Lakeside Romance

by Lisa Jordan

  “Apparently I’m not the one with a hearing problem because you keep sending her back.” Uncle Emmett lowered the footrest on his chair and started to stand without reaching for his cane. His legs wobbled, and he would’ve pitched forward if Alec hadn’t reached out to steady him.

  Alec guided him back onto the chair. “That’s because you need someone to look after you.”

  The older man shook off Alec’s arm and glared at him. With a shaky hand, he rubbed perspiration off his forehead. “I’m doing just fine on my own, thank you.”

  “No, you aren’t. And you know it. Once you stop fighting me on it, then things will go a lot smoother.”

  “Hmmph. Smoother?” Uncle Emmett’s gray, bushy eyebrows puckered. “What’s so smooth about a man being kicked out of his own home?”

  Not this again.

  Alec sighed. “No one kicked you out of your house. You’re no longer able to live by yourself. Doctor’s orders. Living here allows you to keep your independence, and this way someone will be able to help you when you need it.”

  “I’ll get married again.” The petulant tone reminded Alec of the defiant toddler in his office this morning with the angry sellers.

  Alec adjusted the window blinds and allowed sunshine to spill across the beige carpet. “You’d have to leave your apartment to meet someone, don’t you think?”

  “I’ll join one of those online dating sites I’ve seen advertised on TV.”

  “You refuse to use a computer. Besides, marriage isn’t the answer to your problem, Emmett.”

  Emmett dropped his chin to his chest and rubbed the dulled gold band on his left hand. “That house was the only thing I had left of my Elsie.”

  The old man’s sadness softened Alec’s attitude. He understood his pain. He patted Uncle Emmett’s chest near his heart. “Weren’t you the one who told me everything was right here?”

  “Fine.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them and pointed at Sarah. “Who’s that?”

  Alec had forgotten she was there. She hadn’t said a word since they came, and he had gotten caught up with Emmett. “She’s my friend—the one’s who’s helping me organize your house.”

  He glared at Sarah. “You’re the one pawing through my things.”

  She flashed Emmett a smile Alec had seen her use more than once this past week with the teens—usually when they were about to challenge her and she wouldn’t back down. “You have an impressive book collection.”

  “Not anymore. Now that I’ve been kicked out of my house, those books will be in boxes and forgotten in some storage unit.” He leaned back in his worn recliner once again and closed his eyes.

  Sarah crossed the room and sat on the floor by Emmett’s chair, drawing her knees to her chest. “Stinks, doesn’t it? Leaving your home and everything you love.”

  “Yes.” His eyes shot open and widened with surprise. “Yes, it does.”

  “I’m sure you’re frustrated about having to rely on others.”

  “What would you know about that?”

  “About a year ago, I left my job, my house and everything I loved to move to Shelby Lake, where I knew only a handful of people.”

  “Why’d you do it?”

  A flicker of something shadowed her eyes, but she blinked several times. Maybe Alec had imagined it. “I needed a fresh start. My fiancé ended our engagement six weeks before our wedding. I came to Shelby Lake to help my brother with his daughters and to see what new plan God had for me.”

  Ouch.

  “Sounds like he wasn’t the right guy. But you’re young—you have your life ahead of you. I’m an old man, sent here to live out my remaining years.”

  “It’s not like that and you know it.” Alec tried to stay patient, but were they going to have this conversation every time they were together?

  Sarah stood and picked up a framed photo of Emmett and Gideon. “You’re welcome to feel that way, Mr. Browne, but it won’t change your situation. From what I understand, you’re free to come and go as you please. Your son lives down the street, right? Now you can see him more often. Plus, I’m sure if you talk to the other residents, you’ll find many of them may have had similar feelings. When we came in, two ladies were talking about a book they just read. A guy was doing the crossword in the paper...in pen. If you give yourself a chance, you can learn to find the joy in your situation.”

  “How’d you get so smart?”

  “The hard way, but no matter my circumstances, God is unchanging and helps me get through what I’m facing.”

  Emmett looked at her, then at Alec. “You listening to her? She speaks truth, my boy.”

  “We’re not talking about me, Emmett. How about going down to the living room and getting to know a couple of people? Dinner’s going to be served soon. Perhaps you could sit in the dining room today instead of eating in your suite? I’ll even go with you.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter. I can do things by myself.” Emmett gazed out the window, silent for a moment, then lowered the footrest on his recliner. He stood, straightened his bow tie and reached for his wooden cane. “Let’s go.”

  Apparently he wasn’t ready to do dinner by himself.

  Alec tossed a smile at Sarah, suddenly appreciating her people skills even more. He’d give her a hug if it wouldn’t be out of line. Her ability to relate to his uncle’s frustration caused Alec’s opinion of her to skyrocket. After spending so much time with her the past week, he’d learned she was anything but a scatterbrain.

  Sarah touched his arm and beckoned him to come closer. He leaned in enough to inhale the scent of her shampoo. Her breath fanned his ear. “Do you trust me?”

  “About what?” He hated the hesitation that crept into his voice, but trusting others didn’t come easily these days.

