Some Bright Someday (Maple Valley #2) - Melissa Tagg Page 0,29
call about Grandpa’s passing. He’d actually come home for a couple of years then, worked the orchard at Dad’s insistence before Kit had moved back from London and taken over.
But he’d known all through those two years that he didn’t belong at the orchard. Probably didn’t even belong in Maple Valley. He’d itched to get back to Bridgewell. Never had understood why Dad had turned the orchard over to him, especially considering the years of distance between them, his father’s refusal to so much as shake his hand when he’d finally come back to the States.
Of course, Dad hadn’t known about Bridgewell. Probably thought Lucas needed the work, the discipline. Probably thought he was doing me a favor.
Right. As if Dad had ever gone out of his way to actually be a part of his son and daughter’s lives.
“And somehow playing gardener is supposed to get me ready to join Bridgewell Elite?”
Oh, they were going to do more than garden. It’d take a full day alone to saw that fallen tree into smaller pieces and haul it away, along with all the debris from the destroyed shed. Then they’d need to rebuild the shed. Between that and the neglected gardens, the broken fountain, the landscaping, they’d have plenty to keep them occupied for the next month, at least.
And frankly, he liked the challenge of it. Of the physical labor, anyway, if not necessarily the company. But he couldn’t forget that Noah was his work. His mission.
“Noah, Bridgewell Elite is a team. It’s a close-knit group of soldiers who haven’t just mastered a series of skills and tools. We’ve perfected the art of working together. It’s not the physical training that makes us elite, it’s the fact that we can communicate silently, read each other’s minds.”
Well, almost anyway. He hadn’t picked up on Courtney’s, uh . . . feelings or anything. Nor had he done a good job—or any job at all—silently communicating his break in protocol when they’d been in Venezuela.
Still. He might’ve taken a bullet, but he’d completed the mission.
And he’d complete this one. No matter how many scowls Noah sent his way.
“We need to start tackling this place if we want to be able to sleep tonight without inhaling dust. I thought maybe while we work, you could tell me a little about your experience in Iraq.”
“Flagg said you’re my mentor, not my counselor.”
“Yeah, well, he also told me he could see promise and potential in you. Maybe he misled both of us.” Probably not the best thing to say to get on the guy’s good side, but just how much was he supposed to put up with here? He sure as heck hadn’t been this insolent when Flagg had first taken him under his wing.
No, he’d been entirely too desperate to be anything but pliable and grateful.
“Lucas!”
The distant sound of Jen’s voice broke in. He crossed the room in three long strides and brushed past Noah. Jenessa was flying across the lawn, the loose maroon dress she wore over a pair of black leggings billowing around her. Why was she barefoot? Today was the first day of October—the ground was cold.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she gasped through panting breaths, covering the last of the grassy space between them. “Nothing at all.” She gulped for air. “They’re staying. At least for now. I had to practically beg Carmen and apparently she has to get some temporary emergency order or something from a judge somewhere and there’s this whole checklist of stuff I’ll have to do, foster parent training and . . .” She again attempted to catch her breath. “The point is, I can keep them . . . at least until . . . further notice.”
Before he could say a word, she flung her arms around his neck. She released him a second later, stepped back, and glanced over his shoulder.
“Oh, hi. You must be Noah.”
He should say something. Congratulate her. Introduce her. But no, one fast-as-lightning hug and he’d gone mute. He barely heard Noah’s mumbled “hi” behind him.
“I’m Jenessa. I own this place.” She turned her sparkling eyes back on Lucas. “Are you sure you want to stay in the cottage, Luke? It’s not exactly modern. Although you should’ve seen it back when my aunt lived here. It was my favorite place in the world back then and—oh, I can’t stay. Cade’s going to wake up from his nap any minute. I just wanted to tell you the good news.”