23. No Vacancy

Chapter 23

No Vacancy

M aeve stood at the wall of windows overlooking the pasture, watching a deer traipse peacefully by. The sun was dipping behind the distant mountain range. Snow had blanketed the roads all afternoon, causing even more closures on the windy mountain roads. Despite the terrible conditions, Dallas was still promising to be home that evening. No matter how many times she had bombarded him with texts asking that he pull off the highway, that hard-headed man wouldn’t budge. She smiled, taking a long drink from her mug.

They were both stubborn and strong-willed in a way that smoothed out their rough edges.

She did her best to keep the worst-case scenarios from creeping into her mind, quietly handing her worries over to the Lord.

The front door slammed shut with a gust of blustery wind, signaling Oakleigh and Crew had returned from their afternoon chores. They shook the snow off their coats and stamped their boots on the mat before yanking them off and leaving them by the doorway. Crew took Oakleigh’s hand, leading her through the house and into the kitchen.

“Fresh coffee on the stove,” Maeve announced as if they didn’t already know.

Oakleigh pulled two mugs down and tipped the percolator, filling them nearly to the brim. She splashed some cream in each, followed by two heaping spoonfuls of sugar.

Maeve came beside her and topped off her mug.

“Late night tonight?” Oakleigh observed.

“I think so,” Maeve replied, raising an eyebrow as she inspected Crew’s coffee. “Oh, not you too, kid.”

He pulled the mug to his lips, and took a long sip. “Life used to be plain and simple, like my coffee,” he chuckled.

Oakleigh gasped, giving him a sharp elbow.

“Well, you can kiss those days goodbye.”

“Gladly,” Crew whispered.

Her expression transformed into a satisfied smile as Crew tilted her chin, and gave her a tender kiss.

“All right, settle down,” Maeve chimed in with an amused smile. “We have some business to discuss.”

Setting her mug down on the counter, Maeve crossed her arms. “We’ve got a competition coming up,” she reminded. “You feeling ready?”

“Sure am,” Crew replied with a confident grin. “I even heard Stetson’s back in town, and running his mouth.”

His longtime rival had rarely been seen around White Bridge since the night of Crew’s accident .

“You know this is for charity, right?” Oakleigh asked, swirling the coffee in her mug.

Crew and Maeve exchanged an amused glance.

“Competition is a competition,” Crew grinned. “And I’m bettin’ I’ll draw one of the Slims this time.”

He put a thumb firmly in his chest.

“I’ll be the first one ever to ride Big Slim a full eight seconds,” he bragged. “If I have anything to say about it.”

Oakleigh began to look uneasy at the mention of the ranch’s star bull.

“I think Oakleigh might have a few things to say about it,” Maeve observed.

That was an understatement.

“Melody Fields is hungry for our title,” Maeve continued. “I want to make sure we show up at our best.”

“Not easy to do without Sawyer,” Crew chimed in. “He’s salty as ever and raring to get out of bed.”

“Let him complain all he wants, he’s on rest until I say otherwise,” Maeve firmly stated. “Bethany’s sure been a blessing, though,” she mused. “She’s really seemed to raise his spirits — that was a good call, Oakleigh.”

Oakleigh beamed with pride at the compliment as she took a sip from her mug.

“And how’s the shop?” Maeve pivoted, hoping to cross off everything from her list quickly so she could move along to cooking supper. She knew Dallas and the ranch hands would be looking forward to a hot meal after the long drive home .

“I got a voice memo from Audrey,” Oakleigh said with an eye roll. “She’s in a panic.”

“When ain’t she in a panic?” Crew grinned.

Oakleigh shrugged. “I tried to talk her down.”

Her indifference caused Maeve a tinge of annoyance.

“Well,” Maeve asked. “What does she need?

“Power is out all over town,” Oakleigh answered flatly. “But we invested in that big generator last year, remember?” She flung her hand up to punctuate her words.

“All she has to do is press one little red button,” she said, rolling her eyes again, “and all those customers can have all the coffee they want.”

“Customers?” Maeve asked, tilting her head. “At this time of night?”

“Yeah,” Oakleigh confirmed, drawing another sip from her mug, “She’s slammed.”

“In this?” Maeve gestured to the wall of windows displaying the thick snow piling up on the balcony.

Her eyes widened.

