The Inn at Misty Lake: Book Two in the Misty Lake Series

by Margaret Standafer

  Riley didn’t remember it quite the same way but didn’t see the point in sharing his version just to hurt her. Lissa had a far away, almost dreamy look in her eyes and the hint of a smile on her lips. Her tension seemed to melt away and for a moment he could see the girl he remembered, the girl who had always smiled, the girl who had always seemed to have the world by the tail. But then she gave her head an almost imperceptible shake, turned to face him, and the moment passed. Her eyes, once again, had a haunted, defeated look and she seemed to shrink before him until she looked so frail Riley was again afraid she was going to collapse.

  He didn’t want to push when she looked so fragile but couldn’t just let it go. “I’d like to have a copy of his birth certificate. Is it possible to have someone mail it? And I want a paternity test.”

  “Riley!” she gasped.

  “Look, Lissa, it’s something I need. You show up here out of the blue with a child and tell me he’s mine. It’s possible, yes, I’m not arguing that. But you need to understand it’s quite a shock. I can’t get past the fact that I hadn’t heard a word from you in years and now…this. I don’t think wanting some proof is too much to ask.”

  She sighed heavily and leaned a hip against the picnic table. “I don’t know when I can get a copy of his birth certificate. It’s in a safe deposit box and my dad is the only other person authorized to access it. He’s out of the country, I think.”

  “Then I’ll wait on that but I want to get the paternity test done. I did some checking, it’s a pretty simple procedure.”

  “Ryan’s afraid of needles. I want to give him a little time to get settled before I spring a doctor visit on him.”

  “There are no needles involved, it’s just a swab on the inside of the cheek.”

  “It’s still a doctor’s office. He won’t like it. Just give him a little more time, we’ll take care of it soon.”

  He didn’t know Lissa or Ryan well enough to know if he should believe her. What kid liked the doctor? But, if it was going to be a traumatic experience for him, it could wait a few days.

  “A little time then, but not too long. I want everything verified before we tell Ryan I’m his father and I’d like to be able to do that as soon as possible.” Riley watched her sway and stagger. She needed to get some rest. “When can I see Ryan again?”

  “Soon, whenever you want. Just call.”

  Riley gave her a long look. “Are you sure you’re okay? Are you sick?”

  “No, just tired. It’s been a long few days…few months, really. I need to go.” She scanned the park and called for Ryan.

  “Do we have to go, Mommy?”

  “Yes, you’ve had plenty of time to play.”

  Ryan kicked at the dirt and mumbled to himself but didn’t argue.

  “I’ll see you later, Ryan,” Riley said as he mussed the boy’s hair.

  Ryan looked up and his forehead creased as he studied Riley. He seemed unsure of something. “Is my mom going to leave with you like she did—”

  Lissa grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him away. “It’s time to go, Ryan. Right now. Grab your things.”

  “Thanks for all the stuff.” Ryan waved as Lissa herded him towards the parking lot.

  Riley waved back. As they drove away, Riley already missed the sound of Ryan’s voice, his laugh, his exuberance. And he worried about Lissa. If they’d had more than a few blocks to go, he would have insisted on driving. Lissa seemed in no condition to be behind the wheel. He told himself that when they spoke next he was going to demand some answers. She was hiding something from him and he was afraid if it was a health problem, it could mean a dangerous situation for Ryan. Making a quick decision, he jogged to his truck and took off after Lissa’s car. He was going to make sure they got to Courtney’s safely.

  28

  Later that evening, Riley strode purposefully to the door at Sam’s house, his arms loaded down with flowers and a huge, brightly wrapped box for Susan as well as a bag stuffed with dog toys and treats for Gusto. At this point, he wasn’t above using the dog to get to her. Susan hadn’t answered his calls or texts. He’d made up his mind he wasn’t going to take no for an answer any longer. They needed to talk.

  “Oh, Riley,” Sam’s face fell when she saw Riley at the door. “Susan’s not here and I’m guessing that’s not all for me.”

  “Where is she? I stopped by the inn, she’s not there.”

  “She’s in Chicago.”

  “Chicago?”

  “Come in.” Sam took the box and led Riley into the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Why is she in Chicago?”

  Sam went to the fridge and pulled out a beer for Riley then sat at the table and waved for him to do the same. “She left early this morning. She already had the weekend off and she called Emily to switch a couple of things around on the schedule so she could stay a few days.” Sam shrugged helplessly. “I think she just wanted to get away for a while, wanted to see her family.”

  Riley’s head dropped. “I suppose she told you?”

  Sam reached a hand out and covered his. “She did. I was here when she got home yesterday. She was pretty upset. We talked.”

  “And?”

  “And I don’t know. She was a little calmer by last night. We had a couple of margaritas, ate some of her favorite chips and salsa, and I tried to get her to enjoy her birthday, but she was distant. She didn’t really talk about it after…after she told me.”

  “Have you heard from her? Did she make it to Chicago okay?”

  “Yes, she called. She’s there, visiting with everyone. She sounded better.”

  “I really want to talk to her, Sam. I need to fix this.” Riley got up and walked to the window. He stared at the lake, defeated.

