Summer Dreams

by Delia Latham

  How she hoped that wouldn’t be the outcome this time. More than any other people who had ever touched her life, Summer didn’t think she could bear losing these new friends due to Deah’s behavior.

  “Are you all right?” Logan lifted their joined hands.

  Summer gasped, and a wave of intense heat flooded her face. She’d squeezed his hand so tightly her fingernails had dug into his skin. “I’m so sorry! Oh, Logan—” She jerked free and swung around, wanting nothing more than to get away and hide in her own apartment.

  He must have anticipated her automatic notion to flee, because he slipped an arm around her waist and tugged her close against his side. “Easy, honey. Relax. Everything’s all right.”

  She shook her head. A glimpse of the confusion on the faces of their friends elicited another hot wave of humiliation. “Please, let me go!”

  The door swung open, interrupting her agonized whisper.

  “Hi, everyone!”

  Summer’s lips parted and she stared at her cousin, shocked. “Deah?”

  The other woman laughed, but not in her usual loud and offensive manner. A low gurgle of merriment accompanied a pleasant smile. “Who else did you expect? Come on in, everybody. Miss Angie thought she might have guests this afternoon.” Deah swung the door wide. “Go on into the living room. I’ll bring in some iced tea.”

  Summer couldn’t stop staring. She hadn’t seen her cousin’s face without a thick mask of makeup since…well, ever. Deah had been overly fond of cosmetics before Summer ever came to live with her family.

  Today, she wore nothing more than mascara and a touch of lip gloss, revealing beautiful, healthy, glowing skin. Without the armor of foundation, vivid blush, elaborately applied eye shadow and her usual stark red lipstick, Deah looked like a different person. She appeared softer somehow…more human and approachable. Even her hair—most often an intentionally wild mass of curls—had been smoothed and tamed. She’d pulled it all into a low ponytail, and the silky strands cascaded down her back in a beautiful fall of bright, auburn waves.

  Deah gave Summer a tiny smile and a little wink before turning away and hurrying into the kitchen.

  Logan whispered against Summer’s ear. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “The day isn’t over yet.”

  Anyone could change the way they looked, but Deah was Deah. Her true colors were sure to show through before long.

  Still, Summer followed the others into the living room where they were already gathered around Miss Angie, who opened her arms to Summer. “Come, dear, I want a hug.” Apparently her ankle hadn’t affected any other part of her body or spirit. “I hope you enjoyed the service. I so hated to miss!”

  “I did, Miss Angie, very much. Brady brought an amazing message. I’m sorry you couldn’t be there.” Summer hugged her back.

  “Well, I want to hear all about it as soon as Deah brings in that tea—and she even made some delectable cookies this morning.” She patted Summer’s arm. “I’m not sure what I would have done without your cousin. She’s been a lifesaver—and such wonderful company.”

  Summer couldn’t think of a thing to say. She pasted on a smile for her hostess’s sake and then joined Logan on one of the cushy loveseats arranged in a cozy conversation circle.

  “Miss Angie, what on earth happened?” Raine sat on the edge of the sofa and folded both of her hands around the older woman’s. “You’re always so graceful. I’ve never seen you so much as stumble. Trying to imagine you actually falling is impossible.”

  “Oh, Raine, you’re too kind, dear.” Miss Angie laughed. “I’m as prone to clumsiness as anyone else. Perhaps I just manage to hide it more often than not.” Her eyes lit up as Deah entered the room. “There she is! I want you all to meet Deah Gatlin. I really believe God sent this pretty child to be my special angel.”

  Everyone greeted Summer’s cousin with friendly, open smiles. They were so ready to like her, simply on Miss Angie’s word—and Summer couldn’t blame them for that. Not trusting the proprietress’s word seemed almost a sacrilege. Up until now, Miss Angie had struck Summer as uncannily insightful. Deah must have done an incredible job of playing the role of caring, solicitous neighbor. But why? And how long before the claws came out and her true nature revealed itself?

