of the bed was empty. That meant he’d only been dreaming about Jayden spending the night with him. With a heavy sigh, he kicked the covers away, turned off the alarm on his phone, and headed to the bathroom for a wake-me-up shower.
His hair was still a little damp when he stuck his cap on his head. He’d hoped to see Jayden on the way across the yard, but the lights in the dining hall told him that she was already out there. The siren sounded just as he reached his normal morning spot for exercises, and the girls poured out of the cabins, most of them in a hard run so they wouldn’t be late. The kids had come a long way in the five weeks they’d been at Piney Wood. That meant he and the small staff were doing their jobs. The little boosts of happiness that success with the girls brought him had been chipping away at the pain that losing his fellow airmen had left in his heart.
If they’d been recruits in the air force, their trainer would have been busting his buttons, bragging to the other drill sergeants about his team. He gave Jayden a lot of the credit for the progress. Though brand new, she was tougher than nails, and still had a soft heart. He wished that he had counselors just like her for every session at the camp.
“Okay, ladies, you know the drill. We’ll start with stretching exercises, then go into jumping rope for five minutes,” he told them that morning.
“Mornin’, Elijah,” Novalene called out as she made her way across the yard.
He waved and kept leading the girls in their morning routine. “Well, dammit!” he muttered under his breath. He’d meant to tell Jayden that they had two ladies coming that afternoon to interview for the cook’s job. The dancing and kissing must’ve scrambled his brain because he’d forgotten all about it until that moment. He made a mental note to tell her right after breakfast.
His phone rang just as the girls finished up the last of their exercises and started to walk toward the new post he’d set up a mile and a half out toward the mountain. In another three weeks, they would be ready to hike out to the base of the mountain, each carrying a backpack full of what they’d need to camp out for the night.
“Hello,” he answered the call as he brought up the rear of the line.
“How’re things going?” Henry asked.
“Better than average,” Elijah answered. “It’s good to hear your voice. How’re you and Mary doing?”
“Loving this place more and more. Joe’s doing a little better, but the doctor says it won’t be long, and that it’s because we’re here that he hasn’t given up and passed away before now. He and I sit on the screened porch most of the day and talk about the old days,” Henry answered. “I called to tell you that Joe has signed over his property to me and Mary, and we’ve canceled our cruises. We like it so well here that we’re just going to stick close to home. We’ve even found a church, and everyone has taken us in and treats us like family. Folks have even been bringing food by a few times a week, stuff they remember Joe liking,” Henry said.
“That’s great,” Elijah said, “but I’d hoped y’all would find a place a little closer to Alpine.”
“That’s what we had in mind, but we’re happy here, and besides, you need the space to run Piney Wood by yourself. If we were very close by, I wouldn’t be able to keep away from the place, and Mary would always have an itch to be back in the kitchen. How’re things working with Jayden doing the cooking? Did you convince her to stay on?” Henry asked.
“Nope, but I’m trying.” Thoughts of dancing with her threw an extra beat in his heart. “She’s going to help me interview a couple of prospective cooks this afternoon.”
“Are you being smart about that?” Henry chuckled.
“I hope so,” Elijah replied. “I like her a lot, Uncle Henry.”
“I knew that before we left,” Henry said.
“How?” Elijah asked.
“It was all in the way you looked at her from that first day,” Henry said. “Don’t fight against the best thing that’s happened to you in a long time. The hospice nurse is leaving, so I should be getting out to the porch. Mary sends her love.”