The Promise of Home (Love Inspired) (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

“F
oster care.” Jenna felt the ground shift below her feet. “Shelly wanted me to take the children after the fire. Why would she change her mind?”

“She didn’t explain,” Grace said. “She asked me to make other arrangements as soon as possible.”

Other arrangements.

The lump in Jenna’s throat swelled as her gaze swung to Kate. “That’s why you’re here.”

“I’m here because I’m your friend,” Kate said swiftly. “And because I love Logan and Tori. We’re going to figure this out together.”

Grace gave Jenna’s arm a comforting squeeze. “I’m going to set up a meeting with my director. The court does take the parent’s wishes into consideration, but I believe we can make a strong case for the fact that the children should remain with you for the time being. Until you decide what you want to do.”

“Thank you.” A few weeks ago, Jenna had hoped that caring for her niece and nephew would be a temporary arrangement. Now she didn’t want to lose them.

“I’ll be in touch,” Grace promised.

“And I’ll be praying.” Kate took Jenna by the hands. “This didn’t take God by surprise. He’s in control and he loves you. Don’t ever forget that.”

Jenna nodded, unable to trust her voice.

The car rattled down the driveway and only years of hiding her feelings kept Jenna from losing it.

Dev took a step closer but Jenna stumbled away. “Dev…I want to be alone.”

“A few minutes ago you said that I could stay.”

Jenna tried to smile. “In about five seconds I’m going to fall to pieces—” She gasped when Dev’s arms slipped around her waist. Drew her close. His lips brushed the sensitive spot below her ear.

“Then I’ll catch you.”

Dev absorbed the tremor that shook Jenna’s slender frame. Soothed her with quiet words. Waited for the storm to pass.

He didn’t know what to do with his feelings for Jenna, but he couldn’t deny them anymore.

“It’ll be okay.” Dev would do everything in his power to make sure of it.

“What do I do now?” Jenna spoke so softly that Dev had to strain to hear the words. “Shelly doesn’t want Logan and Tori to live with me.”

“What do
you
want?”

“To stay together.”

She’s talking about the children.

Dev sent the ruthless reminder to intercept the hope that arrowed through him.

“Ask Jake Sutton if you can meet with Shelly,” he told her. “Find out what she’s thinking.”

“Do you think she’ll agree to see me?” Hope and doubt battled for control. “Shelly can be stubborn. Once she makes up her mind about something, it’s almost impossible to change it.”

“Talk to your sister.” Dev stepped back, tucked a strand of hair behind Jenna’s ear. “I’ll take Logan and Tori over to Kate’s after breakfast.”

“All right.”

But instead of walking away, Jenna went up on her toes and pressed her palms against his chest. Brushed a kiss against his lips that wrapped around his heart—twice—and took it captive.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

And then she walked away, taking it with her.

* * *

“Hey, sis. How’s it going?”

If Jenna had passed her sister on the street, she wouldn’t have recognized her. The long, platinum blond hair that Shelly had spent hours fussing over as a teenager had been shorn almost down to the scalp, each spike tipped in black. Big blue eyes that had once sparkled with life stared back at her, bleak and world-weary.

“Hi.” Jenna wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around her sister and hold her tight, but Shelly’s brittle smile warned her not to.

“You look good.” Shelly leaned back in the metal folding chair and crossed her arms. “Just like your picture in the magazine. Now my picture…” She touched the purplish bruise on her cheek. “I’m pretty sure that will only make it as far as the police department’s central database.”

Jenna couldn’t believe she was cracking jokes. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you are. Sorry that I disappointed you. You probably thought you didn’t have to think about me ever again.”

“That isn’t true. I’ve never stopped thinking about you. You’re my sister. I care about you.”

Something flickered in Shelly’s eyes. “Well, right now you’re the only one that does. Owen told the cops the drugs were mine. I didn’t even know he had them. He said he wanted me to take a little road trip with him. It was Vance all over again.”

Her lips twisted in a parody of a smile. “This is the part where you get to say I told you so.”

“I wanted you to be happy. I wanted Vance to be good to you and Logan.”