  “I have an idea to help your uncle feel more at home, but I need you to have some faith in me...and the key for this apartment.”

  “What for?”

  She dropped her hand on her hip and shot him a saucy grin. “That’s where the trust part comes in. And you must keep your uncle busy for a few hours.”

  Alec narrowed his eyes and searched her face, taking in those high cheekbones and the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and folded the key into her hand, allowing his fingers to linger a second longer than necessary to feel the softness of her skin.

  He hoped he didn’t regret trusting her.

  * * *

  Sarah had no guarantee her plan would work, but she had to try.

  The sadness in Emmett’s face carved a hole in her heart. She understood starting over, leaving behind almost everything she held dear, but she also found stepping outside her comfort zone offered new opportunities to reach out to others.

  Like the teens in her summer outreach program. Like Alec.

  If she hadn’t moved to Shelby Lake, then she may have never met her cranky landlord, who used his surliness to keep people at arm’s length.

  Sarah unlocked Emmett’s apartment door and held it open so Daniel and Caleb, Sarah’s brother, could carry in one of the bookcases from Emmett’s house. Alec had said it was one of his favorites, given to him upon his retirement from teaching English for forty years at Shelby Lake High School. Behind them, Toby followed with a box of classics with worn spines and ragged edges to line the shelves.

  For the next thirty minutes, they hauled in a few pieces of furniture. Even if they weren’t his favorites, they could be swapped out for ones of his choosing. The point was to make the suite feel more like home.

  When she’d arrived earlier in the afternoon with Alec, she hadn’t expected such sparse furnishings, especially given Emmett’s penchant for holding on to memories. She totally understood needing to downsize, but it was as i
f the poor guy didn’t have any memories in his new place. She hoped to fix that.

  Sarah arranged a couple of silver-framed photos of family on the side table next to Emmett’s recliner. She included a lamp from the living room and set out a jigsaw puzzle on the small oval table Caleb had pulled out of the kitchen.

  Daniel and Toby removed records in their original jackets from a box and slid them into place beneath the outdated, but well-used, stereo with turntable.

  She pulled her phone from her back pocket and thumbed through it to find the picture she’d snapped of his home’s living room the first day she’d seen it. Then, she instructed Caleb and Daniel where to position the couch. She arranged the needlepoint pillows and tossed the knitted afghan across the back cushions. It took up a large chunk of the living room, but seeing the one worn cushion made Sarah think it had been used quite often.

  Another glance at her phone showed they had less than ten minutes left. Alec had agreed to keep Emmett out for two hours. He said he’d take Emmett to Jacob House to see Gideon after dinner. Working quickly, they finished turning Emmett’s sparsely decorated suite into some semblance of his former home...without the clutter.

  Maybe he’d hate it, and she’d need the guys to help her haul everything back to his house, but something told her Emmett was a man steeped in tradition...someone who thrived on routine.

  So much like Alec.

  Her phone chimed. A text from Alec.

  E’s getting tired. We’re heading back.

  All’s well here, she texted back.

  Minutes later, she heard voices in the hall. Caleb gave her a quick hug, then he and the boys slipped through the sliding glass door that led out onto a small patio. Sarah hurried to the door and threw it open, meeting Emmett’s startled expression.

  “Young lady, what are you still doing in my apartment?”

  Sarah reached for his free hand, giving his sausage fingers a gentle squeeze. “Mr. Browne, we met for the first time today, but I’ve gotten to know you a little as I’ve been organizing your home. Please know I hold the deepest respect for your privacy. As I said earlier, I also understand how you may be feeling.” She paused and drew in a deep breath, then released it in a nervous huff. “While you and Alec were out, I wanted to try to blend some of the familiar with the new, but if you don’t like it, I will put everything back the way it was.”

  Emmett glanced at Alec and jerked his head toward Sarah. “She always talk this fast?”

  Alec smirked and nodded. “Yes, pretty much.”

  “Makes a man’s ears tired.”

  Sarah tried not to let his words wound her. She only wanted to help, to lift the sag in his shoulders. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she’d intruded without invitation.

  Emmett cleared his throat. “Young lady, are you going to stand guard in front of my door or may I go in and rest my bones?”

  “Sorry.” Sarah stepped aside and released the door handle. “Just remember what I said.”

  Emmett frowned and grunted, pushing the door open.

  Her heart picked up speed. She wiped her damp hands on her shorts.

  Frank Sinatra crooned from the turntable, filling the room with his velvety voice.

  Thank you, Daniel, for that last touch.

  Emmett shuffled into the living room, then stopped, leaning heavily on his cane. He turned slowly, his gaze lingering on his wedding photo that Sarah had found stacked on the table and hung up where he could see it from his favorite recliner. He moved to the couch and ran a shaky hand across the afghan that lay over the back. He tightened his grip on his cane as he lowered himself onto a cushion. Patting his breast pocket, he reached for a white handkerchief.

  He shifted watery eyes to Alec. “You knew about this?”

  “Not exactly. Sarah asked me to trust her.”

  Sarah moved to the couch and rested a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Mr. Browne, I apologize if I’ve intruded on your space...” Her voice trailed off as Emmett’s gaze slid around the room.

