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Caleb nodded for her to continue.
“He was the sweetest little freckle-faced kid you ever saw. Dan used to bring him in all the time, along with his sister Abby. She was younger and quieter and always followed his lead. But when he became a teenager and his mom was ill, he changed—and not for the better.”
“Did he have a temper?”
Mrs. Jones kneaded a towel as she spoke. “He had the shortest fuse this side of Phoenix. Then there was the drugs and alcohol, and it’s no secret he’s got money troubles.” She shook her head. “Reminds me a lot of Aaron Dirkson.”
Reminded Caleb of what his life might have been, had a worker at the recreation center he frequented not prayed some sense into him. “So it’s safe to assume Brad is trouble.”
“Unless he’s changed. People do, you know.” She set down the towel. “The town practically breathed a sigh of relief when he moved to Phoenix. That must’ve been about the time you came to Pine Hollow. Oh, dear, I should’ve done more praying for that boy.”
“Thanks for the heads-up. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing more of him.” Caleb drew back and pointed to the glass case. “I’ll take all the chocolate donuts and croissants you’ve got.”
“You always know how to make my day.” She grinned, appearing ready to pinch his cheeks if she got the chance. The bell above the door tinkled, and she waved before turning back to Caleb. “Are you taking these to the youth center to share with the kids?”
“’Course he is. He can’t eat those. He’s got to keep an eye on his figure.” Phil clapped Caleb on the shoulder. “I was wondering what happened to you. Expected you next door ten minutes ago, but I knew where to find you.” He winked at Mrs. Jones.
“I didn’t want to come back for the first time empty-handed.” Caleb’s heart lifted at the thought of the youth center he’d started last year. Seeing how small-town life was affecting the teens of Pine Hollow and the activities they’d try to alleviate boredom, he felt compelled to take action. Securing grants for funding and a location and finding volunteers had been a monumental task. One that was well worth the effort.
“As long as you’re back, I don’t think the kids care.” Phil peeled off his glasses, fogged them and wiped the lenses.
Mrs. Jones peeked up from behind the case. “See, we all agree you should hang around more, Caleb.”
“It’s hard to stay away, but for now I’m checking in.” He buried his hands inside his pockets. “I’ve got my work cut out for me at Lakeside.” At least until Brad was no longer a threat, he came clean with Robyn and she told him to leave. Despite his fervent prayers last night, he couldn’t see any other way for the scenario to play out—and it irritated him to realize how much he wanted a different ending. It’d only been a few days, but already Robyn had burrowed into his daily routine and most of his thoughts.
And if he wasn’t mistaken, the feeling was mutual.
* * *
Caleb had stood up for her. A warm sensation filled Robyn when she remembered his protective stance, the way he’d taken charge of the situation. Would anyone else have done the same? None of the men she knew had the courage, or if they did, she hadn’t noticed. In fact, Caleb was the first man who’d turned her head in years, despite how carefully guarded he seemed.
“Are you paying attention?” Ginger nudged her.
Robyn tried to appear interested in picking out blinds, but with yesterday’s confrontation with Brad, not to mention her rapidly shrinking bank account, window coverings ranked low on her list of priorities. “There’s so much to choose from.”
Ginger peered over her shoulder as she leafed through the sample book. “I’ll bet these would look great in the front room.”
“Are you sure we have to do this?”
“Window treatments make all the difference to the look and feel of a room. And without them, the light shines straight in and highlights the problem areas. You’re the one who mentioned how bad it looked.” Ginger ran her finger down a column of measurements and checked it against the notes Robyn had made. “Besides, it’s only for the main house. The cabins can stay as they are.”
Only for the main house. Casual words for someone who actually had money to her name, but for Robyn, only the main house meant wiping out her bank account. As it was, she’d had to turn in the rental car, and the refrigerator was nearly empty. She had to make what little money there was last until she got paid again. She made a mental note to ask Phil what provisions existed for renovating.
People meandered around Joe’s Home and Hardware, chatting with one another as though they had no business but to catch up on the day’s events. Between the full mugs and fun-filled laughter, it was hard to tell if this was a hardware store or a coffee club. Had her dad been part of this group, hanging out with his friends?
“These seem to be the most reasonably priced.” Ginger tapped the page, then frowned. “Is something bothering you?”
“Brad came out to Lakeside yesterday, and we had a run-in. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Ginger pulled up a seat, the legs of the chair screeching against the concrete floor. “What did he want?”
“He said he was missing some of Dad’s paperwork, but he wouldn’t give details.” Robyn leaned against the sample book and rubbed her forehead, though the real pain was in her heart. “I have a feeling that getting on his good side will be harder than I thought.”
“Are you sure you want to?”
Robyn sat next to her friend. “I know it sounds crazy but yes. Now that I have a chance, I’m taking it.”
Ginger raised one highly suspicious eyebrow before her features softened. “I won’t pretend to understand, but you and I can have a long talk when I get back from my conference.”
Robyn stood. She twisted the wand on the display blinds. Open, shut, open, shut. “I’m sure what happened yesterday was a fluke. Let’s get the saleslady and finish up. I’m supposed to meet with the handyman soon.”
The salesclerk came over and drew up the order. Robyn handed the woman her debit card, hoping it wasn’t declined. She prayed there would be enough money made on the sale of the property to cover what was still owed along with the expenses she was incurring.
