Read Online Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love by Ariana Hawkes - Free Book Online

that takes us around to the national park, on the west side of town.” They drove for another twenty minutes. “Looks like we’re not far away now. Have you got Lauren’s instructions?”
    Raven pulled her phone out.
    “Yes. She says to keep going to the final destination, then look for a track that leads directly off the road. Continue down it for about five minutes, then take the second right. Follow that narrower track for another five minutes, and your cabin is the fourth one along. She’s put a flower wreath on the door as a marker, and the key is under the mat.”
    “Neat. Ok, here we go,” Caitlyn said as the satnav announced that they’d reached their destination. They peered at the forest on the right hand side of the road doubtfully. There didn’t seem to be a track at all.
    “This can’t be right?” Raven said. “Hold on, I’ll take a look.” She jumped out of the car and stepped into the forest. “Oh, you just have to swing around this tree right here, and the path is just behind it,” she said, getting back in. 
    Caitlyn followed her instructions, and the path came into view.
    “Weird. It’s almost as if it’s deliberately hidden from the road,” she said.
    Lauren’s instructions were good, and they were soon pulling up at a log cabin with flowers on the door.
    “Home sweet home!” Raven exclaimed.
    They bounded out of the car and Raven lifted the mat and retrieved the key. She unlocked the door and turned the handle with some trepidation. She had no idea what to expect. She was expecting it to be dusty and ramshackle, with more than a few spiders lurking in the corners. Urgh . She gave an involuntary shudder. 
    “Are you ready for this?” she said as she pushed the door open.
    “Wow,” Caitlyn said, walking into the room. It was spotlessly clean, as if it had just been scrubbed. The bed was made up and it looked comfy. There was a wooden table and chairs, which looked handmade, and a soft, furry rug covered the wooden floor. The kitchen was basic, but the counter and the pans hanging from the wall were gleaming. They walked through to the bathroom. It was also in good repair.
    “This is amazing. I was expecting a shed, maybe with a moldy mattress on the floor,” Raven said. “I think Lauren made a big effort for us.”
    “She sounds like a sweetheart,” Caitlyn said.
    As they went to the car and unloaded their things, Raven was practically jumping for joy. She’d been prepared to rough it when she arrived in Hope Valley, as anything was better than living in Russellville, but she’d also been apprehensive, as she wasn’t really an outdoorsy girl. But this was like living in nature with home comforts. 
    When they were unpacked, they found out where the nearest supermarket was and went over there to stock their fridge.
    When they got back, there was a truck outside their cabin. A curvy woman with caramel-toned skin, a black, elfin crop and big black eyes climbed out of the driver seat as they pulled up.
    “Hi, I’m Lauren,” she said in a warm tone, and they introduced themselves.
    “Thank you so much for getting this cabin ready for us,” Raven said. “It’s so much more than I was expecting.” Lauren waved her hand dismissively.
    “Oh, it was nothing. The cabin’s been empty for a long time, and we couldn’t have you girls living in a shed. That’s no way to start a new life in Hope Valley.”
    “Do you want to come in and have coffee with us?” Caitlyn said.
    “Oh, thanks, but I’ve got this one asleep here,” Lauren indicated the back seat of the car, where a little girl was fast asleep in a child seat. “Her name’s Willow and she’s two years old, and a little terror right now. I just stopped by to check that you girls had managed to get inside and to tell you where the supermarket is. But it looks like you’ve got it all figured out?”
    “Oh, yeah. The wonders of the Internet,” Raven said with a grin.
    “Would you like to come over for dinner