  Deah carried the tray laden with tall glasses of tea around the room, and then brought in a platter of cookies and repeated the process. She glowed at the generous compliments on the gooey chocolate chip treats.

  Summer had to admit they were well-deserved. When had her spoiled cousin learned to produce such delectable goodies?

  A burst of laughter that wasn’t too loud interrupted her confused reverie.

  “Summer, I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right,” Deah conceded. “I’ve never baked a cookie before in my life. Miss Angie walked me through the entire process before I ever went in the kitchen. I didn’t think I’d remember a thing she said, but it was so weird …I got in there, and it was as if I simply knew what to do. Miss Angie is the best teacher ever!”

  Raine smiled. “You’ll find that Miss Angie is a lady of many unexpected talents. I keep saying I expect her to sprout a pair of wings any day.”

  Laughter followed the comment, but every head bobbed up and down in agreement.

  Miss Angie rolled eyes that reflected the color of the sky and waved a hand. “You young people are full of imagination, and so kind to an old lady.”

  Despite Summer’s misgivings, the visit continued without a single hitch.

  Deah’s personality was clearly multi-faceted. She had claimed her current role with admirable success, but how long could she maintain the façade?

  Brady opened his Bible in response to Miss Angie’s request for “a bit of the Word.”

  Summer held her breath. Her cousin’s mask was sure to shatter now. But Deah sat in respectful silence and appeared to take in every word. Nor did she find an excuse to leave the room when everyone joined hands for a word of prayer. Afterward, Summer bid Logan and her new friends a final goodbye outside the lodge and made her way up to her own quarters.

  Freckle was nowhere in sight. A niggle of concern itched at the back of her mind, but she was too amazed by the events of the day to pay it a lot of attention.

  In her room, she changed into comfortable clothing and then propped up on pillows piled against the headboard. She opened her laptop, turned it on, and then sat staring out the window without typing a word.

  What kind of underhanded scheme was her cousin playing at?

  She had to find out and put a stop to it before she or any of her new friends suffered the fallout.

  ****

  Raine called early the next morning with an invitation for Summer to join her at Chrysalis for the day. “I know I already showed you through our little corner of the world, but I’d really like you to better understand what we’re all about. Why don’t you come into the village and hang out with me today…just observe, you know? See what we do around here.”

  Summer grinned. She’d hoped to spend more time at the shelter. This was a perfect opportunity to make it happen. After promising to be there within an hour or so, she hung up and called Logan. He’d mentioned that he might drop by sometime this morning, so she needed to let him know she’d be gone.

  “Why don’t I come by and pick you up? I have to take care of some business at one of the galleries anyway.”

  “But then I wouldn’t have a way back to the lodge. I don’t expect you to wait around at the shelter all day.”

  “I’ll be at the gallery a while, and then I’ll drop back into the shelter and see how things are going. If you’re not ready, I’ll just come back for you later.”

  “Are you sure?” She hesitated, hating to inconvenience him. “I can probably talk Deah into letting me take her car. She seems set on not leaving Miss Angie’s side.”

  Logan chuckled. “I’m not surprised. But no, I’d like to come by for you.” It was his turn to pause. “Unless
you prefer to take Deah’s car.”

  Summer laughed. “No, actually, I’d rather not. I shudder to imagine her reaction if something happened to her ‘baby.’ Besides, I don’t really like the idea of Deah and Miss Angie being out here with no way into town if something were to go wrong.”

  Another burst of low laughter rumbled over the phone. “I’m sure nothing will go wrong, but I’m glad you’d rather ride with me. Let me jump in the shower, and I’ll be there before you know it.”

  Summer hung up and dashed into the bathroom. She didn’t have time to linger under the hot spray as was her habit, but a quick shower left her refreshed and eager to face the day at Chrysalis. She was downing the last sip of a hurried cup of coffee when Logan arrived. Within moments, she’d rinsed her mug, grabbed her purse and locked the door.

  A quick glance around the yard revealed no sign of the fawn. “I hope Freckle is all right.” She settled into the passenger seat beside Logan. “I didn’t see him yesterday evening either.”

