Wishing on Willows: A Novel (16 page)

“Caleb!” Dad called.

Their eyes locked. The fear growing in Dad’s made Robin jerk back, as if burned. She ran past the porch. Rounded the corner. And stopped short. Ian McKay stood by the side of the house.

“I think this belongs to you,” he said.

And there, at Ian’s side, was her son.

She dropped to her knees and clutched him to her chest.

A fault line shifted beneath Ian’s heart. It was the first time he had seen her, knowing the truth—that she wasn’t happily married, but a widow. She knew something of pain. Life had been messy for her too. He shifted his weight and tried to look away from the frenzied, relieved kisses she lavished on her son’s face, but something about the mother and the boy and the kisses mesmerized him. It was as if the kid held her entire world in his small body.

Three men, one Ian recognized as the guest of honor at the meet and greet, and one as the man he’d assumed to be Robin’s husband, hurried around the corner of the house. The third sported more wrinkles than the other two, a thick head of silver hair and the same pale blue eyes as Robin. He nearly collapsed with relief at seeing Caleb clutched in his mother’s arms.

Ian pictured his own parents with a little one. A baby boy or girl who would make his mother melt and his father laugh. Surely a grandchild would have been able to shine a light through the dark shroud of cancer haunting his family.

Robin brought Caleb away from her chest and dug her fingers into his shoulders. “What were you thinking? You know better than to run off like that.” She crushed him to her body before he had the chance to explain.

The fault line shifted again, giving way to a fissure that cracked through
his chest. Curiosity bubbled from its depth like hot lava. What would it be like to have his own flesh and blood housed in a body? To worry about somebody so small? To be charged with raising and protecting a life so deeply connected to his own? Before the fissure widened into a canyon, he slipped his hands into his pockets and studied the side of the house. Neglected orange lilies grew over an air conditioning unit that rattled and hummed to life.

“I don’t understand what you’re doing here.” Robin looked up at him from her crouched position in the gravel as if he’d kidnapped her son.

“Amanda invited me.”

“What?” She looked over her shoulder, toward the picnic tables. “Why?”

“Because I told her I wanted to talk to you.”

“And you think now would be a good time? During a family picnic?”

“You could say thank you,” he said. “That would be the normal response.”

“Thank you?”

“For returning your son. He was headed toward the road when I found him.”

Robin rounded on Caleb, whose face looked two seconds from crumpling. “You were walking toward the road? Caleb, you could’ve gotten hit. Or hurt. Or—”

“I wouldn’t be too hard on him. He seemed pretty down and out when I got to him. I was trying to get him to laugh when you found us, but I don’t think he thought any of my jokes were very funny.” The boy peeked out from Robin’s embrace and Ian shot him a wink.

“I’ll have a talk with him, Robin.” The older man scooped Caleb into his arms and turned toward Ian. “Thanks for finding my grandson.”

“I’m just glad I got to him before he found the road, sir.”

The man squinted at the sky, as if trying to pull his thoughts from the clouds. “You wouldn’t happen to be the gentleman who wants to buy my daughter’s café, would you?”

Ian looked at Robin. She remained in her crouched position over the gravel, fingers propped against the ground. “That would be me,” he said.

Robin’s dad examined Ian over the top of Caleb’s cowlick. “Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?”

“I think I’m beginning to realize.”

The man chuckled, then made his way down the hill with Evan. Kyle stayed behind, scuffing one shoe against the ground, a glossy photo pinned in his hand. Ian had no idea what brought the director of One Life to the picnic, but his presence was convenient. Kyle should know about the town meeting too since its outcome would affect him just as much as Robin.

She straightened from her crouched position and dusted the gravel from her palms. “Thank you for finding Caleb.”

“Enough that you’ll listen to my offer?”

She and Kyle exchanged a look, one that seemed to bolster Robin’s spirits, because when she turned her eyes on him, they were filled with the same fire he’d seen outside Grace Assembly a week ago. Despite the obvious problem her spirit posed, he couldn’t help but admire its beauty. “I’m sorry, but it won’t change my mind. Not about the café or One Life. And not about you.”

