That Incredible Kiss

by Tamara Ferguson

  Chapter Ten

  Ten years later

  Crystal Rock, Wisconsin.

  Ashley gasped.

  She was making a quick trip through the store to pick up a few groceries since she would be moving into her house this weekend, and she couldn’t believe her eyes.

  It couldn’t be. Was that Michelle Ashford standing in the checkout lane ahead of her?

  When the woman turned, Ashley crept away, trying to keep out of sight.

  “Ashley?”

  Ashley turned slowly toward Michelle, clearing her throat. “Hi, Michelle. How are you?”

  “Don’t you dare sneak away,” Michelle muttered. “Let me finish checking out.”

  Ashley grimaced, but walked around the checkout lane and waited near the exit. She’d come back after work for groceries, she decided, since she didn’t have much time.

  When Ashley took a good look at Michelle, she immediately understood that the last ten years must have been as difficult for Michelle as they’d been for Ashley. Michelle was so thin, and she had shadows under her eyes, as if she hadn’t been sleeping well.

  Glaring at her, Michelle rolled the cart through the automatic doors. “Walk along with me to my car. Okay?”

  Ashley nodded, still feeling nervous and reluctant.

  They both remained quiet while Michelle unloaded her groceries into the SUV with Ashley’s help.

  And then Michelle took a good look at her.

  “Oh, Ashley. You look so tired. How are you? I can’t believe you’re still living here in town.”

  Ashley was surprised at Michelle’s words. “You’re not mad?”

  Michelle looked puzzled. “Mad? At what? You probably thought I never tried to get in touch, but I realized last night that my grandfather must have been monitoring my mail and not letting it go out. I wrote you at least a dozen times. I had to leave my phone and computer here when we left.”

  “You wrote?”

  “I tried to. What’s wrong? Why would you think I’d be mad at you?”

  “Because they discovered that my father and Brian’s mother ran off with all the money they’d stolen. I guess they were in it together, and it’s been all over the news.”

  Michelle covered her mouth with her hand. “What? I never heard about any of that.”

  Feeling anxious, Ashley continued, “I moved back here to Crystal Rock a few years ago because my mom was working as a personal secretary for a realtor in Eau Claire and travels a lot anyway. I was able to train and get a decent job at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn and work my way up to an advertising assistant.”

  “Ashley. That’s great. I’m so proud of you. You’re definitely more advanced with your job skills than me.”

  Suddenly, Ashley began to cry. “You’re really not mad at me? Because of what they’re saying my dad did?”

  “Oh, Honey. Is that what’s been happening? People have been blaming you?” And reaching out, she pulled Ashley into her arms, patting her on the back.

  “I’m sorry,” Ashley mumbled. “It’s just that I don’t have a lot of friends anymore.”

  “Since I’ve just arrived back in town, I’ve been doing more crying during the last forty-eight hours than I have during the last ten years,” Michelle murmured. “I’ll always be your friend, no matter what. And I promise that I’m not going anywhere.”

  They talked a few more minutes, and Michelle mentioned she was living in her paternal grandparents’ home near Crystal Rock Lake and would be restoring it with some money that was put aside years ago by her father. Apparently, the title of the home was in her name. But Michelle would still have to get a job, and she was thinking about training to work as an assistant at either the wounded warrior home here in town, or at the Crystal Visions school for children with disabilities.

  Before parting, they exchanged phone numbers and email addresses.

  Ashley couldn’t get over it, watching Michelle drive away in her SUV. She’d never stopped being her friend.

  Ashley walked through the parking lot towards her truck. Geez, had she changed from the snobby girl who could never go a week without her nails done, always having to have her hair and makeup perfect. And then there were the designer clothes which her parents never had trouble providing while she was growing up.

  Mom hadn’t changed too much in that regard, working at a realtor’s office, but Ashley sure had. A lot of it had happened when she’d gone to work at the local lumberyard and had discovered she had secret talents.

  It was crazy, but she loved building things. She worked in sales in the Callahan Construction branch in Eau Claire and had found her niche by taking up woodworking and renovation work on the side.

  But Mom? She’d been worried about Ashley’s identity crisis, or, so, she’d called it.

  Especially after Ashley had gotten her tattoo. By then, Mom had thought Ashley was going out of her mind and had called Jake and Danielle Loughlin for advice.

  Apparently, Jake and Danielle had both laughed, remembering her as the girl who had to be perfect growing up, but had agreed that Ashley could be doing more with her life and had offered her a job.

  A job that she absolutely loved, although she’d had to regain some sense of style again, since with her new promotion, she would be out of the office, handling advertising with clients and charity events taking place at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

  Twenty minutes later, when she walked into the inn’s lobby, she was greeted by an unexpected smile from the girl at the desk.

  That’s when Ashley realized she was smiling again herself. She’d been awfully sullen, living in a world of her own for the most part, not reaching out or trying to make friends.”

  “Hi, Nancy,” Ashley said. “How are things going?”

  “Good, Ashley. You look happy today.”

  “An old friend of mine has moved back to town,” she answered.

