Springtime at Hope Cottage

by Annie Rains

  Josie was surprised. “Really? Okay, let’s see. In the last week, I’ve suggested an article on dating among the elderly. But my editor told me that no one wants to read about old people having sex.”

  Michelle choked on a sip of coffee.

  “I also suggested something on the wineries here. I was hoping to take a tour and do a write-up.” Josie fiddled with the cardboard wrap on her cup. “I also thought about doing a piece on supporting local businesses versus buying from big chain stores. I was thinking of calling it ‘Break the Chain and Buy Local.’”

  “Such as getting your coffee here at the Sweetwater Café rather than going to the big chain coffee shops up the mountain,” Michelle said with a nod. “I like it.”

  “Well, Bart didn’t.” Josie laughed softly. “His idea of an attractive headline is ‘Sex in the Sticks.’” Josie made air quotes around the suggested title from Bart.

  Michelle frowned and set her cup of coffee down. “With Sweetwater Springs being the sticks, I presume?”

  Josie nodded. “Here’s another suggestion from him.” She made air quotes once more. “‘Why Marriage Is for Those Living in the Dark Ages.’”

  “Oh my.”

  “I mean, I’m not married and I probably never will be, but I believe in marriage.”

  Michelle tilted her head to one side, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “Hmm. Well, Carolina Home magazine is going to start a monthly section on interesting couples and singles across the state. Some will have a romantic appeal, some not, but they’ll all give readers a chance to get to know some of their neighbors.”

  “I love that idea,” Josie said.

  Michelle grinned. “Me too. The only problem is that I don’t have anyone to get it started yet.” She narrowed her eyes at Josie. “Just a thought, but since you’re here and you’re not currently writing anything right now…”

  Josie sat back in her chair. Was Michelle offering her a job?

  “I know you work for Loving Life so this would be freelance work, of course. Just think about it.”

  Josie’s heart was beating fast and it had nothing to do with the jolt of caffeine she’d just gotten from her drink. “No need. I’d love to write an article for you.”

  * * *

  Maddie had been up on her feet for at least fifteen minutes and there was no sign of fatigue. Tuck wasn’t even worried that she might fall. Over the last week, with daily physical therapy and a good dose of motivation on her part, her strength and endurance had improved drastically. She’d achieved in a few weeks’ time what it would take his older patients a year or more to achieve in some cases.

  “Do you want to sit?” he asked.

  Maddie shook her head, keeping her gaze straight and shifting her weight from leg to leg slowly like she’d been doing since this session had started. “No, I’m fine.”

  “You don’t want to wear yourself out. Taking a break is good. Then after a minute or two, you can stand up, and we can go again.”

  Maddie’s stubborn chin lifted toward her mouth. “I’m a kid,” she told him, as if that wasn’t already obvious. “Kids have unlimited energy.”

  That was one thing that Tuck missed about being younger. That unlimited energy that never seemed to run out until your head hit the pillow. Since Josie had come into his life, however, there’d been a new energy about him. Seeing someone romantically was like a shot of adrenaline into his system. It sounded cliché but he had a skip in his step these days.

  “All right,” he conceded, “but you tell me when you need a break. If you push yourself too hard, it could cause a setback, and neither one of us wants that.”

  “Deal.” Maddie shifted on her cane and swung her other leg forward. She repeated the action for twenty more steps before looking at him. “I could use that chair now,” she finally said.

  Tuck went to retrieve it and helped her sit down. “Wow. You’re really making quick progress these days.”

  “Thanks. I’m just tired of being a burden on my grandma.” She looked up at him, a strand of dark hair dangling in her eyes before she batted it away.

  “You’re not,” Tuck said.

  Maddie shrugged. “It’ll be better for people when I don’t need to drag around any equipment though. When I can take care of myself and no one needs to worry about me all the time.”

  “You’re still a kid,” he reminded her. “You don’t need to take care of yourself, and worrying is what adults do. It can’t be helped.” He nudged Maddie’s shoulder. “But I was going to tell you that I don’t think you need to drag that wheelchair anywhere anymore. You’re good with the cane.”