  “I know. It will do her good to be home for a few days. Once she’s back I think she’ll be ready to talk.” When Riley just continued to stare out the window, she added, “How about you? Do you want to talk?”

  Riley turned to Sam. His eyes were wet and his voice was raspy. “I can’t lose her, Sam. I just can’t.”

  Sam closed him in a hug. “You won’t. She loves you. She just needs some time to sort things out. I think she’s afraid she’s going to lose you.”

  Riley drew back and raked his fingers through his hair. Sam took his hand and led him to the sofa. “This is really a mess and I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “Tell me what’s going on. Where do things stand with you and the boy’s mother?”

  Riley huffed and looked at the ceiling. “I wish I knew. She’s…I don’t know, strange, I guess. I think she may be sick—really sick—and that’s why she’s here now, after all this time. She doesn’t look well, she seems to have trouble concentrating. I haven’t gotten too many answers out of her and I don’t really know what her plans are.”

  “Is she going to stay in Misty Lake, for a while at least, so you have a chance to get to know your son?”

  “It sounds like it. She’s staying with a friend. I don’t know how long that will be possible and I don’t know what will happen after that. She’s made a few comments that make it seem as though she doesn’t have a lot of money and I think that’s a big concern for her right now. I’ve offered to help—have helped some.” He shrugged.

  “What about your son? What’s he like?”

  Riley’s whole demeanor changed with the change in subject. “He’s pretty great. He’s full of energy, he’s polite.” Riley thought back to the trip to the toy store. “He loves to play and he appreciates it when someone does something for him.”

  “He sounds like a great kid. Susan said the same.”

  “She did?” Riley was surprised…and pleased. He’d been afraid Susan’s opinion would change after finding out Riley was his father.

  “She said a lot of the same things you just said. She was crazy about him.”

  Riley nodded. “That doesn’t really fix the problem though, does it? There’s still the fact that, out of
the blue, I have a son and my life is going to change drastically.”

  “It will change, yes, but change doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

  “But in this case it’s a sudden thing. It’s not the direction things were headed…not the path I saw us taking. And we both know Susan. She’s a planner, she likes to have things under control, in order. She doesn’t particularly care for surprises.”

  “You’re right about that, but don’t sell her short. She’s got a big heart. Right now, though, Susan is worried that maybe you’re in love with this woman, that you always have been, and now that she’s back, you’ll try to work things out.”

  “That’s crazy. I told Susan it wasn’t like that.”

  “Okay, but it’s not me you have to convince. Try to understand Susan’s point of view. Obviously you had some sort of relationship with…what’s her name? Melissa?”

  “Yeah, Lissa.”

  “Okay, Lissa. Obviously, at some point, there was something between you and Lissa. For a woman, it’s never easy to come face to face with a former girlfriend. In this case, it’s a lot harder. It’s a lot more complicated. Susan’s fear is that the feelings you once had will come back…maybe because of the child, but maybe they would have regardless. She has to get past that. She needs you to convince her it’s not going to happen.”

  “But it’s not. I told her that.” Riley was frustrated. If that’s all it was then it should be simple. He told her, she should believe him.

  “You have to try to think like Susan. Her confidence has been shaken, a lot of doubt is sneaking into her head. She didn’t expect that there was no one in your past, but she also didn’t expect to be blindsided by not only a former girlfriend, but a child, too.”

  “Okay, I can do that. If she’ll talk to me, that is.”

  “She’ll talk to you. Try her again tomorrow. I think a day at home will make a big difference.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Have you talked to anyone else about this? Your family?”

  “I talked to Mom and Dad last night. It was tough. But no one else.” He looked at Sam and mentally calculated. “I’ve been kind of out of it for the past twenty-four hours or so. Does everyone know? Does Jake know?”

  “I didn’t tell him. I thought it should come from you.”

  Riley didn’t know what he preferred…telling Jake and the rest of his family himself, or having Sam or his parents break the news and letting some of the initial shock wear off before he had to face them. It was all so much to deal with. He fell back into the sofa and threw his arms over his face.

  Sam drew him into another hug. “It will get better.”

  Jake walked in and found Sam and Riley embracing on the sofa. “Making a move on my fiancé, Riles?” He laughed until they both turned and he saw their faces. “Aw, crap. What happened?”

  29

  Susan didn’t answer Riley’s calls until Tuesday and didn’t return until Wednesday. It was Friday before they saw one another. Susan was busy making up for the extra days off from work and used it as an excuse to avoid stopping by the B&B. In truth, she was afraid. No matter how often she heard she didn’t have anything to worry about, that the fact that Riley had a son didn’t mean the relationship between the two of them had to change, and no matter how often she nodded and agreed, she couldn’t quite convince herself it was true.

  They’d talked a few times, but Susan had kept the conversations short and the topics mostly business. She had asked about Ryan, whether Riley had seen him again and how it was going, but hadn’t encouraged many details. And she hadn’t asked about Lissa.

