A Father For Bella

She stole a quick glance at the signature—Carlson. Why did the name seem familiar? “Do you have any family in the area?” She waited for his answer as he pulled a pack of peppermint gum from his pocket.

“No, my family’s all from Bethesda.” He extended the pack of gum in front of her. “Would you like a piece?”

Her cheeks warmed as she accepted the offer. “Thank you.” She peeled away the foil and slid the cool stick on her tongue. Peppermint had always been her favorite, too.

“What about you? Any family in the area?”

“Only my twin sister, Joy, and she’s a schoolteacher here in Whispering Slopes.”

“Joy and Faith... I like that, and twins, too. When I was a kid, I always thought it would be great to have an identical twin. You know, to play tricks on your teachers and other kids.” He flashed a smile.

She forced her eyes away from his rugged good looks. Why did he make her so nervous? “We’re not identical twins. Except for our hair color, we’re nothing alike, but we’re closer than any twins you’ll ever meet.” She rolled the gum wrapper between her fingers into a tight ball, anxious to get home.

“I guess that made it easier on your parents. Do they live in the area?”

Ready for him to leave, but not wanting to be rude, she answered. “They died in a car accident while driving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to celebrate their anniversary.” She paused when a shiver ran down her spine. “Joy and I were only two years old, so our grandparents raised us—here in this house.” The sound of her parents’ voices or the feel of their touch was something she couldn’t remember. All that remained were a few boxes stuffed with crinkled photographs. Except for the past four years, she felt she’d barely had roots or a home—another reason why she couldn’t lose the inn.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to reopen old wounds.” His voice cracked.

Faith shook her head. “No, it’s okay.” But it really wasn’t. Sharing pieces of her personal life with a strange man—what was she thinking? It was wrong. “Listen to me rambling on. You’re probably exhausted.” She stepped out from behind the counter with his room key in her hand. “Do you need help with your luggage?”

“No, thank you. I can handle it.” He turned and headed toward the front door.

With a stack of credit card receipts, Faith scuttled to her office, which was located off the foyer. The massive cherry desk that faced a floor-to-ceiling window provided her with an amazing daytime view, especially on snowy winter days. She slipped behind her desk and opened the lateral file drawer. She fingered through the manila file folders before placing the receipts inside. As she started to push the drawer closed, her eyes locked on a folder labeled “Our Dream.” She slammed the drawer shut. Our dream, baby—we both wanted it so bad. You’d still be alive if we’d gone after it sooner.

Her thoughts shifted when Joshua stepped into the foyer carrying a large black suitcase, along with a leather briefcase. Perhaps this was an extended trip for pleasure and business. She pushed in the lock before pulling it shut and headed toward the door. “Let’s go upstairs. Your room is the first one on the right.”

The sound of their footsteps echoed as they climbed the winding oak staircase. Once at the door, she slid the key into the doorknob and pushed it open.

“Wow! I wasn’t expecting such a large room.” Joshua smiled and stepped inside. His gaze stopped at the stone fireplace. “And it has its own fireplace—very nice.”

She flipped the light switch. The recessed lighting provided a warm glow throughout the room. “This is the largest of our five rooms. The other four are much smaller.” Heat filled her face. “Actually, it’s our honeymoon suite.”

“I take it there’re no honeymooners coming into town the next four weeks.”

She watched Joshua set his suitcase down on the luggage rack.

“This office space is perfect.” He placed his briefcase on top of the desk.

Faith flipped the plantation shutters closed. “We used to have it arranged as a sitting room, but one suggestion that continued to come up in the guest surveys was they’d like a workspace. I suppose with the internet, people don’t know how to unplug from the office anymore, even on their honeymoon.”

He nodded. “I think the room is perfect, and it smells so outdoorsy.”

“It’s pine. Usually for the honeymooners, we use lavender. We made a quick adjustment for you.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m going to let you get settled.” She handed over the key and pointed toward the desk. “The number for Mr. and Mrs. Watson is on that information sheet. They live on the premises in a spare room, off from the dining area. You’ll probably meet them when you go down to dinner. If you need anything, please give them a call.”

Faith reached for the doorknob and turned around. “I almost forgot. Dinner’s served until nine thirty. I’m sure you’re starved.”

“Actually, I am kind of hungry. I’ll definitely order the meat loaf. It smelled like my mother’s recipe.” He smiled.

“Yes, Michael’s Thursday night special is a crowd-pleaser. He makes terrific garlic mashed potatoes, too.” Her stomach grumbled. She hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and that was only a small bowl of vegetable soup.

Joshua stepped toward the door and extended his hand. “Thank you for your help checking in. I appreciate it.”

She hesitated before reaching for his hand. “It’s part of my job. Besides, I’m the one who should thank you.”

“For what?”

Her gaze met his. “For finding Bella... I get sick to my stomach thinking what could have happened.”

“She’s safe now, that’s what matters.” He ran his hands down the front of his slacks. “Speaking of, you be safe driving home. On my ride here, I spotted several deer darting across the road.”

Faith smiled. “I don’t have to drive anywhere. My house is on the property.”

Joshua began to cough and clutched his hand to his throat.

She reached for his forearm. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. I swallowed my gum, that’s all.” His face reddened. “Did you say you live here—on the property of the Black Bear?”

“Yes. We live in a two-bedroom cottage.” Faith noticed his coloring had turned from red to pale in a manner of seconds. “It’s adjacent to the back of the inn.”

He gave a quick nod and grabbed the doorknob. With a swift jerk, he pulled the door wide open—her clue to leave. She turned and walked through the door. When it slammed behind her, she realized neither had said goodbye. Odd. The new guest had been so friendly earlier. Why did he seem rattled to learn that she and Bella lived on the grounds of the inn?

Chapter Two (#u41ab1d2c-c2a6-573d-bce7-2c31a170e45d)

Joshua closed the door fast, but it didn’t release the guilt that gripped him. The ticking wall clock in the office space caused his thoughts to race. She lived on the property? He didn’t recall seeing a house.

Discovering that Faith had lived at the inn after her parents were killed was bad enough, but being a landlord wasn’t part of his plan. How could he evict a young mother and her child? There were so many other things that needed his attention prior to the auction, but this was a huge, unexpected curveball.

He strolled toward the clock and took it off the wall. Carefully, he removed the batteries and remounted it. He’d never liked the sound of time passing him by.

As he admired the Bob Timberlake painting hanging adjacent to the stacked-stone fireplace, his cell phone chirped. Without looking at the screen, he pulled it from his back pocket. “Hello, Joshua Carlson speaking.”

“Josh, hey, it’s Steve-o.” Steve Hayes, his best friend from Georgetown University.

His voice brought a smile to Joshua’s face. “Steve-o, it’s great to hear from you—it’s been a while.”

“It’s my fault, man. I’ve been working in London for the past four months. I had to set up a new network system for one of our customers. The hours have been brutal.”

“No problem. I know you tech guys work around the clock.”

A brief silence hung in the air.

“I just heard about your mom, Josh. I’m really sorry. I wish I’d known. I would have flown back for the funeral.”

First the cancer diagnosis and within six months, she was with the Lord. It was hard to believe a month had passed since he’d kissed her cheek and held her hand for the last time. “Don’t worry about it. I should have called you, but it was a small service. You know how my father is, always trying to keep family business hush-hush.”

“How’s he doing? Despite his ways, I know he loved your mom.”