“Things can always turn around,” she said, trying to assure him. But even Molly knew things looked grim.
His serious gaze rested on her. “You’ll probably want to go ahead and look for another job, Molly.”
“Am I fired?”
He shook his head. “No, but we have no way of paying you.”
Molly’s hands went to her hips. “I’m not going anywhere. As long as I have a place to sleep, I’ll be okay.”
His gaze still remained serious. “I appreciate your bravado, but you don’t have to do that, Molly. I totally understand if you want to leave.”
“But I don’t. I don’t want to leave. I’m not giving up on this camp.”
Cody stepped behind them. “Neither am I.”
“I’m sticking around, too,” Ernie said, appearing from the other room.
Nick’s gaze wandered to each of them. “I appreciate your loyalty, guys. But even losing the money for one week of camp will put us so behind that I’m not sure we’ll catch up.”
Cody shook his head. “I’ve already talked to my friends at church. They’re organizing a yard sale and bake sale for this week, with all the proceeds going to the camp.”
“I’ve got some savings I can live on, so don’t worry about me,” Molly said. “And maybe we can get some other churches that support the camp to do some fundraisers.”
Cody nodded enthusiastically. “I bet we could organize that. In fact, since I won’t have anyone to act as a lifeguard for, I could organize that. I can start making some calls now.”
“It could be worth a shot,” Ernie agreed.
Nick’s gaze still looked weary. “It will be simply amazing if we pull this off.”
Molly squeezed his arm. “We can do it.”
Nick looked out at the distance in thought before slowly nodding. “Thanks, guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re all real lifesavers. I wasn’t expecting to be thrust into this position as camp director, but I do know that God works all things for a purpose. I’m going to keep believing that, and I hope you all will, too. This camp isn’t going down without a fight.”
“That’s the spirit!” Molly clapped as if at a pep rally, glad to hear some enthusiasm return to Nick’s voice. She knew it had been a hard night for him. He had to call his parents and tell them the news about Gene. Then he drove Molly into town to have her cut looked at. Ten stitches later, they’d returned to the camp and were up for the rest of the night answering questions from the sheriff.
She wished she could say the worst was over. But her gut told her that the worst had only just begun.
* * *
Four hours later, Molly, Nick and Cody had called every camper who was supposed to be arriving tomorrow and informed them of the change of plans. Reactions had ranged from disbelief to disappointment to outrage. The staff had assured everyone that their money would be refunded and that the whole ordeal would hopefully be cleared up very soon.
When they were done, Cody met some of his friends from church who’d decided to pitch in, buy some paint and give the cabins a fresh coat. Nick had to admire the group for their tightness, loyalty and enthusiasm. Molly disappeared to the nurse’s station to see if anything needed to be restocked. And Nick sat in his office, staring at a blank computer screen.
For a moment earlier today, he’d actually entertained the idea of leaving the camp permanently. After all, this place had been one big headache since he’d arrived and being director here was not even on his long-range agenda. But then everyone had stepped up with such enthusiasm. He’d known at that moment that if he were to leave, it would be one of his biggest regrets. Nick needed to stand behind the camp with the same loyalty his staff members had.
But Gene... His cousin’s image flashed into his mind. What had happened to his cousin? Had a wild animal attacked him? Nick’s gut told him that wasn’t what happened. Had the men from the woods killed him? Nick didn’t want to believe that to be true. He wanted to think the threats were empty. Could it have been a terrible accident? A heart attack? Again, Nick shook his head. He had to stop playing this guessing game.
A soft knock sounded at his door and a moment later Molly peeked her head inside. “Bad time?”
He shook his head, his mood already lighter. “Never a bad time to see you.”
A hesitant smile crossed her face as she lowered herself into a chair across from him. “As I was sorting through our medical supplies, I started thinking about this whole situation, Nick,” she started. “All of the threats seem to be centered on the woods. We’ve mentioned hunters who want to use the property. We’ve mentioned someone wanting to buy the land for a factory. But what if someone was doing something illegal on the land?”
“What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “I mean, what if someone is growing marijuana or something? I’ve heard of things like that happening, and the land the camp owns would be a perfect place to hide a crop like that because the area is so remote.”
He tilted his head in contemplation. “I never thought of that.”
She shrugged again. “Maybe I’m off base. But you have been clearing some hiking paths. What if those paths are getting closer and closer to whatever’s going on? Maybe that’s why someone wants this property or why they want to run you off of this property—before you figure out what’s going on.”
“That’s a thought, Molly. The problem is that we have so many acres here. How will we know what’s going on with the property? It would take forever to comb the entire area.”
