Free Highlander for the Holidays by Janet Chapman Page B

Afghanistan, Mer. You think he’s going to be scared off by a woman with a cane and a dog?” She looked at Katy. “Ian’s a veteran?”
    The real estate broker nodded. “And so is Duncan. All of our men serve at least one stint in the military.”
    “Which branch?” Merissa asked.
    “Whichever one appeals to them,” Megan interjected. She unzipped the pack on her chest and pulled out the squirming infant. “Duncan flew Black Hawks in Iraq, and near as we know, Ian served three tours in the Afghan mountains as part of some secret elite team.” She gave her baby’s plump cheek a kiss. “It’s about time you woke up, sleepyhead. I am so ready for you to eat,” she said as she turned around, looking for a place to sit down.
    “Oh, here,” Jessie said, attempting to lever herself out of the chair. “Now I know why you kept this big comfy chair here.”
    “No, don’t get up,” Megan rushed to say, sitting down on the floor to lean against the wall. She laid the infant on her lap and took off the chest pack, but stopped in the act of pulling her blouse out of her waistband. “You ladies don’t mind, do you?”
    “Good heavens, no,” Jessie said. “What’s her name?”
    “Sarah Dreamwalker Stone, after Jack’s mother,” Megan said, tucking her daughter to her breast under her blouse with a sigh. “But I call her his little coyote.” She nodded at the doorway her son and Toby had disappeared through. “And Walker is his little shadow. Katy, could you go check on them? It’s awful quiet in there.”
    Katy jumped up from the hearth and headed into what looked like a short hallway just off the living area, only to suddenly stop and pull something out of her pocket. A flash went off, and then Katy walked back into the main room. “The little imp fell asleep, and Toby is cuddled up beside him,” she said, holding her cell phone down to Megan. She then walked over and showed Jessie. “That’s quite a pooch you’ve got there.”
    Jessie smiled at the picture of Walker sleeping with one arm wrapped around Toby’s neck, her dog resting his head on Walker’s torso. “Oh yeah, Toby is fascinated by children. I think they bring out his protective streak.”
    “And I think it’s because their cute little faces are just the right height to lick,” Merissa said, standing beside Katy to see the picture. She looked around the large living room and kitchen before leveling her gaze on Jessie, then sighed. “Nothing I say is going to stop you from buying this house today, is it?”
    Jessie merely shook her head.
    Merissa handed Jessie her purse before heading to the opposite end of the living room. “Then come on, Katy. Let’s go check out the upstairs while these two settle on a price so I can see where I’ll be staying when I come visit.”
    “It’s a solid, comfortable house and everything works,” Megan said once the women had disappeared up the stairs. “There are one large and one small bedroom and a bathroom on this floor,” she added, nodding toward the hallway, “with two large bedrooms and a bath upstairs. And we’re leaving the four cord of firewood stacked in the shed, as well as the walk-behind snowblower. Um . . . except you might prefer to hire someone to plow you out. We’ve been trying to decide whether or not to leave the hot tub,” she quickly rushed on, her cheeks turning pink as her gaze slid away from Jessie’s cane. “The garage is only a year old. It’s not connected to the house, but it sure beats brushing a foot of snow off your vehicle.” She gave Jessie a curious look. “When Katy called this morning, she said Ian mentioned that you’re from Georgia. You do know we measure snow in feet up here, don’t you?”
    “I’m actually looking forward to it.” Jessie fussed with her silk scarf, feeling her own cheeks heat up. “Do you suppose I could hire Duncan’s crew to build a wheelchair ramp for . . . for in case I need it? Or maybe you could point me toward some