by Annie Rains
He chuckled softly. “That’s my excuse to find a diner that serves those two things in every town I fly to.”
They stepped out of Harold’s SUV and walked inside. Then they ordered and ate. Trisha still didn’t say very much. He wanted to ask her directly what was wrong, but Petey seemed oblivious and Jake doubted she’d want to talk about anything in front of her son.
Jake’s cell phone buzzed on the table as he dipped a fry in ketchup.
Trisha looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
He’d never had a good game face. “My uncle is calling. No doubt to check on my grandmother.”
“And that upsets you,” Trisha said, the skin between her eyes pinching softly. “Why is that?”
He drew in a breath and released it before speaking. “We have different ideas about what’s in Vi’s best interest,” he said. “It usually leads to a little friction in our conversations.”
“But you have Vi’s best interests at heart?” she asked.
It felt like a strange question, and Jake locked eyes with her. “Always.”
Trisha seemed to swallow. “That’s good. Me too.”
“I believe you.”
Trisha diverted her attention to Petey beside her. Whatever had happened in that prison visit made Jake want to go in there and have a chat with Trisha’s ex. That wouldn’t fix anything for her though. The guy was out of her life, and even though Jake didn’t know who her ex was or what his crimes were, Jake was fairly certain the guy’s absence in Trisha’s life was for the best.
The waitress came and laid down the bill. Before she could leave, Jake handed back the bill with his debit card.
“Oh no. I can’t let you pay for us,” Trisha argued.
Jake looked at her. “Yes, you can. And I want to.”
The waitress looked between them and then walked away with his card.
“You’ve done too much for us already.” Trisha looked worried. Or maybe it wasn’t exactly worry. She held that look of a broken heart. Was she still in love with her ex? Was that what was bothering her since they’d left the prison?
“I was going to go for a flight today anyway. You just gave me a purpose. So I should thank you,” Jake said.
She tilted her head and looked at him skeptically. “So you’re just a genuinely nice guy? There’s no catch or hidden agenda?”
A slither of guilt slid through him. He didn’t answer because she wasn’t asking him the questions. She was more talking to herself, the questions being their own answers.
He liked to think he was a nice guy, but would a nice guy keep his real agenda hidden? He was only looking out for his grandmother, but the last thing he wanted to do was cause Trisha more pain. He could tell she’d already been through a lot.
“I’m sorry that I was suspicious of your intentions.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to trust my instincts about people anymore.” She glanced over at Petey, who didn’t seem to be listening. He was the kid with a million questions, but he was also a kid, and sometimes adult conversation was boring. “Thank you for flying us. And for lunch.” A smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
“It was my pleasure,” Jake said.
* * *
The plane landed on Somerset Lake an hour later, and Trisha stepped off with Petey. She’d been too tired and exhausted on the return flight to even be nervous.
She turned back to Jake, who was closing up his plane. “Thank you again for today. Petey really needed that visit.”
Jake looked toward Petey, who was running down the dock toward Bailey. He returned his gaze to her, and she saw his expression shift to something more serious. “And what about you? You’ve been quiet since you left the prison. Are you okay?”
Trisha resisted rubbing her chest. She was as okay as one could be taking her son to visit his father in prison. But Peter had made her second-guess everything, and everyone, new in her life for a moment. “I think I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Well, I’m going to church in the morning. How would you two like to come with me?” Jake asked. “It’s an outdoor service. I think you’d enjoy it.”
Trisha hedged. “My in-laws are picking up Petey first thing for a family reunion on his father’s side. And honestly, I’m not sure I’ll be up for it.”
Jake’s gaze was steady on her. “Sometimes doing those things you’re not up for anyway helps.”
Trisha seriously doubted that. If she argued or made any more excuses, she might start crying though—her emotions were that raw. And Jake had sacrificed a huge portion of his day for her and Petey. Peter had made her doubt Jake a little bit, but that was wrong. Jake was completely trustworthy, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. So instead of looking for another excuse, she said, “Okay. Yes, I’ll go with you.”
