The Bonnie Inn, with its red-tiled roof and black-trimmed gables, had all the charm she’d expected, and more. Janine’s room offered more character than comfort, but she felt its welcome as if she were visiting an old friend. A vase filled with fresh flowers and dainty jars of bath salts awaited her.

Eager to explore, she strolled outside to investigate the extensive garden. There was a chill in the April air and she tucked her hands in her pockets, watching with amusement as the partridges fed on the lush green lawn.

“Janine?”

At the sound of her name, she turned, and to her astonishment discovered Zach standing not more than ten feet away. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“Me? I was about to ask you the same question.”

“I’m on vacation. Gramps gave me the trip as a gift.”

“I’m here on business,” Zach explained, and his brow furrowed in a suspicious frown.

Janine was doing her own share of frowning. “This is all rather convenient, don’t you think?”

Zach took immediate offense. “You don’t believe I planned this, do you?”

“No,” she agreed reluctantly.

Zach continued to stand there, stiff and wary. “I had absolutely nothing to do with this,” he said.

“If you hadn’t been so rude to me the last time we met,” she felt obliged to inform him, with a righteous tilt to her chin, “you’d have known well in advance that Gramps was sending me here, and we could have avoided this unpleasant shock.”

“If you hadn’t been in such an all-fired hurry to leave my office, you’d have discovered I was traveling here myself.”

“Oh, that’s perfect! Go ahead and blame me for everything,” she shrieked. “As I recall, you were furious at my being anywhere near your precious office.”

“All right, I’ll admit I might have handled the situation poorly,” Zach said, and the muscles in his jaw hardened. “But as you’ll also recall, I did apologize.”

“Sure you did,” she said, “after you’d trampled all over my ego. I’ve never felt like more of a fool in my life.”

“You?” Zach shouted. “It may surprise you to know that I don’t make a habit of hiding women in my office.”

“Do you think I enjoyed being stuffed in that…closet like a bag of dirty laundry?”

“What was I supposed to do? Hide you under my desk?”

“It might’ve been better than a pitch-black closet.”

“If you’re so keen on casting blame, let me remind you I wasn’t the one who left my purse in full view of your grandfather,” Zach said. “I did everything but perform card tricks to draw his attention away from it.”

“You make it sound like I’m at fault,” Janine snapped.

“I’m not the one who popped in unexpectedly. If you had a job like everyone else—”

“If I had a job,” she broke in, outraged. “You mean all the volunteer work I do doesn’t count? Apparently the thirty hours a week I put in mean nothing. Sure, I’ve got a degree. Sure, I could probably have my pick of a dozen different jobs, but why take employment away from someone who really needs it when so many worthwhile organizations are hurting for volunteers?” She was breathless by the time she finished, and so angry she could feel the heat radiating from her face.