A Home for Her Daughter

by Jill Weatherholt

  “What roof?”

  Janie turned around and pointed. “The barn.”

  That didn’t sound good, but hopefully not a major repair. “Did you see anything else?”

  When she opened her notebook and flipped some pages, he prepared himself for the worst.

  As Janie rattled off the list of repairs she had recorded, Drew realized these easy fixes might not be simple after all.

  “I guess I’ll need to make a copy, so I can prioritize the work.” He always liked to tackle the more difficult jobs first. Sadly, he had failed at the most important job—protecting his family.

  “Oh, I wrote out two lists. The other copy is here.” She stepped closer and a delightful smell of lavender drifted toward his nose. Janie licked her index finger and flipped over a few pages. “I figured I’d take care of the jobs that don’t require too much muscle or the use of anything mechanical.”

  He laughed, recalling freshman shop class in high school. “That sounds like a good plan. Remember the handsaw? I didn’t know metal could bend like that.”

  Janie’s eyes popped and she playfully bumped her shoulder against his. “What do you mean? I got a good grade on that project.”

  “If I recall, it was a C.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It was a C-plus, mister.”

  The couple laughed as they recalled the happy memory.

  “I can do some stuff too, Mr. Drew.” Riley looked up from the dandelions she’d been picking.

  Drew took another look at the to-do list before turning to Riley. “Of course you can—you’ll be my assistant.” He winked as Riley did a quick fist pump.

  Yesterday, when he and Janie had prepared the business plan, they’d also worked on their timeline. They had a little over three weeks. He rubbed his hand across his unshaven chin. They could never reach that goal. There weren’t enough hours in the day after he patrolled the forest. “Look, this is going to take longer than I thought. Tomorrow, I’m going to talk to my supervisor about taking some time off from the day job.”

  A worried expression washed over Janie’s face. “Oh no, I’ll just hire someone to do all of the repairs. I can’t ask you to use your vacation time for me.”

  “You didn’t. I’m offering. Besides, I haven’t taken leave since I started my job early last year. Plus, there are some new guys who are always looking to pick up extra shifts.” He turned his eyes in her direction and the smile that lit up her face told him he was doing the right thing, but was he risking his heart in the process?

  “Here, Mommy.” Riley pushed herself off the ground and handed her mother a cluster of yellow flowers.

  “Aw, thank you, sweetie.” Janie accepted the gift with a smile.

  Drew observed the affection between mother and daughter and one thought kept rattling around in his brain. He had to do this for them. But when his gaze connected with Janie’s exquisite beauty, he couldn’t help but wonder how he could keep the arrangement with her strictly professional and protect his heart as he spent time with a sweet little girl who was a constant reminder of his own child.

  * * *

  “Mommy.” Holding Frankie on her lap, Riley wiggled in the car seat in the back of the car as they headed to the farm on Monday morning.

  Easing her foot off the accelerator as the light signal changed to red, Janie turned around to the sound of her daughter’s sweet voice. Her heart warmed at the sight of her little girl with her face nuzzled against Frankie. A gift from God. And the only good that came from a disastrous marriage. “Yes, sweetie?”

  “How come Daddy didn’t want to share me with you?”

  The question rattled Janie’s foundation. Riley didn’t deserve this. She shouldn’t have to question her father’s love for her. “What do you mean?”

  The child lifted her head away from the dog. “Before we left Maryland, Rachel said when parents get a divorce they share the kids.” She paused and glanced out the car window. “I forget what she called it.”

  Janie hadn’t, but her ex-husband never mentioned the words while the divorce papers were being drawn up by the attorneys. “They share custody, sweetie.”

  “Yeah, that’s it. Why didn’t you and Daddy do that? Doesn’t he love me anymore?” Riley’s face went back into the animal’s fur.

