A Mother's Secret

by Gabrielle Meyer

  Joy found herself nodding, though she hadn’t fully committed to going with him.

  “See you soon,” he said as he left the room.

  “I think I just heard the timer for my cookies. I don’t want them to burn.” Mrs. Thompson scurried out of the room, leaving Joy alone with Chase.

  Joy couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “I know you’re disappointed.”

  “Don’t worry about me.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Believe in your dreams.”

  “But what is there to believe in?” she whispered. “How can I be certain that we’ll succeed?”

  He gently tilted her face up to look at him. “You can’t be certain that we’ll succeed, Joy. None of us know what the future holds.” His eyes were so clear, so full of hope and longing, pleasure swirled through her. “But you can be certain that I’m here to stay. Whether we succeed in buying Bee Tree Hill—or we end up buying a farmhouse—we will still have each other, and that’s the most important thing we can be certain of.”

  She blinked several times, trying to comprehend what he’d just said. “Even if we don’t buy Bee Tree Hill, you want to help me buy another home?”

  “I want you and the kids to have a safe, loving home to live in. I hope it’s Bee Tree Hill, but it doesn’t have to be.” He took a step closer to her and reached for her hand. “I’ve been trying to tell you—but I don’t think you’ve been listening. I’m here to stay, Joy. I’m not going anywhere.”

  His hair was windblown and he smelled like fresh-cut grass, but he’d never looked better to her.

  “If you’ll let me,” he said, “I’d like to stay in Timber Falls—no matter what happens with Bee Tree Hill.”

  It was almost exactly what he’d told her last time, the day before he left. If you’ll let me, I’d like to stay in Timber Falls until you graduate from college and then we can get married.

  She’d believed him last time—and she wanted to believe him this time, too. Over the past couple of months, he’d proved to her that he was there for good—that he wanted to make her happy. But she couldn’t forget what Tom said. Was Chase using Bee Tree Hill to manipulate her feelings? She didn’t want to believe it was true, but that didn’t make it so.

  “Let’s get through the festival,” she said. “And then we’ll talk about the future.” She grasped the vacuum again. “But I’m still going to take Mrs. Thompson’s advice and look at the farmhouse.”

  Chase nodded. “If you think it’s a good idea.”

  “I do.”

  He smiled, though there was sadness in his eyes. “I better get back outside and help set up the tents.”

  Joy watched him walk out of the room, her heart going with him. Just before he disappeared down the stairs, he winked, and she smiled.

  * * *

  The heat had been rising steadily throughout the day, and with it, the humidity. Chase wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt and then took another stack of folding chairs off the back of the trailer they had borrowed from a neighbor. The church had graciously allowed them to borrow a hundred chairs and a dozen banquet tables, which Chase and the men were setting up under the half-dozen tents on the lawn.

  “Should we start setting up chairs under the next tent?” Ryan asked Chase, wiping his forehead just like Chase had done.

  “Why don’t you and the boys grab some water bottles and a few cookies and take a break.” Chase set down the stack of chairs. “You’ve been working hard.”

  Mrs. Thompson had brought fresh cookies and a cooler of water out to the men, but they hadn’t taken a break yet.

  Ryan nodded eagerly and then he ran to the refreshments with his brothers.

  Chase grinned at Pastor Jacob, who was unloading another stack of chairs.

  “You’re a natural with those boys,” Jacob said to Chase. “They have a lot of respect for you.”

  The unexpected compliment made Chase pause.

  “Do you have younger siblings?” the pastor asked as he set the stack of chairs down.

  “I’m an only child.” Chase opened a folding chair and set it up next to the table.

  “I would have never guessed.” Jacob started to unfold his chairs, too. “I’ve noticed a new light in Joy and the kids since you got here.”

  Chase stopped unfolding the chairs. How much did Pastor Jacob know about him and Joy? She wasn’t the type of person to share her personal business with others—but maybe she had said something to her pastor. “They’ve been good for me, too.”

