Ethan nodded. “And that’s all it is. I had to talk to someone and Chloe’s in charge of the team who’s preserving everything. I know Diana has trust issues. I know she’s been hurt and taken advantage of. But to think I could do that to her…”
Theo placed a cup of coffee in front of him. “I’m not making excuses for what she said, but it’s been a rough few weeks.”
“I know that.”
“Then you also know that people react to stressful situations in different ways. Maybe, after everything that’s happened, this is one of those knee-jerk reactions that embarrasses everyone once they’ve had a chance to cool down.”
“It’s more than that. I’ve tried to give Diana what she needs. If she hasn’t seen what I’m really like, we never would have made it, anyway.”
Theo frowned. “Now that’s plain crazy. I’m not much of a romantic and, Lord knows, I don’t have much recent experience with females, but I do know a good relationship when I see one. You’re happy when you’re with her. Before you met Diana, you didn’t have a life. Now look at you.”
“I’ve had my heart smashed into a million pieces and I’m sitting here with my best friend feeling sorry for myself. That’s a really good life.”
“It beats wallowing in self-pity on your own.”
If Theo hadn’t been smiling, Ethan might have become a little irrational himself. “I’m not wallowing.”
“What about dipping your toes into the woe is me pond?”
Ethan’s lips twitched. “You’re crazy.”
“Is that a clinical observation or a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing?”
“It’s something I don’t say to many people.” Ethan picked up the coffee mug and sighed. “What am I going to do?”
“Give her time. If I can put up with you for as long as I have, she’ll eventually see what an amazing human being you are, too.”
“I don’t know whether that’s a compliment or a curse.”
“Take is as a compliment,” Theo said with another smile. “And if you’re really lucky, you can help me eat some of chocolate cake I bought today.”
Ethan wasn’t sure cake would help but, with the way he was feeling, anything was worth a try.
Chapter 22
Three days later, Diana realized she’d made a mistake. Not just a small mistake that could be fixed with a simple apology, but a great big in-your-face mistake that could change her life.
Needing something to distract her, she walked into the kitchen. Their guests next tour wasn’t until later tonight. In the meantime, she’d bake a cake, rustle up a few sheets of cookies and, if she was really organized, bake some creamy vanilla fudge.
Penny was already at the sink, her arms elbow deep in fluffy, white soapsuds. “Thank goodness you’re here. Katie left me with a mountain of pots and pans to clean.”
Before she knew what was happening, her sister handed her the dishtowel.
“You can dry and I’ll wash.”
“We have a dishwasher.”
“I know, but you know what Katie’s like. I don’t think she’s ever put a pot in a dishwasher. Besides, nothing was ever fixed by pouring dish powder into a machine.”
“You sound like Mom.”
Penny smiled. “It comes with old age. Imagine if we all turned into different versions of her? The world will be an interesting place.”
“I’m not sure about the world, but Sapphire Bay definitely wouldn’t be the same.” Diana took a wet pan off the dish rack. “I heard from our lawyer today. It could be at least six months before Derek’s case is heard in court.”
“Does he still think Derek could get sent to prison?”
Diana nodded. “He could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison or have to pay up to $50,000 in fines.”
“I almost feel sorry for him. I still don’t know what he was thinking. He must have been desperate.”
“He has massive problems and none of them should have involved us. Can I ask you something?”
Penny added another clean pan to the dish rack. “Go for it. If it’s about Ethan, I’m not sure how much help I can be.”
“I shouldn’t have behaved like I did the other night. I overreacted.”
“You think?”
Diana frowned. “I know I did. What should I do?”
“You could apologize?”
Diana placed the pan she’d dried in the cupboard. “What if he doesn’t want to talk to me? I haven’t returned any of his calls and the only times I’ve driven into town was with our guests.”
“All it takes is one phone call. If he won’t talk to you, try again—just like he has.” Penny handed Diana a dripping saucepan. “Everyone makes mistakes. Ethan knows that. If he doesn’t accept your apology, then at least you tried.”
“I still don’t know why I was so angry. It was like a switch turned on and all my commonsense flew out the window. I’ve never been like that before.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Penny said softly. “You never show anyone when you’re angry or upset. Even when Katie pretended she was a hairdresser and cut off all your doll’s hair, you hardly said anything.”
“I was only nine or ten years old.”
“Exactly. What child of that age holds in their feelings? For your entire life you’ve bottled everything up.” Penny rubbed her arm. “It’s time to let it go.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. And after you’ve figured out a way of doing that, talk to Ethan again. Unlike the person who shall remain nameless, he’s a good man.”
Diana knew he was a good man. Possibly too good for her.
She’d said a lot of things she regretted, including not trusting him.
Now it was her turn to step out of her comfort zone and do something about her life.
Ethan arrived at The Lakeside Inn just as Diana was leaving.
When she saw him, she froze. “Hi. Did you get my text?”
Halfway across town, he’d received a message saying she was sorry and she’d call him later. “I did, but I wasn’t far away. I thought I’d see if you were here.” That wasn’t the only reason he’d kept driving. He needed to see her, to explain why he’d called Chloe. The rest they could deal with later.
