A Future to Fight For

by Mindy Obenhaus

  “Any idea how I should tell her? I mean, I can’t just let her off the hook. Not after that little tantrum.”

  “You could tell her she has to help me with the planning and preparations.”

  His chuckle held a hint of sarcasm. “Are you kidding? She’d be all over that.”

  “Good point.”

  “I’ll have to think on it. Right now, we have work to do and dinner is getting cold.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Mac. David. Dinner.” Turning back to the stove, he grabbed a knife and a cutting board and began slicing the aromatic bread.

  “Anything I can do to help?” Paisley slid out of her chair.

  “Salad is in the fridge, if you want to grab it.”

  Moving around the island, she reached for the door handle.

  “It’s in a bowl, not the bag,” Crockett was quick to add.

  Smiling, she opened the refrigerator. “Well, now I feel special.” She retrieved the clear glass bowl filled with a mixture of romaine, carrots, red cabbage and tomatoes. As she set it on the table, Mackenzie entered the room. Instead of coming to the table, though, she tentatively moved into the kitchen, pausing beside her father.

  With tears in her eyes and a pout on her lips, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you.”

  Setting the knife on the counter, he wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her to him. “I love you, sweetness.” He kissed the top of her head. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

  “I know.” The girl sniffed.

  The precious exchange had Paisley a little misty. Perhaps Mackenzie understood more than her father suspected. That knowledge made Paisley’s heart ache all the more.

  Crockett released his daughter. “You can have your swim party.”

  Taking a step back, Mackenzie wiped her tears with the heels of her hands. “But you said—”

  “Paisley has offered to help.”

  The girl’s gaze shifted to Paisley as a wide smile graced her beautiful face. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Whatever you need, darlin’.”

  Mackenzie charged toward her, practically bowling her over with the force of her hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Paisley smoothed a hand over the girl’s silky hair, savoring the embrace. Her newfound awareness of Mackenzie and David’s situation had her longing to help them any way she could. But first she’d have to prove herself worthy of Crockett’s trust. Given how he had been let down, that might be an uphill battle.

  * * *

  Papaw’s dream was finally coming true.

  Rain peppered Crockett’s windshield as he pulled up to Renwick Castle Saturday morning. Despite the gray skies, he was on top of the world. Mac was going to get her swim party, he and Paisley had synced their lists with few disagreements and, as of yesterday, the contracts on the castle had been approved, signed and were now on their way back to the Renwicks’ attorney.

  Crockett and Paisley were officially employees of the Renwicks for a term of ten years, with options to extend. In addition to managerial salaries, they would maintain exclusive rights to the castle’s use and profit-share with the Renwicks.

  Now, he was about to meet with the castle’s owner and begin the process of sharing his passion for Texas history with others. Thankfully, the college-age girl who was going to be nannying the kids this summer was already home from school and able to stay with them today.

  Eyeing the luxury rental car parked near the front door, he tried to remember when the notion of a museum had become important to him. His grandfather had talked about it for so long that Crockett had a hard time figuring out where Papaw’s desires left off and his began. Still, as the decades passed, it had been little more than a pipe dream...until the day Crockett realized he had the means to make his grandfather’s vision a reality.

  Granted, things had turned out different than he’d imagined. Still, he wished his grandfather could be here to share in the adventure.

  Movement in his periphery had him twisting to see Paisley’s SUV turning into the drive. He grabbed his notebook and umbrella and exited his truck.

  Opening the umbrella, he continued toward Paisley as her door opened. “You ready?”

  Her smile was wide as she stepped out, closing her door before slipping under the umbrella. Hair pulled up into one of those perfectly messy updos, she looked fashionable yet professional in skinny jeans and a white shirt topped with a navy blazer. “Are you kidding? This is the equivalent of Christmas morning to a seven-year-old. I barely slept last night.”

  “I know what you mean.” He’d done a fair amount of tossing and turning himself.

  The front door swung open before they reached the stoop, and a woman with straight, shoulder-length, salt-and-pepper hair stepped under the stone portico. Her gray slacks and a tailored white button-down shirt seemed rather stuffy, though she smiled politely as they approached.

  “Mr. Devereaux and Ms. Wainwright, I presume.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Crockett closed the umbrella as they stepped under the portico.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Simmons.” Paisley extended her hand.

  “Oh, please—” the woman waved off the comment and took hold “—call me Molly.” Moments later, she turned her attention to Crockett.

  He, too, offered his hand, only to have it enfolded in both of hers. “You can call me Crockett.”

  “That’s a very Texas-sounding name, young man.” The woman, who was probably only a few years older than him and stood almost a foot shorter than his six foot three, peered up at him through quirky red-framed glasses.

  “Thank you. I’m kind of partial to it.” He left the umbrella outside as they moved into the entry hall.

  “On behalf of my cousin and myself, I want to thank the two of you for contacting us about the castle.” Molly closed the door behind them. “Quite honestly, we’d both forgotten about the place. Neither of us really spent any time here as children, so any memories we had are long-forgotten.”

  “That’s a shame.” Paisley paused beside the knight’s armor. “I would think visiting a castle would be a wonderful opportunity to spark a child’s imagination.”

