A Home for Her Daughter

by Jill Weatherholt

  As the threesome strolled along the grassy path lined with wildflowers, the scent of honeysuckle tickled Janie’s nose. “I missed that smell.”

  “What, Mommy?”

  Janie stopped at a nearby bush, plucked a flower and trailed it underneath her nose. “This—it’s honeysuckle.” She guided her hand toward Riley’s face.

  “That smells good enough to eat.” Riley grinned.

  “You can. Look.” Janie carefully plucked the bottom and slid the piece through the stem. “See that—it’s a little dollop of honey. You can eat it.”

  Riley watched with her mouth open. “That’s so cool. Let me try.” She picked a flower off the same bush and repeated her mother’s moves. “Yummy! It tastes just like the honey you put on my peanut butter sandwiches.”

  “Remember that summer we tried to fill an entire jar with the nectar? We thought we could start a booming business.” Drew helped himself to a taste.

  Janie tossed her head back and laughed. “I forgot about that. We were out here for hours. How on earth did we think we’d ever have enough to set up our own honey stand?” The memories were bittersweet. Her life now was a far cry from those carefree days of her childhood. Things had been easy. She didn’t have to keep secrets.

  Riley giggled. “You guys should have set up a lemonade table instead.”

  “You’re right about that, munchkin.” Drew ruffled the top of her head.

  An hour later, Janie had explained the plans the architect had suggested.

  “I think it’s a great idea to divide the building up into different rooms. That way we can have a variety of activities going on at the same time.” Drew paused. “I mean, you can.”

  “Aren’t you going to help us, Mr. Drew? I thought that legal paper said you had to.”

  Janie watched her daughter tugging on Drew’s arm. Yes, she needed his assistance to get things going, but she had to run the camp on her own. Placing her trust into another man wasn’t an option. She’d made that mistake once and look where that got her. “Riley, Mr. Drew will assist us with getting the camp ready to open, but after that, we’ll be running it ourselves. Remember, he has a full-time job as a park ranger.”

  Riley kicked up some dirt on the ground. “I don’t think we can do it alone. Remember Daddy used to say you couldn’t do anything unless a man told you how.”

  Janie’s stomach soured at the mention of her ex-husband, but more so over the fact that her daughter had heard those belittling comments. Would Riley grow up thinking she couldn’t do anything on her own?

  Drew stepped closer to the little girl, whose eyes were glued to the ground. He placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face toward him. “Your mommy can do anything she puts her mind to. She doesn’t need a man’s help. And that goes for you too, remember that, okay?”

  Riley nodded.

  Janie yanked on each sleeve. “I think it’s time we head back to the car. We’ve got some errands to run.”

  Outside the air was like a tropical rain forest. “It’s so humid.” Janie noticed the once-clear bluebird sky had been seized by a large wedge-shaped black cloud. Hanging low, it appeared to be moving closer. Janie had never seen something like it. Tiny hairs at the base of her neck rose.

  “It feels weird out here, Mommy.”

  The air was still, the birds silent. Something didn’t feel right. Janie pointed up toward the sky. “I’ve never seen a cloud like that before.”

  Thunder cracked.

  “We have to get up to the house.” Drew scooped Riley into his arms. “Get the dog, Janie. That’s a shelf cloud.” He grabbed Janie’s hand and propelled them up the hill.

  “What is that, Mr. Drew? It looks scary!”

  A split second later, Janie’s and Drew’s phones went crazy with blaring alarms and notifications. Then an announcement sounded, “A tornado warning has been issued in your area. Take shelter immediately.” Riley’s question had been answered.

  Chapter Six

  The monstrous cloud chased the threesome. Drew’s breath came in quick bursts, as he sprinted up the hill toward the house with Riley in his arms and Janie trailing behind carrying Frankie. Fat raindrops pelted his face. The winds intensified and the sky turned the color of coal. Minutes later they reached the front porch of the farmhouse, and Drew paused to catch his breath before he placed Riley on the ground.

