Читать книгу Montana Love Letter - Charlotte Carter - Страница 11

Chapter Three

When Janelle had the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher and the leftovers in the refrigerator, she was ready to sit down to enjoy the evening.

Evidently Hailey had a different idea. She’d planted herself next to where Adam was sitting on the couch, his legs stretched out in front of him. Raeanne stood beside them.

“Dad, we promised Raeanne a ride in our boat.”

“We did?”

“When we invited them to stay in the cottage. Remember? It’s still light outside. Can we go now? Can we? Raeanne really, really wants to go for a boat ride.”

Adam muttered something that resembled a groan.

“Don’t feel you have to take Rae for a boat ride.” Janelle stepped into the living room. “You must be tired from working all day.”

He levered himself up from the couch and ruffled Hailey’s hair. “Getting some fresh air is just what I need. Right, Peanut?”

Knowing she’d won an easy victory, Hailey grinned.

“Okay, everybody get a jacket. It gets cold out on the water.” He looked right at Janelle. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”

“Why, I...” She tucked a strand of wayward hair behind her ear. “Sure. It’ll be fun.”

“We’ll meet you down at the dock,” he said.

Janelle hurried to the cabin to get jackets for herself and Raeanne, stopping only long enough to freshen her lip gloss. Although why she’d taken the time to do that wasn’t something she wanted to examine too closely.

When she reached the dock, Adam presented her and Raeanne with life vests.

A sixteen-foot bowrider with an open cockpit, the boat was sleekly styled and painted red and white. The pilot and one passenger had swivel chairs. A bench along the back provided room for two or three additional passengers, and there were two cutout seats in the bow for the more adventurous or those who wanted to sunbathe.

“Do you use this for fishing or waterskiing?” Janelle asked as Adam helped her climb aboard, his hand firmly holding hers.

“More for fishing, but I don’t get out as much lately as I used to. I haven’t tried waterskiing since I was a kid.”

“Well, then, it’s doubly nice of you to take Rae and me for a boat ride.”

His lips hitched into a smile and he nodded toward Hailey. “Hard to fight that kind of pressure.”

Chuckling, Janelle settled down on a bench at the back of the cockpit while the girls hovered close to Adam as he pulled away from the dock. Completely at ease, he looked very much the sea captain in charge of his vessel and all on board.

The breeze picked up, making Janelle’s hair dance and whip around. As the boat speeded up, spray misted her face. The water felt cool and refreshing, the air crisp and untouched by pollution. Over the years, she’d ridden in boats on Puget Sound and on Lake Washington and had even tried her hand at waterskiing. Not too successfully, she mentally added.

But on this high-elevation lake, everything seemed clearer, the sights and sounds more distinct. She inhaled deeply and smiled. What a refreshing interlude.

After a bit, Adam let Hailey drive the boat at a modest speed. Then he asked Rae if she wanted a turn. Without a moment’s hesitation, she hiked herself up on the chair and took the wheel.

A rush of love filled Janelle’s chest. In this new place, Raeanne had already moved miles away from her fears and the trauma of her father’s death. Her speech might not have returned, but her zest for life was definitely on the rebound.

Thank You, Lord.

When Rae’s turn was over, she came racing into Janelle’s arms. Her grin was as big as the quarter moon that was rising over the hills on the far side of the lake.

“You really liked driving the boat, didn’t you, sweetie?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

Janelle pulled her daughter more fully into her arms. If only Rae could express herself with more than a nod or a silent gesture.

Give her time, she reminded herself. That’s what the counselor had said and what she prayed for every night.

* * *

Worn out by all the excitement, Rae was asleep by the time they docked. Hailey talked Janelle into letting Rae sleep in her bed in the main house for now. When Janelle retired for the night, she or Adam could carry Rae to the cottage. That seemed reasonable. Janelle wasn’t ready for bed yet, and she wanted to enjoy the night air.

Once the girls were settled in Hailey’s room, Janelle relaxed in an Adirondack chair on the deck.

The clouds that had lingered over the mountains had vanished and stars were beginning to appear in the darkening sky. Bats flitted from treetop to treetop in search of a tasty morsel for their supper. On the far side of the lake, lights appeared in cabins nearly hidden by the trees.

Closer at hand, country-western music wafted across the still water.

The sliding door opened and Adam stepped outside. “Nice night,” he commented.

“Hmm, perfect.”

“When it gets full dark, there’ll be a lot of stars. On a clear night like this when the moon’s not full, the Milky Way lights up the sky.”