She drew her fingers across her brow, trying to mitigate her accusatory tone.

“Oakleigh, did you do what I asked?”

Her eyes went wide, and there was a lengthy pause before Oakleigh responded.

“Which part?”

Her feigned ignorance on the matter was all the answer she needed .

Maeve was frustrated.

“The part where you tell your fans that the town is at capacity?” she challenged.

Her gaze flicked away to the corner of the kitchen.

“Oakleigh, I swear,” Maeve replied, her temper rising as she put her mug down on the countertop. Taking her phone from her pocket, she dialed Audrey.

“Miss Maeve —” Audrey stammered.

When Audrey’s quivering voice came through the speaker, Maeve shot Oakleigh an exasperated glance.

“Audrey, hang in there,” she reassured. “I’m on my way.”

“Okay,” Audrey sniffled. “Please hurry.”

“Maeve,” Oakleigh deflected. “You know she’s just being dramatic.”

Maeve put up her hand, cutting off Oakleigh’s statement. She dialed June, knowing the older woman would give her an accurate picture of the situation.

“Maeve, I was just about to call you,” June answered, her voice marked with concern.

“I hear there’s trouble,” Maeve said, giving Oakleigh another annoyed glance.

“Well, I’d say that’s an understatement,” June replied. There came a sound in the background of low clamor and the clinking of mugs. “I just popped into the shop, and it’s packed like a can of sardines. ”

“What about the bed and breakfasts?” Maeve asked, running her palm across her brow as she flung ideas like spaghetti at the wall.

“All full,” June answered. “No room in the inn.”

“And I don’t suppose we can send them home?” Maeve suggested, knowing already that the solution was far too simple.

“Road’s closed to the airport, hun,” June said with a touch of dismay. “If we send them away, they’ll likely freeze out there.”

“Okay, we’re heading your way,” Maeve said, hoping to reassure her. “Tell Audrey to keep the generator running.”

When the call ended, she was nearly at a loss for words.

“Oakleigh,” she said, searching the young woman for answers. “How many times has Audrey asked for help?”

“A few times,” she admitted, biting her lip, “but we’ve kind of had a lot going on here.”

Her brow furrowed, and frustration flashed through her eyes. “Can’t she do anything on her own?”

“No,” Maeve interrupted, her volume rising.

“And why not?” Oakleigh bit back.

“Because she shouldn’t have to,” Maeve snapped.

Seeing from Oakleigh’s expression that she was upset, Maeve needed to step away before she said something she might regret.

“We’ll talk about this later,” she said. “We have to go.”

Maeve bolted up the stairs and whisked down the hallway to quickly change into some warmer clothes. At just the wrong time, Harper stepped out of her room. She blocked Maeve’s path in a way that set her nerves on edge.

She noticed that Harper was again donning her signature pearl necklace that had belonged to their mother, paired with a self-satisfied expression.

“Oh, I’m so glad I ran into you,” Harper chimed with an unusual bounce of optimism.

“I’m afraid it’s going to have to wait,” Maeve replied, attempting to pass her by. “We’ve got an emergency.”

Harper crossed her arms, sidestepping again in her way.

“Well, I’m coming.”

“Harper,” Maeve responded, struggling to keep her temper even. “I’m going to need you to stay.”

“I’m coming,” Harper’s firm tone indicated that she wasn’t going to budge.

Maeve felt her capacity to argue dwindling. She left Harper behind and headed to her bedroom, where it only took a couple of minutes to pull on her snow gear. By the time she rounded the corner of the stairs into the living room, Harper was well into what seemed like a loaded conversation with Oakleigh. The young woman’s arms were crossed tightly to her chest as she listened intently to her mother lecturing in hushed tones.

Maeve was no idiot. She knew Harper would never let an opportunity pass if she could sow a thread of discord into the chaos.

There wasn’t time to do damage control .

She passed them by, heading out into the sub-zero temperatures. They followed her lead as she headed to the Jeep.

Bethany popped her head through the doorway. “Should I stay?”

“Look after Sawyer,” Maeve instructed. “I appreciate you, Bethany.”

While she trudged through the knee-deep snow drifts, she could hear Harper flinging underhanded jabs at her expense.

“Sure, she appreciates Bethany,” Harper sneered. “While you get what?”

