"I feel badly about that, too," Alice said. "I should have just tried to find you, to call you, but I just had this crazy idea that the eclipse this week was the moment we would reconnect."
"You were right."
"Because you were here," she said, meeting his gaze. "I didn't deserve your loyalty, but I'm so grateful. I feel so blessed." Alice turned to Lizzie. "Did Noah tell you why I disappeared all those years ago?"
"He said you had a family emergency and that you'd come back when you could. He just didn't expect it to be this long."
"My husband had a car accident while I was in Whisper Lake. When I got back to Paris, I found out that it had occurred on his way to the airport," Alice explained. "He'd been rushing to make a plane to the US, to Denver, actually. He had realized I was slipping away from him, and he wanted to get me back. But it was a terrible accident. He was in a coma for weeks and then he had damage to his brain and his spine. I couldn't leave him like that. I felt partly responsible, because if I hadn't stayed in Whisper Lake, if I hadn't had the affair with Noah, maybe he wouldn't have been hurt. I nursed him for almost eight years. When he passed away, I thought it was too late." She paused. "But when I heard about the eclipse last month, when I realized it could be seen from Whisper Lake, I thought it was a sign. Maybe it wasn't too late."
"I told you I'd be waiting when the time was right," Noah reminded her.
"I hoped you would be, but I didn't expect it. You should have moved on. You should have loved someone else. Perhaps you were starting to this week, when I arrived."
Lizzie watched their exchange with complete and utter fascination, not really sure what she thought. She felt badly for Patty, who had fallen for Noah. But this reunion was too romantic for words. Their love had lasted a decade without contact, without knowledge of each other, only a certainty that one day, someday, they'd be together.
"I liked Patty, and we had a good time talking together. I was thinking I might need to let go of you and move on," Noah admitted. "That's me being as honest as I can be, Alice."
"I understand. You can still go after Patty."
"No. The second I saw you, I knew you were the only one for me, Alice."
Alice's lip trembled. "Oh, Noah, I don't deserve you."
"Sure you do. Most people think I'm nuts," he said lightly.
Alice smiled. "I can't believe you would wander the inn, looking for me every time you came."
"I can attest to that being true," Lizzie cut in. "He was unwavering in his certainty that you'd come back, Alice."
"I'm sorry it took so long."
"We have no more time to waste on being sorry," Noah said. "We have now. That's all we need. The past and the future don't matter. Just this moment."
Noah's words made Lizzie think about Justin, about the now that they were having or could be having, and suddenly, she was very eager to get to the lake.
"Let's go," she said. "I don't want you to miss the picnic."
Lizzie's beach picnic was a big hit, Justin thought. He just wondered where she was and why she wasn't enjoying it with her guests. They had two long picnic tables tucked under some tall trees about twenty-five yards from the water's edge. The guests were mingling happily, as if they'd been friends for years and not just random people staying at the same inn. He had to admit that Lizzie had a talent for making her guests feel like they were family.
But she was the head of that family, and she should be here. It seemed to be taking forever for her to arrive with Noah and Alice. Hopefully, there was nothing wrong with that duo. He'd thought the man was a fool for hanging on to his dream woman for so long, but Noah had proved him wrong. He'd believed in Alice, and she'd come through. It had taken ten years, but they had a second chance.
He saw a group coming through the trees, but he frowned when he realized it wasn't Lizzie.
"She'll be here," his grandfather said, as he walked over to him and handed him a soda.
"I don't know who you're talking about," he lied, as he opened the can.
His grandfather laughed. "I'm talking about the very pretty innkeeper who you can't stop looking for."
"I am curious as to where she is," he admitted.
"I guess your grandmother's plan is working."
He gave his grandfather a wry smile. "Yeah, I figured that the boat trip was a setup. I can't believe you went along with her. I thought you were on my side."
"I'm always on your grandmother's side, Justin. But I thought it was a good idea, too, and my allergies were acting up."
