“A few weeks ago I would have said no. Now I’ve changed my mind. If romance makes a guy feel as lousy as I’ve felt these past few days, then I guess I have to accept that it’s still possible.”
A warm, wonderful flush crept into her cheeks. She’d never been so happy to hear that she’d been responsible for someone’s misery.
He stood, took a package from his back jeans pocket and brought it to her. It was about the size of an envelope and almost as flat. “Here, this is for you.”
She took it, let it lie in her palm. It had substance, a weight of nearly a pound. A small store-bought bow was on top, smashed from being in his pocket. “A present?”
“Sort of.”
“I can’t imagine what it is,” she said.
“Only one way to find out.”
She took off the paper and lifted the flap of a sturdy cardboard envelope, the kind supplied by the post office for CDs and such. She slid a brass number from the envelope, turned it over and studied it from all angles.
“It’s the number four,” she said.
“It is. I’ve assigned each cabin a number and a name,” he said. “Cabins one, two and three are named after members of my family.”
“That’s a nice idea.”
“Pop and I have been working on the fourth cabin this week. This morning before I left to come here, I told Pop to leave all eight bunks in number four so it will accommodate more people.”
“You’re leaving it the same as when the Boy Scouts used it?” she asked.
“Yep. If everything goes as I hope it will, I’m ordering eight new mattresses as well as more of those flannel sheets you like.”
She still had no idea why he’d brought her the brass number. “You’re expecting that many corporate guests?”
“No. I probably won’t ever have that many execs at one time. I’ll be lucky to fill cabins one through three.”
“Then why...?”
He sat beside her on the sofa, threaded his fingers together and let his hands hang between his knees. “I didn’t sleep much last night. I had this idea that kept playing out in my mind.”
“What idea is that?”
“One that originated with you actually.”
“Me?”
He smiled at her confused expression. “Remember when you said that troubled boys need role models to fill a void in their lives? And I said the role model wouldn’t be filled by me? And then you said the property had probably been a pretty good Boy Scout camp?”
Yes, she remembered saying that, but Bret had been so sure he wanted to cater to wealthy execs seeking a wilderness adventure. Had he suddenly changed his mind? “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re getting at, Bret,” she said.
He took her hand, placed it on his thigh and covered it with his own. “There are about a zillion details I need to check out,” he began. “But during my sleepless hours, I did some research. I discovered that the state of North Carolina has a special program, a rehabilitation course designed for adolescents and young teens who appear to be heading on the wrong path.”
“Boys like Jack?” she said.
“Could be. Though the idea is to catch them before they break the law.”
“I wish I had known about that program when Jack was younger.”
“Yeah, it might have helped. Anyway, I made some calls, set up some appointments. I’m thinking of starting a facility like that at The Crooked Spruce.”
Dorie gasped. Had she heard him correctly? He was smiling, so she knew she had. “Bret, I don’t know what to say. You may not realize it, but you would be a perfect role model for these boys.”
“I don’t know about perfect, but I think I could stand in for a kid who has no dad at all. Plus, Jed Whitaker, my friend from my academy days is coming to live at The Crooked Spruce. He’s a straight arrow, a good man. If we both check out with the authorities, I don’t see why the state wouldn’t approve us, at least on a trial basis.”
He threaded his fingers with Dorie’s. “I never would have thought of doing something like this if it weren’t for you, Dorie. But it seems like a natural to me now.
“And here’s another thing...”
A flood of happiness was seeping into Dorie’s heart. She couldn’t stop it and she didn’t want to. “What?”
“I thought I might talk to Leroy and his family about letting him be a charter subject for the program. Matt released him without putting a blot on his record.”
“That was kind of him.”
“There was no real evidence to support Leroy participating in the fire. As a matter of fact, after talking to Matt, I’m convinced Leroy could have a future.”
Dorie smiled. “I’m sure of it. Especially with the proper role models.”
Bret’s self-deprecating grin endeared him to her even more. “Right. Me, the role model,” he said.
“So what else would you need to get this boy’s camp off the ground?” she asked.
He slowly nodded his head. “I’m glad you asked that question. Jed and I were both cops, so I figure we should qualify as authority figures. I still need a counselor, someone trained in dealing with troubled kids.”
“How will you pay for all this?” Dorie asked, knowing Bret had to support his family and keep things running somehow.
“I found some info on that, too. The state will subsidize the program if certain standards and codes are met.”
Jack had missed out on a program like this. It was too late for him, but the possibility that other boys could be helped took away some of the hurt Dorie felt for her brother.
His enthusiasm evident in his voice, Bret continued. “Like I said, we’ll start small. A few boys just for the summer. I’ll have to hire a cook...”
Even though she wasn’t involved, Dorie was already thinking ahead and giving her imagination free rein. “Maybe you could have some animals. Nothing inspires responsibility more than having to care for another living thing.”
“I’m already one step ahead on that one,” Bret said. “I am now the proud owner of a Labrador something-or-other...”
“You?” She couldn’t help herself. She reached for him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Even if they weren’t going to be together, she was so proud of him. “Luke must be absolutely delighted.”
“He is.” Bret looked down at the rug by the fireplace where King was curled into a fluffy ball. “But he still misses you-know-who.”
She let the details of Bret’s plan gel in her brain. But still she wondered how the teens would fit in with his plan for the executives. “What about your original idea to offer shelter to hikers on the trail?”
