“You should never be too busy for your child. She needs you right now.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me about my parenting. Iamhere for Lizzy. Always have been and always will be. Maybe you should worry more about your parenting and less about mine.” I have no idea what got into me. I’ve never talked back to my mother, but I’ve had enough. I don’t need to be lectured by anyone. Especially from someone as emotionally unavailable as her.
“I’ve had about enough of this and expect you to come home immediately.”
“I am home,” I yell. “This is my home. I’m not coming back to Georgia.”
“Camille, stop being so selfish. We let you try this thing, but clearly you can’t handle it. Come home and take care of your daughter.”
“Excuse me?” My anger level is so high, I’m about to explode. “I’m forty-six years old, Mother. If you think for one second you have any say in my life choices, you’re delusional.”
“Now you listen to me. I will—“
“No. You listen tome. You donotget to tell me how to live my life. If for one second I thought you meant anything you’re saying because you actually care, I might listen. But you don’t. You’ve never really cared about what I want. All you want to do is control me and run my life for me. And I say NO! I make the decisions for my life, and I say my life is here, in Montana. I take care of my daughter just fine. She knows I love her and will do anything for her. Lizzy and I are good. You can stay the hell out of our lives.”
I hang up before Mother can say another word. I don’t care what she has to say. I’m done with her cold remarks and obsessive need to control my life. For forty-six years, that woman has told me how to feel and think and behave. While I didn’t always listen to her, especially after I got married, I let her get to me. I let her drive me insane and never once stood up to her.
Never again.
From this moment on, I live my life for me, and that life is right here in Watercress Falls.
Hopefully, with Adam by my side.
CHAPTER 25
ADAM
It’s been a grueling week of meetings and late-night brainstorming sessions with Craig. We worked through the environmental concerns yesterday. It hasn't been too hard to assure the permitting agencies that my design will put nature first. I can’t control the construction process, but as long as the crew Craig hires follows my guidelines, everything will be fine.
We’re still at least a year, maybe longer, before we even reach that point. My designs are still concepts, not construction drawings. But at least everyone seems satisfied that my final designs will be environmentally friendly. It’ll cost Craig and the Kingslands a bit more money up front, but once it's done, they’ll have a resort unlike any other. And nature fanatics from around the world will flock to it.
“You look exhausted.” Craig chuckles from the doorway. “Was I too hard on you this week?”
“Nah.” I smile and roll up the concepts we spent hours and hours marking up. “Tired, yes. But I’m excited for this project. Thanks again for choosing me.”
Craig waves me off like it's nothing, but I know it's a really big deal. Competition for design jobs like this is fierce. The fact that he chose me is a huge compliment to my skills and talents. “Iknow I’ve jerked you around this past year, but I’m being honest when I say I can’t imagine anyone else designing this.”
“Thanks. That means a lot to me.” I finish rolling up the drawings and slide them into the protective tube that will make the trip home with me. “I can start revising these as soon as I get home. Probably have something new for you in about a month.”
“That sounds great. Once the concepts are finalized, how long before you have complete construction drawings?”
“Let’s see, once the concepts are approved, then we’ll commission the concept model. As long as the team is happy with that, I’d say six to nine months. Assuming the surveyors get up the mountain ASAP and get me all the numbers I need.”
“I’ll get on that first thing on Monday.” Craig studies me carefully, and I can tell there’s more he wants to say.
“Go ahead and spit it out. I can tell something’s on your mind.”
“Just being foolish.” He lets out a slow exhale. “You ever wonder where your career would be if you never left Chicago?”
I snort. “All the time. But then I remember how much I hate the city and all those thoughts melt away. Those mountains are my home—a part of my soul. I love my family and that land more than anything. Nothing is worth giving that up. Not even this career.”
Craig’s smile returns and he nods. “That’s why I chose you, you know. Your connection and love for those mountains is in these drawings. I hate that you left, but I’m glad you stuck with this. I know it hasn’t been easy to get jobs like this from such a remote location. I hope you’re ready for that to change. This project will put you in a different playing field.”
A genuine smile spreads across my face for the first time all week. “I’m counting on it.”
“Good. Because I’ve got a colleague in Washington that’s watching this project closely. If he likes what he sees, you mighthave another job lined up once you're done with this one. No pressure, though.”
“Yeah, no pressure.” We both laugh. This job is nothing but pressure. But that’s partly what I love about it. It keeps me fresh and on my toes. “I better get going. My flight leaves in a couple hours.”
