Chapter One
THE DARK WATER engulfed her, closing over her head, its blackness pulling her deeper and deeper. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out, only filling with the murky thick liquid as she sank to the bottom of the lake. West appeared in front of her, his face eerily pale, his hands open and beckoning to her. Just before she took them, another hand pulled her toward the surface. Nick? No, it was Pauly Brown with his leering grin. She wriggled free and sank. Where was West? He would keep her safe. What was that ringing sound?
Mamie West blinked in the sunlight that leaked through a crack in the blackout curtains of her bedroom window. Her phone trilled on the nightstand. Another nightmare. Another horrifying dream to darken her day. Would they never stop? Pushing her dog aside, she grabbed her cell phone. She didn’t recognize the number. Probably just a solicitor, nothing important. Let voicemail get it. She couldn’t talk yet. The nightmare still clung to her.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she patted Babs, her loyal Boston terrier snoring under the bedcovers. Nothing disturbed that dog, but Mamie didn’t have to wonder if she would be a good watchdog when necessary. Her feisty challenge of Mamie’s attacker at the campground last year had led to Babs’s own injuries. She was a spunky little thing. Thankfully they had both survived.
Mamie padded into the cozy ensuite bathroom she and West had remodeled when he was healthy. She checked her reflection in the vanity mirror. Familiar hazel eyes stared back at her, surprising her with the number of lines around them now, with more around her mouth. She ran a hand through her thick mane of shoulder-length blond hair, wondering just how gray she would be now if she stopped coloring it. Her hands smoothing down her pajamas, she was aware of a few extra pounds that had seemed to creep up over the years. Still, she was attractive for her age, and she knew it because Nick seemed to like her just the way she was.
The call had been important, after all. It was Mr. and Mrs. Smith, managers of Hayden Resort and Campground on Burnet Reservoir in Magnolia Bluff. Mamie and Babs had camped there last year. It was also where she had met Nick Vandegan, the police officer she had been dating ever since. It had been her first campout with Miss Maisie, her vintage 1962 Scotsman Scottie trailer. She had purchased it after West’s death, needing a new adventure to help ease her grief.
She listened to the message. “Hello, Mrs. West? This is Mr. Smith from Hayden’s Resort. I believe we met last summer when you were here with Gals Gone Glamping.” He paused to let that sink in. “Anyway, my wife and I have a proposition for you, if you will please call us back.”
Mamie frowned as she returned the Smiths’ call, listening to their explanation of what they needed before promising to call them back soon. She tossed her cell phone on the bed. Disturbed from her slumber, Babs wriggled from under the covers, stretched, and yawned. The dog walked to the edge of the bed to greet her mistress, her stubby tail wiggling.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Mamie said, scratching the dog behind the ears that stood upright on her head. “I need coffee, and you need to go outside.”
She headed for the kitchen. Babs jumped down and followed her, her manicured claws tapping on the vinyl flooring of Mamie’s eighties-era home. Silly dog wouldn’t let Mamie trim her nails, so she had to have them done by a groomer. She’d never minded when West trimmed them.
Mamie let the dog out, then popped a K-cup into the coffee maker and pressed BREW while pondering the phone call. A decision had to be made, and soon, before they found someone else. This opportunity might never present itself again. A question niggled at her brain. Who recommended her to the Smiths? It had to have been Nick.
“Father, what should I do?” she prayed.
Thoughts came one after another, tumbling into her mind, one pushing into the next.
My children, busy with their own lives, don’t come around as often and don’t seem to need me as much.
My grandson BJ has started school, so I don’t need to babysit as often.
I would be living in a smaller town.
I would be camping full-time, with the option to use a cabin if I get tired of my tiny trailer. A cabin’s full bathroom would be a bonus.
Best of all, I would be closer to Nick.
On the other hand, the idea of going back to that place creeps me out a little. If the Ratliffs hadn’t let me in their RV when Pauly Brown was chasing me…
Mamie shuddered. She may not have lived to get to make this decision. God was certainly watching over her.
Father, I need your direction.
A feeling of peace replaced her anxiety, and she knew the answer.
Thank you, Lord.
The Smiths had just told her she could give an answer within the week, but Mamie knew at that moment what she was supposed to do. She would manage the campground in the spring so the Smiths could take a long overdue vacation. Soon she and Babs would load up and pull Miss Maisie the forty miles to the lake and become full-time RVers. At least for the month of March.
As she let the dog back inside, she said, “What do you think, Babs? Want to go camping? Want to live at the lake for a while?”
The dog tilted her head as though trying to understand what Mamie was saying. Her bobbed tail wiggled before she raced to the dining room to grab her rubber toy, ready for a game of fetch. As the coffee finished dripping, Mamie tossed the toy across the kitchen. Babs scooted after it.
