by Laura Scott
“This area looks like a nice place to live,” he said instead. “How many people are there in Crystal Lake?”
“About fourteen hundred people live within Hope County, and over half of them live within a twenty-five mile radius to the lake. The people here either work at the medical center, for the government either in city hall or the sheriff’s department, or in the service sector, which depends a lot on tourism to survive.”
“No manufacturing jobs, huh?” he asked.
“No. We had a car manufacturing plant about thirty miles from here, but that closed down a few years ago, after the collapse of the economy.”
He figured as much. Crystal Lake might be a great place to live, but he needed some sort of job that would support him and Lexi. He’d done some construction work prior to going into the service, but with the economy the way it was, no one was building new houses anymore.
Eight years in the Army hadn’t exactly prepared him for the civilian job market. Of course, he’d planned to reenlist until Claire had told him about her cancer. The doctor had given her six months to live.
She’d only lasted four.
Seven years ago, when Claire had discovered she was pregnant, he’d asked her to marry him, but she’d refused. At least Claire had let him be a part of Lexi’s life, and not only had he sent most of his money to Claire, he’d spent as much time as he could with Lexi. But after Claire had found out about her cancer, she’d asked him to come back to care for their daughter. He’d jumped through yards of red tape before he was granted his honorary discharge, but it was several weeks too late. Claire had passed away, and Lexi had ended up living with Claire’s parents until he’d arrived stateside. Thankfully, Lexi hadn’t forgotten him and had clung to his shoulders like a little monkey, as if she’d never let him go.
It had been his first inkling of what the child had gone through with her grandparents. Apparently, even when Claire was too weak to care for Lexi, her parents had taken over, enrolling her in that ridiculous private school where she was punished if she didn’t act like the other kids.
Which had been most of the time.
He still saw red when he thought about what Lexi had been through, so he forced the images away. He was not about to let Claire’s parents get custody of Lexi. In the few weeks they’d been together, Lexi had already begun to relax and trust him. Now more than ever, he believed he’d made the right decision to take her away. He and Lexi would make things work.
“Here, Julie, this is for you.” His daughter’s voice pulled him away from his thoughts. He was surprised that Lexi had opened up even that much to a virtual stranger.
“Lexi, this is a beautiful picture,” Julie said with awe. “The detail is absolutely amazing. I had no idea you were so talented.”
Glancing over, he caught the shy smile his daughter flashed at Julie. The hero worship was clear in Lexi’s bright blue eyes.
In that moment, the truth sucker punched him, stealing his breath.
Lexi was looking up to Julie like a surrogate mother.
And when it was time for them to leave, his daughter would be hurt all over again.
Chapter Six
Julie was truly stunned at how talented Lexi was and couldn’t help staring at the lake drawing, marveling at the detail. She’d loved Amelia with all her heart, but her niece’s pictures had been stick people and crude landmarks. Nothing like Lexi’s precise drawing of the lake within which everything was amazingly to scale.
As silence hung heavily, she scrambled for something to talk about. “I thought we’d have burgers for dinner if that’s okay with you,” she offered, glancing over at Derek.
“Sounds good,” he agreed.
She stared at him for a moment, feeling as if there might be something wrong, and not just because he was avoiding her gaze. The silence stretched between them, only not as relaxing as it had been earlier.
As the sun began its slow descent on the horizon, she took Lexi’s drawing with her and went into the kitchen to begin making the hamburger patties. Through the window, she noticed Derek slowly rise to his feet and walk over to the grill.
She took the plate of raw burgers outside, and Derek barely glanced at her as he took the plate. “I’ll make them,” he said.
“Thanks.” She returned to the kitchen for the salad, wondering why there was this weird tension between them. Had she said something wrong? Or was he simply tired from being outside all day?
She took the salad bowl out and set it on the patio table. “Lexi, would you mind helping me bring out the plates, napkins, silverware, and condiments?”
Lexi nodded and readily slid down off the chair. Derek glanced over, and she hesitated, getting the impression that he was about to say something. But then he simply turned back to the grill, using the spatula to flip the burgers.
The rest of the meal was just as strained, despite her efforts to chat. It seemed that the easy camaraderie that had existed between them had disappeared without a trace. And she had no idea why. When the meal was over, Derek and Lexi helped her carry everything back inside but then disappeared into their side of the townhouse.
As she washed the dishes, she wondered if Derek’s ribs were hurting him more than he’d let on. Certainly, she understood if he needed rest. But why did it seem that there was something more bothering him?
When she finished with dinner, she went back outside to sit on one of her patio chairs to watch the sun set over the lake, feeling a strange sense of loneliness without Derek and Lexi seated beside her.
___________
The next morning, Julie ate a bowl of cold cereal before getting dressed for church. She chose a flowery skirt and a matching blouse and then took the time to blow-dry her hair so that it was nice and straight. She headed over to the adjacent townhouse and knocked on the screen door. After a few minutes with no response, she called out, “Derek? Lexi?”
A dark shadow appeared, and she noticed with relief that Derek was standing on the other side of the screen.
