by Tanya Agler
“Not long after my mom found a job, she discovered she was sick. The battle they chose to fight was cancer, not Justin. Now that Mom’s in remission, they asked me to find out if it was a good idea to hire an attorney to approach the authorities to see whether there’s a restitution fund or if Justin’s conviction ended any chance of seeing any of their money again.”
Tina and Drew were two more people she’d have a hard time looking in the eye.
No—the old Lucie would have had a hard time with that. Last night had taught her something. With a little respect and a lot of integrity, she could hold her head high.
Besides, this was Tina and Drew. The three of them had shared many cups of coffee in the cafeteria while waiting for nurses to finish procedures. They knew her and had to believe she wouldn’t willingly put people’s livelihoods at risk.
She inhaled a deep breath and fingered the metal chain links. “I’ll go over to Jonathan’s house tomorrow and talk to them. Clear the air. Tonight would be better, if you’ll stay with Mattie and Ethan.”
“No.” Caleb didn’t look at her, and everything caved in.
“Why didn’t they go to the police?” Her legs stopped pumping and she stayed still, the rocket rhythmic beat of her heart faster than ever before.
The question hung in the air like a dark cloud above them.
Caleb rubbed his beard and then rose, pacing the length of the porch, making her more light-headed than she already was. “I told them to do just that. I’m also trying to convince them to consult an attorney and try to get their money back.”
“You’ve known this all along.” She paused for breath before she made this worse than it was. Caleb was different from Justin. She had to put everything, including her heart, on the line. “Are you hiding anything else from me?”
He wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“What else aren’t you telling me?”
“My father is upset.”
She’d lost her parents; no matter what, she’d never tear a family apart. “I won’t get between you. Family is too important. If there are any issues with the cabin, send an email and I’ll resolve them as soon as I can.” She rose and moved toward the house, wanting nothing more than to hold her dogs and find some comfort in their straightforward nature.
“You included me.”
Her hand stilled on the door. That was the most honest thing he’d ever said to her, but it wasn’t enough to turn family members against each other. She glanced over her shoulder, her sadness penetrating a deeper fissure than she’d ever thought possible. “It’s a small town, so I can’t promise I won’t run into them, but I won’t try to talk to them, either. Not until they’re ready.”
She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she’d lost more than anyone would ever know.
Including her heart to Caleb.
CHAPTER TWELVE
LEAVES CRUNCHED UNDERFOOT despite the new growth surrounding them. Sunlight streamed through the overhead canopy of spruce-fir trees, and Caleb glanced at the Timber River at its narrowest point. The rushing water filled his ears and his soul, the clarity of it showing the rock layer below. He kept his eyes open for evidence of any wildlife in the area. Black bears in North Carolina tended to come out of hibernation this month and the beginning of next.
Gray clouds swirled overhead. Unless Caleb was mistaken, and his back told him he wasn’t, Hollydale was in for rain later today, with dipping temperatures after that. Some Monday this was turning out to be.
Although the weather had teased residents with warmer temperatures over the past few weeks, Caleb believed there’d be at least one more taste of winter before spring settled in.
Owen walked alongside—he’d agreed Caleb could accompany him. They both knew it was a test, one Caleb intended to ace. They combed the forest for evidence of the Timber River woodpecker. If Caleb jumped over a few rocks, he’d be on Lucie’s property rather than on the Park Service’s land. For some reason, though, the woodpeckers preferred her woods.
Caleb couldn’t fault them. For over a week, he had longed to cross the distance between his cabin and the wellness facility and talk to Lucie, see if they could work through this together. He missed Mattie and Ethan, Fred and Ethel, Ladybug and Pita.
More than that, he missed Lucie. Even his return to desk duty, which he’d thought would keep him so busy he wouldn’t have time to dwell on her absence from his life, didn’t fill that empty void like it had in the past. The space had a distinct Lucie-sized shape.
As of yet, he had no ideas about how to bridge the gap between his father and Lucie. Until he did that, he couldn’t find his way home to those he loved.