  Crockett could certainly attest to that. His imagination had run wild in this place.

  “Perhaps. But with the company headquartered in the northeast and Bliss being rather out of the way, it wasn’t practical. Of course, neither Jared’s nor my father had much interest in the old castle. To them, it was simply the frivolity of an old Scotsman.”

  Having met Molly’s grandfather when he was a boy, Crockett was pretty sure Charles hadn’t viewed his grandfather’s legacy as something frivolous.

  Curious, Crockett studied the woman. “How do you feel about the castle?”

  “I think you were absolutely correct when you referred to it as a ‘unique piece of Texas history,’ one that shouldn’t be left to ruin. Your ideas of using it as a museum and for weddings and other events are absolutely stellar. However, we have much work to do to get to that point, so let’s get started.”

  Molly strode deeper into the entry hall. “We know the infrastructure will need to be inspected and, perhaps, overhauled. Things like electricity, plumbing, air-conditioning.” She paused, fanning herself. “Is it always so humid here?”

  “Welcome to the coastal plains of Texas,” said Crockett. “Where we tend to get a lot of moisture from the Gulf.”

  Paisley’s gaze moved from him to Molly. “However, we are experiencing a wetter-than-normal spring, so things are a little damper than usual.”

  “Judging by the jungle outside, I should say so.” Molly tugged at the hem of her shirt. “Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Infrastructure. We should also have the house inspected to make sure everything is structurally sound.” She planted a fist
on one hip. “Have you seen the kitchen?”

  “Yes,” Crockett and Paisley said in unison.

  “Good, then you’re aware that it needs to be gutted and updated.”

  “It should also be a commercial kitchen.” Paisley looked from her notes to Molly.

  “Indeed,” said Molly. “Nothing but stainless steel.”

  Paisley grinned.

  “Let’s go upstairs.” Molly started toward the grand staircase.

  Crockett hesitated. “Are you aware of the stairs in the northeast tower?” Perhaps that might jog Molly’s memory.

  Her hand on the railing, Molly paused. “I’d forgotten all about them.” Her smile seemed to indicate he’d achieved his goal. “Let’s use those.” Doing an about-face, she continued toward the back of the castle and made a left turn.

  An elbow nudge had him turning to see Paisley’s thumbs-up as they followed, only to halt soon after when Molly abruptly stopped at the base of the tower.

  “What is this mark?” She pointed to a dark streak in the stone approximately twenty inches above the floor. “I vaguely remember it being there when I was a child, though I must have been too busy playing to ask about it.”

  “That’s from the 1913 flood.” Crockett looked from Molly to Paisley. “Heavy rains caused the river to come out of its banks. More than half of the town was cut off by floodwaters. Someone marked the water level for posterity.”

  “Has it flooded since?” Paisley’s eyes were wide.

  “Not that I’m aware of.” He shrugged. “Or else no one bothered to mark it. It’s just another fascinating bit of the castle’s history.”

  “Indeed.” Molly started up the staircase.

  “What compelled Angus Renwick to build a castle?” Paisley eyed Molly as they moved into the ballroom a short time later.

  “From what I was told, he wanted to bring a little bit of Scotland to his new home. This wasn’t his primary residence, though.”

  “Oh?” Paisley looked surprised.

  “Angus was a cattle baron.” Crockett smiled at Molly. “He had a few thousand acres out west of town.”

  “Land that has long since left the family,” Molly was quick to add.

  “Ah, but it’s where he built his fortune.” Crockett moved deeper into the ballroom. “He hosted parties and such at the castle. It even served briefly as a hospital.”

  “Really?” Paisley’s sapphire eyes went wide, obviously intrigued by the revelation.

  “During a yellow fever epidemic,” Crockett continued. “The town had no hospital and the castle had plenty of room.”

  “That’s when Angus met my great-great-grandmother.” Molly beamed. “The poor man had left Scotland with a broken heart and a promise that he would never love again. Then he met Mary, a nurse twenty years his junior. Six months later they were married.”

  “Oh, I love that.” Paisley pressed a hand to her chest.

  “It is a rather romantic story,” Molly mused. “One that shows just how powerful love can be.”

  “Yes, and now I really can’t wait to start having weddings here.”

  On the third floor Molly deemed that the atrocious carpet had to go, and they all agreed that the original long leaf pine floors should be refinished. Then it was determined that the bedrooms could be used for bridal parties and, perhaps, conference rooms.

  By the time they returned to the first level, Crockett could hardly wait to get started.

  Standing in the entry hall again, Molly said, “The thing that bothers me most about this place is that it’s so dark. I know we’re not able to add more windows, but I believe we could brighten things up a bit by either removing all of this dark wood on the walls and ceiling or, perhaps, covering it with a bright white paint.”

  Crockett felt his eyes widen as he and Paisley exchanged a look. “With all due respect—” he shifted his attention to Molly “—the woodwork is integral to the character of the castle. Not only is it made of ancient mahogany, it adds warmth to all of the stone and makes it reminiscent of the Scottish castles Angus grew up around.”