  So on Friday evening when she pulled her car into the driveway and parked behind Riley’s truck, her nerves got the better of her and she sat for a long time. She knew she couldn’t keep avoiding Riley, it wouldn’t solve anything and, besides, she didn’t want to. She missed him but she worried things would be different. Of course they’d be different, she corrected herself. How different remained to be seen.

  The first thing she noticed as she gathered her courage and made her way to the inn was the porch torn apart and the front door blocked off. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. She’d been anxious to have the old, rotting porch replaced, but knew it hadn’t been on the schedule for another month so couldn’t help but wonder if Riley had moved things around to please her. She took a moment to imagine how it would look when the work was completed and pictured the sign that Francie had given her, Sam had worked her magic on, and that now read ‘The Inn at Misty Lake’ hanging above bushel baskets full of flowers. It would be beautiful.

  With renewed purpose, she wound around to the back door and peeked slowly inside to make sure the coast was clear before barging in and upsetting work in progress. Seeing no one, she stepped inside and gasped. Her kitchen was done. Not only was the tile work finished, but the cabinets were hung, the stainless steel work counter and sinks were in place with the ceiling-mount racks hanging over them, and even the appliances had been installed. Susan could only stand and stare. The room glowed, clean and shiny.

  Slowly, she turned in a circle and took it all in. She ran her hand along the cool, smooth surface of the stainless steel refrigerator before opening it to look inside and marvel at the size. She walked to the range and examined the gas burners, opened the oven doors, and touched all the knobs and dials. She went to the sinks and played with the handle and the huge spray attachment. Not expecting the water to be connected, she got a surprise when she turned the nozzle and water gushed from the faucet. Giggling, she used her sleeve to wipe the droplets, not wanting anything to sully the appearance. She examined the brick wall on the far side of the kitchen facing the lake. It was clean and glowed a soft reddish brown in the late afternoon sun. She loved how it softened the look of the otherwise somewhat sterile, industrial looking room and made it homier. The room was, in a word, perfect.

  How in the world had Riley gotten it all done? A week ago the floor was only about halfway completed, the cabinets were still packaged and in the barn, and the appliances hadn’t even been delivered.

  Riley watched for a minute without Susan noticing him. All the tension and exhaustion built up over the past week seemed to melt away as he watched Susan walk through her kitchen, happier than she’d been in days. If only it could stay that way.

  “Welcome back.”

  Her first reaction was genuine. She heard his voice and turned, beaming and anxious to share her excitement with the person who mattered the most. She almost ran to him, but then she remembered. Remembered the wedge that had been driven between them and remembered that things weren’t quite the same.

  “Thanks,” was her only response.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s incredible. Perfect. How in the world did you get all this done in a week?”

  “I haven’t been sleeping much.”

  She looked closer and saw the dark circles under his eyes and the hollow cheeks. Apparently he wasn’t eating, either. “Riley…”

  He waved aside her concern. “Are you sure you like it? I wasn’t positive on where you wanted all the overhead racks. I think this is what we talked about, but I can change anything you want.”

  “It’s exactly how I wanted it. I can hardly believe it’s done. And you started on the porch. Seriously, Riley, have you done anything but work?”

  Again he deflected her concern. “I just started on the porch today. The weather’s been decent so I decided to get going. Having it done will make it easier to move things in. Maneuvering around the broken boards was getting old.”

  This time she went to him and looked him in the eyes. It was even worse close up. “Riley, you need to slow down. I’m thrilled with everything you’ve gotten done, but you can’t kill yourself. There’s time.”

  Ignoring her concern, he said, “We need to talk, Susan.”

  “I know. We will. First show me around?”

  Riley nodded. A little longer wouldn’t hu
rt.

  He showed her the tile work in the bathrooms and the wood floors he’d refinished in Pine Woods and Lakeview. In the bathroom in Northern Lights, he pressed his palms against the shower tile and gave her an idea of how the color-changing tile would look when the shower was running. Susan was delighted and Riley seconded her opinion when she deemed it super cool. Susan played around for a bit before they made their way back downstairs to the kitchen.

  Riley eased into the conversation with something safe. “So, you had a nice visit with your family?”

  “I did. Lauren is getting so big, I could hardly believe it. I guess I should have expected it since she’s the same age as Dylan but since I hadn’t seen her in a few months, it was a shock. She smiles all the time and has the most adorable dimples.” This she could talk about.

  “I’m looking forward to meeting her. Do they have any plans to visit this summer or will they wait until the wedding?”

  “I don’t think they’ll be here until the wedding. Mia is back at work and life is pretty crazy for them right now.”

  When there was a lull, Susan realized that, before, silence between them had always been comfortable, not tension-filled as it was now.

  Eventually, Susan broke that silence. “Have you spent much time with Ryan?”

  “Yes, I’ve seen him just about every day. He’s really quite a kid.” Riley’s feelings were written all over his face.

  “I thought so after the time I spent with him.” She waited but Riley didn’t offer any more. “How are things with his mother?”

  Riley began to roam around the kitchen. On a sigh, he said, “It hasn’t been easy.”

  “Oh?” It was all she could manage.

  “She’s, well, she’s making some decisions about the future…about whether she’s going to stay in the area or head back home, wherever that may be.”