“So did I.” Shelly shrugged. “I traveled with the band for a while, but after I got pregnant with Tori, I gave him an ultimatum. The band or us. I’m sure you can guess what he chose. I haven’t seen him for a couple of years. Heard he married some groupie.”

“Tori and Logan never mentioned that you were with someone else now,” Jenna said cautiously.

“They’d never met Owen. We hung out at a concert a few months ago. He made a lot of promises. The house, the white picket fence. I packed up the kids and followed him to Mirror Lake. Only he wasn’t here—and you saw the house. Turns out he didn’t even own it.”

“You should have called me.”

“And mess up your perfect life? I figured you were better off not having to worry about me and I was right.”

“I don’t have a perfect life.”

“Oh, please. I’ve read your column.”

Shelly had read only what Jenna had been brave enough to reveal. She never talked about her past. Unlike Dev, she’d never considered that some of her readers might be able to relate to her mistakes as well as her successes.

God, there’s been seven years of silence. I don’t know how to close the gap between us.

Jenna twisted a finger around the piece of yarn that circled her wrist.

Shelly spotted it and leaned forward, drawing a frown from the guard who stood near the door.

“Did Tori make that for you?”

When Jenna nodded, Shelly rolled back the sleeve of her orange jumpsuit. On her wrist was a bracelet identical to the one Jenna wore. “She loves pink.”

All Jenna could do was nod. She’d prayed for a connection with Shelly and here it was. A piece of string braided together by a little girl.

Tears banked behind her eyes.

Thank you, God.

“Tori and Logan…they’re great kids.”

“No thanks to me. I tried to keep up with them, but I got so tired. I just wanted to forget everything.” Shelly’s fingers tapped against the table, pinching a cigarette that wasn’t there. “The pills helped with that. Whenever they wore off, the pain came back. I guess I’m just like Mom. You’re the one who got it right.”

“No, I didn’t.” Jenna took a chance and reached out to take her sister’s hand. “I was missing the most important thing.”

“You met someone.”

Jenna smiled. “You could say that. I didn’t realize a person could have a personal relationship with God. I didn’t think I could trust him because I couldn’t trust anyone else.”

“You can’t.” Shelly pulled away. “Everyone breaks their promises. Even me. I told you things would be different and look where I am.”

“You’re right. People will let us down but God won’t. For years, I was afraid to count on anyone. I didn’t want to be disappointed again.”

“Yeah, Mom was good at that.” Shelly slumped down in the chair. “Mom dumped everything on you—including me. I knew that once you got that scholarship, you were going to go places. I didn’t want to hold you back then and I’m not going to do it now. I know what you sacrificed for me when we were growing up.”

Jenna stared at her sister in disbelief. Had that been the basis for Shelly’s decision to place the children back in foster care? A few minutes ago, she’d said something about messing up Jenna’s “perfect life.”

A lump swelled in her throat. “Is that why you don’t want me to take care of Logan and Tori?”

“I can’t ask you to raise my kids, Jenna. Not when you had to raise me.”

“You don’t have to ask me.” Jenna reached out and took Shelly’s hand. “I’m asking
you.
Please let Tori and Logan live with me.”

Shelly looked at her with cautious hope. “You want them?”

“Yes.” Jenna’s vision blurred. She was glad she’d taken Dev’s advice and met with her sister. “They’re my family. I can’t promise that I’ll always do everything right but I…I’ll love them.”

“I know you will.” For the first time, Shelly’s smile was genuine and Jenna saw a glimpse of the sister she remembered. “You were always good at that, too.”

* * *

Dev had alternated between pacing and praying the remainder of the afternoon. He’d finally walked down to the dock, hoping the familiar, soothing sound of the water would calm his restless thoughts. When Jenna finally did return, Dev was so deep in thought he didn’t see her until she was standing beside him.

“The kids?”

“They’re still with Kate. I stopped here first.”

Dev tried not to read too much into that. Jenna would need time to process what had to have been an emotional reunion with her sister.

Jenna kicked off her shoes and dragged a toe through the water. “Shelly agreed to let me to take Logan and Tori back to Minneapolis with me.”

“That’s what you wanted.”

