The Summer Cottage: Includes a bonus story

by Annie Rains

  “Why are you dragging your feet like that?” Trisha asked as she followed Petey up the steps.

  “Because I’m tired. You dragged me all over town today, Mom.”

  For Petey to say he was tired meant she really had worn him out today. “Sorry.” She reached forward and ruffled his hair. “But we had important things to do.”

  He glanced back over his shoulder. “I like living here.”

  “We’ve already talked about that. Discussion over.” They reached the deck landing, and Petey turned back to Trisha with his lower lip turned slightly down. “Why don’t you take a bath?” she suggested. “I’ll make dinner, and we’ll relax in front of the TV for the rest of the night.”

  Excitement flickered in Petey’s expression. “Can Jake come over too?”

  Trisha hadn’t yet gotten around to telling him that she and Jake weren’t hanging out anymore. When he’d asked questions, she’d redirected and ignored. Eventually she’d tell him, but first she wanted to find them a new place to stay in Somerset Lake and a new job to keep them afloat. “Probably not. He’s very busy making sure Vi is okay.”

  Petey nodded. “We need to visit Vi soon.”

  “We can do that tomorrow,” Trisha promised. She wanted to give Vi time with her family, and she was worried that she’d just be a painful reminder of Peter Lewis and all that Vi had lost partnering with him. And then partnering with Trisha too. “Get yourself ready for bed,” Trisha said.

  “Okay, Mom.” Petey walked inside, leaving her on the deck. She turned toward the water. She liked living here too. She loved the calming view of the lake. Loved the quaint little cottage. Loved the work she’d done here on this property. But she would love whatever came next too. Hopefully.

  A dog barked, and Trisha redirected her gaze to Bailey on the ground below. And Jake. She’d tried her best to ignore him since they’d broken up in Lost Love Cemetery. Hopefully, he would just wave and keep walking.

  Keep walking, keep walking, keep walking.

  Instead, he climbed the steps with Bailey at his heels. “Hey,” he said when he reached the top.

  “Hi. How’s Vi?” she asked. She wanted to know, yes, but it was also the only safe subject between them.

  “Going home tomorrow.”

  Vi wasn’t going home though. Not really. Home was in the house next door. Vi was going to Florida with the rest of the Fletchers. “That’s great.”

  “It is. I was worried that you’d skipped town,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you this afternoon.”

  “Oh?” She fidgeted with her hands. “I was actually looking for a place to stay. Here in Somerset Lake.”

  “You’re staying?” Jake’s face lit up.

  “Yeah. Petey has friends here, and so do I.” She smoothed her hair out of her eyes as the wind played around her, coming off the lake. “I found a few promising places. I applied for a couple jobs too.”

  “I see.” Jake shifted back and forth on his feet. “Well, if you haven’t committed to anything just yet, I think I know the perfect place for you to live. The perfect job too.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Oh? Where?”

  “Here.”

  Trisha shook her head. “Jake, we’ve already discussed this. The new owner might not even want to have a property manager right away. At least not until these cottages are out of the red.”

  “I have it on good authority that he does.”

  Trisha’s lips parted. “The cottages have already sold?” Something ached deep inside her chest. She’d known this would happen, but it was so soon.

  “There’s a buyer. And he wants a property manager. He wants you to stay,” Jake said.

  Trisha didn’t want to get her hopes up. “How do you know that?”

  He shoved his fingers in his pockets the way he always did. “Because it’s me.”

  Trisha pulled her head back slightly. “What are you talking about?”

  “I spoke to my family today. I’m taking out a loan and paying fair market price for the Somerset Rental Cottages.”

  “You can’t…” She shook her head. “How can you afford that, Jake?” It would cost a small fortune to buy the entire property. And he didn’t have that kind of money, as far as she knew.

  “I made a few sacrifices. I used pretty much every cent in my nest egg for settling down in Florida.” He shook his head, a lazy smile crossing his lips. “But I guess it’s not a sacrifice if you do it for love. This place is my home. I don’t want to lose it.” His gaze was heavy on her. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Jake…”

  He held up a hand. “Just hear me out. I’m glad you’re sticking around so I can make my best effort to show you that I’m a man you can trust. I’m a man who will always be there for you. Who will always love you, whether you want to love me back or not.

  “I’ve loved and lost before,” he continued. “I thought loving someone again would hurt too much, but the truth is, it’s not loving that hurts. It’s losing the one you love.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure if any of that made a lick of sense.”

  Her heart was beating so hard she could barely breathe. “It made perfect sense actually.”

  Jake smiled back at her. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the selfie of her and him, handing it over. “I was gonna leave this in the Lost Love Cemetery. I did actually. But I took it back because I’m not ready to lose you. I don’t want to say goodbye.”

  She blinked away tears, trying to look at him more clearly. The tears kept springing up though. “What if I hadn’t told you I was staying, Jake? What if I had decided to leave town?”

  “Then I would have begged you to change your mind. I would have traveled to wherever you were every chance I got to convince you to come home.”

