A Home for Her Daughter

by Jill Weatherholt

  Mrs. Buser pulled a blue-and-white dish towel from behind the counter and wiped the already spotless top. “Maybe I will. So tell me, are you and Drew ready for the big grand opening?”

  For the first time since learning about her inheritance, her stomach didn’t turn upside down at the mention of the camp. Thanks to Drew and so many of the locals, she was confident things would run smooth on their first day. “If you asked me a week ago, I would have been honest and told you I was a nervous wreck.”

  “And now?” The woman leaned over the counter.

  “I’m so excited. I can hardly wait much longer. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.” She’d been monitoring the long-range forecast even though it wasn’t always predictable. She had to pray and trust God to provide a picture-perfect day.

  “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. Riley seems to be over the moon about the opening.” Mrs. Buser paused and passed a serious look at Janie. “You know, she’s quite smitten with Drew. She talks nonstop about him.”

  Janie had mixed feelings about her daughter’s attachment to Drew. “Do you think it’s healthy for her to feel that way?” Janie hadn’t planned on sharing her marital problems with Mrs. Buser, but the woman had always been wise. “Her father and I divorced after ten years of marriage. During the proceedings, he never tried to obtain custody or even visitation rights,” she added.

  Mrs. Buser shook her head. “How could anyone walk away from such a delightful child?”

  “I think he did it because he knew it would hurt me. Even though our marriage is over, he’s intent on causing me more pain.” Janie stopped short of sharing the physical pain that she’d survived during her marriage. Why had she stayed so long?

  “You might be right. It’s only natural for Riley to feel the way she does about Drew, though. He’s a good man who has suffered loss himself. Maybe they’re connecting through their mutual losses.”

  Could that be true? Drew lost his child and Riley lost her father. Were they filling a void for one another? “Drew recently told me about the accident.”

  The door chimed as a customer entered the store, and Mrs. Buser turned. “Good morning, Jonathan. Let me know if I can help you with anything.”

  The local nodded and went in search of his groceries.

  Mrs. Buser continued, “The accident just about devastated him. When he left his paramedic position and went into seclusion at his cabin, the entire town was worried sick about him. He’d been such a wonderful husband and father. To lose his beautiful family so tragically... I didn’t think he’d ever work through his grief.”

  “He seems to be handling it now. Don’t you think?”

  “Yes, I think so.” The woman hesitated. “Funny, since you’ve come back, Drew seems to be doing better than I’ve seen him in the last two years. I believe you and Riley are good for him.”

  Janie was caught off guard by her friend’s words. Maybe her daughter was good for Drew, but Janie questioned whether or not she herself would ever be good for any man. Her ex-husband sure didn’t think so. Up until the day they divorced, he made sure he reminded her how weak and worthless she was. As much as she’d been enjoying the time spent with Drew, she knew she wasn’t wife material.

  Chapter Eleven

  The July Fourth sun burst through a layer of cumulus clouds like a firecracker as Drew watched Janie and Riley climb out of her vehicle.

  “Can you believe this day has finally arrived?” Janie was beaming. “And look,” she pointed, “the sun is finally out!”

  The couple had agreed to meet at the farm bright and early on opening day. They had three hours before the gates opened. Drew had spent the last two days posting signs to advertise the grand reopening all around Whispering Slopes and neighboring towns. He looked down at Riley. “Hey, munchkin.” He patted the top of her head. “Thanks for all of the online shout-outs you did.”

  Riley smiled. “Mrs. Cathcart from the library helped. When I was there last Saturday, she worked with me to set up a Twitter page for the camp. She used to spend her summers there, too, so she had a lot of old pictures. We have over one thousand followers already!” Riley announced. “I’m going to go help Mrs. Buser in the activity building. Is that okay, Mommy?”

  Janie nodded. “Okay, but tell her if she needs anything to let me know.”

  “I will!” Riley yelled over her shoulder as she took off toward the building.

  Janie turned to Drew. “I didn’t think I’d ever get her to sleep last night. She was so excited.”

  “I had a little trouble falling asleep myself.” Drew scratched the top of his head. “That’s pretty impressive about the Twitter following, but do you think it’s wise for a seven-year-old to have a social media account?”

  Janie laughed. “This is all Lisa Cathcart’s doing. Riley only observed and helped with the photographs to go along with the Tweets. Lisa had called to offer her support and suggested the idea. She used to help Mrs. Applegate with the camp.”

  Drew remembered Lisa’s efforts to keep the camp open after Mr. Applegate had passed away. “We might have a bigger crowd than we anticipated. It’s going to be a long day. Are you ready for it?”

  Janie looked around, then turned to Drew. “I guess I have to be, right? Thank you so much for all of your help. Because of you, Riley and I will have a good life here in Whispering Slopes.” She rested her hand on his arm.

  “I can’t take all of the credit. A lot of people in this town worked together. They care about you and Riley.” And with each passing day, he was caring more for them.

  Janie wiped the tear that trickled down her cheek. “The support has been overwhelming.”

  Drew stepped closer and reached for her hand. “Remember, Janie, you worked hard, too. You have to take some of the credit.”

  She nodded.

