Since it was nearly Thanksgiving, gratitude was the theme of their first weekend retreat. Guests enjoyed healthy food, group discussion time, exercise and fresh air, and plenty of rest and reflection. Each received a beautiful journal upon arrival to capture thoughts, contact information, “ah-ha” moments, and anything else they wished to record.
Unfortunately, Susan wasn’t able to join them for their first retreat, but she continued to provide Renee with helpful advice leading up to the big weekend.
Renee and Jess were open with this initial set of retreat guests. While Susan provided a basic framework and helpful tips for running a retreat, this was going to be a “learn as you go” process, and they had lots to learn. They encouraged each woman to share what she liked about the retreats but also wanted to hear any and all suggestions for improvements.
Renee understood a few days or a week wasn’t going to be enough time to resolve the complex issues these women were dealing with in their own lives; her goal was to provide them with an experience where they could reconnect with themselves, remember their own self-worth, and hopefully make fulfilling connections with other women. Renee suspected many felt as she did: life could be busy with jobs, raising and running kids, caring for loved ones, but that “busyness” (or, in Renee’s case at her old corporate job, “business”) often left women feeling lonely and isolated, lacking in simple joy. It was important to take a step back from it all to give yourself space to recognize and appreciate life’s blessings, big or small. She hoped this weekend would help these eight women do exactly that.
“Val has a wonderful breakfast prepared for us downstairs. Please place your mats and towels in those tubs and go get something to eat. After you finish, feel free to freshen up, and we will reconvene at nine o’clock.”
After all the guests made their way downstairs, Renee and Jess thanked their newly hired yoga instructor—in fact, their very first official Whispering Pines hire.
“I should be thanking you,” Peggy replied, giving Renee and Jess each a quick hug. “This is a beautiful space, and it’s so nice of you to let me stay in one of your cabins for the weekend. This is a fun group. Maybe some of them will turn into clients for me at my studio, too.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Renee said. “You’re a perfect fit here.”
Renee had reservations when she first met Peggy for coffee. The woman had short, spiky gray hair, and cheaters hanging from a silver chain around her neck. Renee was ashamed to admit that in a terrible case of stereotyping she’d expected a young, perky blonde before actually meeting Peggy. Luckily Peggy quickly won her over. Observing today from her own yoga matt in the back of the room, Renee could see Peggy was the perfect choice. Her maturity was an asset. Older guests couldn’t use their age as an excuse not to try the various poses—Peggy wasn’t much younger than they were—and the younger women couldn’t let a gray-haired lady show them up, either. All in all, Peggy did a fantastic job leading the group.
Saturday morning and afternoon were filled with fun activities interspersed with quiet times for napping or reading. Most of the women interacted well with the others; only one, Desiree, remained aloof. Susan had warned Renee this might happen. “Some women,” she’d said, “are either more private or are reluctant to open up to strangers. This doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t enjoying themselves or benefiting from the retreat. You just have to let them be themselves. Remember why they are here, and take heart in knowing that you are giving them the retreat they need.”
***
After a light dinner of grilled chicken breasts, steamed vegetables, and an orange gelato for dessert, they reconvened upstairs. It was Renee’s turn to share her own story with their guests. She took a seat facing them and inhaled deeply to calm her nerves.
“One year ago,” she began, “I was sitting in an office at the same job I’d been at for twenty years. A bit boring, but it paid the bills. Then came the fated conference call, two weeks before Christmas. Major cuts, effective immediately.”
“Right before Christmas?” someone asked in surprise.
“Exactly my initial thought!” Renee confirmed, pausing for a sip of water. “I was done immediately. Tough discussion, telling my kids. But we decided to make the best of it. We visited family for Christmas, something we hadn’t made time for in recent years.