“About me? But just last week you said you didn’t even know me. When were you able to form an opinion?”

“I’ve learned enough.”

Her words settled between them—an invisible barrier. She knew his name and what he did for a living. How could that possibly be enough?

Kyle shifted his weight, then held out the photograph. “I’m going to see if Evan needs help with the grill.”

“Thanks.” Robin took the photo and sandwiched it between her palms. Kyle turned and walked away, glancing once over his shoulder as he did.

Ian nodded toward her hand. “What’s that?”

“Nothing.” Her eyes dimmed. “Everything.” She puffed out a breath and crossed her arms as if to ward off a nonexistent chill.

She was cracking. He could feel it. A little more pressure and she’d crumble. He convinced himself this was a good thing, a necessary thing. So why did he find himself battling the urge to hold her together? He looked
at the small crowd gathered around the picnic tables. “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished.” He stepped toward the opened car door. “Are those pies in there?”

“You’re not going to eat with us.”

He picked up the two pans. “I am if you baked these.”

Caleb scooted to the edge of the picnic bench, ogling Ian like he wore a cape and might blast into the sky at any moment. Robin pushed him back in his seat for the third time and pointed to his half-eaten hot dog, unsure why her son was so taken with the developer, while Ian charmed her father with a story of a trip to Ohio gone wrong. Dad’s laughter grated.

Amanda set her elbows on the table. “How long do you think you’ll be here?”

“A couple weeks. Give or take.”

Robin tightened her grip on the plastic fork and pushed potato salad around her plate. It would take him a lot longer than fourteen days to convince her to sell, especially now that One Life hinged on her resistance. She uncrossed her legs. Recrossed them. Then raised her eyebrows at Bethany in a do-something appeal. Bethany’s forked pineapple paused near her lips.

“Are you going to the fish fry at the park on Monday?” Amanda asked.

“The mayor invited me.”

Of course. The two were joined at the hip. Robin was surprised Ian hadn’t invited the mayor to her family picnic. She stuffed a bite of potato in her mouth to keep from saying so.

“So”—Ian turned his caramel eyes on her—“I’ll be at the town meeting this Thursday.”

The potato turned gritty. Robin forced herself to swallow. “Why?”

“I met with town council yesterday. Most are in favor of the condominiums and want to give the rest of the town a say in the matter. That’s why I came here today. To give you a heads-up and to see if you’d consider my
offer. I think it would be best for everyone if we could have a conversation first.”

Loraine set down her sweet tea while Jim made funny faces at baby Elyse on his knee. “A conversation about what?”

Loraine didn’t know. Neither did Jim. Or Donna. But everybody else at the table, everybody else laughing and enjoying Ian’s company, knew his intentions. Maybe they all needed a polite reminder. “Ian wants to tear down Willow Tree and build condos.”

Loraine stopped chewing.

“If he succeeds, not only will I be out of a café, the town will lose One Life.” She glanced at Kyle, who shifted food around his plate. Judging by its fullness, he wasn’t having any more fun than Robin.

“Is there a reason One Life can’t relocate?” Ian asked.

“It’s not that simple.” Kyle set his fork beside his plate. “We rent the space from Sybil at an incredibly low cost. We won’t get that price anywhere else in town.”

“Which means we’ll have a lot less money to give to those in need.” Robin tried her hardest to glare. “If they move, they’ll have to cut back on programming.”

“Couldn’t you run the ministry out of the church?” Ian asked.

“A lot of the people we serve would never set foot inside a church. The whole purpose of the ministry is to be the hands and feet of Christ in the community, outside the church walls.”

Robin had no idea how Kyle could speak so calmly, so patiently. Not when she was using every bit of her strength to temper the heat rising in her chest, partly on behalf of One Life, partly because of the remorse on Ian’s face. He had no right to look so sorry about the news. Not unless sorry made him change his plans.

