“Why would you say that? I thought you liked school?"
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately,” Julie tried to explain, kicking at a loose rock on the path. She knew what she was saying was a huge blow to her mother. “I still don’t know what I want to declare as a major. It seems like a waste of money if I’m just there but not focusing on graduating. There’s so much going on here . . . I’d rather stay and help get the retreats up and running.”
Renee let out a sigh of frustration, pushing her sleeves up and then running her hands over her face. “Julie, quitting school is not an option. You worked way too hard to get to this point. Where is this coming from?”
Julie attempted to push her hair back from her face, but the steady, hot breeze off the lake whipped it around. She gave up the fight, gathered it into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and secured it with a spare hair tie she always wore around her wrist. “Mom, I feel so lost . . . I don’t want to quit—Ido want to go back, just not right away. Besides, what good does college do these days unless you want to be a doctor or something? Look at what happened to you. You have your masters, and it probably helped you get your job, but then they fired you anyhow. Now you’re doing something you wouldn’t have needed college for in the first place.”
This stung Renee, but she tried not to let it show in her face. “Stop right there, girl. Don’t ever think college is a waste of time. A college degree is often a ticket to play, a way to open doors. Even if your future career ends up being in a totally different field from what you study, you’ll miss out on opportunities without it. Employers often don’t even look at you if you don’t have a college degree.”
“Mom, that’s ridiculous. What if I wanted to work here, help you run the resort? You saying you won’t even look at me?”
Renee narrowed her eyes at Julie. Now she was acting like a brat.
“Julie, I use skills here every day that I started to learn in college and continued to develop over the past twenty years. Same with your aunts and your uncle. Ethan has a successful construction company now, not only because he’s excellent with his hands, but because he learned to run all the aspects of a business starting in college. I’m not saying college makes you completely prepared for the working world, but it does give you a stronger foundation. It shows you’re willing to put in the time, resources, and hard work to develop professionally.”
Renee could see this wasn’t getting through to her daughter. She tried a different tack. “Here’s the deal, Julie. If you don’t go back now, it will be way too easy to never actually go back. And don’t forget, Aunt Celia was very specific—if you don’t finish college, you give up the fifty grand she left you. You’d have to be crazy to give that up.”
Renee turned and recommenced her walk to the lodge, hoping this last reminder would knock some sense back into her daughter.
But Julie wasn’t going to let that be the last word. She fell into step beside Renee. “Mom, you don’t understand. Times are changing. A degree doesn’t guarantee you a job like it used to.”
Renee was so frustrated she wanted to scream. It was a given in her family that everyone went to college—it just was! She reached the lodge door. Placing her hand on the knob, she turned back to face Julie. “I understand there are success stories where people have made it big without going to college. But trust me, honey, they are the exception, not the rule.”
“I still think it’s a mistake, Mom.”
“And I disagree, and in this case, you are going to have to trust me. You are going back. End of discussion.”
Chapter 55
Gift of Neighbors
Renee hoped her talk with Julie had convinced her daughter she needed to continue with college. No more was said on the topic, although Julie was quieter than usual. Grace finally accepted her father’s notion she needed more time to heal before she went back to school.
The late-afternoon sun beat down on Renee as she struggled to weed a large flower garden next to the lodge parking lot. The ground was rock hard following a week of blistering heat and no rain. The only thing thriving were the weeds. Grant approached Renee, cold drinks in hand.
“If one of those is for me, you are a lifesaver!” Renee said, groaning at the kink in her back as she straightened to greet Grant.
“It sure is,” he confirmed, handing her a sweating bottle of water. “If you have a minute, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Renee nodded. “I always have time for you. But let’s get out of this blazing sun. Come on.”
She led him over to a bench in the shade.
“It’s so peaceful here, Renee. Grace gets plenty of rest and isn’t tempted to be out doing too much yet, and I’m getting lots of writing done. I was wondering what you would think if I asked to stay on at the resort for a few more months?”
Renee capped her water after taking a hefty gulp. “I think that would be fabulous. It’s so great to have you here, honest. I truly feel like we’re all getting to know each other so much better this way.”
Grant settled back more comfortably, arms splayed across the back of the bench, relaxed now that he had his answer. “That’s great—thanks, Renee. Maybe we can even help with your retreats. I’ve written ad copy in the past and could help with flyers and brochures. And Grace loves doing research. She could help you study hot buttons for women. Maybe she can come up with some ideas to help draw more people in.”
“Grant, I want you to know you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. I don’t know how rough winter can get out here or if your cabin will stay warm enough when the bitter cold sets in, but as long as you understand that going in, it would be great to have you. As far as helping with the retreats, we can use all the help we can get—and God knows your Grace has a knack for marketing already—but I have to be honest: I couldn’t afford to pay you.”
Grant laughed kindly. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve already done so much for us. You saved my daughter’s life, Renee. We are so grateful to you. Helping with your retreats would be a small way for us to repay you.”
Renee shifted on the bench to face Grant, giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze.
“Now you are being ridiculous, Grant. We’re family, and family is always there for each other. We couldn’t turn our backs on Grace.”
