Canyon Walls

by Julie Jarnagin

  The kids laughed and talked as they cleared out of the area. Will held out his hand to Cassie and pulled her up off the blanket, and when she stood on her feet, Will didn’t let go of her hand. Cassie squeezed his and then pulled her hand away to fold the blanket. The disappointment ran through Will’s veins.

  “Let me drive you up to your house,” he said, not wanting the night to end.

  She tucked the blanket under her arm. “That would be nice.”

  As they walked back to his truck, he noticed her lingering a little closer to him. He hoped her hard shell was softening—that she was beginning to trust him.

  He opened the door for her, and then he closed it softly behind her. They didn’t speak on the short drive to the house.

  As Will remembered his meeting with Hartley, guilt crept in and threatened to ruin his night. He needed to tell her the truth, but he didn’t want anything to come between them. Knowing would only hurt Cassie. She was finally letting down her defenses with him. Would she ever be able to trust him if she knew the truth?

  Will tried to push it out of his thoughts and take in every moment of the evening.

  When they pulled up to the house, he jumped out of the truck and ran around to her side and held her hand as she stepped out of the vehicle. “Thanks again for coming,” she said.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. It was like he didn’t know what to do with his hands. Why was he so nervous? He felt sixteen again.

  Cassie smiled.

  “I. . .um,” he said. “I would love to take you to dinner sometime.”

  Cassie brushed a strand of hair off her face. “That would be nice.”

  Her answer surprised him. “Great. When?”

  Cassie cocked her head to the side. “Let’s do it after the men’s retreat.”

  Will didn’t want to wait that long, but he would let Cassie make the rules. He leaned down and pulled her into a tight hug. This time she didn’t stiffen.

  He breathed in the sweet, clean fragrance of her hair. She leaned into him like she belonged there. He clung to her tightly, wanting to remember every heartbeat.

  When she loosened her grip, he took a chance, leaned in, and touched his lips to hers.

  Without giving her a chance to react, he stepped backward to his truck, staring into those moonlight-filled eyes and doing everything he could not to scare her away.

  Ten

  “We need to talk,” Will said.

  Marvin Hartley’s eyes peered over his plastic-rimmed glasses. “You drove an hour and a half when you could have picked up a phone?”

  Trying to change Mr. Hartley’s mind on his turf would be difficult, but it was better than doing it over the phone. “This is important.”

  Mr. Hartley opened his hand in the direction of the metal chair across from his desk. A fluorescent light buzzed and flickered overhead. “Why didn’t your father come along on this field trip to my office?”

  Will rubbed his hands together and considered his response carefully. “He wasn’t available, but he’s aware of what I came to discuss.”

  Mr. Hartley smirked.

  When Will told his father what he planned to do, his father made his dissatisfaction clear, but surprisingly he hadn’t tried to talk Will out of it. His father either trusted his instincts or aimed to teach him a lesson. Will took a deep breath to quiet his self-doubt. “After considering it, I’ve come to the conclusion that before we move forward with further talks of closing the camp, I would like to revisit the idea of—”

  Before Will could finish his sentence, Mr. Hartley shook his head. “We’ve been through this, Mr. Overman.”

  This wasn’t going to be easy. Will normally enjoyed these games of mental chess, but a lot hung in the balance, including his relationship with Cassie. “If you bring me in as a consultant, I could help the camp generate more money.”

  A deep grunt came from the back of Mr. Hartley’s throat. “Mr. Overman, we would simply be prolonging it, which would cost the conference more money. Our analysis shows that it will be more profitable to expand another of our camps when Sunset Camp closes.”

  Will saw an opportunity and pounced on it. “Then I’ll work for free. I thought you of all people would want to try anything to save the camp before closing it. If I’m offering to do this for no cost to the conference, how could you turn it down?”

  Mr. Hartley’s face puffed up like a red balloon ready to pop. “I’m here to do my job. Part of my job description is to make decisions based on the success of all our camps in the state. If it means making a difficult decision to lose one camp, it’s what I’ll recommend to the board members.”

