Physically, she was very different. The last time he’d seen her was when she was seventeen and she’d made her last visit to the lodge after her parents split. She’d been every inch a tomboy. That skinny kid was now an incredibly lovely woman, with soft curves and an inner strength that showed in her fawn-colored eyes.
Her warm brown hair was no longer pulled back into a sassy ponytail, but fell in soft sections around her pretty face, calling attention to her big brown eyes. Unfortunately, her old resentment toward her father—and to him—was still in evidence. Her parents’ divorce had changed everything and he didn’t fully understand why.
He’d hoped they could finally move beyond the tensions of the past and become friends again. He’d never understood why Carly ran so hot and cold toward him. They’d even shared a kiss on her last visit to the lodge. One that he still regretted, though he’d never been able to forget it. She’d been younger than him, and the boss’s daughter. A combination nearly impossible to overcome. The same way his feelings for Carly had never been overcome. And after seeing her again today he knew he hadn’t gotten over her. She still held a part of his heart.
A short while later, Mack pulled to a stop in front of the Longleaf Lodge. Lucy hopped out as soon as he turned off the engine. The parking spots were empty. Carly hadn’t arrived yet. He wasn’t sure she would. Her feelings toward her father ran deep, and he feared they were strong enough that she would stand by and let the lodge be put up for auction. The last thing he wanted to see.
He loved this place. It had been his second home since he was fourteen, and Wade Porter the father he’d never had. He stepped into the lodge, the sense of peace and welcome settling on his shoulders the way it always did.
Dwayne and Thelma Thompson looked up from behind the registration desk. The couple had worked for Carly’s father as long as Mack could remember. Dwayne was general manager and Thelma kept the books and ran the lodge. They were as much a part of the lodge as Wade.
Dwayne came toward him. “How did it go?”
Mack shook his head. “Wade threw everyone a curveball.” He filled them in, watching the surprise on the couple’s faces. “Did you have any idea he was going to do this?”
Dwayne shook his head. “I knew he was trying to get Carly to come home. He hoped she’d change her mind and keep the lodge, but I had no idea about those conditions.”
Thelma met his gaze. “Did you see Carly?”
“I did. She looks great.” He couldn’t hold back a smile. “Her little girl looks just like her.”
“I wish her daddy could have seen her. Is she coming to stay here?”
“She doesn’t have a choice. It’s a condition of the will.”
“Oh, then I’d better get the apartment ready.”
After his wife left the room, Dwayne leaned closer. “Tell me the truth. Do you think Carly will go along with this arrangement? Do you think she’ll keep the lodge?”
Mack hated to kill the hope he saw in the older man’s eyes. “I wouldn’t count on it. The first thing she asked the attorney was how soon she could put the place on the market. She wants no part of this place. If it wasn’t for me being listed as an heir, she’d have a real estate agent out here pounding a for-sale sign into the ground.”
Dwayne shook his head. “Maybe when she’s been here a few days, she’ll remember the good times. There were a lot of them before the divorce.”
“I don’t understand why she doesn’t.”
“That last year was hard on everyone. Wade and Sonia were at each other’s throats every day, and Carly was caught in the middle. She probably felt she needed to stand by her mom, who was being mistreated.”
“Wade never mistreated anyone.”
“That was Sonia’s side of the story. I always told Wade he should have fought for joint custody, but he thought Carly would be better off with her mom.”
Lucy came in from the backyard. “Uncle Mack, is that little girl and her mom coming here to live? It would be nice to have a friend to play with.”
“I’m not sure, kiddo. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Car doors slamming drew everyone’s attention. The lodge door opened, and Carly and Ella entered, stopping inside the entrance. Carly slowly surveyed the large main room, and from the expression on her face, Mack’s hopes began to deflate.
Having Carly in his life again was going to be more awkward than he’d expected. He had wondered if seeing her once more would have any effect on him, and it had. The old attraction was stirring to life again. She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, though much of the sparkle she used to exude was missing now. One thing he couldn’t deny was that seeing her back in the lodge felt right.
“Welcome home.”
She met his gaze, her brown eyes hard and determined. “My home is in Atlanta.”
His last thread of hope vanished. He’d envisioned a new beginning for them, and a return to the old friendship they’d shared. Getting Carly to remember how happy she’d been at Longleaf Lodge might be a bigger task than he’d anticipated.
From the look on her face, she had no warm memories of the lodge, and if that was true then his hopes of keeping the place and providing a real home for his niece were slim. For the first time in sixty years, the Longleaf Lodge might not be in the Porter family.
And that broke his heart.
* * *
Carly was keenly aware of the intense stare Mack was sending in her direction, and she tried to ignore her fluttering pulse. His blue gaze had always had an unsettling effect on her, and she wasn’t pleased to find that it still had the power to elevate her heart rate. Her gaze traveled around the large open room that was the heart of the lodge. The place hadn’t changed at all. Three large leather sofas were positioned in front of the tall stone fireplace. A wagon wheel light fixture hung overhead. Floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end of the room looked out onto the beauty of Lake Hope with comfy furniture arranged to take in the view.
For a brief moment she remembered her days as a child when she had found so much joy and comfort within the large log lodge. But that was long ago, before her world had fractured.
Dwayne stepped forward, arms outstretched. “Welcome back, Cupcake.”
Her heart warmed at the old nickname, because that was her favorite dessert, and his wife, Thelma, made the best ones. She accepted his hug willingly. The Thompsons were the only bright light in this trip back to Hastings.
“It’s so good to see you again. Ella, this is Mr. Dwayne, a very old friend.”
Ella smiled up at him. “Why do you call her Cupcake?”
Thelma hurried across the room from the direction of the west wing, where the owner’s apartment was located. “Because she couldn’t get enough cupcakes as a little girl.” Thelma hugged her and placed her hands on Carly’s cheeks, her eyes moist as she looked at her. “It’s so good to have you back. We’ve missed you.” She transferred her attention to Ella. “And look at this sweet thing. You look
