Their Family Blessing

by Lorraine Beatty

  She bent down and fussed with his covers and smiled. “Maybe, but we’re all safe and sound in this nice big cabin, and Mr. Dwayne and Mr. Mack are here to protect us.”

  Thelma tapped on Mack’s arm. “Why don’t you give the children a little pep talk, just to make them feel better.”

  “Me? I don’t know what to say.”

  “Of course you do. Let them know what’s coming, what to expect—they won’t be so anxious if they’re prepared.”

  “She has a point.” Carly held his gaze. “It’s obvious they look up to you and they know you’re a deputy. What you say will carry a lot of weight.”

  Mack ran a hand along the side of his neck. “Okay, if you think it will help.”

  Natalie nodded. “Jack just checked the weather radio, and we’re going to get the first wave any minute. None of these kids have ever been through a hurricane, so they need to know what to expect.”

  Mack picked his way through the sea of little kids and stood in front of the fireplace. “Okay, y’all, listen up. I want to tell you about things that might happen tonight.”

  “There’s a big storm coming,” Brandon, one of the more quiet children, commented.

  “That’s right, Brandon. But we’re safe here in the lodge. This is a big old building with big old beams.” He looked up at the ceiling. “See all those giant pieces of wood holding up the roof? Nothing can knock that down.”

  A little girl raised her hand. “Are you sure?”

  Natalie stroked her head. “Yes, Angela. He’s sure.”

  “You don’t need to worry. We have everything we need to get through the storm right here. We have water and food and—”

  Ella interrupted. “Miss Thelma made zillions of cupcakes.”

  A ripple of laughter and happy shouts filled the room. “We also have lights and heat. The lights might go out during the storm, but it’s all right because we have a backup generator that will give us light. Does anybody have questions?”

  “Will the water get into the lodge? Our old house flooded once and everything got wet.”

  “No, we’re up high off the ground.”

  A loud rush of noise descended on the roof.

  Little Cindy Davis hurried to Natalie’s side and held on tightly. “What was that?”

  Mack quickly reassured her. “That’s the rain on the roof. It’s going to rain really hard at times, then it’ll stop and start up again. The wind will come and go, too, and it’ll be loud and it might knock some limbs off the trees or maybe even knock down trees, but we’re all safe in here.”

  Jack stepped forward. “And we’re still going to have fun like we did last night, except we’ll be inside instead of outside. I have my guitar so we can sing songs and tell stories. Then we’ll go to sleep, and when we wake up, the storm will be gone and we’ll head back home.”

  The speech appeared to calm the children, but each time the deluge of rain would pound on the roof or the wind would roar through the trees, the children grew quiet. A few grew tearful, but between Natalie, herself and Thelma, they kept everyone comforted and their minds occupied.

  Dwayne quickly entered the room and motioned Carly and Mack aside. From the look on his face, he had bad news. Her heart skipped a beat.

  “We need to be prepared. There’s a band of storms due any minute that have some strong tornadoes embedded. It’s heading right for Lake Hope.”

  Carly sent up a prayer, then hurried to Natalie to let her know the storm was going to become dangerous.

  “Oh, dear. Some of the kids are already becoming frightened. The constant stopping and starting of the rain and wind is upsetting them.”

  “I know. That’s the worst part of a hurricane. It seems to roar on forever.”

  Jack stepped in front of the fireplace with a reassuring smile on his face. “Boys and girls, I want to tell you that we just learned that the storm might get a bit louder. But, like Mr. Mack said, we’re safe here so don’t worry. We’re all here to take care of you.”

  Brandon sat up and looked around. “Where’s Willy and Todd? They’re my blanket buddies. They went to the bathroom a while ago and they ain’t back yet.”

  Natalie’s grabbed Jack’s arm. “We have to find them. Where would they have gone?”

  Carly and Mack headed down the hallway beside the office where the public restrooms were located. Mack searched the men’s room. “They’re not here.”

