Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2) by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel Page A

ever said anything. I’ll call Mrs. Reece after you look around.”
    “Thanks so much.” Brenna glanced back at Jase on her way up the stairway and he still watched her as he teased his niece. He almost looked content.
    A loft sat at the top of the stairs. A great size and ideas already flowed through her mind. It’d be a great place for Chloe to have privacy, or a media room. One side was a railing overlooking the living room and the floor to ceiling windows. Next, Nora showed her a huge master bedroom, explaining the townhouse had two master bedrooms and baths—this one upstairs and one down.
    “Perfect for us!” said Brenna
    “Come on, I’ll show you the rooftop patio. It’ll be hotter than an oven right now though. I loved it up there earlier in the year.”
    “Jase said fall and winter are the best times. It’ll take me time to get used to this kind of heat.”
    “Where are you from?” asked Nora, pointing out the master bath on the way out of the bedroom.
    “Oh, the Midwest—Iowa City, Iowa. Lived there all my life. Sure, we have hot summers, but not like you get here.”
    “I have to get used to it again, too. As you can tell, the heat is going to be difficult for me this summer. I’ve been gone from Canyon Junction for a long time and recently moved back, met Tristan…and well…” Nora chuckled.
    “It’s sweet. And the little one is adorable.” They stood in the loft at the railing overlooking the downstairs, and Brenna glanced down into the living room. She lowered her voice. “Looks like Jase has fun with his niece.”
    “She loves her uncle.” Nora peered over the railing, and spoke low. “He misses his kids something terrible. If only his ex-wife would contact him.”
    Brenna had a hard time removing her eyes from him as he played with Destiny at the same time he flipped channels on the TV. A fluttering in her stomach caught her off guard. She moved away, following Nora up more stairs and onto the rooftop.
    “It is dreadfully hot.” Brenna turned in a full circle taking in the view.
    Nora moved toward the railing. “You look like me the first time I came up here. Impressive at sunset…and sunrise, too. At the ranch the mountain is right there, although it looks much closer than it is.”
    Brenna had already decided to accept the townhouse. Perfect for what she needed. She stood beside Nora at the rail, looking over the city in the distance. “This place is what I need.”
    Nora turned to her. “Great. I’m happy to hear you like it.” She placed her hand on Brenna’s. “Let’s go inside and discuss it. I’ll call Mrs. Reece before we go any further. You can go on down and look at the other master bedroom while I use the phone in my office. It’s left of the stairs, and there’s another small bathroom off the hallway.”
    “I’ll take a look. Oh, I hope it works out.” Brenna continued downstairs to check out the other bedroom and both bathrooms. She came back to the living room and took a seat on the sofa next to Jase. Sitting beside him was like a natural thing to do. “I’m sorry for taking so long, I know you’re hungry.” She observed the size of the room. What she had in furniture might not fill up the place, but she’d get what she needed later. The open floor plan was something she liked, with all the rooms viewable from each other. As long as she and Chloe had a bed to sleep in, she’d deal with all the rest as it came.
    “So, you like the place?”
    Brenna nodded, a slight quirk to her lips. “Yes. Nora is making a phone call to see if they have an age minimum.”
    “Age minimum. Aren’t you old enough?” His gaze passed over her, but a spirited smirk played on his lips.
    “For my sister. She’s sixteen. I’m well old enough.”
    His eyes widened. “Wow, that’s a big age difference.”
    “What? Maybe not. How old do you think I am?” Humph . She didn’t think the age difference was a big deal. Jase could keep guessing. She wasn’t all that