  Logan glanced her way with a smile. “Perhaps Mommy claimed him.”

  “You think so?” She turned sideways, leaning against the door so she could look at him. “That’s been my hope all along. But why would she have left him at the lodge all this time?”

  “We may never know that, but I’m sure she had a reason. Then again, Freckle may be waiting for you when you get home.”

  “I suppose so.” She sighed. For the fawn’s sake, she truly did hope his mother had returned. And yet a part of her ached at the thought of never seeing him again. She’d grown close to the animal and had become increasingly certain Freckle was there to teach her something. Something important.

  “What are you thinking?” A large hand wrapped gently around hers. “You look sad and a bit…lost.”

  Summer captured her trembling lip between her teeth, even as a wave of heat rushed into her face. Logan would think she’d lost her mind if he knew where her thoughts had been. “No, I’m fine. Really.” She managed a smile.

  Logan narrowed his gaze in her direction but didn’t press her further.

  Thank You for that, Lord! Summer could manipulate words into an endless array of fictional worlds and romantic situations, and yet she couldn’t find a way to explain that her pet deer might not have stuck around long enough to communicate something incredibly important. She stifled a sigh. She’d come to Cambria to kick back in the sun and write. How had that idyllic vacation plan turned into a mess of tangled emotions and unexpected situations? Perhaps it was her over-active writer’s imagination.

  Her landlady seemed to be something more than a sweet, elderly woman.

  Deah wasn’t acting like the Deah Summer knew.

  And Summer was losing her heart to a handsome, gentle, caring artist.

  This Cambria trip could very well become more than a shy, secret writer from a small mountain town could handle.

  “Here you are, m’lady.”

  Summer looked up, surprised to find they were in the parking lot at Chrysalis. She’d whiled away the short ride from the lodge buried in her own thoughts…again. “Oh, Logan, I’m sorry. I’m not the best company, am I?”

  “You’re wonderful company.” He touched the tip of her nose and then trailed his finger over her lips, creating a troubling tingle throughout her nervous system. “Conversation isn’t always necessary. I just enjoy having you with me.”

  His unfailing politeness in the face of her frequent lapses of attention added one more heroic quality to a growing list. “Thank you for understanding.”

  “Well, then.” He ran the back of his fingers down her cheek in a barely-there caress, and then he got out and came around to open her door. “I’ll come inside when I return.”

  “OK.” Summer put her hands on his shoulders and tiptoed to place a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “My pleasure. Always.” He rounded the hood once again. “See you later. Have fun with Raine and the kids.”

  “I will.”

  She watched him drive out of the lot before making her way inside—right into a bevy of activity, sound, and smell. Raine and a group of teens were in the common room. Chatter and laughter bounced off the walls. The lingering aroma of bacon from a recent breakfast spiced the air.

  Unnoticed for a moment, Summer took in the scene.

  Raine seemed to be the center of the activity, and most of the teens gathered in close proximity to the director. Four young men and a couple of teen girls busied themselves with the clattering, clanking placement of metal folding chairs. A slender young woman with vibrant red hair placed a Bible on each seat, while another girl—thin to the point of emaciation, with bruises in a variety of livid colors peeking from beneath her sleeves and covering one side of her face—laid small notebooks and pens atop each one. Everyone seemed involved and happy to be where they were—except one girl who sat alone near the fireplace.

  Summer’s gaze was drawn to that lone teen, who looked about fifteen.

  She seemed to be reading, but lifted frequent, quick glances toward the other kids. Summer caught a glimpse of huge brown eyes in a face far too pale and gaunt. When the girl looked down at her book, a long curtain of hair swung forward over her cheeks. Piercing through a nearby window, sunlight kissed the blue-black strands, turning them to a glistening fall of luxuriant silk.

  Something about the young woman tugged at Summer’s heart, and she found herself unable to look away.

  A hand on her arm made her gasp.

  “That’s Reta. She’s only been here a few days.” Raine smiled a welcome at Summer, and nodded toward the girl she’d been watching. “I don’t know her story yet. So far, she hasn’t opened up to me.”