She wouldn’t call them back just yet. She wanted to be absolutely sure about this decision. It wouldn’t hurt to call tomorrow. She also wanted to bounce the idea off her kids, but if they wanted to change her mind, they would have to come up with a really good reason. She felt God was leading her to go.
It just so happened that her children were planning to pop in that evening after work. Tyler would be bringing BJ, too, and Mamie never missed an opportunity for a visit with her five-year-old grandson. He seemed to grow a foot taller every time she saw him. Her daughter remained single, but she and Brady Hayden, resort owner Scarlett Hayden’s nephew, seemed serious although no ring had appeared on Junie’s finger. Much to Mamie’s chagrin, Brady stayed overnight at Junie’s quite often on weekends. Mamie suspected if they didn’t work so far from each other, with her in Round Rock and him in Magnolia Bluff, they probably would have moved in together. That would make sense, but she hoped they didn’t.
Tyler and his wife Chelsea had been separated for several months now, with BJ shuffling from one home to the other. It broke Mamie’s heart. However, until they each let go of their own selfish wants, there was little hope of reconciliation. Even though she wanted to side with her son, Mamie knew the guilt for the broken relationship rested with them both. At least they had put off a divorce for now.
She busied herself with preparations for the kids’ favorite dinner of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, sweet peas, and green salad. Of course, there would be a bowl of BJ’s favorite, boxed macaroni and cheese. As Mamie stood at the kitchen counter mixing the ingredients for the main dish, memories of those tired evenings when the last thing she wanted to do was cook dinner popped into her mind. Those days were gone. Now she relished every second spent making a meal for her family. It had to taste good with all the love poured into the preparation. The only thing missing was her late husband and the kids’ father, West.
Junie was early as usual. She breezed through the front door, dropping her backpack on the floor in the foyer just as she had always done since she was old enough to carry one. Mamie heard its tell-tale flop as it landed against the wall, followed by the sound of two shoes being kicked off. Mamie smiled.
With the sounds of the door slamming and the backpack and shoes hitting the floor, the dog took off toward the front door, barking as if someone had broken in.
“I smell something good,” Junie announced as she sailed into the kitchen. “I hope you’re making meat loaf.”
“It’s in the oven, only about a half hour until it’s ready. Are you hungry?” Mamie left the potato masher in the pot, wiped her hands, and wrapped her daughter in a hug.
“Starving,” Junie said. “What can I do?”
“You can set the table, if you like.” Mamie nodded toward the island where the plates, cloth napkins, and silverware were already stacked. “So how was work?” she asked as Junie washed her hands at the kitchen sink.
“Oh, you know. Everything needs to be done yesterday. I managed to finish it all, though. At least the boss was in a good mood today.”
“That’s good. Have you thought any more about going into business for yourself?”
“I have, but the risk scares me. It takes a while to build up clientele, and it wouldn’t be ethical to take from my current company.” Junie worked for a well-established wealth management firm in Round Rock, but as fast as the area was growing, there had to be a need for more financial advisors.
Mamie finished mashing the potatoes and transferred them to a pretty serving dish. She placed a thick slice of butter on top before sliding a large serving spoon into the bowl and setting it on the island. “Maybe you could start small and build a side business while you’re still working for your company,” she said.
“And risk being accused of stealing clients?” Junie frowned.
“No, honey. I’m sure your company must have to turn people away. You could pick those people up as clients.”
“I’ll look into it, Mom,” Junie said. “Do you mind if I put all the silverware together on one side of the plate? It’s confusing for BJ.”
“I guess not,” Mamie said. So much for a well-set table. It didn’t matter. What mattered was having her family together, which was rare these days.
The front door opened with a crash as a five-year-old tornado whirled in calling for his grandmother. Mamie giggled as she knelt to receive his monster hug, her son Tyler not far behind.
“Grammy, guess what I did today?” BJ said with a wide toothy grin.
Mamie stood and winked at Tyler. “Did you get to go to the moon today?”
“No, Grammy. That’s not even possible for a five-year-old.” The brown-haired, big-eyed tyke, who was the spitting image of his father, stood with his hands on his hips.
“You mean they won’t let kids go into space yet?” She lifted her hands in mock surprise and grinned. “Well, then, tell me, because I can’t even imagine.”
“I got to sit in the front seat of a fire engine.”
“You did? That’s so cool! I want to hear all about it during dinner, okay? Let’s get everything on the table.”
“Hey, Grammy, where’s Babs?” BJ asked as he followed her into the kitchen.
Mamie glanced around before Junie piped up. “I put her in the laundry room, Mom, so she won’t be jumping on BJ.”
“Thank you, Junie.”
“But I want to play with her,” BJ complained.
“Maybe after dinner,” Tyler said. “Let’s wash up, son.” He led BJ toward the bathroom as Mamie and Junie tended to the food.