  “Closing Sunset Camp isn’t good for anyone,” Will said.

  Mr. Hartley removed his glasses and leaned back in his chair. “Your father seems pretty set on making this deal happen. What’s in it for you to keep the camp running?”

  Will swallowed. It was a question that kept him awake at night. Was he doing this for the camp, or was he doing this for Cassie? Even if he saved the camp, he didn’t know if Cassie would keep her guard down long enough to return his affection. Was it worth the risk of losing his father’s respect? “A lot of lives have been changed in that camp, and there are a lot of people who don’t want to see it close. Myself included.”

  Mr. Harley kept his eyes on Will’s. “What about Miss Langley?”

  “I doubt your staff members want to lose their jobs,” Will said. “I believe Miss Langley is very passionate about the camp.”

  Mr. Hartley straightened a pile of folders on the corner of his desk. “That’s another thing I wanted to discuss with you, Mr. Overman. The board has heard rumors about a relationship between the two of you.”

  Will opened his mouth to defend himself and Cassie, but Mr. Hartley didn’t give him the opportunity to speak.

  “The camp director and the real-estate investor getting cozy makes them more than a little nervous. Quite frankly, it makes me nervous, particularly because of our past experience.”

  Cassie would never do what Henry Mason had. Will had recently learned Henry hadn’t retired as everyone, even Cassie, believed. The board had fired him when they learned he was letting the camp’s finances go down the drain. The investigation found that an investor had agreed to cut Henry in on the deal if he helped give the board a reason to close the camp and sell the property. Now Cassie was left to clean up the mess, and she had done a pretty good job of it.

  And Will was trapped in the middle of it all. He rubbed his hand across his chin. “That’s unfair. You shouldn’t base anything on hearsay.”

  “You’re right, but your trip here today leads me to believe it could be true,” Mr. Hartley said. “With the alleged relationship with Miss Langley and the differing opinions between you and your father, I may need to seek out other investors. I would like to keep things as uncomplicated as possible.”

  Mr. Hartley had stolen Will’s only bargaining tool. He had planned to threaten to walk away if it came to that, but Mr. Hartley had beaten him to the punch. Normally he would have called it a bluff, but Mr. Hartley didn’t work that way. He meant what he said, and he could tell from the inflection in his voice that no amount of persuading would change things. Will had done enough bargaining and negotiating in his business to know when he had lost.

  Will stood, pulling the cuff of his dress shirt over his watch. “Well, thank you for your time.”

  “And Mr. Overman,” Mr. Hartley said. “If I were you, I’d stay away from Miss Langley and the camp until everything is finalized. We don’t want any more of those rumors going around.”

  Eleven

  On Saturday morning Cassie and Beth stood in line at Donna’s Donuts. Cassie’s mouth watered at the sugary smell.

  “Did I see Will Overman’s truck at camp a couple of nights ago?” Beth asked, like she had caught Cassie in a massive conspiracy.

  Cassie stared at the back of a cowboy hat on the man in front of her and struggled to keep the smile from spre
ading too far across her face. “You did.”

  Beth gasped. “And? Aren’t you going to tell me about it?”

  Cassie pretended to read the menu written on a chalkboard hanging behind the counter. “I invited him to come for the star talk.”

  “You invited him?” Beth’s voice moved up an octave. “Don’t you know the rules?”

  “What rules?” Cassie said, humoring her.

  They stepped up a place in line. “You know, let him make the first move. Play hard to get. Let him feel like he’s in control.”

  “Ah, those rules.” Cassie looked at Beth. “Apparently he didn’t mind.”

  Beth’s mouth dropped open. “Why? What happened?”

  Cassie laughed, remembering how nervous the normally calm and smooth Will had been before asking her out. “He asked me out to dinner.”

  “You’re going on a date with him?” Beth twisted her mouth to the side. “I mean, he’s good looking and successful, but what about the whole real-estate thing?”

