Willow Brook Road

by Sherryl Woods

  “Hold on. Let me check,” the girl said. “I’m Lucy, by the way. Lucy Morris.”

  “And I’m Carrie Winters. Do you work here full-time?”

  “Pretty much, but I’m also studying early childhood education. My mom opened this day care when I was a baby, so I’ve pretty much grown up around the place. I’ve been working here ever since high school.”

  “You must love it since you chose early childhood education as a career.”

  “It’s the best job ever,” she said cheerfully, then made a face. “Except on the days it isn’t.”

  “Which days are those?”

  “When one kid is cranky and the mood seems to be contagious. Or when mom caves in and brings cookies for snack time. Twenty kids on a sugar high?” She shuddered. “Not pretty.”

  Carrie chuckled. “I know what you mean. I’ve had a houseful of kids at my house like that a time or two. The day after Halloween can be particularly dicey.”

  “Tell me about it.” Lucy held up a finger to indicate her mother had finally picked up the phone. “Mom, there’s a woman named Carrie Winters here who’d like to talk to you about running a day care. Can you take a minute? I’ll come back and take over, if you want to come out here where it’s quiet.” She nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll tell her.”

  When she’d hung up, she stood. “She told me to bring you back so you can get a firsthand look at the craziness. She’ll spend a little time with you after that.”

  “Perfect. Thank you so much.”

  Lucy grinned at her. “I predict you’ll either fall in love in the first five minutes or run for your life. Either way, you’ll have some inkling if this is right for you.”

  “I sure hope so,” Carrie said, following her through a set of double doors that led into a large play area.

  A quick glance around had her smiling. The colors were bright and cheerful from a palette very similar to the one used in Noah’s offices. Tiny tables and chairs were scattered around the room, along with boxes stuffed with toys. There was a chalkboard in an area where a few young children were apparently engrossed in lessons that would give them a head start for the upcoming school year. Some were reading, but others seemed to be getting tutoring from a boy who looked to be high school age. Everyone was finishing up a snack of cheese, crackers and carrot sticks, along with bottled water.

  A woman who appeared to be in her early forties disentangled herself from three preschoolers who were begging for another story. “Sit quietly and Lucy will read to you,” she promised. “Go pick out one book each.”

  The children scampered away and the woman came over. “I’m Julie Morris,” she said. She nodded toward the younger children. “Lucy, you’ll take over?”

  “I’m on it,” Lucy said. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Winters,” she called over her shoulder as she rushed after the kids.

  “I know it probably seems chaotic, but it’s an organized chaos,” Julie told her. “Lucy said you’re interested in opening a day care.”

  “I’m exploring the possibility,” Carrie said. “I had another career, but it turned out to be a bad fit. Someone suggested that Chesapeake Shores could use a good day-care center.”

  “So, out of the blue, you want to snap your fingers and do it?” Julie asked, her expression skeptical.

  Carrie winced. It did sound crazy when her plan was described that way. “It’s not quite as impulsive as it sounds. Ever since I got back to town, I’ve been caring for my nephew as a favor to his mom and dad. Other kids in my family are in and out of the house all the time. I love having them underfoot and everyone says I’m very good with them.”

  “Running a day care is a lot more difficult than babysitting,” Julie cautioned.

  “I know that. I did take a few early childhood education courses in college as electives, but I understand that’s just the tip of the iceberg. That’s one of the reasons I stopped by when I spotted your center as I was driving home just now. I realize there’s a lot I need to learn and I don’t want to do this by half measures if I’m going to do it. If you knew my family, you’d know we might make impulsive decisions, but we do our homework and we do things right. And to hear my grandfather tell it, failure’s not an option.”

  Julie studied her intently, then seemed to reach a decision. “Look, I can sit down with you and go over regulations, your business plan and all the other things it takes to be successful in this business. I can even advise you on some courses if you want to fill in the educational blanks.”

