Lakeshore Legend: The McAdams Series (By The Lake Series Book 2)

by Leah, Shannyn

  Their order came up and he hadn’t been paying much attention when he handed the money over because two large trays loaded with enough food to feed a small village stared up at them.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Famished.”

  Colt grabbed a tray and she reluctantly and annoyingly grabbed the second tray. He was surprised when she led them to the entire McAdams clan gathered around a far table including that little mini McAdams. But what really surprised him was that his mother was in the center of them.

  Wasn’t she supposed to be supervising some bake sale? What was she doing enjoying herself when she sent him to contract carpal tunnel?

  Elaine flashed him a smile when she saw him. “Hi Sweetie.”

  Colt nodded back and was about to ask her how the bake sale was going when Peyton turned around to face him, her back to her family. “Oh yeah, my dad conquered that mountain this morning. I accidentally walked in on that action, so I know it’s accurate.”

  Colt’s head whipped up to his mom who did seem a little cozier with Kent McAdams than appropriate. That was a turn of events he hadn’t been expecting.

  “Oh snap,” Peyton said.

  Chapter Three

  “I didn’t want for you to find out about Kent that way,” Elaine said to Colt on the drive back to the house.

  It had been a long afternoon of signature scribbles followed by helping his mom−and all the little old grateful ladies−pack up the bake sale. The bonus of folding tables and stacking chairs was he had a box full of baking to take home.

  Colt shrugged her dating life off like no big deal when really it was a huge deal. This changed everything.

  “If you’re happy Mom, I’m happy for you.” It was the truth. His mother was the only person he had left and he wanted to see the smile she’d worn all day with Kent as a permanent fixture on her face. If Kent brought that smile out in his mom, Colt was happy for her.

  A tinge of disappointment chimed in his head. He couldn’t very well pursue Peyton with his teasing banter when their parents were dating. She wasn’t just the girl next door anymore.

  “I’m very happy,” his mom clarified confirming Peyton was off limits.

  Elaine hadn’t dated anyone since his dad left and that had been when Colt was in public school. Seeing her in a new relationship hit him like being cross-checked on the ice.

  “I would be even happier if you would stay for supper.” She lowered her voice. “I wish you would stay for the whole weekend,” she added and then her voice went up a few notches and her guilt trip began. “I don’t understand why you have to go racing home anyway. You don’t have a job, sorry to say it, but it’s the truth. You don’t have any family in the city so you’re all there alone. It’s not like there’s a whole lot there waiting for you.”

  “Mom, I live in the city.” Away from friendly but nosy people.

  “Yes, but can’t you take out one weekend to visit your mother?” She was pulling the guilt tools out of her gardening apron and snipping away the weeds of excuses he had lined up. “There’s so much going on this weekend, you would surely keep busy. Tonight Trent Saunders is performing at the arena,” she said. Trent Saunders was the town’s country singing superstar. His music was good but Colt just wanted to go to his house and sleep in his own bed alone and...well, sulk, eat, have a drink and then hit the gym in the morning and work it all out.

  However, his mother was still going on about him staying for a few weeks now and he needed to defuse the situation before she roped in him. What was one little meal? “What are you cooking for supper?”

  He caught the smile tugging at her lips as she anticipated he was changing his mind. “Pot roast and apple pie.”

  Putting on his best charm he winked at his mom. “I can’t very well pass up your pot roast and delicious apple pie now can I?”

  She clapped her hands together as they arrived at the house and reached across the distance of the front seat to squeeze his arm. “I am so excited. It will be nice to have a full house.” His mom had always wanted more children. Unfortunately, after he’d been born, more children hadn’t been an option for her. Then two years ago her hopes had risen, along with his own, and both of them had been crushed by the truth.

  “All Kent’s girls are coming over too,” she was telling him as their boots made new footprints in the recently fallen snow.

  Peyton. Her name sent his mind into overdrive and he had no idea why. Mixing up in there with his past made him remember why he wasn’t in a relationship. That alone should kick his gears down, but it didn’t.

  “I will be inside in a bit,” Colt told his mother before he shut the door behind her and grabbed the shovel out of the garage.

  He calmly began with the purpose of only clearing the white covered stone pathway that wrapped around the front of the house. By the time he reached the end, flashes of Peyton had formed with each shovelful. He tried unsuccessfully to clear the thoughts away with every scoop of snow. When he was done, he tossed the shovel, like it was responsible for all this thoughts, and climbed back into his truck. He parked his truck on the side of the road and took a deep breath.

  If he couldn’t get a workout at the gym, to release some of this pent up crap, he planned on shoveling the entire driveway before supper. If he couldn’t get a grip on his thoughts by then, he was going to continue all the way down the street until he was prepared to come to terms with his mother’s relationship and the fact that Peyton was off limits.

  He found himself excited about having dinner with his mother so he dug into the white, wet heavy solution.

  Chapter Four

  Elaine invited the family over to her house that evening for supper. Peyton found herself thinking, Here we go. Let the awkwardness begin. But that momentary thought was stomped away like the wood floor under Kent’s cowboy boots when he told her Colt was heading back to the city before supper.