Owen stopped and staked his six-foot walking stick into the dirt of the main trail. “I’ve been keeping an eye out all week, but I still haven’t found a single woodpecker nest in any of the decaying logs or tree hollows.”
Caleb scrubbed his beard and settled his own stick into the dirt. “Me neither. At least, not on this side of the river.”
“Have you seen anything more than the one nest on Lucie Decker’s property?” Owen twisted his walking stick before reaching for his reusable water bottle from the mesh netting on the side of his backpack.
“She gave me permission to set up the suet feeders and motion-sensor cameras.” At least she had when they’d signed the rental agreement. “I reviewed footage last night at my cabin. There were some promising leads.”
Owen squinted and left the main trail. He navigated his way to the river’s edge before glancing back at Caleb. “You have permission to be on her land? Is that in writing?”
“The rental agreement is in writing.” Caleb joined him near the edge, the water calmer here than a couple miles down the road, where kayakers often launched their boats. “She gave me verbal permission for the feeders and cameras.”
“Get that in writing. Then conduct a more thorough search for nests and map out what you find by the end of next week.
“I also want a written report of her planned uses for the facility and the impact on the land, along with photographs of the nests and any woodpeckers you come across.” Owen glanced up at the sky, the clouds looking more ominous by the minute. “We better get back to base. I have a feeling this might turn to sleet by tonight.”
Caleb now had an excuse to see Lucie again. He intended to make the most of it.
* * *
LUCIE BANGED HER head against the wall before she collected herself and entered the finished spa at the lodge.
“Honey, that thump can only mean one thing. Someone’s having a bad Monday and is going to have a grade-A awful headache later.” Mitzi bustled from one side of the room with a giant cardboard box in her arms. She lowered the box and wiped her hands. “Want to tell me all about it?”
“Not particularly. I haven’t had a chance to really talk to you since the Sunset Soiree. How was your date with Caleb’s boss?”
Mitzi’s eyes glazed over with happiness. “Owen might look like he wouldn’t know his way around a dance floor, but I’m happy to report that man can move. And I enjoyed our second date last Friday. He might not talk much, but then again, I talk enough for half of Hollydale as it is.” She laughed, picked up a box cutter and slit open the top of the nearest box. “Then again, I guess everything’s a matter of perspective. I have to wheedle information out of some customers and stand back while others spout like gushers. You’ll have to learn to do the same, but you’ll catch on when this place opens next week.”
And the bookings only covered the first three weeks. That baseball friend of Caleb’s was supposed to call this weekend with a decision about an endorsement. That might help. What she needed was a top-tier client who would provide a reference as well as book return visits. The Whitleys would have been perfect, but she was sure it would be a snowy July day in Hollydale before she heard from them again.
Lucie brushed her h
and against the burnished dark granite countertop. Everything in the room exuded peace and elegance, right down to the fluffy white towels and gray robes. “I don’t know how long we’ll be in business.” Defeat tasted bitter, and the thought of losing Mitzi’s hard-earned money hurt almost as much as distancing herself from Caleb.
“Oh, honey.” Mitzi slipped an arm around Lucie’s shoulders and led her over to the soft couch. The buttery leather felt like a warm hug. “My mama told me a long time ago never to put all my eggs in one basket. Mind you, my mama never had two eggs to crack for breakfast or any other meal, and neither did your grandma on your mama’s side, but we had lots of love. Same as your mama loved you. She’d be mighty proud of you rebuilding your life and making a difference for others. Everyone’ll come around.”
“I have more bad news.” Lucie sniffled but kept the tears back. After Caleb, she wasn’t sure she had any more tears anyway. “The bookkeeper I hired called this morning. She received a full-time offer closer to her home, and she quit before she even began.”
“Then we’ll find another one, someone who’ll make your books as shiny and pretty as this room and you.” Mitzi squeezed her shoulder. “Speaking of beautiful, I didn’t get a chance to talk to you at the pavilion. Why didn’t I run into you and that handsome fellow of yours on the dance floor?”