  “Good,” Nancy said. “I’m glad you have someone to hang out with since you’re new in town.”

  Nancy didn’t even know that Ashley used to live in Crystal Rock. Now that she’d been reassured by Michelle, Ashley needed to get a better grip of the situation. After all, Dad hadn’t really extorted funds, it had been a story put out to cover the real facts.

  Michelle’s father had been murdered, and Ashley had a feeling that Michelle had never been told the truth. It had been ten years since Ashley had seen her father, although she’d had the feeling sometimes that he was close. How much longer would this act have to go on? Ashley was worried about her mom too, who really couldn’t move forward.

  Ashley continued through the lobby and waited for the elevator to open.

  Riding to the third floor, she stepped from the elevator into the hallway, heading toward the end where all management offices were located.

  She smiled again, walking into her office, because it was in a prime location, overlooking the lake. She even had French doors opening onto a balcony where she liked to work and make sales calls. There was something stimulating about the panoramic view and being out in nature amidst the towering pines.

  There was a soft knock at the door, and Danielle Loughlin peeked inside.

  “Ashley? Wow, don’t you look great? Now that’s the girl I remember from years ago.”

  “Come on in, Danielle,” she murmured. “Sometimes, I can’t believe how much I’ve changed.”

  Danielle looked her over approvingly. “It’s all for the best, I can assure you. You have a confidence about you now, that you didn’t have two years ago.”

  “Yes, I agree,” Ashley answered. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this job.”

  “You’ve proved you can handle everything we’ve thrown at you. You’re a natural at making new contacts and plugging the inn and everything we offer, so that’s why I want you to team up with someone else who’s going to be working with us. He just moved back to town and is opening an advertising agency working for the benefit of Crystal Rock, and not just the inn. Business is booming in the
resort trade again, and we’d like to keep it that way, while also finding more creative ways to encourage tourism in the area.”

  “Alright,” Ashley answered. “When would you like me to meet with him?”

  “I took the liberty of making a reservation for the two of you in the restaurant for a late lunch this afternoon. If that’s alright?” Danielle asked.

  “Sure,” Ashley murmured. “What time?”

  “Two. I thought that you could take the rest of the morning to come up with a few ideas about other events we could be putting together throughout the year. Christmas is pretty well wrapped up, but there’s a lull during the fall. And sometimes during the spring as well.”

  “I’m already getting excited,” Ashley admitted. “Maybe something for Halloween?”

  “That would be great. We do get a good turnout before Thanksgiving,” Danielle admitted. “Okay, I’ll let you get to work.”

  But Ashley didn’t see Danielle grinning slyly as she left the office. She was already working on her computer, jotting down information.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was so strange being back in Crystal Rock for the first time in ten years, Brian thought, driving through town.

  The last time he’d been down this street was when he was being rushed out of town the day after he’d overheard the conversation at his ancestors’ home on Stone Lake.

  Jake Loughlin had been very interested to hear what Brian had to say, and even though he hadn’t explained what was going on, Jake had insisted on getting Brian and his family out of town as soon as possible.

  Eventually, after hearing the news of Tom Ashford’s supposed suicide, Brian figured that the men had been talking about him.

  Jake had pulled strings and had Brian flown to Georgia and enlisted in boot camp within the month, and six tours and twelve special missions later as a ranger, Brian had an honorable discharge after his knee had been shattered by a bullet during his last mission.

  Brian had fulfilled his dream but had learned that dreams weren’t always what they were cracked up to be. He’d made good friends, as well as some difficult decisions, but his devastating experiences overseas had left him not quite whole, still suffering from PTSD. It was something he would have to live with, he was told, and some days were definitely better than others. Maybe time would lessen the nightmares and cold sweats he broke out in during the middle of the night.

  Dad was still living in Chicago, and much to his surprise, his younger brothers had ended up following in Brian’s footsteps, except they’d both enlisted in the Air Force rather than the Army. Their decision might have had something to do with Dad’s concern after discovering Tom Ashford was dead. He more than likely figured the boys would be better able to defend themselves in case of danger after Brian’s trouble during his last night in Crystal Rock.

  Continuing along Main Street, Brian took a left on the first street past the police station, turning into the parking lot of his father’s office building.

  It was still in pretty good shape, Brian decided as he stepped out from his truck. Brian had arranged to have the exterior painted before he arrived in town, and he would eventually work with an interior designer after reestablishing the business which had once been the branch of Dad’s company. Brian would be on his own here, working for the resort and business owners of the community in public relations and advertising. Supposedly, Danielle Loughlin had come up with the idea.

  Before opting out, Brian had briefly considered remaining in service and making the Army his career but had decided working behind a desk just wasn’t going to cut it for him.

  Was he still in danger by returning to Crystal Rock? Even though Brian doubted it, Jake still thought he was. Apparently, the case against Brian’s mom and Aaron Mitchum had been put on the backburner, but something was going to happen soon, Jake had mentioned.