"They seemed to recover after the antiquing day was over."
"I thought you might enjoy spending some quality time with Marie."
"I did. But I like hanging with you, too. And I thought we'd all agreed to no more setups like five years ago."
"Right. After that disastrous dinner with that fitness trainer who your grandmother brought home from the gym," Ben said with a laugh. "I didn't know what Marie was thinking with that woman. But Lizzie is a sweetheart, and she has your same drive for business."
"She does."
"So…"
"So, I'm leaving on Sunday. I live in San Francisco. She lives here."
"People move all the time."
"Lizzie won't leave Whisper Lake. This is her dream job. And my work is everywhere but here."
"Jobs come and go. Relationships are what matter. Having people in your life you love and care about, people who you trust to have your back."
Lizzie was probably the first woman he'd ever really trusted. Why else would he have told her about Sean? He'd never told any woman about his brother. He realized now he'd never really wanted to open up like that. But he'd wanted to tell Lizzie. He'd wanted to share that part of himself, and he still wasn't entirely sure why.
"But you'll make your own decisions; you always do," his grandfather continued. "I just wish sometimes you weren't so damned stubborn and laser focused. You get tunnel vision."
"I'm not that narrow-minded."
"I hope not. Marie and I want you to be happy, Justin."
"I am happy. I have everything I ever wanted."
"Everything?" his grandfather challenged. "Because the very best thing in my life has always been your grandmother and our marriage."
"You two are an exception to the rule."
"Maybe. Although, your parents are still happily married."
"Yes, they've always been happy with each other. They make great spouses. Parents—not so much." He heard the edge of bitterness in his voice, but he couldn't do anything about that.
His grandfather's gaze narrowed. "You're still so angry."
"Actually, I don't feel much of anything anymore, not for them anyway. But let's not discuss my parents. Are you ready for the vow renewal tomorrow?"
"I think so," his grandfather said, but he suddenly appeared distracted. "We should find your grandmother, talk about tomorrow."
"Sure. Is there something special you want me to do?"
"She had some ideas. She said she was going to talk to you about them tonight."
"Well, I'm happy to hear her thoughts. Whatever she wants."
"The ceremony, having her family there, it means a lot to her," Ben said.
"I know. That's why I came."
"And we appreciate that so much."
"You were there for me after Sean died. If it hadn't been for you and Grandma, I would have lost it. But you kept me grounded. I'll never forget that."
His grandfather gave him a tense smile. "It sometimes felt like too little too late, but we can't change that."
"No, we can't."
"I think Sean would have liked this place," his grandfather said, then quickly added, "Sorry, I know you don't like to talk about him."
"Actually, he's been on my mind a lot this week. And you're right. He would have liked this town. He would have been the center of the action, the life of the party. Right about now, we'd be hearing his big, booming laugh."
His grandfather gave him a sad look. "W
ish I'd known that laugh covered up so much pain and emotional problems. I didn't realize until it was too late."
"I was the one who should have rung the alarm louder and longer."
"You can't keep blaming yourself, Justin. Sean's choices were his own."
"I don’t just blame myself," he said.
"I know," his grandfather said heavily. "We need to find Marie and talk."
Justin gave him a vague nod, distracted by Lizzie's arrival. Her arms were full with grocery bags, and Noah and Alice were also carrying in more goodies. "Later," he told his grandfather. "I'm going to help Lizzie."
"Of course you are," his grandfather said with a knowing smile.
He shrugged. "You don't know everything."
"I know enough."
He let his grandfather have the last word, because he needed to get to Lizzie, and that need was a little shocking, but he wasn't going to waste time analyzing it. Not when her smiling gaze met his, and his heart flipped over in his chest.
"Let me help you," he said, taking a bag out of her arms. "What is all this?"
"Dessert and some goodie bags for the eclipse."
"Really? What's in the bag?"
