Lantern Lake Winter Collection: Books 1-3

by Gretchen S. B.

  "My mom takes great pride in her vegetable garden, so we did this growing up. Kind of becomes habit after a while."

  When Robert spoke again his tone was different, it was apologetic. "I owe you an apology. I wasn't exactly nice to you today or yesterday. I was gruff and I'm not normally that bad, but it wasn't appropriate for me to make a snap judgment about you and Murphy. Especially considering you're doing us a favor by fixing our office up."

  Gail didn’t correct that he and Herb were doing her a favor by letting her do that instead of making her shell out a good chunk of her savings. Plus, she knew Murphy wasn’t the best trained dog. He was very willful and large enough to pull his weight around which sometimes made it hard to discipline him.

  "It's okay, but I appreciate it. We have the rest of the week to be friendly. It's not as if we were rude to each other the entire time.”

  "Fair point. Tell me how you and Murphy entered each other's lives."

  He sounded genuinely curious. The topic of Murphy was fairly safe and not one that she could sputter on but could engage in conversation while rooting around in relative dark, finding the right vegetables.

  "There was an adoption event in one of the pet stores. There were a bunch of puppies that had been shipped in to be adopted and I happened to be at a different store in the strip mall and saw them and wandered over because, puppies."

  Robert snorted.

  "I just went over to look at them and Murphy's slightly dopey face was looking up at me. He watched me walk over, with his head cocked to the side and when I stepped up to the fence, he came right over to me, climbed up on the side, basically willed me with his eyes to adopt him. I mean he put on all of the well-behaved dog charms to get himself adopted. I am convinced he knew what he was doing. Especially since I came over to coo over puppies and here he was a full grown, slightly malnourished, dog. But I knew in that moment I wasn’t walking away without him. A puppy I could have walked away from because they are so much work, but Murphy was fully housetrained."

  "I got the girls in a very similar way. We, with the pet store in Bunny Ridge, will host events like that. My two girls were the runts of the litter, yes. they were both incredibly tiny before you ask. The owner didn't want them because they weren't breed standard enough, or something I don't remember. Originally, we were going to nurse them back to health until they were big brawny boxers, but they've stayed with me."

  They fell into silence again but this time it was friendlier, more companionable than before. She was starting to like him as a person. Considering just a few hours ago she realized she found him attractive, this was dangerous. The last thing she needed was forming even a passing attachment to someone who lived in a place she was only staying for a week. She didn't need anything else hanging her up, she needed to look toward the future and what that could hold for her. She needed to start over completely. Developing a crush, which she was fairly certain she was doing, would not help her accomplish that.

  They made a few passing jokes and he told a few anecdotes about the various animal patients and before she knew it, they were dawdling. They finished collecting the vegetables and had just been standing in the greenhouse. She was grateful it was so dark, so he wouldn't see her cheeks turning pink. She didn't know how long they had been up there talking and laughing, forming that friendly connection, but she was fairly certain it was long enough that Dotty would notice. And Dotty struck her as the type of person that would probably comment on it, if not to Gail then to Robert.

  "We should probably get going. You still have to get home, and grab the dogs first, and I don't know when Dottie goes to sleep but she's probably waiting for us to get the vegetables since my purse is still in her apartment."

  She watched as Robert blinked at her words as if he was taken aback by the fact that she was ending their conversation then he gave her a genuine smile. "You're absolutely right. Let's head on down, grab our things, and I'll see you in the morning. With any luck, Murphy will be staying with you tomorrow night and things can get back to normal for you."

  It was weird: as he stepped away from her, she felt more than a physical distance between them. It was as if he was chastising himself and shutting down. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she could feel the difference in the way he spoke as they headed back down the stairs, after dashing across the roof again. When he opened the door to Dottie's apartment all of the other men were gone, and Dottie sat on the couch, curled up with a novel; she smiled at them as Robert dropped the basket in the kitchen.

  "Sorry that took so long. We didn't mean to delay your bedtime." Gail smiled apologetically.

  "Don't worry about it, honey, I usually read for an hour before bed, so we’re all good. You kids have a good night.” There was a glint to Dottie's eyes, and an extra mischievous curl to her smile, but she refrained from saying anything else. The last thing she wanted was Dottie playing matchmaker.

  She and Robert said good night to Dottie but not so much to each other, which was a little weird considering the friendly conversation they’d just had. Gail grabbed her purse and they walked out together. They headed down one flight of stairs and Robert stopped before heading down the next one so he could turn and look at her.

  With a genuine smile and friendly eyes―though not as friendly as they had been in the greenhouse―he said, "Have a good night and sweet dreams." He lingered a beat before turning around and walking down the next flight of stairs.

  Gail didn't know what to think. While she enjoyed dinner and her interactions with the McAllister family, her heart sped up a little when alone with Robert. Silly, but true. He was currently her boss and she couldn't afford to feel that way. Especially considering she would only be there through the end of the week.

  "You read too many romance novels," she muttered to herself as she headed toward her room.

