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

by Leah, Shannyn

  It was overwhelming. It was exciting. It was actually happening!

  Peyton sucked in a lungful of the coffee aroma and grabbed the local weekly paper that still managed a Tuesday delivery even with holiday Monday. She needed a quick distraction from Sydney’s words that persistently kept creeping up in her stomach like an unwanted illness.

  Kent had already snuck back into the house after another sleepover at Elaine’s, showered and left before six which was his usual morning (minus the sneaking out of Elaine’s house part) and had left the paper for Peyton. Knowing the Family Day weekend events would be photographed and splashed across every page, Peyton thought this would be the perfect distraction.

  Of course the front page boasted pictures of Tate Saunders’ and Colt’s appearances from the weekend. Peyton’s attention lingered across the colored photo of her blue-eyed next door neighbour a little longer than she should have, especially if she was trying to keep him in her thoughts only as a friend.

  Inside she caught a picture of her and Colt dancing...a few of them...including Maggie’s posse. Underneath read, local town girl Peyton McAdams on the dance floor with pro hockey star Colt Patterson. It continued to describe the McAdams sisters opening the newest soap shop on the first of the following month and excitement went straight from the fingers gripping the paper right down to her toes. Free advertising! And not only was it free but it was the absolute best kind of advertising. Advertising ads located on the business page only attracted the people who wanted to read about the local businesses. But being written with pictures from a local event, with a local star, everyone that picked up the paper was sure to read about it.

  Skimming through the rest of the paper, Peyton was thrilled and thankful that Colt had shown up on her doorstep the night of the dance and she was curious to see what else the newspaper had written. The next words she saw cut her joy short just as her cell went off.

  “Have you been online this morning at all?” She felt relieved it was Abby and not Sydney. Sydney was sure to see this picture and furrow her little brows in worry. She might have thought they were cute together but what would she think now that it was written for the entire town to read.

  “No. Why?”

  “Well, do you follow any of Colt’s online accounts?”

  Oh, now what? “No. Why?” she asked a little slower with caution.

  Silence.

  “Abby?”

  “Are you in a good mood this morning? Did you have a coffee already? How are you feeling about the retirement home today? Positive?” When was she not in a good mood?

  “Abby!”

  “Okay, okay. Calm down. There are a couple pictures of you two together...”

  Peyton stared down at them. “Yes, they’re in the paper too.”

  “Oh. Just a sec.” She heard Abby cover the phone and the muffled sound of her talking to someone. A deep male someone. Who was she with this early? “I’m back. Okay, let’s see.” Peyton could hear her ruffling the paper open and her little quips noting what she was skimming until she found the pictures. Abby laughed. “They’re just saying swept off your feet, his girl, blah blah blah. That’s nothing.”

  Nothing? Interpretation was everything.

  “Mhmm. I’m sending you a link to Colt’s page right now. Click on it but don’t hang up.”

  A buzz rang in Peyton’s ear as her sisters message came through. She put Abby on speakerphone before connecting to the link and waited while it loaded to a social media site...Colt’s social media site. Every single thing she did with Colt seemed to be recorded in a phone movie reel as her thumb pushed picture after picture to the top of the screen only to find another below. These images were not that of a distant camera from a random excited fan or newspaper reporter...they were directly from Colt snapping them from his phone. And, she’d been the fool who had posed with him, making faces and smiling, joking and laughing.

  Peyton didn’t notice she was holding her breath as she quickly took note of the pictures. There they were at the ski hill fitting on the skis, and then there they were on the lift together, laughing. There was the restaurant while they were sharing again non-alcoholic drinks together. There they were at the dance...when had he taken that picture of them. Their selfies went on and on and on. She could strangle herself.

  “Looks like you had a good weekend,” Abby was saying. “Looks like you were both having a good weekend. Together.”

  That’s not so bad, Peyton rationalized. A few...or dozens of shots together. This could benefit them in the long run.

  “The people love you,” Abby said. “This boy has some serious fans and they think he deserves another chance at love.”

  What now? Love?

  Abby sighed through the phone. “If I wasn’t still wrapped in warm blankets I would come down and read this stuff with you.” Warm blankets? But she had been talking to someone. Another day, another time.

  Peyton shook her head.

  “And other people don’t like it.”

  “What do you mean?” That got Peyton’s attention. “What people? Why wouldn’t they like it? What are they saying?” Using her thumb she quickly manoeuvred back to the first picture to find the comments below and click on them.

  “Nothing,” Abby said immediately.

  “Too late Abby, I’m clicking it and...”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t. Remember not to take all the comments so serious. Actually you take everyone’s opinion too seriously, don’t read the comments Peyton.”

  Too late.

  Peyton had started with the picture of them at the restaurant drinking their non-alcoholic drinks at the dance which Colt had wrote, Alcohol ban, but me and #mygal chuggin’ the cola. There was so much wrong with that statement it made her body still as anger curdled its way up her chest. That was only the beginning. The comments and hash tags that followed astounded her. In thousands of postings from people all over the country they were writing that she was his savior, his destruction, he was her savior then her destruction and there seemed to even be a subtle threat on her life for stealing Colt...should she be concerned? Each picture had a slew of comments about her and Colt.

