by Tanya Agler
Of course, there would have to be one more glitch before she could move forward. Yesterday the bank let her know there was a holdup with her application. Her pride went by the wayside when she called her aunt Rosemary to cover the cost of the furnace until the mortgage money came through. Fortunately, she’d planned ahead and taken her aunt on a virtual tour. After grudgingly admitting Lucie had exceeded her expectations, she agreed to loan her enough until the mortgage came through.
Once that happened and people booked events, she’d be doing what she loved, helping people and spending time in the natural setting of the lodge. It didn’t get much better than walking the trails around the center or enjoying a cool evening at the fire pit.
Sharing that with someone would be that much better, especially someone who felt the same connection to the outdoors.
After all, the Great Smoky Mountains sustained her, and this sketch spoke to her in the same way as that one spot on her property where an old log provided the perfect perch for contemplating life while watching the river flow by. Even without a signature to identify the artist, she knew Caleb had sketched it.
She wanted to share her life with him.
“Lucie.” Natalie placed her hand on Lucie’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Her friend moved in such a way as to shield Lucie from the rest of the room, and Lucie loved her for it. “Just hay fever.” Another sneeze backed her up, and Lucie shrugged. “The pollen is getting to me, but that’s okay. This should be a happy night, and I’m out of the house for a few hours. I refuse to let my problems taint this evening.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there? You’re the one who always says it’s not good to hold things in.” Natalie sipped some of her champagne and glanced around the room. “I might not be Georgie or Mitzi, but I’m a halfway decent listener.”
“Why do you always do that?” Lucie picked up her own flute of ginger ale and sipped.
“Do what?” Natalie tapped her fingers on the edge of a table that held envelopes for the bids.
“Compare yourself to others.” Lucie wished she could bid on Caleb’s sketch, but the minimum bid was high and there were several envelopes already in the bid box.
Natalie shrugged and examined the sketch. “Most likely because I’m a twin, but you’re also very good at deflecting from yourself. Half my kindergarten students seek the limelight, and the other half don’t. Funny thing, though—back in high school, you were always front and center, and you seemed to thrive there.”
Lucie sipped her ginger ale, wishing she’d picked something that wasn’t quite so dry. “When you have the whole town’s attention on you for something you didn’t do, it’s easy to seek a quiet corner.”
Then again, even in high school, she hadn’t craved the notoriety. Why she’d put on a false front for appearances’ sake was beyond her. She was much more comfortable in the background. Visiting Caleb had been something she’d started doing to escape the constant attention and it had turned into her favorite time of the day. Caleb’s easygoing manner, even when he was at the end of his rope, made the visits fun.
He still made normal tasks more fun just from his steady presence.
“You know you’re one of my heroes, right?” Natalie waved off Lucie’s protests. “I know you don’t see yourself that way, but, like that orchid on your wrist, you’re strong and elegant.”
“What do you mean?” Lucie brought the orchid to eye level and frowned. “What does strength and elegance have to do with orchids?”
“I worked in the floral shop in high school. Each flower has a different code, so to speak, and sometimes the color also adds meaning. Yellow roses represent friendship while red ones, of course, indicate love. Violets represent modesty, and orchids have a few meanings, a couple of which are elegance and strength.” Natalie paused and tapped the ribbon on Lucie’s wrist. “I see those traits in you, more so now that the center is almost ready for business.”
Had the florist told Caleb any of that? Was that why he’d purchased an orchid? She felt the petals, his gift touching her all the more.
“Thanks. Wasn’t that risotto delicious? I didn’t see your table.” Deflecting questions was par for the course for Lucie, so one more time couldn’t hurt. “Are you here with a hot date?”
Natalie laughed and waggled her finger. “Hardly. I came with my former roommate Shelby, the one who just moved to town. She’s in search of some aspirin for her headache, but you’ll have to try her new lunch café, Snickerdoodles, when it opens in the summer.”
Lucie searched the crowd. “There has to be some eligible attractive man in town for you. Jeremy from Timber River Outfitters? Caleb’s cousin Jonathan? He’s single.”
“I’m quite content with my life for the first time in a long time.” Natalie’s eyes held a touch of sadness, which was odd for her bubbly friend who usually loved everything about life. Lucie made a note to ask more about that at a later date. “I notice you didn’t include Caleb on that list. While you couldn’t see me, I saw you at his table.”
Lucie’s heart sputtered as she gripped the crystal flute. She did care about Caleb, that infuriating, handsome man who’d dug around the foundation of everything she’d built in the past few months and turned it upside down.
Once she’d been content with a future where her character radar didn’t have to be on full alert all the time. A future where her pets and children kept her happy.
But could she have more? Her thoughts landed on that charcoal sketch, which brought the mountains she loved so much to life and made her think that anything was possible.
“So, is he your date?” Natalie asked.
“Is who her date?” Caleb emerged, his deep voice like whiskey on a cold night, welcome and warming.
“You, of course!” Natalie saluted him with her flute. “To the Hero of Hollydale.” Then she held it up to Lucie. “And to an unrecognized hero who shows me day by day how to be a better person.” She winked at them both. “Why, yes, with this amazing toast, I am putting in my shameless plug to be Lucie’s maid of honor when the two of you end up together. You don’t even need to answer my question. If anyone ever looks at me again like you’re looking at Lucie, then Lucie can be my matron of honor.”
