A Home for Her Daughter

by Jill Weatherholt

  “It was great! Mark and Laura Marie let us stick our feet in the river,” Riley cheered.

  Drew looked down at the little girl. “Did you get your shoes wet?”

  Riley giggled. “No, we took them off, silly.”

  Janie glanced in Drew’s direction. He winked, causing her heart to flutter. This was happening more often. She couldn’t help it. The way Drew treated Riley was so endearing.

  “Mommy, the next time we go, you and Mr. Drew should come, too. It was so much fun. We even saw a couple of snakes, but Mark said they weren’t poisonous.”

  “Don’t forget, munchkin, on Monday a group of us will be going horseback riding,” Drew explained.

  Janie spoke up. “Well, if Mr. Harp delivers our ten new horses today.” She couldn’t believe how fast the farm was growing. When they lived in Maryland, they never had any pets. Her ex-husband claimed he was allergic to all animals. Janie never believed him. He just didn’t want to be bothered by them, let alone the cost of caring for them.

  “I can’t believe we’re going to have twelve horses,” Riley sang out, jumping up and down. “I love my life!”

  Janie couldn’t have been happier. When she finally had the nerve to leave her husband and Maryland, she had been filled with so much doubt, but hearing her daughter say those words confirmed what she’d hoped was true. Whispering Slopes was exactly where God wanted them to be. She looked at Drew, who stood smiling. “I love my life, too,” Janie agreed and her eyes connected with Drew’s. A shy smile curved his lips.

  He spoke, breaking her trance. “We need to purchase the saddles before Monday.”

  Janie’s body tensed. “I completely forgot. Can we order them and expedite the delivery?”

  Drew laughed. “Saddlers don’t work like online stores.”

  Janie’s face warmed. “I guess I have a lot to learn.” She bit her lower lip. The money for the riding tour scheduled for Monday had been prepaid. Drew had been right when he suggested adding horses to the farm. Horseback riding was already generating a substantial amount of income. “So what can we do? We can’t have our guests riding bareback.”

  “I thought I’d take a road trip to Lexington tomorrow and visit Lexington’s Heritage. The owner, Shane McWilliams, has been in the business for years. He’s a good and honest businessman. He’ll give us the best prices.”

  “Would you like some company?” What was she thinking? “I mean—you shouldn’t have to do all of the work. I know we agreed to split the costs of the horses since we’ll use them for the outdoor center as well, but your time is valuable.”

  Drew flashed a smile. “Hey, you don’t need to convince me. We can bring the munchkin, too,” he said pointing over to Riley who was picking honeysuckle.

  “She’s working with Mrs. Buser tomorrow,” Janie responded. For a second, a twinge of excitement coursed through her at the thought of being alone with Drew. But it passed. Time away from the farm could result in more questions from him about her past.

  “Great. I’ll swing by and pick you up around nine o’clock, if that works for you.”

  After Drew went to meet up with Mark and Laura Marie, Janie tried to shake off the warm and fuzzy feelings that seemed to be happening more frequently in Drew’s presence. If their partnership was going to be successful, she needed to keep her mind on the business and off Drew. But she had to admit, it was becoming more and more difficult. And now she’d committed to a road trip with him.

  Later, following a quick bite of lunch, Janie went back to the office to finish up some paperwork. Riley stayed behind to help the volunteers get the stalls ready for the new horses.

  Three yawns in a row drove Janie from her chair and straight to the coffee maker. Last night’s storm had kept her awake for most of the night as the thunder continued to rumble for hours. When it had finally stopped, she’d been wide-awake. Grabbing a filter from the overhead cabinet, she opened the can of grounds and scooped out five heaping spoons. Thinking about the piles of paperwork she needed to plough through today, she tossed in an extra scoop.

  When her phone chimed, she finished pouring the water into the reservoir and flipped the switch to On before walking back to her desk to check the device. Her stomach rolled over when she opened her email and spotted her ex-husband’s address in her inbox. Her finger hovered over the Delete button. There was nothing he could say that she’d have any interest in hearing. Then she thought of Riley. No matter how much pain Randy had caused, they did have a child together. What if something had happened to one of his parents? Riley loved her grandparents.