  Jacob smiled and nodded. “I’ve been praying for Joy for a long time now. You just might be the answer to those prayers.”

  Chase was the answer to a prayer? He had never thought of himself in that light—but now that he did, it gave him a sense of purpose he’d never felt before. “I don’t know how much Joy has told you.”

  “She’s told me a few things. I know Harper and Kinsley are yours.”

  “I left her four years ago because I was afraid to stand up against my father.” It took Chase a second to compose his thoughts. “At the time, I didn’t know about the girls.”

  “Ah.” Jacob nodded. “I wondered.”

  “But now that I know, I don’t want to mess things up again.”

  Jacob wiped his forehead and continued to nod. “When we make choices based on fear, we often make the wrong decision. It’s the choices we make based on faith that really matter.”

  Chase considered his words and thought about the choices he had made. Each poor decision had been based in fear and had led to heartache and pain.

  “But thank God that whatever the enemy intends for evil, God will use for good.” Jacob took another stack of chairs off the trailer. “Nothing has been broken that can’t be fixed, Chase. Jesus was a carpenter. He’s in the business of mending and repairing.”

  Chase smiled. For years, he’d felt like a disappointment to his father and then to Joy. He’d made mistakes that felt impossible to fix—but maybe it wasn’t up to him to do all the mending.

  A car turned into the drive and Chase glanced up, hoping it was Joy. She had left two hours ago with Tom and he’d been counting down the minutes until they returned—but it wasn’t Tom’s car that pulled up the drive.

  “Excuse me,” Chase said to Jacob.

  He walked toward the front door where the silver BMW came to a stop.

  The driver’s door and passenger door opened at the same time and Chase’s pulse started to thrum.

  Malcolm Asher stepped out of the BMW, a pair of dark sunglasses hiding his eyes. He stood tall and straight. His suit didn’t have a wrinkle and every piece of his graying hair was in place. He glanced around the lawn, his lips turning down in disapproval.

  “What’s going on, Chase?” He closed the door and put his hands on his hips. “Why are all these people here and what are those tents doing on the lawn?”

  Chase groaned. Why had his dad decided to show up now?

  The other man stepped out of the passenger door, scanning the property. He also wore a suit, but he wasn’t nearly as polished as Chase’s father.

  “Dad.” Chase finally stopped in front of his father. “What are you doing here?”

  Malcolm pulled his sunglasses off. “You’ve been wasting everyone’s time, so I decided to come and take care of things myself.” He pointed his glasses at Pastor Jacob and the boys. “What’s the meaning of all this?”

  It didn’t pay to put off the inevitable. “We’re having a festival here tomorrow.”

  “A festival?” Dad’s lips curled in disgust. “Whatever for?”

  “It’s a—” Chase hesitated. His dad would never approve—but he couldn’t hide the truth. “It’s a fund-raiser for the family who is living here.”

  “A what?”

  “A fund-raiser. The family who lives h
ere needs housing, so the community is coming together to raise money for her and the kids.” It was a true statement—though he’d chosen to leave out Joy’s name—or the fact that she wanted to buy Bee Tree Hill.

  One thing at a time.

  “Don’t you think you have better things to do with your time?” Dad shook his head, his blue eyes—so much like Chase’s—full of disapproval.

  “It’s the least we could do for the family.”

  “We’ll deal with this topic later.” Malcolm turned away from Chase and nodded at his guest. “This is Conrad Tidwell. I believe you spoke.”

  Chase walked around the car and extended his hand to Tidwell. “I wasn’t expecting you for two more days.”

  “Obviously.” Dad opened the back door and pulled out a small suitcase. “We’ve been traveling all day. I’d like to freshen up before we give Conrad the tour. Show us to our rooms.”

  The house would be open for tours the next day, and all the rooms had been prepared for that purpose. If his dad and Mr. Tidwell took two of the rooms, it would disrupt the tours they had planned.

