A Home for Her Daughter

by Jill Weatherholt

  Maybe her ex-husband was right about her lack of abilities. She couldn’t get the camp up and running on her own, not without Drew’s help. Even Mrs. Applegate obviously believed that. She’d loved the camp as a child, but the behind-the-scenes operation of it all? She was clueless as to what Mrs. Applegate and her husband had done to ensure every child who visited left with sweet memories.

  Drew stroked his hand over the top of his head, squirming in his seat. “It’s just—I already have a job. I don’t know how I would have the time.” He squared his broad shoulders when Janie cast a pleading look in his direction.

  She swiped her finger over the documents in front of her. On these pages were her dear friend’s last wishes and, with or without Drew’s help, she’d make Rocky River Camp the best on the East Coast. Okay. Just breathe. A sense of calm took hold and she turned to the attorney. “I can do this on my own. I don’t need his help.” Janie tilted her head in Drew’s direction.

  “Well, I’m afraid you do. The will specifically states that if Drew doesn’t agree to the terms and they’re not met by the Fourth, then all of the land will be put up for auction and the proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Association.”

  Janie’s chin trembled at Larry’s words.

  “What about the money for Riley’s college tuition?” His voice shook. “And the house?” Drew turned from Janie to the lawyer and then back to her.

  “All of it goes to charity.” Larry looked down at the papers.

  With those words, Janie’s stomach lurched before Drew picked up the black ink pen and began to sign the pages.

  An hour later, with all of the documents signed, the two old friends and Riley crossed the parking lot of the law firm. Drew placed his hat on his head.

  “So do people think you look like the guy from Smokey Bear, Mr. Drew?” Her daughter grinned.

  Drew laughed. “I guess some do. I’m heading to work at the park this morning.”

  “That’s cool you get to work at a park! Maybe we can come visit you.” Riley squealed and waved her arms while jumping up and down. “Can we, Mommy?”

  “We’ll see,” Janie responded, looking up. The early June sun was filtered through a thin veil of clouds. A buttermilk sky. That’s what her mother used to call it.

  Heaviness gripped Janie’s limbs at the thought that Drew had agreed to the terms against his will—but why? She stopped with a jerk and reached for his arm. “Why did you change your mind?” Her chin quivered. “What about your job?”

  “Mommy, if you and Mr. Drew are going to talk grown-up stuff, can you unlock the car so I can read? Fern is trying to think of a way to save Wilbur. It’s so exciting!” Riley beamed.

  Drew laughed. “That was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. I begged my father to buy me a pig.”

  Riley giggled, dancing a little jig. “Really? I’ve always wanted a pig, too.”

  Janie fished into her purse for the car keys and popped the lock. “Go ahead, sweetie. I’ll be a few minutes.” She turned to Drew. “She loves her books.”

  Drew’s eyes fixed on her. “I know what the camp meant to you. Some of my happiest childhood memories were made there too, but—it’s more than that.”

  Janie swallowed hard. “What is it?”

  “How could I live with myself if I hadn’t signed? The land, the house—Riley’s future. Mrs. Applegate wanted to provide you with a sense of security. She loved you, Janie.”

  Tears peppered her eyes for the loss of her friend and for the generous gift she’d left for her and Riley. “Thank you, Drew. I appreciate what you’ve done. I’ll be honest—last year I went through a nasty divorce that has left me almost broke.” Janie turned her focus down to the gravel parking lot. “I really didn’t know how I would provide for Riley. I promise you, I’ll do as much as I can on my own so this doesn’t interfere with your job at the park.”

  Drew nodded. “But what about your ex-husband? Doesn’t he have to pay you support or something?”

  “Yes, he was ordered to pay both spousal and child support, but so far I haven’t received anything.” Janie examined her fingernails. “My lawyer has tried to garnish his wages, but my ex works as an independent contractor.” At first she hesitated, not sure how much to share with Drew, but why not? She wasn’t the one who was paid under the table. “Let’s just say, he’s good at hiding his income. It costs me money I don’t have for my attorney to try to chase down the funds.”