  “That would be incredibly generous of you,” Carrie said enthusiastically. “I’d be happy to pay you for your time.”

  Julie smiled. “Not a chance, because I’m not going to start advising you, at least not right away. You think you want to do this, then you sign up for those courses online, then come here a couple of days a week as a volunteer. You’ll know soon enough if you’re any good at it. When I see if you’re serious, then I’ll teach you everything you need to know. I’ve been running this center since Lucy was a baby and I’ve got an excellent reputation. If I’m going to be your mentor, then I’m going to be thorough.”

  Carrie was momentarily taken aback, but then she chuckled. “Done,” she said, holding out her hand. “We’ll do it your way. I have the baby a couple of days a week, but I can work here around that.”

  “Or you can bring the baby with you,” Julie said. “I won’t even charge you for it, since you’re going to be pitching in as volunteer staff. I’ve worked that deal with a couple of moms who need child care while they hunt for work.”

  “Something tells me spotting this place was the luckiest thing to happen to me in a long time,” Carrie said sincerely.

  She liked that Julie wasn’t going to hand over a bunch of facts and figures or dole out advice without being sure that Carrie was up to the job. She was obviously a woman who took her responsibility to the children in her care seriously and intended to do whatever she could for those who might be in Carrie’s care down the road. For the first time Carrie was starting to view the whole day-care idea as a serious, viable option for her future.

  “Monday morning,” Julie told her. “I get here by five-thirty. A couple of parents work very early shifts and drop off their kids on the way to work. Six-thirty will be early enough for you.”

  “I’ll be here,” Carrie promised, managing to hide her startled reaction to the early hour. She’d grown used to late nights and laid-back mornings, a carryover from her lifestyle when she’d worked with Marc.

  Julie nodded approvingly. “I expected you to react differently to the early hour.”

  “I’ll admit that I’ve never been much of a morning person,” Carrie conceded. “But I am a reliable one. I’ll be here.”

  “Keep surprising me and we’ll get along just fine. Now I’d better get over there and see how Lucy’s holding up. The kids adore her, but they tend to try to take advantage of her. She’s still working on being a disciplinarian when she needs to be.”

  She gave Carrie a distracted wave as she hurried off.

  Carrie stood where she was for a moment longer, soaking up the high-pitched laughter, the sight of kids bouncing in their seats with excitement as their young tutor made whatever lesson they were having fun. The atmosphere in the room wrapped itself around her and warmed her heart in a way nothing had in a very long time.

  Apparently Luke had been onto something when he’d pointed her in this direction. She supposed she’d find out for sure over the next few weeks or months or however long it took for Julie to decide if Carrie had passed her personal test.

  Carrie already had a pretty good idea that this time she’d found a perfect fit.

  * * *

  When she finally got back to Chesapeake Shores, Carrie found her grandfather pacing up and down the front walk, a cell phone up to his ear. When he saw her, he disconnected and shoved the phone in his pocket.

  “It’s about time you got home. Why weren’t you answering your phone?”

  “T
he battery died,” Carrie replied, thinking how convenient that was, given the expression on her grandfather’s face. She kissed his cheek. “What’s up?”

  “That’s what I want to know,” he grumbled. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “Doing what?”

  She held up her packages. “Shopping, for one thing.”

  “You couldn’t possibly need more clothes. I helped haul all your things over here, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  “They were a little too fancy for every day in Chesapeake Shores,” she said. “I bought a few more practical things.”

  His gaze narrowed. “So, you’re not thinking of taking off again right away?”

  “Nope,” she said, setting all the bags down in a chair, then heading for the kitchen. “I could use some iced tea. How about you?”

  “Tea’s fine,” he said. “Answers would be better.”

  “I haven’t heard any questions yet.” Her back to him, she pulled a pitcher of tea from the refrigerator, retrieved two glasses from a cabinet, added ice, then poured the tea, taking her time about it before facing him again.