  Maddie’s expression brightened.

  “As long as I can trust you to know when to take a break.”

  Maddie nodded vigorously. “You can. You can,” she insisted.

  “Good. Then it’s a deal.”

  Maddie stared at him for a long moment, and he could see the wheels in her mind turning. “I get why my grandmother cares,” she said with hesitation, “but why do you care so much?”

  “Well, because you’re my patient. Of course I care about you.”

  He could tell by the way Maddie was looking at him that she wasn’t completely buying that answer.

  “I’ve had a physical therapist before and he didn’t do all the things that you do. I mean, you’re seeing me every day, and you’re not even charging my grandma. You care about where I go and what I do and who I’m with. You’ve taken me to the dance and the festival.” She shrugged while continuing to pin him with her stare.

  Tuck was having a hard time taking in a full breath at the moment. Was it time to tell her the truth? He needed to discuss it with Beverly first. When the time came, they needed to do it together. Maddie would demand answers, some of which he didn’t have.

  “I mean, my own dad didn’t even stick around,” Maddie said.

  That statement felt like a poisoned arrow through his heart. “How do you know that’s true? Maybe your dad didn’t know about you. Or maybe he wanted to be part of your life but couldn’t.”

  Maddie looked at him, long and hard. “Do you think that’s true?” she finally asked.

  “Where are all these questions coming from anyway?” Tuck asked.

  “I don’t know. It just doesn’t make sense why you’re so nice to me—that’s all.”

  “Maybe it’s because I like you,” he said. “I think you’re a really cool kid, and I want the best for you. I can also see how much potential you have, and I don’t want you to throw it away. You’ve got a long, full life ahead of you, Maddie, and those legs of yours are going to take you places you can’t even imagine yet.”

  A soft smile curved her lips. “Okay,” she said after a moment. “Break’s over. I’m going to walk one more time before we finish our session.”

  “Okay,” he agreed, glancing at his watch. Maddie was his last patient of the day. After she was gone, he’d head back inside the house for a drink. And hopefully by then, Josie would be back from wherever she’d spent the day. She’d said something last night about going downtown to work. Considering that she was still gone, he guessed she’d probably met up with Kaitlyn and they’d run a few errands together or Josie had gone back to the bed and breakfast to help with any number of things. It was great that her schedule was full during the day. He just hoped her nights would remain free for him.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Josie still wasn’t sure where her day had gone. She was supposed to be coming up with new, exciting ideas that would make Bart happy. Instead, when Kaitlyn had called around noon asking to meet up for lunch, Josie had asked how many married couples were currently staying at the Sweetwater Bed and Breakfast.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Kaitlyn had responded. “Let’s see. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson. And the Browns. There’s another couple occupying the Dirty Dancing room but they aren’t married. They’re college students here on spring break. The young man is preparing to propose to his girlfriend this summer
though,” Kaitlyn confided. “He told me that and made me promise not to tip his girlfriend off.”

  Excitement had swelled in Josie’s chest as she’d listened. “Do you mind picking me up downtown and taking me to the inn for the rest of the day?” she asked. “If you can’t, I can call a cab and find my way there.”

  “Sure,” Kaitlyn said. “But why? What’s going on?”

  “I’m writing a new article,” Josie told her. “At least I might be. Are any of your guests from North Carolina?”

  “I know at least one couple is,” Kaitlyn said.

  “Great! Do you think they’ll mind if I interview them?”

  “I don’t see why they would. Gina is here with me today. She can watch the inn while I run over to get you.”

  Twenty minutes later, Josie was sitting at the dining room table at the Sweetwater Bed and Breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Robinson. She had her laptop set up in front of her, and she was recording everything they said.

  “We met at a family reunion,” Mrs. Robinson told her.

  Josie lifted her fingers off the keyboard. “Oh?” Meeting the love of your life at your own family reunion didn’t sound romantic, or even legal.

