Their Family Blessing

She didn’t want to argue with him, so she changed the subject. “We should keep going. We’ve only seen a small part of the grounds. I need to get back to Ella.”

“Ella and Lucy are just fine.” Mack started the cart with more acceleration than necessary, forcing them both back against the seat. He sped through the trees, slowing when they reached the two hiking trails. They began at a central point, each with a sign bearing the name of the trail, the length, and a small map etched into the thick wooden sign. The Piney Woods Trail, and the Rocky Creek Trail. But there was a third sign now. The Carly’s Hill Trail. “I don’t understand. When did he add this trail?”

“Shortly after you left one summer you returned.” He steered the cart down the narrow trail. The ground slowly rose with each turn until they perched on a rise overlooking the water. She recognized it as her favorite spot to think or read or just look at the lake. Her thoughts were full of old memories, and she tried desperately to understand what she was seeing. Mack’s soft voice intruded into her thoughts.

“The old fallen tree had rotted away, so that’s why he built the bench.”

Her gaze searched the area. She hadn’t even noticed the bench. A nice sturdy one with a slatted back and curved arms, and a slice of tree trunk on the side situated perfectly as a side table. She’d always complained that she had to sit her bottle of water on the ground.

Carly struggled to find words. It didn’t make any sense. Why would he construct a trail just for her?

“Why didn’t you come to the funeral?” Mack asked.

Her defenses kicked in. “It wasn’t a funeral. Only a memorial service.”

“You should have been here.”

“And my dad should have—” She snapped her lips shut. “We should see the rest of the property.”

Mack stiffened but kept silent, and he drove back down the trail and headed toward the five cabins. “The cabins need work. Two of them are in good condition, but the other three need electrical and plumbing work, and one of them is in need of major repairs.”

He drove past the row of cabins situated near the lake edge.

“Stop,” she said. Mack brought the cart to a halt. “Why is this cabin boarded up?”

Mack inhaled a slow breath before answering. “It’s not usable right now.”

“Why not?”

He leaned his forearms on the steering wheel. “The cabin was rented to a group of college students who got drunk and trashed the place. They left holes in the wall, pulled the plumbing from the bathroom, destroyed kitchen appliances and broke the windows. Everything inside needs to be replaced.”

Carly’s hopes sank. “We’ve never had anything like this happen before. Our guests were always respectful of the property. Did Dad report this to the police?”

“He did, and they were fined and ordered to pay for the damage. They were supposed to work on it themselves, but your dad got sick so the money came in handy, but the repairs are now on us.”

“Is there any way we can get this cabin ready to rent?”

“No.”

Carly’s hopes took another nosedive. How many other areas would have to be left untouched in order to get the lodge open by the deadline? She looked away from the damaged cabin, frowning at the empty landscape ahead. “Where’s the canoe livery? It was always right near the cabins.”

“It’s moved farther down the bank. It’s its own destination now.”

Mack drove down a new gravel path she didn’t remember. Pulling into a small parking area with a neatly laid out path leading to the triangle-shaped canoe stand. But instead of the usual eight, there were only two, and beside it was another stand that held four colorful kayaks. Beyond that, resting on the grassy bank, were three johnboats.

“Where are the canoes?”

“Several of them are in need of repairs. Wade never got around to fixing them. The kayaks are a new addition. The younger guests prefer them to the canoes.”

Carly tapped in canoe repair to her phone list of things needing to be done before they could reopen. Mack turned the cart around and headed back to the lodge. “The Piney Woods Trail needs clearing. They had a high-wind storm a month or so ago and the path is littered with limbs and debris. That was right after Wade got sick and closed the lodge, so it never got taken care of.”

Carly added that to her list. The number of areas needing attention was long and time-consuming, and they hadn’t even made a survey of the main lodge and what might need doing there. “I don’t know how we can open in a week.”

“Then we’ll open in two.”

“No. I want this place on the market as soon as possible.”

“Why are you in such a hurry to unload the lodge? This is your heritage.”

“I don’t live here. I live in Atlanta, and I have no desire to run the campgrounds. So there’s no reason to hang around and waste time. The sooner we sell the better.”

“So it’s all about the money with you?”

“Not in the way you mean.”

“What other way is there?”

“I need to get back.” She was not about to discuss the sad state of her financial affairs with him.

The muscle in his jaw flexed as he accelerated. They were halfway to the lodge before he spoke again.

“How did your husband die? Wade never told me.”

Reliving that moment never got any easier. “Heart attack. We were having a cookout with friends and he went inside to get more burgers and never came out. A friend went in to check on him and found him.”

Mack reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Carly. I shouldn’t have asked. It must have been hard for you and Ella.”

“She was only three at the time, so she only has faint memories of him. I keep a picture in her room so she won’t forget what he looked like.” He’d been a wonderful father and husband. The perfect mate.

Thankfully they had arrived at the lodge. Carly got out and strode toward the lodge. Mack called her name, but she waved him off. “I’m going to check with Thelma. She has a list of things needing to be done in the lodge. We’ll get together later and prioritize.”

She could feel his gaze burning into her back. But she refused to get caught up in pointless sentiment and old memories. The goal was to get the lodge ready for the market. She was already thinking of how to photograph the areas to best advantage and upgrade the website to be more user-friendly.

The sooner she could attract a buyer, the sooner they could all go back to the way things were.

Chapter Three (#u8545ce27-e31d-5bee-aced-6178fe180783)

Dwayne was waiting in the golf cart shed when Mack pulled up. He came over and rested a hand on the cart’s roof. “Well, how did it go?”

Mack leaned back, resting his hands on his thighs. “I’m not sure.”

Dwayne chuckled. “That’s a nice clear answer.”

“I showed her everything, even the new trail Wade laid out for her. I guess I was expecting some sort of emotional reaction, but she was cool and detached the whole time.”

“That doesn’t sound like the girl I remember.”

Mack nodded in agreement. “I think she was surprised by the changes, but I can’t tell if she approved or not. She took some pictures.”