  He scowled at her. “Don’t be smart with me, young lady.”

  She smiled. “Ask whatever you like, Grandpa Mick, but on the advice of counsel, I reserve the right not to answer.”

  The scowl deepened. “What counsel? What the devil are you talking about?”

  Carrie laughed. “Grandma Megan told me I don’t have to let you pry into my life unless I want to.”

  “My own wife told you that?” he demanded incredulously.

  “She also said she was going to get you to stop bugging me.” She sighed dramatically. “I guess that didn’t work out so well.”

  He scrubbed a hand across his face and looked as if he were clinging to his last thread of patience. “I swear that woman is going to be the death of me.”

  Carrie gave him an impulsive hug. “But you love her like crazy.”

  “That I do.” He looked into her eyes. “And I love you, too. I want you to be happy. That means getting on with your life. I don’t see you doing that, though if you’ve made a decision to stay here, I suppose that’s a start.”

  “I’m working on the rest,” Carrie assured him. “Honest, Grandpa Mick. I’m seeing things more clearly than I have in a long time.”

  His expression brightened. “Tell me.”

  “Not just yet. I want to see how things go first.”

  “Not even a tiny hint so I don’t worry?”

  “Not even a tiny hint, but I promise you can stop worrying. The skies have cleared and the outlook around here is improving by the minute.”

  “Whatever that means,” he grumbled again.

  “It means you can go meet Grandma Megan at the gallery, take her out for a nice dinner and talk about something other than me and my problems for a change. I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.”

  He shook his head, but smiled at last. “I’m sure she will. Okay, then. I’ll stop pestering you.” He gave her a meaningful look. “For now,” he amended. “But if I don’t like what I’m seeing, I reserve the right to speak up.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she told him as she led the way to the door. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too, though how you turned out to be such a stubborn one is beyond me.”

  “Lots of examples,” she reminded him. “And you’re the best one of all.”

  As she closed the door behind him, she leaned against it for a moment, then realized she was smiling. For the first time in what felt like forever, she hadn’t been fibbing to him. She headed for her computer to look for some of the classes Julie had suggested she could find online. Smiling as she signed up for two of them, she finally felt as if she was starting to have some control over her life again.

  * * *

  Sam had brought home pizza for the second night in a row, mostly because it was what Bobby had insisted he wanted and because Sam couldn’t come up with a sensible alternative.

  “We can’t go on like this,” he muttered mostly to himself.

  “Why not?” Bobby asked, devouring his second slice.

  At least it was a veggie pizza tonight, Sam thought, a concession to a healthier lifestyle.

  “Because you need real food.”

  “Pizza is real food,” Bobby said, looking confused. “This one even has yucky vegetables on it.”

  Sam noted the pile of said vegetables that Bobby had picked off and left on his plate. “They don’t count unless you actually eat them.”

  “I don’t like them,” Bobby said reasonably. “If I ate them, I’d probably get sick.”

  “You wouldn’t get sick, I promise.” A thought struck him. “Did your mom ever let you have pizza every night of the week?”

  Bobby hesitated, clearly debating between the truth and an answer that would keep the pizza coming. “No,” he conceded finally. “It was for Saturday night.” His expression brightened. “And tomorrow’s Saturday, so we can have it again!”

  Sam shook his head. “I don’t think so, pal.”

  He grabbed his cell phone, checked for Carrie’s phone number, which he’d programmed in, and called before he could think about the wisdom of it.

  “Well, hi,” she said. “Everything okay?”

  “You said something about cooking lessons,” he reminded her. “I’m on our second night in a row of pizza with a third one in store unless you can save us.”

  She laughed. “I spoke to Gram this morning and she’s eager to start whenever we’re ready. I was going to call you to check your schedule, but I had a busy day today.”

  “Would tomorrow be too soon? I need to break this pizza habit as quickly as possible.”

  “Are you good with anytime tomorrow?”