  She clicked open the email, read the content and shivered. No salutation and no signature, but one strong message that read, I want to see my daughter.

  It had been him—that day at the carnival. At the time, she hoped she’d been wrong, but she hadn’t imagined it. He was in her town, or at least he had been. Was this email sent from Maryland? Or was he still in Whispering Slopes? She had no way of knowing unless she opened the line of communication by responding to his email.

  Minutes later, still staring at the screen, Janie jumped when the coffee maker beeped. Suddenly her safe little town felt far from secure. She wanted to hit Delete and pretend he’d never tried to contract her, but that would make him mad. When he got angry, he was capable of anything. She had the scars to prove it. Scrolling through her contacts, she pulled up her divorce attorney’s information. She’d make a quick call to Maryland to find out the best way to handle Randy.

  Following a ten-minute conversation with her lawyer, Ted Forbes, Janie had her answer—if Randy wanted visitation rights, he’d need to go through his attorney. Her lawyer also advised her to keep her reply short. After telling him to contact his attorney, Ted said it would be best if she had no further communication with him. He reminded her about Randy’s past behavior. She almost laughed. He didn’t need to tell her that. She was fully aware.

  Her fingers trembled as she typed her response and hit Send. Within a couple of seconds, her phone indicated another email. The second message had a subject line that read, Don’t delete me! Without reading it, she immediately swiped away the correspondence. Her attorney had been right about ceasing communication with Randy. But this would make him angry. As long as she’d known him, he’d never taken no for an answer. He always had to have the last word.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Drew slid his hands inside the pockets of his boot-cut jeans, before taking the front steps of Janie’s house two at a time. The idea of spending the day with her had him feeling like a teenager. Since she’d moved back to Whispering Slopes, they’d had little time alone.

  Drew smiled as he reached the door. When he and some of the guys from town helped Janie move into her new home, Janie had mentioned to Drew that she’d always wanted a red front door. This morning he’d gone to the hardware store and purchased the paint. Another project he’d add to his list. Three knocks told him she wasn’t inside. Glancing at his watch, Drew realized he was early. With Janie nowhere in sight, he headed to the stalls.

  Once outside the structure he peeked in through the open door and his heart skipped a beat. Dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved white sweatshirt with her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, Janie sat on the floor of the stall with Fiona and Phillip climbing all over her. Laughter filled the area.

  “I had a feeling I’d find you down here.” Drew stepped inside.

  Janie jumped and Buddy bounded toward Drew. “You scared me. I was just getting ready to head back up to the house.” She pushed herself off the floor.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I stopped at the house first.” Drew bent down and ran his hand through Phillip’s coat. “Hey, Phillip.”

  He stood and stepped closer to Janie, feeling a little woozy when he caught the sweet, flowery scent of her perfume. “Are you ready to head out?”

  Janie nodded. “
I dropped Riley off at Buser’s General earlier, so I didn’t have time to grab a cup of coffee. I’ve got a fresh pot up at the house, if you’re interested,” she suggested, breezing toward the door.

  “That sounds good to me.” Drew turned toward the horses. “Looks like they’re settling in nicely.”

  “Yes, they are. They were a little riled up when Mr. Harp first dropped them off, but they seem to be content. Mark will be stopping by soon to feed them and get them out into the pasture.”

  As they stepped out into the bright sunlight, a red-tailed hawk cried out in the sky and Drew looked up. “Mark’s a hard worker.”

  “He really is. Oh, that reminds me. Mark has two friends he’s bringing by next week—both are looking for jobs. He said they work just as hard as he does. I thought it would be good to start lining up some interviews since August fifteenth will be here before we know it.”

  Drew liked that Janie was taking the initiative. The outdoor center was her business too, so he wanted her to be as involved as her schedule would allow. Once school started, the weekly day-camp activities would come to an end until next summer. Drew and Janie had both agreed they’d start booking overnight stays for out-of-town guests participating in activities at the sporting facility. The crew working on the cabin renovations would be finished by the fifteenth. “That’s smart thinking, Janie.” He nudged her arm. “See, you do have a good business head on your shoulders.”

