The Lakeside Inn

by Leeanna Morgan

  “And then there’s the letter,” Diana said with a sigh. “If our great-grandmother had anything to do with putting it in the dresser, she could have been just as bad as her husband. It’s no wonder Margaret didn’t tell Grandma about her dad and what he was like.”

  Penny looked at the postcards. If the letter from Abraham Lincoln to his son was authentic, the people from the Smithsonian would want to look at the dresser and everything in the chest. And maybe, with the resources at their disposal, they might be able to tell them exactly what happened to their great-grandfather.

  Three days later, Wyatt parked his truck in the parking lot beside the tiny home village. He was no closer to deciding what he would do about the residency in Berlin, but he still had a few days to think about it.

  His agent, as expected, couldn’t believe he hadn’t said yes. But Wyatt wasn’t ready to commit to living overseas for twelve months without talking about it with Penny first.

  And that was the problem. It didn’t matter how often he rehearsed what he wanted to say, he still couldn’t bring himself to talk about it with her.

  Someone knocked on the side of the truck and Wyatt jumped.

  He looked through the open window and then down. Jack’s grinning face beamed up at him.

  “Are we doing more painting today?” he asked.

  Wyatt shook his head. “Not today. Everyone’s getting together on Saturday morning to paint the rest of the murals.”

  “Dad said we’re doing a great job. He took a photo so I could show the kids in my class.”

  He took off his seatbelt and opened the truck door. “I bet they’ll be impressed. Is your dad home?”

  “Yep. He worked at the Steamboat Museum while I was at school. His leg isn’t too bad today.”

  Wyatt was hoping the letter in his pocket would mean Richard never had to worry about his leg again.

  “You should see what Dad did yesterday,” Jack said proudly. “Pastor John wanted some more cupboards in The Welcome Center, so Dad made them.”

  “That was a clever thing to do.”

  Jack nodded. “I know. My dad’s super-clever. I want to be just like him when I grow up.”

  Wyatt locked his truck and walked toward Jack’s home. “I’m sure your dad would like to hear that. Are you enjoying school?”

  “It’s okay. I’ve made some friends. They like the things I do. But I don’t like Jesse Mulligan. He scares all the dogs and talks a lot in class.”

  “That wouldn’t be very helpful.”

  “I can’t hear what the teacher says, so Dad said to sit at the front of the class. But only the naughty kids sit there and I’m not naughty.”

  “The front of the class can be for people who really want to learn, too,” Wyatt said earnestly. “It’s much better to hear what the teacher says than be distracted by someone who’s talking.”

  “Dad said that, too. You’d make a good dad.”

  As he lifted his hand to knock on Richard’s front door, he froze. He’d always wanted children, but that dream died the day of the accident. When he thought about Penny, he imagined a house full of children, a dog as exuberant as Charlie, and a home overlooking the lake. None of that would happen if he went to Berlin.

  “You don’t need to knock. We can go straight in.” Jack pushed open the front door. “Dad! Wyatt’s here.”

  “I’m putting the washing on the line.”

  They walked to the end of the room and stepped through the back door. It was good to see Richard standing.

  He gave his son a hug. “How was school?”

  “Good.”

  “What new things did you learn?”

  “Nothing much. I showed my friends the photo of the paintings. They said they’re coming to have a look.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yep. Can I go to the after-school program at The Welcome Center? Willow’s teaching us how to play the guitar. It’s free and Mrs. Devlin makes us a snack and all the kids enjoy it.”

  “Do you need me to add your name to the list of people going?”

  Jack shook his head. “Pastor John said just to turn up. He’s got lots of guitars we can use.”

  “Okay. I’ll meet you at the end of the program.”

  Jack wrapped his arms around his dad’s legs. “Thanks. Bye, Wyatt.”

  “See you later.” He smiled when Jack bolted across the yard, then stopped when he hit the boundary between the village and The Welcome Center.

  “He knows not to run across the parking lot. Some of the trucks are too high for the drivers to notice him darting across the asphalt.” Richard took a shirt out of the laundry basket and hung it on the line. “I didn’t think we’d see you until Saturday.”

  “I’ve got something for you. Do you remember the person I told you about who makes 3D medical devices?”

  “The person you thought could help me?”

  “That’s him. Well, I heard back from Peter. Over the last year, he’s developed a product called an Interactive Neurological Prosthetic. It’s made from a special type of gel that molds to a stump to create a perfect fit. The gel also transmits information from the brain to help the prosthetic move like a normal limb. It’s still in the testing stage, but the results are better than anyone expected.”

  “It sounds too good to be true.”

  Wyatt didn’t understand Richard’s skepticism. At the very least, he thought he’d be overjoyed to know there was something that could help him. “It’s ground-breaking technology.”

  “How much will it cost?”

  “Nothing.” He handed him the envelope. “You’ll need to stay in New York City for two weeks while Peter’s team fit the prosthetic and implant a neural processor. As well as that, you need to return to the clinic once a month to be retested. Look in the envelope.”

  Richard opened the flap and read the letter.