  Steadying himself on his cane, he rose. He moved from the couch to the bookcase to the table, taking in everything without saying a word. He trailed a finger down the spine of one of the books and sniffed. Then sniffed again.

  Standing in front of his wedding photo, he lowered his head, pinning his chin to his chest.

  Pressure mounted behind Sarah’s eyes as her shoulders sagged. She kept her eyes glued to her flip-flops. The last thing she’d wanted was to upset the man. She shot a quick look at Alec, who stood behind Emmett with a scowl creasing his forehead. He wrapped an arm around the elderly man’s shoulders.

  Great. What a way to win friends.

  “Unc—”

  “Mr. Browne—”

  They spoke in unison. Sarah snapped her mouth closed and stepped back. She put her hands behind her back and turned to stare out the window.

  Behind her, the men spoke in hushed tones. She couldn’t stand it any longer. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out Alec’s key. She walked over to him and held it out. “Listen, I’m really sorry about this. I just wanted to help. I’ll have Caleb come back and we’ll get everything back where it belongs.”

  Emmett stepped between her and Alec. Giving his eyes a final swipe, he looked at her with a gentle smile brightening his face. “Young lady, you will do no such thing. This is one of the nicest things anyone’s done for me. I appreciate the time you took to make an old man feel at home.”

  The knots in her stomach loosened as her fingers around his suite key relaxed. She pressed a kiss against his wrinkled cheek, then stepped back, returning the smile. “I was very happy to help. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be going.” Nodding to the men, she picked up her purse and hurried for the front door.

  “Sarah!”

  She stopped in the hall, the loose knots in her stomach tightening again. Was he coming to yell at her for overstepping her bounds? Only one way to find out.

  She turned to find Alec striding toward her. He stopped in front her with a bemused expression on his face. “Forgetting something?”

  She frowned. “I don’t think so.”

  “Emmett’s key?”

  “Oh! That’s right. Emmett stepped between us before you could take it. Sorry about that. And listen—I apologize if I stuck my nose in where it didn’t belong. It’s just that...well...the look on that poor man’s face just got to me. That’s all.” She let out a sigh and waited for a response, and she handed him the key.

  Instead of speaking, Alec’s eyes searched her face. What was he thinking?

  * * *

  He took the key from her, but instead of pocketing it, he gave her hand a gentle tug, catching her off guard. She stumbled toward him and placed her palms against his chest to keep from falling. His heart pounded against her hand.

  He gripped her arms gently, then gathered her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned down and whispered, his breath warming her ear, “You did an incredibly sweet thing for Uncle Emmett.”

  Sarah should’ve pushed away, but she liked the feel of his strong arms around her. The scent of his cologne tangled in the threads of his button-down shirt, and the rhythmic beating of his heart seeped through her, patching cracks and empty spaces in her heart.

  She needed to get a grip. It was only a hug of gratitude. Nothing more.

  But, deep down, if she cared to admit her true feelings, she’d confess the hug felt like more...at least, to her.

  And she wasn’t quite sure how to handle that. She wasn’t going to allow herself to fall for her landlord. A man who was battling his own issues. Somehow, though, she needed to convince her heart of that decision.

  Chapter Six

  Sarah’s decision wasn’t going to make Alec happy. And he had a valid reason for not wanting
to get involved with teens again, but what choice did she have? Surely she could get him to see reason. Besides, it was only for the night. So where was the harm in that?

  But she couldn’t shake the vulnerability she’d seen in his eyes that first day of the program when he’d shared his past. Maybe it would be all right as long as she kept the boys away from him. And they were such good kids, too. Definitely not troublemakers.

  Sarah sat in the bentwood rocker in Daniel and Toby’s living room and dug her bare toes into the beige carpet. Despite the hand-stitched quilt thrown over the back of the chair, she could feel the holes in the caning.

  Screams and laughter from the other kids in the mobile-home park filtered in through the open window. She’d have to remember to close it once the boys were done gathering their things, but for now it cleared the stuffy air tinged with humidity, canned air freshener and despair.

  Family photos in dollar-store frames hung on the paneled wall above the worn flowered couch with wooden arms. Embroidered throw pillows reminded her of the ones she’d seen at Alec’s uncle’s house. A laptop sat on a scarred end table next to the couch.

  Her heart went out to Nancy, the boys’ grandma. She was doing the best she could on her limited income. After losing her daughter and son-in-law at Christmas, she’d been trying to make ends meet for them while waitressing—that is, until the restaurant where she’d worked closed.

  Judging by the worn, outdated furnishings and Toby’s shirts and shorts that appeared to be a size too small, money wasn’t stretching very far.

  Daniel and Toby came into the living room with bulging backpacks slung over their shoulders. Daniel reached behind the couch, unplugged the cord and stuffed the computer into his backpack. “We’re ready.”

  Sarah closed the windows, followed the boys outside and waited while Daniel locked the front door.

  Less than ten minutes later, Sarah pulled into her driveway. Her heart sank. The open garage door revealed Alec’s luxury sedan parked in the left bay. Even though she couldn’t see him, he couldn’t be too far away.