A Sweethaven Summer (11 page)

“She’s gonna cry,” Luke said.

She swatted his arm. “I am not.” Her voice caught as she spoke the words. “All right, maybe I am, but I’m entitled to a few tears having these girls at my table.” She turned to Luke. “You’re just lucky we let you stay.” She laughed as she stretched her hands toward Luke and Lila, sitting on either side of her. “Can we bless the food?”

Luke took his mom’s hand and then held an upturned hand in
Campbell’s direction. She looked at it and then quietly slid her own hand in his. His long fingers wrapped around her hand, warming her from the inside out. She tried to focus on Adele’s prayer rather than the way Luke’s touch sent her insides whirling. No sense being sacrilegious on top of everything else.

“Lord, I thank You for these children who’ve all come back home,” Adele said.

Campbell bowed her head and stared at her empty plate. Luke’s thumb ran over the top of her hand, breaking her concentration.

“I am so blessed to see them again, and my prayer is that they all find what it is they’re looking for here in Sweethaven. Bless this food and help us to always be thankful to the One who provided it for us. In Your name we ask it. Amen.”

The others echoed with their own “Amen,” and Jane let go of Campbell’s right hand. Luke squeezed twice before releasing her left hand. She glanced at him, keenly aware of the absence of his touch.

He radiated confidence. How did he do that?

They passed the dishes around the table. Silverware clanked and clanged as plates were piled with food, food that, judging by the smell and appearance, promised to be delicious.

“Who was on the phone?” Luke’s question broke the silence with all the grace of an oversized ox.

Campbell cleared her throat and noticed the others stared in her direction.

“Lukey, leave the girl alone. She can talk to her boyfriend in private if she wants to.” Lila winked at her.

She shook her head and sipped her lemonade. “It wasn’t a boyfriend,” she said. “It was a friend of my mom’s. Same one who called earlier.”

Luke sat up straighter. Did she imagine his relief?

“I may have to go back tomorrow is all.”

Adele frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, hon,” she said. “You’ll never find what you’re looking for if you leave before you give yourself a chance.”

Campbell’s heart jumped. What was she saying? Did she know something?

“Adele’s right,” Jane said between bites. “If you leave, we won’t get to tell you about the scrapbook. Did you bring your pages, Lila?”

Lila nodded. “I thought Mama had thrown them away, but I found them.”

“Remember when Suzanne came over here with her nutso idea to start a scrapbook?” Jane laughed. “We all thought she was crazy.”

“She
was
crazy. She knew none of us were artsy like she was. And scrapbooking wasn’t exactly cool back then. I mean, who wants to sit in the house and scrapbook when we could be at the beach watching the boys pretend not to stare at us?” Lila’s smile faded at the memory.

“But your mom had a way about her,” Jane said, her expression wistful, as though she were remembering something. “Remember what she said, Lila?”

“She said, ‘You guys will thank me for it later. When we’re all old ladies and we come here with our grandkids you’ll take out this scrapbook and tell them stories of Sweethaven way back when and then you will thank me.’ ” Lila sipped her tea. “Then she carried that book around with her all summer. Every summer.”

“She was right. If she were here today, I would thank her,” Jane said. “Those silly scrapbooking parties became the highlight of our summers.”

“Speak for yourself,” Lila said. “I can think of a few other highlights, like the summer I won the Harbor City Pageant. The summer I got engaged.”

“All in the scrapbook,” Jane said. “I still scrapbook now for my kids.”

“You do?” Lila said, eyebrows raised.

Jane nodded. “They aren’t artsy like Suzanne’s, but they’re mine. And the kids love them. Seriously, Sam used to sit in his diaper on the landing of the stairs and flip through it, page after page of ‘baby!’ ‘baby!’ ” Jane stopped. “I never would’ve done those books if it weren’t for Suzanne.”

“It’s so nice hearing you talk about her.” Campbell set her glass on the table. “It’s almost like she’s still here.”

“Those scrapbook parties were something else,” Adele said. “I knew I needed to stock the fridge and prepare for a sleepless weekend.”

“Admit it, Mama, you loved having us here.” Lila winked at Adele.

