Free A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill Page A

he was once again off
with a much more reluctant Darcy in tow. As he led her closer to what her aching limbs hoped would be their final destination, she couldn’t help but admire the impressive Art Deco,
Renaissance and Beaux Arts buildings that soared up around her on all sides. She had to admit, Bailey’s owner certainly had good taste in his choice of neighbourhood.
    A dream location for many, there was arguably nowhere else in Manhattan than the Upper West Side that enjoyed all the conveniences and bustle of a thriving city with the eclectic amenities of
the suburbs, combined with sophistication and beautiful outdoor space.
    Working at Chaucer’s, Darcy was familiar with the high-end shopping and dining the upscale neighbourhood offered; mouth-watering gourmet places like Zabar’s and Fairways, as well as
myriad wonderful cafés, gelaterias, salumerias, bakeries and fine restaurants, though much to her regret she couldn’t afford to shop or eat in any of them.
    Beautiful homes in ornate buildings or historic brownstones on tree-lined avenues, wonderful farmers’ markets, great restaurants and stunning outdoor living in the shape of Riverside Park
(not to mention Central Park) all added up to a charmed life for the lucky residents of the Upper West Side.
    And just as Darcy started to ponder over what Aidan Harris might do for a living if he could afford to live around here, Bailey came to an abrupt stop. So abrupt that she almost ran over his
tail with her bike’s front wheel.
    The dog threw a cursory glance backwards at her, took a quick sniff of the air and turned to the right. Evidently, he was giving her the heads-up that they needed to turn.
    Darcy and her bike followed him down a quiet tree-lined residential side street. Up ahead, she saw a break in the luxury pre-war apartment buildings, and instead saw a neat row of three-storey
brownstone townhouses. Bailey quickened his pace and led her directly to the third one on the right, where he stopped and sat at the bottom of the steps.
    She glanced down at the dog. ‘Here?’ she asked, pointing. Bailey’s tongue popped out of his mouth and he wagged his tail. ‘So that must be a yes,’ Darcy said,
taking in the exterior of the forbiddingly elegant home.
    She bit her lip as she contemplated what to do next. At least she wouldn’t have a doorman to contend with. But on the other hand, this was
serious
Manhattan real estate. Darcy
wasn’t sure exactly how much brownstones went for in this part of town, but she guessed it was major cash.
    ‘Well well, well,’ she said to Bailey. ‘Do you think that maybe you could have told me before that you guys were loaded?’
    Darcy parked her bike next to the stairway that led up to the front door and cautiously looked around. She wondered if anyone was looking out of their window, taking in the fact that she was not
a regular in this neighbourhood and already dialling the NYPD.
    ‘That’s all I need at this moment, the cops again. I’m just trying to do a good deed,’ she muttered as Bailey led the way up the steps. ‘Maybe people will just
think I’m the hired help.’
    The Husky looked at her doubtfully.
    Darcy reached for the doorbell and pressed it hard, glancing at the pretty potted maple tree outside. ‘OK, let’s see if anyone’s home.’
    Bailey moved skittishly at her feet, as if waiting for her to open the door and let him in. But there was no reply, and after a beat, Darcy rang the bell again. Still nothing.
    Her heart plummeted. Damn.
    Bailey looked up at her and whined impatiently.
    ‘Believe me, I wish that door would open too. But there’s nothing I can do, Bailey; it looks like nobody’s home.’ Checking her watch, she saw it was still mid-afternoon,
so if Aidan’s wife or girlfriend (or boyfriend even) was at work, they weren’t likely to be home for hours yet. Or of course, she realised, wanting to kick herself for not thinking of
this sooner, once they’d learned about