A Treasure Worth Keeping (5 page)

W
hen an hour went by and Evie and Faith still hadn’t returned, it occurred to Sam that his niece may have tried to sweet-talk Evie into stopping at Sophie’s house.

Which meant Sophie might inadvertently reveal the real reason behind Patrick and Jacob’s fishing trip.

Sam winced as the hammer missed the nail and ground the tip of his thumb against the shingle.

None of your business,
he reminded himself. If Evie had a problem with her dad, she should take it up with him. Sam had his own stuff to worry about. He was one hundred percent uninvolved in the situation.

Except that Evie was Faith’s tutor. And for the next few weeks, he was committed to making sure she stayed that way.

Sam sat back on his heels, trying to convince himself it wasn’t necessary to look for them. Evie would be a strict teacher—the kind who wouldn’t waste precious minutes of a two-hour tutoring session playing with a litter of puppies. Hopefully the reason they were late was because the search for
Canis familiaris
was taking longer than expected….

A dim memory from Biology 101 struggled to the surface. Canis. Canine.
Dog.

Sam’s shout of laughter scattered the guinea hens in the yard below.

So maybe he’d misjudged her. But he knew one thing for sure. He had to get to Sophie before Evie did.

It didn’t take Evie long to understand why Faith frequently “ran away” to Sophie’s house. And it wasn’t just to visit the puppies or because Sophie’s home, filled with simple yet comfortable furnishings, created a peaceful retreat. Sophie was the reason Faith returned. The older woman radiated a warmth and inner peace that instantly made a person feel welcome. And accepted.

“I wish I could keep all four of them,” Sophie said as Faith wrestled on the braided rug with two of the more active puppies while their mother, Sadie, kept a watchful eye from her wicker basket in the corner. “A few days after my diagnosis, Sadie showed up in the yard. I knew right away she was a stray—her fur was matted, and, even pregnant, she looked like she hadn’t eaten for days. I called your dad and he came over and helped me bathe her. He even offered to take her home with him, but I’d already fallen in love with her. God must have known I’d need her.” Sophie smiled. “She’s a very good listener.”

Was Sadie the only one you fell in love with?

Evie didn’t voice the question that sprang into her mind. Whenever Sophie mentioned Patrick’s name, her eyes sparkled with affection. The two of them had obviously become close. But had the friendship developed into something more?

And how would she feel if it had?

The previous summer, Evie had scolded Caitlin for her strong reaction to Patrick and Sophie’s friendship. If Sophie Graham brought some happiness into their dad’s life, shouldn’t they be supportive?

She had to admit, though, that the possibility of making room for another person in her dad’s life was a little unsettling. Especially when Evie had been the one looking out for Patrick since Laura died.

“I don’t know what I’d do without Jacob and Patrick,” Sophie went on. “They fuss more than they ought to, but I wouldn’t be able to live out here if they didn’t help me keep the place up. The Lord sent those two wonderful men. I was in the hospital with complications from pneumonia, worried I’d have to sell my house, when Patrick showed up one Sunday with a group of men from his church to read to the patients. Your father got stuck with me.” Sophie chuckled at the memory.

“We had a nice chat afterward and found out that we both loved antiques. The next Sunday, he introduced me to Jacob. They brought Monopoly along and convinced me to play. I don’t think I ever laughed so much in my life. By the time I came home from the hospital, they’d spruced up the place and every day one of them would stop by or call to check up on me. I think they adopted me like I was a stray—just like Sadie.”

Evie hid a smile. Somehow, she doubted it was an accurate comparison!

“They were a reminder that no matter what the future holds, God’s already there, preparing the way. Oh, He doesn’t always smooth out the rough spots in the road ahead. Those are the places we have to exercise our spiritual muscles, you know. To build our faith, so to speak. But God always provides the strength I need to keep going.”

The sincerity in the words touched Evie and explained the source of the peace in Sophie’s eyes. Evie knew that the woman’s deep faith, the fruit of years of walking with the Lord, was another quality Patrick would have been drawn to.

A sudden movement on the stairs caught Evie’s attention. The man glowering at them over the railing looked to be only a few years older than she was, but the expression on his face made him look like a cranky toddler who’d just awakened from a nap.