“Blamed for everything,” Oakleigh muttered bitterly as she opened the driver’s door and climbed inside.

Maeve swung the door open in frustration, taking her place in the passenger’s seat.

“Actually — ” Oakleigh announced. Refusing to make eye contact, she slammed her finger into the ignition button. “I’d like my mom to sit there.”

It was an exercise in sheer pettiness.

“Oakleigh?” Maeve said calmly, trying to cut through the young woman’s attitude and remind her just who she was speaking to. “Is that really what you want?”

“It is my car,” Oakleigh replied, her response as icy as the driving snow.

Instead of escalating the thick hostility between them, Maeve quietly pushed the door open. She couldn’t help but notice Harper’s smug smile as she slipped past her, taking her place next to Oakleigh .

Maeve settled into the back seat beside Crew, who offered an apologetic glance. Despite her own frustration, she gave his knee a motherly pat, hoping to reassure him that everything would be okay — although she was the one who could have used some reassurance.

Oakleigh took the icy road faster than Maeve would have preferred, yet she remained quiet.

“I guess it’s as good a time as any,” Harper chimed. “Oakleigh, your father has his job back at Pacific Crest.” Her voice bounced with excitement. “Head pastor, isn’t that fantastic?”

Oakleigh quietly kept her eyes on the road, but Maeve couldn’t help but notice that the young woman’s knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.

“That’s great, Mom,” she said, her voice loaded with false optimism.

Harper exhaled contentedly as she continued. “I’m just over the moon at the thought of stepping back into ministry again.”

Maeve bristled.

Harper’s favorite phrase was still a trigger for her, digging deep into her old wounds.

“Oakleigh,” Harper dripped. “There’s still a place for you, when you’re ready.”

The uncomfortably heavy quietness blanketed the car once again.

They pulled onto the darkened Main Street, where the heavy snow was piling up in windows and doorways. The only lights to be seen were the ones shining from the windows of Ruth’s Coffee Shop. Nearly every parking spot was taken except for the ones reserved for them. Oakleigh pulled into her space, and turned off the ignition.

June’s description of packed sardines was surprisingly accurate. The shop was packed with standing room only, and the door was being pushed ajar as the crowd of stranded young people pressed together to keep warm.

“Crew,” Harper exclaimed. Her voice held the renewed charm that had made her successful. “Could you be a dear and give me a hand out of the Jeep?”

“Um,” Crew stuttered, his eyes darting from Maeve to Oakleigh as if searching for a way out. Resigning himself to his fate, he gave Harper a nod. “Sure.”

Harper picked a piece of fuzz off her outfit distractedly.

“What a gentleman.”

Crew opened her door, and offered a hand as Harper stepped out of the lifted Jeep into the deep snow.

“You know, Crew,” she said. “We love athletes at Pacific Crest, you’ll have to come speak.” She looked at him from head to toe. “First, a new wardrobe — and a haircut, of course.”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Davenport,” he muttered, “I suppose?” Closing the door with a slam, he accompanied Harper into the packed coffee shop.

Maeve waited in the darkened backseat, patiently enduring the silence between them. Oakleigh leaned her head back on the headrest, finally lifting her eyes to meet Maeve’s in the reflection of the rearview mirror .

Oakleigh pulled her hand over her mouth and let out a choking sob, clenching her eyes shut as tears overflowed down her cheeks.

Maeve knew then that Oakleigh wouldn’t be accepting her mother’s generous offer.

“I’m sorry, Maeve,” she said, her voice thickened with regret.

Maeve took a deep breath, knowing she had a right to be frustrated with Oakleigh’s negligence. She also understood that Harper had used the unfortunate series of events to trigger a reaction in the young woman, driving a wedge between them.

It was yet another cruel tactic Harper had learned from their father, who would have never let an opportunity go to waste.

She hated when he would do it to her.

How could she do this to her own daughter?

Maeve knew that it was by grace alone she had been given the tools to break the cycle. Now she was determined to help Oakleigh do the same.

She gave Oakleigh’s shoulder a squeeze.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“No, I caused this,” Oakleigh quivered. She flung her hand at the chaotic crowd of fans now overflowing from the shop and onto the frozen street. “And then I treated you like —” she stammered, gulping for a breath of air.

“Oakleigh,” Maeve calmly reassured. “We’re going to move past this.”

