Kinsley and Chase moved just slightly ahead, with Kinsley talking as fast as her little mouth could move. “I like s’mores,” she said to Chase, “but I also like ice cream.”
“I like ice cream, too,” Chase agreed. “Chocolate is my favorite.”
Kinsley looked up at him and grinned. “I like chocolate, too.”
Their side profiles were so similar, Joy caught her breath.
How much longer could she keep her secret? Already, Chase had been at Bee Tree Hill long enough that it would be awkward to suddenly bring it up. She couldn’t just approach him with the information. Maybe it would come up naturally.
The firepit was actually a fireplace with a chimney built on a little stone pier along the banks of the Mississippi. The pier was as old as the mansion itself. Joy liked to imagine the Asher family spending time around the fireplace since the 1890s. A stone bench lined the pier, and steps alongside it went right into the water. Joy tried to avoid bringing the kids near the water at all costs, and had given the boys strict instructions when they played outside alone. The girls were never allowed outside by themselves, and a part of her was hesitant to even let them know about the pier. She’d have to be adamant with them about staying away from the water again.
Mrs. Thompson and the boys met them at the pier and Chase ruffled Kodi’s hair.
“I’ll show you how to start a fire,” he told the boys, motioning for them to come close to him near the fireplace.
Joy groaned. “The last thing they need is to learn how to start a fire.”
Chase only smiled at her mothering and showed them how to lay the kindling inside the fireplace. With a strike of the match, he set the flame to the dry leaves and sticks and then fanned the flame to life. As he worked, the boys squatted next to him, eagerly listening, and when he said it was time to lay more sticks of wood on the fire, they did—very carefully.
“Girls,” Joy said to Harper and Kinsley, “stay back from the ledge.”
“What we need are some long sticks,” Chase told the boys next. “We’ll use those to roast the marshmallows.”
“I get long sticks!” Kinsley said.
“I can, too.” Jordan raised his hand.
The boys ran off with Kinsley following close behind.
“Boys,” Joy said, “watch Kinsley closely and don’t leave my eyesight.”
“Okay.”
Joy took a seat on the bench and Harper stood next to her, leaning against Joy’s knee as she watched her siblings looking for the perfect sticks.
“Have you given any thought to your fund-raising efforts?” Chase asked Joy.
Any thought? It was all she thought about. “I have.”
“It’s actually one of the reasons I wanted to gather everyone together tonight,” he said as he stood by the fireplace, his eyes on the kids.
For some reason, Joy’s heartbeat sped. Did Chase have important news about the sale of Bee Tree Hill? “What did you want to discuss?” she asked.
“I had an idea for a fund-raiser.” Chase stood with a wide stance, his arms crossed. Behind him, the Mississippi was high and the current was strong. It wasn’t very wide so close to the headwaters, but it was fast.
“What did you have in mind?” Mrs. Thompson asked. She sat next to Joy and motioned for Harper to climb into her lap.
“For years, people in this community have been curious about this property.” Chase’s eyes shone with his idea. “Why don’t we have an event to honor the family’s legacy and offer tours of the house? We could have volunteers dress up in period clothing to give the tours. We could also have an ice-cream-and-lemonade social on the lawn and offer games that were popular in the 1890s when the house was built.”
Joy’s heart sped up for an entirely different reason. “It’s a wonderful idea. We could ask the auto club to bring some of the old Model T cars and offer rides and I could ask Margie at the historical society to help with the games.” Her mind raced with ideas. “We’ll need time to plan and advertise, but I think we could hold it the last weekend in July.” Just before their eviction. Maybe, if they were successful with the fund-raiser, grants and other income sources, they wouldn’t be evicted, after all.
The children returned with several long sticks—and a few short ones from Kinsley—and Chase showed them how to sharpen the tips with his pocket knife so the marshmallow would slip on easily.
Together, they helped the children roast their marshmallows while Mrs. Thompson prepared the chocolate and graham crackers.
Joy couldn’t help but glance at Chase while he laughed with the boys.
When he looked up at her, he smiled, and she remembered all the reasons she had fallen in love with him. He was confident, smart, kind and one of the most generous people she’d ever met—thankfully she also knew his faults, because if she didn’t, she might find herself falling for him all over again.
* * *
Chase couldn’t take his eyes off Joy as the fire cracked and sizzled. She had to be the prettiest mom he’d ever seen—but, she was more than pretty. She was amazingly patient with the kids, though she parented with authority gained out of respect.
After the s’mores were eaten, they had sung a few camp songs, and told some stories. As the first stars sparkled in the growing darkness, Joy sighed. “It’s time for bed.”
The kids started to complain, and Chase couldn’t deny that he was also disappointed.
“We have a busy day tomorrow,” she said. “We need to start making plans for the Bee Tree Hill Festival.”
Harper lay in Joy’s arms, almost asleep. Her plump cheeks were pink from the heat of the fire and she had chocolate around her little mouth. She still watched him cautiously, but at least she didn’t run away from him anymore.
When Joy stood, Harper snuggled into her shoulder.
