Daydream Retriever (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 10) Read online

  “I think that’s because you have no friends there anymore. All the kids left, the whole mommy circle broke up, and now you’re bored.”

  “Gosh, that makes me feel a ton better. Thank you. At least I always have you to cheer me up.”

  “You do, but I’m in Alpine Grove. If you’re so convinced you’re going to die any minute, you should be closer to the people who care about you, just in case.”

  “Gleasonville isn’t far away. I can visit whenever I want.”

  “But you never do.”

  “I know. It’s complicated.”

  “No, it’s not. We’ve had this conversation. You’re the one making it complicated.”

  Lisa tried not to sigh audibly because it would undoubtedly annoy her friend. Bev had known Lisa forever and had no patience for Lisa’s “complications.”

  Opting to change the subject, Lisa continued, “Larry called about four hundred times and I put off calling him back because every time I talk to him, it seems like I’m giving him bad news.”

  Bev said, “You’re fine, so you can call him back.”

  “Well, I finally did.”

  “Good. It’s about time! You should talk to your baby brother. I heard through the grapevine that he’s really busy. He even got a new assistant at the law office. That’s a good thing because supposedly he’s working on some big case. I met his assistant and she seems nice enough. Very organized too. I think she’s helping him get his act together.”

  “For someone who never talks to Larry, you seem pretty well informed. What big new case? Larry always says he only does family and corporate stuff. Divorces, real estate, that kind of thing. I don’t think he’s ever seen the inside of a courtroom.”

  “Well, it’s not like he’s become a high-powered prosecuting attorney while you weren’t paying attention. I mean, come on. This is Larry we’re talking about. He’s got a one-person practice in a teeny-tiny town. But the ski resort is changing ownership, so there’s a ton of legal paperwork. For Larry, it’s a pretty high-profile job. He even got quoted in the newspaper.”

  “You’re kidding. Snow Grove has been sold?”

  “Yes, remember that place where we used to ski all the time. High school? Ski team? Remember all that?”

  Lisa snorted. “Don’t be snotty. Of course I remember. But you know I hate thinking about that place. I’m surprised they sold it. The Greenfield family has owned the resort forever.”

  “Times change, honey. After all these years, they’re probably ready to do something else.”

  “Well, now I know why Larry said he was so busy. I guess I’ll find out more when I get there.”

  “Wait, you’re coming here during the winter? You never do that.”

  “I know, and that’s why I called. It’s all your fault because you blabbed to Larry that I have nothing to do. So I told him I’d work on fixing up Mom and Dad’s house for sale.”

  “That’s an intriguing project, but…” Bev snarled in exasperation. “Dammit, I really want to talk to you more about this, but right now, I gotta go. Robby is up in that big tree out back and I think he’s about to do something really, really dumb. But I do want to say that this is a perfect time to visit! The holidays are over and the girls are back in college. You don’t have any excuse not to, and I miss you tons—it’s been way too long since I’ve seen your face.”

  “I know. I miss you too.”

  They said their goodbyes and Lisa hung up the phone. Part of her couldn’t quite believe she’d actually agreed to go to Alpine Grove in January. She’d avoided visiting in the winter for years, which had entailed lots of awkward conversations with her kids trying to explain why they never spent Christmas at grandma and grandpa’s house.

  Her daughters never understood why Lisa was so firm in her decision, but seeing the snow and the mountains brought back a lot of memories that Lisa preferred to forget.

  Lisa spent the rest of the afternoon getting organized for her visit to Alpine Grove and doing exciting things like paying her electric bill. She also went to bid a final farewell to the old green Volvo and clean her stuff out of it. The ancient green machine was going to be towed to its final resting place in a massive junkyard south of Gleasonville.

  After she had pulled the old maps from the glove compartment, she turned to peer at the backseat of the car. Memories swirled through her mind, first of two battered car seats and then of twin blonde girls strapped safely into their seat belts, bickering with one another. The Volvo’s worn beige interior had seen a lot of hard road time. There were stains on the seats and floor, undoubtedly from long-ago soda spills.

