“Sorry,” Grace murmured.
“Apology accepted, because I’m probably the only one in this town who doesn’t matchmake.” A hint of laughter danced in his hazel eyes. “My job is to encourage fellowship.”
Chapter Sixteen
“M
om just told me.”
Cole tried not to cringe when he heard his sister’s lilting voice over the phone. And here he thought news traveled fast in a small town.
“How is Scotland?”
“Oh, no, you don’t! Right now, what’s happening in Mirror Lake is way more interesting than Edinburgh.”
Cole had to agree, but he wasn’t about to tell his baby sister that.
“I can’t believe Mom called you.”
From the cruise ship. In Alaska.
“And I can’t believe
you
didn’t,” Bettina retorted. “This is big news, Cole.”
“What exactly did Mom say?”
“To ask you if I wanted information. So, I’m asking!”
“A few days ago, I found out Sloan left the house and land to me when he died. I drove up here to talk to his attorney.”
Absolute silence followed. Because his nineteen-year-old sister was never at a loss for words, Cole figured they’d been disconnected. Until he heard a gurgle on the other end of the line.
“Bets?”
“That is...” His sister paused.
Unbelievable?
Unfair?
Cole silently filled in the blank. It wouldn’t be the first time he felt a stab of guilt that his siblings hadn’t been mentioned in their grandfather’s will.
“Great.”
“Great?” Cole echoed.
“I’ve thought about that place a lot over the years,” she said after a moment, stunning him into silence.
“You have?”
“There was an old root cellar behind the house that I turned into a playhouse. I smuggled some dishes from the kitchen and hosted tea parties for my stuffed animals.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Well, you
were
kind of...preoccupied. Putting your faith into action.”
“My faith?”
Bettina giggled. “Love thy neighbor?”
Cole felt his face grow warm. He couldn’t even blame the sun, which had disappeared behind a bank of gray clouds.
“I—” he choked out, ready to deny it.
“Don’t bother trying to deny it, either. The boys and I hid in the bushes and spied on you.”
“Brat.” The nickname had become an endearment over the years.
“I liked Grandpa Sloan’s place.” Bettina’s tone sounded wistful. “It was peaceful.”
Peaceful wouldn’t have been the word Cole would have chosen. Not with the tension that existed, as thick as the pockets of evening mist that settled between the trees, between their mother and Sloan.
“It’s gotten pretty run-down over the past few years.”
“Then we can fix it up.”
“Fix it?” Cole frowned. “Hold on a sec—”
“I mean, the hangar is great, but you have to admit it’s
small,
” she chatted on. “There isn’t much privacy, not with people coming and going all the time.”
“I’m planning to sell it,” Cole said flatly. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m here.”
“Why would you do that?” Bettina sounded as shocked by the news he wanted to sell the property as he was that she’d actually thought he would want to keep it.
“Why?” Because he needed the money to expand his business. Time to focus on Painted Skies. “It’s too far away. The upkeep wouldn’t be easy. And—” he couldn’t help but point this out “—you’re in college nine months out of the year and the twins are going to be stationed who knows where after basic training. When would you have time to visit?”
“Maybe we wouldn’t at first. But when the boys and I get married and start having kids, it will be nice to have a place where we can meet on vacation.”
Did his baby sister just use the words
marriage
and
kids
in the same sentence?
Because Cole’s brothers considered a slice of pizza, a can of Mountain Dew and a Snickers bar a three-course meal. Bettina hadn’t been able to part with her collection of stuffed animals when she’d left for college. She’d packed them all up and taken them along.
And she
lost
important pieces of mail.
Not knowing how to recite the evidence without offending his sister, Cole retreated into humor.
“You’re not old enough to get married.”
“You aren’t anxious to be the favorite uncle?” Bettina teased.
“Mmm, let me think about that. Wiping noses. Bandaging wounds. Watching Disney movies instead of Monday night football.” Cole paused.
“No.”
“You’ll change your mind. You have to. Who else am I supposed to leave the children with while my husband and I go to Hawaii on our anniversary?”
Bettina wasn’t even engaged and already she was talking about celebrating her anniversary?
