In Firefly Valley

by Amanda Cabot

  “But he didn’t.”

  “No, he didn’t, thanks to God.” Marisa brushed away the solitary tear that was making its way down her cheek. Fixing her gaze on Blake, she said softly, “And thanks to God, you’re here too. Oh, Blake, I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you never wanted to see me again.”

  “But I do. We’ve got a lot to talk about, and we’ll do that later. Right now it seems to me you’re facing an immediate challenge. Where will all those families live?”

  Marisa laid her hand on Blake’s cheek, grateful beyond words that he’d accepted her apology so easily. He was right. They would talk later, and that talk would be far different from the one at the goat farm.

  “Housing is the question of the day.” And one that Marisa believed Blake could help answer. “We set up an emergency shelter in the school gym, but that’s not a long-term solution. There are no vacant houses in town, and although we’ve got more than our share of empty stores, it would take a lot of work to turn them into residences.”

  When Blake raised an eyebrow, she explained. “I know that because Drew considered buying a couple for his first employees. He said it probably wasn’t cost effective to convert them. That’s why he wants to extend Maple Street to the north and build some duplexes as well as his computer center there.”

  “Like an old-fashioned company town?”

  Marisa nodded. “Sort of. The problem is, his houses are only a dream at this point.”

  Blake kept his arm wrapped around Marisa’s shoulders as he led her back to the bench. Somehow he’d sensed that her legs were threatening to collapse. Too little sleep and too much stress had turned them into limp noodles.

  “Will the owner rebuild Hickory View?”

  Marisa shook her head. “That doesn’t seem likely. The man who owns it is the former mayor. He’s living in Austin now. Fortunately, his son is in Dupree and knows what happened.” Marisa gave Blake a mischievous smile. “Remember how I told you I was dreading Hal Lundquist’s visit? It turned out to be a blessing.” She told him what had happened when Hal had met her father.

  “Hal was at the parade,” she continued. “When he realized what was going on at Hickory View, he called his dad to see what he should do. Mr. Lundquist claims he’s tired of being an absentee landlord.” Marisa shrugged. “I suspect he’s going to collect the insurance money and then try to sell the land.”

  “Someone’ll buy it.”

  Blake was more confident than Marisa. Even though the local economy was beginning to improve, Dupree wasn’t an ideal investment.

  “Maybe, but that doesn’t solve the immediate problem. Those families need a place to live now. And who knows what the new owner would build? The rent might be more than they can afford.”

  Though the morning was surprisingly warm for late December, Marisa shivered, thinking about the winter to come and the now-homeless families.

  Blake drew her closer, the warmth of his arms helping to dissipate the chill that had settled over her. “Affordable rent’s a good point,” he said, “but let’s start with the immediate need: temporary housing. I doubt you can get FEMA trailers, but what about RVs? They’re already furnished, and folks live in the bigger ones for months on end.”

  As she pictured some of the RVs she’d seen advertised, Marisa nodded. It was a good idea. It might even be a great idea. As she had hoped, Blake had identified a possibility she and the town council hadn’t considered. Only one problem remained, and it was a big one.

  “I like the idea, but there’s still the issue of money. I doubt very many of the families could afford to buy an RV, new or used. Renting one might even be a stretch. When Lauren and Patrick wanted to take a camping vacation, they said rentals were exorbitant.”

  Marisa knew the expense of buying or renting RVs would make only a small dent in Greg’s charitable foundation, but the town council had decreed that they would ask Greg for financial help only if they could find no alternatives. Everyone felt—and Marisa agreed—that Greg and Kate were already doing so much for Dupree that it would be unfair to ask for more. Still, Marisa suspected Kate and Greg would be unhappy if they couldn’t contribute in some way. The question was how.

  Blake refused to be discouraged. “I don’t know about long-term rentals, but there’s always year-end sales. If Texas is anything like Pennsylvania, dealers are eager to reduce inventory. Let’s see what we can find.”