“This is ridiculous, isn’t it? He can’t force me to sell.” The panic she’d tried so hard to swallow throughout the meal spewed from her mouth.

“Why don’t you hear him out before making a decision?” Amanda suggested.

Robin turned on her with razor-sharp eyes. Inviting Kyle was one thing.
They were at least on the same side. But Ian? Before she said something she’d later regret, she snatched her empty cup and stood. “Excuse me.”

Amanda clambered out of her seat and followed Robin’s fast retreat. “Robin, wait.”

But Robin didn’t wait. She stalked up the hill toward the house. She didn’t stop until she reached the screen door and Amanda grabbed her arm. “Robin.”

She whipped around. “How could you invite him, Amanda? Don’t you care about me at all? Don’t you care about Willow Tree?”

Amanda took a step back. “Whoa, it’s just a picnic. I had no idea you’d get so upset.”

“It’s not ‘just a picnic.’ ” Robin flung her hand toward the gathering. “It’s you and everybody else acting like what Ian plans to do is no big deal. You’re taking his side.”

“Okay, hold on a second. Nobody is taking his side. I’ll go to bat for you over the café. And so will Bethany and Evan. You know that.”

“It doesn’t feel that way,” Robin said. “Even my own son is enamored.”

“Can you blame him?”

She gritted her teeth and walked inside the kitchen.

Amanda followed. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Like this.” She pointed to Robin’s tight grip on the underside of the counter. “You really hate him, don’t you?”

“I don’t hate anybody.”

“Yes, you do. He totally gets under your skin.”

Robin filled her cup with the filtered water from the fridge and took a long drink.

“Inviting Kyle was obviously a waste of time,” Amanda said. “I invited Ian for me, but maybe I need to take a step back.”

Robin yanked opened the refrigerator and put the water back. “What are you talking about?”

Amanda arched her brows. “Oh, please! You don’t react that strongly to someone without sparks flying.”

“Sparks?”

“Attraction. You were fighting it every time you stuffed your mouth with food.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Sure it is.”

“The only reason I’m upset is because I’m worried about my café.”

Amanda set her hand on her hip and dipped her chin. “So if I asked him out on a date, you wouldn’t care? Not even a teeny tiny bit?”

“No.” Robin hurled the word from her mouth before she could think. “But as my sister-in-law and my roommate and my accountant, don’t you think it’s a little inconsiderate of you to go on a date with a man who wants to bulldoze my café to the ground?”

Amanda shrugged. “I can’t help it. I like him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“I know when I’m around him, Jason’s the furthest thing from my mind.”

Robin looked away. Amanda’s reference to her ex-boyfriend wasn’t fair. “So what? You want my permission to date Ian?”

Amanda took the glass from Robin’s hand and set it on the counter. “I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have asked Ian to come or invited Kyle without giving you a fair warning.”

The screen door opened. Bethany stepped inside. “Amanda, really? Inviting him was over the top, even for you.”

She threw up her hands. “I already apologized. Sheesh.”

“Your dad wants to talk to you.” Bethany gave Robin an apologetic smile and escorted Amanda out the door. Dad came in and wrapped Robin in a much-needed hug. She melted against him, thankful for his warmth and the familiar scent of pine pressed into his clothes.

“I know this is driving you nuts.” His chest rumbled as he spoke. “But can I give you my honest opinion?”

She shook her head into his shirt.

“There’s no harm in listening to his offer, getting the details.”

Her body sagged. She didn’t want to talk about this right now.

“As your lawyer, it’s the smart thing to do. And as your father, I think it would give you a little peace. As I said before, he’s not going to quit until you at least hear him out.”

Robin pulled away and stared at her pink toenails, suddenly very sick of this conversation. She wiggled her toes beneath the leather strap of her sandals, trying to ignore the throbbing in her temples. Perhaps Bethany had some ibuprofen in her medicine cabinet. “Donna seems happy. She looks at you like a love-struck teenager, anyway.”