camp was struggling, and he had asked to know more. She wished that she could believe he wanted to help, but he wouldnât gain anything by helping her. She understood how business worked.
When the service concluded, Cassie didnât linger in the church but headed to the parking lot. She didnât want to risk running into Will.
She stopped outside the front door to give Beth a chance to catch up to her.
âThat wasnât so bad, was it?â Beth asked as she walked up beside her.
âIt was nice,â Cassie said, and she meant it.
Beth touched her arm and gestured toward something with her eyes. Cassie looked over to see Will coming toward them.
She looked to Beth for help, but it was too late to escape. Beth simply shrugged her shoulders. âIâll be in the car if you need me.â
Will looked different without the gym shorts and T-shirt. Today he was striking in a gray suit and white shirt, like someone right off the red carpet. âIf I didnât know better, I would think you were trying to get away from me,â he said to Cassie.
Cassie fidgeted with the tips of her fingers. âHi, Will.â
âIâm sorry about your church, but Iâm glad youâre here.â
âThanks,â she said.
An awkward silence hung between them. Will pulled at the collar of his shirt. âI wanted to talk to you about the menâs retreat.â
Cassie should have known this was coming.
âYouâve been working with Craig, right?â he asked.
Cassie nodded.
âCraigâs pregnant wife is on bed rest. I volunteered to take over the planning while he takes care of his family stuff.â
âI hope everything is okay,â Cassie said. âIf you talk to him, let him know theyâre in my prayers.â
A tall man in a cowboy hat patted Will on the back. Will shook his hand and watched as the man walked away. âHeâll appreciate that. Iâm not sure what needs to be finalized before the retreat.â
Cassie bit the inside of her lip. She hated dealing with all the insecurities and fears about his motives. Now she would have to add Will back to the list of stresses in her life. âYou can call next week,â she said in her most professional voice. âWeâll iron out all the details.â
He stared at her as if he wanted more, like she hadnât said what he wanted to hear. âOkay then,â he said. âI guess Iâll be in touch with you.â
She turned to leave.
âCassie, wait.â
Cassie pivoted around.
He held his open hands out toward her. âI also wanted to apologize about the other day. I didnât mean to offend you or insinuate that youâre not great at what you do.â
She nodded. âI appreciate that.â She turned and walked toward the car. She could feel him watching her.
Beth was waiting for her with the motor running. âWhat was that all about?â
âJust business,â she said.
â§
Will flipped through the schedule on the receptionistâs desk. â9:00 a.m. Marvin Hartley.â
It was written in his fatherâs handwriting. âDad,â he yelled down the hallway. Will carried the spiral-bound book to his fatherâs corner office. âDid you schedule a meeting for me this morning?â
âYes.â His dad swiveled his chair from his file cabinet. Their offices on the Wyatt Bend town square werenât fancy, but the old building certainly had character, with original hardwood floors and exposed brick walls like the one behind his dadâs desk.
âIâm having a meeting and thought it might be good for you to come along,â his dad said.
His whole life, people in town told Will he looked like a younger version of his father. Will used to deny it, but every now and then his reflection in the mirror would catch him off guard. If his dark wavy hair turned gray and he had a few more laugh lines, they might be
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