“I know.” Jenna looked as if she could hardly believe Shelly had changed her mind. “She wants to give me full custody. Even when she gets out of prison, Logan and Tori will stay with me. I’m going to be
raising
them.”

Dev heard a thread of panic in Jenna’s voice. “And you’ll do a great job,” he said quietly. “You love Tori and Logan—and they love you.”

“They love it here. I don’t know how they’ll feel about moving to Minneapolis with me.”

Then stay here,
Dev wanted to say. But he dug deep to give Jenna the encouragement she needed.

“It will be an adjustment but you’ll be together.”

Jenna began to pace, unwittingly following the same path he’d worn in the sand. “How am I supposed to help Logan with his math? I can barely balance my checkbook. And Tori. I don’t know how to sew—”

“Whoa. You lost me.”

“Costumes.” Jenna saw his blank look. “For school plays. What if she has to be a pilgrim or a tree or—”

“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself.” Dev tried not to smile.

“That’s easy for you to say. This isn’t temporary, Dev. This isn’t being Aunt Jenna for a holiday or a long weekend.”

“You can do it. You’ve been doing it,” he felt the need to remind her. “Everything Logan and Tori need, you’ve been providing the past few weeks. And God will give you what
you
need.”

“Are you sure?”

“He promised.”

Jenna drew a shaky breath. Smiled. “Okay. I’m going to drive over to the inn and pick them up. Grace wants to meet with us after that.”

She didn’t ask him to go along. But she did reach out and take his hand.

“Thank you.”

Dev watched Jenna run toward the car, barefoot.

Good job, Dev.

He’d just talked the woman he loved into leaving.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“A
letter from an adoring reader?”

Jenna smiled up at Caitlin, who’d called earlier that morning and invited her out to lunch.

“A
disgruntled
reader,” she corrected. “My in-box is full of them. No one wants to know how to accessorize for fall. Everyone wants to hear more about Mirror Lake.”

“I don’t blame them. I want to hear more about Mirror Lake, too.” Caitlin propped her hip against the side of Jenna’s desk. “Especially Hank the chainsaw artist. He is quite the charmer.”

Jenna focused on the computer screen. Much easier than the knowing look in her friend’s eyes.

“Hank loves the attention.”

“Unlike
some
people, who shall remain nameless.” Caitlin’s lips curved in a slow smile. “Thanks to you.”

“Hank was—”
Second
“—on Gabby’s list.”

“I suppose you’re going to say that it’s all about giving the readers what they want.”

Jenna tried not to smile back. “Yes, it is.”

And scrapping Dev’s interview for the
Mirror Lake Register
was the only way she could be certain that his name would never appear in
Twin City Trends.

Dev had trusted her. Not only with his past, but in some respects, his future, too. Jenna didn’t want someone like Dawn Gallagher putting her own spin on things. She’d decided that if Dev ever decided to tell his story, his name would be on the byline.

Fortunately, Gabby had agreed with her.

“We take care of our own in Mirror Lake,” the elderly reporter had proclaimed after Jenna played the recording of their interview. “And Dev McGuire is
our
recluse. I say we keep it that way.”

Jenna had hugged her. “Thank you.”

Gabby had looked at her shrewdly. “When are you going to tell Dev that you changed your mind about writing the article?”

“He’ll find out when he reads next week’s paper.”

A going-away gift.

Jenna wondered what Dev had thought when he’d found the newspaper in his mailbox. Had he been surprised? Relieved? It had taken every ounce of her self-control not to call him and find out.

“I heard a rumor downstairs that Hank might take part in the bachelor auction this spring,” Caitlin said as they walked together toward the elevator.

“Marlene wants me to head up the committee, but I suggested she ask Dawn instead. Logan and Tori keep me pretty busy.”

A better kind of busy.

“How are they doing?”

“They start school next week. There’s a three-bedroom unit opening up in my apartment complex soon, so that’s good.”

Caitlin gave her a sideways glance. “Is it?”

“Sure. We need the extra space. Tori bought a goldfish at the pet store last weekend.” And named him Fred the Second. “Logan found out there’s a science club at the school he’ll be attending.”

“And how are
you
doing?”

Jenna sighed. “I went to the gallery yesterday and bought one of Dev’s photographs.”