Her feelings were hurt, but that wasn’t going to keep her from pouring compassion on the broken young woman .

“You and I are going to be just fine.”

Maeve pushed her door open and stepped from the lifted Jeep, her boots disappearing into the fresh powder. She met Oakleigh on the sidewalk, and pulled her into a firm hug.

“I push away everyone I love,” Oakleigh cried, burying her face in her gloved hands. “You — Paisley.”

It was no surprise that Oakleigh was thinking about her broken relationship with her little sister.

“We are okay, Oakleigh,“ Maeve affirmed. “Push all you want, but you couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” She felt tears sting her eyes as she blinked them away before they could freeze to her cheeks. “So stop trying,” she chuckled.

Oakleigh shook her head, staring down at the snowy sidewalk. “How do you stay so strong?”

Maeve smiled. “I’m still a work in progress, too.”

“I’ll get there,” Oakleigh said, taking a deep sip of air and puffing her warm breath into the cold.

“We’ll get there,” Maeve promised, giving her a reassuring glance. “Now let’s get in there and figure this mess out together.”

Maeve pushed open the door with a loud jingle. The moment she walked into the coffee shop, she was met with Harper’s annoyed glare. As much as she felt like confronting her sister for throwing gasoline on the fire at Oakleigh’s expense, there were other urgent matters.

Even though the new generator was running at full capacity, the shop was far from warm. The shivering customers were clutching their coffees in an attempt to salvage their dwindling body heat.

Audrey looked utterly defeated as she continued to tirelessly fill cups.

“Time for you to take a break,” Maeve ordered. Putting her arm around Audrey, she gave her a squeeze. “We’ll take it from here.”

The young woman’s eyes filled with grateful tears.

Maeve took charge, gesturing for Oakleigh to step behind the counter as Crew began to fill empty cups.

“Coffee is on the house,” Oakleigh cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting over the bustle of clanking mugs and chattering teeth.

Harper shuffled over, leaning her elbows on the counter that was already lacking space.

“You need to be more firm with your staff, Maeve,” she exclaimed. “This is really unacceptable.”

“We treat our employees like humans around here, Harp,” Maeve informed, taking back her authority.

“Oh, Maeve, don’t be so sentimental,” Harper said with a sweep of her hand. “This is business, right, Oakleigh?” Her voice held a tinge of pride. “She gets that from me.”

Oakleigh quietly ignored her.

Harper’s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. “Oakleigh, you and I are so alike,” she shrugged. “You just need some ocean air and a real audience again — you’ll be back to your old self in no time. ”

Oakleigh turned on her heels.

“I want you to get this through your head, Mom.”

“Oakleigh—” Maeve interrupted loudly. Giving her a stern glance, she nodded at the crowd of engaged followers pulling out their phones with their stiff fingers.

“I don’t think this is how you want to go viral again, hun.”

Maeve pulled out her own phone from the pocket of her snow pants, and bit the tip of her glove to free her fingers.

Maeve — typing…

Dal, we have a problem.

Her phone rang in her hands, and she felt a wave of relief at the sight of his name crossing her screen.

“Maeve, are you okay?” Dallas asked, a touch of panic in his tone.

“There’s a fair amount of people stranded in town,” she explained, knowing she would have to fill him in later about Oakleigh’s catastrophic negligence.

“ — And the power’s out.”

“I’m at the ranch, and we just got Peaches unloaded,” Dallas replied. “I’m headed your way, hold tight.”

She closed her eyes, and clutched her phone to her chest.

He’s safe.

She stuffed the phone back in her pocket, and picked up a tray loaded with full cups of coffee. Turning to Harper, she placed it into her surprised hands .

“Make sure everyone gets one.”

Harper looked as though there were a million harsh replies threatening to pour from her lips. However, she wouldn’t dare compromise her reputation, especially when she was on the verge of regaining her status and notoriety.

Maeve checked in on those taking up floor space, bundled up tightly in unsuitably thin winter clothing. They might have been warm enough from where they came from, but they had vastly misjudged the extreme Montana weather.

The rumbling sound of a diesel engine came to a stop in front of the shop.

Dallas’ boots had hardly hit the ground before Maeve flung open the coffee shop door with a loud jingle. She practically leaped into his strong arms, melting into his firm embrace. Running her fingers through his beard, she pulled his soft lips to hers.