Although Mamie wanted to know the status of Tyler and Chelsea’s marriage and Junie and Brady’s relationship, she listened patiently as BJ chattered all during dinner. Afterward, Tyler sent him into the playroom that Mamie had fixed up after his birth and helped the women clear the table and do the dishes. It was a perfect time to talk, not just about relationships, but about her opportunity to move to Magnolia Bluff next month.
“Brady has decided to start classes in the fall,” Junie told her.
“Really? That’s exciting,” Mamie said, patting her daughter’s knee as they sat side by side on the sofa.
“And how much younger is he again?” Tyler prodded, grinning at his younger sister from his father’s favorite chair.
“More mature than you,” Junie retorted.
“All right, you two,” Mamie said, frowning while enjoying the familiar banter between them. “What will he study?”
“What he originally told me he had a degree in, which was resort management, hospitality, something like that. I think he’ll be good at it.”
“I believe he will, too.” Mamie only knew him from the campground, but he had been cordial and good with the ladies in her group. He seemed to enjoy helping guests and making sure they were having a good time on their vacations. He and Junie had reconciled after he admitted he had lied about having a resort management degree. He’d just wanted Junie to date him, and the daughter with the big heart had forgiven him. “Any talk of making your relationship more permanent?” Mamie couldn’t help herself.
Junie rolled her eyes. “Things are good as they are, Mom. I want him to finish school first before we talk about getting married.”
Mamie gazed at her beautiful daughter. She wanted not only the best for her, but God’s best for her, and a relationship such as hers outside the bonds of matrimony was not it. But Mamie knew better than to push it. She would continue to pray and trust that God would work things out. She smiled. Junie knew deep down what God wanted in a relationship between a man and woman. Mamie just had to trust that Junie would adhere to her faith and do what was right.
She turned to Tyler. “What about you, son? How are things between you and Chelsea? Any hope of reconciliation? You know I pray for you and your family.”
“I know. Let’s just say that I’m trying, Mom. At least she’ll talk to me now. We talk on the phone a couple of times a week, and she has agreed to go to counseling with me. I think she wants things to work out, too.”
“Wonderful news, Tyler,” Mamie said.
“It is. BJ needs his mom and dad together again,” Junie agreed.
As if on cue, BJ trotted into the room, pulling a little plastic wagon full of Legos. “Let’s build a house, Grammy,” he said. “Aunt Junie can help. I have the momma and daddy and brother right here.” He opened one hand to reveal four miniature Lego figures and let all but one drop to the coffee table. “This one is me,” he said, holding up a superhero figure. If he couldn’t have a nice house with a family in real life, he could build a make-believe one with a brother to boot.
BJ dumped the contents of the wagon on the heavy wooden coffee table which sported the scars of the two West children who had played with their toys on it in years past. As Mamie knelt beside her grandson, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Tyler said, hopping up as Junie joined her mother and nephew on the floor. “Look who it is! Mom, you have company!”
Chapter Two
MAMIE ROSE FROM the floor and turned toward the open front door. There was no formal foyer in the old house, but the door was far enough away that she had to stand to see over the sofa. A smile spread across her face at the welcome sight.
“Nick!”
Tyler shook the visitor’s hand and gestured for him to come inside. “Come on in, Mr. Vandegan.”
“Please. It’s Nick. Hey.” The tall, handsome, blue-eyed and dark-haired Magnolia Bluff police officer greeted Mamie as she rushed over to throw her arms around him. Just for a moment, though. She didn’t want to upset BJ or the kids. She accepted the chaste kiss he placed on her lips and then turned toward her family.
“You remember Junie and Tyler, don’t you? And BJ?”
“Of course. How are y’all?” His wide grin and friendly attitude toward her family melted Mamie’s heart.
“I’m BJ,” the tyke with the big brown eyes announced. “We’re building a Lego house. Wanna help?”
Nick chuckled. “I’m afraid I won’t fit around the coffee table, buddy. How about I watch you do it?”
“That’s fine. I know you and Grammy want to visit. Aunt Junie and Daddy can help me.” BJ scooted some of the Lego pieces across the surface toward Junie, who sat cross-legged at the table near him. “And it’s BJ. Bee Jay,” he said, enunciating each letter.
Nick nodded and glanced at Mamie, who grinned and mouthed, Sorry, while shaking her head.
“I should have called. I didn’t realize you might have company.”
“Nonsense. I told you that you are welcome any time and I meant it.” She grabbed his hand. “Have you eaten?”
“Actually, no, but that’s not why I came over,” he said.
“Come on into the kitchen. The food’s still warm.”
“You don’t have to feed me. I just wanted to see you before I go out of town.”
“Go ahead, Mom. We’ll just build this Lego house and wait for you in here,” Junie said.
“Except please don’t take too long. BJ’s bedtime is in an hour,” Tyler said.
Still holding Nick’s hand, Mamie led him to a barstool at the counter in the kitchen.
“You’re going out of town?” she asked.
