Everything had been hers. Every single thing and losing it all had been devastating. But it was all worth it to keep her hand intact and find out exactly what kind of man she’d fallen in love with. Never again would she be so swift to declare her feelings or get carried away by a handsome face and honeyed words. She wanted more substance in her life partner. Dakota had her spidey senses on full alert around every man that looked at her twice.
She’d promised herself she wouldn’t even look at another male unless he was in diapers or retired for at least the next eighteen months and she still had six to go. But she’d settle for a friend any day of the week, especially one who looked as good as Adam Clement.
Dakota waved as she turned the car back the way she’d come. On the drive back she had more time to take in the views over the lake. A small cluster of cottages sat perched on the edge of the water down a private laneway and that was where she was headed. Each cottage was painted a different color, the gardens planted with bright bursts of color to blend in with the building. A goal post complete with net hugged one side of the road opposite a lemon-and-white two-story cottage. A bike lay on the edge of the road, a helmet dangling over the handlebars. Dakota swerved around it, drove past another cottage and pulled up in the driveway of the pretty pale gray building set a little way back from where the lane ended in a sweeping cul-de-sac. A white picket fence, a gray mailbox and an open gate welcomed her to her new home. The garden was a mix of white lavenders and Japanese box hedges, formal but at the same time soothing and she inhaled the calming smell hanging in the air. A sense of peacefulness enveloped Dakota as she opened the car door.
Tiny jumped across her knee and out the car, scurried through the gate, darted around the garden sniffing the new territory. What she’d have done without her little dog these last months, she didn’t know. She slid out of the car, pulled the keys for the front door from her coat pocket as she walked up the paved pathway to the little portico over the front door. A half wine barrel of white flowers sat either side of the welcome mat. Someone really cared about this cottage. Dakota was lucky to secure it at such short notice.
“Come on, little poodle.” She ran up the steps onto the porch and slid the key into the door, peeking through the glass door in anticipation. It opened into a small entrance that led into the living room. A rush of nostalgia hit her like a sledgehammer. It was like stepping into her past, coming face-to-face with something she thought she’d never have again. A lump rose in her throat. The furniture had been in storage since she’d come out of the hospital and she’d been forced to move in with her parents. This was the first time she’d seen it since then.
Her father had arranged to have it delivered and Mari helped organize everything on this end for her move to Cherry Lake. Thank goodness the real estate agent had let Mari take the key so the furniture would end up in the right rooms. It looked warm and inviting. Like home. Her rugs, coffee tables and low bookcases were placed exactly where she would have put them. Ornaments and pieces of bleached driftwood, dried starfish and crystal she had collected over the years sat in boxes against the wall. She’d sort those out when she had time. Put everything where she wanted it. The cool blue-and-white Hamptons style furniture she’d fallen in love with when she bought her apartment soothed her nerves and for the first time in almost a year, Dakota knew she would be okay.
Tiny ran in the door and charged around the room, sniffing the familiar furniture before jumping up and slumping on the couch with her head resting on her paws, watching her human lose the battle with her emotions.
“This is it, our new life.” Dakota ripped open a lid, unable to resist pilfering through the contents and picked out a pearly oyster shell. She stepped over to a large picture window, ran her finger over the smooth surface. She looked out over Flathead Lake, soaking up the view. “We can do this away from the family. I know they mean well, Tiny, but I need to do this for myself, get my confidence back. Mari understands. I just wish Mom and Dad did too.”
She put her shell down on the windowsill, one she’d collected on one of her many beach walks, undid the buttons on her coat and let it slide off. A lone glass bowl sat on the low coffee table filled with vanilla infused beads beside an arrangement of white roses. The unexpected display made her stop and smell. She’d always loved vanilla and roses scattered around her apartment. How sweet of her sister to remember. She inhaled again, taking the time to relax before exploring her new home.
Folding the coat across her arm, she turned and walked down a hallway, under the stairs and stepped into what was her bedroom. The familiar antique cast iron bed covered with its patchwork comforter sat facing the window over the stunning water views. At least she wouldn’t have to make the bed tonight.
She tossed the coat over the foot of the bed before going into the en suite, giving it an approving glance. Perfect. Next she checked out the spare room, sighing in pleasure. Dakota had wanted her work space close to her living area and had chosen the second bedroom for her business. The loft bedrooms would be for when her parents or siblings came to stay. If they ever forgave her for leaving the city
