Redemption at Shadow Lake

by J E Grace

  “Sounds good. Did you get the flowers I sent?”

  “The flowers are beautiful but unexpected. After all, I am only doing my job,” said Samantha leaning back in her chair.

  “I just wanted to show my appreciation. I hope I haven’t done anything to upset you. I was surprised when you didn’t show up the other day,” he said getting up placing a hand on her shoulder.

  Samantha felt a chill go through her body. Why does he always feel like he has to touch me? She was about to get up from her chair when she looked over and saw Jonathan coming through the front door. Great. Now he’s going to think there is something between Calvin and me. The timing couldn’t be worse.

  “Jonathan. So nice to see you again,” said Samantha as she got up to greet him. A wave of guilt coursed through her even though she didn’t understand why.

  Jonathan gave her what she felt was a forced grin and walked over. Well, the only way to make this from feeling any more awkward is just to introduce them.

  “It looks like you’re busy. Maybe I should come back. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” said Jonathan as he started to head for the door.

  “Jonathan, it’s okay. We were finishing up. Meet Calvin Bonham. He’s working on securing property for a new resort,” said Samantha as she looked over at Jonathan. “Mr. Bonham, Jonathan Williams, he owns a photography studio here in town.”

  Jonathan walked back over and shook Calvin’s hand sizing him up.

  “Well, when I need a photographer for some advertising for the new resort, I know who to call. Do you have a business card?”

  Jonathan fished out a card and handed it to him.

  Samantha felt as though Jonathan was giving him the information to be civil, but she could sense that there was some reservation to his actions.

  “Give me a call as soon as possible. I have to know where we stand. People depend on me,” said Calvin as he reached over and touched her hand.

  “I will. Talk to you soon,” said Samantha pulling her hand away.

  Jonathan sat down at the desk. His eyes met Samantha’s, and she felt like a kid that had got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Why is he having this effect on me? It’s not like we’re dating and Calvin is just a client, nothing else.

  “I’ve made a decision. I want to make an offer on the house. If it’s accepted, I would also like you to list my house,” said Jonathan giving her a grin. “Do you have time now?”

  “Of course. What did you have in mind for an offer?’

  “Well, I will have to do a little remodeling to the downstairs so maybe $4,000 below what she’s asking if you think that will work.”

  “I talked to the owner last night to let her know I might have an interested buyer and she lowered the sale price $10,000. She’s looking to make a quick sale,” said Samantha.

  “Sounds great. I never imagined it would be this easy. I guess God has his hand in this. I’m ready to sign as soon as you have everything ready.”

  “How about one p.m.? Will that work for you?” asked Samantha pushing her hair back from her face.

  “I have an errand to run in the meantime. I’ll see you then,” said Jonathan reaching out to shake her hand. “Can’t thank you enough for finding the right property for me.”

  “It’s easy when I work with someone who knows what they want.”

  She watched as Jonathan walked towards the front door. She liked the way he filled out his jeans. Yes, she was attracted to him. She felt a sense of sadness knowing that once the property closed, she might not see him again.

  ~

  Jonathan walked up the street to his Jeep giving silent thanks to God for providing the right property for his business and for leading Samantha to him.

  Then, sadness took over his thoughts. Well, he had finally met the person that had sent her the flowers. Calvin.

  In the few minutes they had been together, he had plenty of time to size him up. What did Samantha see in that guy? Calvin was overconfident, a womanizer, and was too touchy-feely as far as he was concerned. Whoa! Is that the jealousy bug striking? I don’t have any claim on her. We’re not even in a relationship. She can date whomever she wants. But, I don’t want to know about it!

  Jonathan shook his head as he made his way to this Jeep and got in. He tapped the CD player and the group “Mercy Me” filled the vehicle with gospel tunes, and he hummed to the song as he backed out of the parking space.

  There was only one way to handle this. He would have to take a leap of faith and ask her to dinner. A thank you for finding the house.

  If she refused, he would ask why. If she were involved in a relationship and honest as he thought, she would say she was involved with someone. If not, he would have to accept it either way. Although, one would be a whole lot harder than the other to take.

  Chapter 21

  S amantha had met with Jonathan and got the offer signed on the house. She called the owner and presented the proposal which she readily accepted and faxed the paperwork to her daughter’s office for her signature.

  Jonathan watched Samantha as she stood next to the fax machine dressed in a pair of pale blue knee-length capris’ and a creme colored top that accentuated her figure. When she turned around, he quickly forced his eyes to look away.

  Samantha joined him at the desk and handed him copies of the signed contract and discussed the closing date. He didn’t need to sell his house first to close so that would make things more straightforward.

  She wrote down some necessary information on his house to get the listing started. “When would you like me to come and take photographs for the listing?” said Samantha smiling at him.

  “I do have a local shoot I need to do for an upcoming show. I’m planning on going soon. If you can let me know, I’ll make sure to be there,” said Jonathan tucking his paperwork into the folder.

  “How about you give me a call when you’re ready,” said Samantha. “We can set a time then, and I’ll work around whatever else is going on.”

