A Place to Call Home (18 page)

“C
an we talk?”

Her brother sounded so uncertain that Abby hardly recognized his voice. Very un-Alex-like.

“I don’t know,” she murmured truthfully.

Without waiting for an invitation, Alex sat down on one of the low wooden benches by the campfire. She almost smiled. This was the brother she knew and loved.

And because Abby did love him, she handed him the stick she’d been holding, with its perfectly browned marshmallow on the end.

The last of the volunteers had left an hour ago. Abby went to the kitchen to clean up and found it in spotless condition, thanks to Esther and the rest of the seniors who belonged to the Knit Our Hearts Together ministry at Church of the Pines.

She’d needed a quiet place to regroup. To thank God for His provision.

To try not to think about Quinn.

“You wouldn’t return my calls,” Alex said. “I figured you couldn’t ignore me if I showed up here.” He examined the
marshmallow suspiciously before easing it off the stick. “I guess I was wrong.”

“I didn’t ignore you. There was a lot going on today.” Abby refused to feel guilty.

“That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. Where did all those people come from?” Alex sounded so mystified that Abby couldn’t suppress a smile.

“They’re members of the church I attend.”

“I guess that explains the sermon I heard on the roof,” her brother muttered.

“Pastor Wilde gave a sermon? On the roof?”

“No, this one was delivered by a little fireball who gave me a hammer and told me to, and I quote, ‘make myself useful.’”

Abby choked back a laugh. “That would have been Kate Nichols.”

Alex shook his head and Abby waited for him to make a disparaging comment of some kind.

She’d known it was only a matter of time until he voiced his opinion about the inn, which was one of the reasons she’d avoided him all day. Well, that coupled with the fact that she knew her brother hadn’t made the six-hour drive to Mirror Lake simply because she’d refused to return his phone calls. Alex had another agenda.

He would have talked to Quinn and found out she’d asked him to leave the property. Alex knew she would be feeling discouraged. Hoped he could catch her in a moment of weakness.

And maybe he would have, if she hadn’t experienced such an outpouring of generosity that morning.

“They seem like good people, Abby.”

She blinked, not sure she’d heard him right.

Alex smiled. “Yes, you heard me. This place doesn’t look
anything like the pictures you showed me. I have to admit I’m impressed.”

“They did get a lot accomplished, didn’t they?” Abby couldn’t help the hint of pride that crept into her voice. The volunteers had worked together so efficiently that she hadn’t had to make that phone call to Lydia Thomas after all.

“They did. But it’s
you
I’m impressed with.”

Abby’s gaze flew to her brother’s face. “Me?”

“Quinn told me that I underestimated you.”

Her breath stalled. “Quinn said that?”

“When I talked with him on Monday morning.” Alex’s eyes narrowed, as if he were remembering the conversation. “He also said that if I loved you, I would support your dreams, not try to sabotage them.”

“I can’t believe…” Abby paused. “Did you say Monday?”

“That was the day I fired him.”

“But…I fired him on Wednesday.” Abby stared at her brother, stunned.

Monday was the day Quinn had disappeared. He hadn’t told her where he was going or why. She’d been sitting by the fire, making s’mores. And then…

“He came back.” Alex made the connection before she did.

“Why?” Abby pressed her hand against her mouth.

“I think we can rule out that it was because of me,” Alex said wryly. “Or because he needed the money or the extra work. I think he came back because of
you,
Abby.”

Some of the old doubts surfaced.

“Because he felt sorry for me.”

“Because he’s in love with you,” Alex corrected her.

“Then why did he leave?”

“From what I know about O’Halloran? It was probably for the same reason.”

“Looks like you’re going somewhere.”

Quinn turned toward the gravelly voice. “Hi, Daniel. Come on in.”

The pleats fanning out from the corners of Daniel Redstone’s eyes deepened. “I knocked. Guess you couldn’t hear me with your head stuck in a suitcase.”

“How did things go out at the lodge today?” It had taken all Quinn’s self-control not to call Matt Wilde and ask him about the workday at the lodge. “Did anyone show up?”

“Musta been fifty people out there. I think we got most everything done, except for some odds and ends.”

“Abby will be able to host the Thomases’ anniversary celebration?”

“I expect so.” Daniel settled his wiry frame into a cane-back rocking chair. “You accomplished a lot in the amount of time you were there. But then, you always did work circles around me. Maybe you should have been a carpenter.”

“Maybe.” Quinn tossed a pair of socks into the suitcase.