“Seattle isn’t real good for stargazing. Too many city lights and too overcast.” Raised in the northwest, she’d been used to Seattle weather, but today had been gorgeous. The night even more spectacular.

He settled in the Adirondack chair next to her. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re not wearing a wedding ring. Are you divorced?” He spoke softly, letting his voice match the quiet hum of the breeze in the treetops.

“No. Widowed. My husband died of an aneurysm seven months ago. He collapsed in our kitchen. By the time the paramedics arrived, he was already gone.” Recalling that morning tightened a knot in her chest. Although Raymond’s death had been shocking, it was what she’d learned while cleaning out his desk that had stunned and hurt her the most. He’d had a mistress on almost every university campus he visited as a guest lecturer. His betrayal had cut so deeply, she wasn’t sure the wounds would ever heal.

“Hey, I’m really sorry. That’s tough.”

Tears burned at the backs of her eyes, more for herself than for Raymond’s sudden death. “Thank you.” Her voice caught.

“What about your folks?” he asked. “Are they still in Seattle?”

“My father passed away when I was thirteen. My mother tried to hold things together, but I don’t think she ever recovered from losing him. She died the summer before my freshman year in college.” Maybe if her mother had been around and her father had lived longer, Janelle wouldn’t have fallen for Raymond. Would have seen that he wouldn’t be faithful.

“Losing both your parents had to be hard for you.”

“Yes, it was. I felt adrift looking for an anchor.”

They were both silent for a moment before Adam said, “Here comes the North Star.”

She followed the direction he was pointing and cleared her throat. “Hard to miss, isn’t it?”

“That’s why sailors used it for navigation for centuries before the compass was invented.”

“Are you into astronomy?”

“Strictly amateur, but yeah. How could I not be, living in big-sky country?”

A smile curved her lips, matching the smile she heard in his voice. “Then I guess I’d better take up astronomy.”

“You’re really planning to stay, then? Here in Bear Lake?”

“If I can find a house to buy at a price I can afford.” She’d sold the house in Seattle and came away with more than enough for a substantial down payment on a new place. Raymond’s insurance money would cover expenses for a while. “After school starts, I’ll look for some sort of job, probably part-time initially.”

He picked up a cluster of dry pine needles and tossed them off the deck. “What kind of work do you do?”

“I have a degree in anthropology, which is entirely useless in terms of job hunting.” A degree she’d gotten because that was Raymond’s specialty and he was head of the department. She’d become enamored with Professor Raymond Townsend in her first anthropology class and had been deliriously happy when he began paying extra attention to her. She should have known right then that a relationship between a professor and an undergraduate was forbidden for a reason. “But I had a couple of years of accounting before I changed my major, so I’ll probably look for a bookkeeping job.”

“Year-round jobs aren’t real easy to find in Bear Lake. Everything’s tied to the tourist trade. But I’ll keep an eye out for bookkeeping jobs and let you know if I hear of anything.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your help, including letting us stay in the cottage tonight.”

“No problem.” He pushed himself to his feet. “I’m going to call it a night. You want me to get Raeanne for you?”

“If you don’t mind. She’s getting almost too heavy for me to carry.” She didn’t want to risk leaving Rae sleeping with Hailey. There were still nights when her daughter woke up screaming with nightmares about the day her father had died.

Together they walked inside. Janelle stopped at Hailey’s bedroom door.

“I meant to comment on the good job you’re doing raising your daughter on your own. She’s a lovely girl.”

“Thanks. She is a good kid. I’m a little worried, though, about what’ll happen when she gets to be a teenager. I’m sure not going to be able to give her much advice about dating and wearing makeup and stuff like that.”

Janelle chuckled. “You’ll figure it out.” A father as devoted as Adam was would do just fine as long as Hailey knew how much he loved her.

To her deep regret, Raymond hadn’t been much of a father to Raeanne. He’d been too busy on the traveling lecture circuit to pay much attention to his own daughter. Or Janelle.

If only she’d recognized the signs earlier.

* * *

Janelle woke to filtered sunlight slipping in through the sheer window curtains.

In a quick glance, she checked on Raeanne. Sound asleep, her arms curled around Ruff. As Janelle had expected, her daughter had worn herself out playing with Hailey.

After a quick shower, she towel dried her hair, dressed and went in search of something to eat in the main house.

She knocked on the sliding glass door and stepped inside. Adam was in the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, cooking eggs and whistling a tuneless song.