“If I ever marry again, Mattie, Ladybug and Ethel would beat you to the punch.” Lucie tried to keep the moment light. “My money’s on Ethel.”
Natalie fake shuddered. “I’m losing my best friend status to a pig. A miniature one, but a pig nonetheless. Only in Hollydale.” She spotted someone and waved. “At last, there’s Shelby, so I bid you adieu. By the way, the other meaning is love and fertility.”
Lucie sputtered out her last sip of ginger ale and tried to compose herself. She didn’t dare look at Caleb.
“Something makes me think I missed quite the conversation.” He sipped his champagne. “I take it Natalie wasn’t talking about the Timber River woodpecker when she ended on ‘love and fertility.’”
His light tone gave away too much, but she was willing to play along with the easy exchange. Before Lucie could come up with a clever retort, an older couple in their sixties stopped in front of the bid table. “That would be perfect in the lobby of the new nature conservancy, dear.” The woman hooked her arm around his, a loving gesture, pulling the man closer to her. “Look at how the artist captured the perspective. It’s like the mountains are right here in front of us.”
“The conservancy won’t be ready for another year. The architects are only now completing the plans.” The man laughed and patted her hand. “You really want it for our new dining room, don’t you?”
She laughed, the black taffeta of her long evening gown rustling against the cherry hardwood floor. “You know me so well.”
The older man squinted at Caleb through his black-rimmed glasses and nudged his wife’s side. “You’re Caleb Spindler. Nice speech.”
Lucie racked her mind, trying to remember where she’d seen the couple before. The man’s white hair was distinguished and his stature proud, the woman’s cropped silver hair simple yet refined. The man extended his hand to Caleb before stopping short of shaking Lucie’s. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re Lucie Decker.”
She’d heard the tone before, his instant recognition of her unmistakable, and she remembered where she’d seen the two of them. The courtroom during Justin’s sentencing. They’d held hands then, as well.
“Mr. Whitley.” She gave a polite nod. “Mrs. Whitley.”
The couple owned a successful furniture manufacturing plant less than an hour’s drive from Hollydale and were known for their philanthropy. Lucie had sent their human resources manager several emails regarding the importance of team building for managers and staff, but the emails had gone unanswered.
“Mrs. Decker.” Frederick Whitley’s voice dripped ice, but Lucie refused to melt into the woodwork.
She would not spend the rest of her life answering for her ex-husband’s crimes.
He turned to Caleb, the slight tick in his jaw flaring. “As I was saying, excellent speech, Caleb. You have a bright future ahead of you. I’d just make sure you limit your acquaintances to those who are good judges of character.”
Caleb’s arm wound around her shoulders. “My friends are my friends, and Lucie here—”
Has had enough. “Is more than capable of standing up for herself.” Lucie placed her crystal flute on the bidding table. “Hollydale is my home, and those who are my friends know I didn’t have the slightest idea what Justin was up to. Now, to some like yourself, I’m automatically guilty by association. I’m rebuilding my life and my home, thanks to the loyalty of people like Caleb. I value honesty and communication. If you want to make sure your employees have that same truthfulness and candor, send them to the Hollydale Training and Wellness Center. The best way I can ensure no one ever turns a blind eye to what’s wrong is to provide training that will build people up rather than tear them down.”
Lucie reached into her purse and pulled out a card, laying it next to the bid box. “Caleb’s sketch is my favorite, and I’d recognize his work anywhere. While I regret not having enough money to buy it, I know it will make whoever does buy it happy. I hope it gives them the same peace it makes me feel.”
While she respected Caleb and didn’t want her being with him to put him in a negative light, she was tired of still having to defend herself. She extricated herself from under his arm and walked away.
Tears threatened to come, but she wouldn’t let them. Not here at a happy event. Her heart ached at how hard she was fighting two years down the road from when Justin had committed his crimes. All this time she’d thought Hollydale was her home and that even the most critical of naysayers would come around. She’d believed that with all her heart.
But while many kind souls had helped her move on, others were determined she pay a steep price for Justin’s behavior.
Outside, the cool night air kissed her skin, and she hurried toward the parking lot before she remembered Caleb had driven her. Caleb. The boy who’d made her laugh and the man who made her feel beautiful inside and out. She wouldn’t pull him down with her.
With a glance back at the pavilion, she reached down and freed her feet from the three-inch, blush-pink heels Odalie had thrown in with the dress. Two miles to home wasn’t that far to walk.
Could she lay claim to a home, though, in a town where she wasn’t wanted?
If it was just herself, she wouldn’t think twice. She’d muddle through even if it took a lifetime to win back people’s approval. Mattie and Ethan, though, were innocent in all of this and too young to comprehend the magnitude of how their lives had changed.
She blinked. It wasn’t just Mattie and Ethan, or even her pets, she had to consider anymore. A staff of five now depended on her for a paycheck. Gritting her teeth, she’d make her way through this. As long as she could find her way home, she could make it through anything.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“THANKS, JONATHAN.” Caleb extended his hand and Jonathan brought him in close for a second-long hug.