“Great. It’s a date.” Jake winked at her. “Just kidding. If I took you out for a real first date, it’d be somewhere a little more romantic than a golf cart ride to an outdoor church.”
Trisha wanted to ask where he would take her. But that question was irrelevant. Because they were never going on a first date.
Chapter Twelve
Jake thought that old expression “you can’t go home again” was right in a way. The memories of Rachel and his grandfather were like ghosts here, haunting him at every turn. Staying for any length of time would be difficult. That’s why Jake’s main goal today was to talk to Vi about the cottages.
He’d gotten derailed by giving Trisha and Petey a flight that had eaten up most of his daylight hours. But there was still time to set out and do what he’d intended before hitting the sack tonight.
Vi was a rational woman. Maybe she’d hear him out and agree that it was time to leave Somerset Lake behind once and for all. For all Jake knew, Vi was tired of entertaining ghosts here on the lake as well.
Jake walked past Juniper Cottage until he was standing in front of Vi’s place. Then he climbed the steps to the back deck. He took a deep breath before stepping up to her door and knocking. “Vi? It’s me, Jake.”
Bailey barked and ran toward the sliding glass door from inside. Vi had kept his dog for him today while he was gone. He appreciated the help. Bailey was self-sufficient for the most part, but she was also a social dog who needed human interaction.
Jake waited for Vi to follow Bailey to the door. When she didn’t, Jake knocked again. After a several moments, he pushed the door open, knowing that Vi didn’t lock her doors during the day.
“Vi?” Jake called again, patting Bailey’s head as he entered the house. Bailey ran ahead of him as if showing Jake where Vi was.
Concern knotted in the pit of Jake’s stomach. His steps were heavy, shaking the old house as he walked. It needed a few renovations, too, if Vi was going to continue living here.
Bailey stopped in front of Vi, who was sleeping on the couch. She hadn’t heard Jake come in, which was concerning if she was going to keep her door unlocked. Jake noticed her hearing aids on the table beside her. A lot of good they did there. These were the exact reasons his family wanted Vi in Florida with them. To ensure her well-being and safety.
Jake sat down on the couch beside Vi, noting the open album on her lap. He leaned in closer to see what she’d been looking at.
Vi’s eyes cracked open. She blinked at him sleepily. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You were asleep,” Jake said.
She chuckled softly. “I suppose I was. Are you hungry?”
“No.” He shook his head even though, yeah, he was starving. The late lunch he’d eaten with Trisha and Petey at the diner was already gone. “Just came to check on you and get Bailey.”
Vi shifted and sat up. “You don’t need to check on me. I’m fine, you know.”
Jake wasn’t so sure. How fine could she be living alone with no family nearby? Leaving her doors unlocked, her hearing aids out, and falling asleep on the couch before sunset? “Looking at pictures?” he asked.
“Oh yes. I look at these old al
bums all the time.” She chuckled again. “It’s good to see your grandfather’s smiling face. Yours too.” She looked over at him.
“Grandma, you don’t have anyone here in Somerset Lake anymore. Maybe it’s time to think about moving to Florida where my parents are. Uncle Tim and Aunt Dawn would be around too. You have at least a half-dozen grandchildren down there now. I’ll be there soon enough too.”
Vi’s smile wasn’t quite as big anymore. “Move? Don’t tell me you’re going to try to feed me that garbage about being too old to run the Somerset Cottages too. Tim and the others have already offended me enough.”
Jake folded his hands in his lap, his gaze falling on the album. “Aren’t you tired of being reminded of him everywhere you turn?” His eyes suddenly burned. He blinked the sting away.
