At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads Book #1): A Novel (33 page)

W
hen are you going to stop running?”

Roy’s question hit Greg with the force of a sledgehammer. Instinctively, he jerked the steering wheel. Wrong move. The vehicle began to swerve. Greg loosened his grip and guided it back into its lane. One person in the hospital was more than enough.

“What do you mean?” he asked when his heart had resumed its normal beat.

Roy chuckled, apparently unaware of how dangerous his question had been. “I’ve seen the way you look at that gal and the way she looks at you.” He pressed his index finger against the bridge of his glasses, pushing them back. “I may wear glasses, but I’m not blind. Anyone can see that you’re head over heels for her. Why’d you walk away?”

There was no good answer. Greg had asked himself the same question. As the day had progressed, his fears for Sally had mingled with frustration and disappointment—frustration that he couldn’t reach Kate, disappointment that her decision to go to New York had meant Sally had been alone when she’d collapsed. By the time Kate arrived at the hospital, Greg had been
simmering, and so, though his heart had told him to enfold her in his arms, his head had urged him to hold back. His head had won that round, but when Kate had emerged from the ICU, pain and anguish etched on her face, his heart refused to be denied.

There had been nothing romantic about the embrace. It had been a simple case of giving comfort, and yet when Greg had held Kate in his arms, it had felt right. Love was more than sweet kisses and moments of delight. Love also meant sharing the bad times.

Greg wasn’t ready to confess all that to Roy, and so he settled for saying, “I was angry that Kate wasn’t here when Sally needed her.”

They’d exited the interstate and were on a two-lane highway where traffic was mercifully light. Greg glanced at his passenger. Roy had shifted in his seat until he was staring directly at Greg. “If that’s not the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.” Roy made no effort to hide his disapproval. “You said your job kept you so busy you rarely visited your family. Don’t you think there were times they needed you?”

Work was part of the reason he hadn’t gone to Orchard Slope, but only part. On another day, Greg might have told Roy the whole story, but he was too tired to dredge up more unpleasantness tonight. “I send them money,” he said shortly.

Roy shook his head. “That’s not the same thing, and you know it. Writing a check is easy. Giving of yourself is much harder.”

Roy’s words were still echoing through Greg’s head when he tumbled into bed, almost too exhausted to stand. He’d sleep tonight, no doubt about it. Bone-deep fatigue ensured that. But, though he hadn’t expected it, the nightmare returned.

It began the way it always did. Greg stood on the edge of the precipice, once again paralyzed by fear, listening to the voice.

“Jump!” The voice that sounded so familiar even though he had never been able to identify it seemed closer than before.

“Jump!” But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t, for jumping would mean certain death. He stood there, not daring to move. He could never move, and yet Greg’s heart began to pound as he wondered if the woman—Kate—would come. He wanted her, and yet he didn’t.

Greg was alone on the cliff’s edge. He’d been alone before and it had never bothered him, but after he’d felt her close to him the last time, he’d realized what he was missing. It was wrong to want her to join him when he faced certain danger, and yet deep inside, Greg craved her presence. Perhaps the fear would not be so intense if Kate were here.

As had happened the last time, he smelled her perfume before he sensed her presence. As had happened the last time, she wrapped her arms around his waist. But this time was different. This time her embrace gave him more than a moment of comfort, and the terror began to subside. Perhaps this time would have a different ending.

“Jump! Jump!” The man’s voice came again.

“No!” Greg cried out. “I won’t!” For the first time, he could hear his words. They weren’t trapped inside him the way they’d been in the past. Tonight they echoed as loudly as the unseen man’s command to jump.

“I won’t. We won’t,” he said to the woman who clung to him. They were brave words, akin to whistling in the dark. They would make no difference, for Greg knew what would happen next. He braced himself for the inevitable shove and the fall.

It did not come. Instead, the woman moved. Leaving his back, she came to his side and took his hand in hers as they stood together on the edge of the mountain. It was the first time he’d seen her face. It was Kate’s face, and yet there was something different about it. Her brown eyes were filled with an emotion he had never seen, one he could not identify. She looked as if she wanted to speak, and yet she did not.

“Jump! Jump!” Before Greg could respond, Kate smiled at him, and in that moment he knew there was no reason to be afraid. That was what she had been trying to tell him. She was filled with courage, and he could be too. They would jump. Together.

It was time.

Greg gripped Kate’s hand more tightly and pushed off the edge, leaping forward with her at his side. The fear that had always gripped him was gone, replaced by a sense of freedom. This had been his choice. He had jumped rather than waiting to be shoved.

He and Kate hung in the air for what felt like an eternity before they began to move. They should have plummeted to the ground. That was what he expected. Instead they were propelled forward by an unseen force, landing in the middle of a field of bluebonnets as gently as dandelion fluff carried by a soft breeze.

Greg wrapped his arms around Kate. “We did it!” he cried triumphantly as he whirled her in circles. She smiled, her eyes reflecting her happiness. As Greg started to lower his lips to hers, he heard the voice. Turning, he saw a familiar figure standing on the mountaintop.

“I always knew you could do it,” his father said.

It was only a dream, Greg told himself when he wakened. Only a dream. And yet it had galvanized him as none of the other dreams had.

He knelt at the side of his bed, bowing his head and pouring out his heart as he begged for guidance. “Lord, give me the words I need.” Greg wasn’t certain how long he prayed. All he knew was that the doubt had disappeared, replaced by certainty.

After pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt, he headed for the office and picked up the phone.

“Mrs. Fuller is still in the ICU,” the nurse reported. “Ms. Sherwood is asleep. Do you want me to wake her?”