“Taking a vacation?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Abby’s brother told me you might get your old job back.”

Quinn’s mouth dropped open. “You know Alex Porter?”

“Not until he showed up at the lodge today. We had a nice little chat about fishing trips and being honest with people.” Daniel’s gold tooth flashed with his smile. “He’s not bad with a hammer, either. For a city boy.”

“He
helped
you?”

“Kate didn’t give him much of a choice, from what I saw.”

Knowing that Quinn had left and Abby was without a carpenter, Alex had probably driven up to make a last-ditch effort
to convince her to return to Chicago. If the volunteers hadn’t showed up, would she have agreed?

No coincidences, Abby was fond of saying. God has a plan. A purpose.

Quinn was finally accepting that as truth. He was convinced Abby was right when she claimed that God had brought her to Mirror Lake. What he wasn’t sure about was where
he
fit in God’s plan.

“I appreciate you coming back, Daniel.” Quinn tried to stow his emotions but it wasn’t as easy as it used to be.

“We help out our own, you know.”

“That’s good. It’s important to Abby that she’s part of the community.”

“I was talking about you.”

“Me? No.” Quinn instantly rejected the notion. “I’ve been back for over a year and everyone still treats me like an outsider.”

“You get treated like an outsider because you act like one.” Daniel harrumphed. “You know folks round here. You hold yourself back and people leave you alone. You reach out a hand, there’ll be someone there to grab it. You just never reached out until now. They wanted to help Abby, sure. But they went because
you
asked them. Your roots are here.”

Quinn fixed his gaze on the suitcase. “What if I told you that the only reason I came back to Mirror Lake was to see what I could get for this house and Dad’s business?”

“Then you would have waited until after the funeral. Truth is, you came back to stand by a man who was dying. A man who never stood by you while he was alive.” Daniel cleared his throat. “That shows what kind of man you are.”

“I’m no hero, Daniel.”

“You hired Faye, didn’t you?” Amusement danced in the other man’s eyes.

A reluctant smile curved Quinn’s lips. “She made me.”

“You saw what no one else did. That woman was like a boat without a rudder after Doc died.” Daniel smiled. “You paid off your dad’s debts. Cleaned things up around the place. People had you pegged right away. They’ve just been biding their time, waiting for you to figure out where you fit.”

Quinn tried to process what Daniel was telling him.

All this time, he’d thought people avoided him because of his last name. Daniel was implying it was because they had taken their cue from him.

Either way, it didn’t matter. Not anymore. He had a meeting with Bob Hamlin in Chicago the next day.

Quinn’s hands balled into fists at his side. “I can’t stay in Mirror Lake.”

“Because you don’t want to? Or does your decision have something to do with Abby?”

“You talked to Alex,” Quinn said roughly. “You know he hired me to take your place. Not as a carpenter. As a watchdog. There was no noble purpose behind it. I did it because I needed the money—and a shot at the Gaines condominium bid.” Quinn almost hated to admit it. Hated to see the look of disappointment on his friend’s face. “I went there under false pretenses.”

“Are you afraid she won’t forgive you?” Daniel’s eyes met his. “Or are you afraid she will?”

Quinn felt the impact of both questions. “What are you talking about?”

“For years, I watched Mike O’Halloran sabotage his life. It was like he couldn’t accept any good thing that came his way. Your mother. You. A paycheck for a job well done.” Daniel’s voice softened. “You say you don’t want to be like your dad? Then don’t let the past keep you from the future God has for you.”

It sounded a lot like the sermon Matt had preached the previous Sunday.

“Did you and Matt Wilde compare notes?”

“We read the same book.” Daniel smiled. “And it’s full of people who stumbled and fell but they got back up again with God’s help. Had the courage to go forward.”

People like Abby, Quinn thought. She’d demonstrated that kind of courage when she’d moved to Mirror Lake.

“God doesn’t give us one chance and then turn His back on us if we mess it up,” Daniel said.

“I know.” Quinn pressed his fingers against his eyes. “But I really blew it with Abby. How do I know that
she
won’t?”

“You don’t. That’s where the courage part comes in.” Daniel chuckled. “She named her dog Mulligan after all, didn’t she?”

“A
campfire! I can’t believe you thought of it, Abby!” Lydia Thomas reached out and reeled Abby in for another hug. “Doesn’t this bring back memories, Simon?”

“Yes, it does. This is a real treat, Abby.” Simon, a handsome man whose blue eyes hadn’t lost their sparkle since the couple had arrived the day before, smiled at her. “Almost makes me feel seventeen again. We can’t thank you enough for opening the inn for us early.”

