Chapter Twenty-Three

Each day for the next week more peace settled into Jayden’s heart. By the last day in July she had already called a moving company to pack her things and bring all her belongings—and her truck—to Alpine. When Elijah flew her and the other counselors to North Texas, she would take the time to go to the school and clean out her room. Everything was planned and she was happier than she’d ever been.

Thank goodness it wasn’t raining, because this was the day the girls would make their hike out to the foot of the mountain. Tomorrow, they would all be taken back to the airport, where they would depart for eight different towns or cities in the state of Texas. Jayden wouldn’t think about saying goodbye. Every time she did, her eyes welled up with tears.

She vowed that she would simply dwell on today, the camping trip, and the fact that several of the girls had asked again if they could come “home” sometime during the Christmas holidays.

The siren blew that morning, but it was just to remind the girls that breakfast was ready. They didn’t have to stand at attention, their toes on the edge of the sidewalk—and it would be the last time they would hear the noise. Their days of exercises every morning had ended the day before. As soon as breakfast was finished, Elijah would lead them out to the campsite that Jayden had helped him set up the day before. Bedrolls had been tossed in tents that made a circle around what would be their firepit, and everything was ready for the rest of the day and night.

The girls were too excited to eat much that morning, so Jayden made sure they had energy bars and an extra bottle of water in their backpacks before they left on the long hike out to the mountains. Novalene and Diana had gone to their cabins to get some last-minute packing done while she finished loading and starting the dishwasher.

“Hey!” Elijah poked his head in the door. “We’re leaving in five minutes. The truck is loaded with the rest of the supplies. Everything is taken care of around here. Demon and Thunder have been put out to pasture for the next four weeks. Sam and Elvis have promised to keep the coyotes at bay so they don’t bother our calves, and the hogs and chickens have plenty of food.”

“Looks like you’ve got everything under control.” She smiled.

He crossed the room and took her into his arms. “I’m looking forward to us having time for each other this next month,” he whispered.

Like always, his warm breath sent delicious shivers down her spine. “Me too,” she told him.

“See you in a couple of hours.” He brushed one more kiss across her lips. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Jayden Bennett.”

“I love you, too.” She had thought that when they finally said those three magic words, there would be bells and whistles. Maybe they would say them after their first night together in bed, or the morning after. Today, there were no sparkles dancing around her, but instead a calmness in her world. What she and Elijah had, she realized, wasn’t pretty fireworks that lasted only a few minutes and then faded. What they had was something that went so deep that it would last through eternity. She believed that with all her heart and soul.

She watched him all the way out the door and wondered how she’d ever gotten so lucky. If she hadn’t agreed to let Skyler go to Europe, she would have spent the summer in her apartment, going about her normal routine, and would have never met her soul mate. Thank goodness she had agreed to come to Piney Wood, because now she had two new adult friends, eight little adopted sisters, and Elijah, the biggest prize of all.

She had removed her apron, hung it on a hook, and taken a few steps into the dining area when her phone rang. She saw that the call was from Skyler and almost hit the “Decline” button, but with a long sigh she answered it. “Hello from the beautiful Piney Wood Academy, where it’s supposed to be hot and sunny today.”

“I’d like to tell you not to be a smart-ass,” Skyler said.

“So, why don’t you?” Jayden asked.

“Because I didn’t call to argue or to be . . . oh, hell, you told me to grow up, and I’m trying to do just that. It may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Skyler said. “I called to say that I’m sorry for everything, for being mean to you, for everything. Ray Don tells me that getting away from narcissism is like admitting you are an alcoholic. In either case, a person has to want to change before anything can get done.”

“You are listening to Ray Don now?” Jayden asked.

“It’s all part of that thing called growing up that you talked about. When Ray Don told me that’s what I had, I argued with him and cried, but my tears didn’t faze him. I went home and looked up the symptoms, and that’s when your words came back to me,” she said. “This thing has even more steps than alcoholism, and it’s tough to change.”

“Good for you for realizing you have a problem,” Jayden said.

“Thank you. It’ll be a long process, but Ray Don says I’m making progress already. He’s my rock. I just didn’t know how much until these past few weeks.” She paused so long that Jayden held her phone out to be sure that she hadn’t lost the connection.

“I didn’t get the job at the private school or at the place where you taught, either one,” Skyler finally spoke up again. “At the time, I whined to Ray Don, and he told me the same thing you did. He told me it was past time for me to grow up. I got mad and stormed out of his house. The next day, he came by with a pint of my favorite ice cream, and he gave me a ‘come to Jesus’ talk. He told me that you can kick any bush between here and New York City and find a dozen friends, but family can’t be replaced, and that I needed to open my eyes and see what has always been right in front of me.” She stopped and took another long breath. “He reminded me that I had thrown away the best sister ever, and I had taken him for granted. Then he gave me an ultimatum. Either be with him all the time right out in public, or it was over.”

“Did you believe him?” Jayden asked.

“Yes, I did, and the thought of never being able to see him again terrified me. I realized right then that I’d been in love with him for sixteen years. I also know that the reason I’ve treated you so horrible is that I was jealous. You’ve always been what I wanted to be. Tall, confident, and you have such a big heart. I’m sorry about everything. If you’ll let me have it, I’d like a second chance,” Skyler said.

Did Novalene put liquor in Jayden’s coffee that morning? Surely, she was hearing things. Skyler just paid her the first-ever compliment, and she wanted a second chance. Jayden frowned, and something the preacher had said the previous Sunday came to her mind: forgive your brother seventy times seven.

“I forgive you.” Jayden realized in that moment that forgiving her sister had little to do with Skyler and everything to do with herself. Looking forward to the future depended on her letting go of the past—forgiving was part of that.

“Thank you,” Skyler whimpered.

“Are you crying?” Jayden asked.

“I don’t deserve to be your sister, but I’m glad you’re going to let me be. I should also tell you that I’m not going to teach next year. I started to work here at Ray Don’s construction company last Monday. His secretary plans to retire in a couple of years. She’s training me to take her place, and . . .” Skyler hesitated.