  “I’m taking Bobby to check into T-ball first thing in the morning, but we should be free by eleven. Anytime after that if it works for Nell,” he told her. “And you.”

  “Let me check and I’ll get right back to you.”

  “You have my number?”

  “On caller ID,” she responded. “I’ll call you in a couple of minutes.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Was that Carrie?” Bobby asked when Sam set his phone within reach on the table.

  “It was. She’s going to set up some cooking classes for us with her great-grandmother.”

  Bobby immediately looked worried.

  “Something wrong?” Sam asked.

  “Do I get to come, too?”

  Over the past few days, Sam had noticed that Bobby rarely let him out of his sight. It was understandable, but it probably needed to change or the first day of school was going to be a problem. Still, he couldn’t very well break the habit until he had good alternatives. He considered calling Shanna or even Kevin to see if they’d take Bobby to T-ball in the morning, but one look at the fear in Bobby’s eyes told him he couldn’t do it.

  “Sure you can come.”

  When Carrie called back, he walked out onto the balcony of their room at the inn and finalized the plans.

  “Is it okay if Bobby comes along?” he asked, explaining Bobby’s reaction to the prospect of being separated from Sam even for a little while.

  “Gram’s counting on it,” Carrie assured him. “And, by the way, good job picking up on his fear.”

  “Picking up on it is one thing,” Sam said. “But not every situation will be resolved as easily as this one. I have to go back to work next week. School starts not long after that.”

  “You’ll figure it out,” Carrie assured him.

  When Sam remained silent, she said, “Did you hear me?”

  “I did. I just couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing.”

  “I learned my lesson,” she told him. “Positive reinforcement from here on out. Does it help?”

  “Surprisingly, it does,” Sam said. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Looking forward to it. Want me to pick you up, so I can show you
the way to the cottage?”

  “Sure,” Sam said, though he already had a pretty good idea where it was. Anything to spend a little more time around the positive energy she was suddenly exuding. It was pitiful how badly he needed that right now.

  8

  When Mack couldn’t find Susie at home, he drove into town and headed for the real estate office. Susie rarely stayed late, but for the past couple of days she’d been there until eight or later. When he’d asked, she’d told him that paperwork had piled up because of the days she’d stayed home. He hadn’t bought her excuse, and when he’d run into her dad earlier, Jeff had confirmed that there was no backlog of paperwork.

  “Any idea what’s going on?” Jeff had asked him. “I know having the adoption fall through was a blow, but she’s bounced back a lot more quickly than I’d anticipated. And since she came back to the office, she’s been working harder than ever.”

  “I noticed the same thing,” Mack had said, not even trying to hide his concern.

  “Want me to have Jo talk to her?” Jeff had asked.

  Susie and her mom were close, but Mack wanted to get to the bottom of this himself. “I’ll handle it, but thanks. If I think Jo needs to get involved, I’ll ask.”

  Jeff had slapped him on the back. “I know you love my girl, Mack, but so do we. If you need help, all you have to do is ask. Unlike my brother Mick, I don’t meddle. Neither does Jo, but we’re only a phone call away if you think something’s not right. Just because Susie’s a grown woman and married, doesn’t mean she’s not still our child.”

  “Trust me, I know exactly how strong the bond is,” Mack said, meaning it and grateful for it, too. “You two were every bit as important to her cancer recovery as I was. She needed us all. She may again.”

  In Mack’s opinion, something definitely wasn’t right. After two days of staring at the bay and showing no interest in anything, Susie had demonstrated a sudden surge of energy right after meeting Sam’s nephew, Bobby, on Wednesday. There was little doubt in Mack’s mind that the two things were connected.

  After parking on a side street when he couldn’t find a spot along Main or on Shore Road, he headed for the real estate office. As he’d expected, the lights were burning brightly despite the lateness of the hour. He could see Susie at her desk staring at the phone. Taking a deep breath and praying for guidance, he went inside, a smile plastered on his face.