The Hilltop Inn

Alice V. Roberts

Description

Jackie Bowers, widowed for two years, recently moved five hundred miles to Ponderosa, a small town in Northern Arizona, where she purchased The Hilltop Inn, a Bed and Breakfast, a dream she has always had. When her washer dies, she goes to the local Laundromat Soap Suds. There she meets Brian Williams, a local contractor, who has come looking for his Gram.

Jackie needs renovations done to the Inn and she calls Brian about doing the work. Little does either of them know that sparks will fly when Brian meets with Jackie to discuss the renovations she has planned. What will their relationship become? Will it only be about work or will it include romance?

Brian sees a future with Jackie and has many ideas for romancing her. Will his ideas work in his favor? Will Gram play matchmaker since she adores Jackie?

As soon as Jackie's four children learn about Brian, they arrive in Ponderosa to check things out for themselves. How will they react to this new romance?

There is much excitement, and many changes going on. How will it end?

Sujets

• Romance
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 16 décembre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780983895633
• Langue: English

Extrait

Alice V. Roberts
 


 
 
 
The Hilltop Inn
Copyright © 2014 Alice V. Roberts
Printed in the Unites States of America, Australia, and Europe. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. General references to the book name and type of brief quotation in printed reviews are an exception.
This is the work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales are entirely coincidental
www.alicevroberts.com
 
First published by Alice V. Roberts, L.L.C. 2014
P.O. Box 3087
Sedona, AZ 86340
 
ISBN 978-0-9838956-3-3
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
www.eBookIt.com