  Cassie had surprised herself with her change of heart. “I think I underestimated him. I think he’s a good guy.”

  “You don’t think he was spying?” Beth asked. “That he wants to take over the camp?”

  They walked to the counter. “Let’s just say that I’m willing to give him a chance.”

  Beth’s face softened. “Then I’m really happy for you. But be careful. It’s the cute ones who will break your heart.”

  That’s what Cassie was afraid of, but right now she didn’t care. She felt like a giddy teenager. She crouched in front of the glass case with glazed donuts, bear claws, and apple fritters.

  “Go ahead,” Beth said. “Get one. It won’t bother me.”

  Cassie stood. “Just a coffee for me, please.”

  “Make that two,” Beth said to the lady with the messy hair piled on top of her head.

  Cassie leaned in close to Beth’s ear. “Remind me again why you chose a donut shop when you’re on another diet.”

  “They have the best coffee in town—except for my coffee, of course,” Beth whispered.

  “And I need coffee right now.”

  Beth elbowed her. “Why? Were you up all night thinking about a certain someone?”

  The woman handed them each a Styrofoam cup of coffee. Cassie shook a paper packet, ripped off the top, and poured the sugar into her coffee. “Only if that certain someone you’re referring to is Mr. Hartley.”

  “That’s not exactly who I had in mind,” Beth said.

  Cassie handed the woman a five-dollar bill. “I’m just getting nervous about the meeting. I have a lot to do.”

  Beth blew steam from the top of her cup. “You’ve been working your tail off. Mr. Hartley will see that things are turning around.”

  The woman smiled and nodded as Cassie dropped the change in the mason jar with a piece of paper that read Tips taped to the outside of it. “Are you girls talking about Marvin Hartley?” the cashier asked.

  Cassie and Beth looked at each other. “Yes,” they said in unison.

  Cassie asked, “Do you know him?”

  The waitress tucked an ink pen in her hair. “No. I mean, not really. He was here earlier this week. Tried to pay me with a credit card. Had to tell him I don’t trust those little pieces of plastic, especially for a two-dollar ticket.”

  Cassie’s chest tightened. “Mr. Hartley was here?”

  Beth put a hand on Cassie’s shoulder. “He probably stopped through when he was visiting the camp. No big deal.”

  Cassie stared at the glass door of the refrigerated case. “I don’t know.” The donut shop was small and out of the way. “I guess.”

  Cassie picked up her coffee with a shaky hand and turned to leave.

  “Oh, and that man, he was with the Overmans,” the woman said.

  The words jarred Cassie, and scorching coffee sloshed on her hand. The Overmans and Marvin Hartley together? Cassie’s empty stomach felt sick.

  The woman walked around the counter. “Oh my.” She took Cassie’s coffee and handed her a handful of napkins from the counter.

  “Will didn’t say anything to you about it?” Beth asked.

  Cassie held her breath and shook her head. She couldn’t speak.

  “Maybe it wasn’t him,” Beth said, looking hopeful.

  The cashier used a napkin to wipe coffee from Cassie’s arm. “From the look on your face, I think I said too much.”

  Cassie straightened and tried to compose herself to find out more. “No, it’s fine. I just didn’t know they knew each other. Which of the Overmans were with him?”

  The woman looked up at the ceiling tiles. “It was Leonard and one of his boys. The youngest, I think. Will?”

  Cassie’s fists tightened, and her fingernails dug into her palms.

  Twelve

  When Cassie opened her front door, the vase of flowers on her coffee table mocked her. She carried them to the kitchen, poured the water into the sink, and dumped the flowers into the trash can. As she turned to walk away, the envelope lying on top of the dripping stems caught her eye. She stared at it for a second before she reached in and grabbed it. She flipped it around in between her fingers and slipped it in her pocket.

  Cassie marched into the bathroom. She dug the scrubbing soap and a sponge from underneath the sink and pulled a pair of long yellow gloves over her hands. Long hours working didn’t give her much time at home, and when she was home, the last thing she wanted to do was scrub the shower or the toilet. If her mom and sister saw her home in the state it was in, they would probably call the authorities. It definitely was not up to their high standards.