  Janie’s self-esteem wasn’t like Drew remembered. She seemed so unsure of herself, constantly second-guessing her moves. He could only hope running this camp would rebuild her confidence.

  “The past few weeks have gone so fast. I imagine you’re anxious to return to work. Back to the seclusion you crave.”

  Drew had been thinking a lot about his duties at the park. He’d started to question whether God was nudging him in another direction. Spending time with Janie and Riley, along with the townspeople, had him second-guessing his own future. Did he want to live the remaining days of his life alone? Like his buddy Skip had told him, it wasn’t what Lori would have wanted for him. A part of him dreaded returning to work. Just say it. “Actually, I’m not looking forward to it. I’ve thought a lot more about the outdoor adventure company.”

  “And?” A hint of hopefulness sounded in Janie’s voice.

  Was this his second chance? How could he not go for it? “Last night I started to think about new names for my outdoor adventure business.” There. He said it. What’s that saying? A dream isn’t real until it’s spoken, or something like that.

  Janie squealed. “This is so exciting! I’m really happy for you, Drew. Remember what I said—I’ll help you in any way I can.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “In fact, what if I offered to be your business partner in this venture?”

  Drew shuffled back a step. Going into a partnership was one thing, but with Janie? How could he keep his heart protected if he formed a lifelong business relationship? Then again, he did need some financial backing, which would require him to take out a loan. He’d never borrowed money in his life. Did he really want to start now? Was this God’s plan for him?

  “Drew? What do you say? Would you like a partner? We could combine the two businesses.”

  Drew responded, “Rocky River Camp and Outdoor Adventures...it does have a nice ring to it.” He smiled. “Can I think about it?”

  Janie jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Two doves perched on a nearby red spruce branch cooed and took
flight. “I’m so excited! It could be really great to have the camp and the adventure center as one operation. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the area.”

  “Well, first we have to get this camp open for our guests and for Mrs. Applegate. Let’s grab Riley and head down to the barn. Joe Simpson and his friend will be here any minute with the two horses and the goats,” Drew explained. He’d been pleased when Janie had agreed that adding more animals to the farm would only benefit the camp in the long run.

  “Riley is so excited.”

  Drew couldn’t wait to see her reaction. “Even more so when we tell her she gets to name all of her new critters.” He winked.

  * * *

  “They’re here, they’re here!” Riley squealed like a baby piglet wanting free from its pen when Joe’s truck and trailer barreled down the gravel road, leaving a cloud of dust in its path thirty minutes later.

  “Have you thought of any names, Riley?” Drew asked.

  Riley placed her hands on her hips, crinkling her nose. “I need to see them first. You can’t give something or someone a name without seeing their face, Mr. Drew.”

  Janie and Drew shared a laugh. “I guess you’re right.”

  After the truck pulled up in front of the barn, Joe exited the vehicle. “Good morning, Drew. This is my buddy George.” He gestured to the man as George joined them.

  Drew shook Joe’s hand, then stepped toward George. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is Janie and her daughter Riley.”

  “Pleasure to meet you,” Joe said while George nodded.

  “Thanks for bringing over the animals.” Janie smiled.

  “Yeah, I can’t wait to meet them,” Riley cheered. “Tonight I’m going to call all of my old friends from Maryland and tell them about my new pets.”

  Drew’s heart soared when the little girl’s face lit up as George led one of the horses off the trailer. “This one is a male and Joe has the other. It’s a female.”

  “This is exactly what I thought Buddy would look like!” Riley yelled.

  Drew glanced in Janie’s direction and winked.

  As Joe led the female out of the trailer, Janie looked down at her daughter. “Did you have a name for her?”

  Riley ran toward the horse and gave it a closer inspection. “That’s Brandy!”

  Drew nodded. “Buddy and Brandy. I like it. Great choices, munchkin.”

  Minutes later with the horses housed in their new stalls, Drew turned to Riley. “Are you ready to name the goats?”

  Riley rapidly nodded her head up and down without saying a word.

  Janie gasped when Joe and George each lead a baby goat on a red leash. “They’re so adorable.”

  The men approached Riley. She dropped to her knees, giving each goat a giant bear hug.

  “These fellas are brother and sister. That’s the girl,” Joe pointed to the white one with brown markings, “and this brown one is a boy.”

  “Riley, it’s your call again,” Drew instructed.

  “I want to name the girl Fiona and the boy Phillip,” Riley answered without hesitation.

  Drew thought Phillip was a little unusual for a goat, but it’s what Riley wanted.

  “How did you come up with that name for the boy?” Janie lowered her gaze to her daughter.

  Riley shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. It just popped into my head.”

  All of the adults shared a laugh. “By the way, all of the animals were fed this morning, so you won’t have to worry about them until this evening,” Joe said.

  “What about their lunch?” Riley tugged on Joe’s arm.

  “They’ll graze on grass throughout the day.” He patted her head. “Don’t worry—they’ll be fine.”

  Janie paid Joe for the animals, and he and George headed to his truck. “Wishing you the best,” Joe called out the window as the men drove off down the road.