  “Peyton?”

  “I’m going to kill him.” Maybe not but she was going to...to...to do something. She just couldn’t contemplate what it was at the moment because she was so angry.

  “It’s not that bad. It’s a compliment.”

  “One person suggested I hire an attorney now before his bad temper sends me to a hospital.”

  “See, that’s not true,” Abby said.

  Peyton had witnessed first-hand Colt protect her from those men outside the arena and she knew he would never hurt her. After he’d finished knocking them to the ground and took her arm it was like he was taking the armour she wore to protect herself and shedding it behind them with every step because he would protect her. That was a dumb thought and she’d gone scolding herself. Peyton touched the tiny pieces of tape on her eyebrow that she was keeping hidden under her hair, and frowned. What a fool.

  “Another says we are the perfect couple and will produce gorgeous babies.” Babies, just seeing it in writing made her stomach react.

  Abby gasped. “Oh you two would. His tan, your smooth complexion, his eyes, your hair, oh those kids are supermodels.”

  “Don’t talk about our babies!” She hadn’t realized she yelled until it came out. Our babies? Our babies!

  “Why don’t you kill the messenger while you’re at it?” Abby sauced, but even over the phone Peyton could hear she was teasing. “Do you want me to come over and we could set up a fake account and go on blasting everyone who bad mouthed either of you.” It was a sweet suggestion but Peyton only wanted to talk to Colt, immediately.

  “Thanks Abby. But I’m alright. I have some things to do before we meet at the shop. So I will talk to you later, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay. But I can hear in your voice you’re still pissed. Should I call Elaine and tell her to warn Colt you might arr
ive with a shot gun?”

  Peyton forced a little chuckle for her sister. A shot gun didn’t really sound that bad. “Love you lil’ sis. See you later.”

  “Love you too. I want to know how it goes.”

  “How what goes?”

  “Oh please, you’re probably half way to Elaine’s front steps already.”

  Peyton looked down at the boot she was pulling on. “No, I’m not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Uh-huh. I want details.” The line went dead.

  Oh, who did Abby think she was, like she knew what Peyton was planning? Peyton stood in the hallway with her jacket and boots already on tapping her toes in debate. Go over? Don’t go over? Smarty pants Abby never needed to know.

  ***

  Peyton found Colt still asleep, facing away from her, wrapped in silky black sheets. She paused in the doorway taking in one lone muscular leg tangled in the sheets that hugged the rest of his body. One arm cradled the top of the pillow touching his tousled hair. Her fingers itched to run through that hair. And so did a million other girls!

  She looked down at the paper in her hands. And yet he chose to make a fool of her. And what was he still doing sleeping?

  Peyton crossed the short distance, her anger resurfacing. She slapped him with the paper before crawling over top of him purposely digging her palms and knees into his body to the empty side of the bed where his head was facing.

  The sheets were warm against her skin like a tepid layer of the desert sand and he was the blazing sun sending waves of heat across her body.

  He groaned and moaned, but barely moved. Slowly his blue eyes fluttered open and sleepily found her waiting to have a serious conversation about how his actions affect people. His eyebrows furrowed together with confusion. Then a slow, tantalizing grin crept across his hard features.

  “This is a nice surprise.”

  No, what was a nice surprise was the low sexy rumble out of those lips. No, focus!

  “Look what they published in the paper.” She unwrapped the WV Weekly and forced the picture in front of him. “Not to mention the social media posts of us all over the internet. Thanks to you,” she added.

  When he didn’t reply right away, she peeked over the paper’s top edge.

  Without moving his head, his eyes looked up at her. “You’re very photogenic.” Everything was always a joke with him. That infuriated her. This wasn’t funny. Didn’t he realize how very serious this was? Of course not, he only thinks about himself.

  “Oh, there’s more.” Taking back the paper, she flipped through the top corner counting the pages to−ah-ha−pages twelve through fourteen where there was a spread of the legion pictures taken from the dance. And among them was a nice big picture of them kissing. Or when Colt kissed her. But it certainly didn’t look one sided in print.

  “Look.”

  Again she forced the page at him.

  Again he came out with a sly remark. “That picture does not do your lips any justice.” His tone was sleepy mixed with seduction, mixed with I want you to jump under these sheets with me. Stop it Peyton!

  “Colt! People think I’m your girl,” she referred to his term using air quotes.

  He dismissed the logicalness of her argument. “People think a lot of things that aren’t true.” He closed his eyes.

  “That would be fine if they didn’t write, ‘One of our very own locals swept off her feet by Colt Patterson’.”

  “Sounds like a dream come true.”

  Argh! He was so full of himself and as his “friend” she found it disgusting!

  He must have caught how seriously upset she was over this article because his game face dropped and he said, “Peyton we’re not dating so don’t worry about it.”

