River's End (9781426761140) (23 page)

Clark set the bucket back down on the dock and nodded. “I don't want to lose them either. But you know as well as I do that we don't have much control over that.”

“I know.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her old Pendleton jacket and nodded. “But I can pray about it.”

Less than a week after the engagement announcement, Jewel asked to talk to Anna in private. Anna wasn't sure what this meant since it seemed they were already alone in the laundry room, where Anna had just set down a basket of sheets. But she could tell by Jewel's expression that this must be something important. “Want to meet me for coffee in my office?” Anna suggested.

Jewel made a nervous nod. “Let me get these towels in the dryer and start those sheets and I'll be right up.”

Anna tried not to feel worried as she went upstairs. And, as she poured them each a cup of coffee, adding milk and sugar to Jewel's, she braced herself for what she suspected would be Jewel's next announcement—that she and Skip would be moving on. Clark had mentioned a conversation he'd had with Skip just yesterday. Skip's father had a plumbing business in town, and after hearing about the engagement, he had invited Skip to become a partner.

Before long, Anna and Jewel were seated in the office, and Anna waited for the nervous-looking girl to begin. “I don't know how to say this,” Jewel finally said, “but you have been like family to me. Both you and Clark.” She sniffed as if she was holding back tears. “That night when you let me leave with you in your car . . . and the way you took me into your home, gave me a job . . . well, I don't know if I can ever properly thank you for that.”

Anna smiled. “That's not necessary. You know how much I love you, Jewel, how much I appreciate all you do around here.”

“And I love being here. I love the river.” Jewel bit her lip. “It's been like home.”

“I'm glad you've enjoyed it here.” Anna sighed. “And Clark told me that Skip is considering going into business with his dad and we understand. It's a great opportunity for—”

“But Skip doesn't want to be a plumber,” she said suddenly. “He loves it here, too, Anna. Do you think there's any way we can continue to live here after we're married? I mean I realize I'm only using Babette's house until Lauren comes back. After she finishes school. And it would be unfair to ask you to let us live there. But is there—”

“Don't be so quick to give up on that,” Anna said. Now she told her a bit about what she and Clark had discussed. “We would love to have a married couple in our employ,” she explained. “It would lend some solidity to the positions. But it would only work if the couple really wanted to be here.” She explained about Marshall and Joanna and how they had decided it wasn't the right fit for them.

“But we both love it here,” Jewel assured her. “Skip was just saying that going to work for his dad—after working here on the river—would feel like going to prison.”

“Really?”

“And Skip really respects Clark.”

Anna felt a wave of relief. Perhaps everyone wasn't leaving them after all. “Well, we should all four sit down together and discuss this.”

“Yes.” Jewel nodded eagerly. “Whenever you want.”

By the end of the week, the four of them reached an agreement. First of all, Jewel would move into one of the cabins so they could close up Babette's house for the winter. Then, following their wedding, which Skip and Jewel wanted to have in February, the newlyweds would be allowed to live in Babette's house together. In the meantime, Skip and Clark would begin building an additional cabin for the couple's use. They would also have health-care coverage and some other benefits.

“You guys are the best,” Jewel said as she hugged Anna. “Better than parents!”

Clark laughed. “Well, just don't let your parents hear you saying that.”

“Speaking of parents,” Anna said, “where do you plan to have your wedding?”

Jewel looked at Skip. “Skip's mom suggested their church.”

“But I don't really want to be married there,” Skip admitted. “I haven't gone there since I was a kid. Even my folks don't go anymore. It would seem weird.”

“I wish we could get married here,” Jewel said with longing.

“Why don't you?” Clark suggested.

“Really?” Jewel looked hopefully at Anna.

“If you'd like to,” Anna told her. “We think this is a great place for a wedding.” She smiled at Clark. “It worked for us.”

“And for Marshall and Joanna.”

“And at least a couple dozen other couples,” Anna said.

So it was settled. And when Anna went to bed that night, she felt more hopeful than ever. Perhaps not everyone was going to leave the river after all.

Despite being unsure as to who would gather with them this year, Anna was working on some simple Christmas preparations at the inn. No guests were booked until mid-January. And this wasn't unusual during the holidays. But Marshall and Joanna had taken an unexpected trip to the British Isles. And Skip and Jewel planned to spend Christmas with his family. Even Lauren was unsure where she would be since she was using her Christmas break in her ongoing search for Sarah.

“It might just be the two of us for Christmas,” Anna told Clark just a week before Christmas.

He lowered his newspaper and frowned. “Really?”

She nodded as she removed her reading glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “There's a slight chance Lauren will be here, but she doesn't want to commit just yet. When I spoke to her yesterday, it sounded as if she'd found a new trail. She thinks Sarah might be somewhere down in California and plans to spend the next few days down there. I told her not to feel like she must come home. The most important thing is finding Sarah. And if the trail is still warm . . .” Anna knew better than to get her hopes up.

“I wish we'd known about this sooner.” He set the paper aside.

“About the warm trail?”

“No, that it would just be the two of us for Christmas. We could've made other plans.”

