“So awful,” Serena murmured.
Anna winced. “I feel so bad. My family knew the people who were ripping everyone off, but nobody knew what they were doing. Until Joel mentioned something to Tom, my fiancé, and got the ball rolling.”
“The wrecking ball,” Staci murmured.
“Damian, my husband, said it was criminal that such a place existed,” Rachel added. “We were all at a fundraising ball last summer when the Craylings got busted.”
“Oh, I think I remember something now.” Brief glimpses. She’d been caught in the pangs of grief of her second miscarriage to pay too much attention to local Muskoka news. “What happened to all the people who’d been living there?”
“They got shifted to various other homes,” Jackie said. “I know Golden Elms took a couple in short-term, but most were moved back to larger facilities in the city.”
“It’s so sad when they came to Muskoka hoping to escape that,” Serena said.
Sarah’s heart stirred with compassion. How awful that these poor people were without a home. “I wish there was a way to help them.”
“There used to be,” Anna said. “My mom was on a charity fundraising committee called the Musko-cheers.”
“Cute name.”
Anna’s nose wrinkled. “She was so embarrassed to be associated with the Craylings that she resigned. In fact, everyone involved in the Musko-cheers was so ashamed that they haven’t dared do anything again. And honestly some of the ladies are a little more elderly so I think they won’t ever want to put their hand up to do any form of fundraising again.”
“That’s such a shame,” Jackie murmured.
Anna nodded. “Especially when they’ve done a lot of good with their fundraising over the years.” She glanced at Sarah. “Last year’s ball was supposed to support the Lodge, but last I heard all the money has been frozen until all the legalities are complete. Which might take years.”
“So all those people are still without a proper home?” Sarah asked.
“They’ve got a more proper home than what they had,” Rachel said. “Damian said some of them were sleeping in what looked like pig pens.”
“That’s terrible!” Her heart swelled with indignation.Oh, it’d be good to fix it up and help them in some way.
“Right?” Anna shook her head. “The Lodge is up for sale, but nobody wants to touch it. It used to be an old campground, and while it has a few useable buildings, most of it is unlivable.”
“We should pray for a solution,” Serena said.
Sarah nodded, catching Jackie’s pressed lips and bowed head, before closing her own eyes as Serena prayed aloud.
“Lord, we ask that You be with all those poor people who have been affected by the awful conditions of Muskoka Ferns. Bring righteousness and justice and healing to them, and use us for Your purposes. Amen.”
“Amen,” Sarah echoed, even as Serena’s last five words continued to bounce around her heartLord, use me for Your purposes.
She opened her eyes, glanced around the room, and smiled as peace filled her. She might be friends with a number of the women who were married to Dan’s friends in the online Bible study of Original Six players, but being friends with the women here felt like a God-ordained thing too.
CHAPTER11
“So you enjoyed going to Staci and James’s tonight, then?” Dan glanced over at Sarah as they drove back to the cottage.
“Okay, okay. You were right. Just like you were about me going to Jackie’s last week too.”
“Mister Right, remember?” he teased, recalling a long-ago conversation.
“Mister Right who is obviously so insecure that he needs to keep pointing it out all the time,” she grumbled.
He laughed. “What’s got you all riled?”
“Nothing. Sorry.”
He arched his brow. “I thought you just said you enjoyed tonight?”
