A Father for Bella

by Jill Weatherholt

  “Maybe you’re making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. Can’t you talk to him?”

  He ran his palms up and down the top of his thighs. “According to my father, if you’re not a success in the business world, you don’t matter. I quit, so I no longer matter in his life.”

  Faith could hear the pain in his voice. Did he believe this lie? Surely this was all a big misunderstanding. She rested her hand on his forearm. “You should talk to him. Maybe he’ll change his mind about the auction.”

  “Trust me, the man will never change. I learned that many years ago.” He turned and headed toward the stove to start sautéing the ground beef.

  Faith watched as his shoulders were slumped in defeat. Surely his father wasn’t that insensitive. Maybe she could call him and try to convince him the auction wasn’t a good idea. But why would he care what she thought? She was just an employee and a tenant. As the smell of browning beef and onions filled the sunny kitchen, Faith started to worry. With the anger Joshua carried toward his father, he seemed more determined than ever to make sure he fulfilled his mother’s wish.

  But where would it leave her and Bella?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Early Friday morning, after a restless night of sleep, Joshua sprung from his bed at 5:00 a.m. He hadn’t been able to get Faith and her late husband’s dream out of his mind the previous night. After a great deal of prayer into the early morning hours, finally a sense of peace had filled his heart. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? It was the perfect solution.

  Of course, now he had to convince Faith. That might not be so easy.

  He fired up his one-cup coffee maker and inhaled the invigorating aroma. As his beverage brewed, Joshua walked toward the sitting area and turned on the desk light. Easing himself into the chair, he fingered through some of the family photos he’d discovered in the basement of the inn. He’d racked his brain trying to figure out who this Jimmy fella was and what his relationship had been with his father. Why hadn’t his name ever been mentioned? There were so many photos of the two of them together. He took one and slid it inside his wallet.

  At six o’clock, dressed in gray slacks and a maroon cable sweater, he stood on Faith’s front porch. He released a slow and steady breath of excitement and knocked gently on the door, in case Bella was still sleeping. Faith’s beauty was revealed as she slowly opened the door. Her shiny caramel hair tumbled loosely over her shoulder and her skin radiated a pink hue. “You look beautiful this morning.”

  Her face flushed instantly. “Well, good morning to you, too.” She smiled as she opened the door wider. “And thank you for the compliment.” Her eyes quickly shot to the ground.

  Feeling at home after weeks of Faith opening her kitchen to him, Joshua headed toward the coffeepot. He’d need a lot more caffeine in order to get breakfast cooked for the guests, as well as talk to Faith about his plan. He removed the pot from the burner, grabbed an oversize mug and turned to her. “Would you like some, too?”

  “Oh, no—I’m supposed to be cutting back. I’ve been drinking this stuff since two o’clock this morning.” She picked a loose thread on her white cardigan sweater.

  “Couldn’t sleep?”

  “Not a wink. And you?”

  He shook his head. “I think I counted every sheep in the state of Texas.”

  Faith laughed and slid into a chair at the kitchen table.

  Joshua headed to the pantry and grabbed a bag of Vidalia onions. He walked to the table and glanced down at Faith. Her head dawdled. “Is my assistant petering out on me?”

  Her body jerked and she pushed herself out of the chair. “No, I’m here to assist.” She gave him a playful salute. “What’s on the menu this morning?”

  “One of my favorite dishes—farmer’s casserole.” He placed the onions on the counter and then retrieved a sack of potatoes.

  Faith chuckled. “What? I’ve never heard of such a dish. What’s in it?”

  “You mean to tell me you grew up in the country and you’ve never heard of it?” Joshua grabbed the potato peeler and passed it to Faith. “Lots of potatoes—so you better start peeling, young lady.” He opened the bag and poured all of them into a large bowl.

  Her mouth dropped open. “All of these?”

  “We’ve got an inn full of hungry guests—myself included.”

  Twenty minutes later, Faith was finished with her assigned duty. Joshua grabbed the potatoes and began to dice them into chunks. “Once I make these into hash browns, all that’s left to do is mix some eggs and evaporated milk, then layer in the ham and pepper jack cheese. Ideally, you’d like it to sit overnight, but we don’t have time.” When he was a child, his mother had made this dish on snowy winter mornings. He missed that special time with her. She’d always been so interested in the books he was reading, or what he thought his future held. He stared down at the cheesy goodness, wishing for just one more of those conversations.

  “You okay?” Faith’s eyebrows crunched.

  He blinked twice. “Yeah. My mother used to make this dish. I always felt safe and protected when she cooked it. Strange—huh?”

  “No, not at all. I feel the same way about fried chicken. My grandmother cooked it every Sunday, after church. Whenever I smell it frying now, I picture her hunkered over the stove, wearing her apron with little red cherries embroidered into the fabric.”

  Silence filled the room as they both took a trip down memory lane.

  Faith cleared her throat. “The recipe sounds pretty easy.” She snatched a piece of cheese. “Even I could make this.”

  “So, do you not like to cook or you’re just not very good at it?”

