Seeking His Love (13 page)

“What are you talking about?”

“You think if you can convince Cam you care about him, then your drama program can stay at the Arts Center.”

“I’m not trying to convince Cam of anything.”

“Oh, right. It’s been obvious since you put on that big act at the first co-op meeting, when you told us how your poor little kids would be out in the cold unless we rented you some space. And Cam’s got such a big heart, he can’t resist rescuing an underdog.” She pushed her blond hair over her shoulder. “And that’s exactly what he sees when he looks at you—a loser who needs to be rescued.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” She stepped away from Melanie.

But the blond clamped onto Rachel’s arm. “I’m warning you. If you hurt Cam, you’ll be sorry you ever came to the Arts Center.”

Rachel jerked her arm away. “Are you threatening me?”

“I’m saying you need to back off.”

“Rachel?” Cam’s voice cut through the cool evening air.

She looked up, her heart pounding in her throat.

Cam crossed the grass and met them on the brick walkway. “I found Kayla and Lindsey.”

She pulled in a quick breath and tried to steady her voice. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah. They’re fine.” He nodded to Melanie, and then frowned slightly at her stained shirt. “Looks like you spilled something.”

Melanie gave an indignant sniff. “Rachel rammed into me like a linebacker.”

Cam looked back and forth between them, then took Rachel’s hand. “We better go. We’re missing the movie.” He sent the fuming blond one last look. “See you, Mel.”

Triumph pulsed through Rachel. She leaned toward Cam as they walked away. “Thank you.”

He cocked his head. “What for?”

“For rescuing me from the dragon.”

He grinned. “Ah, don’t worry about Melanie. She’ll get over it.”

“You think so?” She studied his face, trying to discern how much he’d heard.

“Sure. Soon as she washes that stain out of her shirt, she’ll forget the whole thing ever happened.”

Rachel released a shaky breath. He obviously hadn’t heard Melanie’s awful accusations. Maybe she should tell Cam what Melanie said, but then she’d have to admit there was an ounce of truth mixed in with the pound of misperceptions.

At first she had wanted to win Cam over and make sure N.C.Y.T. had a permanent home. But things were different now. She liked Cam, and she was beginning to think he felt the same way about her.

What would Melanie do when she realized her threats were not going to change Rachel’s mind?

C
am strode into Ross’s photography studio looking for his friend, but he didn’t see him in the gallery area. Cam suspected he was still in the back taking photos of Kayla, but he didn’t mind waiting.

He glanced at the pictures on display. Of course he’d seen them all before when Ross brought them in to be framed, but it was different viewing them grouped together on the wall.

Ross had an artist’s eye. It was obvious why he won photography competitions all over the state.

He studied the photo of the old W.P.A. bridge near What-com Falls. The contrast of the sturdy old stone arches and lush green forest made it one of his favorites. That was a great spot. He’d have to take Rachel there some time soon. That idea brought a smile to his face.

Rachel was the first woman he’d been interested in since losing Marie. Even now, thinking about someone else like that felt a little strange. But he’d enjoyed their movie date on the Village Green. And each time they were together he found more things he appreciated about her, like her dedication to her students, her strong faith and her positive view of life. Their connection was definitely growing deeper.

Was he man enough to do things differently this time? He better be, because the thought of hurting Rachel the way he’d hurt Marie was too painful to consider. Surely with his renewed faith and a little help from Sheldon, he could build a solid relationship.

The sound of Ross’s voice from down the hall made Cam shift gears.

“Okay, now turn to the left just a little. Great. Hold it right there.” A series of camera clicks sounded. “Lift your chin and look this way. Awesome.”

Cam walked down the hall to the second room. Kayla sat on a stool in front of a soft-blue backdrop. Bright lights flooded the area around her. She wore a brilliant smile, and her blue eyes sparkled as she posed for the camera.

“Your mom is going to love these.” Ross clicked off another series of shots.

“When will I get to see them?” Kayla asked.

“Soon as we’re done you can take a look and pick out your favorites.”

Cam stepped up behind Ross. “How’s it going?”

“Great. Look at that face. Kayla could be a model.”

That comment made her smile brighten. “He’s taken about a hundred pictures.”

Cam grinned. It was good to see her so happy. This morning they’d both been in a panic when they realized Shannon’s birthday was only five days away, and they had no idea what to send her. Cam sent off an emergency prayer, and within minutes, an idea came to mind. He’d whispered a prayer of thanks and called Ross. His friend was eager to help and promised to print the photos right away so they could get them in the mail by late afternoon. Hopefully, the birthday package would arrive on time and lift Shannon’s spirits.

“Okay. I think we’ve got what we need.” Ross connected
his camera to the computer on his desk, and a few seconds later he invited Kayla over to take a look.

She hopped up from the stool and took a seat at Ross’s desk. “You want to see them, Uncle Cam?”