  The couple continued across the lot. Drew’s car horn sounded as he pushed the button to unlock his truck and pocketed his keys. He opened the passenger door and tossed his portfolio on the seat before turning to Janie. “We’ll make it work. Since we’re already in the first week of June, I don’t think we can open for overnight guests by the Fourth, but a day camp would be doable.”

  Janie agreed. Most parents signed their children up for camp months in advance, but she had an idea. “I was thinking about that earlier, while you and Larry were talking. We’ll meet the deadline of opening on the Fourth of July, but not for overnight guests, just a preview of what we’ll have to offer. Then perhaps by late August, we—I mean, I—can host weekend overnights until the weather turns colder, if there’s any interest.”

  A beat of silence ticked by before Drew responded. “I think that sounds like a good idea. If it would help, I’d be happy to assist you with your business plan.”

  Janie’s feet shuffled, too embarrassed to admit to Drew that she didn’t have the slightest idea what a business plan entailed. Tightness squeezed her chest. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing, just like her ex always told her.

  “Oh-kay then,” Drew broke the uncomfortable silence. “We’ll have to file all of the required paperwork for licensing by the state.”

  Janie looked up and shook her head. There was no point in trying to fool her old friend. “I hadn’t even thought about that,” she sighed.

  “If you’re going to eventually have overnight guests or any sort of cafeteria, you’ll need licensing by the Department of Health,” Drew added.

  Oh boy. She was in way over her head. Her palms were slick with moisture. “I had no idea there was so much involved in running a camp. How did Mrs. Applegate do it alone for all of those years after her husband passed away?”

  Janie had to admit, the terms of her friend’s will stirred up a lot of emotions she’d tried desperately to keep contained. What if her ex-husband had been right about her being worthless and having no skills? Was she capable of operating a business on her own? But then she remembered Mrs. Applegate had known about the controlling man Janie had married. Her friend knew exactly what she’d been doing by leaving the camp to Janie. She was providing an opportunity to prove her independence and take control of her life. Janie couldn’t help but wonder if this was also Mrs. Applegate’s way of bringing her and Drew back together again. With everything going to the Alzheimer’s Association if they didn’t meet the deadline, it seemed extreme. Did Mrs. Applegate plan for more than just reigniting their friendship? Her friend knew about her childhood crush. But Janie and Drew a couple? There was no way that would ever happen. After what Janie had experienced throughout her marriage, giving her heart to another man wasn’t in her future.

  “How do you know so much about all of this?” she asked.

  Drew hesitated before he turned an empty stare in her direction. “Let’s just say once upon a time, I had a dream of my own.”

  She wanted to ask Drew to expand on his comment. She was curious about his dream, but it was best to hold her peace and not pry into his business.

  When Drew looked at her, the old familiar twinkle in his eyes ignited goose bumps. For a second, she felt calm. Drew could be trusted. She couldn’t say that about many men in her life—her ex had made certain of that by constantly filling her head with demeaning comments. You’re not good enough. You’ll never amount to anythi
ng. She forced his words from her mind.

  “Thank you so much, Drew. At first I thought I had everything under control...that I could do it all on my own. How could I have been so naive? I’m trying to understand why Mrs. Applegate would leave the property to me.” Janie squeezed her hand into a tight ball and released.

  Drew turned to Janie and gently placed his hands on her arm, causing her stomach to flutter. “She understood how much it meant to you—that’s why. I remember watching the two of you together. Like Larry said, she loved you like her own daughter. It only makes sense that she’d pass it along to you. She trusted you to keep her dream alive.”

  Janie sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. “Oh boy—that’s a lot of pressure.” What if the camp failed because of her? “I’m not sure I can do this, Drew.” Her voice quivered.

  “Nonsense. The Janie I remember did anything she put her mind to. Try not to worry so much and just take things one step at a time. I’ve got the day off on Saturday. Maybe we can meet in town for breakfast and work on your business plan.”