  Chapter 6

  The last four days had flown by faster than any week Robert could remember. It was weird, normally weeks after camping in the woods would go by slowly, agonizingly so. But this week, had been pleasant despite a couple of near emergencies. He found he spent a lot of his free time, between appointments or getting in early, chatting with Gail at the front desk. Since the dinner at his aunt's house, the two of them decided to start off on a new foot and he found they had more in common than he’d initially thought.

  They compared favorite camping spots and favorite movies, they overlapped in both. There was an ease to their conversations he hadn't had before with someone he barely knew. Both his mom and his aunts had inquired about his love life, as they had his brothers since all of them were still single. He never found anyone worth writing home about. But Gail he liked. She was fun and interesting. Every time his mind strayed her way there was the painful reminder she would be gone after Monday. Originally, she was going to be gone today, Friday, but Herb had asked her to stay until the end of day Monday so all of the billing could get settled. She agreed since she wasn't in a hurry, but that didn't mean she wasn't leaving.

  Robert knew he couldn't afford to get emotionally invested and he kept telling himself he needed to stop gravitating toward her desk and holding these conversations with her; that would only make him enjoy her company more. He should be working, even though things were slow, but he couldn’t stop himself. He enjoyed their conversations; every once in a while she'd shoo him away because she was in the middle of something, she’d made a hand gesture like a pushing motion and promise to get to him later.

  It baffled him someone he barely knew, someone he’d met a week ago would be someone he was going to miss. He’d had girlfriends for several months he missed less after their breakup than he would Gail when she headed to the west side.

  "She catches on quickly. I did not expect her to get as much done as she has. Though I suspect she's been putting in a little bit longer than eight-hour days, but what can you do. I really appreciate that she was so gung-ho about it. She didn't have to be and yet she told me she would feel bad if she left
us with any clutter. She even streamlined a couple things, so it won't be as bad when we hire someone full-time," Herb commented with a smile.

  They’d taken a working break to discuss several of the cases out at ranches and farms and how they were going to divvy up the at-home visits. Since it wasn't always the same doctor for every animal, Robert and Herb liked to have weekly meetings where they caught each other up on what had happened. They'd been doing just that when Herbert paused, taking a sip of his coffee and changed the subject to Gail.

  "Don’t tell me you don't like her. I've noticed how much time you two are laughing up there at the front desk. You don't dislike her nearly as much as you did at the beginning of the week."

  Robert huffed before taking a sip of his own coffee. "No, you're right. I misjudged her based on one encounter at a rest stop and the fact her dog ingested rat poison and made assumptions based on that. She is much more capable than I gave her credit for originally." He tried to keep his tone simple and bland before he took another sip.

  His partner looked at him a beat, his lips curling slightly. He opened his mouth, but before he could say whatever was on his mind, they heard Gail's frustrated voice come down the hallway.

  "All I'm saying is it's awfully convenient you would call me now."

  The agitation in her voice had Robert getting up and stepping out of Herb's office so he could hear better. If one of their patients’ owners was giving her a hard time, Robert wanted to step in. There was no reason to mistreat the office manager if you had a problem. Once he stepped out, he saw she was on her cell phone and had it on speakerphone because a male voice came through the other end. He stopped where he was and listened.

  "What I'm saying is we made a mistake laying you off; it should’ve been Shelley. For a variety of reasons, we decided not to do that, despite Rebecca's advice to keep you. After two weeks we realized our mistake and have decided to remedy it by letting her go and bringing you back." The male voice was calm and collected. There was an undercurrent to it Robert couldn't quite decipher.

  He could see her agitation in the way she stood, her arms folded across her chest, an angry scowl on her face. If this was the University telling her they wanted her back, he thought she'd be happy. She talked about her life there as being pleasant so why would she scowl?

  "You did the wrong thing to begin with in firing me. I had seniority and came with recommendations throughout the department. But you wanted the new receptionist instead. And now you realize your mistake and want me to just come back. With no guarantee this won't happen again. No pay raise for my trouble. You want me to come back and be grateful I was kicked out in the first place, but at least you're welcoming me back to the fold?"

  He got it now. Robert understood her agitation and agreed with some of it. They'd screwed her over once and now there was no guarantee they wouldn’t do it again. He wouldn’t want to take it either if he was her.

  "It isn't like you got another job this quickly, did you? Do you have a lot of other options?" the male voice pressed smugly.

  He watched as Gail's body tensed further and she winced in a painful expression. He watched as she fortified herself, found some inner strength somewhere and straightened her back.

  "No, I don't, which tells you how little faith in you I have that I'm not jumping at your offer. I'll let you know Monday if I decide to take the job." She hung up the phone, pressing the screen harder than she needed to.

  As Robert watched she made herself take several deep breaths before walking back to the front desk and slipping on a mask that was more cheerful than he was sure she felt.

  Robert was angry for her. Her former employer was treating her like a second-class citizen rather than the valuable person she was. It was wrong. He couldn't believe someone could get away with something like that, but apparently in academia things were different. The thought of her going back there, not having other options made him so angry he stormed back into Herb's office and faced the older man.