  “No, Joy got the cooking gene. But I love to clean up.” She grabbed the now-empty pot that had held the potatoes and turned on the faucet.

  With all of the ingredients in two large casserole dishes, Joshua placed them into the oven. “We’ll be good to go in about forty-five minutes.”

  She walked to the desk and grabbed her phone. “Great, I’ll shoot Mrs. Watson a message, so she can let the guests know.”

  Joshua watched Faith as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears while writing the text. Every moment he spent with her, he found himself having these crazy thoughts of what it would be like to be married to her. After Jessica, he’d never imagined he’d have these feelings for someone again, but Faith was different. She’d ignited feelings he thought would never come alive again.

  “Okay, that’s done. Let’s have a seat at the table.” She placed her phone on the counter as they both eased into their chairs. “Thank you, Joshua.”

  He smiled. “Don’t thank me until you try the casserole.”

  She fingered the cross around her neck, her eyes steady on his. “Not that. I really appreciate all the help you’ve given me over the past several weeks. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t offered your cooking expertise. You’ve been a lifesaver, truly, you have.”

  What she didn’t realize was she and Bella had been his own lifesavers. When he’d first arrived at Whispering Slopes, his desire to get the inn was a selfish one. Sure, he wanted it for his mother, but really, his need to prove something to his father had played a part, as well. Now, after all this time had passed, he couldn’t even remember exactly what he was trying to prove. All he knew was he wanted Faith to have the security she’d lost when Chris was killed.

  Joshua rubbed his sweaty palms down his thighs. How could he get her to understand they could both have their dream? “I have an idea, but before you panic and think I’ve completely lost my mind, I’d like you to give it some consideration.”

  Her lips parted into a smile. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “I know how much you love the inn, but I also know it means security for you and Bella. For me, owning the inn is a chance to carry out my mother’s last wishes. Neither i
s more important than the other.” His prayers had been answered last night when God had given him the solution. He swallowed hard with hopes his other prayer would be answered, as well. “Why can’t we both have what we want?”

  Her eyebrows squished together. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “You don’t have enough money to bid on the property, or at least, you don’t have as much as I do. And keep in mind, there could be other investors interested in the property.”

  She clasped her hands together and rested them on the table. “I guess it’s been wishful thinking on my part that no one else would come to the auction and you’d suddenly realize you didn’t want it.” A half smile tugged at her mouth.

  “Yeah, I guess I was kind of hoping for the same thing.” He reached across the table, placing his hands over hers. It felt like coming home. “I have a plan—well, actually it was God’s idea, I’m just the messenger.”

  “I’m listening.” Her hands remained underneath his.

  His shoulders relaxed. A few weeks ago, she would never have been open to hearing any plan. This was good. Excitement coursed through his body as he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

  “What if we own the inn together?”

  Her eyes blinked several times as his plan filtered through her brain. She didn’t move or say a word.

  “Faith? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “I don’t understand.” Her head tilted to one side.

  Tired of playing things safe, he spoke freely. “I don’t want to lose you—and Bella.” This didn’t sound right. He didn’t have them in the first place. “Wait, that’s not what I meant. I just... I want to continue spending time with you. If we move forward with you and me against one another, someone will lose. This might sound crazy, but I don’t care. Since that first day I found you frantically searching for Bella, you’ve had my heart—both of you.” There, he’d said it. The humming of the hot water tank in the corner of the laundry room filled the room. “Knowing what the inn means to you, there’s no way I can take it away from you. But, it means a lot to me, too.”

  Faith’s mouth opened, but no words were spoken.

  “I’m sorry if this is all too much for you, but one thing we both know is no one is promised a tomorrow. Our life can change on a dime.”

  “You want to own the inn together?”

  The truth. He wanted more than a business partnership. He longed for her to be his life partner. He’d keep that thought to himself, but he wasn’t sure for how much longer. “Yes. Last night I prayed for a way. This is it. We can both have what we want.”

  “What about my home? How does it fit into your plans of expanding the inn into a larger resort?”

  Joshua knew one of her biggest concerns was losing her home. He had an idea he’d been praying about, and it could be the perfect solution. “I want to turn the inn into a home for you and Bella. With a little remodeling, it’ll be exactly like the house you and Joy grew up in.”

  She blinked and gulped air. “But where would the guests stay?”

  “My plan is to build a bigger place, more like a resort hotel.”

  Faith tilted her neck from one side to the other. “My head is spinning.”

  “I know this is a lot to dump on you at once, but the auction will be here before we know it.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I want to do this for you—for us.”

  She pulled her hand away. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she smiled. “Let’s do this.” Her eyes glistened with tears.

  Joshua’s heart soared. Her three little words had made him the happiest he’d been in years.

  The sounds of tiny feet tapping against the hardwood filled the room. Joshua turned to a vision that caused his heart to skip a beat. Bella tore into the room wearing her one-piece footie pajamas, her hair a wild wad of curls.

  “Mommy, Mommy! Is it true? Is Mr. Joshua really buying the inn for us? Are we going to be a family?” She jumped up and down.