  The couple shared a knowing look as they laughed.

  “Mary was spending the day with my great-aunt,” Mr. Robinson explained, “while Mary’s mom was in labor with her sister.”

  “So I wasn’t supposed to be there. It was an emergency-type situation. I wasn’t part of the Robinson family,” Mary clarified.

  “Not yet.” Mr. Robinson reached for her hand and gave it a loving squeeze.

  “How old were you two?” Josie asked.

  “I was fourteen,” Mrs. Robinson said.

  “And I was sixteen. I recognized her from school. We exchanged phone numbers after a while. Even though I liked her, she was too young for me at the time.”

  “I had such a huge crush on Danny,” Mary said, looking over at her husband. “When I turned sixteen, he asked me on our first date,” she said. “I scared him when I nearly screamed yes.”

  “Where did you two go?” Josie asked, so immersed in the story that she nearly forgot to type.

  “I invited her to the Robinson family reunion again,” Danny said.

  “He told me that evening that I would be a Robinson one day when he made me his wife.” Mrs. Robinson chuckled at the memory. “I haven’t missed a single Robinson family reunion since I was sixteen years old.”

  “That is so romantic.” Josie sighed.

  The couple shared a look with one another that spoke volumes. They told her about their wedding and honeymoon then. Their years of trying to have children but never being able to conceive.

  “It was hard,” Mrs. Robinson said. “For a while, I felt like less of a wife for not being able to give Danny children. I was so depressed that I even considered leaving him. Why would he want me? I was a failure.”

  Danny took her hand and then brought it to his mouth for a kiss. “It never changed my love for you.” He looked at Josie. “We adopted two kids when we were in our thirties. Dustin and Diana. They live here in town. They’re about your age, I’d say.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Josie’s eyes burned as her fingers flew across the keyboard. Danny and Mary wouldn’t have been able to have children if someone else hadn’t given them the chance to adopt. They were a loving couple, and Josie had no doubt that they’d given Dustin and Diana a good home.

  The interview took about an hour. When it was over, the couple stood.

  “If you live in town, why are you staying here at the bed and breakfast right now?” Josie asked.

  “It’s our anniversary week,” Danny said. “I felt like we needed to go somewhere romantic to celebrate.”

  “And the Sweetwater Bed and Breakfast was named as one of the most romantic retreats last year.”

  Josie nodded, realizing they didn’t know she was the one who’d penned the article.

  “Why drive hundreds of miles or more when you can travel a couple of miles and have the same experience?” Mary asked.

  “Well, thank you for taking the time to talk to me during your anniversary celebration.”

  “It was fun to reflect on it all. It’s been such a wild ride,” the older woman said. “And it’s nowhere near finished yet.”

  “Let us know when our story comes out. We’ll be famous,” Danny said.

  Josie laughed. “I will.” She watched them grab cookies from the plate that Kaitlyn had laid out for them and then stroll hand in hand out of the dining room.

  Kaitlyn peeked into the room. “Done?”

  “Yes. They had an amazing story.” Josie sighed.

  Kaitlyn stood there watching her. “I can’t wait to read it. Will it be in an upcoming issue of Loving Life? Or, I’m sorry, what’s the magazine’s new name?”

  “The Vibe,” Josie said. “And no. Bart would never approve of an article like that. This is for Michelle at Carolina Home magazine.”

  “What? Really?” Kaitlyn slid into the chair across from Josie and grabbed a cookie for herself. “This is new.”

  Josie shrugged. “The opportunity arose, so…”

  “Did you get what you need? Want to interview someone else?”

  “Not right now,” Josie said. “But maybe another time.”

  “Well then maybe, you can help me get started on my grandma’s made-from-scratch biscuits for tomorrow’s breakfast.”

  “Haven’t you learned that I’m an awful cook by now?” Josie asked on a laugh.