  Janie turned her attention back to the road the moment the light turned green. Her heart crumbled. How could she respond when she really didn’t know the answer herself? Janie couldn’t help but think the reason Riley’s father had walked away from his daughter was to hurt her mother one last time. He’d never be able to lay another hand on his wife, but he could continue to cause pain by making Janie watch her daughter question his love.

  Janie’s stomach tightened as she glanced at her hands clutching the steering wheel of her SUV. Although her ring finger was now bare, the scars remained. How could she have been so wrong about the man she thought she’d grow old with?

  “I think your father is confused about a lot of things.” Janie reached behind and squeezed her daughter’s hand, firmly holding the wheel with the other.

  “Maybe God could help him? Back home, my friend Suzanne and her family used to go to church and pray for stuff. Do you think that’s possible, Mommy?”

  Riley’s loaded question was something Janie had prayed for throughout her marriage. She’d tried to convince her ex to come to church and speak with their pastor, but he’d refused. “I think the best thing we can do is pray for your father.” After all of the pain, both physical and verbal, that Janie had endured, praying for this man had not been easy, but it was the only way she’d have peace in her life. She needed to forgive, but she struggled with doing so when it came to Randy.

  Mother and daughter drove in silence for several minutes. “Maybe Mr. Drew would want to be my daddy. Do you think he would?” Riley asked as she leaned forward toward Janie.

  Yesterday, when Molly had come by for lunch, she’d questioned Janie about Drew. In passing, Molly had mentioned how difficult the past couple of years had been for him, but she hadn’t gone into any details. She’d gotten teary eyed and said it would be best if she heard it from Drew.

  “Do you?” Riley waited for an answer.

  After her divorce, Janie’s wedding ring had been pawned for much-needed cash, but the pain of those years wasn’t so easily discarded. When it came to men and relationships, could she ever trust her judgment again? What would Drew think about what was underneath the material that covered her arms and concealed the shame?

  “Honey, we need to keep our focus on getting the camp up and running by the Fourth of July. Mr. Drew is simply helping us in order to get his portion of the land left to him by Mrs. Applegate.”

  “But I like him. I think he’d make a great daddy.”

  Janie agreed with her daughter. She also thought Drew would be a loving and devoted husband. But she’d believed that once about her first husband and look how that turned out. Perhaps one day Drew would have a family of his own, but definitely not with her.

  After pulling in to the farm, Janie got Riley and Frankie out of the car, then headed to the barn. Standing inside the barn with her hands on her hips, she watched the sun stream through the gigantic hole in the roof. How would she ever meet the deadline? There seemed to be so many things in need of repair. She’d have to focus on one task at a time and try not to look at the big picture. Easier said than done.

  Outside, Frankie barked at the rumbling engine approaching. Janie went to investigate. When she spotted Drew’s truck, her shoulders relaxed. Of course it was him.

  “Mommy! Mr. Drew is here. He’s here!” Riley jumped up and down.

  Watching the vehicle move closer, Janie placed her hand to the side of her face. Riley’s excited tone concerned her. But what could she do? Her daughter needed a home and the only way to make that happen was to work with Drew.

  “
Good morning, ladies.” Drew stepped down from the truck. Dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt that magnified his large biceps and a ball cap, he appeared ready to get to work. He strolled to the passenger-side door and removed a large toolbox.

  Janie watched as Riley ran to him. When her daughter’s arms wrapped around his legs, Janie melted just a bit.

  “We’ve been waiting for you, Mr. Drew. Mommy’s been staring at that big hole in the roof,” the child explained.

  “She has?” Drew walked toward the barn. “Well, I plan to take care of that this morning. I’ve got Earl Moore dropping off some wood within the hour. He’ll be bringing his two-man crew to help us.”

  The tension eased in Janie’s body. She looked up toward the cloud-flecked sky. Thank You, God.

  A noise came from the barn and Frankie took off running.

  “Frankie! Wait for me,” Riley chased the dog through the grassy meadow. “Ouch—my arm!” she cried out.

  Janie turned as her daughter fell to the ground and burst into tears. In a split second she was kneeling next to Riley. Drew followed.

