The Summer Cottage: Includes a bonus story

by Annie Rains

  Trisha continued walking Petey to her car behind the cottage. She opened the car door for him to get inside, and then she started to climb into the driver’s seat but her gaze caught on the front tire. It took a moment to process that it was flat. Not just low on air, but the rim was digging into the ground. “Oh no.”

  It would take half the day to have a new tire put on. She’d have to get her car towed or call AAA to come help. Vi had warned her that everything took longer on this stretch of the lake.

  Trisha looked back at Petey in the back seat, ready and eager to go see his dad. She was going to have to disappoint him because there was no way that was happening today.

  Jake stepped up beside her. “What’s wrong?”

  She turned, surprised to find him standing there. “I didn’t know you were still hanging around.”

  “I was waiting on Bailey to do her business. I saw your expression and headed over to see if I could help.”

  She pointed at the front tire. “Our trip is canceled. I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to break the news to Petey.”

  Jake looked between the tire and her. “You don’t have to. I’ll take you.”

  Trisha shook her head. “It’s over two hours of driving each way, depending on traffic. It’ll take all day. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

  Jake gestured to the pier. “So let me fly you.”

  “What?”

  “My plane is amphibious. It lands on land and water. There’s a little runway near the prison that a friend of my grandfather owns. I’ve been there many times before. We can fly and be at the prison in an hour.”

  Trisha was still shaking her head, but her mind was considering the only option that meant Petey wasn’t stepping out of her car with a broken heart.

  “My grandfather’s buddy will let us use one of his spare vehicles. That’s what they’re for. I’ll drive you to the prison and wait in the parking lot. Then I’ll fly you both home. All in half a day’s time.”

  “I…” She looked at Petey who was still buckled in the car, ready to go. “I…” She really wanted to say no, and she had a million reasons why no was the right thing to say. But looking at Petey, she understood that she needed to do whatever she could to make sure he got to see his dad today.

  Trisha looked at Jake. “Okay. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jake tipped his head toward his plane in the water off Vi’s dock. “Let’s go. It’s a beautiful day to fly.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jake glanced over at Trisha in his copilot seat. He hadn’t even started the motor yet, and she was already gripping the sidewall. The whites of her knuckles pressed against her skin.

  “You know, I could just drive you there. It would take longer, but I don’t mind,” he said.

  Trisha looked over at him. As if realizing her nervous posture, she relaxed her hand and pulled it into her lap. “No, I’ll be fine.”

  “Have you ever flown before?” he asked. The last thing he wanted was for her to pass out fifteen thousand feet above land.

  “Yes. I have once. Just never in a little plane like this one.”

  Jake continued to visually assess her. “Maybe it’ll help if you go sit in the cabin with Petey. I don’t mind.”

  She seemed to consider this. “Yeah, that might help,” she finally said. “You’re not going to crash, right?”

  He felt the corners of his lips curl. “I’ve only ever crashed once.”

  “Not helping.” She laughed. “And Petey already told me about that.”

  “It was just a tiny crash. Didn’t even total my plane.” Jake reached for her hand, the sensation of her skin against his igniting those flames he was steadily putting out. “I’m not going to crash. I’ve been flying since I was fifteen with my grandfather. It’s in my blood.”

  She exhaled softly. “I’m going to sit back there and pretend like Petey and I are just passengers in your truck.”

  “Great idea. I’ll be up here, not crashing.”

  Now she smiled. He felt her smile inside his chest, like it had jumped from her lips to his heart. Once she was settled in the back, he cranked the engine of his plane and cleared his thoughts of everything except the mission at hand. Blue sky and a family friend’s landing strip. Then a trip to the state prison.

  What had Trisha Langly’s husband done to get himself locked away? Jake didn’t recall any Langlys in the news, but he’d been out of state and only kept up with the news that Reva Dawson put up on her blog pertaining to Somerset Lake. The most recent crime she’d spoken of was the financial planner who’d robbed Vi of a huge chunk of her personal savings and the money that the rental properties brought in.