  Following a leisurely cup of coffee and some brainstorming on their business plan, the drive to Lexington’s Heritage was going much too fast. Drew wasn’t sure if it was the caffeine or just being away from the camp and all of the responsibilities, but Janie chatted up a storm—sharing stories of Riley’s first steps and how one year, two days before Christmas, she’d snuck out of bed and unwrapped all of the gifts under the tree. During all the reminiscing she never mentioned her ex-husband. Since Janie had returned to town there’d been times she seemed like a frightened, timid animal. Like the ones he’d seen at the pet rescues with sadness in their eyes. But today, as she spoke about her daughter, Janie glowed. Drew hit the turn signal when he arrived at the exit for Shane’s shop.

  “We’re here already?” Janie gazed out the window.

  “Yep, it’s right up ahead.”

  Moments later, Drew steered the truck onto a dirt road, encompassing the vehicle in a cloud of dust. Drew hit the button to close the windows.

  The red-and-yellow open-for-business sign hung across the double-framed front door of the structure that resembled a barn. Drew parked and unlatched his seat belt, quickly exited and rounded the vehicle to Janie’s door. Opening it, he extended his hand to help her out. For the second time today he enjoyed the fragrance trailing behind her.

  “Thank you.” Janie’s cheeks tinted a shade of pink.

  Drew took notice of the number of cars in the lot. He hoped Shane could help him today. When Drew had called earlier in the week, Shane told him an appointment wasn’t necessary and to just come up when he could. Maybe Saturday wasn’t the best day.

  Inside the shop, Shane immediately spotted the twosome, waved and crossed the room. He extended his hand. “Drew, it’s great to see you.” With a firm handshake and a fit, muscular build, Shane didn’t look anything like a man approaching his seventies.

  “It’s good to see you, too.” He turned to Janie. “This is Janie Edmiston. We grew up together. She and her daughter have recently returned to Whispering Slopes.”

  Shane reached for Janie’s hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

  Over the next twenty minutes, Shane gave Drew and Janie his undivided attention. Strolling through the store, he pointed out the various saddles while Drew explained their needs.

  “You might be sitting on a gold mine with this new business venture, Drew. You’ll be the only business in the surrounding area to offer outdoor activities through the winter months, outside of downhill skiing. It’s a brilliant idea, young man.”

  Drew noticed Janie looking at him and smiling. “Well, time will tell, I suppose.”

  “I agree, Shane. I think Drew’s dream is going to be quite successful. I’m just thankful to be a part of it.”

  “Well, I’ll definitely be one of your first patrons. My two grandsons would love it. Now, let’s pick out your gear so you’re all set for the group on Monday.”

  An hour later, Drew and Janie were back on the road. The trip had been successful. Loaded in the back of the trunk were twelve saddles. They were a big expense, but Shane gave them a 20 percent discount to show his support for the new business.

  Janie remained quiet while Drew snuck glances in her direction. “Are you hungry?”

  Gazing out the window she turned with a smile. “Actually, I’m starving. Coffee for breakfast doesn’t really cut it.”

  Since the temperature was cooler than normal summer weather, Drew had an idea. “What time do you need to pick up Riley?”

  “Mrs. Buser said she could use Riley’s help until the store closes at six o’clock.”

  Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, Drew hit his turn signal when he came upon the sign for Valley Market. “When was the last time you went on a picnic?” Judging from her slow response time, Drew figured it had been a while.

  Janie placed her index finger to her lip. “Actually, I don’t even remember.”

  “Well, what do you say we refresh that memory? I know the perfect spot. Ruth, at Valley Market, makes the best fried chicken in the Shenandoah Valley.” Drew licked his lips. “I can taste it now.”

  Janie laughed. “That good, huh?”

  “Trust me. What do you say?” Drew hoped for a yes. He found himself feeling excited at the prospect of a picnic for two.

  “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ve never been able to resist fried chicken.” Janie smiled.