  He looked at the charred remains of Hickory View and frowned. “I think we’ve got another problem. Assuming we can get RVs, where can they be parked? It obviously can’t be here.”

  Marisa thought for a moment, picturing the few vacant lots in Dupree. The area Drew wanted for his company required substantial grading before it would be usable. Even the park wasn’t large enough to accommodate two dozen RVs unless they were practically on top of each other. While that might be acceptable for a brief vacation, it was a less than desirable solution for what could turn into a year’s residence. There had to be an answer. Marisa closed her eyes, then grinned as she remembered the tax bill she’d just paid.

  “Firefly Valley,” she said. “It’s flat, and though there are some trees, they’re far enough apart that we could park RVs there.”

  Blake’s grin matched hers. “Good idea. Who owns it?”

  “That’s the best part. It’s part of Rainbow’s End. Apparently, the first owners thought they might want to expand, so they bought ten acres on the opposite side of the road. Right now, it’s just empty land. I’m sure Kate and Greg would let the RVs park there.” That would be one way to have them involved in the project without asking them for money.

  Blake smiled. “One problem down. Now we need to find some affordable RVs.” He pulled out his phone and started to search for local dealers.

  “Why don’t we go to my office? We’ll be more comfortable there.” Marisa had come here looking for inspiration, and she’d found it. There was no longer any reason to stare at the ruined building.

  As she and Blake entered the Rainbow’s End lobby ten minutes later, they found Greg sitting behind the desk.

  “You’re back.” Greg didn’t look particularly surprised to see Blake. “I wondered how long you’d be able to stay away.”

  “Apparently it was long enough that you’ve found a new job.”

  Greg shrugged. “Everyone else is in town. Carmen insisted on cooking dinner for the . . .” He paused. “I can’t figure out what to call them. Homeless? Victims? That sounds so depressing. Anyway, Carmen cooked, and the rest of the staff went along to help serve. Some of the guests are even helping.” Greg frowned. “I’ve got to tell you, buddy, I wish Kate and I could do something. When I called the mayor to offer a donation, he just brushed me off.”

  Marisa nodded, suspecting that although the mayor had tried to be diplomatic, he’d offended Greg. That wasn’t the plan. “The town council thinks you’ve already done more than your share for the town,” she explained. “I was there when they said they wanted to try to solve the problem without any more gifts from you. But,” Marisa said, giving Blake a conspiratorial smile, “no one said anything about loans.”

  Greg grinned. “At very low interest rates.”

  “I was actually thinking about interest-free.”

  As Marisa explained what she and Blake were planning, she watched Greg’s enthusiasm grow. “Of course you can use the land, and since we’re so close, we can provide meals—at least for a few weeks until everyone gets settled. And, if you need that other kind of loan, just let me know.”

  As Greg called Kate to tell her what was happening and Marisa and Blake headed toward her office, Blake started to chuckle. “What do you bet that within two minutes, Kate will decide that the Hickory View people will celebrate Christmas here?”

  Marisa glanced at her watch. Ninety-three seconds later, Kate appeared in the doorway to Marisa’s office. “We’re going to need more Christmas presents, but don’t worry, Marisa. I’ll take care of
that. You and Blake worry about those RVs.”

  Once Kate had left, Marisa turned to Blake. “Kate and Greg do so much. I hope we don’t have to ask them for money.”

  A curious expression crossed Blake’s face, but his words were matter-of-fact as he said, “We won’t have to. We’ll find a way to make this affordable. First, let’s see how much those RVs are going to cost.”

  Though it was early afternoon on a Sunday, it appeared that RV dealers never closed and that their owners worked on weekends. Marisa said a silent prayer of thanks when she reached the first owner and explained what had happened. “These people have lost everything,” she concluded. “I wondered if you’d be able to offer us a discount.”

