A Shore Thing (37 page)

Suz flopped into a chair. Jer bounded over and she pulled him onto her lap, kissing his head. “Relationships are tough things. I just think Callie’s a girl seeing her dream being dashed. I bet she knows the real reason those old people were having to sell their house.”

Gage leaned forward onto his elbows. “I think so too.”

Suz gaped at him. “Then she’s upset. Tell her everything you know and what you’ve done and if she spurns you then, it’s her loss.” His sister reached out and touched his wrist. “Don’t wait, big brother.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

Although it took much longer than predicted, Ruth and I met Syd Sloan from the bank to return the pledge money that had been received for the Kitteridge property. It was the right thing to do.

At one point Syd wriggled his furry brows at me while handing me a business card with his home number scrawled on the back. The aging bank officer probably figured my prospects were as few as the dollars we had collected.

After he slouched away, Ruth cranked her head back and forth, that one eye of hers narrower than I’d ever seen it. “Be like me, honey, and forget about men. They’re nothing but trouble. Now, cats—I can do cats!”

I turned to her. “Would you excuse me, Ruth? I have an important phone call to make.”

Ruth stood. “Suit yourself.”

When she’d gone, I pulled together what courage I had left, and dialed June Kitteridge. “Hello June? It’s me, Callie.”

“Hello my dear, dear friend.”

I winced. “June, I have something to confess to you, something I’m, well, really quite ashamed of, and I hope you will forgive me.”

“Whatever it is, consider it done.”

I refused to allow myself to get off so easy. “Please, June, please hear me. When I first learned about the development of your property—” I took a breath. “Well, I’d been having a bad day. That’s not a good excuse. The bottom line, June, is that from almost the minute I heard about the development, I, well I . . .”

“Yes?”

“I opened my big mouth and recruited people to fight it.” There. I said it. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that I should not have moved so quickly, that I should have talked with you and Tim, and helped you weigh your options. I’m ashamed of myself, June. Can you forgive me?”

Silence.

More silence.

“June?”

“Of course, Callie. You are forgiven. I’m sorry that I did not answer you right away. I was overcome by your apology. The world would be a better place if we could all start there, I believe.”

Relief washed through me. “Thank you, June. You know that I would do everything possible to help you and Tim . . .”

“I know, dear. I believe you would.”

After ending my talk with June, I longed to call Gage, but couldn’t. Natalia expected me, so I hustled on up to camp, arriving at the same time as she.

With that deed done, I longed to call Gage but couldn’t. Natalia expected me, so I hustled up to the camp, arriving at the same time as she.

Natalia beamed. “Ready for our meeting?”

“Hi, Natalia.” I forced a smile to my face. “Sure.”

Sitting across from me, Natalia looked noticeably perky. Her eyes shined, her makeup smoothed away lines. After several nights of little sleep, I felt like a garish stepsister next to her Cinderella. She exhaled a brisk breath. “I’ve been praying all night about this.”

I tilted my head to one side. “Really?”

“And I believe with all my heart in what I am about to propose.”

I eyed her, intrigued. “Go on.”

Natalia clasped her hands on the table and smiled. “The camp would like to purchase the Kitteridge property.”

I blinked, but in no other way could I respond.

“Let me explain, Callie. As you know, we have wanted to bring more kids to camp, specifically, different age groups. But space is tight, plus there are safety issues to consider when bringing in groups of vastly different ages. Are you with me?”

I nodded.

“I met with the board yesterday to discuss some grant dollars we have, and well, we’d like to make an offer to the Kitteridges to buy their property for the camp’s use. At this time we intend to use that site for our high-school-aged campers. We can offer Mr. and Mrs. Kitteridge almost what the SOS group had proposed.”

“Almost?”

“That’s going to be key. We can’t go a dime above our offer. I’m here to ask if you will talk to the Kitteridges for us and make our plea.”

My head began to swirl with all the possibilities. My heart followed, with a dance of its own. Never would I have thought of this. The Kitteridges could make enough to keep their house, the camp wouldn’t overfill the space with buildings, and I would be right there in the middle of it all.

As quickly as the ideas formed, dread set in. What would the community think of me now if I helped another entity develop the property? A traitor? And what about Gage and all the work he had done?

I licked my lips, biding time. “Natalia, you know I love this camp.”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. We all know that.”

“But time has almost run out. The camp would have to come up with the money today. Tomorrow at the latest.”

She nodded, smiling “Uh-huh.”

“And I’m not sure I’m the right person to handle this.”

A familiar voice cut in. “You’re the perfect woman to handle this.”

I saw him stride into the room, his soulful eyes questioning me. “Gage?”

He pulled out the chair next to mine and sat, then stuck out his hand to Natalia. “Gage Mitchell.”

“Very nice to meet you, Gage.” She flicked her glance my way. “You weren’t aware your friend would be here?”

Gage tipped his hand up. “That would be my fault. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet.”

My mind buzzed. More like I didn’t give him the chance to tell me. Remorse, thick and muddy, seeped through me. I owed Gage an apology and yet I remained thoroughly confused. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

Gage looked at Natalia. “May I?” He reached for my hand and it warmed me on contact. “I’m no longer associated with the Kitteridge property, Callie. I turned in the designs to the city, then pulled out of the project.”

That warmth turned to tingles. “But why?”

“Let me ask you something. Did you know that the Kitteridges were being forced to sell their property by a lender? That they were put in a no-win situation?”

