A Mother's Heart (Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek Book 6)

by Carolyne Aarsen

  Claire came around the counter and pulled her sister into her arms, hugging her tight. “I want you to know that no matter what happens, we’re all behind you. We’re all supporting you and we’re all praying for you.”

  Tess hugged her back, clinging to her a moment. “I am so thankful for you. We’re so blessed to have each other.”

  “Nik said the same thing. He said he was always jealous of our relationship.”

  “I guess he knows a good thing when he sees it.” Tess released a shaky laugh.

  Claire gave Tess one final hug then drew back.

  “We’ve talked enough about me the past few months,” Tess said. “What do you think will happen with you and Nik?”

  For a moment uncertainty gripped Claire, but behind that came the memory of his kiss. The talks they had. “I think Nik knows what’s at stake if we get more serious. He’s been on the receiving end of brokenness in families and I also sense he’s searching for security as well.”

  “I feel like I should tell you, I gave him the sister talk.”

  “What?” Claire shot her sister a puzzled look.

  “You know. The one where I tell him he has to be careful with Emma and with you and that if he hurts you I will hunt him down like an animal and punch him in the face.”

  “You didn’t.”

  Tess lifted her hands in a ‘what can I do’ gesture. “Okay, I didn’t say I would punch him in the face. That was just embellishment to let you know I was serious. But I told him to be careful. So I’m thinking if he’s still with you and he’s still kissing you he’s not being casual about this relationship.”

  Claire felt the same way but hearing her sister say it made her situation more real.

  “I was going to ask if you wanted to help me pick out table decorations for the wedding, but I imagine you’ll be seeing him tonight?” Tess asked.

  “No. He’s gone for a couple of days. He told me he wouldn’t be back until Wednesday. He had to do some follow up on a potential job—”

  “Where?”

  “He didn’t say where. But the fact that he’s looking into other work is good. Originally, he said after he was done with the house, he would be gone on a six-month vacation. He hasn’t said anything more about that.” Claire clung to the vague plans she was weaving around Nik’s vague plans, hoping, once again, that he wanted to settle down.

  In Sweet Creek.

  “But tonight doesn’t work, anyway,” Claire continued. “I promised Emma a mother/daughter night. She wants to do pedicures. She said she wants to look nice for when Nik comes back.”

  “She seems attached to him.”

  Claire thought of them playing ball the day before and smiled. “She’s been campaigning for him from the start. Going on about not having a daddy and how she thought Nik would make a good one. So she’s good with how things are progressing.”

  “Are you a little concerned about her attachment?”

  “I was. But you know, I feel good about it all. Things are changing between Nik and me. I could hold back, but for how long? I need to take a chance once in a while.” Claire bumped her sister with her hip. “Just like you’ve told me to.”

  “Sounds like things are coming together for you, my dear,” Tess said as they walked out of the back of the cafe.

  “I think so.” Claire knew she had to be wary yet she was tired of it. She had to trust as well that the prayers she had been sending up the past few weeks were being heard.

  She had to keep praying and trust that God would give her and Emma the strength to deal with whatever came their way. She hoped she wouldn’t have to pray that prayer too soon.

  They said goodbye and Claire got in her car. Her phone had been dead all day so she plugged it in. As soon as she started the car it pinged. But the screen was still black. It would take a minute or two before the phone had enough charge for her to check her messages. As she drove it pinged again, but she figured she would check it when she got to her mother’s place.

  But once she arrived, her mother was standing by her car with Emma and Mooch who had his leash clipped to his collar. Clearly everyone was ready to go. Immediately.

  “Everything okay?” Claire asked, catching her mother’s faint frown.

  “Emma, can you and Mooch wait in the car a moment?” her mother asked.

  They helped Emma and the dog inside then her mother caught Claire by the arm and drew her a ways down the driveway.

  “I had hoped we could sit down and have a little chat in the house,” her mother said as they walked, then stopped around the corner of the garage. “But I couldn’t get out of this appointment and my company will be back any minute.”

  “What did you want to chat about?” The second the question left her mouth Claire regretted asking. She could see by the way her mother’s lips thinned that it would not be a pleasant conversation.

  Her mother turned to her, concern etched into her features. “I saw you and Nik in church on Sunday. With Emma.”

  “So?” The question came out snippier than she’d intended. She blamed it on a mixture of her changing feelings for Nik and a touch of insecurity about her decision.

  “And he bought your basket at the picnic.”

  “All of this I know,” Claire said, folding her arms. Claire knew exactly where her mother was headed.

  “I’m worried about you and Emma. All she could do was talk about him and how she was so hoping he would be her daddy. I tried to temper her enthusiasm, but she seemed to think this was a done deal. Has he proposed to you without talking to us?”

  This, Claire could handle. “No, Mother. He hasn’t proposed. Emma is just making mountains out of molehills. Though I have to confess, I’ve never seen a molehill, so I wouldn’t know how one could do that.”

