Coming Home to Love (Lakeside Porch Series Book 2) by Katie O'Boyle Read Free Book Online Page B

the job.”
    Gianessa shifted on the seat to get a better view of Manda’s face. “Why do you think I’m qualified to do that?”
    Manda shrugged. “I just know when I came for my spa day—remember what a wreck I was? You totally got what my body needed, and you got me into healing mode in, like, ten minutes.”
    “You don’t know anything about my credentials, do you?”
    Manda shook her head. “I just know you’re a healer. Joel needs a healer.”
    Gianessa was unsure how much to say. Joel had asked her to keep a low profile until she’d worked with the staff as one of them for a while. None of them knew about her alternative healing certifications or her physical therapy degree.
    “I know you’ll like meeting him. He’s in recovery like us.”
    “Yes, I know,” Gianessa said quietly.
    “You do?”
    “Joel hired me.”
    “Duh, Manda. How did I not get that? So, you met him at a meeting?”
    “Joel came to a conference and retreat for spa managers at the spa where I worked in northern California. There were about fifty people, discussing different business models and innovative practices for spas and retreat centers. I think, from what we talked about, he’s got an idea that the Spa at the Manse can be more than it is, and the conference let him explore ideas and meet people that were doing cutting-edge things with their facilities. He got some cool ideas, and he asked me to come here and help make it happen.”
    “Are you sure it was the spa in the current facility he was thinking about?”
    “I just assumed it was. Why?”
    “Well, last summer Joel and I talked about different ways we might want to use a beautiful piece of land called Cady’s Point on Chestnut Lake. He was actually checking out the land when he had the accident.”
    Manda shuddered, and Gianessa instinctively reached out to calm her.
    “God, I’m so glad he’s going to be okay.”
    “He is going to be better than okay, Manda. We’ll make sure of that.” She squeezed Manda’s arm. “What did you think the land should be used for?”
    “Well, this may sound weird, but Cady’s Point is a place with healing energy. The Indians knew that. I felt it myself when I lived there for a year.” She glanced at Gianessa. “Do you think that’s crazy? That a place can have healing power?”
    “I’ve been to places that are spiritual, holy, that have the power to heal and redeem certain people. Usually people who believe healing is possible and who are willing to suspend their normal lives for a time and enter into a new way of praying and living. A healing path, I’ll call it.”
    Manda smacked her hands on the steering wheel. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
    Gianessa laughed. “Manda, we must have been sisters in a previous life.”
    “That is so cool. Anyway I told Joel I thought Cady’s Point should be the site of a rehabilitation center slash retreat slash spa. A place for people to take time out of their lives to change in ways that would promote their recovery from serious illness—like heart disease, severe arthritis, traumatic injury, yada yada. Maybe he had that in mind when he came to California. Anyway, fast forward, you won’t believe what happened when Joel was in the hospital.”
    “What happened?” Gianessa was glad Manda wasn’t driving as fast as she was talking.
    “Well, Justin, Joel’s uncle—”
    “Oh yes, we’ve met,” Gianessa said with a little chuckle.
    “You probably know he has more money than god. Anyway, two things happened really. One was that the doctors didn’t have any recommendation for us about a rehab facility for Joel in Tompkins Falls. That was awful. But the good news is, Justin and I were talking over dinner that first night, and he asked me what I wanted to do, what my passion was—besides Joel, of course—and I started pitching this rehab slash retreat idea to him, and he knew it was exactly what he needed for his own healing. Long story short, he wants to