  Joshua wiped the perspiration forming on his brow. He wasn’t sure how Faith would receive her daughter’s excitement. He definitely didn’t want Faith to get scared and change her mind.

  Bella jerked to a halt. “Sorry... I know I’m not supposed to listen when you’re talking to someone.”

  Faith took Bella’s hand and led her to the kitchen table. “Sit down for a second, sweetie.” Mother and daughter both took seats. “Mr. Joshua and I are going into business together. We’re going to own the inn, as a partnership. We’re not getting married.”

  Bella turned her head and grinned at Joshua.

  His heart puddled like a snow cone in August.

  “So, you’re staying in Whispering Slopes?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I’ll be here—”

  Before he finished his sentence, she pounced from her chair and made a beeline toward him. She jumped into his lap, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. “I knew you wouldn’t leave us.”

  Joshua savored the moment of feeling loved and appreciated, something only his mother had made possible for him to experience as long as she’d lived. No more. When he scooped her up in his arms, he turned toward Faith. There were tears, but she was smiling, too. He gave her a wink and she nodded.

  “No, Bella, I’m not leaving you—I never will.”

  His cell phone pinged, indicating a new message. He fished it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. A chill scuttled down his spine. He stared at the phone in disbelief.

  “What is it, Joshua?”

  He placed Bella back on the ground and squeezed his eyes closed. “It’s a text from my father. He’s here and he wants to talk with me.”

  Faith approached him. The scent of her perfume calmed his nerves for a moment.

  “But I didn’t think he planned to attend the auction.”

  “Me, neither.” This wasn’t good. Not at all. His father must have somehow gotten wind of his plan to bid on the inn. Could it have been Melissa? He knew his father was up to something, but what? “Can you keep an eye on the casseroles for me?”

  She nodded. “I’ll bring them to the house when they’re ready. Oh, by the way, Mr. and Mrs. Watson said they’d take care of lunch and dinner today, so you won’t need to rush back.”

  Within five minutes, Joshua was trudging through the snow-packed grounds toward the inn. A sharp northerly wind cut into his face. Despite the cold, he was burning up inside. If his father had come to try and ruin his plans for a future in Whispering Slopes with Faith and Bella, he’d be in for a fight.

  He climbed the front porch steps, leaving a trail of puddled wet snow. He hadn’t seen his father or spoken with him since his mother’s funeral. Exhaling a deep breath, he wiped his feet on the welcome mat, gripped the frosty doorknob and entered the inn.

  Joshua scanned the foyer. His heart practically stopped when he spotted a man who resembled his father, near the check-in desk. But this man looked twenty years older. His hair, normally cut high and tight, was scraggly, with much more gray sprinkled in than he remembered. His posture, which had once been marine-like, now slumped as he leaned against the wall. He no longer looked like the powerful businessman he was. As Joshua approached him, he tried to shake off the fear his father had always evoked in him ever since his childhood, when his father would lock him in the basement for not getting straight A’s on his report card, or punish him otherwise for only getting a base hit in baseball and not a home run.

  Their eyes locked when his father lifted his head. His once-lightly-lined face was now filled with deep crevices.

  For a few moments, silence filled the room right up to the vaulted ceiling. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

  His father cleared his throat and attempted to straighten his shoulders. “Last time I checked I still owned this place.” His voice was gruff. “Isn’t a man allowed to visit his own property?”<
br />
  Joshua gave a slight nod. Of course he wasn’t here to visit his only son. Why would he ever do that? The man wasn’t going to budge, so he wouldn’t, either. “You won’t own this property after tomorrow.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure, young man.” He placed the hat gripped between his fingers on his head and turned toward the door.

  “Wait! Why are you really here?”

  His father spun around with a focused glare. His face flushed. He took one step closer and pointed his index finger in Joshua’s face. “You’re not going to bid on this inn. I want it out of the family. Do you hear me?”

  “Family?” Joshua laughed out loud. “You don’t know the meaning. The only family I ever had was Mom. She never wanted you to sell the inn. How could you tell her that was your plan when she was dying?”

  “That’s none of your business.” His eyes were icy cold. “I’m just grateful Melissa called me and told me about your plan.”

  “So what are you going to do—cancel the auction?” He bit his lower lip. This couldn’t be happening. Joshua didn’t have a backup plan.

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  “But then the inn will still be in the family.” Joshua stated the fact.

  “Not if I donate it to a charity.” He ran his hand underneath his chin. “That’s it. I’ll give it to your mother’s favorite—the Alzheimer’s Association.”

  Joshua could barely catch his breath. Why was God allowing this man to ruin everything?

  Be still, and know that I’m God.

  A sense of peace filled his body when the verse his mother taught him at a young age entered his mind, a reminder to always trust Him, even when things didn’t make sense. Joshua’s shoulders relaxed. “Okay, Dad. It’s your property, so I guess you have the right to do whatever you want with it.”

  His father’s jaw muscle tightened for an instant, but then relaxed. “Yes, it is my property.” He turned and yanked the door open, filling the room with a shot of winter air.