Misty Lake: Book One in the Misty Lake Series

by Margaret Standafer

  “I will.”

  Sam was on her way back so Karen hurried to the patrol car to join Zach and the deputies.

  As the cars pulled away and it was just the two of them, the enormity of what had happened hit Sam. “I think I need to sit down.”

  They went inside, Jake got Sam some water, some ice and aspirin for the bump on her head and they sat, side by side, on the sofa. Although he had a lot of questions and would eventually need a statement, Jake was quiet, waiting until Sam was ready to talk.

  “I’m glad you got here when you did, he really scared me. He seemed crazy, half of what he said didn’t make any sense.”

  “Zach called me on my cell phone, he’s the one who told me what was going on. He’s a brave kid.”

  Sam nodded. “I hope Karen can help his girlfriend, I hope she can get them to a hospital. Zach was so scared, I can’t imagine how the girl must be feeling.”

  “Karen will take good care of them.”

  “I need to get to the vet to check on Rigi. Do you think she’s going to be okay?”

  “She’ll be fine. Joe will call as soon as Doc Fischer checks her out.”

  “Do you think he would have tried to killed me? His plan never would have worked, he would have realized that eventually. He would have realized, too, that he couldn’t let me go. I kept thinking he was going to kill me.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

  Jake closed his eyes wanting to block the memory. That had been his biggest fear, too. Seeing a gun pointed at her had been the single most terrifying moment of his life. Now, hearing the fear in her voice, all he wanted to do was take it away. He slowly stroked her hair.

  “I don’t think he would have had the guts. Whatever bravado was fueling his actions would have worn off quickly when the booze ran out.”

  Sam was quiet, suddenly exhausted. Her head hurt. She wanted to curl up next to Jake and try to stop the images that were racing through her mind, to convince herself that everything was finally over. She knew, though, she needed to get to the vet, needed to check on Zach and Chelsea, and needed to call Susan before she heard from someone else. She pushed herself up and to her feet as her phone buzzed.

  “Joe, how’s Rigi?”

  “She’s going to be fine. Dr. Fischer checked her out, she’s got a couple fractured ribs and a cut on her head that needs a few stitches but she’s going to be just fine.”

  Relief washed over Sam as she thanked Joe. She was smiling as she gave Jake the report. “I need to go see her. Joe said she’ll be sleeping for a while yet and that the doctor wants to keep her overnight but I want to see her. Do you think you can take me? Or do you need to take care of things here?”

  “Things here can wait. I’ll need to complete a report and I’ll need a statement from you but it can wait. Let’s go see that dog of yours. I think I owe her a thank you. Maybe a medal.”

  “I told you she’d rise to the occasion when she needed to,” Sam said proudly.

  24

  It had been three weeks. Rigi was healing nicely, the biggest challenge being trying to keep her quiet and resting. People had been stopping by almost daily, checking on her, spending time with her. Stu and Molly had been by with Molly returning the favor and bringing a delicious chicken dinner for Sam and Susan. Kathleen stopped by more than once, checking on Sam but also spending time talking with Susan. Sam hadn’t asked too many questions but she was curious as to what the two of them were up to. Jake’s family seemed to have worked out a schedule as one of them stopped by every day with offers to help with yard work, cook dinner, or run errands.

  Her final session with the kids from Project Strong Start had been a bittersweet day. Sam was so, so proud of the progress they had all made over the summer and was anxious for them to head home and back to school with new-found confidence. Saying goodbye, though, had been hard. She had shed a few tears and, even though the boys tried not to show it, there had been some emotion on their part, as well.

  Zach hadn’t been back to class but Sam had visited the hospital and had met his beautiful, healthy son, Thomas. Karen had managed to talk them into going to the hospital, not too difficult as Chelsea had been frantic by the time they’d arrived. Once the baby was born, Chelsea had reconsidered and contacted her parents. They had come to the hospital and had taken their daughter and grandson home. Zach had worked out an arrangement to leave Project Strong Start a few days early, wanting to be close to Chelsea and the baby. During Tom Lindahl’s talks with Zach before he left, he had learned that the shoplifting had been things Chelsea had needed or wanted when she learned she was pregnant. Zach, in his misguided way, had been trying to help. Sam knew they were facing a difficult road but hoped the young couple would make the right choices for their son’s sake.

  Sam found getting back to a normal routine was more difficult than she had expected. It had taken a couple of weeks until she felt safe in her house, when an unusual sound didn’t make her heart stop. Sleep hadn’t come easy the first few days, as she seemed unable to close her eyes. Rationally, she knew the danger was past, Richard Anderson was in jail and was no longer a threat, but the scare he had given her didn’t quickly fade.

  Jake had spoken with Richard’s sister, Paula, and had learned of Richard’s history of alcohol abuse and gambling problems. He had been very angry with their parents when the lake property was sold to Sam’s grandfather. Both Paula and their brother, Bill, lived out of state and hadn’t been interested in the cabin so Richard had assumed it would be his. Paula had explained that their parents refused to turn it over to Richard knowing he’d immediately sell and gamble away the profit. Neither Paula nor Bill had heard from Richard in several years, not since the last time he had come asking for money and they had both refused. Some more investigating had led Jake to a trail of gambling debts and some very impatient loan sharks. Apparently trying to get the land back from Sam had been Richard’s plan for paying off his debts. He also had a police record with a couple of arrests for disorderly conduct and an attempted robbery charge that had eventually been dropped.