"Some fun facts about lunar eclipses, glasses with the date etched in glitter, that kind of thing."
He shook his head.
"I know. I know," she said. "It's an expense I probably couldn't afford, but here we are."
He grinned. "I'm sure they're great. I was wondering where you were," he added, as he set the bag down on the end of the picnic table.
"I had to wait for Noah and Alice, and we got to talking."
"So, are they together now?" he asked, his gaze moving to the couple, who had settled in at the table. Noah had his arm around Alice's shoulders, as Victor poured them each a glass of wine.
"Now and forever, according to them. It's a miracle."
"I must admit, I'm surprised it happened. The old man wasn't crazy after all."
"He believed in love, and it paid off." She cleared her throat. "How are things going here?"
"Great. Everyone is having fun. The food is amazing as always. Brodie came by earlier. He said he's on duty but will check back in a while. I haven't seen your other friends yet."
"Adam took a bunch of people out on his boat. He invited me, but I wanted to do something for my guests."
"I didn't realize Adam had a boat."
"He's a big boater. He likes to fish and ski and tube—all that."
"You, too?"
"Yes. I've never been one to just lay around. I have too many ideas for that, and I love being on the lake, in the lake, by the lake."
"I get it—you like the lake," he teased.
She smiled. "I really do. I think you do, too. You look so much more relaxed now than when we first met."
"I am more relaxed. It has been a good break for me. I'd been running so hard and so fast for so long, I didn't know how to stop. Until a truck braked in front of me, and I hit a fence and killed all my electronics. I guess I needed a wake-up call, and I got one."
"Sometimes we all need that. The furnace breaking might have been my wake-up call, and then another call came with Keira's friend. But I'm still not sure how to answer all those calls."
"You'll figure it out."
"I will. And I don't want to talk about it anymore today or tonight," she murmured.
He saw the spark of fire in her eyes and his body stiffened. "So, later…"
"Yes. Later," she promised. "But now I need to make sure everyone is having a good time."
"They look happy to me."
"But they can get happier," she said with a laugh. Then she moved over to the table. "Who wants to play cornhole?"
As the group enthusiastically responded yes, Victor set up the cornhole boards a short distance away and Lizzie divided the group into teams. His grandparents would start by facing off against Noah and Alice.
While Lizzie took charge of the game, he grabbed a beer out of the cooler.
"That looks good," Chelsea said.
He smiled at Lizzie's sister, then handed her the beer and grabbed another one for himself. "I thought you were out on your brother's boat."
"I was going to be, but I got caught up in songwriting, and I decided I'd just come down to the beach and check out Lizzie's party. It looks like everyone is having fun."
"I don't think your sister would allow for anything else," he said dryly.
She grinned. "Good point. How about you? Are you having fun?"
"More than I would have expected," he admitted.
"This town grows on you. I never thought I'd settle here, but the lake healed me and gave me a new start and then, of course, I met Brodie."
"Why did you stop singing?" he asked curiously.
"Lizzie didn't tell you?"
He shook his head. "Nope. But if it's private—"
"I can tell you this much. I had an experience with a fan that shook me up, made me question whether I wanted to be a public figure, whether I could keep on singing. In the end, I was able to find my voice again. Brodie helped a lot with that. Lizzie, too. Music is important to me, and I came to realize that I couldn't let one person stop me from doing what I was meant to do."
Her cryptic story made him even more curious than if she'd told him nothing, but he wanted to respect her privacy. "Well, I'm glad you found your way back to what you love."
"Lizzie told me a little about your business. It sounds very cool and on the cutting edge."
"I've always liked to lead from the front, even if I sometimes make mistakes. I'd rather be the first one to try something than the last."
"You must not be afraid to fail."
"I usually learn something when I do."
"Does that go for love, too?"
He frowned. "Are we talking about love?"
"I don't want my sister to get hurt. And I saw you talking earlier. The way you looked at her…the way she looked at you…there's something going on."