“Evie, this is my son, Tyson.” Sophie ignored Tyson’s sullen look while she made the introductions. “Tyson, this is Evie McBride, Patrick’s daughter.”

“Hey.” His hooded stare fixed on Evie. It reminded her of a crocodile. Cold and flat.

This was Sophie’s
son?

A shudder chased up Evie’s spine, but she forced a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Tyson.”

“Evie is taking care of Beach Glass while Patrick is away on his fishing trip,” Sophie told him.

“There’s not much to do around here.” Tyson’s gaze burrowed into her. “We should hang out sometime.”

A shiver coursed through her. “I’m afraid I don’t have much free time. I’ll either be minding the shop or tutoring Faith.”

Tyson shrugged and stomped down the rest of the stairs. “I’m going out for a while.”

“Ty, where—”

The door snapped Sophie’s question in half.

Evie’s heart went out to her. It was hard to believe someone as rude as Tyson was Sophie’s flesh and blood. With his unkempt appearance and surly attitude, Tyson didn’t seem to be someone Sophie could depend on. No wonder she was so grateful for Patrick and Jacob’s help.

Faith broke the awkward silence as she plopped next to Sophie on the couch, the puppy draped over her arm. It raised its head and tried to lick her cheek, igniting a fit of the giggles.

Sophie smiled but Evie didn’t miss the pensive look in her eyes. Compliments of Tyson. Impulsively, Evie patted Sophie’s hand before rising to her feet.

“We should go back, Faith. We still need to go over your homework for tomorrow.”

“I’ll have to do it on the boat. Sam promised we could spend the whole day on the water. And I get to make lunch.” Faith launched to her feet and put the puppy back on the rug with his littermates.

Evie kept her expression neutral. She didn’t want Faith to pick up on the fact she wasn’t happy with Sam for taking her out on the boat. The thought of them at the mercy of Superior’s changing moods made her uneasy.

It’s not your business, Evie, and Sam Cutter would be the first person to tell you so.

“Come back soon.” Sophie escorted them outside. “When I talked to Patrick this morning, he asked me if I had plans to stop by Beach Glass soon and introduce myself. I can’t wait to tell him that you beat me to it.”

“Dad called you?
This morning?
I thought they weren’t going to be able to contact us until they got to the lodge.”

Sophie looked away, flustered. “We talked only a few minutes. I think he called from a gas station and the connection wasn’t very good…. Look, there’s Sam.”

Sure enough, Sam was striding down the driveway toward them. Seeing the uncomfortable look on Sophie’s face, Evie got the impression Sam’s appearance provided a welcome disruption.

She tried to squelch the tiny pinprick of hurt. Why had her dad checked in with Sophie first? It didn’t make sense. Especially when Patrick knew she wanted to keep in close contact…

“Studying hard?”

The glint in Sam’s eyes told Evie he was on to her.

“Don’t you dare scold these sweet girls, Sam,” Sophie said. “They’re good company. And Sadie and the puppies love the attention.”

Faith wrapped her arms around Sophie’s waist and gave her a fierce hug. “We’ll be back.”

They said their goodbyes, and Evie and Sam fell into step together while Faith dashed ahead of them.

“
Canis familiaris,
hmm?”

Evie swallowed hard when Sam’s breath stirred her hair. He was so close she could smell the pleasing blend of shower soap and afternoon sun. And a hint of coconut-scented sunscreen.

When she finally found her voice, it sounded a little breathless even to her own ears. “I thought Faith and I should take some time to get to know each other before we jumped into her lessons.”

Sam slanted a look at her. “I think you know her already. It didn’t take you long to figure out the way to Faith’s heart is through those puppies.”

Faith, several yards ahead of them, heard the word
puppies
and darted back.

“I thought of a name. I’m going to call him Rocky.”

“Rocky?” Sam laughed. “Like the boxer?”

Faith nodded. “I watched the movies with Dad on cable last year. He said he liked Rocky because he never gave up.”

Sam’s throat closed.

Dan was giving up. The last time Sam had seen his brother, Dan had ordered the entire family to leave the room. When they’d hesitated, he’d thrown a pitcher of ice water at them. Along with a stream of angry words.

