September Free Chapter - The Inn At Rose Harbour by Debbie Macomber

7/31/2019 September Free Chapter - The Inn At Rose Harbour by Debbie Macomber

1/19

Copyright Debbie Macomber 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


2/19

Despite her dyslexia, Debbie Macomber always wanted to be a

writer. As a stay-at-home mother with our children, she spent

years writing books at her kitchen table until one was accepted

by romance publisher Silhouette. Now, many books later, and a

worldwide bestseller, she and her husband live in Port Orchard,

Washington, where her husband is building his own airplane. She

also owns a yarn and knitting shop called A Good Yarn.

She is the author o numerous bestselling books including the

incredibly popular Cedar Cove, Port Orchard and Blossom Street

series.

yright Debbie Macomber 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, st


http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


3/19

DEBBIEMACOMBER



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


4/19

Published by Arrow Books 2012

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Copyright Debbie Macomber, 2012

Debbie Macomber has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs

and Patents Act 1988 to be identied as the author o this work.

Tis book is a work o ction. Names and characters are the product o the authors

imagination and any resemblance to actual persons,

living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Tis book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not,by way o trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out,

or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior

consent in any orm o binding or cover other than that

in which it is published and without a similar condition,

including this condition, being imposed

on the subsequent purchaser.

First published in Great Britain in 2012 by

Arrow Books

Random House, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road,London SW1V 2SA

www.randomhouse.co.uk

Addresses or companies within Te Random House Group Limited can be

ound at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/oces.htm

Te Random House Group Limited Reg. No. 954009

A CIP catalogue record or this book

is available rom the British Library

ISBN 9780099564027

Te Random House Group Limited supports Te Forest Stewardship Council

(FSC), the leading international orest certication organisation. Our books

carrying the FSC label are printed on FSC certied paper. FSC is the only

orest certication scheme endorsed by the leading environmental organisations,

including Greenpeace. Our paper procurement policy can be ound at:

www.randomhouse.co.uk/environment

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


5/19

o

my special riends romKnitters Magazine

and the

Stitches Conerences,

Benjamin Levisay

and

Rick Mondragon



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


6/19

September 2012

Dear Friends,

I got the message. You love Cedar Cove and you didnt

want to leave the characters behind. All ten thousand o

them. Okay, thats a slight exaggeration, but that was the

problem. Tirteen books, each with its own cast o

characters. I your head wasnt spinning remembering whowas who, then mine was. It was time, but good-byes are

hard, and rom what some o you wrote me, traumatic.

As an author I listen to my readers. You have guided my

career since I rst published. I try never to disappoint those

who have been so encouraging and loyal. So, I came up with

a compromise. My new series involves a wonderul bed-and-

breakast set in Cedar Cove. Tat way the characters youve

come to love will make occasional appearances and give you

updates on their lives. However, the ocus o the story will

revolve around Jo Marie and the guests who come to stay at

the Rose Harbor Inn.

Te name Rose has a special signicance in my own lie.

My great-grandmother was named Rose, as was my mother.

Our oldest daughter is named Jody Rose and my

granddaughter (the one born on my birthday) is Madeleine

Rose, so you can see the name is deeply rooted in our amily

heritage. As with all o my stories, I am sharing a part o

mysel with my readers. As always, I look orward to your

comments. You can reach me in a multitude o ways. Log on

to my website at DebbieMacomber.com and sign in on the

guestbook page, or write to me at P.O. Box 1458, Port





7/19

Orchard, WA 98366. I personally read every letter and

guestbook entry. You can also contact me through Facebook.And wait, theres more . . . I have my own app. I am so high

tech I hardly know what to think.

Now sit back, put your eet up, and meet Jo Marie as she

entertains her rst two guests. Tis is a new lie or her and

Im sure youll come to love her and the people who enter

through her door and nd harbor and healing.

Warmest regards,

Debbie Macomber



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


8/19

Chapter 1

Last night I dreamed o Paul.

Hes never ar rom my thoughtsnot a day passes when

he isnt with mebut he hasnt been in my dreams until now.