“That I did, sweetheart. I had to or I’d lose my ‘coolest mom’ title.”

“There’s really nothing in the book about my father?”

Jane and Lila exchanged a glance.

“Hon, the scrapbook isn’t going to help you find your father,” Lila said. “Your mom didn’t put that in the book. We’re pretty sure about that.”

Campbell felt Luke glance at her, but she kept her eyes on the women across the table.

Suddenly she wished she hadn’t said anything. They could know she wondered about her father’s identity, but that was all. They didn’t need to know the hours she’d spent daydreaming about meeting him.

“You must have a list of people you all hung around with. Maybe it’s someone you all knew but didn’t realize she loved?”

Lila laughed. “I hate to burst your romance bubble, but your mom wasn’t in love with the guy—whoever he was.”

Campbell frowned. “How do you know? I mean, if you don’t even know who he is?”

She shrugged. “If it was love, she would’ve told us.”

Jane swallowed and stared at her plate.

Campbell studied them both.

“Maybe Campbell’s right, girls,” Adele said. “Maybe you’ve missed something. Hon, we were talking earlier about an art class your mama took at the community college. Could’ve been someone from there? We’ll put the pages together and see what we find.”

Campbell’s confidence had gone. Not only had her mother left her father’s identity out of the book, but she’d been embarrassed about it. Not even in love with the guy.

A dead end.

Tilly’s words rushed back.
Get home. Where you belong
.

Suddenly she didn’t know if she wanted answers to her questions. Suddenly ignorance felt safer.

After dinner, in the darkness of the cool May evening, Campbell sat on an outdoor loveseat, Mugsy quietly snoring at her feet. Jane and Lila still sat at the table, talking quietly about the old days, while Luke helped Adele clear the table. When he emerged from the house empty-handed, he spotted Campbell and walked toward her.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.

“What?” She glanced up at him.

“Wanna go for a walk?” His lopsided grin lured her in, and against her better judgment she stood.

“Should we bring Mugsy?” Campbell glanced at the mutt lazing at her feet.

“Nah, this dog is older than the hills.” He led her out of the back yard and down the driveway.

Campbell laughed, falling into step beside him. “Your mom said that too. I like her. I think she’s sweet.”

“She is. Balances out Mom’s saltiness.” He smirked.

“Your mom is plenty sweet.” Campbell tossed a glance back toward the house. “I wish I could stay.”

“You’re leaving then?”

She looked away. “Not much point hanging around. You heard them—the scrapbook doesn’t have the answers I’m looking for.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you should at least try. Stay a few days. Blossom Fest—”

“I know.” She smiled. “I hear it’s a lot of fun.”

“It’s okay. You know, if you like tours of the orchard in bloom, a lit Ferris wheel on the beach at night, the parade and old movies in the park.” He stared straight ahead. “Aren’t you a photographer? Think of the pictures you could get.”

“Had to throw that in there, didn’t you?” Campbell glanced at him, falling into step at his side. “You sound like a tourist brochure.”

He shrugged. “Whatever it takes to get you to stay. Besides, you still haven’t seen all that Sweethaven has to offer. I could take you on a tour. You can bring your camera.”

She hated to admit it sounded like the perfect way to spend a day. No deadlines. Nowhere to be. What kind of creativity would emerge without the pressure of an assignment?

But what about Mom’s will? Tilly said they needed her tomorrow. And in a few days she had to be back for work. It would be best to take care of Mom’s will, the house—everything—before then.

“Could you show me something now?” She tossed a look in his direction.

“Name it.”

“I want to see where my mom grew up. I’m curious about the people who bought the cottage after my grandparents died.” She glanced back the way they’d just come. Perhaps they’d passed the old house and she didn’t realize it.

Luke cleared his throat. “Maybe we should do that when it’s light out. You won’t be able to see much now.”

“No, this way I can sneak on by and no one will notice I’m there.” She bumped into his shoulder. “Please?”

He slowed his pace and studied her eyes. “You sure you want to see it?”

She frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

They stood at the corner of Elm and Juniper Drive. He glanced up at the street sign. “It’s down this street.” Luke turned the corner.

Even in the dim light of the streetlamp, Campbell saw his hesitation.

