“You should have told him not to come,” Mandy protested. “Jed isn’t completely recovered yet. He needs to rest. That tree doesn’t need to be pruned today.”

“He isn’t well enough to hike around in the woods for days on end, but he’s well enough to be bored out of his wits,” Mae said. “It’s good for him to be needed. He’s a big help. You could do worse than Jed.”

Mandy choked on a mouthful of coffee. “What?”

Mae turned and gave her a level you-heard-me stare. “Jed is a good man. He loves you.”

“I love Jed as a friend. I don’t love him that way.”

Her mother pointed at her with the sponge. “Romance is for fools. I wish I had listened to my brain instead of my hormones or my heart. I wouldn’t be alone. Your father left as soon as things got tough.” Mae lowered her voice. “Bill was a lot of work back then. The therapy and doctor’s visits. The bills.”

Fear sprinted through Mandy’s belly. She dumped the remains of her coffee in the sink. Could she handle Bill all by herself? Jed had been a big help these last few weeks. She barely remembered her father, but her memory of the night he left was clear. At five, she learned all about abandonment. Taking care of Bill alone was a frightening proposition. What if she wasn’t as patient as her mother? What if she screwed up and he got hurt? What if something happened to her? Bill would end up homeless or in a state facility, completely vulnerable.

“Jed would never leave you,” her mother said.

Mandy shook her head. “It’s not enough, Mom.”

“It should be. I worry about you. I’d feel much better if I knew you’d be with Jed. He’d take care of you and the inn. He’s used to Bill.”

“I can’t marry Jed.” But as she objected, a little voice in her head said why not? She reached for the bottle of aspirin in the cabinet.

“I’m so glad I have a good girl like you, but I worry. You shouldn’t have to do this all alone.”

In front of the garage, Jed got out of his truck and opened the overhead door. Yesterday she’d cleaned leaves out of the gutter, and today Jed arrived to trim her tree. He couldn’t control her, so he’d do what he could to make sure she was safe. Maybe her mother was right. Jed would take care of her. Exhaustion pounded in her temples. With three hours of sleep and a whole day of innkeeping ahead of her, being taken care of sounded pretty appealing.

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SIX

Boston, February 1975

Scuff, scuff, scuff.