There was a twinkle in Grant’s eye at these words. “Really? So you mean to tell me you weren’t a tiny bit tempted to ignore my letter to your in-laws? You had to know you were opening your family up to potential heartache, Renee, yet you had the guts to pick up the phone and call me. Everything could have turned out so different if you hadn’t called.”
Renee took another drink of her water, considering Grant’s words.
“I suppose . . . OK, you have a deal. I welcome any help you can provide, but on one condition: I don’t ever want you to think you owe me or the kids. We didn’t help out so you could be in our debt. We helped because it was the right thing to do. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Grant and Renee shook on it, and then laughed and caught each other up in a hug.
***
By the end of August, the lodge was undergoing a major transformation. Ethan framed in rooms on the main floor. The “squirrel” bathroom was completely ripped out and a larger area, complete with showers, was roughed in. They decided to commandeer space for one additional sleeping room so they could host more guests. This meant a slightly smaller gathering area downstairs, but they still had a large area upstairs. A large hole was cut in the upstairs wall facing the lake and an impressive set of windows was installed, the resulting view breathtaking. The second floor remained a large, open space—except for the library. When the partitioning walls were up to create the special room, George built row upon row of shelves along three of the library walls; the fourth wall boasted the old fireplace. It was easy to envision how cozy the room would be on winter evenings with a roaring fire in the hearth. The floor would be covered with a thick rug, and comfortable so
fas and chairs would complete the space. Lauren volunteered to round up books to start filling the shelves in the library. She recruited Julie to attend a bag sale at the county library with her and together they scoured thrift shops and rummage sales. It didn’t take them long to gather an impressive variety of books to kick off a collection.
They experienced the typical roadblocks encountered in most construction projects, but for the most part, everything progressed on scheduled. Cooler evenings and earlier sunsets signaled the arrival of fall. School would start the following week for both Robbie and Julie. Lauren was already home with her dad; Jess was in charge at the resort for the weekend. The cabins were full—all but the Gray Cabin, which was locked up tight. Renee ignored it, not wanting to spend any time or money to start fixing it up yet. Maybe in the spring. The place still gave her the creeps, from her nightmare or from the squatter, or perhaps from both.
“Robbie, do you have all of your bags loaded in the car?” Renee asked her son as he sat at the kitchen table, messing with his phone. “We leave in ten minutes.”
He nodded absentmindedly and she finished packing some of his favorite snacks into a cardboard box.
“Julie, time to go!” Renee hollered up the stairs. “Tight schedule, let’s go!” She needed to get Robbie dropped off and then head to their house to get all of Julie’s college stuff rounded up. She would move Julie back to her dorm tomorrow.
Julie didn’t answer or come down.
Frustrated, Renee headed up the stairs and poked her head in her daughter’s room. “What are you doing, honey? We need to get a move on.”
Julie sat unresponsive on her bed, head down, staring at her phone.
“Julie? Everything OK?”
Still saying nothing, Julie held her phone out to her mom.
Renee stepped inside and read the one-word text:
Packing?
Renee glanced at her daughter. “Who is this from? What does it mean?”
“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t know who sent it. I don’t recognize the number.”
“Maybe it was sent to you by mistake?”
As she said it, Julie’s phone pinged again:
Are we leaving?
“Oh God,” Julie shrieked, throwing her phone down onto her quilt. “What is that supposed to mean? Mom, is someone watching us? Watching me?”
“Now calm down, honey. Like you said, you don’t recognize the number. Maybe these aren’t even meant for you.”
“I’m scared, Mom. Why is someone scaring me?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. Give me your phone. I’ll write down the phone number and call the sheriff, see if he can trace it. Then I’m going to turn your phone off. This afternoon, we’ll go in and see if we can get you a new phone number. That way the texts will stop even if you’re getting them by mistake. How does that sound?”
Julie nodded and pushed herself off her bed. Two large suitcases sat by her doorway, filled with her clothes. Renee grabbed the bigger one and lugged it down the stairs. Julie grabbed Teddy off her bed, tucked the old bear under her arm, and followed her mom downstairs with her second bag.
Renee finished packing the car and found Jess.
“Jess, Julie is getting weird texts. Feels like someone might be watching her. Be careful while I’m gone and be sure either Ethan or Mom and Dad stay overnight in the duplex with you. I don’t want you to be alone.”
Jess scoffed. “Things will be fine, Renee, don’t worry. I won’t be alone. You go get the kids settled. Maybe you’ll feel better having them out of here until we can figure out what’s been going on.”
Renee’s eyes filled, and Jess pulled her sister into her arms. Renee welcomed the hug, exhausted from worry and work. Jess could always sense what she needed. After taking a minute to compose herself, she headed back out to her SUV. She refused to let the kids see her upset—especially Julie.