After they finished, they strolled out of the store. A rainbow hung over Pine Hollow, and the scent of rain permeated the air.
Ginger grabbed Robyn’s forearm. “Don’t look now.”
Robyn looked. Abby sauntered out of a boutique like she owned the sidewalk, nose tilted skyward. She waved and hoped her half sister was in a better mood than their brother. “Hi, Abby. I thought you had headed home to Phoenix for a while. What brings you back so soon?”
Abby straightened her collar. “Business.” The clipped word made her cringe.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Ginger backed away to peruse a window display.
Robyn forced a smile and prayed for the right words. “Ginger and I were ordering new blinds. I think they’ll look good in the house.”
Abby responded with a simper. Where was the sister she’d played with as a kid, the one who splashed around in the lake with her, made mud pies and whispered secrets late into the night? A sister—a whole family, really—was the only thing Robyn wanted. What could she say to bring peace?
“Abby, look—why don’t we call a truce? I don’t know what you and Brad still have against me after all these years, but I want to get along.”
“You really don’t know?” Abby’s eyes narrowed.
“The past is the past.”
“And sometimes the past bleeds over.” The venom in Abby’s words struck their target, and after a few moments, her features softened, if only a little. “But even now, I have my reasons.”
She tried to ignore the attention they drew from the other pedestrians. “Tell me. I’ll do whatever I can to make it right.”
For the first time, Abby’s composure was shaken. “You can’t make it right. Like I said on the phone the other day, there was no reason for my father to leave Lakeside Cabins to you. That was my home growing up. You left, and yet you’re rewarded?” Her pitch rose with intensity. “I don’t think so.”
“I may have walked out, but I was sixteen years old and full of emotions I couldn’t get a grip on. But you’ll never know how much it hurt to be told that no one wanted me to come back.”
Abby huffed. “I don’t know anything about that, but it serves you right. My parents had nothing but trouble whenever the subject of you came up, and it really hurt our family.”
At least you had one. Robyn swallowed the comment in order to focus on what was important now. “Look, I don’t know why Dad left the property to me, either, but it’s the only hope I have that he actually cared about me. I want to get along with you—and with Brad. It’s not like we have to be friends, but can we at least not be enemies?”
A dark cloud passed over the sun, and the breeze stilled, as though all of Pine Hollow was pausing to hear Abby’s reply. “There is one thing you can do.”
Robyn’s heart fluttered with fresh hope. She’d do whatever it took to make peace with her sister, no matter the cost. “Tell me.”
“There’s a hearing coming up, for the police officer who was involved in the accident.” Abby’s eyes turned to stone. “Brad and I are going to have our say and hopefully get that person off the force. You can prepare a statement, too. After everything that’s happened, you owe it to Dad to speak up.”
Anger bubbled inside her at the mention of the cop, but she’d never been one for vengeance. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“Say yes.” Abby’s mouth tipped up at the corners. “It’s the least you can do.”
Chapter Six
The more time Robyn spent with Caleb, the harder it was to resist the growing attraction. What good would it do to get to know him better when she’d soon be gone? She craved a loving, stable relationship, but she knew this couldn’t be it—even though she caught him sneaking glances at her and sharing more frequent smiles. Life on the road with Mom had taught her not to get too attached.
An ache pierced her back, a by-product of hunching over the porch’s loose floorboards all morning. She sat tall and stretched.
“Are you ready for a break?” Caleb’s rugged voice startled her from her thoughts.
“Only if you are. I can keep going until we’re done.”
He set aside the nail gun and rubbed his face. “You go on ahead. I need to keep working. I hear there’s a storm coming, and I’d like to have more finished before it hits.” His biceps drew the fabric of his T-shirt taut as he reached for another plank.
Robyn’s arms felt like noodles. She’d mistakenly thought she could easily handle these tasks after spending the past year moving surfboards and boxes at the shop. But that was nothing compared to the heavy-duty work over the past several days—when Caleb didn’t stop her and handle the tasks himself. She stood and tugged at his arm. “Come on, you deserve a break. I insist.”
He glanced at the sky, then back at the hole in the porch. “I’ll take a short one. Let me grab my food from the truck.”
The half sandwich she’d saved from breakfast was still on the counter inside. After paying for the blinds, she’d had just enough money to buy a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly. She still had one more paycheck from the surf shop coming, but after that she’d have to break out the credit card. Hopefully the renovations would be done soon so Ginger could list the property.
She unwrapped the sandwich and met Caleb outside. “Mind if we walk? I need to stretch.” A path cut between the cabins and led to the forest. She motioned for him to follow.
Judging by the way he eyed the pile of lumber, he was anxious to finish the job, but he finally consented, the same way he had every day this week. Each time he opened up a little more, but he remained more guarded than anyone she’d ever known. She’d never met the strong, silent type before and she enjoyed the challenge of drawing him into conversation.
Grass and wildflowers covered the path until it was hardly detectable and certainly nothing like she remembered. How many times had she walked this trail with Abby when they were looking to ditch their housekeeping duties? Surely, dozens.
She savored the first morsel, unsure how long it would be until she could stock up at the grocery store. “Do you have another job lined up after this?” The question was met with an extended pause, which she suspected meant he didn’t.
“I don’t know what God has in store for me.” He took a large bite of his twelve-inch sub.
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