Saving Laurel Springs (18 page)

Rhea bit back the reply that tried to rise up.

Not noticing Rhea's change of mood, Jeannie babbled on. “Those two Barker sisters that live near Caton's Grove were tickled to get the job. They've been cleaning houses here and there, trying to make ends meet, so this steady job is a godsend to them. Estelle says they're hard workers, real good Christian women, and that we're lucky to get them. Isn't that great?”

Jeannie glanced at her watch suddenly and stopped the swing's motion with her foot. “Oops. Sorry to rush off, Rhea, but I've got to go to cheerleader practice with the girls.”

Rhea looked at her in alarm. “Is it still safe for you to do that?”

Jeannie laughed as she stood up, grabbing the broom to carry to the truck. “Don't worry so much. You're as bad as Billy Wade.” She wrinkled her nose. “I'm not going to do any handstands or splits or anything—just supervise.”

“Okay.” Rhea stood to hug Jeannie good-bye and felt an odd discontent slice through her. Everything was changing. Even Jeannie. Something hurt deep inside Rhea to think of the sweet new life growing inside her friend.

Watching Jeannie drive away, Rhea tried to decide what to do with the rest of the day. Nothing she considered held any appeal—and she felt no desire for more company after the morning's events.

Her mind still rolled with the words of her mother, her grandmother—and the words Carter said to her last night in such an anguished tone.
What do you want of me, Rhea Dean?

The question turning in her mind, Rhea decided to go to the old Costner ruins to think. She knew she could sit there against the old stone fireplace, quiet and alone for an hour or so, and collect her thoughts.

The long walk around the lake, through the old Gilliland property, and across the woods trail on Low Ridge, did Rhea good, but she stopped in shock as she rounded the corner at the Costner cabin site.

The ruins were gone! Trees had been cleared, and the beginnings of a new house sat on the old cabin site, a winding paved drive leading up to it.

Rhea walked closer to study the place. The two-storied home was completely framed, the roof on, the windows and doors in place. Her heart ached as she took in the details. She knew immediately it was Carter's new house. Hadn't he mentioned he might be building here? Rhea sighed. Now that she thought about it, she knew she'd heard Billy Wade talking about the house and she'd occasionally seen construction trucks heading in this direction when she was on the west end of the assembly grounds. This was Layman property, after all. It had always been Carter's dream to build here. And hers. Which was probably why she'd tried not to think about a house going up on this spot.

She sat down on the front steps and started to cry. Between the events of last night and today, this was simply the last straw.

Engulfed with confusion and regrets, Rhea dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.

CHAPTER 16

C
arter heard Rhea before he saw her. He'd been behind the old Gilliland place, checking repairs at the vandalized springhouse, and he'd shamelessly trailed Rhea across the ridge, keeping at a distance behind her, unseen. He thought she might be going to Rocky Knob. He planned to follow her there—so they could talk more about what happened last night. With surprise, he saw her head across the ridge toward his new house.

Rhea never wept easily, and Carter knew something was wrong for her to be sobbing audibly like this. He crept up and sat quietly beside her on the rough porch steps before she sensed his presence.

She glanced at him in annoyance and sniffed. “Great. Just what I needed after everything else today.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” He tried to get her to grin.

She shook her head and looked away. “I'd really like some time by myself right now, Carter.”

“Five good reasons why first.” It was an old game they used to play. “Then I'll leave.”

A cloud crossed her face. “Oh, all right. You asked for it.” She gave him a stubborn and irritated frown. “One, Nana Dean says it's obvious something is going on between us. Two, my mother practically agreed with her—which humiliated me, coming from her.”

She swept a hand toward the assembly grounds below. “Three, everywhere I look you're changing things at Laurel Springs, and even though that's good, it's hard to deal with—since I'm having so little say in it and that hurts somehow.” Rhea sucked in a shaky breath.

“Four, Jeannie is having another baby, and I entertained a pitiable fit of personal jealousy when I heard the news today. I'm not getting any younger, you know.” She raised her chin. “And, five, when I come up to the old ruins to enjoy some time alone, I find a new house springing up here, as well.” She shook her head and gave him a defiant look. “So, it's just been one of those days, Carter.”

She scooted farther away from him. “So, now would you leave?”

Carter shook his head in amazement. Rhea, normally a secretive person who kept her feelings close to her heart, had just dumped a major load of revelations on him. “Wow.” He ran a hand through his hair, trying to digest it all. “I don't think I can leave after that.”

She glared at him. “I played by the rules. Just like in Truth or Dare.”

“You did,” he acknowledged, still not budging from his spot on the porch steps.

