Read Online Lakeside Romance by Lisa Jordan - Free Book Online Page B

her heart. She understood starting over, leaving behind almost everything she held dear, but she also found stepping outside her comfort zone offered new opportunities to reach out to others.
    Like the teens in her summer outreach program. Like Alec.
    If she hadn’t moved to Shelby Lake, then she may have never met her cranky landlord, who used his surliness to keep people at arm’s length.
    Sarah unlocked Emmett’s apartment door and held it open so Daniel and Caleb, Sarah’s brother, could carry in one of the bookcases from Emmett’s house. Alec had said it was one of his favorites, given to him upon his retirement from teaching English for forty years at Shelby Lake High School. Behind them, Toby followed with a box of classics with worn spines and ragged edges to line the shelves.
    For the next thirty minutes, they hauled in a few pieces of furniture. Even if they weren’t his favorites, they could be swapped out for ones of his choosing. The point was to make the suite feel more like home.
    When she’d arrived earlier in the afternoon with Alec, she hadn’t expected such sparse furnishings, especially given Emmett’s penchant for holding on to memories. She totally understood needing to downsize, but it was as if the poor guy didn’t have any memories in his new place. She hoped to fix that.
    Sarah arranged a couple of silver-framed photos of family on the side table next to Emmett’s recliner. She included a lamp from the living room and set out a jigsaw puzzle on the small oval table Caleb had pulled out of the kitchen.
    Daniel and Toby removed records in their original jackets from a box and slid them into place beneath the outdated, but well-used, stereo with turntable.
    She pulled her phone from her back pocket and thumbed through it to find the picture she’d snapped of his home’s living room the first day she’d seen it. Then, she instructed Caleb and Daniel where to position the couch. She arranged the needlepoint pillows and tossed the knitted afghan across the back cushions. It took up a large chunk of the living room, but seeing the one worn cushion made Sarah think it had been used quite often.
    Another glance at her phone showed they had less than ten minutes left. Alec had agreed to keep Emmett out for two hours. He said he’d take Emmett to Jacob House to see Gideon after dinner. Working quickly, they finished turning Emmett’s sparsely decorated suite into some semblance of his former home...without the clutter.
    Maybe he’d hate it, and she’d need the guys to help her haul everything back to his house, but something told her Emmett was a man steeped in tradition...someone who thrived on routine.
    So much like Alec.
    Her phone chimed. A text from Alec.
    E’s getting tired. We’re heading back.
    All’s well here , she texted back.
    Minutes later, she heard voices in the hall. Caleb gave her a quick hug, then he and the boys slipped through the sliding glass door that led out onto a small patio. Sarah hurried to the door and threw it open, meeting Emmett’s startled expression.
    â€œYoung lady, what are you still doing in my apartment?”
    Sarah reached for his free hand, giving his sausage fingers a gentle squeeze. “Mr. Browne, we met for the first time today, but I’ve gotten to know you a little as I’ve been organizing your home. Please know I hold the deepest respect for your privacy. As I said earlier, I also understand how you may be feeling.” She paused and drew in a deep breath, then released it in a nervous huff. “While you and Alec were out, I wanted to try to blend some of the familiar with the new, but if you don’t like it, I will put everything back the way it was.”
    Emmett glanced at Alec and jerked his head toward Sarah. “She always talk this fast?”
    Alec smirked and nodded. “Yes, pretty much.”
    â€œMakes a man’s ears tired.”
    Sarah