  "What if we offered Gail the full-time job here. She's doing a fantastic job, the patients and clients all like her, and it would save us the headache of an interview process."

  A smile split across his partner's face and grew into a happy grin. "I was thinking along the same lines. I was going to offer up the same suggestion at the end of our conversation. Do you want to be the one to ask her or should I?"

  "I'll do it. I'll find some time today to ask her." He had jumped in so fast Robert had to stop himself from saying anything further. He was almost over eager to ask her.

  Clearly it was a better opportunity than working at the school. She would be valued here, not only as an employee but as a member of the community. His aunt already loved her, and Dottie was one of the centers of the gossip and socialization for the tri-city area. Not to mention, a small voice in the back of his head said she would still be around for him to spend time with. He wouldn't have to say goodbye to her like he thought he would. He felt more hope blossom at that thought than he’d initially expected. It caught him off guard. No one knew if anything would come from the two of them spending time together, even in a work setting. Yet he couldn't silence that little voice that said he felt stronger about their interactions.

  The little voice of self-doubt stepped in. What if she decided to go; to go with a more comfortable life, one she already knew. What if she decided to go back to working for the University, in a world she was comfortable in, knew how to navigate. The pull of the familiar was strong, he knew that. It was what had drawn him to come back to his hometown after his residency in Seattle. He had chosen to come home, to be surrounded by the familiar, all his brothers but Matthew had. Could he really blame Gail for wanting the same thing?

  That train of thought made him pause. If she said no it would put them right back to where he thought he was ten minutes ago. That wasn't a place he wanted to be. He needed to find a way to ask her today. A way that would make staying more appealing than returning to the life she’d had. He had to find the perfect time to do it. Normally he would never think he would need to sell Lantern Lake to anyone. It was a beautiful and wonderful place and if people didn't want to live there it was their loss. It had a small town feel with a large population. But for once he wanted to sell it, sell the idea that it made a wonderful home. Thoughts formed in his head, then he smiled realizing how he would pull it off.

  Chapter 7

  The call from the chair of her department had rattled her. On the one hand it was considered complimentary that a chair would reach out about a job offer, especially a job at her level. But at the same time, he had been so condescending, and pointing out she didn't have a job yet made Gail prickle. But in the end, she knew he was right. She needed to be practical, she knew the University and she knew the job. Maybe going back would be best for her. But this time she’d go back with a plan. There would be no job-sitting for another eight years. This time she would take the job and then immediately create a plan on how to move up within the system. Get jobs in other departments like her boss’ position. She wouldn't rely on someone else to notice and appreciate her work ethic. Robert and Herb treated her better than the faculty had. Since the University had been her only employer, she figured that was the way things were. She wasn't sure she could go back to that kind of environment now.

  Her old boss called her soon after the chair to try to mend fences, but it hadn't helped. While she appreciated that her boss was really enthusiastic about her coming back, Gail didn't know if she had it in her. She’d liked the job while she had it, loved the life she had, but now she wanted more. She wanted respect, she didn't want to be belittled because she only had a bachelor's degree. Another part of her felt maybe that was a tall order.

  Either way, she'd given herself till Monday to think about it. She knew she was going to flip-flop back and forth all weekend, and it had pretty much ruined her Friday. It had been very hard to maintain a cheerful appearance, but she’d managed. Now they were rounding on six-thirty and
she was grateful. She needed a break, she needed time to herself, with Murphy, to think, relax and contemplate her next move. She debated calling her little sister, asking her advice, but she was fairly certain she knew what her sister was going to say. Her sister wanted her to come to Seattle, be closer to the family and screw the old job. It didn't matter the job was guaranteed, at least for now.

  The whole train of thought ground to a stop when she realized Robert was leaning on the side of the front desk watching her.

  "I’m so sorry, how long have you been standing there?" she sputtered, blushing.

  A smile grew on his face as he shook his head. “Not long, maybe five seconds. I had a question for you."

  Her curiosity piqued and she couldn't help but smile. "All right."

  “Have you been to the festivities at the lake yet? I know you were here on a Sunday night and they tend to have died down by then, but have you ever been to the festivities by the lake in the winter before?"

  His enthusiasm added to her interest; there was an upbeat childlike sense of excitement under his tone.

  Gail shook her head. "No, I haven't. My sister tells me it's amazing. She's told me to go the last three years, but I've never made it." Her tone was sheepish.

  With his palm open he slapped it lightly on the desk. "Good, you have plans tonight. You and Murphy be ready at seven-thirty. The girls and I will pick you up. The five of us will take a trip around the lake. We’re only going around the Lantern Lake side because that's the only part where the festivities are and then will turn back around and come back. It's fun, it's pretty; worst case scenario if you don't like it you and Murphy still get a good walk."

  He looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for a response.

  "Oh … okay … yeah, sounds good." Her heart fluttered in her chest.

  Robert pushed off the desk, his smile growing to a grin. "Great, I'll see you at seven-thirty." Then he turned and walked down the hall back toward his office.