  “The company will pay for your airfares and accommodation. Peter’s phone number is at the top of the letter. If you’re interested, call him. He can answer any questions you might have.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Neither did anyone else when Peter developed the first prototype. It’s up to you whether you take him up on his offer.”

  Richard folded the letter in half and returned it to the envelope. “Thanks for contacting your friend. It means a lot to me.”

  Wyatt thought it was time he left Richard alone to think about what he’d just told him. “It’s a lot to take in at once. Call Peter when you’re ready, but I wouldn’t take too long. He rarely has openings on his trial teams and, when he does, there’s always a list of people wanting to be part of what he’s developing.”

  “I won’t take long to decide.”

  Wyatt shook Richard’s hand. “Let me know what you decide, too.”

  Richard smiled. “You can count on it.”

  Chapter 16

  Penny was eating her breakfast when she saw her mom’s latest Facebook post. “Oh, no.” Throwing back her chair, she ran out of the kitchen and upstairs to the first floor. “Barbara!”

  Her sister’s head poked around the door frame. “I was just about to get in the shower. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Mom. She told everyone about the letter.”

  Katie joined them on the landing. She was already wearing her exercise gear, ready for the run she did each morning. “Abraham Lincoln’s letter?”

  Penny nodded. “I knew I should have kept reminding her about not putting anything on Facebook. Why would she do something like that?”

  A sleepy-headed Diana stepped out of her bedroom. “I missed the first part. What’s happened to the letter?”

  Katie had grabbed her cell phone. “Mom’s told everyone about the letter.” She tapped the screen, then turned her cell phone toward her sister.

  Diana squinted at the screen. “What was she thinking? We don’t even know if Abraham Lincoln really wrote it.”

  Penny leaned against the wall. “I should have
known something like this would happen. She was so excited about finding the letter, that she couldn’t wait to tell everyone.”

  Barbara read the Facebook post and sighed. “I wonder what Dad thinks?”

  A horrible thought crossed Penny’s mind. “It’s not Dad we have to worry about. He’s used to Mom. I’m more concerned about Wyatt. His face appears in nearly all the photos as well as the video.”

  Diana bit her bottom lip. “If a journalist picks up the story and they see him, he won’t be left alone.”

  Penny ran toward the stairs. “I’m going to let him know what’s happened. If he calls, tell him I’ll be there soon.” She just hoped Wyatt was still asleep and hadn’t looked at his Facebook page. The last thing either of them needed were buses of Abraham Lincoln fans descending on Sapphire Bay. Especially if the letter turned out to be fake.

  Penny ran to Wyatt’s back door. She couldn’t see any movement inside the house, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t awake and reading the community Facebook page or, even worse, his own.

  Before she knocked on the door, she pressed her nose against the glass and peered inside. Wyatt wasn’t in the kitchen or the dining area, so that had to be a good thing. Just in case he was on his way downstairs, she banged loudly on the wooden frame. Nothing.

  With a sigh of relief, she leaned against the door and tried to think of some way of deleting the post before he saw it.

  “Are you looking for me?”

  Penny froze. Slowly, she turned and looked at Wyatt. “Hi.” She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face. “Have you looked at Facebook this morning?”

  Wyatt frowned. “I haven’t been anywhere near the Internet. I’ve just come back from an early morning walk.” He reached into his back pocket. “Should I—”

  “No!” Penny rushed forward, holding his hand at his side. “There’s something you need to know before you look at your phone.”

  “Your mom has done something she shouldn’t, hasn’t she?”

  She cringed. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because the only time you get nervous is when your mom’s involved in something that could cause problems. What’s Mabel done?”

  Penny cleared her throat. “You know how the lady from the Smithsonian said not to tell anyone about the letter we found?”

  Wyatt groaned. “She told everyone about it on the community Facebook page, didn’t she?”

  She looked down at her feet.

  “It’s worse?”

  “Much worse. She included six photos and a video clip of when we found the letter. And you might be in one or two of the photos.” She didn’t want to tell Wyatt just how many times he appeared in her mom’s post. That would be far too stressful.

  Wyatt’s eyes widened. “Why did she tell everyone?”

  “I’m not sure, but it’s probably because she’s excited about finding the letter. I don’t know what she’ll do if the Smithsonian tell us the letter isn’t real.”

  “I’m sure she’ll think of something,” Wyatt muttered. He gently removed Penny’s hand from his arm and turned on his cell phone. For the next few seconds, the phone didn’t stop beeping.

  With a sinking heart, she hoped those beeps didn’t mean what she thought they did. “Are they messages that have been left for you?”

  Wyatt checked his cell phone. “Sixty-four to be precise. When did Mabel post the message?”

  That’s what worried Penny the most. “Fifteen minutes ago.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding?”

  “I wish I was. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know Mom was going to tell everyone. She promised she wouldn’t.”

  He opened his email account and cringed. “More than thirty people have emailed me to ask about the letter. What am I supposed to tell them? The Smithsonian is still working through all the scenarios to see if the letter is real.”

  “A lot of people won’t care whether or not it’s real. They’ll be more interested in why it was written and how it ended up in Sapphire Bay.”