Its ironic, I suppose, that he should leave me, because beore

I close my eyes I antasize about what it would eel like to

have his arms wrapped around me. As I drit o to sleep I

pretend that my head is resting on his shoulder. Unortunately,

I will never have the chance to be with my husband again, at

least not in this lietime.

Until last night, i I did happen to dream o Paul, those

dreams were long orgotten by the time I woke. Tis dream,

however, stayed with me, lingering in my mind, lling me

with equal parts sadness and joy.

When I rst learned that Paul had been killed, the grie

had been all-consuming, and I didnt think I would be able to

go on. Yet lie continues to move orward, and so have I, drag-

ging rom one day into the next until I ound I could breathe

normally.



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


9/19

4 DEBBIE MACOMBER

Im in my new home now, the bed-and-breakast I bought

less than a month ago on the Kitsap Peninsula in a cozy townon the water called Cedar Cove. I decided to name it Rose

Harbor Inn. Rose or Paul Rose, my husband o less than a

year; the man I will always love and or whom I will grieve or

whatever remains o my own lie. Harbor or the place I

have set my anchor as the storms o loss batter me.

How melodramatic that sounds, and yet theres no other

way to say it. Although I am alive, unctioning normally, at

times I eel hal dead. How Paul would hate hearing me say

that, but its true. I died with Paul last April on some

mountainside in a country hal a world away as he ought or

our nations security.

Lie as I knew it was over in the space o a single heartbeat.

My uture as I dreamed it would be was stolen rom me.

All the advice given to those who grieve said I should wait

a year beore making any major decisions. My riends told me

I would regret quitting my job, leaving my Seattle home, and

moving to a strange town.

What they didnt understand was that I ound no comort

in amiliarity, no joy in routine. Because I valued their

opinion, I gave it six months. In that time nothing helped,

nothing changed. More and more I elt the urge to get away,

to start lie anew, certain that then and only then would I nd

peace, and this horrendous ache inside me ease.

I started my search or a new lie on the Internet, looking

in a number o areas, all across the United States. Te surprise

was nding exactly what I wanted in my own backyard.

Te town o Cedar Cove sits on the other side o Puget





10/19

The Inn at Rose Harbor 5

Sound rom Seattle. Its a navy town, situated directly across

rom the Bremerton shipyard. Te minute I ound a propertylisting or this charming bed-and-breakast that was up or

sale, my heart started to beat at an accelerated rate. Me own a

bed-and-breakast? I hadnt thought to take over a business,

but instinctively I realized I would need something to ll my

time. As a bonus, a conrmation, Id always enjoyed having

guests.

With its wraparound porch and incredible view o the

cove, the house was breathtaking. In another lie I could

imagine Paul and me sitting on the porch ater dinner, sip-

ping hot coee and discussing our day, our dreams. Surely the

photograph posted on the Internet had been taken by a pro-

essional whod cleverly masked its faws. Nothing, it seemed,

could be this perect.

Not so. Te moment I pulled into the driveway with the

real estate agent, I was embraced by the inns appeal. Oh yes,

with its bright natural light and large windows that over-

looked the cove, this B&B elt like home already. It was the

perect place or starting my new lie.

Although I dutiully let Jody McNeal, the agent, show me

around, not a single question remained in my mind. I was

meant to own this bed-and-breakast; it was as i itd sat on

the market all these months waiting or me. It had eight guest

rooms spread across the two upper foors, and on the bottom

foor a large, modern kitchen was situated next to a spacious

dining room. Originally built in the early 1900s, the house

looked out on a stunning panorama o the water and marina.

Cedar Cove was laid out below along Harbor Street, which



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


11/19

6 DEBBIE MACOMBER

wound through the town with small shops on both sides o

the street. I elt the towns appeal even beore I had the oppor-tunity to explore its neighborhoods.

What attracted me most about the inn was the sense o

peace I experienced the moment I walked inside. Te heart-

ache that had been my constant companion seemed to lit.