Greg shook his head before he realized that the nurse could not see the gesture. “No,” he said, “she needs her sleep.” And if all went well, he would be back late tonight.

He pressed the disconnect button and dialed another number, nodding as the man on the other end confirmed his request. “We can do all that, Mr. Vange. The plane will be ready in an hour.”

Greg sprinted back to his cabin, tossed a change of clothes into a bag in case the trip took longer than he expected, then grabbed his keys and headed toward his SUV. It was time to start running in the right direction.

Kate woke with a crick in her neck. The nurses had told her Sally’s condition would not change overnight and had encouraged her to take a room at one of the local motels, but she’d refused to leave. Instead, she’d managed to get a few minutes of sleep between the brief hourly visits she was allowed.

She checked her watch. Another ten minutes before she could see Sally again. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes.

“We’re all packed, and if I know my kids, they’re sleeping in their clothes so they’ll be ready to head for the airport the minute I get home.” Kate recognized the voice of the dark-haired nurse who appeared to be in charge of the night shift. “The next-door neighbors are taking care of the cats while we’re gone.” She paused, and Kate heard the shuffling of papers. “It may sound silly, but I feel almost guilty about this trip. The families on both sides of us have been unemployed for so long, I don’t know how they’re holding on to their houses.”

“I know what you mean.” The higher-pitched voice belonged to the blonde nurse. “A number of families from our church are in the same situation. The church does what it can and provides occasional meals and some clothes.” Kate heard the resignation
in the blonde’s voice. “I know those are important, but I wish the families could get away.”

“Vacations are such a boost to the spirit,” the brunette said. “It may only be a temporary escape from reality, but vacations are my way of recharging my batteries.”

“I hear you. It’s too bad they’re so expensive.”

The conversation continued, but Kate paid no attention, because images began to whirl through her mind, triggered by the nurses’ comments. Family. That was the answer.

Kate pictured the families from Dupree who’d spent Easter afternoon at Rainbow’s End. Unlike the couples who’d come and gone, most disgruntled that the resort hadn’t met their expectations, the families had been happy and relaxed. More than that, they’d looked as if they belonged there.

And it hadn’t been only the guests who’d been happy. Carmen and KOB had sported smiles so broad that Kate had accused them of posing for a toothpaste commercial, while she couldn’t recall when she’d had so much fun. The party had brought both Rainbow’s End and its staff to life.

Her exhaustion forgotten, Kate grinned. Greg had said the reason he hadn’t made an offer to buy Rainbow’s End was that it needed a new direction, but that he had no vision for that direction. This could be the direction he’d sought for the resort. Rainbow’s End could become a family retreat. Most of the cabins were large enough to accommodate small families, and with a few alterations, cabins like the one Kate shared with Sally could handle larger ones. It might even be possible to create a dormitory-like building for kids, to give their parents a chance to rekindle the romance in their marriages.

The ideas continued to whirl. Not even when she’d been most inspired by an assignment for Maddox and Associates had Kate felt so energized. It had been less than a day since Nick had announced her promotion, less than a day since she’d realized she
was ready for a change. At the time, she had had no idea what the future might hold, but now she knew what she wanted. She wanted to be part of creating a new Rainbow’s End.

Kate looked down at the Bible that had been at her side all night. Rainbow’s End needed to become more than a family resort. If it was going to achieve its full potential, it needed to become a Christian family resort, a place to restore guests’ spirits as well as their bodies. Kate knew that idea would appeal to Greg. He’d told her that the Christian focus had been what had attracted him to Rainbow’s End in the first place and that he’d been disappointed to discover the Sinclairs had eliminated it.

The ideas continued to percolate through her mind. Turning Rainbow’s End into a Christian family resort was a good idea, but there was more that Greg could do to make it a special place. He could help families who were facing financial difficulties enjoy it.

Kate had read about philanthropic camps for needy kids. This would be similar and yet different, because the guests would include people across the economic spectrum. Those who could afford to pay would, while families who needed a break from what the nurses had called “reality” would pay whatever they could afford, with the rest of the cost coming from Greg’s endowment. It would be a one-of-a-kind resort, just as Greg was a one-of-a-kind man.

Kate pictured him greeting guests, joining them for dinner, leading them in giving thanks for the food and the other blessings they had received. Drew may have told Greg he lacked interpersonal skills, but Kate knew better. If Greg took over, Rainbow’s End would be a success, not just for him and his guests but for Dupree, the Heart of the Hills. The town would repaint their signs, and . . .

Kate’s smile broadened as she envisioned a new logo for Rainbow’s End. Not just a logo but a slogan too. Of course
there would be a rainbow. She would keep the ark at its end, but instead of having animals peering out from the windows, the side of the boat would feature a heart with a cross in its center. “Rainbow’s End: The Heart and Soul of the Hill Country.”

Kate’s heart began to race as she thought of the advertising campaign she could develop. It would be so much fun to work with Greg. She could update the website, create brochures, arrange the media buys. She could even help redecorate the cabins. Kate smiled, picturing Lauren’s quilts in the rooms. There had to be some way to involve Samantha too. Perhaps Kate could add a display cabinet to the lodge to showcase local merchants. Samantha could provide a pair or two of boots, and the town’s silversmith could display some of his goods. There was so much Kate could do if Greg agreed to let her participate.

After the way he’d left last night, Kate couldn’t be certain that he would. There was only one way to know. She glanced at her watch. He was probably jogging, which meant he might be in cell range. She pushed “talk,” but the call went directly to voice mail. She would have to wait.