  “What is it, sweetie?” Janie examined the child’s arm then turned to Drew. “It’s swelling.”

  Drew observed the injury. “She must have gotten stung by a bee. There’re a lot of yellow jackets this time of the year.”

  As the adults tried to calm Riley, her arm grew more red and swollen.

  “It really hurts, Mommy. My throat feels funny, too,” she cried.

  Janie’s eyes widened. “What does it feel like?”

  Riley struggled with the words. “I can’t breathe.”

  Drew scooped up the child and sprung to his feet. “She’s having an allergic reaction to the sting.” He sprinted toward his truck with Riley whimpering in his arms. “Hurry! We have to get her to the hospital—now! I’ll call and let them know we’re on our way. Grab Frankie and her booster seat!”

  Janie gasped and covered her mouth. Grabbing the dog, then racing to her car for Riley’s seat, Janie willed her feet to move faster while fearful thoughts swirled in her head. God, please help her. She’s all I have. What if they didn’t get her help in time?

  Chapter Four

  The ten-minute drive to Shenandoah Memorial seemed endless. Threatening storm clouds formed overhead, peppering the windshield with fat drops of rain. Drew’s truck hugged the sharp curves of the mountain road. His hands gripped firmly to the steering wheel. Precious cargo was on board. He had to keep them safe. He couldn’t fail, again. For a split second, back at the farm, Drew questioned whether they should have called 911, but he was confident he could get Riley to the hospital faster. During a quick call to the hospital’s front desk explaining the emergency, the nurse assured him a gurney would be ready when they arrived.

  “It seems like it’s taking forever,” Janie cried out from the backseat while gently rubbing Riley’s forehead.

  The little girl coughed and released a slight whimper.

  “We’re almost there.” Drew silently prayed he would be given a second chance. He hadn’t been able to save his wife and his daughter. He wouldn’t allow Riley to suffer the same fate.

  A few minutes later his shoulders loosened when he spotted the glowing red lights of the emergency-room entrance. He guided the vehicle up to the curb and hit the horn. Within seconds, two orderlies pushing a gurney raced through the doors. Time was of the essence when dealing with an allergic reaction to a bee sting.

  Janie bolted from the truck as one of the two men carefully lifted Riley out of the car seat and placed her on the gurney.

  “Mommy,” Riley whispered, then coughed.

  “You go with them. I’ll park and be right inside,” Drew called out to Janie through the open window.

  Moments later Drew rushed through the doors and spotted Janie talking with Nell, the head nurse. The woman rubbed Janie’s arm in an attempt to console her.

  “Is she with the doctor?” Drew’s eyes flitted between the two women.

  “They took her back immediately. I can see her as soon as they move her into a room.” Janie collapsed in the brown vinyl chair, covered her eyes and wept.

  “What is it, Nell?” Drew asked while outside thunder roared like a lion in captivity.

  The nurse stepped in closer. “It appears Riley has gone into anaphylactic shock. I told Janie the doctor has a lot of experience with these types of reactions, so Riley is in good hands.” Nell reached for Janie’s hand. “I’ll go find out how she’s doing.”

  Janie looked up, her eyes soaked with tears. “Thank you.”

  Nell scurried down the hall.

  Drew pulled a chair beside Janie. “I’m so sorry.” If he’d called the ambulance the paramedics could have started treatment when they arrived at the farm. Had he made the wrong decision by bringing Riley to the hospital himself? “I shouldn’t have driven her.”

  “You did what you thought was best. I don’t think either one of us imagined this would happen.”

  How could he not? He’d worked as a paramedic and witnessed dozens of reactions to bee stings. “I should have taken extra precaution.”

  “Please, don’t blame yourself, Drew. You got us here in record time. I don’t think the ambulance could have arrived at the farm any faster.”

  Drew wasn’t convinced. Please, God, let Riley be okay.