  Jake would love to find himself face-to-face with that guy. In fact, Jake was pretty sure Peter Lewis was in the same prison that he was flying to today.

  Jake put his little plane in motion and took off, skimming across the lake while his thoughts buzzed around in his mind.

  Jake’s gaze flitted to Trisha, who still looked tense. She would most likely relax once they reached altitude. He was supposed to be spending his day doing other things, like talking to Vi about the future of Somerset Cottages, and not in the way that Vi envisioned the family’s property. But in a split second of Trisha needing help, Jake dropped all his plans.

  The nose of the plane tipped up, the rudders dipped down. Then they took off. A few minutes later, they reached optimal altitude, and Jake leveled out the plane. He glanced at Trisha again. What was it about her? Attraction obviously, but there was also something more stirring inside him every time he looked at her.

  He moved his gaze forward and kept it there, along with his thoughts, until he was near their destination forty-five minutes later.

  “Five minutes to land,” he called back to Trisha and Petey. Surprising him, Trisha came to sit in the copilot’s seat. He glanced over. “You okay?”

  He heard her suck in a deep breath. “Yeah. You’re a good pilot.”

  “I told you I’d get us there in one piece.”

  “You did.” She laughed beside him. Then she took a moment to look around. “Wow. It’s beautiful up here, isn’t it?”

  “Yep. There’s just something about being up here in the clouds that sets my soul at ease.” Maybe that’s what it was about her too. She didn’t exactly set his soul at ease, but whatever it was about her spoke to him in the same way.

  “This was your grandfather’s plane?” she asked.

  “It was. Not the one he taught me in. That one is in storage. This is a newer one he got right before he died. I’m the only grandkid who learned to fly, so his planes went to me.”

  “I bet you get a lot of female attention flying this thing,” Trisha teased.

  He glanced over. “If I remember correctly, you wanted nothing to do with me and this plane when I first offered you a ride.”

  “That’s different. I’m not one of the women I was talking about.”

  Maybe that’s what it was about her. He’d always loved a good challenge. Trisha made it clear she wasn’t interested in him so maybe some part of him wanted to see if he could change her mind.

  Without thinking, he reached over and touched her hand. The touch echoed through him. “Time to land. Do you want to go sit back there with Petey?”

  She looked down at his hand on hers for a moment. Then he heard her suck in another breath. “Yeah. For Petey’s sake. I want to make sure he’s secure as we go down.”

  Jake resisted telling her that was a good idea because if, big if, they were to crash, it would most likely happen during takeoff or landing.

  Jake called over his radio to his grandfather’s friend. “You ready for me, Harold?”

  “All clear. Come on in, Jake.”

  Jake started to descend. The open field was in sight. There was no need to worry Trisha about crashing because he had perfected smooth landings. It was his pilot’s specialty.

  He continued to lower until the wheels hit the ground
, propelling them all forward at a high speed. He slowed the plane gradually and brought it to a stop. “We’re here,” Jake finally called back.

  Petey cheered. “That was amazing! This is going to be the best day ever. Flying and seeing my dad.”

  Jake was glad he could make the boy’s day. Looking at the other passenger in his plane, however, something told him that those two things didn’t combine to make Trisha’s perfect day.

  * * *

  Trisha was glad to have her feet back on the ground. She exhaled and tipped her face back to feel the sunshine on her face.

  “You can kiss the ground if you want. You wouldn’t be my first passenger to do that,” Jake said.

  Trisha turned to him and laughed. “You’ve had a passenger get out and kiss the ground?”

  “It was turbulent weather.” He folded his arms over his chest. His big, muscled chest that she did not want to step into. Nope. Not one bit.

  Liar.

  She noticed a man walking in their direction now. He was older with white puffs of hair that caught the breeze. He wore rimless glasses, his bushy black eyebrows curving over the lenses.