“My days of raising children are over. I served my time.”
“But look what a great job you did with us.” His sister’s voice had softened, weighted with meaning. With memories.
“That’s debatable.”
Feminine laughter erupted in the background. “My roommates are back now, so I better go. It was good to talk to you, Cole. I miss you.”
“You, too.” He pushed the words through the lump that had formed in his throat.
“And Cole? It’s okay if you sell grandpa’s land. I understand. You’ve done so much for all of us...it’s time to do something for yourself.”
Then why, Cole thought as he slipped the phone back in his pocket, didn’t it
feel
okay?
* * *
My days of raising children are over.
Grace’s hands curled at her sides, almost crushing the stems of the dandelion bouquet one of the preschool girls had picked for her.
Everything Cole had told her about his family suddenly took on a whole new meaning. One Grace hadn’t considered until this moment.
While his friends had gone off to college or found full-time jobs, Cole had stayed at home, caring for his family while struggling to make ends meet.
There hadn’t been a trace of resentment in his eyes. No hint of bitterness. But he
had
sounded excited about the fact that his siblings were independent now; his mother remarried to a man who loved and accepted her.
No wonder Cole wanted to sell the property. It would bring him one step closer to realizing his dreams.
Somehow, over the past forty-eight hours, Grace had lost sight of the truth. She’d been distracted by Cole’s smile.
His kiss.
She’d been ready to give her heart to him all over again if, Grace acknowledged with a painful burst of clarity, it hadn’t been in his keeping for the past twelve years.
Her friends had teased her on occasion, asking what was wrong with the men who asked her out. Grace had never been able to answer. But maybe, just maybe, they’d simply made the mistake of not being...Cole.
I served my time.
Meaning he was free now.
Cole’s tone might have been lighthearted, but the underlying message had been clear: He had no desire to be tied down.
Grace had dreamed of having a family for years. Prayed about adopting a baby for months before she’d contacted the agency.
Trusted God’s timing.
I don’t understand, Lord. Why now?
She took a cautious step back, poised to escape before Cole realized she was there. The movement must have caught his attention because he twisted around.
“Grace.” His eyes lit up when he saw her, a response that would have given Grace hope. If she hadn’t overheard his conversation.
“Hi.”
Cole rose to his feet with a smile that made Grace’s heart buckle. She couldn’t think straight when Cole looked at her that way. “I must have missed the dinner bell.”
She glanced over her shoulder and saw people carrying their plates to the picnic tables set up on the lawn.
“I think Abby is worried it’s going to rain,” Grace murmured.
“I guess we better get in line, then.” Cole reached for her hand, but Grace quickened her pace, safely out of his reach for the moment.
“I’m not very hungry...I should probably help Abby and Kate in the kitchen.”
“I can save you a seat—”
“I’ve already got one with your name on it!”
Grace had never been so relieved to see Sissy Perkins in her life.
The Realtor linked arms with Cole. “I met someone a few minutes ago who wants to talk to you about a certain piece of property.”
“I’m not sure this a good time.”
“Honey, it’s
always
a good time to talk about property.” Sissy’s enthusiasm wasn’t dampened by Cole’s frown. “Especially when there are no contingencies and the buyer has been preapproved.”
“You should talk to them.” Grace pinned on a smile. “It’s what you wanted, right?”
Sissy whisked Cole away before he had a chance to respond, but it didn’t matter.
She knew what Cole wanted. And now, because she’d eavesdropped on a private conversation, she knew what he didn’t.
My days of raising children are over.
After the sacrifices he’d made, Grace knew it wasn’t fair to expect him to put his dreams on hold again.
But she wasn’t sure if she could give up hers, either.
* * *
Cole smiled as he watched the children fall into line behind Grace like a row of ducklings as they made their way down the path.
He’d finally managed to excuse himself from the table, where Sissy and a heart surgeon from Chicago had discussed everything but his asking price, only to discover that Grace had offered to take Tori Gardner and three other children on a short hike.
Cole was anxious to talk to her, but with all the curious eyes that had been fixed on them, he knew it would be better to wait until they were alone.