 
This novella is dedicated to my daddy,
Alfred John Roberts Jr.
January 2, 1921 to April 25, 2013.
He knew I wanted to write Romance
and told me to follow my dream.
I did it Daddy!
I miss you Sweet Patootie.
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHARACTERS
THE HILLTOP INN
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHARACTERS Jackie Bowers Owns Hilltop Inn Brian Williams Owns B. Williams Construction Sarah Brian’s deceased wife Gram Brian’s grandmother Conner & Suzanne Miller Owners of a Sears franchise Carrie Bell Owner of Peak View Bed and Breakfast Jack Summers Painter Maureen & Scott McHenry Own Friar’s restaurant Ted Bowers (deceased) Jackie’s second husband Lynn Bowers Thomas Jackie’s daughter from first marriage, adopted by Ted. Husband Steve, daughter Katelyn Amy Bowers Baker Jackie’s daughter from first marriage, adopted by Ted. Married to Russell. Daughter Hanah and son James Jeff Bowers Ted’s son adopted by Jackie. Married to Clara. Son Matt and daughter Terri Mark Bowers Ted’s son adopted by Jackie. Married to Taylor. Daughters Haley and Julie Miranda (Mandy) Johnson Brian’s younger sister, married to Steve. Sons Adam (Susan), Kent (Kristi) and Trace (Margie) Keith Manager of Outback Jeep Tours Annabelle Rose Owns Annabelle’s Flower Shop Steve Delivery boy for Annabelle’s Flower Shop Luke & Caroline Winslow Own local spa, Refreshed Sarah Bennett Owns All Occasion Pastries John & Joanne Maxwell Own Ponderosa Printers Chris Jenkins Owns Twice as Nice thrift shop Pete & Brenda Ward Own the store World of Books Sherry Brown Husband Phil is manager of Stop and Shop grocery store Colt Kegman Owns Horseback and Wagon Rides Clint Pilot for Eye in the Sky Hot Air Balloons Randy Michaels Owner of Aspen’s restaurant Kathy Lytle Owns Fashionable Furniture John Clarke Cabinet maker Rob & Rhonda Linger Pines Church Pastor and his wife Samantha Moore Ponderosa Realty agent Paul Adams Landscaper/ Handyman
THE HILLTOP INN
Oh, would this day ever end? Jackie Bowers had had enough problems to last the rest of her life. She was fifty-eight years old and widowed for the second time. She had put her big girl panties on when she sold the home she had lived in for twenty-five years and recently moved to the small town of Ponderosa in Northern Arizona, named after the pine trees, to buy a bed and breakfast. She had first seen the town while travelling on Amtrack from Chicago to Los Angeles with her now deceased husband on one of their many trips together.
But now her washing machine had died and she was headed to the local Soap Suds Laundromat. She really needed to stop at the Outlet Mall and find a linen store. Sheets! Towels! She needed more sheets and towels. Running a bed and breakfast did not allow her the flexibility of running out of either. She still had six months before she officially opened for business, but at least if she had plenty of back up supplies she could still run The Hilltop Inn and not have catastrophes like this. Thank goodness this happened now rather than later.
But first the laundry had to be done. She had plenty of quarters for the washers and dryers, soap, softener and her Kindle to help pass the time. And her cell phone if anyone really needed her. More likely she would need them, whoever that could be.
A kind man held the door open for her as she tried to maneuver her way in to Soap Suds. As she thanked him she noticed how good looking he was and also how out of place for him to be here. He was really good looking and she had not even looked at a man that way since becoming a widow two years before.
Almost six feet tall and around two hundred pounds, he was definitely eye candy with rich mahogany brown hair and deep brown eyes. And he had huge biceps. He had a healthy tan which meant he spent a lot of time outdoors. That said a lot since she was living at almost seven thousand feet in altitude in this quaint town.
He was also well dressed in tan khaki pants and a white shirt that showed off his tan even more. Jackie, on the other hand, was five foot two, weighed one hundred and ten and had deep brown eyes and medium brown hair with highlights, thanks to the local beauty shop Hair and More. She had been widowed for two years and had accepted the fact that her life as a married woman was over. But after seeing this handsome hunk of a man she realized there were still female stirrings inside of her and they were working. Little did she know her helpful man was also feelings sparks of attraction.
“Hmmm, is he married?” Jackie wondered. She didn’t see a ring. But in this day and age that did not mean anything. Some men were married and wore a ring while others did not. And she had learned from experience that some who were married purposely did not wear any ring. After that experience, which was horrible, she had resigned herself to living the rest of her days as a widow, looking forward to time spent with her children and their spouses, enjoying her grandchildren and running a bed and breakfast, which had always been her dream.
After helping Jackie in to Soap Suds the gentleman introduced himself. “My name is Brian Williams and you must be rather new to Ponderosa, since this is a small town and almost everybody knows each other,” he said. “Wait! Are you the new owner of The Hilltop Inn? Everyone in town is talking about who the new owner might be. I drove by out of curiosity and saw that new exterior painting had been done. It looks great.”
She replied, “Thank you. I’m the new owner and my name is Jackie Bowers. The washing machine at the Inn died and I needed to get these linens washed. On my way home I plan to stop at the outlet stores and stock up on more sheets and towels. And I need to hit Sears and buy a new washer and maybe a dryer too so this doesn’t happen again. I’m also worried about what else might not have much life left in it. The kitchen appliances look good but so did the washer. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Good grief she was chatty, which was unusual for her when meeting new people, especially a man. And there were those female stirrings while she talked to him. She had not had those feelings since Ted, her late husband, had died. She had been on some dates but never had the stirrings she was having now.
“Suzanne Miller is the manager at the Sears store. She is fair and honest and will do right by you,” Brian said. “I’m a contractor if you need anything. I know The Hilltop Inn is old and you may want to really check everything out. It has great bones, so structurally you are good there at least. This is not to scare you and get business. I’m just warning you that the former owners, the Parkers, were not always on top of things. They were getting older and didn’t see things deteriorating. They did the best they could but they were aging and definitely ready to retire and move on. The town hated to see them go but realized all good things must come to an end. Everyone hopes they have adjusted with their move, are happy and spending quality time with their family.”
Brian’s comments made Jackie start to worry a little. Acquiring The Hilltop Inn was only possible because of the money she inherited from her two deceased husbands and especially from her second husband’s investments. And when the time came she would also have a generous social security income from Ted. Being an attorney he had made a healthy income before his death. He had invested wisely and wanted to be sure she was taken care of financially for the rest of her life. Jackie had always wanted to own a bed and breakfast so she had his blessing for this venture long before he died. Jackie was grateful she had plenty of money in the bank and investments so she could afford to upgrade all the appliances and make the renovations that were necessary, and still know her future would be comfortable. There were also trust funds for the grandchildren that would allow them to have a good college education.
And now after Brian’s comments, when she returned home she needed to check out the other appliances, plumbing, electrical and whatever else she couldn’t think of immediately. Thank goodness she had those six months before her first guests would arrive. That would hopefully give her enough time to fix what needed fixing. If more time was needed that would be all right too. Any income from the Inn would go towards investments, since her financial security was well intact.
But first the laundry had to be done. As Jackie started to fill up the washing machines she noticed Brian walk over to a very elderly woman and say, “Gram, I told you to wait. I have a new washer being delivered to your house tomorrow. Did you forget again?”
“Yes, I forgot Brian. That is what happens when you get older. You start to forget. Someday it will happen to you, but you have a long