“A flyover, maybe? I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I was just down in the nurse’s station thinking about those drugs that went missing. My mind went from there.”
“I’ll talk to the sheriff. Maybe we can figure something out.”
Molly stood. “We’ve got to get to the bottom of this somehow.”
“We? You mean, the sheriff.”
“Of course.” She paused and then sat back down. “Okay, I admit that it’s hard for me to sit back and do nothing. I want to be out there solving this thing. I can’t stand to think about the camp being shut down for the rest of the summer.”
“I don’t want to think about that, either. But even more than that, I don’t want to think about something happening to you.” The very thought of it made his stomach clench.
Footsteps coming down the wood floor of the hallway quieted them. Nick’s parents appeared in the doorway. Mrs. White’s scowl immediately fell on Molly. Molly excused herself. It was probably a good thing that she wouldn’t be around for any more of the drama that seemed to happen when his parents were around lately.
His mom and dad shuffled into the close quarters and closed the door. They stood awkwardly in front of his desk.
Nick pointed to the chairs. “Care to have a seat?”
His parents perched on the edge of the faded chairs, their postures stiff and uncomfortable. Nick’s dad spoke first. “We’ve heard from Richard about everything happening here, son. We don’t like it. And your aunt Emma Jean is devastated over the news of Gene. He was her only son. I hate to say it but, this camp is bad news.”
The unseen weight on Nick’s shoulders suddenly felt heavier. “I’m in charge of things around here now. I have to see this through to completion. I can’t let all of the good things that take place here disappear forever.”
“You’re being foolhardy.” His mother’s knuckles whitened as she grasped the purse in her lap
. “We raised you better than this.”
“You raised me to be responsible, to not give up, to work hard. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
His mother’s voice softened. “You had so much potential, Nicholas. Why’d you throw it all away?”
Nick shook his head, certain that his mother would never see this situation his way. “I didn’t throw it away, Mom. I just realized I had to make some changes in my life, that it couldn’t keep on going the way it was.”
“What was so wrong with being a chaplain?” His dad blinked back disappointment. “You had a bright career ahead of you. Everyone I talked to said so.”
“Being a chaplain was never my true calling. I’m glad I did it while I did. I saw lives changed. I know God used me. But it was time for me to take a step back.”
His dad’s chin hardened. “I see.”
Silence stretched between them. Finally, his mom cleared her throat. “Gene’s funeral will be this week. You will be there, won’t you?”
“Of course I’ll be there.”
She gave a curt nod. “And you’ll be cautious while staying here at the camp?”
“Mom, I served over in Iraq. I think I can handle Camp Hope Springs.”
The first touch of a smile passed over his mother’s features. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished. She held her head high and nodded instead. “Very well. There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
Nick braced himself, sure that he didn’t want to hear what she had to say.
* * *
Molly sat outside the cafeteria, enjoying the quiet for a moment. What were Nick’s parents doing here? Would they ever accept Molly? Even now with her and Nick just being friends they seemed to shun her. His parents were overbearing. Molly knew on a logical level that his parents, deep down, loved him more than anything. They just had a funny way of showing it sometimes.
Her thoughts drifted to yesterday. What had gone on between her and Nick? Every time Molly turned around, he seemed to be flirting with her. Certainly he wasn’t playing with the idea of a romance flaring between them again...was he? Because that would never happen.
Nick had broken her heart once before. She couldn’t risk that again. She couldn’t risk struggling with feeling like she wasn’t good enough. She couldn’t face feeling abandoned again. It’s why she’d worked so hard to be self-sufficient in her life, to show everyone that she could handle herself despite her circumstances. A blast from her past wasn’t going to change that now.
So why did she constantly entertain the idea of being with Nick again? And why did she always want to be near him?
She knew the answer. Her feelings for Nick had really never died, despite the pain he’d caused. But feelings didn’t matter. It was what she did with her feelings that counted. Acting on her feelings now would only lead to heartache further down the road.
What had he said yesterday? That he’d broken up with her out of fear that she’d see the real him? Could that be the truth? Had he really not ended things because he’d felt she wasn’t good enough?
He seemed to have grown since then into a man who was comfortable in his own skin, who was comfortable with admitting his mistakes and failures and weaknesses. And Molly found that incredibly attractive.
At the center of it, Nick had a heart that sought to help others and to follow God. That was the most attractive thing.
The sheriff pulled up, his visits seemingly becoming part of his daily routine.
“How’s it going, Sheriff Spruill?”
“I want to send some of my men out to search for any evidence we may have missed last night.”
“I’m sure that’s fine.”
“I have a couple of questions for Nick about his grandfather’s cabin. Is he around?”
“Let me get him for you.”