“I’m not giving up on the outpost idea. My shelves are stocked and I’ve had several requests for directions to the place from the old Timber Gap Trail. But I figure the execs might be a good influence on the boys. I’ll tell the men when they show up that they will be sharing the property with the boys. And I don’t expect any backlash. As for the teens, I figure the execs can offer a real-life picture of the way their futures could be if they straighten up.”
She was thinking about the wonderful transformation she saw in Bret and was so pleased that she had contributed to it. The burden of guilt that he’d lived with for so long seemed to have been lifted. She concentrated on the brass number still in her hand. “Why did you give me this?” she asked.
“It’s going next to the door on the fourth cabin,” he said.
“The boys’ cabin?”
“Yes. I’ve already named it. I’m calling it the Dorie Howe cabin. It’s because of you that these kids will have a chance.”
She didn’t even know she was crying until one tear fell on the number. She wiped it on her shorts. “I’m going to tarnish the thing before it’s even nailed up,” she laughed.
“I sprayed it with non-tarnish shellac. It’ll be fine for quite a while. And even if it rusts I’ll keep it on the door forever.” He cupped his hand under her chin and lifted her face. “And I hope you will be at The Crooked Spruce forever, too.”
“Me?” Pure elation sparked inside her, ready to burst out. Was she close to a future she had only dreamed about? Even if Bret was only offering her a chance to help mold young lives, to be part of something so worthwhile, it could be enough. She would have a life of purpose and stability. He didn’t have to offer her that place next to him on the porch swing forever. She could take the happiness she felt right now and make it work for her.
He smiled. “Of course you. Who do you think I thought of immediately to be our meal-planner? You have the skills and the knowledge. You’ve cooked for large numbers of people.”
Her eyes widened. “I could! I could do this. I could be perfect for the job.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “Honey, you already are.”
She smiled. “I have a hunch you guys have missed my cooking.”
His features became soft and still. His eyes locked on hers. “Don’t you get it yet, Dorie? Yeah, I want you to come back with me and help these boys. Yes, I want you to have a permanent job at The Crooked Spruce. But, Dorie, that’s just the beginning. I want you to share my life. I love you, and I want to marry you so we can all be together—you, me and Luke. King and that goofy animal I picked up at the shelter. Maisie and Clancy when they come to visit. And your brother when he’s able.”
His grin was so like Luke’s that fresh tears gathered in her eyes.
“When I spoke to Jack I asked him if I could officially date you. I think we’ve missed the dating step somehow and we need to correct that situation. He gave me his blessing. Now all I need is yours.”
She swallowed, blinked hard and tried to get a clear view of the man who’d made her happier than she’d ever hoped. “You want my blessing? Well, you have it. I will go out with you.”
“That’s it? You’ll go out with me?”
“I’ll probably accept that other offer, as well, the one where I marry the man I love. We’ll see how the first date goes.” She pulled his face to hers and kissed him with all the passion that had grown for him since that very first night on Hickory Mountain.
She looked around the comfy living room that had sustained her through the years. She would have to leave this cottage and that was a regret. But a girl couldn’t have everything, not when she had so much. “If the date goes as I expect it to,” she said, “I guess I could sell my house.”
“Are you kidding? I don’t think so. I’ve always wanted a beach place, somewhere to go when we’re tired of plowing the snow. We’re lucky here in North Carolina. We have the best of both worlds. Beach and mountain. I don’t think we should give up either one.”
“I don’t, either,” she said. “I’ll be happy to be with you in both places.”
He grinned. “So how long will it take you to pack?”
“I can’t go now.” She hoped he would understand. There was still so much at stake here. “I have to be at Jack’s trial.”
“I know. I expected that answer. But you won’t be alone. I’m going to schedule conversations with government officials in Raleigh, but I’ll come back and sit next to you in the courtroom. Jed will be at The Crooked Spruce by then and he can handle things.”
“You would do that?”
“You’re going to be part of my family, Dorie. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you.”
She snuggled next to his chest and felt the comforting warmth of his arm around her shoulders. “I never knew I could be this happy.”
She felt his smile. “And we have Pop’s conman antics to thank for it,” he said. “Who would have thought that something that started out so bad could turn into something so good.”
Who would have thought indeed.
* * *
TWO WEEKS LATER, Dorie was permitted to give her brother a big hug in the courtroom. He would be going to a juvenile facility where he could work toward his high school diploma. The verdict of manslaughter, so competently argued by Eric Henderson, assured Jack that he would have a future.
“Sorry it didn’t work out between us,” Eric said after the trial ended.
“You’re a great lawyer, Eric,” she said. “But there’s someone else....”
He looked over her shoulder to where Bret sat. “I think I figured that out. Good luck to you, Dorinda. If you have any questions about Jack’s progress, give me a call. I’ll check on him often.”
“Thank you, Eric, for everything.”
She went to the parking lot, got in her truck and went home to get her packed bags and King. Once the cargo area was loaded, she headed to the highway and the roads that would lead her to Hickory Mountain. But this time was so different from when she’d traveled this distance before. This time she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t facing uncertainty, desperation and worry. This time a pickup truck driven by the love of her life was leading the way. This time she was happy to be following him to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460320662
Copyright © 2013 by Cynthia Thomason
BLUE RIDGE HIDEAWAY
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