Finding Love (A Mill Creek Crossing Romance) (6 page)

If there was one thing Clay Barnes knew very little about, it seemed to be women. Even though he had adored his late wife Molly, he still never understood her any better than he understood any woman. They’d been together for many years, but there were times that he didn't understand where she was coming from. And meeting Amelia Devin had reminded him of that fact. He just didn't know women.

As he stood at the Mountainview resort cooking lunch for a big party, he thought about how close he appeared to be getting to Amelia. But, as soon as he’d get close or develop any kind of emotional connection, she pulled back. He wasn't sure what had happened in her past to make her unable to develop an emotional connection with a man. He watched as she developed a strong bond with his kids, friends, and even people at her church. However, anytime he appeared to be getting close to her, it was almost like she was a scared dog that had been kicked by its mean owner. She would retreat, as if there was danger in feeling emotions for a man.

He’d only known her for a little over two weeks, but he felt like she might be someone he could date. He’d never thought about dating again after Molly died, but Amelia had all of the qualities he wanted in a woman. Aside from being great with his kids, he felt an attachment to her, but he didn't really know why.

She was a generous person who was always helping everyone around her. Everyone but herself, of course. He never understood why she didn't seem to care about herself as much as she cared about everyone else. She would go out of her way to help anyone, including Mrs. Higgins next-door to Clay. When Mrs. Higgins had fallen and broken her hip, Amelia had spent many mornings helping her take care of herself before going home to take care of Clay's kids. He just didn't understand how she could be so wonderful and giving, yet seem so alone.

As Clay diced up some carrots, he thought about ways that he could get closer to Amelia without scaring her away. So, he decided he would plan an outing to hike one of the nearby mountains and maybe even go camping with the kids – of course, inviting Amelia along. He was sure she’d say no, but maybe the kids could help him convince her. He hated to use his kids in that way, but he felt like he needed to help Amelia as much as she was helping him and his children. She needed to be broken out of her emotional shell, whether it meant dating Clay or not. She’d become a real friend to him, and he wanted to help her out of the emotional abyss that she seemed to be trapped in.

As he picked his children up that afternoon from Amelia's house, he braced himself for broaching the subject about taking a hiking and camping trip in the mountains. He hoped his children would be able to convince her to come hiking and camping with them, but he knew that it was going to be an uphill battle, literally.

"Hi, Clay!" she said in her usual chipper way as he knocked on the front door. The kids were covered in finger paint, and Amelia's kitchen table look like it'd been a battleground.

"Oh, Amelia, I'm so sorry the kids messed up your table. I will help you clean that up," Clay said rushing over to the kitchen table.

"No, no. It's no big deal. That table has seen a lot of finger paint over the years. We’ve had that table in our family since I was a kid. I know exactly how to clean it up. I'm sorry, but I didn't have a chance to cook dinner yet. If you're hungry, maybe we could go over to the diner?” Clay was taken aback by the fact she seemed to want to spend the dinner hour with them every night. He was more hopeful about asking her to go on the camping trip. “I mean, if you want to have dinner with me. If not, I understand if you guys want to have some time alone as a family…”

"No, let’s go eat. I’m starving! We always enjoy eating dinner with you, Amelia." She smiled, and they all loaded up in Clay’s car to head for the square.

As they settled into a booth at the diner, Clay decided it was the best time to broach the subject about taking a hike and going camping.

"Listen, you've done such a great job with the kids the last couple of weeks. I really wanted to find a way to thank you, so I planned something."

Amelia looked stunned for a moment and then looked down at her hands. "Planned something?"

"I hope this won’t make you mad, but I thought of something fun that we could do with the kids. They’d love to have you come along."

"What is it?" she asked, with a lot of trepidation

"Well, a guy at work was telling me about Blair Mountain. It's a mountain over on the east side where you can hike and then camp in the clearing up near the waterfalls. I thought it might be fun to take the kids for an overnight camping trip. We can hike up to the falls, set up camp and just enjoy an evening making s’mores around the campfire. What do you say?"

Amelia looked like a deer caught in headlights. She didn't want to disappoint the children, that was obvious, but she didn't have any intentions of saying yes. Clay was terrified he’d just overstepped his bounds by a huge amount.

"Clay, I appreciate the offer, but…"

"Oh, please, miss Amelia!" Sophia said with her hands in the praying position.

"Sophia, I'd love to go, but I really don't do hike or camp. You guys would just be dragging me along like a sack of potatoes," Amelia said, trying to come up with some kind of excuse.

"Amelia, I know that I just sprung this on you, so I understand if you want to say no. But, you should know that I don't have a whole lot of experience hiking or camping either."

"Clay, you can't take people up in the woods on a hike to go camping if you don't have any experience yourself," she said laughing. “Don’t ever go into the sales profession.”

"Well, I just thought we could learn together. The guy at work said it's not that big of a hike, and I think I can figure out camping. It's just for one night. I thought it might be a great way for all of us to de-stress and allow the kids to get to know you better."