  Why did she feel...disappointed? She should feel relieved that they’d barely spoken during lunch before his mother whisked him back to his post and she hadn’t seen him since. After last month she thought she would have more time, since he rarely returned home, before having to face him. She needed more time, so she was anything but disappointed. Liar.

  Abby dropped by the house early. She sauntered in out of the snow with thick snowflakes sprinkled across her black attire. Her blonde ends poked out through the large knitted holes of the scarf draped around her neck.

  Abby sent her a curious look the moment she walked through the door, but it wasn’t until their dad disappeared down the hall that she turned her big eyes at Peyton and rubbed her hands together like a child anticipating dessert. “So give me all the juicy details,” she demanded.

  “I already did.”

  “No, I mean about you-know-who.” Abby waggled one of her ring covered fingers at her.

  Peyton was going to shred Kate like a bar of beeswax before adding it to the recipe pot.

  “I can fix your hair for you if you want,” Peyton said, changing the topic. She tugged on her sister’s blonde ends. “I can take this to a nice light blonde instead of this dead white.” She yanked Abby’s hat off and threw it across the table.

  “Hey!” Abby said reaching her body across the table to retrieve her obvious bed-head concealer. Did the girl not brush her hair that morning?

  “Then I can match these dark roots with a nice light blonde.”

  Abby pulled her hat back on and glared. “I like my hair, thank you very much.”

  “It’s outdated.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Their dad emerged from his bedroom showered and changed into clean denim pants and a knitted sweater.

  Abby whistled a tune at him and he shyly looked back down over his clothes. “Too much?”

  “No, not at all Dad,” Peyton said sincerely.

  “Oh Daddy, you look so handsome.” Abby teased. “Like you’re going on a first date.”

  He leaned down and kissed Abby’
s check. “You look lovely yourself.” She sat straighter crossing the black skinny jeans that disappeared into studded boots. Why was she still wearing her snowy boots in the house?

  “Thanks Daddy.” She sent Peyton a glare for her hair remarks. But then added, “I just wanted to impress my new Mommy.” She fluffed her dead ends.

  Peyton hit the edge of Abby’s boots and sent her a warning look to take them off, which she ignored, and continued to spin away from Peyton to look at Kent.

  “I’m really excited,” she said.

  Kent didn’t look quite as excited about his daughter’s joking manner. “I’m considering leaving Peyton here to babysit you while I go over for supper, alone.”

  Abby laughed.

  Peyton smirked.

  Kent remained serious.

  “I’m joking Dad. I will behave,” Abby promised crossing her fingers across her chest, and then she fisted her hand and slammed her chest lightly a couple times ending with a peace sign.

  “In that case, are you two ready to go?”

  Abby jumped from the chair. “Am I ever.” She darted in front of them to the door saying she would text Sydney and Kate to let them know they were already at Elaine’s house.

  “I’m starting to think this is a bad idea,” Kent whispered, wrapping an arm around Peyton’s waist and guiding her to the house next door.

  Peyton looked for Colt’s truck in the driveway and was relieved when she found it empty. Eventually she would have to face him...eventually.

  Peyton felt silly now knowing she’d applied a little extra makeup and left her button-up western shirt one button more undone, revealing additional cleavage. She’d even tied the bottom ends of the shirt in a knot under her full breasts−which she’d perked up with her very best push-up bra−to reveal the almost see-through white tank that was snuggly around her waist. A teasing line of her skin peaked just above her low-waist denim that grabbed her ass and thrust it so high in the air he’d have no choice but to notice...just in case he had still been there.

  She would have worn something entirely different if she wasn’t going to the country dance with her sisters after supper, but she definitely made this outfit sexy-hot. Which was ridiculous since she didn’t want anything to do with him. Why was she wasting her time to go the extra mile to turn him on? You know why? It was because he pissed her off when that picture of him and the skinny blonde went viral right after he nailed her in the shower.

  Elaine welcomed them into the house with her great big, friendly smile.

  Kent surprised his girls by handing her a bouquet of flowers and kissing her cheek.

  Elaine flushed.

  How had Peyton not notice he grabbed flowers? And when did he become such a romantic? It was so adorable.

  Guilt chided her, recognizing all her thoughts about Kent and Elaine’s relationship had been centered around, and spoiled by, her and Colt’s mistake. A mistake, that’s exactly what it had been.

  It wasn’t fair to the couple who actually liked each other. Who, by the looks of their shared intimacy, might love each other. Peyton’s work load was definitely interfering with her life because she had missed all the signs until today.

  Peyton inhaled a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. She decided tonight she would leave no more room in her head for Colt and she would solely focus on her dad’s new found happiness instead. He deserved it after years of punishing himself for his drinking duration. Her siblings had all forgiven him so it was about time he forgave himself.

  Elaine settled them in the little family room at the back of the house with drinks−non-alcoholic−and a platter of cheese and crackers.

  This room looked newer than the rest of the house, missing the gaudy wall-paper from the nineties and instead had a nice neutral beige with white trim around the windows and baseboard. Of course, her country decor spilled in with a tin star on the wall and a shelf of bears above the television.

  Elaine started telling them about Kent renovating the room they were sitting in and how that began their friendship.

