She turned up the heat and went out to unload the car. An hour later she had taken up residence in the second-floor master bedroom, which included a bathroom and a view of the Stowe Community Church’s white steeple. After she unpacked, she left a message with the property management firm that cared for the house to let them know she’d arrived. When her stomach let her know it was dinnertime, Clare decided to drive back into town to find something to eat. She would conquer the grocery store in the morning.

A diner called McHugh’s looked inviting, so she parked down the block and window-shopped her way to the restaurant. Once inside McHugh’s, she sat at the counter, and ordered a cup of coffee and the beef stew from the list of specials.

Clare’s mouth watered when the waitress set the bowl of steaming stew down in front of her.

“Enjoy,” she said and went to wait on other customers.

When she came back a few minutes later, Clare was nearly done eating. “I hated it.”

The waitress laughed. “I see that. Are you new in town?”

“I am. I just arrived this afternoon.”

“Where are you staying?”

“My brother has a house on Maple Street. I’m staying there for a few months.”

“Well, you picked the right time of year to be in Stowe. This is when all the action happens.”

“I’m looking forward to it. My daughters ski, and they’ll be up to visit.”

“Where are you from?”

“Newport, Rhode Island.”

“Oh, I love Newport! I’m Diana Cummings, by the way.” She extended her hand to Clare. “I own this dump.”

Clare laughed and shook her hand. “This is no dump, and that was the best stew I’ve ever had. I’m Clare Harrington.”

“With compliments like that, I hope you’ll be a regular.” Diana wiped the counter and refilled Clare’s coffee.

“Definitely,” Clare said with a warm feeling inside. Diana seemed like someone who could be a friend. “I’m going to have some work done to the house. Can you recommend anyone?”

“What kind of work?”

“Painting, hardwood floors, a new kitchen, and remodeling several bathrooms.”

“The best person I can think of would be Aidan O’Malley, but he can be hard to get. He’s really popular around here.”

“Does he live in Stowe?”

“Just outside of town. I think his card’s on the board.” Diana gestured to the crowded bulletin board next to the cash register. “You might have to dig a bit to find it.”

Clare went over to poke around on the bulletin board. She finally found the card for O’Malley Restorations under several layers of cards for local businesses and wrote down the number.

“Thanks for the info,” Clare said as she put her coat on and paid her bill.

“My pleasure. Welcome to Stowe. Come back soon.”

“I will,” Clare promised.