  “I, ah—” Chase had no idea what to do with his father. “We’re giving tours of the mansion tomorrow. I wasn’t expecting you—there are no rooms available.”

  Malcolm’s jaw clenched and the muscles in his cheek rippled. “I have no time for this nonsense, Chase.” He placed his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes briefly. “You need to call off this festival immediately. We have business to take care of.”

  “We can’t call off the festival.” Chase looked between Tidwell and his father, anger filling his chest. “Countless people have worked tirelessly for this event. There’s no way we can cancel now.”

  His father didn’t like when Chase contradicted him—and he saw it in the way his eyes snapped—but Chase didn’t care. Joy was depending on this festival and he would not let Malcolm Asher change her plans.

  “What would people think if you canceled it now?” Chase asked.

  It was his father’s only insecurity, and Chase knew when to play that card.

  “Fine,” Malcolm said with his teeth clenched. “But Mr. Tidwell and I will need rooms—and I don’t care how it affects everyone’s plans.”

  “There are rooms in the carriage house.” Chase pointed down the hill. “It’s the best I can offer right now.”

  Malcolm opened the back door and tossed his suitcase back inside. He slammed the door. “Fine.”

  His father got into the driver’s seat and Conrad quietly got into the passenger side.

  “I’ll meet you at the carriage house,” Chase told his father.

  It would take his father a couple minutes to drive around the back of the mansion and reach the carriage house, so Chase jogged over to Jacob. “Something has come up. Can you keep an eye on the boys?”

  “Of course.”

  Though the pastor didn’t ask for information, Chase felt the need to explain. “That was my father. He flew in from Seattle. I wasn’t expecting him.”

  “I gathered that much.” Jacob gave him an encouraging smile. “The boys and I will be fine.”

  “Thanks.” Chase turned away, but then he looked back at Jacob. “If Joy returns—can you let me tell her about my dad?” The last thing he wanted was Joy to hear that his father was here from someone else.

  “Absolutely.”

  Chase waved at the boys as he passed them. “I’ll be back in a little while. Pastor Jacob will keep an eye on you.”

  Ryan gave Chase the thumbs-up and grinned.

  Chase returned his smile, though he didn’t feel like smiling.

  He jogged down the hill to reach the carriage house just as his father pulled up.

  Everything within Chase wanted to revolt against this intrusion—but he knew the only way to deal with his father was to face him head-on. Come what may.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chase had quickly washed his hands and face and changed into clean clothes, but now he paced at the bottom of the steps outside the carriage house waiting for his father and Mr. Tidwell. Thankfully, Mrs. Thompson had fresh bedding in each of the rooms, even though they hadn’t been used in years. She was always prepared for everything and Chase was never more appreciative of her forethought than today.

  Mr. Tidwell opened the carriage-house door and walked down the steps. He looked around the property as he descended the stairs. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” he said to Chase with a smile. The man was about as old as Malcolm, but he wasn’t as severe or cold. He was a short man with a head full of dark curly hair, deep wrinkles on his tanned face and small eyes, which didn’t miss much.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Chase said, though it couldn’t be further from the truth.

  “I haven’t seen much of the property, but what I have seen, I like.” Tidwell grinned. “I can’t wait to see the rest.”

  “There’s no other property like Bee Tree Hill.”

  “I’ve been looking for a place like this for years.”

  “Do you plan to relocate to Minnesota?”

  “No.” Tidwell spread his feet and crossed his arms. “I’m in the hospitality business and I’ve been interested in building a resort on the Upper Mississippi for years.” He moved with nervous energy. “I have a ski resort in Vermont, a spa in Northern California, a large bed-and-breakfast in Savannah and a hotel in Denver. I’ve been looking for just the right spot in Minnesota, and I think I might have found it.”

  Chase frowned. “Are you looking at creating another bed-and-breakfast with the mansion?”