Traffic heading back into the city was light. Most of the cars were leaving instead of going in for the long weekend. After dropping Robbie off with a tearful goodbye, Renee and Julie headed to the house. It had sat empty all summer and she’d only run home once in July. As Renee pulled into the driveway, she was pleasantly surprised when the yard didn’t look too bad. The grass was dry but neat—it was early September and they hadn’t had much rain—and only a few hardy perennials persisted. The lone tree in her front yard still held tight to its leaves, although gold started to tint the edges. Pulling into the garage, Renee relaxed back into her seat, her head falling back. It was a relief to be home. She loved living at the resort, but this was still home. Julie got out of the SUV and grabbed groceries out of the back. Renee was still getting organized, looking for her phone.
Julie pulled up short at the door to the kitchen. It was ajar.
“Mom . . . why is this door open?”
“What?” Renee was digging around in the trunk now.
“Mom, stop screwing around and get over here. Why wouldn’t this door be locked?”
Finally hearing what Julie was saying, Renee dropped everything and rushed over. Sure enough, the door wasn’t closed all the way.
“Maybe Tim didn’t pull it shut hard enough the last time he checked the house,” Renee said, referring to their next-door neighbor, who’d been checking the house weekly.
“Don’t go in there, Mom,” Julie warned in a harsh whisper.
Renee tried to shrug this off. She was tired. She didn’t want to deal with this. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s broad daylight. No one is in there. Stay out here if you want, but I’m going in.”
Refusing to let an unlatched door unnerve her, Renee stepped into the gloom of her kitchen. It smelled closed-up, stale, and all was quiet. She pushed open the curtain and window over the sink, then made her way through the rooms, opening windows as she went to let in fresh air. She heard Julie come in and dump the bags on the counter. Renee headed upstairs. She poked her head in Robbie’s room and felt a tug at her heart. She missed him already. Why had she let him go back to his old school? They had never been apart for long.
Everything looked normal as she made her way through the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom. She heard Julie come up the stairs, lugging her heavy suitcase. She opened both windows in her bedroom, fresh air flowing around her. All she wanted to do was lie down on the bed and go to sleep; she was bone tired.
A scream echoed through the house. Up in a flash, Renee bolted to Julie’s room. Her daughter stood in the middle of her bedroom, hands covering her face, shoulders shaking.
“What’s wrong?” Renee insisted.
Julie raised her head, tears streaming down her face. But she wasn’t scared. She was laughing hysterically.
“Oh my God, Mom, I am so losing it,” Julie said. “Just as I was trying to heave this ridiculously heavy suitcase onto my bed, I thought I saw someone standing in the corner.”
She pointed behind Renee. Renee turned around and gave a little yelp of fright. Julie had left her black jacket on a hanger, hooked on the trim on the top of her closet door. She also left a pair of pants draped over the back of a chair. At first glance, the ensemble did have an uncanny resemblance to a man standing there.
“Oh, honey, we need to relax!” Renee started giggling, too. It didn’t take long until they were both caught up in a fit of laughter. They collapsed on Julie’s bed and laughed away the stress and exhaustion. Eventually, Renee rolled to the side of the bed and stood.
“I’ll make you a deal, Julie. Get your stuff packed this afternoon, and we’ll go out to P.F. Chang’s for a girls’ night out. Maybe we can get our nails done at that little place nearby, too, after we get your phone number changed. But only if you get everything pulled together. Then we can come home, get a good night’s sleep in our own beds, and get you to school tomorrow morning. It’s nice they give you a couple days to get settled in the dorms before classes actually start.”
“OK, Mom,” Julie agreed, grinning up at Renee from her bed. “That sounds fun. And you were right. It�
�ll be nice to get back to school and a normal routine. No freaks hanging around, scaring the hell out of us.”
“That’s right, and by the time you come back out to the resort, I’m sure we’ll have everything straightened out.”
Chapter 56
Gift of Close Calls
Renee jolted from a sound sleep at the shrill ringing of her cell. She had been back at the resort for a week after getting both kids settled in for school; the ringing of the phone in the dead of night was enough to throw any parent into a panic.
“Hello?” Renee barked into the phone.
“Mrs. Clements?”
“Yes, this is Renee Clements. Who is this? What’s wrong?”
“Mrs. Clements, this is Detective McGregory. I’m sorry to have to call you like this. I’m with the university’s campus police. I’m afraid your daughter Julie was involved in an incident on campus tonight. We aren’t sure what happened yet, but she’s down at the local emergency room. They are checking her over as a precaution.”
“Oh my God. Is she OK? What happened?”
“We’re investigating now. We will know more after we get a chance to talk with Julie. We were alerted to a possible problem when someone hit one of the blue emergency signals near the library, shortly before midnight. An on-campus officer was able to get to her within a couple of minutes. When she arrived, Julie was curled up in a fetal position on the grass off the sidewalk, conscious but extremely distraught and non-communicative. Two kids were trying to calm her down when our officer arrived.”
“Was she hurt?”
“We couldn’t see any outward signs of trauma, but, as I mentioned, she was taken to the emergency room for an examination, since she wasn’t able to tell us what happened.”
“I’m leaving right now. It will take me three hours to get there. Is anyone with her, anyone she knows?”
“Yes, I believe her roommate is with her.”
“Was Zoey with her when it happened?”
“No, we think she was probably alone when someone atta— . . . I mean, scared her.”
Whispering Pines (Celia's Gifts Book 1) Page 33