Free Saving Laurel Springs by Lin Stepp

your tour.” Taylor offered his hand to Rhea in a surprisingly adult manner.
    She shook his hand. “I hope you had a good time.”
    His eyes shone. “I did. And Dad’s going to take me and Beau swimming next and then Grandpa’s going to let me ride with him on his tractor.”
    â€œThat’s nice.” Rhea tried to smile again, but the strain of the day was wearing on her.
    â€œI love Laurel Springs,” Taylor enthused. “And me and Beau are getting to be the bestest friends. Just like you and Dad were.” He paused. “Dad says we’re probably going to stay here to live and not go back to California.” His eyes shone. “We’re going to build our own house where the Costner cabin ruins are. That’s on Low Ridge not too far from your house. You told us about that place today, remember?”
    Rhea nodded. She felt sick. The site of the Costner cabin ruins had always been a favorite tryst spot for her and Carter. They sat against the old rock chimney on the hillside many times planning how they would build a house there one day.
    She felt Carter’s brown eyes probing hers and busied herself collecting weekly schedules from off the tram seat. Then she studied her watch.
    â€œI need to go now.” Rhea attempted another smile. “I’m supposed to work in the store this afternoon for a few hours to cover for Jeannie, and before that time I need to do some work in the office.”
    She turned toward the administrative building.
    Carter’s voice started behind her. “See ya later. . . .”
    â€œDon’t finish that, Carter.” She turned to frown at him, knowing the next words would be and love you forever, Rhea Dean . “The past can’t be recaptured. You need to keep that in mind.”
    She strode off then, but she could feel his eyes following her.

CHAPTER 6
    C arter’s thoughts centered around Rhea for the rest of the afternoon. It was proving more difficult to get back into her good graces than expected.
    He took Taylor swimming in the lake and decided the old swim raft should definitely be replaced. The deck boards felt loose, and it shook so much on its worn foundations that it was downright dangerous. The big gazebo needed its roof replaced, the boat dock needed a total rebuild, and some of the canoes looked decrepit.
    It saddened Carter to see how run-down many areas of Laurel Springs had become. He’d taken Taylor to see the administrative building and the old church after Rhea stalked off. Arriving late, they’d missed that part of the tour. The furniture and equipment in the ad-min building looked archaic, and the broad front porch of the long building seemed to be listing to one side. Carter scowled. The paint had even faded off part of the exterior of the church—a sorrowful sight to see. A stained-glass window in the church was broken and boarded over, and the old Scripture over the doorway had faded almost to oblivion.
    He mumbled to himself as he walked through the assembly grounds, adding continual notes to the notepad tucked in his shirt pocket. Was the place this run-down when he left? Or did it just seem worse after so many years away?
    Leaving Taylor to ride the tractor with his grandpa, Carter decided to walk through parts of the assembly grounds he hadn’t closely studied yet. He’d seen most of the historic areas on the tour earlier, so he walked up the Assembly Road toward the covered bridge now, wanting to check out the cabin and campsite roads.
    He stopped and laughed out loud when he spotted a familiar weathered signpost at the junction of the East and West Cabin Roads. The top sign read “Thisa Way,” while the bottom sign said “Thata Way.”
    â€œShoot, I remember when I had this sign made,” he said out loud to himself. Rhea had made a joke one day about trying to decide whether to go Thisa Way or Thata Way, and he got a guy in high school shop to