Lucie’s throat tightened and she glanced at her watch. “Staff meeting in ten minutes.”
She started to rise, but Mitzi pulled her back. “Then that’s plenty enough time to tell me everything. I might not be Patsy, but she’ll haunt me tonight if I don’t get what’s wrong out of you.” Mitzi’s serious expression proved she truly believed every word.
“Turns out Justin stole money from Caleb’s parents. Fifty thousand dollars. I won’t get between Caleb and his parents.”
“Tina Spindler’s a good woman, and she raised a good son. Have you talked to her?”
Mitzi made it sound so simple, as if Justin’s acts could be erased with a few kind words.
“I don’t want to hurt his parents any more than they’ve already been hurt.” Lucie tapped her foot against the gorgeous cherry hardwood she’d worked for a week to restore. At least that work had paid off. “For the best part of two years, all I’ve faced are people who want to believe the worst in me. They won’t forget.”
Mitzi smiled. “Patsy was no stranger to having people think badly about her, you know.”
“What do you mean?” Lucie glanced at Mitzi, whose dark eyes were alight with memories of a strong friendship. “Everyone loved my mom.”
“Not everyone.” Mitzi waved a hand. “Some of the older folk in town, bless their souls, thought your mother was a gold digger, someone who should have stayed on her side of town. Patsy worked hard, supporting the Appleby business and foundation. She made each bride feel like a princess. She helped behind the scenes, too. When Dwayne left me, she supported me with the money to buy into the salon.”
Mitzi didn’t talk of Dwayne often. Lucie stiffened her spine, sitting a little straighter. “I should have taken a page from your playbook and focused on my business instead of getting involved with Caleb.”
Mitzi frowned and folded her arms against her ample chest. “That’s what you’re taking away from all this?”
Lucie nodded. “Dwayne burned you, and you threw yourself into your work. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Honey, I’m fifty-two, but I don’t have one foot in the grave yet. And Owen’s a couple years younger than me...it’s early yet, but there’s potential. When it’s right, it’s right. The way Caleb looks at you is right.”
“But Caleb’s father doesn’t approve. I won’t get between him and his father.” No matter how much she wanted a relationship with Caleb, she wouldn’t ask him to choose her over his father.
But getting over Caleb? That wasn’t like flicking a switch. Losing his friendship and missing out on love would take a lifetime to recover from.
Lucie’s phone buzzed with an incoming text and she pulled it out. “Sorry, but I have to check this in case it’s the kids’ school.” She read the text. “It’s Sierra—she says the staff’s assembled in the conference room.”
Lucie rose but Mitzi cleared her throat. “Honey, Justin and Caleb aren’t anything alike. The person who has to decide about his father is Caleb. You’re running from yourself. You’ve surrounded yourself with so much activity these past couple years because you’ve been afraid to live again. Trust me, I know.”
Stunned, Lucie tried to make some sense of what Mitzi was saying. Mitzi headed for the door, and Lucie said, “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Mitzi was right. Lucie had been on the defensive ever since Caleb came back to town. That very first night, she’d sent Caleb away rather than ask him to explain. Instead of running toward something positive, she was running away from him because she was afraid to live, afraid to feel, afraid to give her heart to someone else.
If it hadn’t been for his father, she would have found another excuse to drive him off.
It was easier to reject someone than to lose everything. Love, though, wasn’t about losing yourself—it was about finding something so incredibly strong and uplifting it got you through anything.
Then her phone dinged with another text from Sierra, and she hurried along.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AFTER A QUICK tuna sandwich for dinner, Caleb kicked off his boots and reclined in his new living room chair. Silence surrounded him—no Izzy and Vanessa quibbling over space, no Ethel jumping onto the shed couch, and no Lucie helping him balance work and life. He reached for his sketchpad and his favorite Palomino Blackwing pencil. Rather than the fawn he’d seen this morning, Lucie’s face stared back from the paper. Family meant everything to her, and she wouldn’t go against her principles. That was one of the qualities he loved about her.
