Misty Lake: Book One in the Misty Lake Series (9 page)

Silently, Jake agreed. “Did you discuss safety with her? Tell her what to do in the event something might happen?”

“Of course, it’s part of the required training for all of our volunteers. We also do periodic visits with all of our volunteers, stopping in when they’re working with the kids to see how things are going. We’ve been out to Ms. Taylor’s once already, early on, and will be visiting again…” he paused as he checked his calendar, “next Wednesday.”

Deciding he’d gotten all the information from the director he was going to get for the time being, Jake rose to leave and extended his hand. “Thank you for your time, Tom. If you hear any talk around the camp or notice any unusual behavior, I’d appreciate a call.”

“Of course, Sheriff. I’ll be meeting with my staff this evening and will brief them on our meeting. If there’s anything to hear, one of them will hear it and will let me know.”

After a few more words, Jake headed back to the office, making a swing by Sam’s place on his way.

8

Just before noon on Saturday, Sam found herself standing in her kitchen wearing shorts and a t-shirt over her swimming suit and wondering for the hundredth time why she ever agreed to spend the afternoon with Jake. She had been tempted to call him and cancel telling him she had too much work to do but she figured he’d show up anyway with a crazy offer to help. As she threw a hat, towel, sunscreen, and sunglasses in an oversized bag, she let a combination of nerves and melancholy get the better of her.

She assumed Jake had plans for them to be on the lake and Sam wasn’t sure she could face it. Moving here had been hard enough but she had convinced herself the new house wasn’t a part of her past and had been doing her best to block out the often-painful memories. Aside from throwing a stick into the water for Rigi to chase, Sam had avoided the lake even though she had been itching to swim. It was silly, she knew, but the lake held even more memories for her than the old cabin did.

She had spent countless hours in the water with her cousins. She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she remembered the diving and cannonball competitions they had forced their parents to judge. There had been an old raft, really nothing more than some plywood mounted on barrels with a couple cinder blocks for anchors, that the kids had dragged out first thing every year. They had spent hours playing their version of King of the Raft, wrestling and pushing each other off in the hopes of being the last one standing and having that moment of glory, raising your arms in victory before someone climbed back up and sent you flying into the water. Sam could remember being so tired and so out of breath, climbing back onto the raft had been almost impossible. At least one of the parents had always been on lifeguard duty, sitting on the beach counting kids, and always seeming to know when it was the right time for a break.

Sam had learned to swim here and had fallen in love with the sport. She could still remember the summer when she was first able to beat everyone else in a race, even her older cousins. The boys had insisted she’d cheated and had called for do-overs until they were forced to admit Sam was faster than they were. After that summer she had pestered her parents until they finally let her quit dance class and join the local swim club.

She supposed somewhere in one of the boxes she had moved into an extra bedroom and forgotten was her box of ribbons and trophies. Her grandfather hadn’t let her quit swimming after the deaths of her parents and grandmother even though she had cried and stomped her feet and said she wouldn’t go. He had let her have some time, then one day put her in the car and drove her to the pool. Once she was in the water, some of the sadness had started to slip away and Sam threw herself into the sport that became an outlet for her grief.

She missed the water. Before she moved to Misty Lake she had spent at least three mornings a week at the local health club, swimming laps to stay in shape. As she stretched her arms over her head, her muscles almost begged for a workout. Maybe it was time, she thought to herself as she stared at the lake, lost in her memories.

A sharp knock at the door had Sam whirling around and tripping over the dog dozing contentedly at her feet. Pulling herself together, she opened the door to Jake, grinning and looking more relaxed than she had ever seen him in his swim trunks and baseball cap.

The casualness with which he took her hand then leaned over to kiss her cheek had her swallowing the much less intimate greeting she had planned. “And how’s Rigi?” Jake asked as he leaned down to pat the dog and received a wet nose in the face as a reply. When the dog flopped over on her back in anticipation of a belly rub, Jake obliged and it gave Sam a moment to collect herself.