  When she didn’t have the car to remind her, what if she started to feel as if all those trips to dance classes and soccer games had never happened? Would she simply forget? She’d already lost so much; she didn’t want to lose those memories of being a mom too.

  The only good thing about going to Alpine Grove was that she could avoid buying another car for a while. She dreaded the idea of having to negotiate with her ex-husband about money again. Although they’d had an unusually amicable divorce, discussions about money with Mike still were never anything even close to enjoyable.

  The next morning, she rented a car for the journey north to Alpine Grove. Heading to the mountains in January sometimes wasn’t a great idea, but the weather forecast was for sunny skies. After so many years of driving the Volvo, it felt odd to drive a different car. For one thing, it was an automatic, not a manual.

  Years of yanking on the Volvo’s stiff gearshift and smashing her foot onto the clutch made driving the rental seem downright dull. It was strange having so little to do. The rental car was a boring white Ford sedan with no character at all. On the other hand, it was clean. The prospect of driving the former hardware store pickup was not appealing, since it was unlikely it had gotten any less filthy since she’d last seen it. Maybe she’d search for a new car after she got to Alpine Grove.

  When she slowed at the outskirts of her hometown, Lisa was flooded with memories. Larry’s office was in an old building near the single traffic light. The red brick building had housed a dry cleaner when she was a little kid. Later, it had been a gift store, then it was converted to office space, and a few years ago Larry had set up his law practice there.

  After she returned the rental car, Lisa walked along the main street of town toward the office. The sidewalks had been cleared of snow and the brilliant blue sky reminded Lisa of the crisp cold days that were perfect for skiing when she was growing up. Shaking off memories of alpine sporting events, Lisa opened the door to the Law Offices of Lawrence Lowell. She found a petite woman with disheveled flaming red hair sitting at the desk out front. The woman was surrounded by piles of paper and as she looked up at Lisa, her eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, Larry didn’t get a whole lot of visitors.

  The redhead smiled politely. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m Lisa Lowell, Larry’s sister. Is he around?”

  “Oh yes, I forgot you were stopping by.” The woman stood up and held out her hand. “I think I spoke to you the other day. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Brigid Fitzpatrick.” She inclined her head toward the back of the room. “Larry is in his office.”

  Lisa thanked Brigid, walked around the desk, and went back to the larger office beyond. She tapped on the door, which was ajar.

  Larry looked up from a pile of papers that was even larger than the stacks on the desk out front. He tilted his head. “What did you do to your hair?”

  Lisa put her hand to her head. “I had blonde highlights added.”

  “Oh, it’s…different. It makes you look kind of like Mom.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Although her eyes might be the same amber-brown shade as her mother’s, Lisa didn’t think she looked much like her mother at all. Mom was petite and compact, whereas Lisa had inherited her father’s long, leggy build. Like her siblings, Lisa’s hair had been a warm chestnut color. She certainly wasn’t going to volunteer to Larry that the
absurdly expensive salon streaking and frosting helped cover the increasing amount of gray in her shoulder-length hair.

  After her divorce, Lisa had wanted a change and she liked the new tawny look of her hair. She gestured toward the towering pile of papers. “What happened here? You used to be so neat and tidy about everything.”

  “I told you I have a tremendous amount of work to do. I’m absolutely drowning in it.” He stood up and walked around the desk. A few papers fluttered to the floor and he bent to pick them up. “I confess that at this point, I’m regretting taking on this project. They should have gone with a larger law firm.”

  Her brother looked so distressed that Lisa walked around the desk and gave him a hug. “It will be okay. For the next few weeks, I can help you out.”

  “Here are the keys to my truck. It’s parked in the alley out back. Do you still have a key to the house?”

  “It’s on my key chain.”

  “Good. After a year, I’m afraid things may be a bit dusty in there.”

  They both turned at the sound of a dog barking out front. Larry frowned. “Oh dear. It sounds like Harley has returned.”

  “You have a dog named Harley?”

