“Daddy’s barn?”
Aunt Nelda brightened, clicking her hot pink fingernails on the table. “Why not? It’s not doing anyone any good sitting there empty. You might get a good price for it.”
“Do you think Mom will agree?””
“She doesn’t have much of a choice.” Aunt Nelda rubbed Laura’s forearm. “Go home and get some sleep. I’ll call my friend who’s a Realtor and see what she thinks.”
Laura stretched when she stood. Aunt Nelda’s idea was a good one. She needed her mom’s agreement to make it work, but then real estate didn’t move fast in the U.P. They had time. She gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Aunt Nelda.”
Her aunt looked surprised. “It’ll work out, Laura. You’ll see.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Jack Stahl threw his hands up with disgust.
“Didn’t you get my letter?”
Jack clamped his mouth shut before he said something he’d regret. “No, Carl, no letter.”
“I know we agreed for you to rent month by month, but I had to sell the place. My wife took the kids to live with her parents in Saint Ignace. I closed last week.”
Their agreement had been verbal, and Jack could have kicked himself. What had he been thinking not to call and confirm his plans? He reached out and squeezed the guy’s shoulder. “I’ll find another place. I’m sorry about your wife.”
“Thanks, man.” Carl looked away. “Life stinks, doesn’t it?”
“Sometimes.” Jack scanned the fields surrounding Carl’s house. They were in the middle of nowhere with only a few other homes along the road, and those were miles apart.
“Do you know of any other houses for rent in the area? My daughter, Angie, starts school in a couple of weeks and I’ll be working nearby.”
Carl shrugged. “There’s a real estate office at the corner before you hit town. They might be able to help. They found me a small place just north of here.”
“Thanks.” Jack collected the boxes he’d left a few months ago—cleaning stuff and a few tools.
He thanked God he’d found out about this situation, before the movers showed up this weekend. A lucky stop after dropping off his son, Ben, at Michigan Tech. The past six months, he’d put his life in order to move. He’d been so sure, and now…
He backed out of the driveway and headed toward his motel room. It was too late to stop by the real estate office. He ran a hand through his hair. Being both mom and dad to his daughter, Angie, was becoming impossible for both of them. He couldn’t get anything right.
It’d been a rough couple of years since his wife, Joanne, had died. They might not have had the kind of relationship that inspired love sonnets, but she’d been the ground wire in the family. Joanne had kept them connected, involved in church and the community. Too late, he’d realized how much of his time and attention he’d denied her. Working around the clock to buy into a lucrative vet practice at the expense of his family was a lesson learned too late. He couldn’t make up for lost time, but a better future waited.
If he could just find another house.
Jack pulled off the road and rubbed his eyes. It had been so easy with Ben, but he didn’t have a clue how to reach his daughter. Forcing this move had pushed her further away.
With a defeated sigh, he bowed his head. “Dear God, I’m in way over my head. Show me where to go from here.”
The low hum of locusts and the wind swishing cornstalks in the field next to him was interrupted by a new noise. The grind of a motor sounded in the distance. Looking across the road, Jack spotted an attractive blonde astride a riding lawn mower.
He surveyed the two-story house in need of paint and a hundred feet to the right was a large barn with a stone foundation, also in need of some fixing up. His heart pounded as he stared at the sign posted in the front yard: Barn With Apartment And Twenty Acres For Sale.
Jack got out and walked across the street to get a better look. He tried not to gawk at the woman on the mower, as he signaled with waving arms and then pointed at the sign. He had to know more.
She drove the mower toward him.
Squinting against the glare of a late afternoon sun, he scoped the view of Lake Superior shimmering like a strip of blue tinsel on the horizon. He took a deep breath, wiped his hands on the bottom of his shirt and moved forward. The closer she got, the slower he walked. She was tall, lean and tan. She looked like one of those beach volleyball players he’d seen on cable. All he had to do was sound intelligent and not stare.
The woman carried herself with an air of professionalism that was at odds with the neglected property. She gave him a cheeky grin and extended her hand. “I’m Laura. Wanna buy it?”
He gave her a firm handshake. “Jack.”
She quickly let go and slipped her hands into the back pockets of her denim shorts. Her cell phone hung from a holder clipped to her waist.
“Is it just the barn and not the house?” He kicked at a stone with the toe of his boot. “I’m in the process of relocating and the house I had rented was sold.”
“Wow, that’s a tough one.”
“Yeah.” He glanced at her.
She squinted, too, her hand shielding her eyes. “Sorry, but it’s just the barn. There’s an attached apartment, though. Take a look around.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Jack had his reservations, but he might as well check it out. If nothing else, he’d met a pretty woman who’d brightened an otherwise frustrating day.
“If you don’t mind me finishing the lawn. Go on in, the door’s open.”
“Perfect,” he said.
Her expression changed as if it just dawned on her that she was alone in the sticks with a pretty good-sized stranger.
Jack gave her an encouraging nod. He might be tongue-tied, but he didn’t pose a threat. Crossing the driveway, he stepped into the barn and flicked on a light switch to a single bare bulb hanging over a workshop area. A few old bales of hay lay stacked in a corner and dust covered everything.
Nosing around, he found a ladder leading to a lower level. He climbed down and noticed cooler air mingled with the smell of stale oats. The walls looked solid and the foundation opened to an overgrown pasture by way of a sliding door.
He found the apartment and entered a big room containing two sets of bunk beds, a loft overlooking a small kitchenette, and a curtained entrance to a bathroom with a shower stall, sink and toilet.
He turned on the faucet. After a minor shudder, cloudy water spewed out, and then ran clear. Even the toilet flushed without trouble. He took the wrought-iron spiral staircase to the loft, testing each step. Sturdy. The loft was big enough for a twin bed and maybe a small dresser, but it would allow his daughter some privacy. She’d have to make do until they had a house of their own built.
Was moving Angie to the U.P. the right thing? His sister thought he was crazy. Angie would surely hate this compared to her frilly bedroom overlooking the river back home in Lansing, but it wouldn’t be forever.
This felt right. And the timing was perfect. He rubbed his neck. Was this God’s provision from out of a jam or just Jack’s wishful thinking?
Looking out the back window of the apartment, he spotted a powder-blue sports car parked near the house. If that belonged to Laura, she had a decent job—probably in Houghton. If she lived here, why’d she let it go?
Outside, he caught the woman’s attention and shouted, “Mind if I take a walk?”
She