“You know, Jake, I really have a lot of work to do. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go anywhere, I should try to—”

Jake stood and cut her off. “Oh, no, you don’t. You need a break, it’s already been decided. No backing out now,” he warned. “Are you ready?” he added before she had a chance to argue.

Blowing a breath out, Sam mumbled, “Fine,” and turned to grab her bag.

Once they were in the car and pulling away, Sam asked, “Just where is it you’re taking me?”

“It’s a surprise. One I’m sure you’ll enjoy,” he added in response to her doubtful look. “You do know how to swim, don’t you?”

“Yes. I know how to swim,” she replied and left it at that.

Ten minutes later they pulled up to a comfortable looking home on the other side of the lake. The weathered siding and shake shingles were brightened by red geraniums spilling from window boxes. The lawn was precisely mowed and dotted with trees and shrubbery. A whimsical wishing well gave the place a charming, homey feel.

“Is this your house?” Sam asked, thinking it wasn’t at all what she had expected and then wondering why she had given any thought to what Jake’s home would look like.

“No, I’m afraid I can’t take credit for this. It’s my brother Joe’s place. Although it looks a lot different since Karen got her hands on it.”

“Your brother?” She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about meeting Jake’s family. It seemed too personal and she was regretting her decision yet again.

“Come on, he doesn’t bite,” Jake said seeing the apprehension on her face. If Jake knew his brother, or better, his sister-in-law, they were peeking out the window right now, waiting to get a look at Sam. When he had called his brother yesterday evening to tell him Sam would be coming with him, he had heard Karen in the background firing questions at Joe. Since Jake hadn’t brought a woman to a family function of any sort in years, he was sure word had spread and his parents, as well as all his siblings, were curious.

Sam gave Jake a withering look then headed to the door with him. Damn, she wished she had known they were going to be spending the day with his brother. She wasn’t sure what she would have done differently, probably nothing, she decided, but at least she would have been prepared.

She put a smile on her face as the door opened and she was greeted by Jake’s brother and his wife. Sam caught the look between Joe and Karen and their attempts to hide their grins. Hadn’t Jake ever brought a woman around before? she wondered, but found that hard to believe. Surely he must have dated, and with a family as close as he had made his sound, it seemed only natural that he would have brought her home to meet his family.

With the introductions out of the way, during which time Sam had learned Joe was a high school science teacher and Karen a nurse, they headed to the back and towards the lake. Sam still wasn’t sure what the plan was until she saw a huge, shiny boat bouncing softly next to a long, sturdy dock. Even with her limited knowledge of boats, it was hard not to be impressed. “Wow,” she managed, glancing at Joe as they reached the dock.

He seemed to stand a little straighter and square his shoulders as a wide grin spread across his face. “Thanks, Sam, I’ll take that as a compliment. She is a beauty, isn’t she?” he said almost reverently.

“It looks brand new,” Sam said taking in the sleek lines and smooth upholstery. There wasn’t a scratch or ding anywhere that she could see.

“Just got her this spring. We’d been wanting a new one for some time, right, honey?” Joe replied with a look to his wife who only raised her eyebrows. “I’ve got the motor broken in, she’s ready to fly.”

Sam leaned back a little and craned her neck to peek at the part of the motor sticking out from the back of the boat. It looked huge. “Just how fast does this thing go?”

“Well, that depends upon the conditions,” Joe replied, his voice slipping into what Sam could only describe as teacher mode as he started educating her on horsepower, aerodynamics, and weather conditions.

When Karen gave a sigh and murmured, “Here we go,” Joe stopped the lecture and suggested they get in the boat and she experience it for herself.

After a lot of loading, arranging, and situating, they pulled away from the dock, the boat fully stocked with drinks, snacks, water skis, and a giant, rather intimidating-looking tube strapped to the back. They started out slow, cruising along the shoreline with Joe and Karen pointing out the homes of a couple people Sam had met and explaining features of the lake. The weather was perfect with just the lightest breeze and not a cloud in the sky. The water sparkled and as Sam gazed across the lake, she felt herself relax.

