Rocky Mountain Reunion

He began to roll up the blueprint, carefully tucking the document back into the protective tube.

“Is something wrong?” Claire whispered in her soft voice.

Matt released a breath and rubbed his jaw. “Yeah. You could say that.”

“What is it?”

“Hard to explain,” he answered. “But it’s nothing that a little prayer won’t fix.”

Claire frowned slightly and cocked her head, her amber eyes clear. “Do you pray about everything?”

“I try to.” He turned and fully faced his daughter. “Do you pray, Claire?”

“I guess.” She shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“That’s good, because God is the best daddy either of us has. He won’t ever let us down. Today I am definitely going to need His help. And if today is one of those ‘sometimes’ for you, I’d like a few prayers, as well.”

She blinked and studied him, as though digesting his words, and then offered him a small nod.

The gesture comforted him as he signaled and got back on the road.

After driving a quarter mile farther he turned right. He saw the house long before the GPS device announced their arrival. This was the house Anne had talked about all the time when they were together. The home she was raised in as an orphan by her aunt. He’d recognize the cookie-cutter-trimmed Victorian from her descriptions. Architecturally he could appreciate the amazing structure with its period corbels, fish-scale shingles and cedar shakes.

Matt regretted that he hadn’t actually looked at the house before this, instead relying only on the geographic maps to plan the construction.

Would he have changed his mind and found another way to the lake if he’d seen how unique it was? If he’d known it was Anne’s home?

He’d never know for sure. “That’s her house?” Claire breathed.

“Looks like it is.”

“It sort of looks like a castle,” she said, talkative for the first time ever.

“What makes you think that?”

“Look at that pointy room there with the long windows.”

“A turret.”

“Turret,” she repeated. “That’s a room where a princess lives. Like Rapunzel.”

“A princess,” Matt murmured. He shook his head, trying to see the big house from his daughter’s eyes.

“I never thought about it that way, Claire. But I can see you’re absolutely right.”

Yeah, it was a castle with a princess inside. A dark-haired princess with chocolate-brown eyes who apparently had no clue that her castle was under siege.

Chapter Four (#uaae4b33a-9b52-55ac-ac75-c96fbf8ddb1e)

“They’re here,” Aunt Lily called. Excitement bubbled over in her voice. “Oh, hurry, hurry.”

“I’m right behind you.” Anne smoothed her hair and took a deep breath as her aunt pulled back the heavy, paneled curtains for another peek.

“My, isn’t he handsome?” Lily said, cocking her head to the side. “He looks a little familiar. Do I know him?”

Anne swallowed and began a hasty prayer under her breath.

“Oh, look they brought their dog,” she announced.

“He’s a big fellow.”

“Yes. Six foot three.”

Lily laughed. “I meant the dog.” She turned to Anne and smiled. “My, you look lovely, dear.”

“Thank you.” Anne glanced down at her black slacks and rose-print blouse and removed a small thread. She tucked her hair behind her ear and fussed with her bangs.

She’d obsessed over what to wear this morning, finally deciding to go casual yet professional. However, confidence in her apparel and being fully prepared to instruct on Type 1 Diabetes still failed to take the edge off her churning stomach or to still her trembling hands.

When the doorbell rang Aunt Lily carefully maneuvered her walker down the short hall. She straightened her dress and pushed her shoulders back, ready to greet her guests. A huge grin lit up her elfin face as Anne opened the door.

“Hello, hello,” Lily brightly called.

Behind the screen stood Matt, bigger than life on crutches, with Claire by his side, her arms protectively crossed. A pink backpack with all her diabetic supplies hung from her wrist. Stanley panted eagerly, ready for action, though he obediently waited on the sidewalk, his tail slapping the cement.

“Ma’am.” Matt nodded and met Anne’s gaze. His was apologetic and revealed the depth of his nervousness. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“It’s not a problem.” She smiled at his daughter. “How are you feeling, Claire?”

“Better,” the little girl murmured.

“Aunt Lily, this is Mr. Clark and his daughter, Claire.”

“How wonderful to meet you,” Aunt Lily said with enough perky energy and enthusiasm to cover the potential awkwardness of the moment.

Confusion registered on Matt’s face as he stared at Lily. He quickly regrouped.

“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Gray.”

“Call me Lily. Oh, we’re going to be friends. I can see that.” She glanced at his ankle boot and crutches. “What happened?”

“A little accident.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Still looking perplexed, Matt held up a dog dish and a water bottle. “Would it be okay for Stanley to wait out here?”

“We can do better than that,” Lily said. “The backyard has a little gazebo. He could wait there and have some shade.”