  Peyton cringed. Damn this best improved room in her house. Stop that! No more negative thoughts about their relationship.

  “It started with a leak around the back door,” Elaine was saying, pointing at the double sliding doors beside her.

  Peyton smiled, giving the excited woman all her attention.

  “It had been raining hard one October evening and the water began pouring in.” She laughed. “I didn’t know what to do...I was in an absolute panic.”

  This started in October? That was way before her and Colt had hooked up.

  Elaine stole a shy glance at Kent...and Peyton scolded herself again for bringing Colt into her thoughts.

  “I knew Kent was a handyman, so I ran over in the rain, explained my situation and, of course because your father is the most amazing, kind person, he rushed right over to look.”

  “It was nothing,” Kent said timidly. Her dad hadn’t always been coy. Peyton remembered his outgoing, out-spoken self when she was young. That was before her mother died. When he’d sobered up years after losing her, he seemed to look at life differently. Most his children were wild at the mouth just as he had been but now he often refrained, instead thinking about his words or actions before following through with them.

  “So here he was filling in the leak to hold it over until morning when he offered to come fix it properly and the two of us were standing there soaking wet and dripping water all over the floor.”

  Peyton caught her bottom lip between her teeth and clamped down as though that would stop her from picturing her and Colt soaking wet. Stop thinking about him!

  “Soaking wet huh?” Abby said. “That’s interesting isn’t it Peyton?” Abby sent her a knowing look. Peyton sent her a fake smile. “It is.” She turned to Elaine. “Then what happened?”

  Elaine flushed.

  Are you kidding me?

  Abby’s stifled laugh.

  “She offered me a plate of food to say thank you and I came back the next day to fix the door,” Kent quickly intervened.

  Elaine nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what happened,” she agreed. Who was she trying to fool? “Excuse me. I’m going to check on the roast.” Elaine quickly scrambled to her feet.

  Once out of sight Abby let her laughter flow. “Dad, you dog,” Abby said.

  Kent rolled his eyes.

  Abby nudged Peyton’s side. “I see where you get it from. Well done, McAdams.” She clapped and rocked in her seat.

  Peyton shook her head at the questioning look from her dad. “You don’t want to know.”

  “You’re probably right.” Oh, she was right.

  “I like her.” Abby was in her own world. Peyton wished her world was as simple as her nutty sister’s.

  “Dad, where’s the bathroom?” Peyton asked.

  “The bathroom downstairs...I’m fixing the toilet...”

  “Aren’t we a regular handyman around here,” Abby chimed in.

  He cast another look, but this time it was less of a warning and more in a comical way. They were never going to make it through this meal without a scene of sorts. “Use the one upstairs. Third door on the right.”

  “Thanks.” She managed not to scramble away like Elaine but she needed to put some distance between her and her big-mouth sister before she let it slip and Elaine found out about her son’s travels with the neighbour girl.

  “And you’re very familiar with the layout of the house,” she heard Abby continue harassing him as she left the room.

  Peyton climbed the wooden stairs fully intending on finding a bathroom for no other reason than to escape her little sister. But her concentration was on the left side of the hall where she knew the first set of windows were the ones she found herself staring through as a teenager.

  The door was open and a lone lamp sat on the nightstand by the double bed and gave the room a light glow.

  Peyton couldn’t help herself. She slipped into the room and r
eversed back in time.

  It looked the same standing here now as it did staring over from her bedroom window before he left for college. Painted brown with more out-of-style wallpaper along the bottom half of the wall in red, blue and chocolate plaid that matched the comforter on his bed. Of course he had a double bed instead of a single...he’d been weirdly long and big and beautiful as a teenager. Every girl had drooled over him...not much changed there.

  Above the highboy dresser was a shelf with all his hockey awards, ribbons and trophies. She couldn’t seem to help herself from running her fingers across the bottom of each one and wondering what his children would be like. Would they be athletic whether a girl or a boy? Or would it skip a generation? Stop thinking those thoughts!

  Peyton walked to the large six pane window where a plaid valance lined the top offering no privacy. Across their laneways she saw her dark bedroom, where once only sheer panels hung. She had immediately replaced them when she moved in with solid curtains so no one could peek in her window like she’d done into Colt’s when she was young. A little stalkerish now she realized, almost laughing out loud. But she had been young and he had been amazing.

  Her eyes found the ice rink in the backyard and a grin crossed her lips at the memory of Colt’s face when the ice cold water hit him. Initially shocked, he looked like he was going to rip the hose out of her hand and wrap it around her neck. She’d been half expecting him too. But he calmly turned around without a word and left her standing there alone in the backyard, the water still spraying out of the hose. He kind of deserved it for being such a conceited know-it-all jerk.

  She’d watched him climb the deck stairs and yank on the back door with such a force that if it hadn’t been locked it would have went flying to the other side. Temper. Temper. He’d gone and locked himself out of his house.

  She had laughed then, she couldn’t help it. She laughed so hard her sides hurt and after the initial rumble of laughter and actual tears that streamed down her face...seriously it couldn’t get any better than that...she realized he was going to catch a cold or pneumonia and she was going to be held responsible.