  Once Susan had calmed down and come to terms with the fact she hadn’t been there when Richard had shown up, she had been a tremendous help. She always seemed to know when Sam needed to talk and when she needed to be left alone. They had spent many late nights talking about the past, about losing Danny, about their grandfather’s decision on the lake property, and about the recent attacks on Sam’s property and on Sam herself. Sam was finally coming to terms with the tragedy in her past and, for the first time, really felt ready to move forward. By Labor Day Sam was ready to host a party at her house to thank everyone who had helped her through the summer.

  While it wasn’t quite the size of the McCabe’s Fourth of July picnic, Sam’s yard was crawling with people laughing and having fun celebrating the end of the summer. Joe brought his boat over and both he and Jake were pulling skiers and tubers around the lake. Sam looked across her yard and realized how thankful she was to her grandfather for bringing her to Misty Lake. She loved the life she was making for herself. She was surrounded by people who cared about her, her business was growing, and she had made a difference in the lives of some kids who had needed someone to care. And there was Jake. She watched him playing Frisbee with Frank and Shauna and her heart was filled with love. With the chaos of the last few weeks their time together had been limited but she hoped that would change soon. She was ready to talk to him about her feelings, about their future, and take her chances that he felt the same way.

  Sam made her way to the deck to check on Stu and Molly who were sitting in the shade with Jake’s great aunts. Molly looked a little dazed as she tried to keep up with the conversation between Kate and Rose. The current topics seemed to be the new choir director at church and Rose’s recent trip to the hair salon.

  “How’s it going here, Stu,” Sam whispered.

  Stu shook his head in reply. “I learned long ago to just agree with whatever those two say. As long as you nod an
d say, ‘Isn’t that the truth’ once in a while, you’re fine. Molly tries too hard. She’ll have a headache tonight, mark my words.”

  Sam squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “You’re the best, Stu. Thank you. For everything.”

  “Oh, go on.” Stu said and blushed bright pink.

  Sam caught sight of Kathleen and Susan huddled together by the lake. Telling herself it was time to be nosy, Sam headed their way.

  “What’s so interesting that you two have your heads together all the time?”

  Kathleen seemed a little uncomfortable as she looked at Susan waiting for her to answer. Sam was even more curious. She couldn’t imagine what they were trying to keep from her.

  “Suze, what’s going on?”

  “Oh, okay, Sam. I guess it’s time I told you.” She looked at Kathleen who gave a little nod before she continued. “Remember that old farm house on the lake I looked at a few weeks ago with Kathleen? I’m going to buy it.”

  “I’ll just leave you two to talk,” Kathleen said, making a quick exit.

  Of all the things Sam had thought it might be, that certainly wasn’t one of them. “You’re buying an old farm house? Um, why?”

  “I’ve given this a lot of thought, I’ve done research, I’ve been talking to Kathleen about it, and I’m going to turn it into a bed and breakfast.”

  “A bed and breakfast?” Sam didn’t know what to say. She wanted to pepper Susan with questions…How was she going to afford the property, the repairs, everything that would be needed to get the place up and running? But, she held her tongue.

  “I know you’re worried it’s too much, but think about it. I’ve worked in hotel management for years, I even have a degree, and this is just the sort of thing I’ve wanted to do forever. I want my own place, someplace where I can make the decisions, set the rules. There’s nothing else like it on the lake or anywhere nearby. I can make it work, I know I can.”

  She seemed so excited Sam couldn’t help but be excited for her. The practicalities were still nagging at her, though, and she had to ask. “Isn’t it expensive? I know the place isn’t much but it’s still lakefront property, it can’t be cheap. And what about all the repairs and rebuilding that will be needed? Can you really afford all of that?”

  “I made an offer, it looks as though the owner is going to accept it. She really wants to be rid of the property and was happy to get an offer so quickly. I have some money from Granddad and have some savings. I’ve talked a little with the bank about a loan to get the place in shape. We’re still working on that but I know it will all fall into place.” Ever the optimist, Susan was beaming.

  Sam considered and made a quick decision. “I want to invest. I believe in you and I want to help you realize your dream.”

  “No, Sam, I’m not taking your money,” Susan said with finality.

  “I said it’s an investment. You’ll run the place, make the decisions. I’ll be a silent—a very silent—partner.”

  Susan looked torn. Sam reached out and hugged her. “Come on, Susan, accept my offer.”

  “Oh…okay!” Susan gave a happy shriek and a little twirl. “I can hardly believe it. This is going to be so amazing, I can’t wait to get started!”

  “Have you checked out contractors, given any thought to who will do the work?” Sam asked as they headed back to the party.

  “Oh, I have. He may not know it yet, but I know who’s going to do the work,” she said slyly as she fixed her eyes on Riley McCabe.