  Her mother snorted in annoyance. “You and Tess are the same.” She pulled in her breath, smoothing a hand over her hair. “But I am concerned. I understand he is tearing the house down and building an apartment block.”

  Claire wished she could firmly tell her mother it wasn’t her business but she also knew her mother was truly worried.

  “How do you know?” she asked, going for deflection instead.

  Her mother heaved out a sigh. “I overheard Gerald saying that he finagled the clawfoot bathtub in the house from Nik before he demolishes it.”

  “And here I thought you would discuss the sermon, not plumbing possibilities,” she joked stifling her concerns. She had thought Nik was having second thoughts.

  Her mother waved her joke off. “At any rate, I don’t think he has intentions of staying around.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “That he’s leaving?” Her mother bit her lip and took a moment to reply. “Apparently, Nik was also asking Gerald about a recent trip he made overseas and if he had any suggestions for a trip he wanted to make.”

  “How long were you listening to this conversation?” Claire tried to inject some humor into her voice, but her mother’s comments disturbed her. “And where was I?”

  Her mother had the grace to look a little discomfited as she lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I just happened to be behind them as we walked out of church. It took a while. And I don’t know where you were. Probably busy talking to your friends.”

  Claire’s mind skipped back, drawing out a memory of Kelsey Swain pulling her aside to talk about baseball practice. She remembered wondering how Nik would do but then she saw him talking to Walt the plumber.

  “I don’t have much time to say much more,” her mother continued. “But I feel I need to warn you about Nik. Warn you not to make the same mistake you made with Lance.”

  Claire sucked in a deep breath, struggling to calm a surge of frustrated anger. “I think I learned my lesson from that situation,” she snapped.

  Her mother frowned but then looked over at Emma, who was sitting quietly in the car. “You should probably go. But realize that this time around you’re not just deciding for yourself. You have Emma to
consider. If this man is doing what I keep hearing he’s doing — tearing down that old house, rebuilding and then moving on — you had better make sure you don’t get involved with him. It wouldn’t be fair to Emma.”

  Despite her indignation with her mother’s insinuations, her words plucked at Claire’s insecurities, making them hum.

  Her mother placed her hands on Claire’s shoulders. “I’m only trying to take care of you. You’re my daughter and I feel like we never took as good care of you or Tess as we should have. Your father and I… well… we made mistakes. And that wasn’t fair to you. I guess I don’t want you to do the same.” Then she gave Claire a quick hug and walked toward her own car, parked beside Claire’s.

  Claire followed a few steps behind, got in her car and waited for her mother to leave before she reversed and drove away.

  The entire drive to her place, or rather, Nik’s place, her head buzzed as thoughts and questions chased each other in a futile frenzy.

  “Will Nik be at the house?” Emma asked from the back seat of the car.

  “No, he won’t be. I told you he was gone. That’s why we’re doing manicures tonight.” Claire flicked her hand at Mooch who was nudging aside her hair with his cold, wet nose. “Can you please hang onto Mooch? I don’t want him bothering me while I drive.”

  Emma pulled Mooch back, reprimanding him. “When will Nik be back?”

  “I’m not sure.” She didn’t like her vague answers any more than Emma liked receiving them.

  “He won't be like my first daddy, will he? Leaving and not coming back?”

  Claire’s heart thumped hard and the niggling concern her mother created bloomed into panic at Emma’s words. She caught herself, reminded herself of Nik’s concern. Of his gentleness. He knew what was at stake for her.

  And yet…

  “He’ll come back,” Claire assured her. Though he had seemed evasive, he had kissed her before he left. Stroked her cheek and told her he cared for her.

  He wouldn’t do that if he were leaving.

  As she made the turn onto their street she shot a quick look back at Emma to make sure she believed what she was saying. But Emma was sitting up, looking intently ahead.

  “What are those trucks doing by our house?” she asked.

  Claire turned her attention back to her driving, slowing at what she saw.

  A large lowboy with a track hoe was parked in front of the house and ahead of that, a dump truck.

  “They’re taking up our parking spot,” Emma complained.

  “They are indeed,” Claire said, curiosity mingling with the dread she had felt just a few seconds ago.

  “That’s a really big whatever it is,” Emma said.

  “I think it’s called a track hoe,” Claire said.

  “Maybe they’re coming to tear the apartment down.”

  Relief surged through Claire. Of course. That would make sense.

  She got out of the car, caught Mooch by the collar and clipped his leash on before he bounded out.

  “Stay close beside me,” Claire cautioned Emma as they walked toward the trucks. They were still running, their diesel engines rumbling.

  One of the drivers got out of the truck carrying the track hoe and ambled toward her. He wore stained coveralls with the name Norm embroidered on his chest and a worn and faded baseball cap with the logo of a sports team.

  “Can I help you?” Claire asked.

  “Yeah. We were told the gas company would be here to mark out the gas lines before we started taking the place down. But I don’t see any flags out.” Norm had a rough voice, eyebrows that met over dark brown eyes and tufts of gray hair sticking from his cap that matched his bristling mustache.