Vi reached over and placed a hand on his knee. “When you reach my age, memories are the most valuable thing you have. Some might hurt, yes, but if I avoided remembering altogether, then I’d miss out on the good memories too. I could run away to Florida…or DC”—she narrowed her eyes at him—“but I’d miss being here and remembering all the little things, good and bad, at every turn. I’d probably begin to forget how the air smelled and how it felt on my bare arms. The same air that your grandpa once breathed in every morning before looking at me and saying, ‘It’s a great day to be alive…because I get to spend it with you.’”
Vi looked down at the photo album, trailing the pad of her index finger over Gramps’s picture. She took a shuddery breath and then looked up at Jake. “Now, every morning when I wake up and walk out onto my deck, I breathe in all the fresh air and feel the coolness of it on my skin. And I whisper, ‘It’s a great day to be alive because I get to spend it with you.’ He’s still with me, every place I look. Why would I ever leave?” she asked.
“Gramps will be with you anywhere you go,” Jake said gently.
“You’re missing the point, Jake. I’m not going anywhere.” She patted his thigh again. “I’m getting older, yes, but don’t think for a moment that I don’t know the real reason you’re down here visiting me for an entire month. You could’ve gone ahead to Florida to start your new life and job.”
“That’s true,” Jake said.
“But you didn’t because the family is worried about me.” Vi gave him a knowing look as he met her gaze.
Jake didn’t argue. He couldn’t.
“I know that you’re here to convince me to sell the Somerset Cottages.”
Jake didn’t blink, didn’t breathe. He’d been looking for an opening to this conversation, and here it was.
“But I also know that you’re here because some part of you wants to convince yourself to stay,” Vi said.
Jake shook his head. She was right about some things, but not that. “No, Grandma. I’m not staying. This isn’t my home anymore.”
“So says your head.” Vi lowered her gaze to his chest. “But your heart never got a chance to heal. And nothing heals a broken heart like being home.” She met his gaze and held up a finger. “And before you start arguing with your head, listen to your heart for just a moment. Somerset Lake is still your home, whether you think so or not.”
* * *
Petey’s eyelids were drooping as he seemed to actively resist letting them shut for the night. “Can I read until bed?” he asked. “Jake let me borrow his book about fish farming.”
Trisha laughed. “Just brush your teeth first, okay? I don’t want you to fall asleep without doing that.”
“’Kay!” He disappeared down the hall.
Trisha walked out onto the deck to look at the lake. Despite knowing she was failing Petey in some areas, she was succeeding in other areas. He was smart and enthusiastic about life. He was respectful, dutiful, and the sweetest boy she could want.
Trisha breathed in the cool night air. There was a bubbly lightness in her chest. She and Petey were finally getting settled here in Somerset Lake. She was finally beginning to feel like she belonged. She was so happy she could cry right now.
The last six months in Sweetwater Springs hadn’t felt like home anymore, even though that’s where she’d grown up. The only family she had there was her ex-husband’s family. She had friends, of course, but she also had a few of her ex’s enemies.
Everyone here in Somerset Lake treated Trisha and Petey like instant friends, even when Trisha hadn’t initially extended the same courtesy to them.
Her phone pinged with an incoming text. Trisha pulled it from her pocket and read the message from Sophie.
How are you?
Trisha tapped her index finger along the screen. I’m good. Really good.
The message dots started bouncing as Sophie formed her reply. How was your date last night?
Trisha rolled her eyes and laughed. Then she tapped Sophie’s number and called her instead of texting back. “It wasn’t a date,” she said as soon as Sophie answered.
“A single guy that you needed to call your best friend for clothing advice for? Okay,” she said in a tone that suggested she wasn’t buying it. “But I’m glad to hear things are good down there.”
“They are. Both Petey and I are making friends.” Trisha looked out on the water, her gaze moving to a dark shadow on the dock. She blinked and realized it was Jake sitting on the end with his arm draped around Bailey at his side.
“So this guy that took you out. The nondate. When are you seeing him again?” Sophie asked.
Trisha didn’t even want to answer that question because it would only confirm what Sophie was already assuming. “Tomorrow morning,” she finally said. “He’s taking me to church.”