  Later that evening, after Jake had docked the boat for the night, he and Sam finally had a chance to talk. “Let’s take a walk,” Jake suggested.

  “I have all these people here, I can’t just leave,” Sam protested.

  “Look around, everyone is having a good time. They won’t miss us.”

  Glancing over her yard, Sam figured he was probably right. “Okay. Where are we going?”

  “Let’s just walk.”

  They were quiet for a while as they wandered, hand in hand. “It’s been quite a summer,” Jake began.

  “Yes, that’s one way of putting it.”

  “There was a time when I thought you’d leave.”

  “There was a time when I thought I’d leave, too,” Sam said honestly.

  “I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “So am I.”

  Jake stopped and sat down on an old log, patting it to invite Sam to sit beside him.

  “Are you all right, really all right, after everything that happened? I know it’s been rough.”

  “It was rough, for a while, but yes, I’m all right.” She was, and it felt good, she realized.

  He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, a gesture Sam had come to love. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” he began.

  Sam couldn’t miss the nervousness in his voice and worried about what she was going to hear. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, too.”

  “Please, let me go first.” He had to say what he needed to say. It had taken him a long time to work up the nerve, he couldn’t stop now. “Sam, I know you don’t like my job, you worry, you think it’s dangerous, but it’s what I want to do. I hope you can understand that.”

  “Okay,” Sam said, unsure of where he was going.

  “It is a dangerous job but actually there are a lot of things I could be doing that are more dangerous. Did you know being a pilot, a fisherman, a logger, or a farmer is more dangerous than being a cop?”

  “Actually, I did.”

  Jake’s forehead creased and he looked sideways at Sam but continued. “I know you were scared when I took that domestic call and I can’t promise there won’t be others like it in the future, because there will be, but I want you to know that I’m careful and I’m good at my job.”

  “I know you’re good at your job, I’ve seen you in action. Do you know that when you walked into my kitchen when Richard was holding me at gunpoint I stopped being scared? At that moment I knew I’d be okay. You were so calm, so professional, so sure of what you were doing, I didn’t have to be afraid any longer. I never doubted for a minute that you’d take care of things.”

  “Really?” He sounded pleased but not quite convinced.

  “It’s true, Jake. I was so proud of you and so confident that you knew just how to handle the situation. I can’t promise I’ll never worry, but I might worry a little less.”

  “I love you, Sam.”

  The words caught her by surprise and she couldn’t answer. He loved her, too? She had never known she could feel the way she felt right then, as if everything she had ever wanted had suddenly been given to her. A warmth spread through her body and she wanted to hold on to the feeling forever.

  “Sam?” He watched her freeze and his world stopped moving as he waited and hoped for a response from her.

  “Oh, Jake.” She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.

  Still a little unsure of what her reaction meant, he continued. “Sam, I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone. You make me laugh, you make me think, you make me want to experience everything life has to offer with you, because of you. Marry me, Sam. We belong together.”

  She slowly pulled back wondering if she was imagining things. Then she saw the ring resting in his palm. “Oh, Jake,” she said again as tears started rolling down her cheeks. “Yes! Yes, I will marry you! I love you, Jake, I love you so much.”

  Then she was in his arms and the kiss was like nothing she had ever felt. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes, she was alive. Her life, her future, her everything was here, right here, with Jake. Suddenly she was laughing, throwing her head back and laughing with the tears still wet on her face.

  They spent some time talking, planning, and enjoying everything about the moment. Sam could hardly take her eyes off the ring that caught the fading sunlight and sparkled…and looked like it was right where it was meant to be.

  Finally Jake said, “I suppose we have to head back.”

/>   “I suppose. I kind of wish everyone would leave.”

  “I can have them out of here in five minutes, just say the word.”

  Sam smiled. “I can’t be rude.”

  “Do you want to tell them? I have to warn you, my mom might turn herself inside out when she hears the news.”

  Sam considered. “Not yet,” she decided. “I want tonight to be just you and me.”

  She reluctantly tucked the ring in her pocket, rose up on her toes to kiss Jake, then took his hand in hers as they slowly made their way back to the party and toward their future.

  Turn the page for a preview of the next book in the Misty Lake series

  The Inn at Misty Lake

  By Margaret Standafer

  1

  Susan blew the hair out of her eyes, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and wondered, not for the first time, if she was in over her head. She looked around at the mess surrounding her and almost gave in to despair. Almost. Instead, she allowed herself five minutes to sit in front of the fan and gulp a bottle of water before turning the music up a little louder and getting back to work.

  She could have the rest of the kitchen floor torn out by evening, she told herself, then swore as her hand slipped off the crowbar she was using to pull up faded yellow linoleum and landed a nice uppercut on her jaw. She rubbed her chin, moved her jaw back and forth a couple times, and as the sting subsided, had to laugh at herself. She’d learned a lot in the few weeks she’d been in the ‘remodeling business’ but she thanked God daily she didn’t have to make a living at it. It was hot, dirty work. But, all the sweat would be worth it when she turned the old farmhouse into the best bed and breakfast in Northern Minnesota.