Te grie that Id carried with me all these months eased. In

its place came serenity, a peace thats dicult to describe.

Unortunately, this contentment didnt last long, my eyes

suddenly fooding with tears and embarrassing me as we n-

ished the tour. Paul would have loved this inn, too. But I

would be managing the inn alone. Tankully the real estate

agent pretended not to notice the emotions I was struggling

to disguise.

Well, what do you think? Jody asked expectantly as we

walked out the ront door.

I hadnt said a word during the entire tour, nor had I asked

a single question. Ill take it.

Jody leaned closer as i she hadnt heard me correctly. I

beg your pardon?

Id like to make an oer. I didnt hesitateby that time

I had no doubts. Te asking price was more than air and I

was ready to move orward.

Jody almost dropped a older ull o detailed inorma-

tion regarding the property. You might want to think

about it, she suggested. Tis is a major decision, Jo Marie.

Dont get me wrong, Im eager to make the sale; its just that

Ive never had anyone make such an important decision

so . . . quickly.



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


12/19


Ill think about it overnight, i you want, but theres no

need. I knew right away that this is it.Te instant my amily heard that I intended to quit my

job at Columbia Bank and buy the B&B, they all tried to talk

me out o it, especially my brother, odd, the engineer. Id

worked my way up to assistant manager o the Denny Way

branch, and he eared I was throwing away a promising career.

odd knew that I would eventually be named manager. I had

given almost teen years to the bank, had been a good

employee, and my uture in banking was bright

What the people around me ailed to understand was that

my lie as Id known it, as Id wanted it, as Id dreamed it, was

over. Te only way I could achieve ulllment was to nd

mysel a new one.

I signed the oer or the inn the next day and not or an

instant did my resolve waver. Te Frelingers, who owned the

B&B, grateully accepted my oer, and within a matter o

weeksjust beore the holidayswe gathered together at the

title company and signed all the tedious, necessary paper-

work. I handed them the cashiers check, and accepted the

keys to the inn. Te Frelingers had taken no reservations or

the last couple o weeks in December as they intended to

spend time with their children.

Leaving the title company, I took a short detour to the

courthouse and applied or a name change or the inn,

christening it with its new name, Te Rose Harbor Inn.

I returned to Seattle and the next day I gave Columbia

Bank my notice. I spent the Christmas holiday packing up

my Seattle condo and preparing or the move across Puget



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


13/19

8 DEBBIE MACOMBER

Sound. While I was only moving a ew miles away, I might as

well have been going halway across the country. Cedar Covewas a whole other worlda quaint town on the Kitsap

Peninsula away rom the hectic world o the big city.

I knew my parents were disappointed that I didnt spend

much o the holidays with them in Hawaii, a amily tradition.

But I had so much to do to get ready or the move, including

sorting through my things and Pauls, packing, and selling my

urniture. I needed to keep occupiedbusywork helped keep

my mind o this rst Christmas without Paul.

I ocially moved into the house on the Monday ollowing

New Years Day. Tankully the Frelingers had sold the inn as

a turnkey business. So all I needed to bring with me were a

couple o chairs, a lamp that had belonged to my grandmother,

and my personal items. Unpacking took only a ew hours.

I chose as my room the main foor bedroom suite the

Frelingers had set aside as their own area; it had a replace

and a small alcove that included a window seat overlooking

the cove. Te room was large enough or a bedroom set, as

well as a small soa that sat close to the replace. I particularly

enjoyed the wallpaper, which was covered in white and

lavender hydrangeas.

By the time night descended on the inn, I was exhausted.

At eight, as rain pelted against the windows and the wind

whistled through the tall evergreens that covered one side o

the property, I made my way into the master bedroom on the

main foor. Te wild weather made it eel even cozier with a

re fickering in the replace. I experienced none o the

strangeness o settling into a new place. Id elt welcomed by



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


14/19


this home rom the moment Id set oot in the ront door.

Te sheets were crisp and clean as I climbed into bed. Idont remember alling asleep, but what so readily comes to

mind is that dream o Paul, so vivid and real.