A night sky. Just to feel closer to him.

“That’s what I thought.”

Jenna saw the smug look on Caitlin’s face and groaned. “I couldn’t wait to get back here and now something is…missing.”

“Dev.”

“I’m pathetic.” Jenna punched the button for the first floor with more force than necessary.

“You’re in love.”

Jenna couldn’t deny it. “I can’t expect Dev to come back to the city. I wouldn’t want him to.”

“And you certainly wouldn’t want to move to Mirror Lake.” Caitlin shuddered. “Small towns. Everyone knows everyone else’s business.”

Jenna didn’t think that was a fair statement. “The people keep an eye on each other but it’s because they care.”

“And look at everything you’d have to give up. I feel sorry for Abby O’Halloran. She must be experiencing a severe case of culture shock after living in Chicago.”

“Abby loves Mirror Lake,” Jenna protested. “Her bed-and-breakfast is doing well and Alex plans to move there by Christmas. I don’t think she misses the city at all…” Jenna stopped. “You are so
sneaky.
”

Caitlin didn’t look the least bit repentant. “I have a teenage daughter, twin boys, a dog and an iguana. It comes with the territory.”

“My boss would never agree to let me write my column from Mirror Lake.”

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “All those emails in your in-box tell me otherwise.”

Jenna ignored the tiny seed of hope that tried to take root. “I can’t be City Girl in Mirror Lake.”

“But you can be Jenna. Writing about the ups and downs that all of us experience—only you’ll be the one brave enough to write them down.” Caitlin smiled. “And you can do that anywhere. In your car while you wait for the last bell to ring at Logan and Tori’s school. On a park bench while they play…even on a dock overlooking a cute little lake with a handsome wildlife photographer at your side.”

“What if—” Jenna stopped, afraid to voice her deepest fear.

“Dev doesn’t feel the same way about you.”

“He didn’t even try to talk me out of going back to Minneapolis.”

“Did you try to talk him into coming here?”

“No.” Jenna was shocked her friend could even suggest such a thing. “Dev’s life is in Mirror Lake. He loves it there. I would never ask him to do that because I—”

“Love him.”

“I didn’t say that!”

“You didn’t have to.” Caitlin smiled. “So…”

“So, what?”

“If you would never ask Dev to leave Mirror Lake because you love him, doesn’t it make sense that he didn’t ask you to stay for the very same reason?”

* * *

Violet leaped over Dev in her haste to get out of the vehicle.

“Sorry I’m not moving fast enough for you,” he called.

The dog didn’t look the least bit guilty as she loped toward the trees, a clear destination in mind.

“Violet, no—” Dev gave up and let her go.

He’d stretched out his latest shoot an extra two days before he realized there was no point in postponing the inevitable. He had to come home sometime, and when he did, Jenna and the kids wouldn’t be there.

He just hadn’t expected the place to feel so empty.
He
hadn’t expected to feel so empty.

Dev tried to tell himself that it was for the best. Jenna’s best. Her career was based in the city. Logan and Tori would have access to a private school and all the perks of living in an urban area.

He wasn’t naive enough to think everyone had to relocate to a cabin in the woods to find peace.

Dev slung the camera bag over his shoulder and felt his muscles protest. He was getting too old to sleep on the ground.

His cell phone rang and when Dev saw Talia’s number come up on the tiny screen, he rolled his eyes. Did she have him under surveillance? How did she know that he’d just gotten home?

“Hi, Talia. Yes, I have some pictures for you.”

“That’s good news but it’s not why I called.”

“Really?” Dev looked around for Violet. “You called to convince me to reprint some of my photographs?”

“I called to tell you that one of your photographs sold a few days ago.”

“Which one?” Dev asked, not out of curiosity but because it was expected of him.

“Psalm 19.”

“No way.” Dev groaned.

“That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for.”

“I was going to ask you to pull that one.”

“What?”

Dev had somehow managed the impossible. He’d shocked Talia Hunt.

“Dev, it’s one of your best ones.”

“I was going to give it to a friend.”

“You’re making friends? I’m so proud of you.”