“Why don’t you do the first round, then I’ll take a look after?”

“Okay.” She turned and focused on the computer screen.

Cam slapped Ross on the back. “Thanks for doing this. I know it will mean a lot to Shannon and Eric.”

“My pleasure.” Ross motioned Cam out to the hallway. They walked away from the open door. “How’s your sister doing?”

Cam lowered his voice to make sure Kayla wouldn’t overhear their conversation. “She got some more test results back yesterday. There’s no change in the tumor.” Saying the words aloud made his chest feel tight.

“Is that bad news?”

“They want the tumor to shrink.”

Ross nodded, his expression serious. “How’s Kayla doing?”

“She has her ups and downs, but she seems to be doing better since she connected with the kids through drama camp.” Cam slipped his hands in his pockets. “She gave me a real run for my money those first couple weeks. If Rachel hadn’t been around to give me some good advice, I’d have really blown it.”

Ross grinned and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Hey, I hear you had a hot date with Rachel on Saturday night.”

Cam frowned. “Who told you that?”

“Lilly. She said Melanie saw you two at the movies.”

“The real story is I took Kayla and her friend to a movie, and I happened to invite Rachel to come along.”

Ross wiggled his eyebrows and sent him a mischievous grin. “So…how did it go?”

“Great, until Kayla disappeared. Then Rachel and I had to split up and search for her. Rachel ran into Melanie and accidentally dumped a coke down her shirt. That ticked Melanie off, and I got there just in time to rescue Rachel.”

Ross frowned and crossed his arms. “You need to have a talk with her.”

“Who? Melanie?”

“Yes. She’s been saying some pretty awful things about Rachel. I think she’s just mad you’re spending time with Rachel instead of her.”

Cam huffed out a disgusted breath. “What is this, high school?”

Ross shrugged. “I just thought you’d want to know what she’s up to.”

“All Melanie wants is attention—my attention—and I’m not giving it to her.” He jabbed his friend in the chest. “And don’t you listen to her when she starts off on one of her diatribes.”

Ross squinted at him. “Her what?”

“
Diatribes.
It means verbal attacks.”

“Oh, right.”

“Hey, I thought you graduated from college.”

Ross pulled away. “You know I did.”

“Then how come you don’t know what
diatribe
means?”

Ross glared at him. “My major was photography, not crossword puzzles like yours.”

Cam slapped his friend’s shoulder. “Right. I shouldn’t be giving you a hard time. I got an MBA, and look at me—I’m a framer.”

Ross’s eyes widened. “You got an MBA? How come you never told me that?”

“I told you. You just weren’t listening.” He punched his friend’s arm. “Now, promise you’ll use that same skill and turn a deaf ear the next time Melanie starts to gossip about Rachel or anyone else.”

“Okay, okay.” He held up his hand to ward off another punch. “I’ll tell her to put a cork in it the next time she spouts a bitter
diatribe.
But you’ve got to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Stop using me for a punching bag.”

“Sure. I was just playing around.”

Ross winced and rubbed his arm. “Yeah. Right.”

“Let’s try it again from the top.” Rachel nodded to Jack Herman. He focused on the sheet music and played the intro to the song “Kindred Spirits.” Several of the student actors sat quietly in the first two rows. Chandra stood stage left with Kayla, and Haley waited at center stage, listening for the right time to come in.

Rachel smiled.
Thank You, Lord, for helping me choose the right person for each part.

Kayla would’ve been a wonderful Anne, but Haley’s experience and maturity had a positive impact on everyone. She continually encouraged her friends. And her comfortable friendship with Ryan, who played Gil, made their on-stage romance a bit easier to deal with.

Kayla’s crush on Ryan had become more obvious over the last week, and Cam wasn’t too happy about it. That was another reason she was thankful she had included Cam in the decision to cast Kayla as Diana rather than Anne.

Rachel tapped her foot in time to the music, watching the girls move through the new choreography Chandra had taught them that afternoon. Their movements were still stiff, but they would smooth out as they practiced together over the next month.

Rachel was so focused she didn’t realize Cam had stepped up beside her until he placed his hand on her back.

Warmed by his touch, she looked up and smiled. “Hi.”

He returned her smile. “How is it going?”

“Great. Chandra is working with them on a new song.”

He shifted his gaze to Kayla. “She’s doing okay?”

Rachel nodded. “She’s amazing, especially for someone without a dance background.”

His eyes glowed as he watched his niece glide across the stage. “Her parents are going to be so proud of her.”

“Do you think they’ll be back in time to see a performance?”

The light faded from his eyes. “I don’t know.”

She reached for his hand. “I’ll be praying they make it home by then.”

He tightened his fingers around hers. “Being in the show means a lot to her. It’s given Kayla a positive focus so she doesn’t worry about her mom as much.”