  “I’m scared, Mr. Drew!”

  The nearby Leyland cypress trees swayed back and forth. Flashes of lightning lit up the sky like a beacon. Drew turned to Janie. He knew she wouldn’t take possession of the house until they reopened the camp, but he held on to hope. “Do you have a key?” Tree limbs hurdled through the front yard.

  “No!” Janie shouted over the rumbles of thunder.

  “I’m going to have to break a window so we can get inside to the cellar.” He sprinted along the side of the large wraparound porch to a stack of firewood. After snatching a log, he raced back to the front door lined with glass windowpanes on each side. “Step back!”

  Janie grabbed Riley’s hand and tugged her away from the door.

  Drew extended his arm backward, turned his head away and with a strong push, smashed the log through the window. Shards of glass exploded in all directions. Frankie snarled. Drew placed the wood on the ground, reached inside and grabbed the door handle. With a quick turn of the lock he pushed the door open. “Hurry—we need to get inside!” He had to protect them.

  Janie pulled Riley toward the entrance. The little girl whimpered.

  Once inside, Drew shoved the door, but the force of the wind was stronger. Rain splashed against his face. With one more forceful push, it finally closed.

  “What’s that noise?” Riley called out. “It sounds like a train.”

  “Come on—we’ve got to get downstairs,” Drew yelled before they tore through the hallway. He jerked open the basement door. With his other hand, he flagged them toward the steps. “Be careful!” A chill ran up his back as he yanked the door shut.

  The light in the cellar was dim, but fear lit up Janie’s eyes. Drew had heard a tornado could mimic the sound of a freight train approaching. He pointed to the area once used for storage. “We need to get into that room. It has cinder block walls.” He remembered helping Mrs. Applegate clear out the space after her husband had passed away.

  Inside the room, Riley huddled close. “I’m scared, Mr. Drew.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.

  Drew inhaled a steadying breath. There was no way he’d let anything happen to Riley or her mother. He scanned his surroundings. An old sofa sat on the other side. Drew raced toward it, grabbed three cushions and hurried back to the room. Janie and Riley cowered in the corner with Frankie. “Here!” He handed each a pillow. “Use this to cover your head.”

  For several minutes, the three hunkered down inside the windowless room trusting the cement walls would keep them safe. Drew heard the faint sounds of Riley crying and her mother trying to console her. Please, God, help us to survive this storm, but especially protect Janie and Riley. Don’t let anything happen to them.

  Moments later, the winds quieted. Only the sound of rain rushing through the gutters could be heard outside. Drew let out a sigh of relief and gave thanks to God for keeping them safe. He removed the cushion and got to his feet. “Okay, you can uncover your heads. The worst is over.” But was it? Drew had no idea what waited for them once they stepped outside to access the damage. The storm had passed quickly, but he knew from watching The Weather Channel that a quick and strong tornado could do just as much damage as one moving slower.

  “Do you think it’s safe to go upstairs?” Janie reached for Riley’s hand.

  Drew scratched underneath his chin. “I’ll go up first to make sure it’s safe for us to walk around. Wait here. If everything is okay, I’ll come back to get you.”

  Scaling the stairs, Drew
prayed for minimal damage. Once at the top, he pushed open the door and released his breath. Nothing seemed out of place in the living room. He looked over the area. All of the windows remained intact. That was a blessing. He headed toward the front door and stepped outside on the porch. Debris littered the lawn. The oak tree that had been around as long as Drew could remember had lost a large branch, but thankfully it hadn’t fallen on the house. He’d get Earl and his guys to come by with their chain saws to clear it away. When he turned to head back inside he spotted smoke billowing from the activity building. Then flames shot out from one of the windows. Drew jerked his phone from his back pocket and punched in 911.

  “Nine-one-one—what’s your emergency?”

  He immediately recognized the voice. “Tammy, it’s Drew. I’m at the Applegate farm. There’s a fire in the old activity hall. I think maybe it was struck by lightning.”