“He’s right,” Lydia chimed in. “This is the perfect end to a perfect weekend.”

“You’re welcome.” Abby returned the smile, pleased that her attempts to recreate some of the couple’s favorite experiences while they’d been camp counselors all those years ago had been so warmly received.

Within an hour of their arrival, Abby felt as if she’d known the couple forever.

Lydia and Simon’s three adult children and a small contingent of grandchildren arrived shortly after they did, along with several members of the original bridal party.

Abby had given everyone a tour of the lodge and showed
them to their cabins. While they settled in, she prepared an old-fashioned cookout, serving up hamburgers and hot dogs along with potato salad and homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Afterward, the older grandchildren had discovered the croquet set in the boathouse and coaxed their parents into teaching them how to play.

Any concerns Abby might have had about whether she was ready to open her home to strangers were put to rest. She loved catching a glimpse of them walking along the shoreline. Watching the kids play tag with Mulligan in the yard. And she knew it wasn’t a coincidence that her first guests were a small group of people who loved her home as much as she did.

Lydia and Simon had renewed their vows earlier that afternoon and it had taken all of Abby’s self-control not to break down and cry. Not only because Simon and Lydia couldn’t take their eyes off each other, but because they exchanged more than vows during the ceremony. The look of love and understanding that passed between the two of them held fifty years of memories.

She’d planned the campfire as a final send-off for the family and their friends after hearing Simon mention the counselors had gathered together there every evening to recap the day’s events. Lydia’s blush told Abby that there was more to the story and she was hoping to find out what it was.

“This is a great fire, Abby,” Simon complimented.

Thanks to Quinn, Abby thought before she caught herself.

She cringed inside.

Was everything going to remind her of him? He’d only been in her life a little over a week and yet memories of him were connected to the smallest things.

“Sit with us for a while.” Lydia motioned her over. “You must be exhausted.”

“Are you sure?” Abby hung back. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Don’t be silly.” Lydia scolded her in the same affectionate tone she used with her children and grandchildren. “We want you to stay.”

The murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group convinced her. And Abby couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening.

“This can’t be the same fire pit that was here when you and Mom worked at the camp all those years ago.” Lydia and Simon’s daughter, Shelly, eyed the circle of bricks skeptically.

“It sure is. I remember your mother right where you are—” Simon pointed to one of his grandsons. “And sticking her tongue out at me while I played the guitar during evening devotions.”

To Abby’s astonishment, Lydia didn’t deny it. Instead, the woman laughed. “That’s true.”

“Sticking your tongue out at Grandpa doesn’t sound very romantic.” Eleven-year-old Lexie Thomas aimed a disapproving look at her grandmother.

Simon chuckled. “I would say it’s about as romantic as the skunk she and her friends tried to chase under my cabin one night.”

“Simon!” Lydia clucked her tongue. “We came here to reminisce about the good times, remember?”

“And we are.” Simon winked at Abby. “We might not be here today if it weren’t for that skunk.”

“A skunk?” Abby looked from Simon to Lydia, trying to decide if he was kidding.

“Lydia took an instant dislike to me the moment we met.” He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “She thought I was a bit, what’s the term? Full of myself.”

“He was.” Lydia gave her husband a fond look. “My friends and I decided to take him down a peg. There was a skunk that liked to lurk around the garbage cans near the cabins. We
snitched brooms from the supply closet one evening and tried to herd it toward Simon’s cabin.”

From the indulgent looks the adults exchanged, it was obvious the story was a familiar one. But their children leaned forward, eager to hear the rest. So did Abby.

Simon picked up the thread of the story. “I heard a commotion and flipped the porch light on. That startled the poor little critter, but instead of running under my cabin like it was supposed to, it ran into the bushes.”

“The bushes where I was hiding,” Lydia added.

“Her plan, needless to say…backfired.” Simon grinned.

“Literally.” Lydia sighed as their grandchildren snickered. “The head counselor banished me to solitary confinement in a separate cabin for the rest of the weekend. Simon was the only one brave enough to visit me. Every night, he would show up and hand me an ice cream bar through the window. Then he would sit on the step and talk to me through the screen. He turned out to be so sweet that I started to feel guilty and finally confessed what I’d done.”

“I had a confession of my own,” Simon said cheerfully. “From the moment I met her, I started asking God to give me a chance to win her over. I had no idea He would use a skunk.”

Everyone laughed, including Abby.