  Carly checked the office and the storage room in the kitchen, hoping they’d gone in search of more snacks, but didn’t find them. “Where could they have gone?”

  The wind howled and whistled from the end of the hall. The door to the side deck was ajar. Carly’s heart stopped. “Oh, Mack, do you think they went outside?”

  He hurried to the door and pushed it open. Carly stopped behind him, horrified at what she saw. The two boys were at the railing staring up at the sky, pointing and laughing. They had no idea what kind of danger they were in. A loose planter or a stray limb caught by the wind could become a deadly projectile.

  “Boys, get back in here. Now!”

  They turned at the sound of Mack’s stern command. He took them both by the arms and marched them back inside. “What do you think you were doing? This is a deadly storm. It’s nothing to play around with.”

  Todd pointed over his shoulder. “We saw a shark.”

  Mack blinked and looked at her. She shook her head and shrugged. “There are no sharks here, Todd.”

  Willy nodded. “Uh-huh. We saw it fall from the sky. A big black one.”

  Mack rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It was probably the limb off a tree. Sharks don’t fall from the sky, fellas.”

  Two little heads nodded vigorously. “Uh-huh. We saw them in a movie. There were lots of them.” Todd raised his hands and dropped them in demonstration. “Yeah, they wiggled and shot right out of the clouds. It was awesome.”

  Natalie had hurried forward and caught the tail end of the explanation. “Boys, go join the others. We’ll talk later.”

  “They thought a falling limb was a shark?”

  She rubbed her forehead. “I’m so sorry. They stumbled on that silly movie a while back and that’s all they talk about.”

  Carly watched as Jack and Natalie had a long talk with the boys before sending them back to the group. The next wave of wind and water passed quickly, followed by a calm period. With the children all finally asleep, Carly caught a few hours herself only to be awakened with Mack’s gentle touch on her arm. “What is it?”

  “One more heavy band on the way.”

  She could tell instantly that this one was worse than the others. She could hear the roar of the wind and the crack of trees and limbs as they were snapped in two. Her throat tightened. She’d been through numerous hurricanes and their aftermath, but that didn’t make a person immune to the fear, only more respectful. A loud noise shook the lodge. She gasped and looked to Mack for an explanation.

  “I think we’ve taken a hit. A tree maybe. I’ll go check.” He returned with a grim look on his face. “A tree fell on the front porch. The whole east side is destroyed.”

  No sooner had he said that than the power went off. Thankfully, the generator kicked in, casting a faint but reassuring light around the lobby. A couple of the boys woke up, but Jack quickly reassured them, and they settled down and went back to sleep.

  Carly took a seat in one of the large leather chairs in the corner. She’d not sleep anymore tonight. Praying for safety and a quick end to the storm seemed a better option.

  * * *

  Mack woke with a start. He’d drifted off sometime after the storm had passed through. All told he was lucky if he had gotten two hours of sleep. Dawn was just beginning to lighten the sky as he surveyed the main room of the lodge. Little bumps of blankets littered the floor with a few heads and faces visible on pillows. Th
ankfully, the storms had blown through without any more serious damage to the lodge. Other than the damaged front porch, they had been well protected.

  He stood and made his way quietly to the kitchen and made a quick pot of coffee. After lacing a cup for himself with a little sugar, he moved to the window, bracing himself for what he might see. They had been kept safe inside, but outside was a different situation. A knot formed in his stomach, knowing that the storm hadn’t been as kind to the campgrounds.

  His gaze scanned the area outside the window, tabulating the damage. Branches, leaves, and odds and ends were scattered over the sloping lawn. A thick tree limb lay across the dock. Carly’s favorite swing beneath the live oak was hanging by one chain. The stone birdbath was toppled, along with the lamp beside the path.

  He hated to think what he’d find once he stepped outside. Dwayne entered the kitchen from the back door and headed for the coffeepot.