  “No, he’s one of Brigid’s dogs.” Larry walked toward his office door and Lisa followed. She looked around his shoulder to the outer office where Brigid was attempting to corral a large, boisterous yellow Labrador retriever.

  Larry said, “Brigid, why is he here again?”

  Brigid pushed the dog’s rump to the floor, “Harley, sit!” The dog looked momentarily confused, sat, opened his mouth to pant happily, and stood up again.

  Brigid mumbled, “Good boy,” and looked up at Larry and Lisa. “I’m sorry. Clay dropped him off for a few minutes while he goes to pick up some photos down the street. He’ll be right back. I promise.”

  “After that beagle ate the Lombardi contract, I think I made it clear that we can’t have dogs in the office.” Larry put his fists on his hips. “The last time Harley was here he knocked over that banker’s box full of Snow Grove deeds and easement information. It took me hours to get everything back in order.”

  Brigid pushed Harley’s rear end down again. “I know, I know! I’m trying to find a placement for him. He’s not adapting to the ranch at all. Clay has to take Harley everywhere. If he leaves Harley at home, this dog manages to find some way to get out and then he chases after the truck. At least he hasn’t made it to the highway yet, but I’m tearing my hair out. All my regular foster families have dogs they’re caring for already. I need to find a temporary foster home, and I’m hoping a place will free up soon.”

  Larry scowled. “Perhaps in the short term, you could take him outside.”

  Brigid gathered up the leash and glanced at Lisa. “Larry said you’re here for a couple of weeks. I don’t suppose you could foster Harley, could you?”

  Larry added, “Brigid runs the local dog-rescue group and Harley is staying at the V Bar H ranch north of town. Remember the Hadleys? It’s their old place. Clay owns it now.”

  “I remember his sister TJ from high school, although I didn’t know her very well,” Lisa said.

  Brigid rubbed the dog’s ears. “Harley would be much happier in a foster home where he gets more attention, even if it’s only for a little while.”

  Lisa shook her head. “I have a cold and I’m not feeling well. I have a lot to do while I’m here.”

  Larry said, “You’re going to be in that huge house all by yourself. You used to love dogs, and he’d keep you company.”

  Brigid’s expression brightened. “Yes! Harley is a wonderful dog. He just wants to be with you. He’s like a shadow, and I know if Larry says you like dogs, you’d be great with him. If I didn’t have to work here, he’d be the perfect dog. He might need a little training though.”

  Lisa looked down at the dog, who appeared to be using his leash to hog-tie Brigid’s legs. A little training? More like a lot of training. She turned to Brigid. “I really don’t want to take on the responsibility of a dog. I’m sick.”

  “You said you have a cold.” Larry frowned. “You’re not seriously ill, are you? There’s not some kind of recurrence is there?”

  At his concerned expression, Lisa waved both hands in front of her. “No, it’s nothing to do with that. I promise.”

  “Remember Buster? He was a great dog. Harley kind of reminds me of him in a way,” Larry said.

  Brigid pushed Harley’s butt back to the floor again and said, “There’s a boarding kennel north of town, and if you foster Harley, you get two free days of boarding. Normally they only offer free days for dogs that have been adopted, but the owner, Kat Stevens, said she’d add an incentive for anyone who would be willing to foster Harley. Please?”

  Larry turned to Lisa. “Harley has become a frequent visitor here, and it will improve my work life if you take him. I’ll also feel better knowing you aren’t out at the house all by yourself.”

  Lisa gazed down at the dog, who was wagging his tail eagerly. Harley was kind of cute in a goofy, happy, Lab type of way. It was hard not to smile at his enthusiasm and Larry wasn’t wrong about the potential of her being lonely at the house all by herself, surrounded by nothing but memories. At least with a dog, the place wouldn’t be so quiet. She shrugged. “All right, I guess I can take him, as long as it’s only temporary.”

  Brigid clapped her hands together, and Harley jumped up with a mighty woof. Brigid put her hands on his back and attempted to settle him down. “I’ll get his things. He’ll be great. You’ll love having him around—I promise!”