“I should probably back up a minute,” Renee said, realizing she needed to include Jim in her story. She hadn’t rehearsed this and feared she was jumping around too much. “Eleven years ago, I lost my husband to aplastic anemia. I became a widow at thirty-five, a single mother to my two young kids. Grief can do funny things to people. His parents, my in-laws, blamed me for their son’s failure to get medical help sooner. Thought that might have made a difference. After Jim’s death, we lost touch. I regret that now.
“So last Christmas we were visiting my side of the family, and my kids wanted to reach out to their paternal grandparents, too. Thank God we did. During our dinner with Marilyn, Jim’s mom, she finally shared with us, after all these years, that my husband had been adopted. His twin had recently reached out to her, seeking information. I took a chance . . . contacted the man . . . and I am so thankful I did. If you see a man here at the resort this weekend, it’s probably Grant, my ‘new’ brother-in-law.”
Am I boring people? Renee wondered, seeking out Jess in the crowd. Jess met her eye with a wink and nod of encouragement. Glancing around, Renee could see she had their guest’s attention.
“One of the crazier things we did during the holidays was take a trip to Fiji,” Renee said, her comment met with more than one groan of envy. “Yep, I know—how crazy, how irresponsible, right? I’d just lost my job! But if this last year has taught me anything, it’s that life shouldn’t be all about the rational.”
“Amen, sister!” one of their older guests agreed, garnering laughs around the room.
“I had been a single mom for a decade, focused on providing for my kids, keeping a roof over our heads. I never made time for romance. But . . . what better place for romance than a beach at midnight on a tropical island?” Renee laughed with the crowd. “I had a couple ‘run-ins’ with the local sheriff where we were staying. All innocent enough. I found him more than a little irritating at first, but handsome as hell.”
“I like where this is going,” another guest chimed in.
“Yep, me too,” Renee confirmed, a broad smile lighting up her face. “I got myself a sexy new boyfriend out of the deal. God, that sounds so weird to say out loud! But it’s true. If we wouldn’t have made that crazy trip, I would’ve been slogging my way through this past year without the support of an awesome guy.”
“So, Renee, how did you end up here?” Desiree prodded, surprising Renee with her contribution to the discussion.
“Well, Desiree, I was sick to death of the type of environment I used to work in. I was tempted to go back to it, because that’s all I knew. But, as fate can often do, I was presented with a very . . . unique opportunity. For reasons that are still revealing themselves to me now, my dear Aunt Celia chose to leave this beautiful resort to me when she passed away. Celia was an amazing, strong woman. Looking back, I think she could see my disenchantment with my work, and my failure to cultivate relationships beyond my immediate family, well before I could. It’s funny how that can happen.”
“We never seem to do a very good job seeing our own shortcomings,” Beth, another guest, shared. Renee nodded her agreement.
“I didn’t know how I could make it work, running a resort two hours from home, and having zero experience, but it was like this place embedded itself in my soul, and I couldn’t ignore it. I came here as a kid, felt the same pull back then. So, with the encouragement of my amazing family”—Renee motioned to her sister with a thumbs-up and a smile, and Jess returned the gesture—“I took a chance and committed to bringing the resort back to life.”
“Did you always know you wanted to incorporate these retreats into the resort?” Des
iree asked, again surprising Renee. The woman hadn’t said more than two words up until tonight.
“No—but again, life can be full of serendipity. You just have to watch for it. I met an amazing woman on our flight to Fiji. We struck up a conversation and she told me all about a retreat business her sister had started after suffering a number of traumatic events in her own life. We exchanged contact information and I ran into her again on the island. We clicked, you know?”
Renee made eye contact with a few guests to gauge whether or not they were following her haphazard account of her past year. Nods of confirmation encouraged her to continue.
“I only have five cabins out here, four I can rent out right now, and summers in Minnesota are short. We needed to do more than just rent cabins to make this place economically viable. I remembered my conversation with Susan on the plane and knew this might be the answer I was seeking. The bumps on my own road, mild compared to many, taught me enough hard-earned lessons for me to know I wanted to find a way to help other women navigate their own paths when the going sometimes gets tough. Us girls, we need to stick together!”