  “Got it, Drew. I’ll dispatch a truck. We’ve had reports of downed power lines, so it could take a while.”

  “Thanks, Tammy.” He ended the call and pocketed his phone. Drew charged inside the house and ran down the steps into the basement. Janie and Riley remained huddled where he’d left them. “Come on—let’s go!” He scooped Frankie into his arms.

  “What is it, Drew?” Janie yelled while she and Riley followed behind.

  “There’s a fire in the activity hall. I need to get to the barn and grab a fire extinguisher. I don’t know how long it will take the fire truck to get here.” Drew opened the door and guided Janie and Riley outdoors.

  “Wow—look!” Riley pointed toward the large tree branch on the ground.

  “That could have fallen on the house.” Janie’s brow crinkled.

  “The house looked okay. It doesn’t appear to have any damage. I’ll check it more closely once the fire is extinguished,” Drew called out while the three ran through the meadow.

  Finally at the barn, Drew went inside to grab the extinguisher mounted to the wall. Janie and Riley waited outside to catch their breath. He exited the structure. “You both stay here.”

  “No—I don’t want you down there by yourself. You run ahead.”

  Drew nodded to Janie and took off down the hill. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. When he arrived at the building, he flung open the door to assess the situation. There appeared to be more smoke than flames. That was good. He pulled the pin off the extinguisher, aimed the nozzle toward the blazes and squeezed the trigger in a controlled manner. Drew swept the nozzle from side to side. Moments later, his shoulders relaxed at the sound of approaching sirens.

  Within minutes, the firemen were inside the structure fighting what remained of the fire.

  Drew swiped his hand across his brow and headed toward the truck where Janie and Riley safely stood, each drinking a bottle of water.

  “Here, take this.” Janie handed him a bottle. “They’ve got plenty on the truck, if you need more.”

  Drew accepted the offering and guzzled until it was gone. “Thank you.” He ran the back side of his hand across his lips. “Are you guys okay?” He realized since the storm had approached they’d all been going full steam.

  “Sure—we’re fine, Mr. Drew. I can’t believe you put that whole fire out by yourself. You can do anything.” Riley’s eyes shone bright.

  That wasn’t true. He couldn’t do anything. What would Riley think of him if she learned the truth? What would Janie think? His stomach rolled over.

  “Drew? Are you okay?” Janie rested her hand on his forearm.

  “Yeah, sure...I’m good.”

  The firemen exited the building and approached Drew. “It looks like everything is under control. We might need to sign you up on our team, man.” Ernie Hiers patted Drew on the back. “Things could have gotten out of hand if you hadn’t taken control with the fire extinguisher.”

  “What kind of damage are we looking at?” Drew had feared this would put him and Janie behind with the opening of the camp. As it was, they were already pressed for time.

  “Actually, it’s not too bad. There appears to be more smoke damage than anything. It’s safe to go inside. Just give the insurance company a call and they’ll recommend a restoration crew to take care of the soot. It shouldn’t take more than a couple hours’ work to get it cleaned up.” Ernie spoke as though it was no big deal.

  Drew made a note to contact Larry regarding reaching out to the insurance company. “And the roof? That’s where the lightning hit that caused the fire, right?” Drew pointed.

  “Exactly. It shouldn’t be too big of a repair. What about the rest of the farm? Have you had a chance to look around?” Ernie checked out the property.

  “We took shelter up at the house. Things seemed to be okay there. I still need to inspect the barn thoroughly.” The cabins were in need of repair before the storm, so they shouldn’t have many surprises there. “Thanks for coming over. I know you guys must be busy.” Drew extended his hand to Ernie, nodding to the two others.

  “Thank you so much, guys.” Janie shook each of their hands. “We really appreciate what you do for our community.”

  “It’s our pleasure. We’re just thankful Whispering Slopes didn’t get a direct hit from the tornado. With the exception of a few downed power lines, things seem to be okay.” Ernie and his crew headed back to their truck.

  A look of concern washed over Janie’s face as she eyed the structure. “I’m afraid to see the damage.”