“What’s wrong? Is it haunted or something?” She jogged to catch up to him.

“No, of course not. It’s fine. I’ll show you quick and then we’ll head back.”

Campbell walked up the slight hill of Juniper Drive until they reached the next block. Luke stopped before they crossed and pointed at a bungalow across the street directly in front of them. “It’s that one.”

She recognized it from the picture. Her mom had grown up there. So much of her life had taken place only feet from where she now stood, and Campbell didn’t know any of those stories. She could almost see the four girls sitting on the deep porch well into the warm summer nights.

“Do you know who lives there now?” she asked. She wondered if Mom had carved her name into a wooden post in the basement or if her handprints were pressed in cement on the back patio.

Luke took a deep breath, but before he could respond the porch light came on.

Campbell gasped. “Oh my gosh. They’re home.”

“Maybe we should go,” Luke said.

Campbell started across the street. What could the new owners tell her about the cottage’s previous owners? Had anything been left behind, and if so, what had they done with those things?
There were secrets in that house, and Campbell had to at least try to uncover them.

From behind, Luke called to her, but she didn’t hear what he said. Instead, she focused on the door opening in front of her. Excitement bubbled in her chest as she anticipated the potential answers.

But as she neared the walkway leading to the front door, her breath caught in her throat as a figure appeared in the faint light on the porch. A figure she recognized.

The name C
ARTER
jumped out at her from the mailbox, and Campbell began to piece it together.

It was the man from her mom’s funeral.

He met her gaze and stood, unmoving, at the top of the stairs. They stared at each other.

“Campbell.” Luke’s voice broke through her cloud of confusion as she tried to process what she was seeing.

“Is that…?” The words halted in midair. She couldn’t say it out loud. Because if what she suspected was true, then her mother had done more than hide her past. She’d lied about it.

Campbell’s heart pounded in her chest, and she struggled for a deep breath. Luke grabbed her hand.

“Evening, Reverend Carter,” he said.

The old man looked at them, his brow furrowed, his mouth agape.

This can’t be happening
. This was her grandfather.

“Do you want to say anything?” Luke whispered, his face turned away from the man.

Did she want to say anything? Her head spun. She didn’t know. What would she say? Would she start with “Why didn’t you find me?” or maybe “Didn’t you ever wonder what happened to your daughter?”

Heat rushed to her cheeks as she shook her head, unable to make sense of her thoughts. “I can’t believe this,” she whispered.

The old man took a step toward her, and in an instant she knew she did not want to talk to him. And she didn’t want him to talk to her. Who did he think he was showing up at Mom’s funeral? Why hadn’t he found them? Why hadn’t he come to them? What else hadn’t her mother told her?

As he took another step, Campbell backed into Luke, who steadied her, his warm eyes watching. “You should’ve told me,” she said.

His eyes widened, but she didn’t give him a chance to respond. Instead, she pushed past him and ran back down the hill.

The sound of her feet pounding on the pavement invaded her
own mind. Her heart raced and she struggled for air, certain she’d never breathe normally again. She wished she could run forever—away from this place that held too many secrets and too much hurt.

* * * * *

Campbell returned to Adele’s house, intending to gather her things and get back to the city where she belonged. Instead, she was met in the entryway by Adele, Lila, and Jane.

“I’m just here for my things. I’ve got to get back to the city. There’s a will and…” Her voice faded as if the trail to her sanity had just gone cold.

“Darlin’, what’s wrong? You’re white as a sheet.” Adele stepped closer.

“Nothing. I just need to get home. They need me back home.” Campbell looked away.

“You found everything you were looking for then?” Adele stood in front of the stairs, blocking Campbell’s way.

“Well, no.”

“Mmm-hmmm. Didn’t think so. You sure you want to go leavin’ already?” Behind Adele, Jane and Lila watched, their faces filled with pity and pleading.

“I’m not sure I want answers anymore.” Campbell looked away.

Adele’s eyes narrowed as if she were trying to figure out where her change of heart had come from. “You might find out a few things you hadn’t bargained for, darlin’. You need to make up your mind now if you can handle that.” She watched for Campbell’s reaction, but Campbell schooled her expression to remain blank.