The man lying in the hospital bed had been a stranger, not the twin brother he’d wrestled, competed against and laughed with over the past thirty-two years.

Fortunately, Faith hadn’t been there to witness her father’s rage.

Moments before, the doctor had reminded Dan how lucky he was to be alive. But Dan had looked at him as if he’d just been given a death sentence.

Sam couldn’t blame him.

Dan had been at the height of his career and the sole supporter of the family he loved. And he’d just been told he was facing months of painful rehab with no guarantee he would ever fully regain the use of his legs.

Responding to the doctor’s meaningful look, they’d left Dan alone and gathered together in the family lounge. Sam had never seen Jacob look so defeated. And he’d never felt so helpless in his life. Even when Natalie, their mother, had died, he and Dan had stuck together. Leaned on each other. Found strength in their bond as brothers.

But not this time. Nothing Sam could say or do could change the reality of the situation. And he didn’t know what to do with that.

Rachel, as emotional as Dan was easygoing, had clung to him. It would have been better if she’d been able to cry. At least tears could be dried. Sam had had no idea how to comfort a heart totally emptied by grief.

He had lain in bed that night, despair lapping at the edges of his soul. He’d tried to pray, but it had felt hypocritical. He wasn’t sure if God would even recognize his voice. It wasn’t as if they talked on a regular basis.

A week went by and Dan had still refused to see them. Faith had started to blame “the adults” for not allowing her to visit her father. Her close relationship with her mother had deteriorated, and she’d alternated between outright defiance and long, stubborn silences.

The hospital had transferred Dan to a private care facility to start rehab, and the doctor warned them that Dan’s attitude would be a pivotal part of his recovery. The hospital social worker had told them Dan was battling depression and had compassionately suggested they give him a few weeks to adjust to his new surroundings before visiting again.

Jacob had reluctantly returned to Cooper’s Landing. Sam used up more vacation time and had stayed longer, watching in disbelief as Dan became verbally abusive to the nurses and refused to cooperate with his physical therapists. His bitter tirades had kept Rachel on the verge of tears.

Sam had always been able to encourage his brother. Even to bully him, if the situation called for it. But for the first time in his life, Sam had sensed his presence was causing more harm than good. The bitterness in Dan’s eyes every time Sam visited had weighed him down with guilt. He was able to walk while Dan was confined to a wheelchair, and Sam couldn’t find a way to break down that barrier between them.

When Rachel had overheard him talking to Jacob on the phone about taking the boat out for a few weeks, she’d begged him to take Faith along. Torn between meeting the needs of both her daughter and her husband, she’d said she needed time to concentrate on Dan and encourage his recovery.

Sam had balked. He’d wanted to be alone. His world had shrunk to the size of the hospital and he was tired of sterile white walls, the hum of machines and plastic tubing that kept a man alive but couldn’t make him want to
live.
He struggled between feeling selfish for leaving Rachel alone with Dan and the overwhelming need to escape.

In the end, he’d agreed to take Faith with him.

He’d tried to talk to her about her dad but she’d refused. Somewhere along the way, Sam had become a member of the opposing team. An hour didn’t go by when he didn’t second-guess his decision to bring her along.

“I think Rocky is a great name. Don’t you, Sam?”

With a start, Evie’s voice and the touch of her hand on his arm pulled Sam out of the shadowy path his memories had lured him down. Faith hadn’t voluntarily talked about Dan since they’d arrived in Cooper’s Landing. She’d even rebuffed her grandfather whenever he’d tried to talk about her dad. Now, because of Evie’s gentle prompt, he realized Faith was watching him, waiting patiently for his response. She wasn’t just asking if he liked the name. There was another question in her eyes.

Is Dad going to be like Rocky? Or is he going to give up?

He couldn’t answer her. It wasn’t fair to give her false hope, yet he didn’t want to be the one to crush it, either.

“I think you should take a picture of you and Rocky and send it to your dad.” Evie bravely stepped into the silence.

“Really?” Faith glanced at him for affirmation. “The nurse told me the last time I called there was a bulletin board by his bed. She said Dad has my letter on it.”