Kinsley also yawned as she sat on the bench next to Chase, her sticky hand on his leg. Mrs. Thompson had wiped her fingers with her washcloth, but somehow she’d made them sticky again.
“Would you like me to carry you to the house?” he asked her.
She nodded and lifted her arms for him to pick her up. He did, and was surprised at how light she felt.
“Should we put out the fire?” Ryan asked.
“Just dump the bucket of water on the coals,” Chase told him. He stood with Kinsley in his arms and watched Ryan do as he said while Mrs. Thompson walked Jordan and Kodi toward the house.
Joy also stood and watched Ryan.
“Thanks for the s’mores,” Ryan said to Chase after he was done. “I never made them over a real campfire before.”
“How’d you make them?” Chase asked the boy.
They started toward the house and Ryan put his hands in his pockets like a grown-up. “A foster home we lived in had one of those fake campfire machines to make them around the table.” He shrugged. “I like them better over a real fire.”
“Me, too,” Chase agreed.
“Why don’t you run ahead to Mrs. Thompson?” Joy asked him. “Wash up and then get your pajamas on. I’ll be in to pray for you as soon as I get the girls in bed.”
Ryan did as she instructed and took off across the lawn. At least a dozen yard lights lit up the lower part of the property.
Kinsley nestled her head into Chase’s shoulder and was soon breathing deeply. He rested his hand against her back, marveling at the way she trusted him to carry her safely inside.
“Thank you,” Joy said to him, “for being patient with the boys.”
“They’re great kids.” He wanted to ask about their birth parents, but didn’t know how much he could ask—or how much she could tell him. “How long have they been in the foster system?”
“Six years. Ryan was only two when they were removed from their birth mother’s home. Jordan was one and Kodi was just born.” She rubbed Harper’s back as she walk
ed. The little girl had her thumb in her mouth and her eyes were closed. “The county became aware of the neglect when their mother was in the hospital delivering Kodi. Apparently, Ryan and Jordan were at home alone when she was brought in.”
“At the ages of two and one?” Chase could hardly believe his ears.
“It was worse than just being alone.” She sighed. “When the county got to their home, the living conditions were horrendous and the boys had bruises from the mom’s boyfriend. So they were put into an emergency foster home, and then moved from place to place. Their mother has been in and out of rehab, and she’s had custody periodically over the years, but she has relapsed every time. Two years ago, the county approached me and asked if I’d offer a more permanent foster home for them while their mom goes through treatment one more time.”
“I can’t even imagine.” Chase struggled with his father, but at least he’d never been afraid of losing his home or being taken care of.
“I want, more than anything, to give those boys a real home—one they never have to leave, unless they want to go.”
Chase wished he could promise her that she wouldn’t have to move, but he couldn’t. “I will do whatever I can to help.”
“I know—and I’m thankful.” One of the yard lights lit up her face, making her eyes shine.
They walked up the hill and into the house through the kitchen door.
Chase followed Joy up the servants’ stairs to the girls’ bedroom, near the top of the steps. She turned on a lamp and laid Harper on one of the toddler beds. “You can lay Kinsley down and I’ll get their pajamas.”
Chase did as she instructed and the little girl curled into a ball. They were so small and delicate. Again, he wondered about their father. Watching Tom tonight, he had become convinced that his first guess was wrong. There was very little interaction between Tom and the girls. Wouldn’t he be more interested in them if they were his daughters?
Joy turned back from the dresser with two pairs of footie pajamas and Night Time Pull-Ups.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
She lifted her eyebrows. “Do you really want to help?”
He nodded. “I don’t know much about kids, but I learn quickly.”
“Alright.” She looked skeptical, but handed him a set of pajamas and a Pull-Up.
They worked side by side, though Joy was much more adept than him. Kinsley was no help, since she stayed asleep through the whole event.
Finally, when Joy finished with Harper, and tucked her into her little bed, she came to help Chase.
“It’s easier to put her legs into the pajamas first,” she said with a smile in her voice. “Then put in her arms and zip it up.”
Chase stepped aside and watched.
When she was done, she put Kinsley under her covers, and then laid her hand on the little girl’s forehead and said a prayer. “May God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine on you, may God be kind to you and give you peace.” She leaned down and kissed Kinsley’s forehead, then she went back to Harper and said the same blessing.
She tilted her head toward the door. Chase walked across the room and exited. She followed, flipping off the lamp and closing the door.
Down the hall, the boys were laughing.
“They have a lot of energy,” she said with a smile.
Chase and Joy stood just outside the girls’ bedroom door in the dark hallway.
“You amaze me,” he said without thinking.
She met his gaze. “I’m only doing what God gives me the strength to do.”
“That’s what is amazing. Most people wouldn’t have the ability to do any of this.”
“I can’t take the credit.”
“You should, because you deserve it.”
She shifted her weight uncomfortably and didn’t meet his gaze. “Good night, Chase.”
“Can I say good-night to the boys?”