Amelia was shocked by Clay's request. In reality, she had been hiking and camping before, but she didn't want to let on to that. Her first inclination was to say no. Absolutely not! No way! But, her heart was telling her to say yes, yes, yes! Why did she want to go up in the mountains hiking and camping with this man and his children? She hadn't wanted to do anything with any man for many years. That just hadn't been in the cards for her.

She would've thought the look in the children's eyes would've been enough to convince her to go hiking and camping with them. And that's what Clay thought. She could tell that he was hinging his bets on the fact the kids would make her want to go. Little did he know it was something in his own eyes that was making Amelia want to say yes. She had a longing in her own soul to be close to someone, especially a man. All of the men in her own life had let her down, starting with her father and going all the way through to her ex-boyfriend. Now, here was this man wanting to take her camping with his kids and include her in his little family. And, as she looked at his eyes - with those gorgeous flecks of gold - she knew there was no way she could say no.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Clay said with an incredulous look on his face.

"Yes, okay. I'll go with you." The kids started screaming and clapping, and everyone in the diner turned around to look and see what all the ruckus was about.

"Shhhh…. kids. You can't scream like that in a restaurant," Clay said with a laugh. Their commotion got the attention of one of the waitresses, who called them up to the bar to help her make some milkshakes. The kids had become regular milkshake makers at Stella’s Diner.

"So what made you say yes?” Clay asked.

"The kids, of course. You knew what you were doing there." Amelia smiled as she continued looking at her menu. She didn't need to look at the menu since it hadn't changed in the last fifteen years, but making eye contact with Clay made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. It also turned her cheeks a bright shade of red, and she didn't want him to know she was lying about it being the kids that made her change her mind. It was him that made her change her mind. The idea of spending more time with Clay was exciting to her, even though she didn't want to admit it to herself.

One thing was for sure. This hiking and camping trip was going to be life changing for Amelia. She just didn't know how yet.

***
 

             
A few days passed, and it was time for the hiking trip. Clay and his children picked Amelia up at eight o'clock in the morning to head out to Blair Mountain. She heard that the waterfalls were beautiful, although she’d never had the chance to go up. She was actually looking forward to seeing the waterfalls and spending a day of peace and tranquility in the mountains of North Georgia. Although she was surrounded by them all the time, sometimes she lost sight of how beautiful those mountains were.

As they pulled up in the parking area below the mountain, they started to remove all of the gear. Clay had it all organized, which was not something she was used to when it came to a man. She was the typical homemaker, always keeping things organized in her house. But he seemed to be just as organized as she was, and that made her like him even more.

He threw on a backpack and held another gear bag as they started up the side of the mountain. It wasn't a steep slope, so it was particularly easy for a children's hike. He brought each of them a hiking stick to make it easier to get up the mountainside.

As they walked, the kids ran up ahead. Clay and Amelia could still see them, but it gave the adults a chance to talk in private as they walked up the mountain.

"So, have you heard from your little brother yet?" Clay asked, referring to Ian going off to college.

"Yes. He's actually called me a couple of times in the last week. I think he might be getting homesick now that he's figured out how college life works. Small dorm room, bad food, no money. He was always the one that was the closest to me, kind of like my baby."

“I’m sure he appreciates everything you’ve done for him. You’re the only mother he’s ever really known.”

“I wish it wasn’t that way. My mother was great.”

“I’m sure she was because she raised an amazing person in you, Amelia.” She blushed at his comment. “I’ve traveled all over the world with my career, and this is the first place I’ve ever come to where people are all buzzing about one person. Your neighbors love you, and I can see why.”

“Clay, I…”

“I know, I know. You hate compliments.”

“No, I was going to say I appreciate you saying that to me. It’s been a rough road for twelve years, and I know it must seem like I’m ungrateful or have a stick up my rear end all the time. I used to be this fun-loving girl, but I had to grow up almost overnight. It took away all of my twenties, and I guess I’m being far too serious now that I’m thirty and see my life slowly ticking by.” As soon as Amelia said it, she felt sorry. Here she was complaining about her life ticking by to a man who’d lost his young wife. “Oh, God, I’m sorry, Clay. I didn’t think…”

“Amelia, you don’t have to watch your words around me. I wasn’t thinking you were being ungrateful at all. I understand, and I admire you for what you did for your brothers and sister. Now it’s your turn, and you deserve it.”

“You should write poems or greeting cards,” she said laughing. Clay joined her in laughter.

“Well, if this chef thing doesn’t work out…”

“Speaking of which, when you are you going to cook something for me, Mr. Celebrity Chef?” she asked before thinking. Had she just asked him to cook her a meal? Really?

“You want me to cook for you?” he asked with a shocked look on his face.

“Well, I feel like I’m missing out on something,” she said. “What’s the best dish you cook?”

“I can cook anything.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, huh?” Amelia said chuckling.

“I have to be in my profession. What’s your favorite food?”

“Hmmm…. Well, I don’t have just one favorite. I love pizza…”

“Pizza. Anyone can make pizza,” Clay said shaking his head.