Jake sat with Sam in the front of the boat, pleased that she seemed to be enjoying herself. He had noticed the flash of anxiety when she first glimpsed the boat but it had seemed to pass quickly. As he watched her look out over the lake, her eyes hidden by the sunglasses she wore, he realized how little he really knew about her. Was there something in her past that made her fear the water? he wondered. Or was it just the memories of her time spent here as a child that had caused her to hesitate?

Sam noticed the gradual increase in speed as Joe guided the boat further from the shore. Soon they were racing across the open water, the boat seeming to barely skim the surface. The wind whipped her hair back while the sunlight warmed her skin. Sam hadn’t felt this free in a long time, as if she could outrace any memories that threatened to sneak into her consciousness. She closed her eyes and ordered herself to enjoy the day for what it was, a fun afternoon spent with friends. She wouldn’t allow thoughts of either ghosts from the past or vandals of the present to interfere.

When she looked over at Jake she found him watching her, his head tilted slightly as if trying to figure her out. She smiled and impulsively took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you,” she mouthed, knowing he wouldn’t hear her over the roar of the engine and the whip of the wind.

After a while, Joe slowed down then stopped the motor completely and let the boat drift. Karen passed around snacks and offered drinks. The men each grabbed a beer with the women both opting for bottled water.

“Well, now that we can hear each other, maybe we can get to know you, Sam,” Karen said with a look toward her husband.

Sam grew uncomfortable, not wanting to be the center of attention. “There’s not really much to know,” she began, determined to keep the details vague. “I grew up outside of Chicago. My grandfather owned property here and left it to me when he died this past winter.”

Karen looked at her encouragingly when she quit talking, expecting more information, but Sam remained silent.  Although she wanted to ask more about her past, Karen decided to let it go, for now. “How do you like it here?” she asked instead.

“Truthfully, I feel like I haven’t had a chance to decide yet. I’ve been busy since I got here, unpacking, then getting my business going and working with the group of kids from Project Strong Start. There hasn’t been time for much else,” she said with a shrug.

“You’re enjoying working with the kids?” Karen asked although she already knew the answer based on the look on Sam’s face when she mentioned them.

“Oh, yes. What’s not to enjoy? They’re amazing kids. Talented, funny, sweet…it’s incredible working with them,” she gushed.

“Have you had any more trouble at your place?” Joe asked.

“The kids aren’t responsible for anything that has happened there! They wouldn’t cause that sort of damage, especially to their own work.” Then, seeing the surprised look on Karen’s face and realizing she was practically yelling, Sam calmed and apologized. “I’m sorry, I guess I’ve just gotten in the habit of defending them,” she said with a sideways glance at Jake.

“What sort of damage are you talking about?” Joe asked slowly. “I thought it was a broken window, dead animals, and a couple other minor things.”

“Oh.” Sam let out a breath. “I assumed you knew when you asked about trouble…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced at Jake, unsure what she should say.

“There was some vandalism overnight Thursday night,” Jake said. “Her shop was pretty badly damaged. We don’t have any suspects yet.”

“Oh, Sam, that’s terrible!” Karen said, shocked. “Were you home? Did you hear or see anything?”

“I was home but no, I didn’t see or hear anything. The shop is on the other side of my lot so not real close to the house and I had the air conditioning running, the house closed up…I guess I just slept through it.”

Karen gave Jake a long look, clearly implying that he had better do something about the problem.

Sensing Sam was uncomfortable with the conversation, Jake decided she needed a distraction. “Look,” he said pointing. “Your place looks pretty good from here.”

Sam turned and saw her home. The boat had been drifting with Joe starting the motor a couple of times and slowly directing the boat away from shore. Not really knowing the lake well at all, she had lost her bearings and had no idea they were in front of her property.

This was the first time she had seen her house from the water and she couldn’t help but stare. It was stunning, there was no denying it. The windows sparkled and reflected the lake. The log construction coupled with the wide stone chimney and coordinating stone accents gave the home a sturdy yet warm and inviting feel. Sam was quiet as she studied it, once again fighting the melancholy that threatened.

“It’s beautiful,” Karen said softly. “We watched it being built, curious what it would look like when it was finished. It’s more incredible than I even imagined it would be.”