“Church? That sounds serious.”
Trisha laughed, the sound traveling out into the night. “Stop it. We’re friends. Nothing more. He’s not even staying in town for long.”
“Maybe you could convince him to stay,” Sophie suggested, her tone climbing an octave.
Trisha saved her argument. It wasn’t going to work, and, well, it wasn’t as if that thought hadn’t skipped across Trisha’s brain. Which was silly. Trisha barely knew Jake. She was attracted to him, of course, but according to Lucy, so were half the women in town. The last thing Trisha needed was the drama of a new romance when she was just getting settled.
“Anyway,” Sophie said, “is it still okay for Chase and me to pick up Petey tomorrow morning?”
The Lewis family reunion had always been a fun time for Trisha. She loved the Lewis family, but it didn’t seem right for her to attend this year. Petey still needed to know his relatives though. “Yes, of course. Thank you for offering to take him with you. I know it’s a little out of your way to come get him.”
“Nonsense. We’re just thrilled to get a whole day with our nephew. We’re leaving pretty early in the morning,” Sophie said. “We’ll grab Petey before you go to church, if that’s okay. I can’t imagine church starts before eight.”
“I think Jake said it starts at nine.”
“Ooh, another detail about this guy that you’re totally not dating. Jake is his name, huh? Sounds rugged and handsome.”
“You got all that from a name?” Trisha laughed. “Anyway, thank you, Sophie. And thank Chase for me too.”
“I will. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” Sophie said. “Maybe we can have dinner tomorrow night when we drop Petey back off? What do you think?”
“I think that sounds wonderful. I’ll cook,” Trisha said.
“Great. And maybe if I’m lucky, you’ll introduce me to this guy friend of yours.”
Trisha’s gaze moved back to Jake’s shadow at the end of the pier. Then, as she disconnected the call with her best friend, she headed inside to check on Petey. After that she returned outside and started walking in Jake’s direction, needing to see him—unable to resist.
* * *
One thing about life that never seemed to change was the starry sky over Somerset Lake.
Jake stared out at the water. He’d walked out here after visiting Vi, hoping to cl
ear his head. Their talk was making him second-guess his reasons for being here. His parents and Uncle Tim and Aunt Dawn were so sure that moving to Florida was what was best for Vi. But maybe they were wrong. Maybe Jake was fighting for the wrong side.
He sighed, the sound drifting off into the night along with a mix of others.
“Lost in thought?”
Jake turned toward Trisha, surprised that she was able to sneak up on him. He must have really been spaced out. “I guess so.”
“You want to talk or are you hoping to be alone?” she asked.
That surprised him too. It was usually him encroaching on her territory, not the other way around. “I won’t turn down good company.”
She looked unsure.
“I consider you to be good company.” He tipped his head to the spot beside him. Bailey was on his other side.
She lowered herself to sit on the dock and swung her legs over the edge. “Petey fell asleep reading your fish farming book. It was an eventful day for him. Last night was pretty eventful too. I’m glad we went. Thank you for everything.”
Jake glanced over at her. “You’re welcome. Will you go to another Sunset Over Somerset?”
Trisha nodded. “I think Petey would have a fit if I didn’t. It was good for me too.”
Jake grinned. “Uh-oh. I dragged you out kicking and screaming last night, and now you can’t get enough of us Somerseters, huh?”
She grinned right back at him. “You say that as if you’re one of those Somerseters. I thought you weren’t staying.”
He looked back out on the water. “Vi reminded me tonight that wherever I go, I’ll always belong here.”
He heard Trisha release a breath beside him. “I guess that’s true for everyone and the place they grew up. There’s some things that are just ingrained in us. You can’t escape them, no matter how hard you try.”
Jake had an urge to reach out and touch her. A comforting touch, yeah, but there was more to it than that. “I don’t want to overstep. Shove me off this dock if I do.”