  “Oh, good. You made a pot. One of these days I need to learn how to do that.”

  “How’s it look?”

  Dwayne shook his head. “I’ve only looked around the lodge, but it’s not good. There are a lot of downed trees blocking the driveway. I got the chain saws out. They’re on the porch.”

  “Then we’d better get to work. I’m sure our guests will be eager to get on the road.”

  Mack picked up one of the chain saws and walked around to the front of the lodge with Dwayne, stopping in his tracks as he saw the damage to the porch was more extensive than he’d realized. Repairing the roof would take a lot of time. More time than the looming deadline would allow.

  Shoving that thought aside, he slid into the golf cart and headed down the driveway.

  Dwayne steered around a few broken branches. “I hope you’re in the mood to cut things up. It’s a mess out here. It’ll probably take us several hours to clear it out.”

  “Maybe the others will be up by then.”

  “We’ll make a survey of the grounds as soon as the kids are gone. I’ve got to tell you I don’t have a good feeling about what we’ll find. I’ve only done a quick peek at things near the lodge and the drive. That storm was worse than we thought. I think we had a tornado touch down, maybe even two.”

  Mack met his friend’s gaze, and he understood what he wasn’t voicing. If things were as bad as feared, there would be no opening in three days for Longleaf Lodge. No opening meant putting the place up for auction. Mack set his jaw, refusing to let that thought take root right now.

  By the time they’d cleared the driveway and returned to the lodge, the van was parked out front, and children were awake and finishing breakfast. Carly caught his gaze. She wanted to know the extent of the damage. He stepped to her side and spoke softly in her ear. “We’ll check on things as soon as the guests leave.” She nodded in understanding, but he knew she was as anxious as he was to learn what the storm had done.

  Both their futures rested on the lodge opening.

  Chapter Twelve

  Carly waved at the children as they settled in their seats. Jack shook hands with Mack and Dwayne, raised his hand in a salute to her and Thelma, then hopped in the van and took his seat behind the wheel.

  Natalie gave everyone a hug, then came to her.

  “Carly, thank you for a wonderful weekend. The kids had a great time. Even the storm was an adventure. You made everyone feel safe and secure.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m so sorry the storm ruined some of the activities.”

  “Nonsense. We’ll be back next year. We all look forward to it.”

  Carly didn’t mention that the lodge might not be around next year. Natalie gave her a quick hug, then whispered softly, “Don’t let that man get away. He’s a keeper.”

  Carly nodded. “I know.”

  She watched the van until it disappeared down the long driveway. Dwayne and Mack headed out to make their assessments of the damage on the grounds, and she was dreading the report. Back inside the lodge, she got the girls settled with a movie, then gathered up all the blankets and pillows while Thelma cleaned away the breakfast dishes. Almost by silent consent, neither of them wanted to talk. Carly suspected the older woman was as anxious about the damage report as she was.

  Despite the chaos of the night, Carly had taken satisfaction from helping the children and keeping them calm and entertained during the height of the storms. She’d also accepted that her heart really did belong to Longleaf, and the idea of it being lost left a sharp pain in her heart.

  Her anxiety mounted with each hour the men were gone. From what she could see from the deck of the lodge, the storm had wreaked havoc beyond what they expected. The front porch alone was a disaster. A forty-foot pine had crashed the corner and taken down most of the east side. Reconstructing it would take far longer than the few days they had.

  Thelma hurried toward her from the registration desk. “They’re back.”

  Together they moved to the end of the hall and waited for Mack and Dwayne.

  Carly could tell by their grim expressions that she wasn’t going to like what they had to report. “How bad is it?”

  Dwayne leaned against the registration desk and gestured to Mack. “I’ll let you deliver the bad news.”