  The h-word made tears spill onto her cheeks. “I guess that’s the nice thing about being a pilot. You can go wherever you want whenever you want.” She laughed quietly, pressing a hand to her chest, trying to steady her heartbeat so she could think clearly.

  “This isn’t just my home, Trisha. It’s yours and Petey’s too.”

  Trisha’s ex would have taken someone’s last dime or their last bite to eat. But Jake had given up something special. He was selfless and true.

  He lifted a hand and used the pad of his thumb to wipe away one of her tears. “So I have a question for you.”

  “The answer is yes,” she said, her words coming out rushed and eager.

  “You haven’t even heard what I’m asking yet.” Jake grinned.

  “You want me to stay and be your property manager again?” she asked. “Now that you’re the sole owner.”

  Jake shook his head. “No.”

  “Oh.” Trisha’s chest deflated with that one word. She felt foolish, too, but he’d already said that the new owner—him—wanted her to stay and manage the cottages.

  Jake reached for her hands and held them in his. “I want you to stay and be my partner in this business.”

  Trisha’s lips parted. “What?”

  “I want you to be my partner in life too,” he said.

  She sucked in a shocked breath.

  Jake looked out at the lake for a moment and then back at her. He looked resolute, peaceful. “I know it’s soon. This isn’t a proposal. Not yet.” He gave her a meaningful look. “But life can be short, and even if we live to be one hundred years old, that wouldn’t be enough time together. Why waste another moment searching when I’ve already found what I’m looking for? It’s you. It’s Petey. It’s a family and this home.”

  Trisha looked at the man in front of her. She loved him more than she’d even known she could. There’d always been a small feeling of emptiness in her chest, as if something was missing. He’d filled that emptiness, past overflowing. When she was with him, she felt complete and loved. She felt like there was no other place she was meant to be than beside him.

  Jake squeezed her hand. “What do you say?”

  “You d
idn’t actually ask me a question yet.”

  “I see. Well, it’s more of a request really. I want you to stay. Here. With me.”

  “Yes,” she said, blinking past the blur of tears in her eyes. She laughed. “I say yes to all of those things. I want it all. With you.”

  Jake wrapped his arms around her, kissing her until her knees felt like they might buckle. Inside she was soaring though, high above the clouds where he’d taken her before. And she never wanted to come down.

  Jake pulled away, just enough to look at her again. “I already have it all, as long as I have you.”

  Epilogue

  It was a perfect fall day. The air was cool and thick with all the things that made this time of year Trisha’s favorite.

  “Mom?”

  Trisha glanced over at Petey, who was walking alongside her up the lakeshore on their way back home to Juniper Cottage. All but one of the cottages were rented now, which kept Trisha busy, but she didn’t mind. She looked over at her son. “Yes?”

  “Can I go ahead of you? You’re walking so slow,” he complained, his tone halfway teasing.

  She laughed and made a shooing gesture. “Go.” It was Friday afternoon, and Petey had big plans for the night. School had started last month, and he’d been making good grades and lots of new friends. Jake had spent most of his week at his new law office in Magnolia Falls. And Trisha had managed things here at the rental cottages. It’d been an uneventful week, but perfect nonetheless.

  Trisha watched him race Bailey, leaving footprints in their wake. She continued at her slow, steady pace until she was standing in front of Vi’s cottage. Then she climbed the steps until she was on the deck. “Mind if I join you?”

  Vi looked up from her outdoor rocking chair. “Of course not.”

  Trisha walked over and sat in the neighboring rocker, soaking in the view for a long moment. “I thought I heard you talking to someone when I was coming up?”

  “Oh yes. Just my late husband.” Vi chuckled to herself. Her gaze slid to give Trisha a look. “And, no, I’m not crazy.”

  Trisha held up her hands. “I don’t think you are. No need to explain.”

  Trisha visited Vi a couple times a day. For the moment, Vi was independent. Home health workers came into her home to provide speech, physical, and occupational therapy. Jake had put in a few safety features and an emergency call button that Vi could quickly access too.

  And when the time came, if the time came, they would move into Vi’s house with her. It was far bigger than any of the cottages on the property. “And what did your late husband have to say?” Trisha asked.

  One corner of Vi’s mouth drooped as she smiled. “I do all the talking. He just listens. That’s the way it always was when he was alive too.”

  Trisha reached over and rested her hand over Vi’s as it draped across the rocker’s arm. “You okay? You need anything?”

  “I’m fine, dear. All I need is this chair and this view. I’m glad to have you, Petey, and Jake next door. My heart is full.”

  “Mine too,” Trisha said, meaning it.

  They both looked out onto the water again for a long time. Then a buzzing sound hummed softly in the distance, growing steadily louder before the plane came into view. Trisha’s pulse jumped.

  “Jake needs the open sky almost as much as he needs you.” Vi winked. Then she patted her other hand over Trisha’s. “Go on. I’m fine.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back in the morning though. Or sooner if you need me. I can stay over.”

  “No need to do that. Join me for coffee tomorrow?” she asked.

  “You got it.” And that first cup would happen a lot later now that Mr. S slept on the shore with his clothes on. Trisha wondered if he would’ve done that anyway come winter, but she was grateful she didn’t have to wait to find out.