“I’m glad.”

He turned and looked into her eyes. “Thanks for what you’re doing, not just for Kayla, but for all the kids. I can see how they’re all learning a lot, and it gives each one an opportunity to shine. That’s pretty special.”

Her heart felt like a helium balloon rising in the sky. He got it! Knowing he understood why she poured out her heart to help the kids develop their talents and become the people God wanted them to be was such a special gift.

She smiled up at him. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has said to me in a long time.” Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

He grinned. “Wow. Guess I’ll have to think of some more brilliant things to say if I’m going to get a reaction like that.”

Rachel laughed and gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder.

“Cam?” Hannah Bodine bustled down the aisle toward them.

Cam turned and greeted her.

“We have a problem.” She motioned them to the side of the auditorium. “My nephew, Ron, is on the school board. And last night at the meeting they discussed overcrowding in the elementary school.” Her brows twitched. “One of the board members suggested selling our building and using the funds to add a new wing to the existing school.”

Rachel gasped. “Are they serious?”

“I’m afraid they are.”

“But what about the money we pay them each month?” Rachel asked.

“That money only covers the expenses of maintaining the building.”

Rachel gripped her clipboard. “So what did they decide?”

“Nothing yet. But they appointed a group to look into it and report back next month.”

Cam nodded slowly and crossed his arms. “Okay. That gives us some time.”

Rachel stared at him. How could he be so calm? “They can’t make a decision like that without talking to us, can they? Don’t they have to have a public meeting so we can discuss the idea?”

Cam laid his hand on her shoulder. “We don’t know what they’re going to do yet, or how much they’ll involve us in the process.”

Rachel tensed under his touch. Of course moving to a new location wouldn’t be a problem for him. He could put a frame shop anywhere, but finding another home for N.C.Y.T. would be a huge challenge and disruption to their program.

“I think all the co-op partners need to know what’s going on,” Hannah added.

“I’ll see if we can set up a meeting tonight.” Cam turned to Rachel. “I don’t think we need to worry. It’s just an idea right now.”

Rachel met his gaze. “If that idea becomes a reality, we’re all going to lose something very important. I hope you’re taking this seriously.”

“Keeping the co-op together is top priority for me. We’ll fight this if we have to, but I don’t want to waste time worrying about something that may never happen.”

Rachel pulled in a calming breath. Cam was right. It was time to be calm and logical, not let her fears run away with her good sense.

Chandra called her name from the stage. The music had stopped. It was time to end rehearsal and send the kids home.

“Okay, everyone,” Rachel called. “Let’s huddle up.” She gathered the kids in a circle and asked Steve to pray.

He bowed his head, and the other kids followed. “Father, thanks for a good rehearsal. Help us all to learn our parts and do our best. Please watch over us, keep us safe and bring us back together again tomorrow. Amen.”

Short and sweet. She smiled her approval and dismissed the kids.

If only all the problems of the world could be solved with a simple little prayer like that.

“I don’t believe this!” Melanie’s eyes flashed, and she slapped her hand down on Lilly’s table. “How can they sell the building right out from under us? Doesn’t our lease mean anything?”

Rachel glanced around the table at her co-op partners.
Everyone was upset by the news Cam had shared, but Melanie’s reaction was over the top.

“We don’t know if our lease will protect us or not.” Ross leaned forward. “That’s why I think we need to contact a lawyer.”

“How much will that cost?” Lilly asked, lines creasing her brow.

“I’m not sure, but I have a friend who might be willing to give us some free advice, or at least a discount.”

“The museum can’t afford to hire lawyer,” Hannah added. “And we certainly don’t have money to relocate.”

Melanie’s nostrils flared. “So, are we just going to sit back and let them run us out of here? Let’s take the offensive and threaten those board members with a lawsuit. That will make them sit up and think twice about kicking us out.”

Everyone’s voices blended together as they responded to Melanie’s idea.

Cam held up his hand. “All right. Let’s settle down. First of all, No one is kicking us out yet. We don’t know if the board will follow through on this or not. And even if they do decide to sell, who is going to buy a building like this?”

“Developers are buying properties all over Bellingham, especially in Fairhaven,” Hannah added.

Lilly’s face lit up. “Maybe we could rent from the new owner.”

“What if they want to tear the building down or turn it into a strip mall?” Ross said.

There had to be something they could do. Rachel sat up straighter. “I know. Why don’t we buy the building?”

Melanie huffed. “Oh right, like we all have stacks of money just sitting in our bank accounts.”

“We might not have enough individually, but if we put our money and credit backing together, we might be able to buy it.” Rachel didn’t know much about business loans, and
she certainly didn’t have much she could contribute toward a down payment, but maybe the others did. She looked around the table.

Cam sent her an apologetic half smile. “Buying the building would be great, but most of us invested our savings in renovations.”