“I don’t appreciate your snide remarks.” Skyler jumped up and popped both her hands on her hips. “If you won’t agree to help me, then I’ll just leave.”

“You’ve always gotten your way about everything,” Jayden said. “It must be hard for you right now, but either tell me what happened or there’s the door.”

“He caused me to lose all my friends at Glory Bound, and he took back my ring.” Skyler sniffled.

Tears wouldn’t work this time on Jayden. “Keep going. You must want a reference pretty bad to come to me. Am I the last person on your list? You do know that whatever school you apply to will call Glory Bound and ask them why you weren’t given your old place back, don’t you?”

Skyler’s chin quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks. She put her head in her hands and wept worse than she had at any one of the three funerals Jayden had attended with her. “I messed up real bad. If I have to work at a minimum wage job, I’ll lose my car and have to move into a ratty apartment.”

“Keep talking.” Jayden felt so sorry for her that she almost went over and put an arm around her.

“Do you remember Ray Don Wilson?” Skyler raised her head, but the tears kept flowing.

“That bad boy that Mama and Daddy wouldn’t let you date back in high school?” Jayden asked. “He was always into something shady or downright illegal.”

“He’s settled down now and is part owner of a construction company that frames out houses,” Skyler defended him.

Suddenly, everything came into focus for Jayden. “You haven’t been . . . you didn’t . . .”

“We’ve been friends with benefits since our senior year in school. Every now and then we get together and spend a weekend with one another, or maybe just a couple of hours together. David and I decided not to have sex until we were married, and, well, I do have needs,” she stammered. “Ray Don came over to my apartment, and dammit! David was supposed to be at a meeting with his grandmother all morning.”

“Good Lord!” Jayden gasped. “He caught you cheating on him.”

“We weren’t married yet.” Skyler’s tone went back to the ice stage. “And I told him that it would be the last time.”

“So, you think that it’s not cheating since you weren’t married? For God’s sake, Skyler, own up to your mistakes. This is your fault, not David’s,” Jayden told her.

“Well, you should be happy,” Skyler all but hissed at her. “David took back my ring and called off the wedding. Ray Don offered to marry me, but I can’t be tied to a man like that.”

“Why not? He’s a hardworking guy, and he probably makes three times what a teacher or even a guidance counselor does, so he’s got more money than David had, if that’s what makes a good husband in your eyes,” Jayden said.

“I don’t love him,” Skyler moaned.

“But you loved David?” Jayden frowned.

“No, but he would be an ideal husband. His family has money, and we were going to start our own private school, and the ring . . . Lord, that ring was beautiful,” Skyler said. “Now no one at Glory Bound will even talk to me just because David couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

“Grow up!” Jayden began to pace around the room. “You’ve been spoiled your whole life, and it’s time you figure out that things aren’t as important as other people’s feelings and for sure aren’t as important as love. I’ll give you a recommendation if a private school calls me, but only because I believe you can do any job that you set your head to do. My opinion of you as a person . . . well, that’s a different story.”

“How can you talk to me like that when I’m scrambling just to survive?” Skyler whined. “I will probably have to borrow money from you just to get by since I spent that thousand dollars on a wedding planner.”

“I’m not your bank.” For the first time Jayden didn’t even feel guilty about telling Skyler no.

“Why are you so mean to me?” Skyler asked.

“I will not loan you money,” Jayden said. “I will give you a piece of advice. Learn to live within your means, and if you ever want to have a sister or even a relationship with me as a friend, I’ll be right here. I’m not leaving at the end of next week. I’m taking the job of cook for this place and moving into Elijah’s cabin. He’ll be moving over to Henry and Mary’s place.”

“Well, well, well.” Skyler’s grin was downright condescending. “So, you owe me. I’ll take that payment in cash.”

“I don’t think so. I came down here as a favor to you because you begged me to, so you could go to Europe, and now that I think about it, if you hadn’t bought a new sports car every year since Mama died, you’d have more than enough money to go anywhere in the world,” Jayden reminded her.

The door opened and all three of Jayden’s girls rushed in out of the rain. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw a strange woman sitting in their living area.

“We saw a car out front, and it looks like the one my mama drives,” Tiffany said. “I thought maybe . . .” Her voice trailed off.

“This is my sister, Skyler.” Jayden made introductions all around.

“So, y’all are the Daydreamers this summer! Are you ready to get back home where you can have your makeup and jewelry? I used to have little make-believe makeup parties with my girls. We’d use my makeup and have facials. Does Jayden do that with you?” Skyler came alive. All the tears dried up and her eyes sparkled.

“That would be against the rules,” Tiffany said without so much as a tiny grin.

“Why did you make our Jayden cry?” Ashlyn asked.

Skyler’s face turned red and she ignored the question. “I really must be going now.” Skyler stood up, kicked her muddy clothes to the side, and headed for the door. “And, Jayden, thanks for the recommendation. Maybe someday I’ll stop by again.”

All three girls gave her the stink eye, but Skyler ignored it as she rushed out the door.

“I can’t believe you were nice to her,” Tiffany said and then blushed, “but then you were nice to all of us when we were hateful to you.”

Jayden didn’t feel like she’d been nice at all. She actually felt sorry for her older sister. The woman had some hard lessons ahead of her, and Jayden had no doubt that their paths would cross again the next time Skyler needed something. Most of the time, after Gramps died, she only came home to see Jayden and their mother when she wanted money for something, and Mama always gave it to her.

They all heard the sound of Skyler’s engine starting and her vehicle driving away. “She’s sure nothing like you. I’m glad we didn’t get her for our counselor this year.”

“Me too,” Jayden said. “Because if you had, I never would have gotten to know you amazing girls, and I would have never gotten to make the decision to stay right here rather than going back to school.”

The girls’ whoops and hollers filled the whole cabin. When they finally settled down, Tiffany asked, “Can we tell everyone else? Does Elijah know?”

“Yes, and yes,” Jayden answered. All was well in her life at the moment, and if any other problems arose, she would have Elijah to help get her through them.