In grie counseling, Id learned that dreams are important

to the healing process. Te counselor described two distinct

types o dreams. Te rst and probably the most common are

dreams about our loved onesmemories that come alive

again.

Te second type are called visitation dreams, when the

loved one actually crosses the chasm between lie and death to

visit those he or she has let behind. We were told these are

generally dreams o reassurance: the one who has passed

reassures the living that he or she is happy and at peace.

Itd been eight months since Id received word that Paul

had been killed in a helicopter crash in the Hindu Kush, the

mountain range that stretches between the center o

Aghanistan and northern Pakistan. Te army helicopter had

been brought down by al-Qaeda or one o their aliban allies;

Paul and ve o his ellow Airborne Rangers had been killed

instantly. Because o the location o the crash it was impossible

to recover their bodies. Te news o his death was dicult

enough, but to be deprived o burying his remains was even

more cruel.

For days ater I got the news, hope crowded my heart that

Paul might have actually survived. I was convinced that some-

how my husband would nd a way back to me. Tat was not

to be. Aerial photographs o the crash site soon conrmed

that no one could have possibly survived. In the end, all that



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx


15/19

10 DEBBIE MACOMBER

really mattered was that the man I loved and married was

gone. He would never return to me, and as the weeks andmonths progressed I came to accept the news.

Itd taken me a long time to all in love. Most o my riends

had married in their twenties, and by the time they were in

their mid-thirties, the majority had already started their am-

ilies. I was a godmother six times over.

On the other hand, I had remained single well into my

thirties. I had a busy, happy lie and was involved in both my

career and amily. Id never elt the need to rush into marriage

or listen to my mother, who insisted I nd a good man and

quit being so picky. I dated plenty but there was never anyone

I elt I could love or the rest o my lie until I met Paul Rose.

Seeing that itd taken me thirty-seven years to meet my

match, I didnt expect love to come to me twice. Frankly, I

wasnt even sure I wanted to all in love again. Paul Rose was

everything Id ever hoped to nd in a husband . . . and so

much more.

Wed met at a Seahawks ootball game. Te bank had

given me tickets and I had brought along one o our more

prominent clients and his wie. As we took our seats, Id

noticed two men with military haircuts sitting next to me. As

the game progressed, Paul introduced himsel and his army

buddy and struck up a conversation. Paul told me he was

stationed at Fort Lewis. Like me, he enjoyed ootball. My

parents were keen Seahawks ans, and Id grown up in Spokane

watching the games on television ater church on Sundays

with them and my younger brother, odd.

Paul asked me to have a beer with him as we let the game





16/19


that aternoon, and we saw each other nearly every day ater.

We learned we shared much more than a love o ootball: weshared the same political inclinations, read many o the same

authors, and loved Italian ood. We even had a Sudoku addic-

tion in common. We could talk or hours and oten did. wo

months ater we met, he shipped out to Germany, but being

separated did little to slow our budding relationship. Not a

day passed that we werent in contact in one way or

anotherwe emailed, texted, Skyped, tweeted, and used

every other available means we could to stay in touch. Yes, we

even wrote actual letters with pen and paper. Id heard about

people claiming to have experienced love at rst sight and I

had scoed. I cant say it was like that or Paul and me, but it

was darn close. I knew a week ater we met that he was the

man I would marry. Paul said he elt the same way about me,

although he claimed all it took was one date.

I will admit this: love changed me. I was happier than I

could ever remember being. And everyone noticed.

At Christmastime a year ago, Paul few back to Seattle on

leave and asked me to be his wie. He even talked to my par-

ents rst. We were crazy in love. Id waited a long time and

when I gave him my heart, it was or orever.

Right ater our wedding in January, Paul got orders or

Aghanistan. Te helicopter went down on April 27, and my

world imploded.