Renee laughed. She could feel the pieces of her jumbled life fall into place as she openly shared her journey with this room of near strangers.
Silence followed her words . . . and then applause broke out. She was shocked by their reaction. She was starting to realize how powerful sharing the truth was in spreading her message.
***
After hugs were shared and a few tears were spilled, Jess started a playlist and Peggy got everyone up dancing on the scarred wooden floors. Val set up a table of crystal glasses, bottles of wine, sparkling drinks, and a large glass decanter filled with iced water and cut lemons. They spent the next hour dancing with new friends. It felt good to stretch and move to the music. Most of the women hadn’t danced in years. No one judged and everyone participated.
Guests were free to relax or retire after the dancing. Many got comfortable around the fire in the library, joining in quiet conversations or reading. Once Renee and Jess were sure their guests were settled, they headed home to an excited Julie and Grace, who wanted to know everything about the day.
***
Loud knocking on her front door yanked Renee out of a deep sleep. She fumbled for her glasses and hurried down the stairs.
“Who’s there?”
“Renee, it’s Peggy. Open up.”
She flung open the door to find the yoga instructor in a less-than-Zen state.
“Something’s wrong over at the lodge. We better get over there. And,” she paused, her face serious, “you might want to call the police.”
“Mom?” a voice came down the stairs, “what’s wrong?”
“Julie,” Renee yelled back, “can you call Matt and ask him to come right away? I have no idea what’s going on, but it can’t be good. I’ll grab Jess and head over there. You stay here until I call you, understand? Don’t leave this house!”
Renee used her key to enter Jess’s side and hollered up the stairs. The three of them sprinted over. Peggy pulled them up short behind the lodge.
“I’m not sure what’s going on, but there’s a bunch of yelling and screaming. I woke up to a car honking its horn. Didn’t you hear it?”
Renee shared a panicked look with Jess. “No, I guess we were tired,” she said. “And maybe the furnace was running?”
“Well, someone is pissed. I hear male and female voices yelling. I don’t think we should go up front. If you have your key, let’s go in through the back door and see what’s going on.”
Renee hoped Julie was able to reach Matt. She wasn’t sure she should handle this without the police.
Good thing you’re dating the sheriff, she thought to herself.
Five of their eight guests huddled in the kitchen. One woman rushed over to them, eyes wide with fear and hands trembling.
“Oh, Renee, Jess, something terrible is happening. There’s a crazy man outside, screaming for Desiree to come out.”
“Did she go outside?”
“Yes, she’s out there, and so are Beth and Liz. Oh, I hope they’re all right! What do we do?”
There was the sound of breaking glass, and Renee was afraid they lost one of the front windows on the lodge.
“Oh my God! What is going on out there?” Renee hurried out of the kitchen toward the front door, followed closely by Jess and Peggy.
“Renee, wait,” Jess said, “I don’t think we should go out there. Wait until Matt gets here.”
“Nope, not a chance. We can’t just wait in here! If some idiot is out there breaking windows and threatening our guests, we have to see what’s going on.”
With that, Renee rushed out the front door.
The front of the lodge was illuminated by the bright headlights of a jacked-up pickup. Next to the running vehicle stood an irate man in a torn black parka, hands on his hips, glaring at the three women before him. Desiree stood slightly behind the other two. Renee pulled up short at the scene. Tiny little Liz, one of the older retreat guests, was giving the man a piece of her mind. She jabbed a finger at the guy to emphasize her words, stepping closer to him with each jab. Her hair would have stood on end if it wasn’t wrapped so tight around big pink curlers. She was livid.
“Who do you think you are, coming around here, drunk as a skunk and yelling at our Desiree? This is a women-only retreat, and no men are allowed, especially scumbags like you. I was married to a guy like you once, and I let him push me around for years before I got up the nerve to chase him off. Last time I saw him he was nursing a sore ass full of buckshot, and he never came around again. Maybe I should do the same to you!”
