Passions in the North Country (Siren Publishing Classic) by Summer Newman Page A

unknown reason, she was sure—positively convinced—that she had seen this house and beach before. How that was possible, she had no idea, but that she had seen it before, there could be no doubt. It was eerie that this feeling of déjà vu had been following her ever since she came to the hotel.
    “Where is this?” she asked keenly. “It looks familiar.”
    Henry shrugged. “That’s White Sands Beach. It’s no more than half an hour from here.”
    “Who owns the house?”
    “I have no idea. It’s been deserted for years. You can walk right up to it and look in.”
    “Really? I could go and have a look?”
    “Sure. White Sands Beach is a public beach and there’s a nature trail not far from the house. People go up and look inside all the time. Like I said, it’s deserted.”
    “Sounds fantastic,” Jenny said, still staring at the house. “I’ve seen that house before. A picture, on television—I don’t know where, but I have seen it before. I’m sure.”
    “Maybe you have,” Henry conceded. “I’m not going to argue with you.” He laughed. “The beach is about a mile long. The sand is very fine and bleached white. The ocean is the deepest blue you’ve ever seen and at either end of the beach are two steep cliffs. I’m sure you’d like it.”
    “I do like it here,” she said, looking around. “I’ve never been to Nova Scotia before, but I think I could live here the rest of my life.”
    “Wow,” Henry replied, obviously pleased by her enthusiasm. “I’m sure we’d all love to have you stay, Jenny.”
    A look of concern descended over her brows. “If you don’t mind, could you speak to Mr. North and sound him out for me. If he’s violently opposed to me working here, I would rather leave.”
    “I’ll ask, but I’m sure everything will be fine. He’s just used to being the boss and sometimes it’s hard for a man to accept that he needs a woman’s help.”
    Jenny was exceedingly pleased that Henry and Miriam considered her an important, even integral, part of the business, even though she had been there only a short time. When she was given the Florida job, she had to go through a battery of tests and a round of interviews. The informality at the Riverview Hotel, although not something she was used to, was very pleasing to her. “Could you,” she said, feeling greatly embarrassed, “speak to Mr. North as soon as possible? Like before he comes up here in the morning.”
    “Jenny, he’s not going to have you arrested for trespassing.”
    “Just the same, I don’t want a confrontation, and if he’s going to make an issue of it—”
    “I would phone him,” Henry noted, “but he doesn’t have a phone at the river house.”
    “He doesn’t have a phone? That’s odd.”
    “Just between you and me,” Henry said, lowering his voice, “I think he is a little odd.”
    Jenny leaned forward, her eyes opened wide with curiosity. “How so?”
    “He’s a real loner. He’s friendly enough with us, but you get the feeling he doesn’t like to be with people any more than he has to. He could have taken the Captain’s room out back—the one in the Captain’s House—but he chose to rent down the river. I think it was so he could be alone. There’s no other explanation. He spent a lot of money on the hotel and I’m sure he’s on a tight budget, but he clings to that house and his privacy, even though he’s paying some pretty big rent.”
    Jenny nodded. “To tell you the truth, I got the impression that he really doesn’t like people very much at all.”
    “I wouldn’t go that far,” Henry said, shrugging, “but he is reserved—maybe it’s something from his past.”
    “Maybe, but he better make some character changes if he wants to run a hotel. The last thing a man in his position needs to be is a hermit with an attitude.”
    “That’s true,” Henry agreed, laughing. “But God knows there are plenty of women in Newbridge who would like to get to know