“Good morning,” Derek said quietly. His hair was damp from a recent shower, and he was dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a red T-shirt, an acute reminder that he had regular clothes rather than the scrubs. He appeared more rested than he had the day before, and she suspected that no one seeing him like this would believe he’d suffered a collapsed lung and bruised ribs less than forty-eight hours ago. Obviously, he was a quick healer.
“Good morning.” She smoothed a hand over her skirt, feeling nervous. “Um...I have cold cereal for breakfast if you and Lexi are hungry. And I was wondering if you and Lexi wanted to attend church services with me this morning?”
“Cereal sounds fine, but I think we’ll pass on the church services,” he murmured. “Thanks anyway.”
She did her best to keep the keen sense of disappointment from her features, even though she knew that if Derek and Lexi had come with her, the town gossips would have had a field day. Certainly it was better this way.
So why was she so upset?
“All right, I’ll be heading out shortly, but please help yourself to whatever you need in the kitchen, okay?” She pasted a bright smile on her face with an effort. “I’ll see you both later.” Fighting tears, she turned away.
“Julie,” he said in a low voice.
She stopped and took a deep breath before turning back to face him. “Yes?”
“Thank you, for everything.”
Her mouth went dry, and for a wild moment, she thought he was saying goodbye. But how could Derek and Lexi possibly leave? As far as she knew, there weren’t many places nearby to rent a car, especially on a Sunday.
“You’re welcome,” she managed. As she turned and walked back to her side of the townhouse, she paused in the kitchen, gripping the back of a kitchen chair, inwardly debating the idea of forgoing church services. Maybe if she stayed here, Derek and Lexi wouldn’t leave. She’d find a way to convince them to stay, at least through the holiday.
But as soon as the
thought crossed her mind, she knew she was being ridiculous. She still needed to go grocery shopping, or they’d all starve. And whether she liked it or not, Derek and Lexi had every right to leave her townhouse and Crystal Lake whenever they wanted to.
Her fault if she found that idea depressing.
Maybe praying would help her find peace. She straightened her shoulders and grabbed her purse and car keys before heading for the door. She would go to church, and she would go grocery shopping afterwards. And if Derek and Lexi were gone when she returned, then obviously, that was God’s will.
If she could survive the scandal of Andrew’s affair, she’d certainly survive Derek and Lexi leaving.
Better for her to remember her role here was simply to help a stranger and his daughter in need. Derek wasn’t looking for anything more.
And she shouldn’t be, either.
___________
Derek leaned on the door frame, fighting the urge to call Julie back. The flash of disappointment in her eyes had cut deep, even though he knew he couldn’t afford to be seen with Lexi in such a public place. For all he knew, Deputy Thomas would be there, or some of the other members of the town’s law enforcement. If Claire’s parents had sounded the alarm they may recognize him and arrest him.
He hadn’t been to church in years, but surprisingly, he realized he’d have liked to go with Julie.
Lexi came up to stand beside him, and he forced himself to focus on his daughter. “Are you hungry, baby-doll?” he asked in a lighthearted tone.
“Yes,” she said with a shy smile.
“All right, give me a few minutes to clean up first, and we’ll find something to eat, okay?”
As he finished making their beds, he heard the sound of Julie’s car driving away and winced at the flash of guilt. Julie had been nothing but kind to them, and he felt bad at the way he’d acted last night, putting distance between them.
But at the same time, he couldn’t afford to cause his daughter any more pain.
Time to get himself back on track. He walked back into the main living area to find Lexi waiting impatiently. “Let’s get some cereal, okay?”
She followed him next door, and he couldn’t deny feeling like an intruder as he rummaged through Julie’s kitchen. With Lexi’s help, he found the box of cereal, bowls, spoons, and milk.
They ate at the kitchen table, overlooking the lake, which was surprisingly noisy with boaters and skiers making the most out of another glorious day. Apparently the tourists didn’t bother attending church services either.
Lexi looked longingly out toward the water, and he knew she wanted to swim. He needed to get some work done on the townhouse as a way to repay Julie’s kindness, but he didn’t want to disappoint his daughter, either. Although he needed to get rid of the stupid catheter in his chest, too. If Dr. Allen didn’t show up, he figured he could pull it out himself, no problem.
“I have to do some work first, Lexi, but when I’m finished, we can go down and swim, okay?”
She scowled and kicked her feet rhythmically under the table. He recognized the signs of her distress, but as much as he cherished his relationship with Lexi, she also needed to learn that she couldn’t always have her way.
“Work first, then play,” he repeated. He stood and took the bowls to the sink. Julie had left hers there as well, so he filled the sink with soapy water, washed and dried them before putting everything back where he’d found them. Lexi had stubbornly remained at the kitchen table, swinging her legs and rocking a bit, but he didn’t say anything. Bringing attention to her behavior never helped. Something he’d tried to explain to Claire’s parents, to no avail.
“I’ll be right next door if you need something,” he said, pretending he wasn’t bothered by his daughter’s silent motion as he slipped outside.