I glanced away, hoping he wouldn’t see the answer there. When I glanced back, Natalia’s eyes had narrowed right at me. “You’re kidding. I had not heard that.”

I exhaled and set my shoulders. “June swore me to secrecy. She was embarrassed that they’d been duped. I took the paperwork to a lawyer, to see if there was anything they could do about it, but it was all legal. Unethical, maybe, but legal.”

Natalia snared me with her eyes. “But why wasn’t this made public? Maybe then—”

“I tried, Natalia. But June begged me to keep quiet. Tim’s dementia was becoming a problem, and she was horrified that they’d signed away their rights like that. This is the reason she agreed to take so much less from SOS. All they needed was enough to pay off the loan on their house, then they wouldn’t be forced to sell the rest of the property.”

“Callie, you took the brunt of criticism for this. My word.”

Gage squeezed my hand. “I figured you knew but wasn’t sure why you’d sat on this. I understand now. You amaze me.”

I gazed at him, shrinking from his compliment. I’d taken out my frustrations on him, unwilling to let up. Ever since last night when Suz’s handiwork on my bathroom wall startled me, I’d been thinking about all the places I’d looked for significance. Finding it in God and in his plans hadn’t been one of them.

Until now.

I squeezed his hand back. “No, you’re the amazing one, Gage. I’ve been stupid. I’m so sorry.”

He touched my chin. “Don’t.”

I shut my eyes, allowing my heart to swell at this man’s touch. For the first time, the thought of it didn’t scare me.
He makes everything beautiful in its time.
Instead I longed to see where this connection might lead.

I opened my eyes to find Gage’s fixed on mine. He grinned, sending a blush so strong through me that it threatened to electrify my nerve endings.

Natalia fanned herself with a camp brochure and I jerked upright. “Whooey, is it ever warm in here.”
Had we just gotten moony-eyed in front of the boss?

Gage laughed easily. “What can I say? Callie has a hold on me.”

Natalia laughed and nodded. “No need to apologize—you sent me back to when my husband and I first fell in love. Beautiful memories.”

When they
first fell in love?
My eyes flickered away from Gage’s, but he squeezed my hand again.

“Getting back to the task at hand . . .” Natalia’s smile grew wide and mischievous. “If you two don’t mind, I’m concerned with the Kitteridge’s deadline. Now more than ever, I see we must work fast. Callie, the camp can cut a check today. Here’s what we propose . . .”

Epilogue

“I’ve heard of double weddings, but never this.” Greta cradled baby Callie in her arms, a soft breeze ruffling the peach fuzz we all considered hair.

I stroked the baby’s cheek as Moondoggy sat by my side. “Aw, you dressed her in the outfit I gave her.”

“The only organic cotton sundress she owns!” Greta grinned. “How could I not?”

I squeezed her elbow and then, shading my eyes with my hand, searched the buzzing acreage. Familiar faces milled about the great land talking and eating and laughing. Tim, in his plaid shirt and pants hiked-up-to-there, reclined on a bench with June next to him, patting his hand. The carnival-like atmosphere quickened my heart, almost as much as the person I searched for in the throng.

Greta’s mouth quirked up, teasingly. “Looking for someone?”

There. I spotted him, coming up from behind Greta. “I wouldn’t say that.”

My sister-in-law gasped. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Laughter flowed through me. “I just meant that I’m no longer looking—already found him.”

He approached, smiling, stopping only to squeeze baby Callie on her drool-smeared chin. “Hey, pretty girl.”

Greta glowed. “She always starts kicking her legs when she sees you, Gage.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I do that too.”

Gage pulled me close, his voice a growl. “Glad to hear that.” He gave me a lingering kiss.

Greta cleared her throat. “Not to be the one to douse your little reunion there, but don’t look now—officials at twelve o’clock.”

We turned to watch the line of men and women walking in solidarity across the Kitteridge property, parting the crowd. Council member Jamison led the way.

Bobby pulled alongside us, wrapping an arm about Greta’s shoulder. “Now that’s a sight I’ll never forget.” He shoved me with his free hand. “Good job, little sister.”

I swallowed a pea-sized knot in my throat, aware of the welling going on behind my eyes. Next to me, Gage beamed. Two months had passed since the meeting with Natalia. Not only had they offered the Kitteridges enough money to make the balloon payment to HMS Properties—enabling them to keep their home—but they had decided to deed a hunk of the acquired acreage back to the town, which included a binding stipulation for community usage in perpetuity. The remainder of the land would be used to build another wing of the camp specifically for high-school-aged campers. Truly a win-win-win situation.

Bobby spoke. “So how are the new plans coming along, Gage?”

Gage continued to hold me as he addressed my brother. He’d only been gone long enough to drop Suz and Jer at the airport, but it felt like days. “Great. I already knew all aspects of this land, so this project has been a pleasure to work on. Pine Ridge is probably the best client I’ve ever worked with.”

I hugged him, gazing up at Gage’s mesmerizing face. “And you were the best man for this job. I’m so proud of you.”

He smiled into my eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if not for you.”

Greta giggled. “My, you two are kind of sickening. But I love it.” She eyed Bobby. “Don’t you love these two?”

Bobby snorted as two pairs of arms wrapped around my knees. I laughed and looked down at my niece and nephew. “Hey, you two, you made it!”

Brenna wagged a finger at me. “Of course we did, Aunt Callie!”