  “Harold!” Jake met him halfway and shook his hand. Then they walked toward Trisha and Petey. “Trisha, this is Harold. He was a friend of my grandfather’s. He owns this place.”

  Trisha shook the older man’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for letting us land here. It definitely made our trip shorter.”

  Harold put his hands on his hips. “No problem at all. Anything to help out Jerry’s grandson and his friends.” Harold looked at Petey. “Hey there, buddy.”

  Petey shook Harold’s hand too. “Are you a pilot like Jake?”

  Jake laughed. “Actually, Petey, I’m a pilot like Harold. Harold has been flying planes since before I was born.”

  Petey looked impressed.

  “But Jake has a nicer plane than mine. I’ve been eying that beauty since the day Jerry bought it,” Harold said. “It’s one of a kind.”

  “She flies smoothly too. I didn’t even make my passengers sick,” Jake teased.

  Harold chuckled. Then he gestured toward the end of the property where there was a house in the distance. “Take your pick of my vehicles. They’re all gassed up and ready to drive.”

  “Thank you,” Jake said.

  They followed the older man to the garage, and he handed Jake the keys to an old midsize SUV. “It’s good to see you, Jake. You should fly out to see Doreen and me more often.”

  Jake took the keys. “I will. I’m in Somerset Lake for a little bit so I’ll be closer.”

  “Somerset, huh? What brings you there?”

  Trisha saw Jake’s hesitation in answering that question, which she found interesting.

  “Vi had a stroke last year,” Jake said in answer.

  Harold nodded. “Yeah, I know. She’s doing better now though, right?”

  “She is,” Jake assured him. “It was a small stroke. I guess I just wanted to make sure she was okay, living alone and managing the cottages all by herself.”

  Trisha cleared her throat. “Not all by herself.” She looked at Harold. “I’m Vi’s property manager.”

  “Oh.” Harold gestured between Jake and Trisha. “I just assumed you two were an item.” He chuckled dryly, breaking into a cough. “I’ve gotta quit the cigars,” he finally said. “Doreen has been telling me they’ll be the death of me for decades now. I hate to prove her right.”

  “According to my late grandfather, a woman is usually right,” Jake said. He looked at Trisha. “You ready?”

  “Yes!” Petey answered instead. “I can’t wait! I’m going to see my dad.”

  Harold’s bushy black brows lowered. “At the prison?”

  Jake patted Harold’s shoulder. “We’ll be back in a few hours,” he said, steering the conversation in a more pleasant direction.

  Trisha was thankful. Harold wasn’t part of her new community, but she still didn’t want to get into her messy past. That might raise questions that she hadn’t even answered for Jake yet. “Ready,” she said.

  Twenty-five minutes and a dozen questions from Petey later, Jake pulled the old SUV they’d borrowed from Harold into the prison’s parking lot.

  Trisha looked across the seat. “I hate to leave you out here waiting for us.”

  Jake held up a book. “I won’t be bored.”

  She read the title: How to Start Up a Fish Farm. The manuals he read were kind of endearing. “You’re a lawyer, not a farmer. What do you do with all that knowledge?”

  “Mostly use it to impress women,” he said.

  “Well, I’m impressed so far.” She turned back to Petey. “Okay, you know the drill. Empty your pockets.”

  Petey’s expression turned crestfallen for a moment. He removed a few coins and some LEGO figurines. Then he pushed open the door of the SUV and stepped out.

  “Thank you,” Trisha told Jake before getting out as well.

  “You’re welcome.” He leaned back in the driver’s seat as if to make a point and opened his book. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Trisha tried to rationalize the feelings running rampant through her body as she and Petey walked toward the prison to see one selfish man who’d broken her heart, while another sat in the car waiting for them, selflessly giving up his day for their needs.

  Don’t fall for him, Trisha.

  She patted her chest softly, right above her heart.

  “Are you okay, Mom?” Petey looked up at her, his eyes squinting with concern.