  A new plan was in the works, and that was part of the reason Jake wanted Brian available here in town. Brian couldn’t understand how his father had handled the situation as long as he had, knowing how much Dad loved Mom.

  And speaking of love?

  Brian heaved a sigh, unlocking the office door and walking inside. He wondered for like the millionth time, what had happened to Ashley?

  Had she ended up in college? Brian hoped so. He still couldn’t remember their final morning at the beach without self-reproach and loathing. No matter how much he’d been hurting, he shouldn’t have acted like such an ass.

  He’d dated off and on and had a few relationships, but nothing ever seemed to pan out; especially since he compared every other woman with Ashley, and no one ever came close. After all, he’d loved her for years.

  It was that night ten years ago, after he’d raced to Dragonfly Pointe to speak with Jake Loughlin that he’d thought hard about what Ashley had said. Read between the lines of what you overheard your parents saying. There’s something else going on here.

  Brian’s parents had never had any real trouble in their marriage. In fact, they’d just celebrated a twentieth wedding anniversary a few weeks before their supposed split, and as far as he knew, Ashley’s parents had been happy together too.

  What had happened made no sense. Without saying much, Jake had more or less confirmed there was something else going on that night when Brian had knocked at the door of his house, located near the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

  Brian took a good look around the lobby before entering the largest office, which used to belong to his dad. Someone had already installed the internet hookup he’d asked for and a brand-new computer modem and keyboard was resting on the desk, complete with a high-tech wide screen.

  He would be living in the apartment upstairs for now, so he could use his laptop there.

  Sitting behind the desk, he glanced around the office, noticing it appeared to be equipped with everything he needed, including shelving and file cabinets. He would paint the walls himself, he decided, since they were a boring dreary white.

  Standing and glancing at his watch, he figured he’d unpack before starting on a bare bones proposal for the meeting he had this afternoon at two. He already had a lot of ideas in his head, since he’d been thinking about it on his drive from Chicago, where he’d been visiting his dad.

  Walking through the lobby, he strolled outside to his truck, grabbing most of his luggage from inside, carrying it back into the office through the hallway and up the staircase.

  He paused, before walking into the open apartment. Someone had been doing a lot of work up here, and Brian had a sneaking suspicion that whoever had done it had been hired by either Jake Loughlin or Dad.

  The kitchen was sleek and modern with stainless steel appliances, and the bathroom had even been gutted and redone, he noticed, walking into the bedroom where a brand-new king-sized bed was set up.

  Dad used to use the space for storage, so it must have been expensive overhauling the apartment and purchasing new furnishings. Brian was grateful, because it would save him a lot of time and money not having to shop for the items himself.

  After unpacking, he decided to shower and put on some nicer clothes before going back downstairs. The meeting was taking place during lunch at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, so he needed to wear something other than a t-shirt and jeans.

  The next few hours went quickly, and when Brian looked at his watch he was surprised to discover it was after one. He had a sudden desire to check out Dragonfly Pointe, so he decided to leave a little early.

  After printing his proposal, scooping it up and inserting the paperwork into a folder, he left the office, locking it up tight.

  Crystal Rock had grown quite a bit, he noticed, driving back through town. There were a few new places to eat, along with another gas station as well as a couple new souvenir shops near the edge of town.

  Everything seemed the same as he made his way along the access road towards Dragonfly Pointe. Driving past the inn, he noticed a few more cabins had been added for the resort between the beach and the inn.

/>   Arriving at the beach, Brian had no trouble finding a parking place. It was a Monday, and school was obviously back in session.

  Brian grimaced, getting out from his truck. The knee replacement surgery had been as successful as it could be considering all the damage that’d been done to his leg, but he was still in pain off and on, and had to avoid certain movements and stick to low impact exercising for his lower body.

  But after a long drive like today, he limped. It was just something that couldn’t be avoided with all the traveling he’d been doing during the past two weeks. Once he loosened up and did some regular walking again, it would get better.

  The concession stand, he noticed, had a new addition where you could sit inside. There were ice hockey games on the Dragonfly Pointe Bay rink during the winter, and even though a large bonfire was usually roaring near the ice during the games, an inside place to warm up was a great idea.

  As Brian made his way along the edge of the beach, he felt…content.

  Because he was finally home.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ashley made her way into the main restaurant fifteen minutes before the reservation time, but she was seated right away because it was rather deserted inside since it was Monday. The lunch hour still brought a lot of business to the inn, but the restaurant was usually packed during the summer season and holidays at all hours of the day.

  Ashley couldn’t get over how good she was feeling today. She’d nearly completed the proposal she had sitting on the table in front of her for the Fall Harvest Festival which would be hosted by the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

  The only problem she really needed to tackle was how would they be able to create a haunted house? She couldn’t think of anywhere here on Dragonfly Pointe where they could construct it.

  Her own property on Stone Lake would actually be perfect, especially since the house was referred to regularly here in town as the ‘Spooky House.’ No one would actually have to come inside the house, because there was a perfect outer building which could be used; an old barn where Ashley had spent hours exploring because she intended using a portion of the space for her workshop.