  “I know we’re not dating. But thanks for clearing that up for me.” Did he think she had walked...more like stomped...more like stampeded...all the way over and woken him because she believed what she was reading in the paper was true: that they were dating!?

  “But after kissing and groping and dancing and ‘my girl this’ and ‘my girl that’ the whole town isn’t going to believe it. Not to mention your trigger freakin’ happy selfies of us all over your pages.”

  He ignore her worries. “The whole town wasn’t there.”

  “But the whole town talks and gossips and causes problems out of nothing.”

  He slanted her a look. “Like you’re doing right now.”

  “Colt, this is serious.”

  He opened his eyes. “What do you want me to say here? Sorry? Sorry I took our pictures while we were having a good time and let my fans know.”

  She could strangle that solid, pulse beating throat. “What would a ‘sorry’ accomplish now? You need to up your appearance,” she decided on the spur of the moment.

  She hadn’t known why she was coming over, to yell, to blame, to see his half naked morning body...No, not the latter. But now as she sat here ideas were coming into her head. They had to make him look like a good guy again. They had to transform his image so the town and the thousands offering online opinions stopped judging her and considering her the town tramp.

  “Maybe some sleep will do the trick.” He closed his eyes.

  Peyton swatted him with the paper again. “No, not like that.” His physical appearance didn’t need any work. He could wake up looking all drowsy and sleepy and walk out of this house and he would still look amazing.

  Colt’s eyes popped open and he actually glared at her this time. A real, serious glare. Why was he mad at her? He was the dimwit who didn’t think about the future and landed them in this situation.

  “Since they think we are dating we have to make you appear not to be such a jerk. So they don’t think I’m the foolish one sleeping with the town jerk. My reputation is important right now. My sisters and I are opening our shop in less than two weeks and word of mouth is everything and right now it looks like I’m one of your lineup girls.”

  “I told you I don’t sleep around.”

  Peyton ignored him since it wasn’t a matter of whether he did or did not, it was a matter of what people thought. “If you just make a few appearances with me doing some good things around town, add those pictures to your pages and make a few people smile, then they will forget all that crap about you the last couple years and they’ll not judge me.” That sounded logical.

  He stared at her. “You woke me up to tell me you think I’m a jerk?”

  Woke him up? It was almost nine! He’d had plenty of time to sleep. And clearly he just found all of this an entertaining joke. Who was she kidding, he wasn’t going to take out the time to help her. Who was she to him? Nobody. The one-time bang next door.

  “Oh forget it. You don’t get it. You already have your millions of dollars and God forbid you help anyone else after trashing their reputation,” she grumbled angrily, regretting coming over here at all. Friends. Hah!.

  She threw the paper at him before climbing back the way she came−right over top of him−digging a little harder with each jab.

  He was so damn selfish.

  Colt caught her arm to stop her from leaving his bedside. His hands were large and fit around her tiny wrist like a cuff trapping her. He rolled onto his back, groaned before sitting up. The sheet, that had been lying across his backside, slid down around his legs and she noticed his lower bare sides. He wasn’t wearing underwear.

  “Alright, alright. I will be your puppet.”

  “You should.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “A ‘thank you’ would be nice.”

  Colt let go of her wrist.

  Peyton crossed her arms in front of her and out of his grasp and said a quiet, “Thank you.”

  He stretched his long arms above his head. He was as magnificent as a man could be.

  He caught her staring.

  “Your turn.” He tugged at her shirt.

  She slapped his hand away. “You can start by coming with me over to Willow Valley’s retirement home. My sisters and I are p
assing out some samples of our products to the residents and having a demonstration.”

  “Why?” He looked mortified.

  “Why what?”

  “Why would I come do that?” He was serious.

  Did he miss everything she just said?

  She slowed down her tone, as though she were explaining to a child. “Because, you are going to smile and charm like you do best and get rid of that bad reputation you have so no one judges me because the whole town thinks we’re dating.” She feigned a smile at the end and gave him a questioning look. Was that clear enough?

  “I don’t think they think we’re dating. I think they think you slept with me. Like a one night stand.”

  She glared at him. “If you can get yourself organized and out of bed, meet me at the shop after lunch.”

  “Peyton, would you join us for a late breakfast?” Elaine’s voice came through the door. See, even Elaine thought it was late. She could imagine what she was assuming was going on in here. At least she knew to knock first.

  “That would be wonderful Elaine. Thank you. See you downstairs.” She turned and left him alone on that bed. If she wasn’t just opening a business, she would have jumped into that bed for an entirely different reason.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Colt lay in bed a while longer trying to get some control over himself after having Peyton inches from his naked body and restless hands. He’d wanted to drag her down and under the sheets with him and kiss those soft lips and sharp tongue until all her worries vanished.

  This game plan was brutal.

  If it wasn’t hard enough to resist her every time they’d been thrown together all weekend, which had felt like a double date marathon, invited and then casually ditched by their parents, then she’d went and climbed into his bed! That woman was treading in dangerous water.