A Thing Called Love - Jill Sanders Page 0,1

big doors.

Off in the distance, she could see the lights from their little cottage, which they had purchased together more than a year ago, when they had moved to Pride.

“I mean it.” Robin gave her the look, the kind Kara knew all too well, which meant her older sister wouldn’t stop nagging her if she tried to help out.

“Fine.” She sighed. “I’m going to go take a walk on the beach.” She nodded to the warm dark night outside the large barn doors.

“Enjoy,” Robin threw over her shoulder as she moved off to oversee the cleaning up.

Smiling, Kara stepped out into the warm night. There were still a handful of guests standing around in the gravel parking lot, talking. She made her way past the large covered patio, littered with tables and chairs. The entire area was lit up by bright Edison string lights, which hung from the beams and tree branches overhead. She toed off her sandaled heels and carried them with her after she stepped onto the soft sand.

Strolling along the Oregon coast with a full moon lighting her way and the warm fall breeze heating her up, she could just imagine her fairytale dreams for her future life coming true.

This is why she’d talked Robin into going into business with her shortly after their grandfather had passed away, leaving them each a large chunk of inheritance.

Robin had been away at college, studying business, while Kara had a freshly printed high school diploma in her hands and no idea what she wanted to do in life.

Ever since she’d been a child, she’d scoured through wedding magazines. It was one of her favorite pastimes. When she’d been old enough to start dating and realized that men were nothing like the fairytales she’d grown up with, it somehow became an addiction.

She’d lose herself in all things weddings. Which is where she’d gotten the idea to open Sunset Weddings. Convincing her sister to pool their inheritance together hadn’t taken as long as she’d thought it would.

When she’d shown Robin the property she’d found on the coast of Oregon, in the small town they both knew was where their parents had fallen in love, Robin had surprised her by agreeing.

She couldn’t count the times she’d passed by the large red barn as a child and dreamed of holding her own wedding in the massive building. She’d lucked out when she’d looked and found it up for sale.

It had taken several months of renovations to turn the massive barn into the beautiful venue it was today. But, thanks to Parker Clark, the renovations had gone smoothly.

The first year of their business had gone off without a hitch. They were making more money than they had expected, and the word was out that Sunset Weddings was the hottest wedding venue along the Oregon coast.

They had it all. The redesigned interior was sleek and chic. They’d added an enormous stone fireplace along the back wall with a wide hearth, which made for a great backdrop for wedding pictures. The two-story barn had been turned into an elegant piece of art, with the enormous antique chandelier that Blake Jordan had found for them at an estate sale. Actually, it was all thanks to Blake that the interior was as classy as it was. The woman knew how to find items that enhanced the rustic and elegant atmosphere.

It was all Kara could have dreamed and hoped for. She loved her work. Loved every aspect of it. Well, okay, if she was being honest, she didn’t understand any of the actual business side, but that’s where Robin came in. Robin had always been great with numbers and planning.

Setting her shoes down in the sand, she sat and listened to the surf, pulling her knees to her chest. Growing up in the city, she’d dreamed about living near the ocean. Dreamed of being in a small town that welcomed her and her own dreams. Pride, so far, filled that position perfectly.

Of course, she’d known it would. She’d grown up hearing her parents talk about the magical Christmas they’d been snowed in and had fallen in love here and had known it was the place she wanted to be.

Even now, her parents continued to come back to Pride once a year for their anniversary.

She remembered spending summers in Pride with her family. Each time they’d returned, she’d fallen more in love with the area.

Her mind turned to a different kind of love. One that she’d struggled with her entire life.

Why