  The room buzzed with excitement. Janie and Drew waited patiently for an update from the doctor. Through the chatter, Drew learned a large family was anticipating the birth of twins. His mind flooded with memories of the birth of his daughter. At first he wasn’t sure if he could handle being in the delivery room with Lori, but in the end, he watched Heidi enter the world. It had been the happiest day of his life. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that only seven brief years later, he’d watch her leave this earth. A cold chill whished through his body as he tried to obliterate the horrible day from his thoughts.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the doors to the ER swished open and Dr. Macgregor approached the waiting room.

  Janie sprung from the chair. “How is Riley, doctor?”

  Drew stood and rested his hand on Janie’s back. She flinched, so he pulled away.

  The doctor punched a few keys on his tablet before addressing Janie. “You can relax. She’s going to be fine. She’s resting now, but I’d like to keep her overnight, just as a precaution.”

  “Can I stay with her? We’ve never spent a night apart from each other.” Janie tugged on the sleeve of her jacket.

  “Of course you can. I’ve given Riley some medication to help her sleep. Understandably, she was quite anxious from the incident.”

  Janie looked up at the doctor. “How can I prevent this from happening again?”

  “Obviously, there is no guarantee that Riley will never be stung by a bee again, so you’ll both need to carry an EpiPen Jr.”

  Janie swiped her hand across her brow. “I’ve heard of that, but I don’t really know what it is.”

  Dr. Macgregor tapped a few keystrokes and turned the screen toward Janie. “This is what it looks like. It’s an injection containing epinephrine.”

  “What exactly is that?” Janie asked.

  “It’s a chemical that narrows the blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs. The effects can reverse severely low blood pressure, wheezing, skin itching, hives and other symptoms of an allergic reaction.”

  Drew considered Janie as she listened to the doctor’s explanation and studied the screen.

  “Will Riley be able to use it on her own? She’s so young.”

  “Don’t worry—we’ll show her how to use it, but it’s important she carry it with her everywhere. Often when a person has a reaction to a sting, the intensity can get worse with each sting.”

  Drew admired the doctor’s honesty. It was important for Janie to know these types of aller
gic reactions can be dangerous. He’d seen it many times.

  “When can I go back there? I want to see for myself that she’s okay.” Janie yanked each of her sleeves.

  Dr. Macgregor removed his glasses and pocketed them inside his white coat. “I can take you to her now, if you’d like?”

  “Oh yes, please.” Janie’s voice lifted for the first time since they’d arrived at the hospital. She turned to Drew. “Do you want to come with me?”

  “No, you go ahead. If you’re staying the night, I’ll go on and head home.”

  Janie stepped closer to Drew. “Thank you for getting Riley to the hospital in time. You made the right decision not waiting for the ambulance.” She gave him a quick hug. “I don’t even want to think about what could have happened.”

  “Then don’t. You heard the doctor. Riley is going to be fine. Now we know how to respond if she’s stung again. We’ll be prepared...I mean, you’ll be prepared.”

  “You’re right.” Janie turned and headed down the hallway with the doctor.

  “Janie?” Drew called out. She turned with a slight smile. “Since you don’t have a car here, I’ll come by in the morning and pick up you and Riley. I’ll take Frankie home with me tonight.”

  Janie nodded and hurried down the hall. Soon she’d be reunited with her daughter.

  A twinge of jealousy tugged at Drew. He longed for a reunion with his own family. His shoulders slumped as he headed for the door. Outside, the sun sank behind the mountains as the cicadas sounded like a chorus. He popped the lock on his truck and settled against the cool leather seat. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against the steering wheel.

  The events of the day had left him physically and emotionally drained. Seeing Riley suffer had ignited a firestorm of memories he’d tried so hard to keep locked away over the past two years. Had he made a mistake signing the papers at the attorney’s office? Was he ready to give up his life of solitude for a constant reminder of what could have been? A life spent providing for a family, growing old with your partner. If only he’d been able to save the two people who’d mattered most in the world—but he didn’t.