She smiled to herself. She added can cook to his list of attributes. “Good morning. You’re an early riser.”

He turned, flashing a broad smile, and a crease appeared in his cheek. How had she missed that engaging dimple yesterday?

“I wasn’t sure I had anything in the house for breakfast,” he said. “So I made a quick trip to the bakery.” He gestured toward the kitchen table and a box of assorted muffins. “And when I heard you up and about, I went ahead and started on the eggs.”

“You didn’t have to go to that much trouble. We could have gone out to eat.”

“Now, that wouldn’t have been very hospitable of me, would it? Help yourself to some coffee.” Pulling two plates out of the cupboard, he divided the eggs and put the plates on the table. “How’s Raeanne?”

Janelle poured herself a mug of coffee from the pot on the counter and sat down.

“Still sleeping. I think all the fresh air is good for her.” Janelle had left the cottage door open so she could hear Rae if she called her. Or, more likely, Rae would follow the sound of voices to find Janelle.

She sipped the coffee. Hot and rich, made with aromatic Columbian coffee beans, if the taste was any indication. The man was fussy about his coffee, she concluded.

“Would you mind if we ate outside on the deck?” she asked. “I need to watch for Raeanne if she wakes up.”

“Sure, no problem.” He put the plates, forks and his coffee mug on a tray he found in the cupboard. He’d apparently showered and shaved this morning, his saddle-brown hair neatly combed, his cheeks razor smooth.

“You get the box of muffins and we’re good to go.”

Outside, Janelle put the muffins on the small table between the Adirondack chairs and sat down. Adam handed her a plate.

“I was thinking...” Sitting down beside her, Adam scooped up a forkful of scrambled eggs. “I’m going to close up shop about noon today. Some guys and I have a musical group, the lead plays banjo, and we’ve got a couple of guitars, bass fiddle, violin. We play country and western, and we’re scheduled to perform at the municipal park this afternoon as part of the festival.”

“You’re a musician?” In addition to being a mechanic? And an astronomer? A regular Renaissance man.

“Mostly I just strum along with whatever the guys are playing.” A slight flush colored his cheeks. “Anyway, I thought you and Raeanne might like to come along. Hailey’s coming, of course. There are booths with handcrafted stuff, an art display. All kinds of food stands. You could eat lunch there.”

She took a banana-nut muffin from the box and broke off a bite. “That sounds tempting. But I think my first priority is to find a motel room somewhere.”

He shook his head. “That’s not going to happen, at least not for tonight. I gave the Visitor Center a call again this morning. Everything’s still booked solid.”

She gaped at him. “Are you sure?”

“That’s what Ariel told me. So I guess you’re stuck here for another night.”

“Stuck” wasn’t how she’d describe the situation. Adam’s guest cottage and house were way too comfortable for her to feel anything but very fortunate. “You really don’t mind us staying?”

His lips tilted ever so slightly. “You know what they say about Bear Lake—the friendliest little town in Montana.”

She responded with a smile of her own. “So I’ve heard.” She still wasn’t convinced staying in Adam’s cottage was a good plan. Since they were basically strangers, it felt a little too friendly. Too much of an imposition. Still, it appeared her choices were limited. “I imagine by Sunday the town will clear out.”

“Sure. Except for the regular tourists who are en route to or from Glacier National Park.”

“Is Bear Lake always this busy?”

“During the summer, yeah. And pretty much during the ski season. It gets real quiet in the fall, which is my favorite time of year.”

Janelle could understand that. Although spring, when wildflowers began to bloom, had always been her special favorite. She loved to dry flowers and make floral arrangements.

Adam’s attention shifted to something behind Janelle. She turned and smiled at her daughter.

“Come on, sweetie. Adam bought us some yummy muffins.” Still sleepy, her hair mussed, Raeanne climbed up in Janelle’s lap and buried her head in her mom’s chest.

“Did you sleep okay?” Adam asked.

Raeanne eyed him cautiously and nodded.

“That’s good. How about your stuffed animal? Did he sleep good, too?” Adam appeared to be doing his friendly host routine.

Raeanne looked up at Janelle in alarm. She struggled free of her grasp, slid down to the deck and raced off barefoot toward the cottage.

Adam shrugged. “She’s really shy, isn’t she?”

“It’s more than being shy, I’m afraid.” Janelle pulled her lip between her teeth. “She hasn’t spoken a word since her father died. She was there when he collapsed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“So am I. I had her in therapy for several months, but it didn’t seem to help. Which is one of the reasons why I decided to start over somewhere else.”