  Janie looked at Drew and ran her hand across her forehead. “I had no idea horses were so expensive. It’s a good thing Mrs. Applegate thought ahead to provide me with start-up money in her will. I would have never been able to afford this.”

  “She had a good head for business.” Drew checked his watch. “We’ve got over an hour before the gates open. Let’s walk down to the activity building and make sure Mrs. Buser is on schedule with the food.”

  Moments later, the three entered the building. A smoky haze coated the room.

  “Why is it so smoky in here?” Riley shouted. “Is something burning?”

  Drew ran into the kitchen. Thick black smoke burned his eyes. “Mrs. Buser! Are you here?” He ran toward the oversize oven where smoke billowed. After turning it off, he reached for the pot holders then flung open the oven door. Grabbing the large baking pan with his covered hands, he tossed it into the sink before reaching inside for the second charred dish.

  “Be careful, Drew! Don’t burn yourself,” Janie cried out.

  “Where’s Mrs. Buser, Mommy?”

  Drew turned on the water, allowing it to rush over the meat to stop it from smoking.

  “Oh my! What happened?” Mrs. Buser bustled into the kitchen through the back door carrying her cell phone.

  Drew reached for the spigot to turn off the water. “Well, we were kind of wondering the same thing.”

  “My daughter called from Colorado. The connection wasn’t good in here, so I stepped outside. I was only gone for a few minutes.” She glanced toward the charred chicken tossed in the sink. “What in the world? I turned the oven to low before I went outdoors.”

  After walking toward the oven, Drew checked the temperature. “It’s set on five hundred degrees.”

  “Oh no!” Mrs. Buser covered her mouth with her right hand. “I must have turned the knob in the wrong direction. I’m so sorry.” Tears pooled in her eyes.

  Drew’s stomach twisted. He’d made her cry. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He slowly approached her and rested his hand on her arm. “Don’t worry about it. You made an honest mistake.”

  “But today is your grand opening. I’ve ruined everything.” She pulled a tissue from her apron pocket and blotted her eyes.

  Janie approached. “Mrs. Buser, please calm down. Everything will be okay. Accidents happen.”

  Drew opened the back door and then hurried to the window over the sink to allow the warm summer breeze inside. “Janie’s right. No harm done. Once the place airs out it will be fine.”

  “But what about the food? We won’t have any lunch for the guests.” Mrs. Buser eyed the sink.

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll run out to the grocery store and pick up some hamburger meat and hot dogs. We can fire up the grill outside. It’s summertime. We should be cooking outdoors anyway.” Drew double-checked his watch. “We’ve got plenty of time. I’ll be right back.”

  “Can I go with Mr. Drew, Mommy?” Riley asked, looking toward Janie and then back to Drew. “I can show him the kind of buns we like best.”

  Janie turned to Drew.

  “Sure, come on, munchkin. We need to get moving.” Drew fished his car keys from his pocket.

  “Janie and I will finish cleaning up and then we’ll set up the tables outside. It’s a beautiful day for outdoor dining,” Mrs. Buser announced, the kitchen fiasco obviously already forgotten.

  Drew stepped outside, inhaling the fresh air.

  “It smells better out here, doesn’t it?” Riley looked up and giggled.

  “It sure does.”

  As the two walked toward the car, Riley reached for Drew’s hand. His chest tightened. Images of Heidi raced through his mind. He could hardly breathe. Could he handle going into partnership with Janie? Maybe he was getting in over his head. He’d be spending a lot of time with Janie and constantly fighting his attraction. Then there was Riley—a reminder of his daughter. When they arrived at the veh
icle, he pulled his hand from hers. He could finally breathe again.

  * * *

  Three hours after the camp opened, the little mishap in the activity building was long forgotten. Standing near the grill, Janie took in her surroundings. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect such a big turnout on their opening day, though she’d prayed for it. Today she was blessed with more children and parents than she ever thought possible. She approached Drew, who was busy grilling onions. “Are we going to have enough food for all of these people? This is unbelievable.”

  Drew laughed. “We should be okay, but you’re right. Where did all of these kids come from?”

  Janie stepped to the side when the smoke from the grill blew in her direction. “I guess all of the advertising has paid off. I’ve been talking to a few parents from neighboring counties. They don’t have anything like our camp. When I mentioned the outdoor adventure addition there was a lot of interest. I think your idea would be a big hit.”

  When Drew didn’t respond, curiosity got the best of her. “Why are you so quiet? I thought you’d be happy about this.”

  Drew removed the onions wrapped in tinfoil from the grill and placed them on a plate. “I’m thrilled the camp is having a successful opening day, but I suppose I’m having some second thoughts about the whole outdoor thing.”

  To say she was disappointed would be an understatement. “Look around you. How could you second-guess your idea? We’d have to turn kids away. This is exactly the type of thing our community needs. It’s obvious neighboring towns lack in entertainment for kids.”

  “I agree with everything you’re saying, Janie.”

  What was going on with him? “Then why have you had a change of heart? I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t know if it’s a good idea for us to work so closely together,” he admitted.

  “Why would that be a problem? Look at what we accomplished getting ready for today. We make a great team.” She paused before speaking again. “At least I thought we did.” Janie grew uneasy with Drew’s sudden turnaround.