  “Yeah. Just, um, heartburn. From flying.” He seemed to accept her answer as they walked inside and went through the motions, passing through metal detectors and the guards’ watchful eyes. Finally, they ended up in a large room where families came to see their loved ones in blue jumpsuits. They sat at a small table and waited.

  “Where is he?” Petey asked after ten long minutes. “Why isn’t Dad here?”

  Trisha shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m sure he’s coming. It’s just taking a little while.” She saw Petey’s mouth purse to ask another question but she held up a hand. “Just wait patiently, okay? You’re going to see your father today.”

  Petey closed his mouth, and then he folded his hands in his lap and looked around. He looked nervous, which tugged on Trisha’s emotions. Everything about having to be here broke her heart on his behalf.

  Finally, Peter walked into the room, tall and lean just like he’d always been. He looked tired even as his wan cheeks stretched into a weak smile. Trisha watched the interactions between him and Petey. It was good for Petey to see his dad, no matter where that was.

  “How are you?” Peter finally asked her.

  She folded her hands on the table in front of her. “Good.”

  “How’s the new home?”

  She’d told Peter that they’d moved to Somerset Lake last time they’d come. She hadn’t gotten into a lot of details, just that she had a new job and a fresh start. He had their address so that he could write Petey, and that was all he needed. “Great,” she said.

  “One-word answers, huh? That always meant you were upset.”

  She was over being mad at Peter. She’d forgiven him, or at least she’d done her best to do so. There was really just nothing left to say between them anymore. She let Petey take up the conversation. He rattled on about the two boys he’d befriended on Friday night downtown. “Jake took us,” Petey added.

  “Who’s Jake?” Peter looked from Petey to Trisha and back.

  “He’s our neighbor. He’s a pilot. I’m his copilot. He flew us down here today to see you.”

  Peter’s brow hung heavily. Was he jealous? Because he had no right to be. “Are you dating this guy?” he asked Trisha.

  “No. And that’s not your business.” Trisha felt her spine straighten. She folded her arms over her chest.

  Peter looked away for a moment. “No, it’s not any of my business.” He looked back at her. “I just don�
�t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Again, you mean?” Trisha narrowed her eyes for a moment and then expelled a breath. “Jake is just a friend, okay? He’s a nice guy.”

  “I know how important this change of scenery is for you. Are you sure you can trust this guy?” Peter asked.

  Trisha narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Peter rolled his lanky shoulders and lifted his hands to rest them on the table in front of him. “I’m just looking out for you. And for Petey. I want to make sure that there are good people in his life who have his best interests in mind. He’s been hurt enough.” Peter pressed a hand to his chest. “My doing, and I’m sorry about that.”

  Trisha wasn’t sure if she should be mad, offended, or grateful for the advice. What Peter was saying wasn’t exactly out of line. She should be careful who she trusts, and yet she’d already told Jake more about her past than she’d ever planned to. Jake was getting too close, and that could have grave repercussions.

  “You’re a good woman, Trisha,” Peter went on. “You have a good heart, and you want to see the best in people. I know I took advantage of those qualities.”

  She didn’t argue because it was true.

  “I’m just making sure your eyes are open to the negative qualities of the people you let into your life now,” Peter said. “Not just for your sake, but for Petey’s too.”

  * * *

  Jake had barely gotten a word out of Trisha as he drove back to Harold’s home. She was upset, and he was pretty sure it was due to her ex-husband.

  Petey, on the other hand, was talking a mile a minute.

  Jake glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Hungry, buddy?”

  “Yeah!”

  “What about you?” Jake reached over and tapped Trisha’s leg.

  “I guess it is past lunchtime.”

  Jake veered toward a business strip in town where he knew there were some restaurants. Good food wouldn’t fix Trisha’s sullen mood, but maybe he could get her to talk. He pulled into the parking lot for a diner and cut the engine. “Burgers and shakes are good flying food.”

  She fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist as she looked at him with a hint of skepticism. “Really?”