His forehead furrowed and his eyes filled with sympathy. “That’s tough.”

“Yes, it is.” For both of them. “I just have to have faith that, with the Lord’s help and a new environment, Raeanne will find her voice again.”

* * *

Adam opened the garage’s big doors and went into his office.

It surprised him how much he’d liked sitting with Janelle on the deck having breakfast together. Even with her hair wet from a shower and her face scrubbed clean, she radiated beauty and poise. And a warmth that made him want to reach out to touch her cheek, caress her soft skin.

An urge he intended to resist.

He laughed a bitter sound. What irony that he’d be attracted to a woman with a degree in anthropology when he’d barely made it through high school with straight D’s.

Vern, his mechanic and tow-truck driver, ambled into the garage. His hands stuffed in the pockets of his overalls, he glanced at Janelle’s car, which was still parked where he’d left it yesterday.

“Hey, boss. That lady and her little girl find someplace to stay last night? Didn’t figure there’d be any rooms left in town, what with the festival ’n’ all.”

“They stayed in Grandma’s cottage out back.”

“You don’t say.” His pale blue eyes twinkling, he lifted his grimy baseball cap, scratched his head and resettled his cap. “Didn’t know you was in the hotel business.”

Adam shoved away from his desk and stood. “I couldn’t very well tell them to sleep in the car.”

“No, sir. That’s a fact, all right. You gotta take good care of your customers. Particularly them that are real good-lookin’ ladies.” Vern’s amused grin grated on Adam.

Scowling, Adam gestured to the Buick sitting on the lift. “Why don’t you get back to work on Hardison’s transmission? I promised he could pick it up by noon today.”

“Sure thing, boss. If you want to keep that pretty little lady a secret, no problem. My lips are sealed. Yes, sirree.” He made a zipping motion across his grinning mouth.

A muscle twitched in Adam’s jaw. “Get busy, old man, or I’ll tell Mama Machak at the diner that you’ve been bad-mouthing her chicken and dumplings all around town.”

Laughing, Vern threw up his hands in surrender. “Don’t do that, son. Without her weekly special of chicken and dumplings, and them pies she makes, I’d starve to death.”

With a shake of his head and a grin stuck on his face, he sauntered over to the Buick.

Adam wished he could wipe that grin off, but that would be dumb. Vern was too perceptive by far, recognizing Adam enjoyed Janelle’s company more than a little.

An anthropology major? Some chance he’d have with her.

* * *

At the Arthur Cummings Municipal Park near the public docks, Adam went off to find his fellow musicians while Janelle and the girls strolled through the milling crowd. They browsed booths exhibiting handmade crafts—blown glass, ceramics, quilts and jewelry. A display of exquisite handmade dolls tempted Janelle, but they were more for show than for play so she passed them by. Raeanne wasn’t old enough yet to appreciate the fine craftsmanship.

Meanwhile, Adam’s band wasn’t on stage yet. Instead, a bluegrass band played in the gazebo, their audience seated on folding chairs in the shade of a canopy or scattered around the open grassy area on blankets. Each family group boasted a colorful picnic basket. Toddlers and young children swayed to the rhythm of the music.

The lake provided a backdrop for the event. Near the far shore, sailboats cut through the blue water, leaving a narrow wake behind them. Closer at hand, water-

skiers whizzed by pulled by high-powered motorboats that carefully remained outside the roped-off swimming area.

Smoke from a barbecue floated on the breeze blowing in from the lake.

“Do you girls want to eat your lunch now?” Janelle asked. “Or do you want to wait until Hailey’s dad is done playing?”

“Let’s eat now,” Hailey said. “Dad’s friend Charlie always has them playing a long set. We’d get too hungry waiting for him to finish.”

When Raeanne caught the scent of hot dogs, she tugged Janelle in the direction of the hot-dog stand sponsored by Bear Lake Community Church. A half-dozen teenagers were staffing the operation, supervised by an older woman wearing a colorful butcher apron.

Janelle ordered three hot dogs, three lemonades and bags of chips, then carried them all to a shady spot under a big oak tree where they sat down not far from the

gazebo.

“Be careful, now. Don’t spill on your clean blouse,” she admonished Raeanne. She’d only packed enough clothes for a couple of weeks. Once she was settled somewhere, a friend would ship her the rest of their personal belongings. Until then, clothing choices were limited and access to a washer and dryer increasingly urgent.