"You should talk to her if you're concerned."
"Oh, she'll just tell me she knows what she's doing. She always says that. She hates to ask anyone for help. She thinks it makes her look weak."
Knowing now about Lizzie's learning disabilities, he understood better why she would worry about looking weak or dumb or any of the bad labels she used to put on herself.
"But I'm her big sis," Chelsea continued. "And I'm putting you on notice—don't hurt her. She's not as tough as she looks."
"Got it." He actually appreciated her sisterly protectiveness. In some ways, she reminded him of his brother. In fact, he could see Sean now, standing up to Rex Hillerman, the bully in Justin's fifth-grade class. Sean had taken Rex by the arm and given him a shake and told him to stay the hell away from his little brother, or he'd answer to him. Rex had been so scared he'd practically peed his pants in his hurry to get away. Justin had never had any trouble with him again. God, he missed Sean.
The pain hit him hard and unexpectedly. He'd thought he'd gotten past those shocking waves, but somehow being here in Whisper Lake was making his absence feel so much stronger, the loss so much more recent.
"What are you two talking about?" Lizzie asked, as she joined them with a curious smile.
"How we're going to take you on in cornhole," Chelsea lied.
"Really? You two are going to pair up? Then I need a partner," Lizzie returned. "And guess who just arrived?" She waved her hand toward the man approaching.
Justin frowned at the brown-haired, good-looking, muscled guy in jeans and a T-shirt, and a pair of aviator glasses over his eyes. He disliked him even more when Lizzie gave the guy a hug.
Then she turned to him. "Justin, I want you to meet Jake MacKenzie. He's the owner of Adventure Sports. Jake, this is Justin Blackwood, one of my guests."
He was a hell of a lot more than one of her guests, but he managed to refrain from saying that. "Nice to meet you," he muttered, as Jake gave him a friendly smile.
"You, too."
"So, what do you say?" Chelsea asked. "You two want to engage in a little friendly cornhole competition?"
"Always game," Jake said.
"I'll take Justin," Chelsea said. "You and Lizzie can partner up."
"Sounds good," Jake said.
Justin didn't think it sounded good at all. He would have preferred to be partnering with Lizzie, but she and Jake were already walking away.
Chelsea gave him a grin. "They're just friends."
"I don't care."
"Good, because I like to win, so I'd prefer if you weren't distracted."
He saw the glint in her eyes. "You Coles are very competitive."
"We are."
"Okay, then. Let's beat them." He'd enjoy taking a win from Jake MacKenzie. He might be a great guy, but right now, Jake was way too close to Lizzie. Not that Justin had any right to think that way. He was leaving on Sunday. And Jake lived here. Jake and Lizzie would be together, in whatever way they wanted to be together long after he was gone. But he didn't want to think about that.
While Chelsea and Lizzie headed for one board, he and Jake wound up next to each other.
"Gotta warn you," Jake said. "The Cole sisters like to win."
"Chelsea mentioned something about that," he said. "You first."
"All right." Jake took aim and then tossed his bag onto the opposing board. He came very close to the center hole, but didn't make it in.
Justin was up next, landing his bag a few inches from Jake's. They were tied.
Jake's next bag sailed through the center hole and Jake gave him a proud smile. "I just raised the bar."
He took an extra second and then tossed, feeling an immense sense of joy when his bag also landed in the hole. "And I just met your bar," he said.
And then it was up to Chelsea and Lizzie.
Both were good, but Lizzie managed to sink the bag on her second time for three points, while Chelsea was just short.
He had to smile as Lizzie did a little happy dance around her sister, while Chelsea gave her a disgusted look.
As the game went on, they stayed very close in points. Jake had clearly played a lot of cornhole in his life, hitting the hole two times more than Justin. Lizzie was also able to best her sister, and Justin and Chelsea ended up losing.
Can't Fight The Moonlight (Whisper Lake Book 3) Page 20