He sat quietly beside her, thinking over her words while looking across the panoramic view of Laurel Springs spread below him. He'd missed the place so much and never tired of sitting, just like this, to look out over the land, green with summer. His eyes wandered across the lake, sparkling in the sun, and down the quiet roadways, winding in pretty curves through the property—all so loved, familiar, and dear.

Rhea, growing impatient with his silence, cleared her throat. “I thought you were leaving,” she said pointedly.

Carter turned to look at her. “I'll give you five good reasons why I can't leave.” He held up a hand to count off the points. “One, Nana Dean and your mother are right; I do think people are starting to suspect something is going on between us. People aren't blind, you know. Two, I haven't talked with you as much as I should about all the changes. I wanted to, but you've been so prickly with me I wasn't sure how to handle it.” He swallowed. “Three, I kept hoping when you saw me making the changes you and I always dreamed of doing at Laurel Springs, that you'd soften toward me a little.”

Rhea's eyes trapped his. “You thought you could buy my affection?”

He scratched his arm in discomfort. “That sounds like an awful way to put it.”

“If the shoe fits . . .” Her voice trailed off.

Ignoring her eye roll, he moved on, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Four, you and I can easily take care of that baby-jealousy issue and create some little Dean-Layman kids to run around this place the same way you and I did.”

He heard her gasp but ignored it. “And five, I'm building this house, exactly the way you and I always dreamed, to please you, not to upset you. I even used the stones from the old Costner chimney in the rock fireplace in the den.” He held up a key and dangled it. “I'd like you to see it—and show you through the house in its rough state. What do you say?”

She studied the key. “This day couldn't get any worse.” She sighed and stood up. “Besides, I might as well go along since you're
not
going to leave me in peace.”

Grinning in pleasure at this turn of events, Carter went to the front door to unlock the house. “You always said you thought we should build a house that looked somewhat like the old Costner place that burned down. Remember? The only picture we found showed a gabled two-storied house with a broad porch across the entire front. . . .”

“To catch the fine view across the valley.” She sighed. “I remember.”

Carter smoothed a hand over the panels of the front door. “You wanted the house painted white with shiny black doors and shutters in the Layman tradition. I plan to do that when it's finished.”

“And with a swing on the front porch.” She looked around.

“I've ordered it. And rockers.”

He watched her try to hide a quick smile as he opened the door into the foyer. “I still have my old notebook where we sketched out the plans we thought would be great for the house.”

She looked at him in surprise. “You kept that old thing?”

His voice dropped. “I've kept a lot of things you'd be surprised about, Rhea Dean.”

She turned her attention back to the house, avoiding his eyes.

He walked her through the downstairs rooms, framed and ready for the interior work to begin—finishing the baths and kitchen, hanging drywall, painting the interior walls, and laying the hardwood floors.

“The architect's plans are very similar to the old drawing—living room, family room, dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom on the first level, four bedrooms and baths upstairs.” He led her through the spacious rooms. “I added an office downstairs because I need a place to work at home, but I made sure the architect designed broad porches front and back, to enjoy the outdoors whenever possible.”

She stopped in the framed-in kitchen area, looking to the left. Her voice came softly. “You remembered to put in a little breakfast area so it would look out into the woods and across the rock patio.”

He made no comment, pleased she'd noticed.

“What about furniture?”

“There's plenty of time for that.” He took a chance adding, “I hoped you might help me pick it out.”

She didn't answer—just stood looking out the kitchen window.

When the silence lengthened, Carter asked, “Do you want to see upstairs?”

She trailed him up to the second floor, watching her step on the partly finished stairs, walked through the bedrooms, and stopped to peek out the upper windows to catch the views.

Rhea made few comments during the tour, but Carter noticed her mouth quirk in a hidden smile now and then, saw her eyes grow misty with memories, watched her trace a hand gently over the big rock fireplace just finished in the family room, recalling the crumbling chimney they'd leaned against so many times. She liked the house—even though she wasn't saying so.

Rhea stood quietly now, examining one of the small bedrooms. He could almost follow her thoughts. “We'd make better babies than you and Marshall Sutton.” Carter couldn't resist the remark.

She scowled at him. “You were doing pretty good at being nice before that snide observation, Carter.”

“Sorry,” he said, but he knew he didn't really mean it. “How's that going with him, anyway? Marshall practically shoved me into the wall the other day when we met coming out of the Walmart at Newport.”

Rhea blew out a breath. “He's not happy with me because I won't commit and say I'll marry him.” She moved over to look out a window. “Sometimes I wonder why he wants to. It's not very good between us when we . . .” She hedged. “Well, you know.”

He wisely made no comment—this time of candor with Rhea was too precious to risk damaging.

When her silence lengthened, Carter walked across the room and stood behind her, slipping his arms around her, looking out the window with her at the panorama below.

“It's nice here,” she offered in a small voice.