  Janie’s mood had done a one-eighty since stepping outside of the lawyer’s office. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

  “It’s not a big deal.” Drew kicked some loose gravel under his shoe.

  Janie considered his response. Perhaps it wasn’t a big deal to him. After all, he wasn’t exactly offering because he wanted to. He really had no choice if he hoped to fulfill Mrs. Applegate’s wishes and claim his seventy-five acres. Still, she wanted to believe that even if the will hadn’t laid out those terms, he’d volunteer to assist her in making the camp better than it had ever been. Growing up, that was the Drew she’d known and, if truth be told, loved. But that was a long time ago. Now she had to focus on her new business and keep her heart guarded.

  Chapter Two

  Drew sat at a corner bistro table in Huggamug Café. He lifted the oversize cup to his lips and inhaled the strong, but slightly bitter brew. Just the way he liked it. The shop buzzed with chatter from the typical Saturday crowd and the whirl of the bean grinder while patrons were coming and going to get their much-needed caffeine fix. The aroma of spicy cinnamon and freshly baked sugary treats teased his taste buds.

  It had been another sleepless night. At five o’clock this morning, Drew gave up on sleep and left the comforts of his goose-down feather bed to watch the sun rise over the valley. It was his favorite way to begin his day and spend time alone with God. Drew had a lot of questions for Him. The first being why had He brought a vivacious seven-year-old into his life? Riley was the same age his daughter would be if he’d done his job and protected her. Didn’t God know how painful this would be? And second, was he being forced to help Janie open her camp as punishment for not saving his wife and daughter? Or was this his second chance to save another family?

  After downing his first cup of coffee, his head still spun like a merry-go-round. Since Janie and Riley had come back to town, he’d been unable to get them out of his mind. For a second, he’d thought of bolting from the café and heading back to the solitude of his cabin—away from people and from life. The bell over the door jingled, and he knew his opportunity to escape had passed. Drew’s pulse tripped when he spotted Janie dressed in sky-blue running shorts, a white tank top and a white zip-up sweatshirt. Strange. Why would she be wearing a coat in early June? She’d worn a jacket when they’d met at the law firm, too. Maybe she was easily chilled by air-conditioning.

  “Mr. Drew!” Riley called out in an excited tone. Her tennis shoes squeaked across the hardwood floor as she headed to his table. “Sorry we’re late! Our car wouldn’t start, so we had to walk.” She flopped down in the padded red-and-white chair, blowing her hair away from her brown eyes. “It’s kind of hot out there.”

  Drew loved Riley’s energetic personality, but at the same time, it frightened him. He couldn’t allow himself to get attached to this little girl. He turned his attention to the door and watched as Janie worked her way through the café to his table. Her striking appearance caused a few of the gentlemen at a nearby table to look up from their coffee cups. His teeth clenched. Wait—was he jealous? He shook off the feeling. This meeting was business, not pleasure.

  “I’m sorry we kept you waiting on your day off.” Janie’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She took the empty chair closest to Drew. “I think my trusty twenty-year-old Honda might have driven its last mile yesterday.”

  “Yeah, this morning it made a terrible noise, like a frog croaking,” Riley added as she opened the menu the waitress had brought when Drew had first arrived. “Look, Mommy, the coffee cups are dancing.” She pointed to the colorful cover and giggled.

  Drew turned to Janie, catching a whiff of her perfume—sweet, like cotton candy. It reminded him of a trip to the boardwalk the summer before the accident. “Any idea what could be wrong?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure. It’s got a lot of mileage on it, but I’d just had it checked out by the mechanic before we made the trip from Maryland.”

  “I can take a look at it, if you’d like.” He wasn’t a trained mechanic, but he worked on his own cars enough to feel qualified to lend a hand.

  Riley dropped the menu, her mouth hanging open. “You can fix cars, too? Man, Mr. Drew is like a superhero, isn’t he, Mommy?”

  His gut twisted as he lowered his gaze. The child was being nice. He was anything but a hero. “I’ve worked on cars here and there.”