Sitting with her legs bent beside her, Janelle took a bite of her hot dog. The bluegrass musicians, who looked to be all in their eighties or older, ended their performance to appreciative applause. As they packed up their instruments, she spotted Adam and his friends taking their place on the stand.

“Has your dad always played guitar?” Janelle asked.

“I guess so. He and his buddies play for church services sometimes.”

“That’s nice.” Janelle had drifted away from attending church during her marriage. Raymond hadn’t been interested in religion. Now that she was on her own, finding a church was high on her to-do list. Maybe she’d join the choir, too, if she could find a sitter for Raeanne during evening practices.

But that would wait until much later, when Raeanne had regained her self-confidence and happy spirit.

The five men in Adam’s group wore Western-cut shirts and jeans and had matching red bandannas tied around their necks. Stetsons completed their outfits.

Adam’s black hat tipped rakishly on the back of his head, giving him the look of a swaggering, country bad boy. She smiled at the image, so in contrast to his actual personality.

One of the other men cracked a few corny jokes then introduced the group: Sons of Bear Lake. The locals seemed to recognize them and sent up a cheer.

The banjo player started off with some fancy plucking, and then the violin dueled with the banjo, the two of them bowing and plucking so fast both instruments were nearly set on fire. After a long run of manic scales, they finished to the hoots, hollers and whoops of the crowd. Both men were sweating profusely.

“My goodness.” Janelle laughed and put her arm around Raeanne. “I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

“That’s Charlie Brooks on the banjo and Tiny Tim playing violin,” Hailey said.

“They’re great. Both of them.”

Slowing the pace, the group played “Come, Come, Come to Me,” a hymn familiar to Janelle. She sang along with the chorus and so did Hailey. Raeanne smiled and rocked to the beat but didn’t utter a sound.

A lump the size of a boulder closed Janelle’s throat, and the burn of tears stung her eyes. She’d willingly give every dime she owned if someone could erase the memory that had stolen her beautiful baby girl’s voice, locking her in her silent world.

* * *

The Sons of Bear Lake performed for nearly an hour. When they’d packed up their instruments, Adam joined Janelle and the girls.

“So what did you think?” He sat on the grass and placed his guitar case next to him.

“You were all great,” Janelle said. “We sang along with the songs we knew.”

“Raeanne didn’t,” Hailey said. “She can’t sing.”

Adam feigned shock. “You can’t sing?”

Solemn-faced, Rae shook her head.

“Well, now, that’s a real shame.” He opened his case and lifted his guitar, strumming a few chords. “Say, I bet I know a song you could help me sing.”

Looking unconvinced, Rae eyed his guitar.

Janelle held her breath. She didn’t want Raeanne to feel pressured into talking. The therapist had told her to let speech return naturally.

“Okay, here we go.” He strummed another chord and sang, “‘There’s a bee, a bumbly bee. He goes buzz, buzz, buzz.’”

He nodded at Rae. “Come on, I need help with the buzzing bee. ‘There’s a bee,’” he sang, “‘a flying bumbly bee. He goes...’”

The faintest sound escaped from Raeanne’s mouth. “‘Buzz, buzz, buzz.’”

Paralyzed, speechless, tears sprang to Janelle’s eyes. She covered her mouth so her sob wouldn’t escape. Those were the first words Raeanne had spoken in seven months. For any other mother of a five-year-old, the words would mean little.

To Janelle they were an answer to a prayer.

“Atta girl!” Grinning, Adam ruffled her hair. “‘There’s a bee. A flying, stinging bumbly bee. He goes...’”

“‘Buzz, buzz, buzz,’” Raeanne whispered.

“Okay, one more time. ‘There’s a bee. A flying, stinging, angry bumbly bee. I’m going to—’”

“‘Buzz, buzz, buzz,’” she said, her voice stronger now.

“‘Buzz, buzz, buzz away,’” Adam finished with a flourish, shifting his gaze from Raeanne to Janelle.

Hailey grabbed Raeanne and hugged her. “You did it! You sang the song.”

To Janelle, those whispered words were a gift from the Lord. A much-prayed-for beginning.

Thank you, she mouthed to Adam.

She wanted to throw her arms around him but didn’t dare, afraid to make a big fuss for fear Rae would retreat into silence.

What a special man Adam was. She couldn’t help but wonder if God had put that deer in her path. A path that led to Adam Hunter’s door?