She leaned against him with a soft sigh of resignation, and Carter's heart ached with pleasure.

Interrupting the moment, Taylor's high and frightened voice called from downstairs. “Dad, Dad . . . where are you?”

Even Rhea turned toward the door in alarm, hearing the upset and anguish in Taylor's voice.

“Here, Son. Upstairs.” Carter sprinted toward the door, but Taylor plowed into him before he got there, throwing his arms around him.

Tears streamed down his face as he wrapped himself tightly against Carter's legs. Carter squatted to pull him closer into his arms.

He sobbed, literally shaking.

Finally beginning to calm down, he leaned away with a sniff and saw Rhea. “Hi, Rhea.” He smiled, remembering to be polite even when upset.

“Hey, Taylor. What happened to upset you?” Rhea put a kind hand on the child's back, patting him gently.

“Yes, what's wrong, Son?” Carter sat down on the floor, pulling Taylor down to sit beside him. Rhea dropped down to join them, so that they formed a little circle, Taylor still leaning against Carter for support.

More tears slid down Taylor's cheeks. “I came looking for Dad. Mamaw said he'd gone over to the Gilliland place to check on the springhouse that got vandaled.” Taylor took a shaky breath. “When I didn't see him, I went up the road to the old Sutton cabin, thinking Dad might have gone there.”

His eyes widened. “I heard someone inside the cabin. I thought it was Dad, so I called and went in, but someone threw a quilt over my head and grabbed me. A man, I think. It felt like a man. I couldn't see much.”

Carter's heart began to beat an angry staccato. “Did the man hurt you?”

Taylor shook his head. “No, but he scared me
real bad.
He threw me over on that old bed in the cabin, all wrapped up in the quilt, and then he ran out before I could get the quilt off. He shut me in the cabin, too, Dad.” Tears threatened again. “He put something against the door so I was trapped and couldn't get out.”

Rhea patted his leg reassuringly. “But you did get out, Taylor.”

He sniffed. “Don't get mad but I broke the window at the back so I could climb out.” His words poured out in a torrent now. “I heard the man run down the walk out front so I tried the door to get away but it wouldn't open. I started to get scared he might come back so I decided to sneak out the back window. It's low and near the ground, but the window wouldn't open easy. I couldn't make the latch move, so I hit it with the miner's shovel to try to make it open. Some of the window broke but then the latch thing moved, and I pulled up the window and climbed out.”

He took a deep breath. “As soon as I got out, I ran back through the woods and started across the ridge away from the cabin. I didn't know if the man was still around and if he might try to get me again.”

Carter hugged the frightened boy tighter against him.

Comforted, Taylor continued his story. “I felt scared in the woods at first until I found the trail along the ridge, then I knew where I was.” His eyes found Carter's. “I was going to go to Rhea's house to call you, but when I saw the door open at our new house, I thought you might be here.”

He threw his arms around Carter again. “I was really scared, Dad. I thought that man might do something awful to me, come back and smother me or hit me with a big stick like what happened to you.”

Taylor rubbed his tear-streaked face on his sleeve. “Do you think this was the same mean person that hit you?”

“I don't know, buddy.” He rocked the boy lovingly against him, deeply grateful he hadn't been hurt.

Rhea leaned over to pat Taylor's knee again. “You were very brave, Taylor, to keep your head and climb out the window and run. That was smart of you.” She flashed Taylor a smile when he looked at her with a touch of pride. “And don't worry for one minute about that old window. Your dad and I can replace it easily. The important thing is that you're okay.”

She looked down at a spot on his leg crusted with a little blood. “Did you get that cut on the window?”

Alarmed, Carter began to examine his son, finding a cut or two on his legs and one on his hand. He noticed angry scratches on his arms and legs, too. “What happened here, sport?”

Taylor wrinkled his nose. “There were some blackberry bushes or something behind the cabin, and they got me, I guess.”

Carter saw Rhea grin at his words. “Well, we need to get you over to your Mamaw and Papaw's house so we can clean those scratches and cuts—and put some medicine on them.” Rhea stood up and offered Taylor a hand. “I'll bet we could rustle up some cookies and milk, too. A guy who's had a close encounter with danger deserves a cookies and milk snack, don't you think?”

Taylor nodded, his eyes brightening. “And maybe even banana pudding. Mamaw was making some before I left the house.”

Rhea laughed. “I am absolutely certain Mary Jane Layman will decide your escape from danger is worthy of banana pudding, too.”

Carter stood up, taking his son's hand as they started toward the stairs.

The next hour or two passed quickly for Carter, walking back to the Layman house, calming Wes and Mary Jane, tending to Taylor, calling the sheriff and going over all the details again with him. Taylor, worn out from the trauma, finally fell asleep on the living room sofa.