“That would be Jenna’s fault.” Dev had been getting invites over for supper. Church outings. A woman with a pink cane had even shown up at his door with a casserole the day before he’d left.

“Who’s Jenna?”

Had he really said her name out loud? That showed his head wasn’t in the game. “I should go, Talia. Violet took off.”

“That excuse is like a Get Out of Jail Free card. You can only use it once. I repeat. Who’s Jenna?”

“My next door neighbor.” But not anymore.

“That’s strange. Because the woman who bought Psalm 19 said that her name was Jenna. Jenna Gardner.”

Dev’s duffle bag dropped to the dirt at his feet.

“You
met
Jenna?”

“We had coffee together. She’s great. Pretty, too. Now what were you saying about photographs?”

“I take them.”

Talia burst out laughing. “I know you do, sweetheart. And to give you fair warning, I’m planning to drive over at the end of the week to pick them up.”

Jenna had bought one of his photographs. One he’d taken several months ago of the night sky.

He had to find out why.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Dev—”

“I’ll bring them to you.”

Another first. Talia speechless. “When?”

Dev glanced at his watch. “In about four hours.”

“But—”

He hung up. Tossed the duffle bag back inside the vehicle. If he left now, he could be in Minneapolis by sunset.

“Violet!”

No response. He really had to look into obedience school.

“Road trip!”

If those two words didn’t bring the dog crashing through the underbrush, nothing would.

Sure enough, a few seconds later he heard branches snapping. Violet bound out of the woods but she wasn’t alone. A chubby golden retriever puppy was ambling along behind her.

Violet tossed her head, looking extremely proud of her find.

“Sorry, you can’t keep her.” Dev knelt down and the puppy vaulted into his lap, its entire body set in motion by the frantic wave of its tail. Bright-eyed and well-fed, it was obvious the animal wasn’t a stray but it didn’t have a collar or identification tags.

“You have to belong to someone—” Dev’s smile faded when he looked up and saw Jenna walking toward him.

He rose slowly to his feet, dimly aware that the puppy was playing tug-of-war with the laces on his hiking boots.

“I see you met Daisy.”

“Dev!” Logan and Tori burst through the trees and barreled toward him.

“Do you like Daisy?” Tori tugged on his arm. “We picked her out yesterday—”

“She’s going to be as big as Violet when she’s all grown up.”

Dev glanced at the puppy’s saucerlike feet. “You’re probably right about that.”

“Can we see if she likes the water, Aunt Jenna?”

Jenna laughed. “Go ahead.”

Dev wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Jenna. Here. When he’d been all set to jump in the car and go to her.

Jenna had a speech rehearsed. Practiced it in her mind on the long car ride from Minneapolis to Mirror Lake. But now, with Dev standing three feet away, she couldn’t remember a single word.

He didn’t appear to know what to say, either, as he watched Daisy and Violet romp with the children in the shallow water.

“How are they adjusting?”

“They miss you,” Jenna said simply.

Dev slanted a look at her. “I’m sorry. I know you were afraid of what would happen if they got too attached.”

“I think,” Jenna said slowly. “That I was the one afraid of getting too attached. After I talked to Shelly, I realized that we weren’t so different. We both had scars from the past, but I did a better job covering them up with Vera Wang.”

Dev almost smiled. “Some of us prefer flannel.”

This was the man she’d fallen in love with. The one who knew what was important. The one who had fixed his eyes on the One who didn’t change.

Jenna had seen the other one in the glossy pages of a few back issues of
Twin City Trends.
The Devlin McGuire who had once been on the other side of the camera.

She liked this one better. No, she
loved
this one.

Daisy barked at Violet, who lowered her ears and pretended to be intimidated.

“She looks like a handful.”

“She is but we love her to pieces.”

“I didn’t think your condo allowed pets.”

“It doesn’t.” Jenna fell into step with him as they walked down to the lake. “We moved.”

“I suppose you needed more room.”

Jenna smiled. “A wise man once told me that kids need a lot of space. That’s why we came back here.”

Several more steps. And then Dev stopped. Slowly turned to face her.

“You’re moving here? To Mirror Lake?”

Jenna nodded, not taking her eyes from his face. “Yes.”