simple greed. The price of eggs hasn’t gone up in years. That’s why I’m still driving a twenty-five-year-old pickup truck.”
“I wonder why she gave up acting,” Alan said, steering the conversation to Rowena. “It must be hard to leave the limelight.”
“Maybe so.” Ed shrugged his thin shoulders. “I can’t say I blame her for wanting to leave New York, though. Big cities have never appealed to me.”
“Does she have any family around here?”
Ed paused to think a moment, his fork poised in midair. “I don’t think so. Never heard her mention anybody. How about you, Alan? Cooper’s Corner is a long way from Toronto. Are you visiting family or friends around here?”
“No.” He didn’t bother to mention that his father lived in Albany, only a couple of hours away. But given their almost nonexistent relationship, George Rand might as well live half a world away. “I’m here on vacation.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to stop by the chicken ranch. ‘Course, it’s nothing fancy, but we’ve got plenty of good sight-seeing around here. Smith’s Maple Sugar Bush is close by and has a one-hundred-year-old working sugarhouse. I’d be glad to show you if you’d like to take a tour.”
The only sight he wanted to see was Rowena. But what could it hurt to tour the area? Especially if his child might grow up here. “Thanks, Ed. I think I’ll take you up on it.”
“Good enough,” Ed said, visibly pleased. “Lots of antique shops around here, too, if you’re interested.”
Alan shook his head. “I’m not a collector.”
“Me, neither.” Ed chuckled. “I suppose I’ve got plenty of antiques out at my place, too, but I’ve just always called ’em junk.”
“Rowena seems to like them,” Alan said, finding himself unable to stop thinking about her. “Her shop had a lot of vintage fixtures. It looks great.”
“I’ve seen her at a couple of estate auctions,” Ed concurred as he salted his eggs. “Those are really the best places to get a good buy if you’re into antiques. Some people even make a hobby of it.”
“Does she go alone?” Alan asked, still perplexed that a woman like her wasn’t involved with anyone.
Ed shrugged. “I guess so.”
Alan didn’t understand how a woman like Rowena could be unattached. Of course, he could ask the same of himself. Ever since he’d beaten cancer, his life had been full of activities. Almost too full to have any kind of a social life. But none of those activities could seem to assuage the aching emptiness he sometimes felt inside.
In the last three years, he’d dated only a handful of women. And no one more than once or twice. The playboy life had never appealed to him, but now more than ever he wanted something other than a temporary relationship. Something that had meaning. Purpose. Something he couldn’t seem to find, no matter how hard he tried.
“I wonder if Rowena ever gets lonely,” he mused.
“Rowena?” Ed said, loudly enough to draw the attention of Clint and Maureen. “Heck, no. She doesn’t seem lonely to me. Always so sweet and cheerful.”
Maureen spoke up. “Ed’s right. Rowena has plenty of good friends to watch out for her.”
The woman’s tone was friendly enough, but Alan heard the note of warning behind it. No doubt she wondered why he was so interested in Rowena Dahl.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Alan said, realizing it was time to change the subject. He’d already made an enemy of Rowena. He didn’t want to alienate anybody else in Cooper’s Corner. “By the way, I may need to send some work to my office in Toronto while I’m here. Do you happen to have a fax machine available?”
Clint nodded. “I have one in the office you’re welcome to use anytime.”
“Thanks,” Alan said, rising from his chair and dropping his linen napkin on his plate. “And thanks for breakfast, too. It was great.”
“You’re welcome,” Maureen said, her gaze friendly once more. “Please let us
“I wonder why she gave up acting,” Alan said, steering the conversation to Rowena. “It must be hard to leave the limelight.”
“Maybe so.” Ed shrugged his thin shoulders. “I can’t say I blame her for wanting to leave New York, though. Big cities have never appealed to me.”
“Does she have any family around here?”
Ed paused to think a moment, his fork poised in midair. “I don’t think so. Never heard her mention anybody. How about you, Alan? Cooper’s Corner is a long way from Toronto. Are you visiting family or friends around here?”
“No.” He didn’t bother to mention that his father lived in Albany, only a couple of hours away. But given their almost nonexistent relationship, George Rand might as well live half a world away. “I’m here on vacation.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to stop by the chicken ranch. ‘Course, it’s nothing fancy, but we’ve got plenty of good sight-seeing around here. Smith’s Maple Sugar Bush is close by and has a one-hundred-year-old working sugarhouse. I’d be glad to show you if you’d like to take a tour.”
The only sight he wanted to see was Rowena. But what could it hurt to tour the area? Especially if his child might grow up here. “Thanks, Ed. I think I’ll take you up on it.”
“Good enough,” Ed said, visibly pleased. “Lots of antique shops around here, too, if you’re interested.”
Alan shook his head. “I’m not a collector.”
“Me, neither.” Ed chuckled. “I suppose I’ve got plenty of antiques out at my place, too, but I’ve just always called ’em junk.”
“Rowena seems to like them,” Alan said, finding himself unable to stop thinking about her. “Her shop had a lot of vintage fixtures. It looks great.”
“I’ve seen her at a couple of estate auctions,” Ed concurred as he salted his eggs. “Those are really the best places to get a good buy if you’re into antiques. Some people even make a hobby of it.”
“Does she go alone?” Alan asked, still perplexed that a woman like her wasn’t involved with anyone.
Ed shrugged. “I guess so.”
Alan didn’t understand how a woman like Rowena could be unattached. Of course, he could ask the same of himself. Ever since he’d beaten cancer, his life had been full of activities. Almost too full to have any kind of a social life. But none of those activities could seem to assuage the aching emptiness he sometimes felt inside.
In the last three years, he’d dated only a handful of women. And no one more than once or twice. The playboy life had never appealed to him, but now more than ever he wanted something other than a temporary relationship. Something that had meaning. Purpose. Something he couldn’t seem to find, no matter how hard he tried.
“I wonder if Rowena ever gets lonely,” he mused.
“Rowena?” Ed said, loudly enough to draw the attention of Clint and Maureen. “Heck, no. She doesn’t seem lonely to me. Always so sweet and cheerful.”
Maureen spoke up. “Ed’s right. Rowena has plenty of good friends to watch out for her.”
The woman’s tone was friendly enough, but Alan heard the note of warning behind it. No doubt she wondered why he was so interested in Rowena Dahl.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Alan said, realizing it was time to change the subject. He’d already made an enemy of Rowena. He didn’t want to alienate anybody else in Cooper’s Corner. “By the way, I may need to send some work to my office in Toronto while I’m here. Do you happen to have a fax machine available?”
Clint nodded. “I have one in the office you’re welcome to use anytime.”
“Thanks,” Alan said, rising from his chair and dropping his linen napkin on his plate. “And thanks for breakfast, too. It was great.”
“You’re welcome,” Maureen said, her gaze friendly once more. “Please let us
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