  Drew had loved to go on picnics with his family. He recalled the first time he and his wife took Heidi picnicking. His daughter ran through the open meadow until she was breathless. Finally flopping down on the blanket between her parents, she looked up at Drew and told him she wanted to do this every Sunday after church. And so the tradition began. Funny, not long ago, recalling those special moments caused too much pain for him. But now, in Janie’s presence, thinking about his family seemed cathartic. “Going on a picnic used to be my daughter’s favorite thing to do.” Drew pulled the truck up in front of the market and turned off the engine.

  Janie reached over the console and placed her hand on Drew’s forearm. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

  He gazed out the windshield. “Maybe next time we can bring Riley along.” Was that what he wanted? More time with Janie and her daughter, outside of work?

  “I think she would love that, Drew.”

  As they exited the truck and headed inside to pick up their meal, Drew’s thoughts turned to their pastor’s recent sermon. It had been as though he was speaking directly to Drew when he spoke about not dwelling in the past. He held the door for Janie. Could he let go of the former things and make Janie and Riley part of his future?

  * * *

  Janie kept a close eye on Drew as he shook out a red-and-white-checkered tablecloth, provided by Ruth. He spread it over the only cedar picnic table in the grassy clearing. Across the field, a tire swing hung from an enormous weeping willow branch. It was as though someone had created their own special sanctuary.

  Drew removed several plastic containers from the brown paper bag and placed them on the table. Next in line came the paper plates, napkins, plastic forks and finally two cups, which he filled with sweet tea from the Thermos.

  “You thought of everything.” Janie took a sip of her drink.

  “I can’t take all of the credit. In the past, I’ve always gotten the picnic fixings from Ruth, so she remembered.” Drew rolled down the top of the bag. “We’ll keep the dessert a secret.”

  “W
hat is it?” Janie pleaded, crinkling her nose. “I want to see.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. First you have to eat all of your meal.” Drew smiled.

  Janie’s eyes popped as she inhaled the delicious aromas. Her stomach grumbled in response. “There’s enough food here to feed the entire town. And that chicken looks amazing.” Her eyes went to the buttery mashed potatoes with ground pepper and chives sprinkled on top.

  “Those were always your favorite. I ordered extra butter.” Drew winked.

  Janie was touched that he remembered. While she was growing up, her mother made the best mashed potatoes. A recipe passed down from her grandmother. They were always smooth. During Janie’s marriage she made several failed attempts at re-creating the recipe. Although Riley always enjoyed them and bragged how good they were, Randy had criticized them saying he wouldn’t feed them to a dog. Janie’s body shivered thinking about his icy words. Trying to stay in the moment, she forced them from her mind. “Thank you for remembering.”

  For the next forty minutes, the couple enjoyed their meal while exchanging various ideas for the sports center. It had been a long time since Janie shared a meal with a man who praised her ideas rather than making her feel inferior. Drew was a good friend—a good man.

  “You were right, Drew. This is the best chicken ever.” Janie licked her fingers, enjoying the tantalizing juices. “It’s so crispy, but not dried out. I could never get mine to come out this way.” Randy always reminded her of that. “How does Ruth do it?”

  Drew laughed, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s one of the many secrets in the Shenandoah Valley. It’s a recipe Ruth says will never be revealed. Trust me—many townspeople have tried to replicate it, but so far, no one has cracked the code.”

  After their lunch, Drew cleared the table and stowed everything in his truck. He returned with a blanket and suggested they take a seat near the weeping willow tree.

  Janie’s stomach was ready to burst. She leaned back with her elbows resting on the fabric and her legs extended out in front her. She tipped her face to the warmth of the sun. Listening to the hum of the cicadas and the Shenandoah River’s rushing water in the distance, she felt more relaxed than she’d been in years. She watched Drew, who was taking in the surroundings. It was obvious that this spot meant a lot to him. “I noticed there’s only one picnic table—” she pointed to the tree “—and the swing. Is this where you came with your family?” As soon as she asked, she was filled with regret. Perhaps it was too painful to talk about it. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that question. It’s just...this is such a beautiful area. You seem at peace here.”