“I’d say I was going to miss you, but your parents are pulling into town tomorrow night,” Jonathan joked while slipping off the moving gloves and placing them on the coffee table in Caleb’s new cabin.
“I’m ten minutes away, not a six-hour flight away.” Caleb’s droll voice sounded dry even to his own ears late on a Sunday morning. “The Maxwell family isn’t getting rid of me that easily.”
Vanessa ran over and tugged on Caleb’s untucked flannel shirt. “Then can you come over tomorrow morning before school and make breakfast? Your pancakes are much better than Dad’s.”
Jonathan staggered backward, his hands over his heart as though he were mortally wounded. “Betrayed by my own daughter. Will I ever recover?”
Vanessa giggled but a few tears slid down her cheeks, her hand weaving its way into Caleb’s. His heart quivered.
He had missed this type of personal interaction in Montana. Coming home to family after an overnight hike or an even longer camping trip made life that much better.
It was time to start exploring whether Lucie could one day be family. For now, though, his young cousin Vanessa needed some reassurance that he was back for good.
“You know who taught me everything I know about pancakes?”
“YouTube?” Vanessa asked.
Caleb laughed so hard tears came out. He wiped them away and found his voice. “My dad, and I’ll bet he’ll teach you and Izzy.”
“Speaking of my other daughter...” Jonathan tapped his watch. “Vanessa and I have to go round up Izzy. Soccer practice starts in twenty minutes. Got everything, Caleb?”
“Yes, Mom.” Caleb smiled but, inside, the hollowness kicked in. He’d miss this group who’d taken him in for the past couple of weeks.
Ten minutes, Caleb. Ten minutes. The same distance as it was to Lucie’s home.
Caleb looked around his new cabin residence. While it lacked the photos and homey touches of Lucie’s or Jonathan’s, it was cozy, and the furniture delivery had made a world of difference. Todd Bryant had shaken his hand on Friday night and had everything in place yesterday morning.
He’d spend quite a few nights on the comfortable couch in front of the fireplace. Logs and tools were already waiting to warm up the room. When the fire wasn’t crackling, new lamps would emit a soft glow over the wooden planks on the walls. Whatever Lucie wanted to keep, he’d leave behind when he moved out, as she was charging a pittance of what he’d have paid for a house in town.
Lucie. By the time he’d extricated himself from the Whitleys, she’d already left. When he texted to check on her, she’d said her hay fever was acting up and she couldn’t stay any longer. Fortunately, Georgie and Mike had left a few minutes after her and had driven her home. While he’d have thought that was just an excuse from anyone else, her consistent honesty told him otherwise. How much impact, though, had the Whitleys had on the way she’d been feeling?
Respect for what she endured on a daily basis flowed through him. She’d rebuilt her life after it had been ripped apart through no fault of her own. What was more, she did so oblivious to the positive impact she had on everyone around her. In the less than two weeks since his return, he’d seen people like Frederick Whitley try to take her down, but she stood tall, a true morning glory, and rose above it, promoting her business in such a way as not to lower herself.
It was no surprise, then, to realize she had also rebuilt his heart, the muscle weak after Leah’s admission she’d dated him to look good for her family. Now it was beating stronger with a dose of Lucie’s spirit. Lucie would never do anything that went against her personal code.
And honesty was central to that code. He had to tell her about his parents. Then he could tell her she’d cl
aimed his heart.
Caleb set to prioritizing what he should unpack first. His back twinged, and he stretched out the impacted muscles. Today was the first March day worthy of a North Carolina spring since he’d returned to Hollydale. There was no reason he couldn’t perform his therapy outside in the sunshine. Nature had always been his great motivator.
Besides, finding a woodpecker to sketch would be a welcome bonus.
Whistling, he walked out the front door. With no one around, there was no use in locking it.
“Mr. Caleb.” Caleb recognized Ethan’s voice, his enthusiasm like no one else’s. “What’cha doing here?”
Caleb could ask the same of the little fellow. Where was Mattie? Where was Lucie?
“I moved into the cabin this morning.” Before he’d finished his sentence, Mattie brought up the rear, with Ladybug waddling beside her, the leash rather slack.
Ladybug grunted, a happy sound, and trotted over at a fast clip for a bulldog. Her stub of a tail wagged with all its might. He rubbed her head and grunts of pleasure were his reward. “Hey, Mattie. How are you today?”
“My mom is washing the china she brought from our attic. She said we could walk Ladybug because she only has a ten-minute exercise span. She’ll walk Pita later.” Her blue eyes were miniature replicas of Lucie’s morning glories, the same attention to detail lurking in them. Mattie switched the leash from one hand to the other, and Caleb didn’t miss how she’d evaded his question.
“It’s my turn to hold the leash.” Ethan swiped at Mattie’s hand.
“Wait a minute.” Caleb stepped between them. How did parents do it? How could he make them both happy without looking like he was playing favorites? Lucie made parenthood seem easy. She had that special rare quality of lavishing time and affection on each living thing under her roof, people and animals alike. “How about a compromise?”