  Janie tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear. “I’ve already imposed enough with my lack of business knowledge. I’ll call my auto service, but thank you for the offer.”

  “You’ll never get a mechanic to look at it over the weekend. Once we get a jump on your business plan for the camp, I’ll drive you ladies home and take a look,” Drew suggested. “It would be my pleasure.”

  “Mommy, can we take our food back to Uncle Nick’s house? I miss Frankie.” Riley stretched her arms out across the table.

  Janie leaned forward. “Sweetie, don’t lie on the table like that.”

  Drew raised a brow. “And who is Frankie?”

  “He’s my new puppy.” Riley sat up straight and bounced in her chair. “We got him from my Uncle Nick. His dog Pebbles had three babies a couple of weeks before we moved here. I can’t wait for you to meet him, Mr. Drew. He’s so cute.”

  Janie scanned the room. “It is kind of noisy here. Maybe it would be best to get our breakfast to go and work at Nick’s place.”

  Drew bit down on his lower lip. Working at the café, in a public place, kept things more businesslike and less personal, but he had to agree the crowd seemed quite rambunctious this morning. It would probably take twice as long to get anything accomplished. “That sounds like a good plan to me.” Drew closed his portfolio and slid it inside his backpack.

  “Janie Capello? Is that you?” a high-pitched voice called out from across the room. “Where in the world have you been?”

  Drew glanced up and spotted Molly Morgan, the owner of the local bookstore, Bound to Please Reads. Her long, fiery red hair cascaded over her shoulders as she moved swiftly toward their table. After Molly had moved to Whispering Slopes when the two were in junior high school, they’d become best friends. Between their sleepovers and riding their bikes all around town, they’d been inseparable. It was obvious they hadn’t kept in touch—but why?

  “Molly!” Janie stood and embraced her old friend. “It’s so great to see you.”

  The woman placed her hands on Janie’s forearms. “I can’t believe it’s really you.” They hugged again, this time holding on a little longer. “I’ve tried to find you for years. You never came back to visit, so I searched for you online. It was like you fell off the face of the earth. I thought everyone was on social media. Did you enter the witness protection program?” Molly barely stopped to catch a breath. “How are you? Who is this?” She glanced at R
iley with a smile.

  “I’m Riley and she’s my mommy.” Riley pointed at Janie. “My daddy didn’t believe in social media.”

  Drew noticed Janie’s cheeks redden. He was overwhelmed by all of Molly’s rapid-fire questions. He imagined Janie was, too.

  Janie half laughed. “Oh, Molly, you haven’t changed a bit. I always thought you’d make a great prosecutor.” She glanced at Drew and back to her friend. “Why don’t you come over tomorrow morning for breakfast so we can catch up?”

  “That sounds great. I can come over after church.” She tugged on her purse strap. “Better yet, how about I pick up you and Riley and we can all go to service together? It will be just like old times. Remember when we’d ride our bikes to the Sunday school?” Molly laughed.

  “My daddy didn’t believe in church, either.”

  “Riley!”

  Drew watched Janie’s jaw tighten while she pulled on the sleeve of her jacket. Growing up, her family always went to church. She was the reason he started attending.

  Janie focused her attention back on Molly. “I’m sorry—services won’t be possible for us tomorrow, but if you want to swing by afterward, I can fix us some lunch.”

  “Yeah, Daddy wouldn’t want me to go,” Riley added.

  “Enough, Riley. We’re going to be busy in the morning. We have a lot to do to get the camp ready to reopen.” Exhaling an annoyed breath, she turned her attention away from her daughter and back to her friend, her eyes skimming over Drew. “Come by Nick’s house anytime, Molly. That’s where we’re staying.”

  The two friends hugged again and said their goodbyes until tomorrow. Drew considered Janie’s reaction to Molly’s invitation. Why was she so opposed to going to church? Her ex-husband didn’t believe in church? The Janie he remembered wouldn’t marry someone without a strong faith in God. A weight grew heavy on his heart. Something just didn’t add up.