Carly took a seat beside him, and he sensed she was bursting with questions. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Val calls Lucy once a week. Lucy lives for those moments, but when they’re over, she’s crushed. I sometimes wish Val wouldn’t call.”
“Does Lucy ever visit her?”
“No. We both felt it wasn’t good for her to see her mom that way.”
“She’s blessed to have you. You were always good with kids. I remember that one summer when that big family stayed here, the one with the seven kids. You came up with all kinds of fun activities for them.”
Mack’s pulse skipped a beat at the affectionate expression on her face. That was the Carly he remembered. Happy, optimistic and always full of energy. Maybe she did remember the good times at the lodge. “That was a fun time. I think the family stayed an extra week.”
“They did, and I think they wanted to adopt you.” She giggled at the memory.
Mack couldn’t look away. At this moment, with her fawn-colored eyes lit with happiness and her sunny smile on display, that old dream he’d cherished about having Carly in his life was stirring again.
“I remember, but I already had a family right here with you and your dad.”
Like the flip of the switch, Carly’s good mood vanished. Her eyes darkened and the smile disappeared into a tight line. She stood. “We need to get together with the Thompsons and determine how quickly we can get these repairs done. If we’re going to have any hope of selling the lodge, we need to get it on the market ASAP.”
“What’s going on, Carly? What did I say?”
“Nothing. I told you. I don’t want this place or...anyone connected with it.”
Mack thought he saw a hint of tears in her eyes as she walked off, which made no sense. He ran a hand down the back of his neck, wondering if Lucy would be as hard a female to understand as Carly was.
Dwayne walked toward him and nodded to Carly as she hurried past him. He stared at Mack with a raised brow. “You have the look of a man with a dilemma.”
“That’s an understatement. I don’t even have a clue what the problem is so I can start fixing it.”
“You never did, kiddo.”
“What does that mean?”
Dwayne shrugged and grinned. “Wade left his life’s work to you and Carly. Think about it.”
Mack shook his head. He was in no mood to unravel riddles. Granted, Wade’s will was odd, to say the least, but Mack had always known his mentor would leave him something. Wade knew how much Mack loved the lodge, but he’d expected a sum of money or maybe a piece of the land to call his own. Dwayne’s comment suddenly loomed in his mind.
Why had Wade left the land to him and the lodge to his daughter? What was he hoping to accomplish? Mack had assumed it was his way of trying to remind Carly of her childhood here, the same way Mack was hoping to rekindle her love for Longleaf.
Could there be another reason? Nothing came to mind at the moment. Shoving the notion aside, he went in search of his niece to see if she’d recovered from the call from her mom. He found the two little girls on the yard swing under the giant live oak at the edge of the water. They had a book between them, oblivious to the world. He had a feeling Ella would be able to help Lucy more than he ever could.
It always helped to have a close friend who understood. Carly had been that friend for him after coming to work at the lodge. They’d enjoyed working together on the grounds and helping the guests in season.
All that mattered now was saving the estate. He had to get the Thompsons on board, and, God willing, the three of them could find a way to persuade Carly not to give up on the lodge.
* * *
Monday morning, Carly made an early escape from the lodge and headed out in her car. She needed to find some breathing space from all the memories and the pressure. Sunday had been filled with church and a nice dinner afterward. She’d managed to avoid everyone by taking Ella into Hastings for some mother-daughter mall shopping, then hiding in her room citing a need to catch up on work back home.
After putting on her blinker, she turned into the large parking lot of the Lake Hope Marina and parked her sedan. Situated five miles outside of Hastings, Lake Hope had become a thriving resort area. Along with the Longleaf Lodge and Campgrounds, there were rental cottages and fishing boats for hire. The Marina Village stores supplied not only the visitors but the local residents who lived and worked at the lake. Thelma had warned her the place had been completely redesigned and she hadn’t been joking. The rustic low-roofed building of old had been replaced with a charming multibuilding complex designed to resemble a small fishing village. Where the former structure had looked unsightly and unwelcoming, the new store invited everyone inside to explore and linger.
Carly started toward the main building, now named the Lake Hope Marina Store. She and Ella had been in Hastings four days now and if they were staying the two months required by the will she needed to do some shopping. She was hoping she could cut that time in half and get back to her life in Atlanta, though.
Mack had organized a meeting with the Thompsons last night, and they had started to lay out a plan for reopening the lodge. Dwayne and Mack would work on the outside, getting the livery up and running, and clearing the trails, while she and Thelma concentrated on preparing the lodge for guests. Carly was hoping to freshen up the decor, provided there was enough funds in the account her father had left. Thelma had already started contacting former employees and offering them their jobs back and calling vendors to get the kitchen restocked and operating.
A father and young daughter passed by as Carly neared the entrance of the store, reminding her of the moment yesterday when she had stepped into the main room of the lodge and seen Lucy sobbing in Mack’s lap. Ella had come to her, upset that her friend was crying. Her heart had ached for the child, but what had touched her most was Mack’s tenderness with the little girl. He obviously cared deeply for his niece. It was one of the things she’d always loved and admired about him. He had a huge heart for others and a gentleness that reminded her of her dad.
Maybe that was why Mack and her dad had become so close—because they were so much alike and held the same interests. Qualities she must have lacked. Why else would her father prefer Mack to her?
The store was brightly lit, and a quick glance around made it easy to find the different departments. A two-lane checkout positioned near the door made purchasing items simple, quick and easy.
Carly took a few minutes to wander the aisles before tackling her shopping list. Dry goods were on one side, food and fishing supplies on the other. Bait and tackle, formerly housed inside the marina store, were now sold in a separate little shop.
“Carly? Carly Porter? Is that you?”
She spun around and saw a somewhat familiar face. It took her a second to recognize her old school friend Ashley Jenkins. They both squealed in excitement and hugged each other. “I can’t believe you’re still here.”
“I can’t believe you’re back home.”
“Oh, it’s only temporary. I’ll be leaving as soon as I can sell my dad’s place.”
“I know. I heard about the quirky will he left. Weird, huh?”
Carly had forgotten how small towns operated, and while Lake Hope wasn’t exactly a town, it was a community, and news spread quickly among the residents. “I guess everyone knows then, huh?”
“Yep. How was it seeing Mack again? Any of the old sparks still there?”
“No.