Maeve’s person was home.

Their moment together was far too short before they had to snap into action. Maeve sighed, seeing her frozen breath form a cloud in the cold air.

“Dal, we’ve got to figure something out.”

He glanced around them, considering their options.

“They’re here to see the church, right?” Dallas shrugged. “So let’s open the church.”

“I love you,” Maeve wrapped her arms around his neck, again pressing her lips to his. “You know that?”

Dallas’ smile pushed up the corners of his mustache .

“Well, I hope so,” he quipped. “You’re stuck with me.”

He released her, and jogged across the street to the church to start the generator and giant pellet stove. It was yet another thing Oakleigh had thoroughly researched, and insisted on installing — regardless of the expense. Thanks to her persistence, the new church building would be toasty warm.

Maeve returned to the shop. Pulling Oakleigh aside, she informed her of the plan.

Oakleigh’s brow furrowed at the news. “I’ve ruined it,” she sighed, throwing up her hands. “We’ve had this whole thing planned for like a year, and now it’s ruined.”

“The Lord just had different plans, Oakleigh,” Maeve replied. She placed her fingers between her teeth and whistled loudly, cutting through the raucous ambient noise of the shop.

“You’ll be getting the first look at the new church,” she announced. “It’s warm, and there’s plenty of space for everyone.”

She was met with relief from the mismatched crowd of young people who gave a few cheers and claps at the news.

Maeve opened the door, allowing their guests to shuffle past her onto the street.

Oakleigh pushed through the crowd, taking the lead with Crew by her side. When she had reached the front of the pack, she raised her bright phone in the air.

“Follow me, everyone.”

She guided them across the street through the blinding darkness and driving snow to the brand-new church building, that stood like a beacon against the terrible weather. Some of her fans pulled out their phones to record every moment unfolding.

“Now that’s worth going viral for,” Maeve proudly observed to no one in particular.

Arriving at the steps, she squeezed her way through the throng of guests. They were each bundled with their arms tightly across their chest, and keeping their heads down to shield their eyes from the driving snow. When Maeve finally reached the front of the church, she slipped her key into the lock, and propped the sturdy wooden door open with her boot.

Light and warmth poured onto the darkened street.

Harper slipped beside her. “You can’t be serious, Maeve,” she exclaimed in disbelief. “All this moisture and mud — just think about the hardwood.”

Harper shook her head.

“What would Dad say,” she muttered. “Using a house of worship like some cheap hostel.”

“Flooring can be replaced,” Maeve replied. “People can’t.”

Before Harper could respond, Dallas appeared and took Maeve’s hand tightly in his. He pulled her to his side to greet each person as they entered.

In the flurry, she had almost forgotten that she was now the pastor’s wife. Looping her arm through his, they welcomed their shivering visitors to the unofficial grand opening of White Bridge Community Church .

A young woman in a thin hoodie sweatshirt with a face tattoo, took out her phone for a selfie with Maeve and Dallas.

“T-thank y-you, M-Maeve,” she said through chattering teeth. “Y-you’re j-just as n-nice as Oak-Oakleigh says you are.”

“Get in and get warm,” Maeve entreated, ushering her inside.

Standing on her tiptoes, she searched for Oakleigh through the sea of faces. She finally found her standing in the back, leaning her head on Crew’s shoulder. Maeve unclasped her hand from Dallas’ and went to Oakleigh, pulling her into a side hug.

“You did this, Oakleigh,” she echoed.

“The Lord did this,” Oakleigh nodded, her eyes filling again with tears, but this time they were grateful ones.

The lodgers took their places in the pews, finding their places to sleep for the night. Maeve called her family together to discuss the logistics of serving hot coffee and cinnamon rolls in the morning.

“You’re going to let them eat here too?” Harper scoffed. Before she could utter another calloused word, she was distracted by an incoming phone call. Hardly anyone noticed when she stepped away from the group.

When Maeve had finished giving instructions, she searched the room for any last-minute needs. Her eyes landed on Harper, who was now standing up the aisle. Her sister appeared suddenly ashen, as though she were going to be sick. Maeve couldn’t help but consider the irony after her fit about preserving the hardwood floors.

“Harper?” she called, heading toward her up the aisle.

Before she could reach her, Harper pushed open the heavy doors of the church and disappeared into the darkness.