  “Yes,” Paisley continued, “the old-world look is what will appeal to visitors, evoking thoughts of medieval knights, princes and fairy tales. It’s what makes Renwick Castle unique—and unique is what sells.”

  One arm across her midsection, Molly perched her other elbow atop it and settled her chin between her thumb and forefinger as she scrutinized the space.

  Unwilling to let things go, Crockett forged on. “Angus modeled Renwick castle after real places he visited as a young man. Everything from the location to the gardens to the interior brought back fond memories for him. We don’t want to erase those memories. However, we could brighten things up with lighting. Even the smallest, most unobtrusive LED lights can change things considerably.”

  After a long moment, Molly said, “I suppose this means you want to keep that thing, then.” She pointed to the knight’s armor near the entrance.

  Paisley smiled. “It definitely sets the stage.”

  Molly cocked her head. “In a kitschy sort of way.” Another moment ticked by as she continued to ponder. “I suppose that, since the castle is going to be a destination as opposed to a home, unique would be the best approach.” She lowered her arms. “All right, you’ve talked me into it.”

  Crockett released the breath he’d been holding. “Thank you, Molly. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.”

  “No, I don’t believe I will. I trust the two of you to do the right thing. Between your knowledge of the castle’s history and Paisley’s sense of style, I think you two were the right choice. You’ll be terrific partners. I mean, just look at how you teamed together just now to convince me.”

  Him and Paisley partners. Who’d have thought?

  That is, assuming he didn’t mess things up again.

  Chapter Six

  Since Molly had given Paisley and Crockett keys to the castle, stating they could begin work whenever they liked, Paisley woke Monday morning, ready to hit the ground running.

  After delivering chocolate chunk cookies, gingersnaps and scotcharoos to Rae’s and grabbing her daily cappuccino, she went to Bliss Hardware to get some moving boxes. Per Molly’s request, what remained of the castle’s contents, save for the knight’s armor and the majority of the kitchen items, would be picked up by movers in a few weeks and sent to the Renwicks. Still, Paisley wanted to get a head start by boxing up some of the smaller items. Anything that would make her feel as though they were making progress.

  She wasn’t keen on the idea of working without the benefit of air-conditioning, but until they were able to get things inspected, she’d simply have to deal with the heat and humidity. After all, she wasn’t about to waste precious time, not when she hoped to have the castle open for business before the holidays. That gave her a good five months. Since they weren’t doing anything structural, it was definitely doable.

  After parking, she headed into the hardware store where she found Christa, the store’s owner, behind the cash register.

  “And how’s my favorite newlywed?” Paisley hugged her friend as she rounded the counter.

  “Just peachy.”

  “And Sadie?” After the death of his sister and brother-in-law, Christa’s husband, Mick, became guardian for his six-year-old niece.

  “Ready for school to be out,” said Christa.

  “She’s in kindergarten. How bad can it be?”

  “I know, right?” She skimmed her chin-length brown hair behind her ear. “I think it’s the riding lessons we promised that’s got her so excited. She loves horses.”

  Crockett’s training facility came to mind. “Where is she taking lessons?”

  “Kacey Garrett, the ag teacher at the high school, teaches little buckaroo classes out at her place during the summer.”

  “Kacey’s a
sweetheart. Sadie’s going to love her.” Paisley noticed the plastic sheeting that covered an opening on the far wall. “How’s the store expansion coming?”

  “Good. Another month or so and our new home design center should be open.” Christa elbowed her as they strolled away from the checkout counter, a glimmer in her hazel eyes. “So what have you been up to? Laurel said you got the castle and you’re going to be working with Crockett Devereaux.” Her voice held an incredulous tone. “Whose idea was that? Last time I checked, you two were perpetually at odds with each other.”

  “Pretty much.” Paisley explained the Renwicks’ offer. “It was an all-or-nothing deal, but one that was important enough for us to set aside our differences.”

  “If you say so. I just hope you don’t kill each other in the process.”

  “Oh, it’s not that bad.” She swatted her friend, knowing that she and Crockett had come a long way these past couple of weeks. “And now that we’ve officially been given the go-ahead, I need some packing boxes and tape, please.”

  “Sounds like you’re not wasting any time.”

  She followed Christa toward the back of the store. “I can’t afford to, not if I want the work completed before the holidays.”

  Her friend paused. “What about the B and B?”

  “I expect I’ll be far too busy to host any guests for a while.”

  A short time later, Paisley’s SUV was filled with every box Bliss Hardware had in stock. She drove across town, grateful for the bright morning sun. With no electricity to illuminate the castle, the sun was her friend, even if it did up the temperature. She prayed Crockett could get those inspectors out there soon.

  Pulling up to the castle, she worked through the half a dozen or so keys Molly had given her until she found the one to unlock the gate. She parked near the entrance, then grabbed her leather tote, cappuccino and insulated water cup and stepped outside.

  Her shorts-and-tank-top-clad body vibrated with energy as she made her way onto the covered porch and unlocked the door. Her dream had come true. Part of it, anyway. And soon, she’d be bringing fairy-tale weddings to life.