  “Sounds good. Probably in a couple of days. I have to get the inspection out of the way at the other house first,” he said. “I would like to take you to dinner to celebrate the closing of the house.”

  “I would love to but I really can’t,” said Samantha.

  “Can I ask why? Are you involved with someone?” asked Jonathan looking directly into Samantha’s eyes making her uncomfortable.

  Samantha didn’t know what to say. Whether or not she was dating someone was none of his business. He was just a client.

  “I hope you can understand that I don’t mix business and pleasure. You’re a client, and I have strict ethics I abide by,” said Samantha hoping he would understand her position.

  “It’s probably not my place to comment, but do those same ethics come into play with all your clients? Be careful, Samantha, I feel that some of your clients may not share your opinion,” he said giving her a look of concern. “I guess I’ll have to wait until after the closing. I won’t be a client any longer then, so the rules won’t apply.”

  Samantha sat unable to answer right away. She was stunned. At first, she couldn’t imagine what he was insinuating. Then it hit her. He was sitting at the desk the day Calvin had sent her the flowers. Had he read the card?

  A part of her wanted to be mad at him. How dare he think that she would sacrifice her principles. She sat staring at him trying to get her thoughts together. Could he be interested in me? Perhaps there is more to the dinner invitation than just a thank you for finding him the house.

  “Why do I have the feeling that there is something you are dying to ask me?” said Samantha leaning forward to face him.

  “Okay. I’m going just to spit it out. Are you dating anyone?”

  “I’m not in the habit of discussing my private life with clients, but, the answer is, No.”

  “You just made my day,” said Jonathan as he got up to leave. He winked at Samantha as he walked away. “See you soon.”

  Samantha just stood s
taring at the gorgeous man as he walked out the door. Did I tell him I wasn’t involved with anyone? What was I thinking?

  Her mind reeled with anticipation of their meeting after the closing. Maybe Jonathan had feelings for her after all. She had to respect a man who wouldn’t ask her to set aside her principles just to satisfy some inner urge or ego.

  ~

  Jonathan felt as though he was on cloud nine. He took the chance of making her angry when he commented about some clients not sharing her opinion on mixing business with pleasure. For a minute or two, he could see a fire in her eyes, and he thought he had blown it.

  But then he could see the lines softening around her eyes as she settled back in her chair and she was very confident when she came back with her, No.

  He had no reason to doubt her telling him the truth. At least now he knew he had a chance and that’s all he needed.

  Chapter 22

  J onathan, with his Nikon, backpack, and tripod, strolled along the banks of the lake heading towards Cathedral Lookout. It was midday, and the sun reflected off the lake making it look like highly polished glass.

  Walking along the trail, he side-stepped boulder making its steep ascent. At the top, it opened up to a spruce forest and rockslides. Carefully, inching along he found a level spot.

  He set his backpack down and fished out his bottled water taking a healthy swig, then poured some into the palm of his hands and wiped it across his forehead removing the sweat from his brow.

  Jonathan took a deep breath taking in the mountain air. The higher elevations around the lake gave him an excellent opportunity for panoramic images, and he never knew what he might get a chance to shoot.

  He set up his tripod and secured his camera, taking a minute to pull back the wrapper off of a protein bar. He was in his element. The peacefulness and calm of the landscape cleared his head. That was until he thought of Samantha. She always seemed to creep into his thoughts.

  He wondered what she was doing right at this particular moment. Was she engaged in a conversation with a client or was she out viewing property?

  He couldn’t wait to close on his property so that he was no longer a client. But would she agree to go out with him then? He hoped it would be soon. The wait was excruciating, and he found himself falling for her more each day.

  A sizeable snow-white pelican in the distance scooped food as it swam through the lake. Jonathan eased over looking through the camera lens and snapped the frame. Looking towards the surrounding rocky mountain peaks, he took a couple more frames and then zoomed towards the opposite bank along the lake to snap photos of calypso orchids, larkspur, fireweed, paintbrush, and columbine that created a carpet of color.

  He scrolled through the photos and satisfied with his shots, decided to eat before heading back to his vehicle. He removed a chicken wrap from his pack and sat on a boulder facing the lake and ate with the gentle breeze caressing his cheek.

  He finished getting up to stretch. The walk had tested some muscles he hadn’t used in a while. Not since his last photo shoot two months ago. He would have to make a point of doing it more often.

  The serenity of the view calmed his soul, but that’s when thoughts of Marilyn crept in. Images of a laugh, a stolen kiss, and a tight squeeze as they stopped to enjoy the view invaded his mind.

  She had loved to hike the lake trail with him. Lord, I’m doing what I love, why do these memories have to haunt me? I love her, but she’s with you now. About a mile up the bank was where the backpacker had found her body.

  Jonathan slung his backpack over his shoulders, hung his camera around his neck, and picked up his tripod making his way along the trail and started downhill back the way he came. He was about a half mile in when he passed another hiker and nodded a hello.