Now Liz was close enough to jab the guy in the chest with her finger. Grant ran up behind her, easily lifting her off her feet and pulling her back a safe distance. “Why don’t we all take a minute and calm down before someone gets hurt?” Grant tried to reason.
“Who the hell is that guy if this stupid sleepover is just for women?” the drunk shot back.
“It’s a retreat, not a sleepover, and he’s a long-term renter at the resort,” Renee answered heatedly.
Renee hurried over to Grant. “Where did you come from?” she asked, surprised by his sudden appearance.
“Jess came over and banged on my door. I was writing and had my headphones on. Sorry, I didn’t hear any of this. Why didn’t you come get me right away?!” Grant asked, pinning Renee with a glare.
“Probably should have.” Renee conceded. I didn’t want to bother him again, she thought.
Pushing past her three guests, Renee stood directly in front of the obnoxious man hassling Desiree. She looked between him, Desiree, and the other two women. “Do you mind telling me what is going on here?”
“I’m so sorry about this, Renee,” Desiree said. “This is Chuck, my husband. I told him I was going to stay at my mom’s for the weekend. I knew he wouldn’t want me to spend the money to come to your retreat. But then my stupid sister blabbed her big mouth and he found out.”
Wow, Renee thought, that’s the most words I’ve heard Desiree say all day!
“You’re the stupid bitch, not your sister,” the man spat. “Spending my hard-earned money on some fufu weekend instead of staying home with the kids where you belong.”
Renee saw red. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Who talked to their wife that way? He was drunk, but that was no excuse.
Beth had been quiet up to this point, but she tried reasoning with the man.
“Why don’t you go on home, now, Chuck? The retreat will be done tomorrow, and Desiree will be home.”
The man turned to Beth, taking a step toward her and Desiree. “Oh, shut up, you stupid bitch!”
Renee shoved hard at the man, trying to push him back from Beth. It was like pushing on a brick wall. He didn’t look big, but must have been solid muscle. He glared down at Renee and then pulled his fist back. Renee saw the swing coming and heard Grant shout a warning at her, and ducked out of the
way. Chuck missed the first time, but she saw him come at her again.
Suddenly, Chuck was yanked backward, staggering and clawing at his throat.
In all the commotion, no one had noticed Matt drive up.
***
The noisy diesel engine drowned out the sound of Matt’s car. Seeing the situation quickly spiraling out of control, Matt snuck up behind the distracted man. While they were of similar height, the man was easily fifty pounds heavier, but Matt had the element of surprise on his side. He locked his arm around the guy’s throat and twisted Chuck’s other arm up hard behind his back.
“Let me go, you son of a bitch!” Chuck screamed in outrage.
Wanting to help, Liz tried to go after Chuck again, but this time Grant saw what she was up to before she could get far. He held her back, and Beth tried to calm her. Desiree stood there, shivering but quiet, and Jess carefully walked up beside her and put an arm around her waist in a show of support.
“Renee,” Matt said as he struggled with the large man, “run to my car and grab the handcuffs out of the glove box. Grant, help me hold this idiot down until I can get him cuffed.”
Together, they got Chuck under control. Matt cuffed him to the roll bars fixed to the back of the truck box until a deputy arrived to take him in. He was going to sleep off his drunk in a jail cell; then he would face a litany of charges, including destruction of property for the broken window, attempted assault, and disturbing the peace.
***
As the cruiser pulled away from the resort with Chuck in the backseat, everyone except Matt and Renee went inside. Renee needed to compose herself before facing her guests. Their first retreat had been going so well, and now this. The weekend was ruined. She didn’t know how she was going to make it up to everyone.
“You know, honey, hanging out with you is certainly proving to be action-packed,” Matt joked to lighten the mood. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, rocking gently back and forth, his lips resting on the top of her head.
Whispering Pines (Celia's Gifts Book 1) Page 42