  Mack exhaled a long sigh and rested his hands on his hips. “As expected, there are trees and limbs down everywhere. The cabins came through in good shape, but a tree fell on the vehicle shed and damaged the Gator. Not sure if it’s salvageable or not. The campsites and RV pads are intact, but the south dock is gone.” He held her gaze. “The worst damage was to the pool and the snack bar. The building took a big hit and the pool lost the diving board. It looks like we might have had a tornado touch down. Then there’s the damage to the lodge porch.”

  A sinking sensation settled in the pit of Carly’s stomach. “The deadline to be up and running is three days away. What are we going to do?”

  “Nothing. There’s no way we can make all the repairs in time.”

  Dwayne removed his ball cap and placed it on the counter. “We found out that the hotel resort took a bigger hit than we did. They’ll be closed for several months.”

  “Are you sure we can’t get enough things repaired to open in time? If the cabins and campsites are all right, then we’ll just close the lodge. We still have the watercraft and the trails, so we could operate on a partially open basis.”

  Mack shook his head. “Without the snack bar the campers won’t have a place to eat.”

  Carly rubbed her temple. “Then there’s the safety factor. The trails are full of downed trees. I haven’t even checked the trees that are partially down or damaged. We can’t let folks walk those trails if a tree is suddenly going to give way.”

  “There must be something we can do. I’ll talk to Mr. Hart first thing in the morning. There might be an act of God clause or something. Or maybe a loophole. None of this was our fault.”

  Mack crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze filled with sympathetic understanding. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt, but don’t get your hopes up.”

  “We have to do something or else...” She couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She looked at the others, and one by one she saw the same defeated expression on their faces. No one wanted to voice the inevitable.

  Auction.

  Carly’s stomach curled into a painful knot. Pivoting on her heel, she strode out of the lodge onto the deck and across the lawn, battling tears and anger and remorse. If only she could run away and avoid all of this. She stopped at the swing, heartbroken to find it hanging by only one chain. It was the last straw. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Lord, what am I supposed to do now?

  “I’ll get it fixed. I just need a ladder to put the chain on the hook. It’s not damaged.”

  The sound of Mack’s soft, low voice wrapped around her like a hug. She wanted to take refuge in his embrace, but that was out of the question.
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  “Are you all right?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out at the water. Leaves and small branches floated on the surface, the grass below her feet was thick with pine needles and acorns ripped from the trees, and the air was thick with the scent of fresh pine. “I don’t know. I never thought it would come down to the auction, Mack. I don’t want to lose the lodge.”

  “Do you really mean that?”

  Tears flowed. She nodded. “But now it’s too late. There’s no way we can make the repairs and be up and running in time. Longleaf will go to auction. Everything my dad worked so hard for all these years will be gone. I’m sorry, Mack. You tried to tell me, tried to make me remember what this place meant to me, but I was too angry to hear you.”

  “Maybe we should have sold out when you wanted to. At least then you could have gone home with the money to pay off the medical bills.”

  “This is my home.”

  Mack reached out and took her hand, pulling her close in his arms. “I never thought I’d hear you say that again.”

  “Me, either.” She glanced toward the woods on the east side of the lodge. “Have you checked the worship center yet?”

  “No. Let’s take a look.”

  They walked slowly, holding hands. A sense of peace settled on her shoulders and dispelled her earlier despair. “I’m sorry, Mack. If I hadn’t been so stubborn and childish, we might have been able to work something out.”

  “Does this change of heart mean you want to remain at Longleaf, run it, and raise Ella here?”

  “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just don’t want to see the lodge dozed for a sleek hotel and the trails leveled for a golf course. Who knows what the next owner will do?”

  They stepped through the trees into the clearing that held the worship center. “Oh, look. It hasn’t been touched.” The large cross stood firm and erect; the rows of benches were sound and solid. The sight opened a long-locked door inside her. All the destruction, the damage and the threat of losing her family heritage faded slightly as she looked at the outdoor sanctuary. God’s house wasn’t touched. It had stood strong throughout the raging winds and torrential rains.