He didn’t want to live in this quiet cabin. He wanted to be part of the Decker noise. With Lucie, he’d found the best of everything. His back twinged, and he looked longingly at the fireplace. A fire might liven the space and provide some much-needed warmth. He picked out three logs from the carrier alongside the hearth and laid them in the fireplace.
A knock on his front door brought a smile to his face and a leap to his step. He’d emailed Lucie earlier today about exploring her back property for woodpecker nests. She must have decided to deliver her verdict in person.
He threw open the door and found his mother lowering her umbrella, a couple bags at her feet. “Hope you don’t mind I dropped in. I cooked some soup today and ran out of space in Jonathan’s freezer, so I’m bringing you chicken noodle and corn chowder to get you through this cold snap.”
Mom reached for the bags, but Caleb beat her to the handles. “I’ve already eaten dinner tonight, but this will be great for the next few days. Thanks.”
“We haven’t had a good long talk since I’ve come home.” Mom stepped inside, her brief murmur rather disconcerting. “This cabin isn’t anything like I remember it.”
“Lucie sold most of the contents to raise money to start her business.” And too late he remembered Lucie probably wasn’t someone his mother wanted to discuss. He ran his hand through his hair, the chilliness of the cabin getting to him in more ways than one. “Mom, about your money and Lucie ...”
Mom patted his arm, and he halted halfway to the kitchen. “Someday your father will forgive Lucie. I’m working on him.” She rubbed her hands together and pointed at the fireplace. “Are the logs in there for decoration or were you about to start a fire? Georgia doesn’t get as cold as Hollydale.”
This wasn’t a courtesy call to drop off soup, then. If his mother had made enough soup to fill both Jonathan’s and Caleb’s freezers, something was wrong. “Did you get some bad news?” His heart raced. “Is the cancer back?”
“Heavens, no.” She rolled her eyes and walked toward the kitchen. “A
nd let’s clear the air right now. Whenever something’s wrong with me, we’re not going to jump to thinking it’s cancer every single time, okay?”
Caleb piled the bags on the counter, pulling out container after container of soup, all neatly labeled with the contents and date. “You cook when you’re upset.”
“And you take walks. It’s our way of getting the stress out.” Mom folded the bag into smaller and smaller squares while he rifled through the contents of the second. “Can I have a glass of water? You’d think after all the rain this afternoon, I wouldn’t want to look at the stuff.”
“Glasses are in the cabinet above you.” He’d unpacked those last night when the silence had gotten to him. He pulled out one pie, then another. “Are there three pies in here?”
“Your father and I had a disagreement. I told him life was too short and Hollydale was too small to hold a grudge.” She shrugged, filled her glass and pulled up a stool. “And I didn’t get that job I applied for.”
Jobs around Hollydale didn’t grow on trees, so that must have been a double whammy for his mother, who believed a day without work was a wasted day. Like mother, like son. Hence the pies and the soup. Lousy for her but great for Jonathan and the girls and Caleb. “If I hear of anything...”
Another knock at the front door, and his mother jumped to her feet. “That’s your father.”
No visitors to his cabin since Mattie and Ethan, and then two in one night. At least it was breaking up the oppressive silence. Caleb hurried into the other room, his mother on his heels. “It’s nice to know your father is willing to admit he was wrong.”
Caleb opened the door. Instead of his father waiting there, he found Lucie shuffling her feet. “Oh, you do have company...” She pointed to his mother’s frilly pink wisp of an umbrella. “I thought the car in the parking lot belonged to the furnace installer, who said he might take some measurements tonight. I’ll come back later.”
“Come on in out of the rain.” His mother ducked around him and waved Lucie inside. “Would you like a container or two of soup to take home? Maybe a nice pie? Which do you like more—apple or blueberry?”