“Other plans?”

“Sure. We could've closed the place up and taken a trip somewhere.”

She considered this, wondering if that was even possible.

“Someday we're going to have to take some time for ourselves, Anna.”

She smiled. “Maybe we'll do that when everyone is gone next week.”

He grinned back at her. “Imagine that—the whole place to ourselves—what will we do?”

She laughed at the twinkle in his eye. “Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something.”

Just then the phone rang, and, since she was closest, Anna answered it.

“
Mom?
”

“Lauren. Hello. How are you?”

“I found her!”

“Oh, my!” Anna nodded eagerly at Clark. “You found Sarah?”

“Yes. I can hardly believe it. But I found her.”

“Where? Is she with you?”

“She's at a place down near the redwoods. In California.”

“So she's still in the place? Not with you?”

Lauren made a loud sigh. “She refused to see me, Mom.”

“Oh . . . well . . .” Anna wasn't too surprised.

“The people running the place actually seem okay, Mom. But they said that Sarah's been sick. They said she needs some medical help.”

“Oh, dear. What's wrong with her?”

“I don't know. But I'm worried. We have to get her out of there.”

“Maybe I can get her to come home,” Anna said.

“Yes!” Lauren sounded hopeful. “I think she'd go with you, Mom.”

Anna looked at Clark. “Maybe Clark and I can both drive down there together.”

“Could you?”

“Let me talk to Clark,” she said. “Can I call you back?”

“This is a pay phone.”

“Then give me a minute,” Anna said. Now she quickly explained the situation to Clark, and he immediately agreed that they should go together as soon as possible. “It's settled,” she told Lauren. “We can come.”

Lauren gave Anna the information about the location, and, after a bit more discussion about the situation, it was decided that Anna and Clark would leave first thing in the morning.

Anna was so excited and nervous she could barely sleep that night. They got up early in the morning, and, while it was still dark, Anna packed a box with blankets and pillows, as well as a picnic basket with food and drinks. She even made some teas and tinctures. Using healthful remedies that
worked for simple ailments like colds and flu, she put them into canning jars and packed them carefully. Before they left, she wrote a note for Jewel and Skip explaining why they were gone.

By the time the sun was coming up, they were already down the river and traveling south on the coastal highway. As Clark drove, Anna told him more about the other time she'd attempted to rescue Sarah, the time she'd come home with Jewel instead. Last summer, she had attempted to spare him because she knew how it would've disturbed him to think she'd been in any danger. Now she spared no details.

“I had no idea it had been such a frightening experience,” Clark said in an alarmed tone. “If I'd known that, I would've insisted on going with you. That Daniel sounds like he could've been dangerous.”

“But Lauren said this new place—where Sarah is now—is fairly friendly. The people she spoke to were helpful. And she doesn't expect us to have any opposition. It sounded as if they were eager to have her go.”

“I'd think they'd be happy to have her leave if she's really ill.” Clark sounded concerned. “Do you have any idea what's wrong?”

Anna just shook her head.

“Well, hopefully it's nothing too serious.”

“Hopefully, it's serious enough to make Sarah want to come home,” Anna added. “Sometimes we have to get knocked down in order to get picked up.”

“Will Lauren meet us there?”

“She felt it would be best for Sarah's sake if she stayed out of the picture,” Anna explained. “She asked us to call her at the motel she's staying in to let her know if we get Sarah out safely.”

“Safely?” Clark frowned.

Anna smiled nervously. “Well, you know.”

“Then what will Lauren do?”

“I told her to go on home . . . I mean to the inn.”

“Do you think that's a good idea? What about Sarah?”

“Lauren offered to stay at Babette's house,” Anna explained. “In case it's awkward.” Anna wondered how many other families had problems like this during the holidays . . . or was it just them?

It was almost three when they were finally going down the private gravel road at the location Lauren had given her. “It's a relief to see it's not all fenced in here,” Anna observed.

“It's certainly pretty.” He slowed down for a curve that wrapped around a mammoth redwood tree. “These trees are amazing.”

“Is that it up there?” Anna pointed through the trees to where several cabinlike buildings were clustered around a lodgelike building.

“Looks like it.”

Anna leaned forward and blinked at the attractively landscaped area. Such a contrast to last summer's commune, this place suggested that someone cared. The neatly cut lawns and stone borders around weed-free beds gave it a parklike appearance. “Does it remind you of anything?”

He nodded slowly. “Except . . . the river is missing.”

“And the trees are much bigger.” She felt a rush of nerves as she realized what they might be getting themselves into. Lauren had said the people seemed friendly, but from what Anna had read about Jonestown, it had been described as friendly, too. The congressman and others had received a very congenial tour, just hours before total chaos erupted and everyone was killed.

And yet something about this setting comforted Anna as she tried to see it from Sarah's eyes. Had Sarah felt a sense of
familiarity here? Perhaps she'd been longing for home. Anna could only hope. As Clark parked the station wagon next to an old blue pickup in front of the biggest building, Anna said a silent and slightly desperate prayer. She knew they would need divine help today.