  He moved around boulders, and his feet slid on the small pebbles that mixed with twigs lining the trail that winded through the forest surrounding the edge of the lake. It was around three p.m. when he finally reached the gravel parking area. It had filled up quite a bit since he began his hike.

  He leaned his tripod against the back hatch, removed his keys from his backpack and opened the hatch, loading everything inside. He walked over entering the outdoor restroom before continuing back to his vehicle.

  Jonathan got in and headed towards the main roadway making a left-hand turn before driving towards the downtown of Shadow Lake. The traffic was quite heavy, but he didn’t have far to go. He was pulling into his driveway when his cell phone rang.

  “Hi, Jonathan. It’s Samantha,” she said. “I was wondering if you would be home tomorrow morning. I’d like to drop by and take some room measurements and photos of the house for the listing.”

  “That sounds fine. I was on a shoot today, and I will be doing some printing and framing. Give me a call before you come,” said Jonathan as his heart raced with anticipation.

  “Great. I’ll give you a call around ten a.m. See you then,” said Samantha.

  Jonathan hung up the phone. Short and to the point. But what did I expect from a professional? At that moment for the first time, he wondered if she believed in God.

  He would have to get busy and tidy up the house if she was going to take photos. Maybe now is the time to pack some things up and store the boxes in the downstairs closet out of sight.

  Jonathan spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up. There were quite a few items left over from his mother’s belongings that he hadn’t cleared from upstairs. He didn’t have the heart to pack them away and to be honest; other things always seemed to take priority.

  He was moving some of the items into the closet downstairs when he saw a box tucked away on the upper shelf. He reached up pulling it down, and a couple of medium sized notebooks fell to the floor.

  As he inspected them more, he discovered they were journals. Funny, I didn’t even know Marilyn kept such a thing. He wondered how long she had been keeping a journal?

  Jonathan took the box into the living room and sat in his leather chair wondering if he should read them. His mother was gone now, and maybe they would give him a better insight into her most intimate thoughts. He said a prayer for understanding and ability not to judge anything he read.

  The first page he read was penned after his father died. He wondered if keeping a journal was her avenue for healing. The words were a sweet declaration of how much she had loved his father and how she had no regrets with the life she had shared with him.

  He picked up the other journal which upon opening, seemed to have been written during the early 1900’s when she used to live in Shadow Lake. There were a lot of surprising references to Robert McClure Sr. He would make time to read these thoroughly when he had more time. Would the texts shed light on the real owner of the McClure Mansion and what happened years ago? Would they hold a clue as to who his birth father and mother were?

  Chapter 23

  J onathan was finishing the framing of his latest photographs when he heard the front door of his studio open. He placed his photos down on the table and walked into the reception area.

  “Hi, Jonathan. I hope I’m not disturbing you,” said Samantha giving him a warm smile.

  “Not at all. I’m just finishing up, and I could use a break anyway. Would you like some coffee before you start?”

  “Sure,” said Samantha following him upstairs to the kitchen.

  Samantha took a seat at the kitchen table while he poured the coffee. He carried them over, sitting across from her. “Cream or sugar?” he asked as he put sugar in his coffee.

  “Sugar, please.”

  Jonathan passed the sugar bowl to her, and she placed a heaping spoon into her cup and stirred.

  “I got the inspection back this morning on the other house. Everything appears to be in good shape. I have a copy with me for you to look over. If there are no requests, we can set a closing date,” said Samantha taking a sip of her coffee.

  “Sounds great. I went ahead and started packing last night. I still have things of my moth
er’s I forgot I had. I did run across something interesting though. I found some journals. There are references to the McClure Mansion that I plan on taking time to read further.”

  “Why are you so interested in the mansion?” asked Samantha giving him a curious look. “Is it something more than just from a photographer’s viewpoint?”

  “I don’t know. It started out as an interest in the architectural structure from a photography aspect, but I can’t help feel there is something else drawing me into it.”

  “Sounds mysterious. Mr. Benham is looking for property to build his resort, and I’m putting off showing it to him until I can track down an owner. It seemed when Beverly checked title records, there is no record of a title recorded at the courthouse. It’s like the property doesn’t exist. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said as she finished her coffee.

  “That’s strange. I wonder how that happened. I thought every property had to have a title,” said Jonathan reaching for her cup to place them in the sink.

  “ Somewhere along the line, it got lost, but it has to turn up somewhere. I’ll keep digging. If you run across anything of interest in those journals that might help clear it up, please let me know,” said Samantha picking up her camera. “Thanks for the coffee. I better get to work. I want to get this on the market right away.”

  “If you have any questions, let me know. I’ll be framing,” said Jonathan as he headed down the stairs.

  Samantha walked through each room taking measurements and jotting them down. Then she took a couple of photos of each room.

  She finished up inside and then let herself out the back photographing the sunroom as she went. She snapped photos from both directions out back and then walked around to the front of the house and took pictures straight on. The house photographed well and should be an easy sell.

  As she walked up the front porch steps, her mind wandered to the journals Jonathan had found. Could it be possible that they would clear up the questions she had?