  Wyatt took another look at his cell phone and frowned. “The local television station wants to do a story about the letter.”

  “Maybe if you ignore everyone, they’ll go away.”

  “No one goes away,” he muttered. “And no one is safe. If I don’t talk to them it will only take a few minutes for them to find you and your sisters.”

  “We could always stay somewhere else for a few days?”

  “It will take more than a few days for the interest in this story to disappear. Have you talked to your mom?”

  “Not yet.”

  Wyatt crossed his arms in front of his chest. “In that case, I suggest we go and see your parents now. Otherwise, your mom might do something even worse.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “You might be surprised.”

  Penny sighed. Nothing her mom did should have surprised her. But she was caught off-guard this morning.

  “Why did you do it, Mom?”

  Wyatt was impressed with Penny’s restraint. On the way across town, she didn’t make any excuses for her mom’s behavior. She’d sat quietly in the front of his truck while her sisters talked non-stop in the back seat, squashed around a confused-looking Charlie.

  “I thought the community would want to know what we found. I told everyone we didn’t know if the letter was real, but most people have overlooked that comment.”

  The phone rang again. Allan muttered something under his breath before pulling the cable out from the wall.

  Diana frowned. “You promised you wouldn’t say anything. What if someone breaks into Grandma’s house to look at the dresser?”

  Mabel bowed her head. “I never thought of that.”

  Wyatt almost felt sorry for her. Mabel had a good heart but, from what he’d heard, her lack of good judgement sometimes led her into a lot of trouble.

  “I didn’t think it would cause such a stir,” Mabel said.

  Katie handed her mom a cup of coffee. “Everything causes a stir when a President of the United States is involved.”

  Barbara paced back and forth across the room. “We could use this to our advantage.”

  Wyatt couldn’t see anything positive about being overrun with enthusiastic Lincoln fans, reporters, and emails. From the expression on everyone else’s faces, neither could they.

  “You’re looking at what Mom did from a purely personal perspective.” Barbara threw her arms in the air. “We need to look at the bigger picture. If you made a list of the presidents most recognized by the American public, Abraham Lincoln would be near the top. To have that kind of publicity associated with Sapphire Bay is huge. Tourists will flock here just to see the building where the letter was found. And, now that we’ve returned the dresser to our house, they’ll pay a fortune to stay here.”

  Penny scowled. “Are you saying we should use the publicity to promote our business?”

  “Why not? We have an amazing house. Regardless of whether the letter is authentic or fake, people will stay with us just to be part of the mystery.”

  “That seems awfully devious,” Diana said. “It’s like we’re cashing in on someone’s personal information.”

  “If Robert Lincoln didn’t want anyone to find the letter from his father, he would have thrown it away. If it’s real, I’ve got no idea why it’s in Sapphire Bay, but it could make an enormous difference to a lot of businesses in town.”

  In other circumstances, Wyatt would have applauded the way Barbara thought. But they were talking about Sapphire Bay, the town where people came to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

  “What about you, Wyatt?” Penny asked.

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “People know who you are. How will the extra publicity affect you?”

  “My agent will be thrilled,” he said dryly. “He’s already texted me four times wanting to know what’s happening.”

  “How do you feel about the extra publicit
y?”

  He looked at Penny and sighed. “I’ve finished the paintings for my exhibition, so some extra noise around our properties isn’t a big deal. But if the interest in the story doesn’t die down, it could be a nuisance for everyone who lives around you.”

  Katie patted Charlie. “When do you go to Berlin?”

  “Next week. Whatever you decide to do about the letter won’t have as much impact on my life as it will on yours.”

  Penny frowned. “How long will you be gone?”

  Wyatt cleared his throat. “Originally, I was going for three weeks and then returning to Chicago.”

  “And now?”

  He looked into Penny’s worried eyes. “We should talk about it later.”

  Barbara, Diana, and Katie sent uneasy glances to each other.

  “I’d like to talk about it now.” Penny’s chin was set at a stubborn angle.

  “I still don’t know what I’m doing.”

  “But you know enough to say you’re not coming back to Sapphire Bay?”

  Wyatt felt the daggers from Penny’s sisters digging into his back. Even Charlie was lying on the floor with his paws over his eyes.

  “We’re not here to talk about Wyatt’s plans,” Penny’s dad said. “We need to work out what we’re doing about the Facebook post your mom made.”

  Wyatt’s shoulders slumped forward. Allan was willing to give him the space he needed to work out what he was doing.

  Penny still looked upset, and he didn’t blame her.

  Penny walked toward Wyatt’s house. She couldn’t think of a more beautiful night for her world to fall apart.

  Two days ago, Wyatt had dropped the bombshell that he didn’t think he was coming back to Sapphire Bay.

  Against every instinct inside her, she hadn’t mentioned it again. And after all the anguish of deciding not to say anything, the last forty-eight hours had gone by quickly. Between the reporters, television crews, and radio stations all clamoring for an exclusive story, she hadn’t had time to think about anything except staying out of everyone’s way.