Molly hurried upstairs and raised her hand to knock on his door when the conversation on the other side caught her attention. She paused, hand in air, and stepped closer to the door.
“The girl’s always been a bad influence on you, Nicholas,” his mother’s voice rang out.
“Mom—”
“Just hear me out,” she insisted. “You’re going to regret it if you change your life’s course for her. She may be pleasing to the eye but in the long run she’ll only bring you down. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She doesn’t fit into our family and nothing will ever change that.”
Silence responded. Nick didn’t argue or defend her. Maybe he’d finally seen the light. Maybe, deep inside, he realized the truth of his parents’ words. Maybe he’d always realized the truth, he’d just been in denial.
Tears pricked Molly’s eyes as Mrs. White’s words slammed into her heart. Molly knew the truth—she knew she’d risen above her upbringing, that she was a child of God and that her self-esteem could be found in Him. Despite that, sadness pressed down on her chest.
Her throat burning with emotion, she fled. The sheriff would have to come up here and find Nick himself because Molly wasn’t in the mood to face Nick’s parents right now. She disappeared into the nurse’s station and closed the door, needing a moment to herself.
All these years she’d been holding out for God’s best for her life and now, in an instant, she felt like she wasn’t worth God’s best. Her mind knew the truth, but her heart wasn’t convinced yet. She’d be civil toward Nick, she decided. But she had to put some distance between them. Her heart couldn’t handle another rejection from Nick.
The sound of someone pounding down the steps rattled the ceiling above her. Nick’s parents must be leaving. She wondered if they’d made peace. She wondered if Nick had finally seen their way of thinking. Would he even tell her about their conversation?
Cody’s voice broke the silence. Molly opened the door to her quarters, the urgency of his tone tightening her muscles. She stepped into the cafeteria and saw Cody with the sheriff and Nick. What had happened now?
“What’s wrong, Cody?” Molly stepped toward him.
“Laura’s gone. No one’s seen her for two hours now.”
Molly closed her eyes. No, not Laura. The counselor still had so much of her life ahead of her...
“Where was the last place you saw her?” Nick asked.
Cody swallowed so hard that his Adam’s apple jerked up and down. “Walking toward the woods.”
THIRTEEN
“You should have stayed at the cafeteria, Molly. I can tell your leg hurts.”
Molly pushed ahead, ignoring the ache. “I want to help look for Laura.”
“Aside from your injury, you hate the woods.”
“I hate the woods, but I have priorities. I can’t stand the thought of her being lost out there...or even worse.”
Nick placed his hand on the small of Molly’s back as they continued deeper into the forest. Everyone at the camp and several sheriff’s deputies had divided into search teams. No one was to go into the woods alone, though. Nick knew as soon as Molly had volunteered to help that he wasn’t letting her out of his sight.
He had to admire her decision to venture into the forest again, especially considering how terrified she was. But Molly had always had the ability to separate from her emotions and do the right thing.
Her eyes had had a distant look to them since she’d emerged from her quarters earlier. What was that about? Had she gotten another message from Derek? Was she second-guessing her decision to stay here? Something appeared to have gotten her
down.
She didn’t seem in the mood to talk, so instead Nick let silence fall between them. As the trail narrowed, Nick’s thoughts went to his visit with his parents. Their talk hadn’t gone so well. He respected his parents and loved them, but setting up boundaries proved difficult. Would his parents ever accept that he was his own man? Sometimes he thought they feared disappointing their congregation more than they cared about Nick’s happiness.
Anger still burned in him when he remembered the way they’d spoken about Molly. Molly didn’t fit into their perfect little vision they had for his future. After a moment of composing himself, he’d tried to explain to them that their vision for his future wasn’t his vision. They’d never given Molly a chance.
He remembered the first time he’d brought her home to meet his folks. Things had started well. Then they began asking about her background. What do your parents do for a living? they’d questioned. Molly had told them that her dad left when she was a toddler, and her mom worked as a waitress at a diner in town. They lived in an apartment in the not-so-good part of town—the only place they could afford. Molly’s past had included drinking and partying before she found Jesus. And she had never been willing to accept things at face value or simply because that was the way they’d always been done. She thought for herself, in short.
“Is everything okay, Molly?”
“I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“Not particularly.” She kept marching forward without so much a glance back.
Just yesterday, it seemed like they’d been on track to starting a relationship again. What had happened to make her change her mind? Had Nick done something to upset her?
“Do you think Laura wandered into the woods, Nick?”
At least she was talking to him. “I’m not sure. Her car is still at the camp, so we know she didn’t leave. Cody said she’d gotten irritated with some of the guys and taken a walk to cool off some. I just hope she didn’t get lost out here.”
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