  Tidwell shook his head. “No. It’s the land and access to the river that interests me. I want to build a resort and marina, so I’ll tear down all the buildings and start from scratch.”

  Chase’s mouth slipped open. “Tear down the buildings?”

  Tidwell squinted and looked at the carriage house and then up to the mansion. “I’m afraid it would all have to go. I have no need for the houses.”

  “What?” Chase couldn’t believe his ears. “The mansion is irreplaceable. It was built by my great-grandfather in 1898. It’s the very heart of this community. If it weren’t for the Asher family, Timber Falls wouldn’t—”

  “Chase.” Malcolm Asher appeared behind Chase, a frown on his face. “That’s enough.”

  “We can’t let someone tear down Bee Tree Hill.”

  “It’s no concern of ours what Conrad chooses to do with the property.”

  “It concerns us a great deal.” Chase could hardly believe what his father was saying. “The Asher Corporation would be nothing without Bee Tree Hill.”

  Malcolm shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “It no longer serves a purpose.”

  “It’s a home—a legacy.”

  “We’ll talk about this later.” Malcolm moved around Chase to join Tidwell.

  “We’ll talk about this now.” Chase had never spoken to his father this way, but maybe it was time to start. Bee Tree Hill didn’t belong just to his father—it belonged to all the Ashers—including Harper and Kinsley.

  “Dad, I need to speak to you. Alone.”

  “Now isn’t the time—”

  “Mr. Tidwell, could you please excuse us?” Chase wouldn’t let this wait. Now that his father was here, it was time to share the truth about a few things.

  “Of course. I’ll walk down to the river and take a look for myself.” Tidwell scurried off without another word.

  Malcolm turned to Chase, his face red and his nostrils flaring. “Chase, you are out of line.”

  “How could you sell Bee Tree Hill? I just told Tidwell this place is the heart of Timber Falls, but it’s also the heart of the Asher family.”

  “It’s just a place—and it’s worth a lot of money.”

  “Is everything about money to you?”
Chase hated that his father’s very existence revolved around the pursuit of wealth. Malcolm had sacrificed everything for his money—and for what? He had no healthy relationships, his family despised him, his wife had left him and everyone who worked for him was afraid of him.

  “What else is there?” Malcolm asked.

  “Family, love—faith.”

  “Hogwash.” Malcolm turned to look for Tidwell. “We need to catch up to—”

  “I want to keep Bee Tree Hill.”

  “No.” Malcolm rubbed the bridge of his nose again. “We’ve been over this.”

  “It should stay in the Asher family.”

  “You’re no better than your aunt Constance. She’s so focused on the past, she can’t see the future.”

  Aunt Constance was the reason Chase had chosen to come to Bee Tree Hill over four years ago to begin with. It was her influence, and love of their family, that had piqued Chase’s interest in their Minnesota home. “Aunt Constance once told me that we’ll lose sight of where we’re going if we forget where we have been.” Chase hadn’t thought about his aunt in a long time—too long. “She would be horrified if she knew you planned to sell Bee Tree Hill to a man who wants to tear it down.”

  “It’s a good thing she’s not in charge, then.”

  An idea started to form and Chase had to look away from his father to let it develop completely. Aunt Constance might not be the president and CEO of the Asher Corporation, but she, along with several other family members, were stockholders in the company. If enough of them sided with Chase, could they persuade the board of directors to veto Malcolm’s decision to sell the property?

  “Why would you want this place?” Malcolm finally asked, his disdain for the property evident in the scowl on his face. “Your life is in Seattle. This place is nothing but a money pit.”

  Chase let his eyes wander around the property. The fort stood at the bottom of the hill and had already provided the boys with countless hours of fun. The chickens near the barn had produced dozens of eggs and been a place for Chase and Joy to teach the kids lessons about responsibility. The pier near the water had become a respite for Chase and Joy to unwind at the end of the day and spend time getting to know one another again.