They spent a few more hours around the campfire reminiscing until Simon caught Lydia yawning and announced it was time to call it a night. The parents collected their sleepy children and drifted back to the cabins, but Abby lingered by the fire.

The time spent listening to the couple share memories of their life together was bittersweet.

It made her miss Quinn even more.

After her conversation with Alex, Abby had dared to believe that her brother was right. That Quinn shared her
feelings. And when she had called Kate to thank her again for being part of the work crew, her friend confided that the workday had been Quinn’s idea.

Those things had given Abby hope.

Until she discovered that Quinn had gone back to Chicago.

Alex told her how he’d lost his job with Hamlin because of Serena Raynes’s accusation and remembered him saying he took over his dad’s business because he didn’t have a choice.

Now Quinn had been given another opportunity to decide which life he wanted to live. And he’d chosen the one that didn’t include her.

Mulligan, who’d been stretched out at her feet, suddenly stood up, his gaze fixed on something in the shadows. His tail began to wag.

“Oh, no, you don’t—” With all the talk about skunks, Abby wasn’t going to take any chances. She made a grab for the dog’s collar but he was too fast for her. “Mulligan!”

She scrambled after him, almost tripping over the rubber ball one of the Thomases’ grandchildren had left in the yard.

Mulligan stopped at the edge of the shadows, looked over his shoulder at her and barked, as if waiting for her to be the brave one.

“Who is it?” She chuckled. “Friend or foe?”

“I guess you’ll have to decide.”

Abby’s heart rolled over when Quinn stepped out of the shadows.

He’d stayed away as long as he could, but when Quinn saw the color drain from Abby’s face, it made him wonder if he shouldn’t have waited another day.

He’d wrapped up his business with Bob Hamlin in Chicago and made one last stop before returning to Mirror Lake. Ken
Raynes had requested a meeting with him. As part of Serena’s recovery, she wanted to apologize for lying to her parents about him and had asked her father to pass on a letter she’d written to Quinn.

When Ken had asked Quinn what he planned to do, Quinn hadn’t hesitated.

“I’m going home.”

On the long drive back, Quinn had gone over and over what he planned to say to Abby. Which, he realized now, had only worked when he wasn’t
facing
Abby.

Silence weighted the air between them. Until Abby broke it.

“I thought you went back to Chicago.”

Quinn hated to see the confusion in her eyes, knowing he was to blame for it.

“I came back.”

“Why?” Abby’s eyes darkened. “Alex said you’d been offered your old job back. You have a chance to start over.”

“I do want to start over.” Quinn drew a ragged breath, knowing that what he said next would determine whether that would happen. “With you. Here, in Mirror Lake. You said you believed in second chances. I’m asking for mine.”

Abby didn’t say a word.

Was he getting through to her?

“I should never have agreed to work for your brother, but I told myself I had to. For the business. About twenty-four hours after we met, my loyalties changed.” His expression was rueful. “I started to work for
you.
I wasn’t honest before but this is the truth. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. You were right about God having a plan and a purpose—I was too blind to see it before. But when I picture my future, you’re there. In every part of it. What can I say to make you believe that—”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Quinn’s heart bottomed out.

Had Daniel been wrong?

Abby was so shocked to hear the husky rumble of Quinn’s voice—to see him standing several feet away—that his words had barely registered.

When regret darkened his eyes, she realized Quinn had misinterpreted her silence and reached out a tentative hand to touch his face.

“I mean, you don’t have to
say
anything,” Abby said softly. “I believe you. Because you’re here.”

“Abby.”
Quinn drew her into the warm circle of his arms and rested his chin against her hair. “I had a nice speech all prepared but when I saw you, I couldn’t remember any of it. Except—” he looked down at her, his smile suddenly turning roguish “—the way it ended.”

Abby wondered if there would ever come a time when that smile wouldn’t send her pulse into a delighted skip.

Having witnessed the looks that still passed between Simon and Lydia Thomas, she doubted it.

Abby peeked up at him from under her lashes, a little giddy now that the barriers between them had fallen. “And how did it end?”

An answering spark flared in Quinn’s eyes.

“Like this.” He lowered his head and kissed her.

When they finally broke apart, the look in his silver-gray eyes stole her breath away.

“Quinn O’Halloran,” she teased, her voice sounding a little breathless even to her own ears. “That felt more like a beginning.”

“A beginning it is, then.” Quinn’s arms tightened around her. “Any objections?”

He didn’t give her a chance to answer, but Abby didn’t mind.

She couldn’t think of a single one.