Diana looked down at her sneakers. “I was just about to go for a run.”
Charlie bounced out of the house. As soon as he saw Ethan, he ran down the steps and waited for his usual greeting.
He gave Charlie’s back a good rub before looking up at Diana. “I didn’t think you liked running?”
A blush filled her cheeks. “I need to do something to clear my mind. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep running, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
He studied her cautious expression. “I keep a spare set of running clothes in the back of my truck. If you want company, I could go with you.”
“What about work? You’re usually still in the office at this time of the day.”
“I’ve worked a lot of overtime. It won’t hurt to take an hour off.” For a moment, he thought Diana was going to tell him she wanted to run on her own. But, with a sigh, she looked at Charlie.
“You’re welcome to come with us. I just feel awkward after what I said.”
Ethan walked toward her. “If I’d told you why I’ve been in touch with Chloe you wouldn’t have been so upset. I know how much your great-grandmother’s dresser means to you. After you told me you were sending it to the Smithsonian, I decided to make a replica for the inn. Chloe has been sending me photos and measurements so it’s as close as possible to the real thing.”
Tears filled Diana’s eyes. “I feel really bad now.”
“It doesn’t matter. At least you know why Chloe called me.”
“I’m sorry I said all those mean things. You aren’t anything like Derek but, when I saw who was calling you, it brought back a lot of memories I thought I’d dealt with. I feel as though I’ve broken the trust you had in me.”
Ethan held out his ha
nd. When Diana’s fingers wrapped around his, he let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding. At least they were still talking to each other. “It would take a lot more than a few words to do that. I have things I need to work on, too. Maybe we could do them together?”
A tender smile replaced the worry on Diana’s face. “I’d like that. If you’d still like to come for a run with Charlie and me, you’re welcome to join us.”
“I just need to get my gear out of the truck.”
“You can use the downstairs bathroom to get changed. All our guests have gone into town.”
Before he returned to the truck, he gave Diana a hug. When her arms tightened around his waist, he closed his eyes and prayed that everything would be all right.
Diana’s leg muscles screamed as she pushed her unwilling body up the steep slope. Even if she’d wanted to stop, there was no way she would. They’d only been running for fifteen minutes. Fifteen long, painful minutes that were killing her. With each gasping breath burning her lungs, she felt like the most unfit person in Montana.
Charlie loved being outdoors. As soon as they’d left the inn, her four-legged friend raced ahead of them, barking every so often to let them know he was waiting.
Ethan wasn’t even breathing heavily. He looked over his shoulder and jogged on the spot. “Are you okay?”
Shaking her head was about the only movement she could manage.
“We’ll stop here and do some stretches.”
Diana sent him what she hoped was a withering glance.
He laughed. “Nice try. You should run with me more often. It’s a great way to enjoy nature.”
Her second withering glance bounced off him like a boomerang. Giving in gracefully, she stretched her hamstrings and wished she hadn’t. It was like pulling on a tight rope. One false move and her muscles would snap, leaving her hobbling around Sapphire Bay for days.
Silently, Ethan began a series of carefully coordinated stretches that started with his calves and traveled up to his shoulders.
She copied his movements, vaguely recalling doing some of the exercises in a gym, many years ago.
“How do you feel now?”
Diana wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm and took a less labored breath. “A little better.”
“Do you want to walk for ten minutes, then break into a light jog? It will give your muscles a chance to recover.”
“Anything sounds better than running,” she admitted. “We’d better catch up with Charlie before he chases more birds.” She rolled her shoulders once more before heading toward the Golden Labrador waiting at the top of the hill.
Ethan handed her a water bottle out of the backpack they’d brought with them. “This might help.”
“Thanks. I could have carried the pack.”
“It’s no problem.”
As they walked along the trail, Diana wondered how many people came here each day. With the lush green trees and clear, unpolluted air, it was a bush-lovers paradise. “If Pastor John is looking for another fundraising idea, he could consider a triathlon in Sapphire Bay. We have the perfect outdoor space for a swim in the lake, a run through the forest, and a bicycle race around the bay.”
“That’s a good idea. Theo and I are going to Bigfork for their half-marathon. More than five hundred people are competing.”
“I didn’t know there were that many people who enjoyed running.”
Ethan laughed. “With a little training, you could come across to the dark side, too. You might even enjoy it.”
“Right now, my whole body disagrees with you.”
“We’ll do lots of stretches once we’re back at the inn. Otherwise, you’ll feel ten times worse tomorrow.”
Diana sighed. She was fast realizing that breaking into a run needed more training than her daily walks. If Ethan hadn’t arrived, she would have run for a couple of minutes before giving up.
When they stopped on the top of the hill, she walked to the edge of the clearing. “The view isn’t as spectacular as the one by Zac’s house, but it’s still amazing.” Through the canopy of trees, Flathead Lake glistened in the sunshine. Two fishing boats were heading into the bay. A water-skier was jumping through the white-capped waves they created, sending a white plume of water into the air.