She nodded and he followed her down the hall to the boys’ room. Mrs. Thompson had already helped them get into their pajamas and they were lying in their beds. The room was long and had three separate beds, as well as three dressers and three desks. The walls were papered in a blue pattern and the carpet was white. Even though it was occupied by the boys, it was surprisingly tidy. Joy and Mrs. Thompson did a great job keeping the place clean.
“Ready for your blessing?” Joy asked.
The boys said yes all at once, so Joy went to each bed and did exactly as she had done for the girls. She laid her hand on their foreheads and prayed. Each of the boys closed their eyes and a happy little smile turned up their lips.
“They never let me forget their prayer,” Joy said and then kissed Ryan’s forehead.
“Who prays for you?” Chase asked her.
Joy’s face went still for a brief second and then she looked back at Ryan, pushing his hair off his face. “Mrs. Thompson prays for me.”
“I pray for you, too, Mama,” Ryan said, snuggling into his pillow.
“Good night,” she whispered to him.
“Good night, boys,” Chase added.
The boys called back their good-nights and then he and Joy left the room. When she closed the bedroom door, he found himself in the hallway again with her. Alone.
“I had a good time tonight, Joy.” So many good memories had returned to him while they’d sat on the pier. “Thank you for letting me be part of your life.”
“How long will you be here this time?” she asked, not looking at his face.
“For as long as it takes to sell the place, I suppose.”
“And then what?”
“Then—” He paused. He supposed he’d return to Seattle, though the thought didn’t hold as much appeal as it should. Bee Tree Hill had a way of pulling him in and making him feel at peace. Returning to Seattle felt like he was leaving home. “I’ll take things a day at a time. But I’ll do whatever I can to help. When I get back to the carriage house, I’ll work on some posters for the festival.”
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Chapter Six
There were so many things Joy needed to do three nights after the campfire, but she found herself in the music room with an album Mrs. Thompson had put together from the girls’ first year of life.
The kids were in bed, Mrs. Thompson was in her room reading and Joy didn’t have the heart to write another grant application tonight. She’d already done two and her mind was exhausted.
After the house quieted, she had come downstairs to turn off the lights and caught sight of the scrapbook. As she sat on one of the ornate couches near the marble fireplace, she relived that first uncertain year through pictures. A single lamp was the only source of light in the room, but it was all she needed.
Intermingled with the delight and wonder in the pictures and in the memories, she remembered the fear, pain and heartache. But wasn’t that what life was? A mixture of joy and sorrow?
A picture of Harper and Kinsley, bundled in swaddling blankets that said “I received my first hug at the Timber Falls Hospital,” snuggled against one another on the hospital bed, made Joy smile. She ran her finger over the glossy page and could hardly believe it had been three years since they had joined her life.
If she was honest with herself, she knew why she’d pulled out the scrapbook. She had to tell Chase the truth, and she wanted him to have a glimpse of what he had missed these past three years. He had every right to know he was a father—and every right to the memories she had—even if he had abandoned her.
But she would have to reassure him that she didn’t want or expect anything from him. He wasn’t obligated to provide for them—on the contrary, the less the Asher family had to do with her girls, the better.
The steps into the music room creaked and Joy looked up quickly.
Chase stood on the second step, a piece of paper in his
hand. “Mrs. Thompson let me in at the kitchen door.”
Joy’s heart sped up at the sight of him and her cheeks grew warm. Even though she’d resolved to tell him the truth, nerves got the better of her. What if she told him and he wanted to fight for custody? What if his father stepped in and demanded his rights?
“I finally finished the poster.” He walked down the rest of the steps into the music room, his dark hair brushing his forehead, his button-down shirt rolled at the sleeves and his loose khaki pants rolled at the ankles. He wore Birkenstock sandals and looked like he should be lounging on a beach somewhere.
Joy didn’t stand, but waited for him to join her at the couch. She closed the scrapbook and set it beside her, not wanting him to see what she’d been looking at until after she’d told him the news—if she found the courage.
He stood in front of her and held out the poster.
Taking it, she positioned it to get the best light from the lamp—and stared. In the center was a penciled rendering of Bee Tree Hill House and in elegant vintage script he’d filled in all the information about the festival, including the reason behind the event. It said that all proceeds would go to the Gordon family housing fund.
“This is amazing, Chase.” She pulled it closer and looked at the details of the drawing. “Where did you get the picture of the mansion?”
“I drew it.”
She looked up at him, her surprise too strong to hide. “You can draw?”
He shrugged and sat beside her. “I always liked to draw, but when my father forced me to take a master’s class in high school, it became a chore instead of a hobby.” He studied the picture with her. “But ever since returning to Bee Tree Hill, I’ve wanted to draw the house.”
“It’s incredible.” She shook her head. “This should be framed and hung over the mantel.”
“It’s not that nice.” He laughed and took the poster back from her. “I just did a rough drawing for the poster. Do you think it’ll work?”
She couldn’t take her eyes off the picture. It was an amazing likeness and held all the charm she loved about Bee Tree Hill. “It’s perfect.”
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