Something he was beginning to doubt would happen anytime soon.
“There it is!” Brody had stopped in the middle of the trail. He pointed at a white pine growing on the tip of a narrow peninsula that jutted over the water. Cradled in the top of the branches was a very large nest that could have only been created by a very large bird.
“Shh.” Molly scowled at her friend. “The babies might be sleeping.”
He tried to catch Grace’s eye, but she wouldn’t look at him. Come to think of it, she hadn’t looked at him for quite a while.
Cole tried to ignore the unease that sluiced through his veins and left him feeling chilled.
Things were moving a little fast between them, but in some ways, it seemed as if they’d never been apart. After last night, Cole was sure Grace felt the same way.
“Why don’t we sit over there and watch for a bit?” Grace suggested. “Maybe the mother eagle will come back.”
Four small heads bobbed in unison.
They chose a spot close enough to see the eaglets, but far enough away so their mother wouldn’t be upset when she returned.
Grace sat down in a grassy area and wrapped her arms around the girls while Brody and his sidekick, Riley, settled near her feet.
“You can sit down, too.” Tori smiled up at him. “There’s room by Miss Grace.”
Cole wasn’t going to turn down the invitation.
As the minutes ticked by, Grace listened patiently while the boys tried to outdo each other with stories about their last fishing trip. She traded bracelets with Tori—swapping the thin gold chain around her wrist for a strand of sparkly pink beads—and sat perfectly still while Molly braided a daisy in her hair.
Cole was more enchanted by the sound of Grace’s laughter than he was by the beauty of their surroundings.
Forty-eight hours ago, he couldn’t wait to take care of business and leave Mirror Lake for good. Now he wished he could stay a few more days.
“Look!” Grace pointed to the sky. “There she is.”
All four children lapsed into silence as they watched the mother eagle circled the tree a few times and then land in the nest, a fish clamped in her hooked beak.
Cole wasn’t sure how long they stayed there listening to the eaglets squabble over their portions, but the boys started to fidget when the mother eagle finally settled into the nest with her family.
“Can we explore a little, Miss Grace?” Riley pleaded. “Jeremy and Cody found an arrowhead last week, and we want to find one, too.”
Grace smiled. “Ten more minutes.”
The high-pitched squeals of excitement that followed made Cole wince. “And I thought those baby eagles made a lot of noise.”
“You don’t have to stick around.” Grace started after the boys. “I know you have a lot to do before you go home.”
“But I’m coming back next weekend.” Cole reached for her hand. “We have a date, remember?”
Grace didn’t pull her hand away. But she didn’t answer, proof that his suspicions had been correct. Something
was
wrong. What was at the root of her uncertainty? His feelings? Or hers?
“Do you have another tour scheduled?”
“I have one before the closing ceremony tonight. Why?”
“I’d like to go along. I think it’s time I learned about the Merrick family.”
Cole had hoped that would bring a smile to her face. He wasn’t prepared to see her eyes mist over.
“I better check on the kids.” She moved away from him, working her way between the trees.
“Grace?” It didn’t take Cole more than a second to catch up to her, but the expression on her face made it feel as if they were miles apart. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing...really. Everything is fine.”
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
Instead of answering, Grace vaulted over a fallen tree. “It looks like the sky is getting dark.”
A split second later, a low growl of thunder backed up the words.
Tori raced up to them and attached herself to Grace’s leg.
“I don’t like that noise,” she whimpered.
“I’ll be right back.” Cole worked his way through the trees and stepped back onto the trail.
What he saw bearing down on them chilled his blood. On the other side of the lake, a dark haze fell from a swirling mass of clouds like a curtain, its ragged hem sweeping the surface of the water. Making it difficult to see where one ended and the other began.
He motioned to Grace. “It’s time to head back.”
Cole had tried to keep his voice from betraying his concern, but Grace was at his side in an instant, her eyes wide with alarm when she saw the sky.
“Come on, everyone. It looks like the storm we’re supposed to get this afternoon decided to show up early. We’ll have to hurry so we can get to the inn before it does.”