  The news of Will’s meeting with Mr. Hartley had left a blanket of numbness hanging over her. Now she felt the fog lifting. The resentment and feelings of betrayal bubbled to the surface. Sulking wouldn’t get her anywhere. She needed to move.

  She squirted cleaner in the bathtub. On her knees, she scrubbed the porcelain with all the muscle she could muster. When she thought about Will, she moved faster, scouring every inch of the tub.

  Before she could prevent it, tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t stop to wipe them away. She cried because Will had kept something from her. She cried because she could feel the camp slipping through her fingers, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She cried because her family was coming to visit, and she already felt inadequate even without their help.

  By the time her tears stopped, the tub and toilet sparkled. The spotless mirror reflected her puffy face, red eyes, and the new hairstyle that had promised the making of a new Cassie. But right now it looked like the new Cassie was going to be alone and unemployed.

  At the end of the day, Cassie’s home was cleaner than she had ever seen it. She stood in the small kitchen and surveyed what she had accomplished. Her stove top gleamed, there wasn’t a crumb to be found, and the floor shone. Petal rubbed against her leg.

  She expected all the exhausting work to make her feel better, but her chest still ached. Why did everything have to go from good to horrible? Why was God letting her walk through this? She wished Will had never come into her camp.

  Cassie turned on the faucet and splashed cold water onto her face. She couldn’t get the image of Will and his dad out of her mind. They had probably laughed about how naive and stupid she had been. They were probably relieved when someone so dense was given the task of leading the camp.

  When she awoke the next morning, she was still wearing the robe she had slipped on after her bath. She had fallen asleep with wet hair, and now she could feel it sticking out in every direction. The fitted sheet had come off the corners of her bed, and her quilt lay on the floor in a heap.

  “Rough night?”

  Cassie jumped at the sound of Beth’s voice and almost fell off the side of the bed.

  “Sorry, but the knocking didn’t work,” Beth said.

  Locking the door had been the last thing on Cassie’s mind before falling asleep. She knocked a stack of paperbacks of
f her nightstand as she reached for her alarm clock. There wasn’t enough time to get herself together for church—the perfect excuse not to go. She set the clock down on its side and crawled back toward her pillow.

  “I don’t think so,” Beth said, pulling the sheet off her. Cassie reached for the quilt on the floor without opening her eyes. She was sure she looked like a stubborn thirteen-year-old, but she didn’t care. When the quilt wasn’t there, she opened one eye.

  Beth’s tan pointed-toe heel pushed the quilt across the floor out of her reach. Cassie looked up at her. She wore a pleated skirt and a denim blazer. “You look nice,” Cassie said weakly.

  Beth looked her up and down. “You look. . .” Beth put her fingernail between her teeth. “Tired.”

  Cassie rubbed the crust out of the edges of her eyes. “Humph.”

  Beth leaned back to look through the bathroom door. “I see you took yesterday’s bad news out on the dirt in your house. Everything looks immaculate.”

  Cassie swallowed hard. She instantly regretted not brushing her teeth before bed. She pushed herself up and leaned back on the headboard. “The worst part is that I should have known better. You warned me. I knew who he was. Why did I trust him?”

  “I guess he’s just one of those guys,” Beth said.

  “You mean one of those guys who can charm anyone? A guy who can get what he wants by virtue of being handsome and charismatic?”

  “Yep,” Beth said simply. “One of those.”

  Cassie fell over onto her bed. “I need more sleep.”

  “No way,” Beth said, leaning over to see the alarm clock on the nightstand. “You need to get ready. We’re going to be late.”

  “Not today, Beth.”

  Beth took her hand and pulled her up from the bed. “Uh-uh. No. You are getting out of bed and coming to church with me.”

  Cassie crossed her arms. “I really don’t feel up to it.”

  “You need to get out of this house. You can’t stay here in your bathrobe all day.”