  The man’s reply left her speechless. “I’ve got three of last year’s model that I haven’t been able to sell. You can have them for as long as you need them—no cost. The only thing I ask is that you let me put my dealer sticker on them. Maybe someone in Dupree will want to buy something from me.”

  Free! It was more than Marisa had dared hope for. Though the news was often filled with so many reports of wars, gun violence, and major thefts that viewers might believe there was no kindness left in the world, this man was proof that people did care about others.

  “Mr. McIntyre, I don’t know what to say other than thank you. What you’ve offered is extremely generous, and it’ll make a huge difference to three families.” Marisa felt tears of joy and relief begin to choke her throat. “Thank you, Mr. McIntyre. Thank you.”

  When she hung up the phone, she turned to Blake. “Did you hear that, Blake? He’s going to lend them to us—free! I can’t believe it.”

  “Why not? God’s in the miracle business. It seems to me he’s using Mr. McIntyre for this one.”

  “And all he wanted was a little free advertising.” Marisa grinned. “I can do better than that. Will you call the next dealer? I want to write a press release. This is the perfect Christmastime human interest story.”

  “A modern Miracle on 34th Street?” Blake appeared faintly amused by the idea.

  “Exactly. We may not have peace on earth, but Mr. McIntyre is doing his part for goodwill toward humankind.”

  “And with him as an example, the other dealers will want to jump on the same bandwagon.”

  Marisa nodded. “I hope so.”

  An hour later, they had promises for all twenty-four RVs, most of which would be delivered today, all of which were being offered free. The dealers had even anticipated a problem Marisa hadn’t considered: transportation. When they’d heard what happened, in addition to offering RVs, the owners had volunteered to enlist friends to get those RVs to Dupree.

  “You don’t need me for a few minutes, do you?” Blake asked when the last RV had been accounted for. “I’ve got a couple things I need to do.”

  Marisa shook her head. Though she was curious about those errands and the fact that he wasn’t sharing any of the details with her, something in Blake’s expression kept her from asking where he was going. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that Blake’s idea had become reality. The Hickory View families would not be homeless much longer. Marisa turned her attention to getting the publicity the dealers—and Dupree—deserved.

  She emailed the press release with the names of the participating dealers to the San Antonio newspapers and TV stations, then began follow-up phone calls. As she’d hoped, the human interest aspect of the story intrigued the editors and news anchors, and within half an hour Marisa had a promise from one of the TV stations to send a news team to record the delivery of the RVs.

  She was giving the anchor directions to Firefly Valley when Blake returned. Though his expression remained neutral, Marisa saw a glint of excitement in his eyes. Whatever his mysterious errands were, it appeared they’d been successful.

  “Do you need to check in with anyone?” Blake asked when Marisa hung up the phone. He was fingering his cell phone, as if he wanted to make a call, but with no cell coverage at Rainbow’s End, that wasn’t possible. If he’d made calls while he was gone, he’d either used the pay phone or driven to the top of Ranger Hill to get a signal.

  “I was going to call the mayor,” she told him. “He’ll let the town council know what’s happening, and they’ll tell the residents.”

  Blake slid the phone back into his pocket. “Why don’t we go in person? I want to see the mayor’s face when he hears about the RVs.”

  So did Marisa, and she wasn’t disappointed. The mayor’s expression turned from admiration when he heard the idea of providing RVs in Firefly Valley to astonishment at the dealers’ generosity.

  “This is the best news Dupree has had since Greg and Kate bought Rainbow’s End,” he said.

  “There’s only one possible glitch,” Marisa said when she explained that Greg had agreed they could park the RVs there for however long it took to find permanent housing and that he’d do what he could to get utility hookups expedited. “I’m not sure how the land is zoned.”

  As she’d expected, the mayor shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll write up a variance if we need to.” He tapped his phone to call the head of the town council, asking him to tell the others they were needed at the school. “Let’s announce the good news,” the mayor said when he hung up the phone.