Back inside the gutted portion of the townhouse, he picked up the crowbar and began pulling down the remainder of the blackened drywall. Within ten minutes, he was covered with dust and sweat, but despite the throbbing pain across his ribs, he felt a keen satisfaction at his slow but methodical progress.
The patio doors opened, and Lexi came inside, and the tension around his chest eased a bit. It was one thing to tell himself that it was best to leave Lexi alone when she got in one of her moods, but following his own advice was far from easy.
“Hey, baby-doll, stay back so you don’t get hurt, okay?”
She gave a small nod and stayed near the patio doors as he continued to rip down the drywall. When Lexi put her hands over her ears in response to the noise, he stopped with a sigh.
He swiped the hem of his T-shirt across his forehead and set the crowbar aside. He crossed over to Lexi. “Why don’t you sit outside on the patio for a bit?” he suggested. “I should be done here in about an hour, and then we can swim, okay?”
She stared at him for a long moment, dark reproach in her blue eyes, but he steeled his heart against giving in.
“Lexi, Julie has helped us a lot, hasn’t she?” he asked.
His daughter’s lips formed a pout, but she nodded her agreement.
“I’m doing this to help Julie. She’s giving us food and a place to sleep. All I’m asking is for an hour or so to do some work for her.” He didn’t bother explaining that his sore ribs wouldn’t tolerate much longer than that anyway. “Don’t you think that’s the right thing to do?”
Lexi scowled but gave another nod.
“Good girl,” he said. “What would you rather do? Sit and read in your room? Play video games? Or sit outside and draw?”
“Draw,” Lexi said promptly, and he grinned again, wondering why he’d bothered to ask. Lexi could easily spend hours drawing, which had been another problem with that private school Claire’s parents had enrolled her in. The teachers there were all about learning, which was fine, but they didn’t provide any time for Lexi’s drawing. And they forced her to interact with the other kids, which Lexi found very distressing. And when she didn’t socialize with the other kids or raise her hand in class, the teacher made her sit outside in the hall. The memory made his blood boil.
He forced the memories aside. “Okay. Let’s get your sketchbook, okay?” He went over to find her book and her pencils and carried them outside. He glanced at the lake and then turned back to Lexi. “No swimming without me, all right?”
“I know,” she said, barely casting him a glance as she reached for her pencil.
He sat down beside her, catching her gaze with his. “I mean it, Lexi. No swimming without me.”
She must have recognized the seriousness of his tone, because she said, “I know, Daddy.”
“Good.” He stood and made his way back inside to finish pulling down the drywall. As he worked, he kept an eye on his daughter. But he needn’t have worried. When Lexi concentrated on drawing, the rest of the world ceased to exist.
And for once he was glad for his daughter’s single-minded focus.
___________
Julie tried to pay attention to the church services, but once the final hymn had been sung and she’d followed her fellow parishioners outside, she couldn’t remember what the theme of the pastor’s sermon had been.
She smiled and greeted people as she made her way to her car, too preoccupied to notice that a few of them were looking at her with frank curiosity. No doubt, the rumors were already flying about how she’d been seen with the tall, dark stranger and his daughter.
The next stop was the grocery store, and she mentally reviewed her list as she pushed her cart up and down the rows, moving fast. Too fast, because then she forgot something and had to go back for it. It wasn’t until she was in line at the register, tapping her foot impatiently, that she realized her stomach was knotted with anxiety.
A sensation that didn’t ease as she transferred her groceries into the trunk of her car. After sliding behind the wheel, she had to remind herself not to speed through town as she headed home.
As she pulled into her driveway, she glanced around for any sign of
Derek or Lexi. But even though the windows were open, she didn’t hear a sound from their side of the townhouse.
Her heart lodged in her throat as she opened the trunk and walked around to pick up one bag of groceries. She practically raced inside and set the bag down on the kitchen table before crossing over to the patio doors.
The sound of Lexi’s laughter stopped her, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw two heads bobbing in the water near shore, evidence that Derek and Lexi were swimming in the lake.
They were still here.
Derek hadn’t been telling her goodbye after all.
Every bit of apprehension that she’d felt since she left earlier that morning faded away as she watched father and daughter playing in the water.
Suddenly, she abruptly straightened. What in the world was Derek thinking? He shouldn’t be swimming! Not when he still had the catheter in his chest.
In a flash, she threw open the patio doors and ran down the grassy slope to the lakeshore. “Derek! Get out of the water! That catheter site is going to get infected!”
Derek stood and carried Lexi over to the shore. After he set his daughter on her feet, he swiped his wet hair from his face. “Calm down. Your friendly doctor Gabe Allen stopped by with his fiancée Larissa and took the catheter out.”
She vaguely remembered Gabe offering to do that when they were in the hospital yesterday. She shouldn’t have been surprised, Gabe was a great guy and this is exactly something he’d do. How had she missed seeing Gabe and Larissa at church? “Really?”
“Yes, and he gave me some water-proof dressings to put over the small incision while swimming. So you see? There’s nothing to worry about.”
She scowled and planted her hands on her hips. “I highly doubt he meant for you to swim in the lake. Those dressings are for showering with clean water.”
“I promise, he really did say I could swim in the lake,” Derek insisted.