She turned back to Ethan. He’d reached into his backpack and taken out his phone. The smile on her face disappeared. “What are you doing?”
“I want to show you the texts and emails Chloe and I sent each other.”
A knot tightened in her stomach, reminding her why they were here instead of at the festival. “You don’t have to do that. I believe you.”
“It’s important you’re one hundred percent confident I’m not lying to you.”
The determined expression on his face told her they wouldn’t be going anywhere until he’d shown her his phone. “Okay. Show me them.”
He tapped on the screen and handed her his phone. “That’s the latest email. If you scroll down, the others are beneath it.”
Diana skimmed through the messages. They were exactly what Ethan had said they were. “I don’t need to see the texts.”
“It won’t take me long to find them.”
She sighed when he took the phone and found the texts. When Ethan handed her back the phone, she read the shorter messages. “I believe you.”
Ethan nodded. “I’m glad. I can’t show you the dresser—it isn’t finished. But, as soon as it’s done, you’ll see it.”
Taking a deep breath, she tried to forget about the accusations she’d hurled at him. She’d lashed out at what she thought was happening instead of asking him first. “Creating a replica dresser must be difficult.”
“Having Chloe and her team available to help with design advice and the measurements made it easier. I learned a lot about traditional woodworking techniques while I was building it.”
“Have you enjoyed yourself?”
“More than I thought.” Ethan brushed the back of his hand along her jaw. “Everything will be okay. You were hurt by someone who should have known better.”
“I shouldn’t have said what I did. I feel terrible.”
Ethan smiled. “You’ll feel even worse if we don’t walk out the cramps in your muscles.”
Diana sighed. Was there anything he didn’t know about her? “How did you guess?”
“You were wincing as you looked through the texts.”
She gave up trying to be brave. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Ethan’s waist and hugged him tight. “I’m glad I met you.”
“I’m glad you did, too.”
Another muscle cramped. Diana hobbled away from Ethan and stretched her leg. Running with him was good for her soul, but bad for her body. Next time, she’d suggest massages to clear her head. At least that way she could think about life from a horizontal position.
Chapter 23
“I can’t believe you went running,” Katie said. “You never run anywhere.”
Diana bit into the chewy, gooey, chocolate chip cookie Barbara had given her. “Yes, I do. Sometimes.”
“I gave up running years ago. It’s not good for your joints, unlike these delicious cookies,” Barbara said. “I’m just happy the store that makes them is in Bigfork. Otherwise, I’d eat far too many.”
“They do mail orders,” Katie said mischievously.
Barbara groaned. “I didn’t need to know that.”
Diana handed her sisters some paper napkins. “I went running because I needed to clear my head. Then Ethan arrived and we went running together.”
Katie frowned. “I didn’t think you were talking to him.”
Diana sighed. “I wasn’t, but I was wrong. He wasn’t seeing Chloe behind my back.”
“I told you so,” Katie said with a superior smile. “That man’s a keeper. Where is he now?”
“In Polson. He had to meet one of his patients at the hospital.”
“He’s always busy,” Barbara said.
�
�I guess that comes with the job.” Diana looked up as Penny rushed into the living room.
“You’re not going to believe what I found.”
“The perfect wedding dress?” Katie asked.
Penny shook her head. “It has nothing to do with getting married.” She placed a photo in the middle of the coffee table. “I went to the library to look through the photos Ethan found in the old steamboat museum. This is a copy of one that was stuck to the back of another image. Mom missed it.”
Leaning forward, Diana studied the photograph. A man wearing dark trousers and a thick jacket was standing in front of a large steamboat. She looked more closely and frowned. “Is that our great-grandfather?”
“I think so. He’s older than he was in the other photos Mom found, but it has to be him. I couldn’t read the date on the lower right-hand side, so I asked the librarian if she had a magnifying glass. She had something that was better.” Penny handed Diana another glossy photograph. “She scanned the image, then zoomed in on the date.”
Katie looked over Diana’s shoulder. “1928.”
“That’s eight years after our great-grandfather was supposed to have died,” Barbara said.
Penny nodded. “Exactly. Now we know Patrick Kelly didn’t drown in 1920.”
Diana looked at her sisters. “I can’t believe we found evidence that he didn’t die.”
“I can’t believe he didn’t stay in Sapphire Bay or take his family with him,” Barbara added. “What kind of man would do that?”
“Someone who had more to lose than his family,” Diana replied. She picked up the photo of their great-grandfather and studied his face. He didn’t look like a man on the run from his gambling debts. He seemed…normal. She handed Katie the photo. “I wish our great-grandmother had written more about him in her journals.”
“It still doesn’t tell us how he ended up with the letter written by Abraham Lincoln.” Katie studied the photo. “This might make it easier for the Smithsonian to locate him, though. They could have a way of finding out how he traveled to Montana. If they can do that, they’ll have a better idea of where he was living before he came back here.”
Summer At Lakeside Page 18