  Blake and Marisa followed the mayor, parking a few yards away from the entrance to the school. Many of the Hickory View children were outside, burning off excess energy in the playground with a few adults supervising, while the other adults remained in the cafeteria, cleaning up after the midday meal. Though Marisa had thought her parents might still be there, one of the women said they’d gone to Lauren’s.

  Marisa frowned. It was because of her father’s suggestion that she’d become involved in the residents’ plight. He ought to be here to learn how it was being resolved. She picked up her borrowed cell phone and called Lauren. “Y’all might want to come to the school yard,” she told Lauren. “There’s going to be an announcement.”

  When Lauren had agreed that she, Drew, and Fiona would accompany Marisa’s parents, Marisa raised her voice to be heard over the chatter. “The mayor wants everyone to come outside.” Though she saw lines of worry form between several women’s eyes, she didn’t want to upstage the mayor. The man liked being the center of attention, especially when delivering good news.

  It took longer than Marisa had expected to get everyone assembled, but she wasn’t complaining, because by the time they were outside, her parents had arrived. They stood at the far edge of the crowd, one of Dad’s bandaged hands resting gently on Mom’s shoulder. Lauren and Drew were smiling at Fiona as she made her way to Alice’s side. If it weren’t for the lingering stench of smoke, this might have been any other Sunday afternoon. But it wasn’t. The mismatched and ill-fitting clothes and the strained expressions bore witness to last night’s drama.

  When the last of the town council members arrived, the mayor picked up his bullhorn. “May I have everyone’s attention?” Once the crowd was silent, he smiled. “I’m glad you’re all here, because Marisa has something to announce.”

  35

  Blake couldn’t help smiling at the look of sheer horror on Marisa’s face. This was the woman he loved—always ready to help others but unwilling to take the limelight. Once she recovered from the shock, Blake was certain she’d be a good spokesperson for their project. The announcement she was about to deliver would be received with cheers and unmitigated approval.

  Blake wished he could be as certain about her reaction to his own announcement. Chances were she’d be uncomfortable, but that wouldn’t stop him. He’d prayed about this, and he was confident it was God’s will, just as it had been God’s will that he come to Rainbow’s End. Even the writer’s block, which had seemed so terrible, had been a blessing. It was because of it that he’d met Marisa, that he’d changed the direction of his writing, and that soon he’d . . . His thoughts ended abruptly as Marisa gripped his hand, seeking support.

  “You’ll b
e fine,” he whispered and pushed her toward the mayor.

  “Me?” Marisa stared at the mayor as he handed her the bullhorn. She wasn’t prepared to make a speech. It was one thing to sit around a table with clients and discuss tax returns, quite another to stand up in front of half the town and deliver a speech.

  The mayor nodded. “It was your idea, Marisa. Your work. You should get the credit.”

  “But Blake was a big part of it.”

  Though she’d hoped he would accept the bullhorn, Blake shook his head. “You can do it,” he said softly. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

  That made twice in less than twenty-four hours that someone had expressed that level of confidence in her. Buoyed by their faith in her, Marisa took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach. She would pretend she was sitting at a conference table, addressing two or three clients. She exhaled slowly. She could do this. She would do this.

  “I have some good news,” Marisa began. When she finished her explanation, there was a round of cheers and applause. Marisa smiled and managed to make eye contact with several of the residents while she answered a few basic questions. When her gaze reached the back of the crowd, her heart lurched at the pride she saw on her father’s face. The way he looked, you would have thought Marisa had won the Nobel Peace Prize.

  “I don’t want you to think this was all my idea,” she said when the final round of applause died down. “It was actually Blake who suggested RVs, and he made most of the calls. Let’s give Blake Kendall a big hand.”

  “Thank you,” Blake said when the crowd was once more silent. “I’m happy to have been part of today’s planning.” Marisa noticed that although he did not use the bullhorn, Blake had no trouble being heard. “The RVs will give you a place to live while the new apartments are being built.”