  Lisa wasn’t so sure about that, but she took the leash from Brigid and smiled at Harley. “So you wanna see where I grew up?”

  Harley started for the front door, which Lisa took as a “yes.”

  Chapter 2

  Welcome Home

  The second Lisa opened the office door, Harley leaped forward, causing her to stumble out the door to the snowy sidewalk. Lisa yelped, “Harley, no!”

  Undeterred, Harley continued dragging as Lisa hauled back on the leash, struggling to control him. The journey around the block to get to the truck was like a mini Iditarod, with Lisa acting as the sled. She was five feet eight and could probably stand to lose a few pounds, so it wasn’t like she was a tiny waif of a woman. How did Brigid control this animal?

  “Come on Harley, this way.” She pulled on the leash and pointed Harley toward the alley where the trucked was parked. Larry’s salmon-colored pickup was just as hideous as she remembered. The old Dodge was as ugly as it had ever been when it was used to haul hardware and building supplies.

  Seeing the old vehicle brought back embarrassing memories of high school. Who goes to their homecoming formal in a hardware-store truck? At least she didn’t have to feel bad about putting a dog into it. A little dog hair would add a new furry layer to the years of debris that had collected in the interior.

  The door creaked as Lisa opened it. Harley leaped into the cab and faced forward, looking ready to drive off. She patted his head. “Good boy. I guess if you’ve been hanging out at a ranch, you’ve done the whole riding-in-trucks thing before.”

  Lisa slammed the passenger door and got in on the driver’s side. Even though it had been years since she’d driven the truck, when she started the engine she recognized the familiar rumble and the peculiar putrid scent of decades of sweaty men mixed with decomposing vinyl. Harley thumped his tail enthusiastically on the bench seat, seemingly oblivious to the odd odor and ready for his next adventure.

  Lisa’s parents’ house was located about three miles out of town. The rambling two-story ranch sat up on a knoll on a large grassy lot that Leo used to complain bitterly about mowing. With four bedrooms, three baths, an office, and a family room, Larry wasn’t exaggerating about her rattling around in such a large house by herself. The swing on the covered front porch overlooked Mom’s big fenced garden, and Lisa recalled the peaceful summer afternoons she’d spent reading stories to her girls. Th
e twins liked to curl up with her on the swing after they’d tired themselves out playing or splashing around in the kiddie pool Mom used to set up for them in the yard.

  Lisa turned the last corner and drove up the street to the house. The exterior looked more or less the same as it always had, but the place had that empty, abandoned look that houses get when they’ve been for sale for months and received little interest. Sure, it was sappy and sentimental to be sad about a house, but nonetheless Lisa found she was a little choked up as she parked in the driveway. The poor old house looked lonely. It was going to feel strange to be there alone after she’d spent so many years fighting with her three siblings and then later visiting with her own kids.

  She opened the truck door and Harley leaped out with enthusiasm. After stomping around the snow in the front yard for a few minutes while Harley took care of his business, Lisa waded through the snow to the front porch and up the four steps. She opened the door and Harley charged into the house first. He stopped short and sneezed loudly.

  Lisa followed the dog inside and turned on the light. All of the furniture was covered with white sheets, undoubtedly to keep the dust from settling onto the upholstery. She could see the outline of the symmetric semi-circle couches that surrounded the oversized glass coffee table in the living room.

  Under the sheets, she knew she’d find the same horrifying kelly-green-and-white print covering the sofas. Like the rest of the decor, the fabric was a throwback to the late sixties. The kelly green in the upholstery pattern was a perfect match for the carpet, which stretched out like a sea of brilliant Astroturf, seemingly indestructible and immune to the passage of time.

  Lisa let out a long breath. Rehabbing this house wasn’t going to be easy, and it wasn’t a huge shock that the house hadn’t sold. Although it was a large home, a buyer would need to have amazing vision to see beyond the dated decor. No one had been able to convince Mom to part with the old furniture and it had been far too large for their new cottage, so it had stayed in place, exactly where it had sat for decades.