  While he spoke, he pulled his cap off with one hand, scratched his head with his forefinger, then replaced it, adding a tug for good measure.

  Emma had already gone into the yard and closed the gate behind her. Claire could hear Mooch barking.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t help you. You need to talk to the owner.” She waved her hand back at the apartment building. “I can give you his number.” She called him so often when she lived there, he was on her contacts list.

  “We got his number, he’s not answering.” Norm dropped his hands to his hips, looking over the house. “I guess we could take some of the stuff down, but I’m not sure if he wants to keep those big trees.”

  Claire did a double take. “Trees?” There were no trees in front of the apartment.

  “I’m talking about those trees.” The driver waved his arm at the large spruce and birch trees she and Tess had planted when they were young. Trees that now towered over the house, filling the front yard.

  “Wait, you’re here to take this house down?”

  “Yeah. What did you think we were doing?”

  Claire stared at him for a moment. “There has to be some mistake… Norm,” Claire said, glancing at the name on his coveralls again, having forgotten it as panic rose within her.

  Norm reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded and looked it over. He shook his head, then looked back at the house. “Work order says, ‘dismantle and tear down of house’, at this address.” He waved at the house again, then showed the work order to Claire. She didn’t know what to look for, but one thing stood out. On the bottom was Nik’s name, printed out and his signature, or what she presumed was his signature, above it.

  And right beside that was the date.

  “This is dated for next week.”

  The guy frowned and took the paper back then shook his head. “Oh brother. I’m sorry. I got the month and day mixed up. Always was a bit dyslexic that way."

  Ice slipped through her veins as he explained.

  Nik was still tearing down the house despite knowing what it meant to her.

  He couldn’t get past what had happened here. He couldn’t move on.

  And if he was tearing down the house… was he still leaving?

  She swallowed, looking from the house to the large track hoe to the dump truck. Sure, they were almost a week early. But still. Why hadn’t Nik called her? She had stuff in the house that needed to be moved. He couldn't be that inconsiderate.

  “We’ll get out of your way and be back next week,” Norm said. “Sorry about that. I can’t believe I misread the invoice so badly.”

  Claire gave him a feeble smile as she pulled her phone out but nothing showed up on her screen. No message. No notification of a voice mail. She walked toward the house as the trucks shifted gears and rumbled away.

  She shoved the phone back in her purse, tears threatening, anger taking place of her fear from only moments before. She should call him, but right now she was too angry.

  She stalked to the house, her heartbeat gathering speed, making her feet hurry as her mind ticked over what her mother said, put it together with what she had just heard from Norm. She swallowed a knot of pain so large she was surprised she didn’t choke.

  Nik was following through on his initial plans.

  Then he was leaving.

  The two were always inextricably intertwined where he was concerned.

  She swayed, pain knifing through her. What had happened between yesterday and now? How could things have changed so much?

  Had they? Had he made any promises?

  Claire’s hands shook as she unlocked the door.

  You have to fight for this house. You have to stop him.

  How?

  The single word reverberated through her mind. What could she do? It was his house and his plans.

  She could challenge the permit. Talk to the Town Council. Tell them they had to change their mind.

  As she imagined herself striding into a Council meeting, she knew how ridiculous she would sound. How little input she really had.

  A vague pain flitted around her temples. Headache coming on.

  Phone Nik.

  Her hands trembled as she picked up her phone, but she found she couldn’t do it. She was afraid of what h
e would tell her.

  Suddenly she was tired of fighting. Tired of trying to make things work.

  Maybe Tess was right. Maybe she was making too much of the house too.

  However Nik’s plans showed that he wasn’t moving on or changing. Still bitter and still determined to erase his past rather than deal with it.

  And she couldn’t bear to watch that anymore.

  She needed to leave, she told herself. Move on. Start over. If Nik was still tearing down the house, he was probably still leaving and she wasn’t putting herself or Emma through that again.

  Chapter 11

  “This looks like a fun place to stay.” Emma dropped onto one of the couches, bouncing up and down.

  “It’s not large, but it could work for you until you find something more permanent.” Sheryl stood in the middle of the cabin, holding her son Nathaniel in her arms, frowning as she looked around the space.

  After finding out about Nik’s plans for the house, his plans for his trip, Claire needed to get away from the house. She called her father, who told her he would take care of everything. Claire dropped Emma off at Tess’s place and within half an hour trucks were at the house. Jace, Matthew and her father helped her pack and load up. No questions were asked so Claire suspected her mother had told her father about her concerns.

  Her father had called Allen Andrews about potential places for Claire to stay. There was nothing in town. Motels were all full. But Allen was Mark Andrews' brother and Mark was partners with Nate Krickson, who said he had a solution.

  And through Sweet Creek's convoluted grapevine, Claire and Emma ended up in a cabin tucked in the trees behind Nate and Elise Krickson’s home; on a ranch twenty miles from town.