  “Yes, but I haven’t given up on teaching you. Unless you’re in a hurry to get started on writing your new article,” Kaitlyn said, patting Mr. Darcy’s head as he padded over and pressed against her thigh.

  Josie wasn’t in a hurry to get started on the article though. She was in a hurry to get back to Tuck.

  * * *

  The next day, Tuck walked into a little diner on the edge of town and looked around. Maddie was back to school this week so he’d arranged to meet with Beverly. There were important things that had yet to be discussed. Beverly was already seated in a corner booth, her hands folded on the table in front of her. She waved when he looked in her direction. With a nod, he headed over and sat down.

  “Good morning,” he said. He noted that Beverly was fresh faced this morning, and the dark circles under her eyes weren’t as pronounced. Maybe she’d put on a little makeup or maybe she was feeling better. He hoped it was the latter. “How are you feeling?”

  “Oh, each day seems to be a different story. Today I’m feeling good. My chemotherapy ended last week so my energy levels are up. I’ll see my doctor again next month, and he’ll determine if I need to go back for more.”

  Tuck didn’t want to pry—Beverly had told him before that she expected to recover—but he needed to make sure for Maddie’s sake. “What’s your prognosis?”

  Beverly smiled at him. “The same as yours, I guess. Nobody knows how many days they have left on earth. I could die tomorrow or live to be one hundred.”

  “True enough.” He and Renee had tried to stay positive too, focusing on the best-case scenario instead of the worst. But then the worst had happened. He swallowed past the emotions that always surfaced when he thought about that time in his life and how things might have worked out differently.

  A waitress came to their table and placed two vinyl menus in front of them. “Hi, guys. Just wave your hand at me when you’re ready to order.”

  “Thanks,” Tuck said. When the waitress had gone, he didn’t reach for his menu though. “I asked to meet you today because I want to talk about Maddie.”

  “I guessed as much.”

  “I don’t need proof to know she’s mine,” he said.

  Beverly didn’t look surprised by that either.

  “I understand we probably need to have a DNA test to appease the courts though. That way I can take over custody of Maddie.”

  Beverly’s eyes shined. “I love my granddaughter, Tuck. I want
what’s best for her. I don’t know why Crystal was so adamant about keeping you out of Maddie’s life. I suppose she thought it would be easier that way.”

  “Easier for who?” Tuck asked, unable to tame his anger. “Certainly not for me or Maddie. We had a right to know.”

  “I don’t disagree.”

  “If we’re going to do a DNA test, we’ll have to tell Maddie what’s going on,” he said. “I think we should do that sooner rather than later.” Maddie’s questions had left him unsettled the other day. It was time to tell her that she was his daughter.

  “I think we should wait,” Beverly argued. “I contacted you because I needed to see if you would be a suitable guardian for Maddie. And I think you are.”

  “Of course I am. I’m her father.”

  Beverly met his gaze and continued, keeping her voice slow and calm in contrast to his. “But Maddie is just starting to get her feet back under her—literally. She’s hanging out with her friends again. She’s smiling and laughing. She hasn’t done that since Crystal died. If we tell her that her mother lied to her all this time and kept her father a secret, it might put her back in a dark place, Tuck. Let’s wait awhile longer.”

  Enough time had already slipped unknowingly through his fingers. He didn’t want to lose any more. “I don’t like her thinking that her father just walked out on her. She needs to know that she’s loved. That she’s wanted. I don’t see how that can be a bad thing for her.”

  Beverly’s hand was shaking as she reached for her glass of iced water. She took a sip as she seemed to be pondering the decision. In his mind, there was no question. This was what needed to be done, for Maddie’s sake.

  “She’s taking her end-of-year test at school next week. The test will determine if she continues in her honors classes. Can we at least wait to tell her until after she’s completed the assessment?”

  Tuck thought about it for a moment. “That’s a good idea,” he finally said. “Then we’ll make a plan to get the DNA testing done. In the meantime, I’ll contact my lawyer and see what I need to do to start working on taking over guardianship of Maddie.”