  “She feels ugly.” Summer breathed the words on a hefty exhale. She didn’t know where they came from, but knew them to be true. “She’s lived through unmentionable horrors, and she’s certain everyone who looks at her sees that ugliness reflected in her face…in her eyes.” As she spoke, tears made wet trails on her cheeks. Summer let them fall, so caught up in Reta’s world that her own didn’t matter. Immersed in the young woman’s psyche, breathing became an effort. “That poor child! She’s so ashamed, so crushed inside. Oh, the pain...! How does she bear it?” She swayed.

  Raine’s arm slipped around her waist. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you some coffee.”

  A few moments later, seated at a small table in an alcove off the kitchen, Summer wiped at her tears with a napkin she’d already soaked through. Raine’s hand rested atop her trembling one on the table.

  “Thank God for tears.” Raine’s voice was soft, if a little on the husky side. “If I couldn’t have a good cry now and then, I couldn’t handle this job.”

  Summer sniffled and nodded, not sure she could speak just yet.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  She met Raine’s gaze. “Sure.” Ah…she’d found her voice, after all.

  “How do you know about Reta? Do you recognize her from somewhere?”

  “No. I—I don’t have a clue how I know those things, Raine. The words just came, and they’re true. I know they are.” She choked on her coffee and coughed into her napkin. “That poor girl has suffered more already than anyone should have to in an entire lifetime. She’s so…broken.”

  “Most of the kids who find their way to Chrysalis are broken in one way or another. That’s why we’re here…to help put them back together.”

  “Well, I—I want to help.” She clutched at the other woman’s hand. “May I help, in some way?”

  Raine grinned. “Honey, don’t make an offer you’re not prepared to carry through with, because around here, offers of help are not taken lightly.”

  “I’m not offering lightly. In fact, I—what are they getting ready to do out there? With the chairs, and the Bibles?”

  “Miss Angie was scheduled to bring their Bible class today, but…well, Brady’s filling in for her.”

  Summer stood and paced to the door and back. “Do yo
u think he’d give me just a moment with them at the end of his lesson?”

  Raine’s eyes widened. “That shouldn’t be a problem at all. What did you have in mind?”

  Summer’s stomach clenched at the thought of standing in front of all those teens and actually saying something, but she had to do this. “How many kids are here right now?”

  “Um…” Raine’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Fourteen, I think.” She stared off into the distance, and her fingers moved on the table as she mentally counted the center’s current tenants. “Yes, fourteen.”

  Summer dug her phone out of her purse and punched in a number.

  Raine gave her a curious glance.

  “Logan? It’s Summer. Hey, are you busy right now? Oh, you’re already on the way back here? Wow, that was fast—and it works out perfectly. I’ll meet you out front. We have an errand to run.”

  13

  Logan sat at the back of the room, a glass of iced tea in hand, while Summer made her way to the front.

  She was nervous about getting in front of these kids and saying whatever it was she’d felt pressed to say. Palpable waves of terror had radiated from the shaking hand he held while they’d waited for Brady to finish up and introduce the unexpected guest speaker.

  “Relax, honey. You’ll do just fine.”

  “I don’t know if I can—” She broke off and swallowed so hard Logan nearly felt the terrified lump in her throat. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “No, you’re not.” He pulled her just inside the door of the conference room and held her close for a moment, aching to transfer some measure of calm into her being. “Summer, breathe. God would not have asked you to do this if He didn’t plan on helping you through it. Trust Him.”

  She shuddered, her face buried in his chest. “I’m trying.”

  “You’ll do fine—you and God. I’ll be praying for you the entire time.”

  “Th—thank you.”

  He chuckled and lifted her chin so he could see her face. “Honey, those kids out there…they need what you have to say to them. Not that I know what that is, since you’ve refused to share…” He grinned when she offered an apologetic grimace. “I’m just kidding. I have a feeling—given our errand into the Village—that you’ll give them some version of what you gave me awhile back. Something your mother taught you a long time ago.”