’t noticed, I have my hands pretty full with three children and a job.” Annabelle laughed, then swallowed the last bite of her cinnamon bun and reached for her coffee.
    “Doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun—and, you know, get
out
there a bit more.” Charlotte sent her a look that was part challenge and part smile. “Come out with us tonight. Tim and I want to celebrate our engagement. Let’s all go to the Double Cross.”
    “Yes!” Tess leaned forward. “John and I are in! I’ve been craving pizza all week!”
    She leaned back suddenly, her hand moving to her belly, resting there. Annabelle guessed the baby was kicking again. Tess’s wide smile confirmed it.
    She suddenly wondered with a hint of wistfulness what it would feel like to have a new life growing inside her. A miracle . . . a baby of her own . . . with a man she loved . . .
    “I’ll be the one drinking herbal tea,” Tess said, “but John can toast you guys with a beer or two.” She turned to Annabelle. “So . . . say you’re coming, too! You have to!”
    “I’d need to find a last-minute sitter for the kids—”
    “Very doable,” Charlotte pointed out.
    Annabelle bit her lip. “He thinks I’m bossy,” she muttered.
    “What? Who thinks you’re bossy? Wes?”
    “No one. Forget it.”
    As her friends exchanged raised brows and amused smiles, Annabelle stood quickly, scooping up her purse. “I’ll make a few calls and see what I can do about a sitter.”
    “Seven thirty,” Charlotte said. “First one there gets a table for five.”
    “
If
I can get a sitter.”
    When Annabelle walked over to the counter to pay her bill, Sophie glanced at her, sympathy and amusement brimming in her eyes. “I couldn’t help overhearing. You need a sitter. And I thought you’d like to know that Ivy hopes to do a lot of babysitting this summer. She wants to go on an international high school trip next year and is saving up money for it. Now that school’s out, she’s working her tail off for Jake. She’s putting in long hours at his retreat almost every day. As a matter of fact, Rafe and I hardly see her,” she added with a rueful laugh.
    Annabelle knew that Jake Tanner, the youngest of the three Tanner brothers, had turned his cabin and land on Blackbird Lake into a retreat for bullied kids and their families. Groups of kids from all over the country had the opportunity to come to Montana, learn to ride horses, to fish, and enjoy the outdoors over the summer and during winter vacation, too. Therest of the year, Jake rented out the cabins and main lodge he’d built to hunters, hikers, fishermen, and tourists.
    “So I suppose Ivy has a regular babysitting job at