Id never experienced this kind o grie and I ear I handled

it poorly. My parents and brother worried or me. It was my

mother who suggested grie counseling. Because I was desper-

ate to nd a means to ease my pain, I agreed. In the end I was





17/19

12 DEBBIE MACOMBER

glad I attended the sessions. Doing so helped me understand

my dreams, especially the one I had that rst night at the inn.Contrary to what Id been told about visitation dreams,

Paul did nothing to reassure me he was at peace. Instead, he

stood beore me in ull military gear. He was surrounded by a

light that was so bright it was hard to look at him. Even so, I

ound it impossible to turn away.

I wanted to run to him but was araid that i I moved, he

would disappear. I couldnt bear to lose him again even i this

was only an apparition.

At rst he didnt speak. I didnt either, unsure o what I

could or should say. I remember that emotion lled my eyes

with tears and I covered my mouth or ear I would cry out.

He joined me then and took me in his arms, holding me

close and running his hand down the back o my head, com-

orting me. I clung to him, unwilling to let him go. Over and

over he whispered gentle words o love.

When the lump in my throat eased I looked up at him

and our eyes met. It elt as though he was alive and we needed

to catch up ater a long absence. Tere was so much I wanted

to tell him, so much I wanted him to explain. Te act that

hed had such a large lie insurance policy had come as a

shock. At rst Id elt guilty about accepting such a large

amount o cash. Shouldnt that money go to his amily? But

his mother was dead, and his ather had remarried and lived

in Australia. Tey had never been especially close. Te lawyer

told me Paul had been clear in his instructions.

In my dream I wanted to tell Paul that Id used the money

to buy this bed-and-breakast and that Id named it ater him.





18/19


One o the rst improvements I wanted to make was to plant

a rose garden with a bench and an arbor. But in the dream, Isaid none o that because it seemed like he already knew.

He brushed the hair rom my orehead and kissed me

there ever so gently.

Youve chosen well, he whispered, his eyes warm with

love. In time youll know joy again.

Joy? I wanted to argue with him. It didnt seem likely or

even possible. One doesnt heal rom this kind o pain. I

remembered how my amily and riends had struggled to

nd the right words to comort me. But there are no

words . . . there simply are no words.

And yet I didnt argue with him. I wanted the dream to

last and I eared that i I questioned him he would leave, and

I wanted him to stay with me. A peaceul eeling had come to

me, and my heart, which had carried this heavy burden, elt

just a little lighter.

I dont know that I can live without you, I told him, and

it was true.

You can and you will. In act, youll have a long, ull lie,

Paul insisted. He sounded like the ocer hed been, giving

out orders that were not to be questioned.

You will eel joy again, he repeated, and much o it will

come rom owning Rose Harbor Inn.

I rowned. I knew I was dreaming, but the dream was so

vivid I wanted to believe it was real.

But . . . My mind lled with questions.

Tis inn is my git to you, Paul continued. Dont doubt,

my love. God will show you. In the next instant he was gone.





19/19

14 DEBBIE MACOMBER

I cried out, begging him to come back, and my own sharp

cry woke me. My tears were real, and I could eel moisture onmy cheeks and pillowcase.

For a long time aterward I sat upright in the dark wanting

to hold on to the eeling o my husbands presence. Eventually

it aded and almost against my will I ell back asleep.

Te next morning, I climbed out o bed and traipsed bare-

oot down the polished hardwood foor o the hallway to the

small oce o the kitchen. urning on the desk lamp, I

fipped through the pages o the reservation book the

Frelingers had given me. I reviewed the names o the two

guests due to arrive that week.

Joshua Weaver had made his reservation just the week

beore I took ownership. Te ormer owners had mentioned

it at the time we signed the nal papers.

Te second name on the list belonged to Abby Kincaid.

wo guests.

Paul had said this inn was his git to me. I would do my

best to make both guests comortable; perhaps, in giving o

mysel, I would nd the joy Paul had promised. And maybe,

given time, it would be possible or me to nd my way back

to lie.



http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspxhttp://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/debbie-macomber/the-inn-at-rose-harbor-9781742751740.aspx

September Free Chapter - The Inn At Rose Harbour by Debbie Macomber

Documents

Transcript of September Free Chapter - The Inn At Rose Harbour by Debbie Macomber