  “You heard Ernie. He said it wasn’t so bad. Come on—let’s go see for ourselves.” Drew tossed his water bottle in the back of his truck as they headed inside the building. He hoped they would find little damage on the rest of the farm. If not, he’d be forced to spend more time with Janie and Riley. And he wasn’t sure his heart could handle that.

  * * *

  Two hours later, after speaking with Larry Caldwell, Janie had contacted the insurance company and had been given the name of a restoration company. After a quick call, they were scheduled to take care of the cleanup tomorrow morning. Drew and Riley kept busy sweeping the floors in the activity building and picking up debris.

  “Wow, you two make quite the team.” Janie pocketed her cell inside her jacket. “If it weren’t for the soot on the walls, you’d never know there’d been a fire.” She glanced around the room.

  “I’m getting hungry, Mommy,” Riley called out from across the room.

  Drew rubbed his stomach. “I’m a little famished myself. How about we go into town and get some lunch. One More Scoop has great burgers and they make the best chocolate milkshakes in the world.”

  Riley skipped across the room toward Drew. Frankie followed. “I love milkshakes, but what makes them so great?”

  Drew bent down and patted the dog’s head. “Well, for one thing, they’re so thick you need a spoon to eat them.”

  Riley jumped up and down. “I love them like that!” She squealed. “What else?”

  “It’s got little chunks of chocolate pieces in it, too.” Drew looked at Janie and winked. “Your mommy and I used to sit at the counter and share one practically every day after school.”

  Janie’s pulse raced. Those had been some of the happiest times in her life, yet they’d been buried under years of abuse. Drew had always been so gentle and kind. He’d been exactly what she wanted in a man. How did she end up marrying someone the exact opposite? She shook away the thoughts. Her focus needed to be on the camp, not Drew.

  “Mommy, can we go?”

  “Come on, Janie. You’ll love it. The place hasn’t changed a bit. Let me give them a quick call to make sure they’ve got power and they’re open for business.”

  Janie nodded. Maybe the restaurant hadn’t changed, but she had. She was a far cry from that innocent young girl he’d shared milkshakes with after school.

  Twenty minutes later, the bell chimed over the front door to One More Scoop. The entic
ing aroma of sugary waffle cones and cinnamon filled the room. Janie looked around the space. Time had stood still. A shiver traveled up her spine. If only it had.

  “This place is so cool!” Riley sang out.

  “Look familiar, Janie?” Drew laughed. “Where would you ladies like to sit?”

  “I wanted to sit at the counter, like you and Mommy used to do.” Riley bounced up and down on one foot.

  Janie looked at Drew and rolled her eyes. “I really don’t think this child needs any sugar.”

  “Aw...come on, Mommy. Let’s get those seats over there.” Riley pointed to the last three stools at the end of the counter.

  The place was packed and chatter filled the room. As they walked through the restaurant, the temperature felt warm to Janie. Something must be wrong with the air-conditioning. Her stomach grew queasy. Situations like this, where there was no reasonable explanation for her to be wearing a jacket, were difficult. She hoped no one would mention it.

  “Well hello, Drew.”

  Janie turned to the elderly woman who sat at a table next to the counter.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Buser.” Drew bent down to give the woman a hug.

  Mrs. Buser’s cheeks flushed. Drew had just made her day.

  He looked around the restaurant. “It doesn’t appear they sustained any damage from the storm.”

  “They lost power for a little while. That’s why it’s so hot in here. But apart from that we are all fortunate. I heard Berryville had an F1 tornado.”

  “Oh pardon me for being rude. You remember Janie, don’t you?” Drew asked.

  “Janie...I didn’t know you were back in town. How are you, dear?” Mrs. Buser reached for her hand.

  “I’m doing well, thank you. How are you, Mrs. Buser?”

  “I’m still running Buser’s General Store.” She glanced at Riley. “And who is this beautiful little girl?”

  Riley stepped to the edge of the table. “I’m Riley. You have your own store? How cool!”