  She stood and headed down the steps, her pace quickening as the plane skimmed over the lake and came to a stop at the end of the pier. Jake stepped out with the sun at his back. Her heart filled with so much love at the sight of him. “How’d it go up there?” Trisha asked as she drew closer, talking about the plane.

  “Amazing.” He took long strides up the pier until his arms were wrapped around her.

  “We have an audience. Your grandmother is watching,” Trisha warned.

  “I’m not concerned about that. Vi isn’t your boss anymore, remember?” Jake dipped and kissed Trisha’s lips. “Where’s Petey?” he asked once they’d pulled away.

  “Packing. He’s so excited about this camping trip you guys have planned for tonight.”

  “Me too.” Jake gazed into her eyes. “I just wish you were coming.”

  Trisha shook her head. She was staying to be near Vi just in case. “It’s a boys’ trip. I wouldn’t belong.”

  Jake kissed her again. “With me is exactly where you always belong. No matter what.”

  She tilted her head. “We can have our private trip for two next weekend. Just you and me.” Petey was staying with his aunt Sophie and uncle Chase next weekend. They were taking him to see his dad in prison. And the book club ladies had offered to take turns checking on Vi while Jake and Trisha went off together.

  “I’m looking forward to having you all to myself for a couple of days,” Jake said.

  “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  His blue eyes twinkled in the morning light. “We have to fly to get there.”

  “I suspected as much.” Trisha swatted a playful hand to his chest.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  Trisha’s head tipped back, her eyes searching his as she grinned. “Yes, but I still want to know. How else can I pack? A woman needs to be dressed in the right clothing,” she added.

  Jake held her close. “All right. I’ll tell you. It’s off-season in the Outer Banks. I was thinking we’d fly down and spend some time collecting shells and making memories.”

  “The ocean.” Trisha expelled a contented sigh. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “My thoughts exactly. And it’ll be the perfect place to ask you a very important question.” His gaze held hers, the blue of his eyes bluer than the sky or lake backdrop.

  Trisha’s lips parted. She’d been suspecting that he was planning to propose for a while now. He’d been dropping hints and testing the proverbial waters. “My answer is yes.”

  “You don’t even know what the question is yet.” A corner of his mouth quirked. “You’ll have to wait until next weekend. At the coast.”

  Trisha loved the western side of North Carolina where the mountains bordered the state. She’d rarely been on the eastern side where the land was flatter and the Atlantic Ocean roared. That excited her, but the reason she suspected that Jake was taking her there was even more appealing.

  Trisha lifted on her toes and kissed his lips softly. “Yes,” she said again, her gaze fluttering up to meet his. “It doesn’t matter what the question is. I trust you, Jake Fletcher, with all my heart and soul. My answer is always yes.”

  Jake grinned. “Good to know. First, I need to ask permission from the other man in your life.” They shared a look. Trisha didn’t have a father for Jake to ask. But she did have a son.

  “Jake! Jake!” Petey came running down the pier, an overnight bag flopping off his back and Bailey at his side. “Is it time yet? I’m so excited!”

  Jake chuckled as he stepped away from Trisha. “Me too, buddy. We are going to have the best time ever.”

  Trisha’s heart melted as she watched her son and the man she loved together. How had her life gone from being so messed up to becoming a beautiful, overflowing, happy mess in such short order? How had she gotten so lucky?

  “Hug your mom and hop in the plane, Copilot,” Jake told him.

  Petey rushed Trisha’s waist, his arms squeezing her until a laugh bubbled out of her. Then he hurried to the plane with Bailey hopping up onto the seat ahead of him.

  Jake turned back to Trisha. He kissed her cheek and stared at he
r a long moment. “We’ll be home tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be home waiting for you.”

  A warmth radiated from her chest as she watched Jake turn and climb into the plane with her son. She continued to stand there as the plane skimmed the water and finally took off. They were going camping.

  Jake was going to ask Petey for permission to marry her. They were all going to live happily ever after. The three of them here on Somerset Lake, where they belonged.

  If you’ve enjoyed

  The Summer Cottage,

  please turn the page for a sneak peek at the next book in Annie Rains’s series,

  The Christmas Village.

  Chapter One

  A noise woke Lucy Hannigan. She peered into the darkness of her bedroom, heart thumping beneath her heavy quilt, and waited to hear it again.

  Or hopefully not hear it again.

  Another loud bang had her body shooting upright in bed. It sounded like something had been knocked over outside. Was someone at her back door?

  Lucy grabbed her iPhone on the bedside table and looked at the time. Five a.m. wasn’t the hour for friendly visitors. But if this were just a friendly guest, then whoever was making the ruckus would ring the doorbell. From the back side of the house, someone would need to open Lucy’s fence, which was secured by a lock.

  Lucy eyed her French bulldog Bella, who was snoring soundly in the corner of the room. “Some guard dog you are,” she whispered, standing on shaky legs, her ears tuned to anything that went bump in the night—er, early morning.

  Lucy had been out late, helping to deliver a baby at Maria Fernandez’s house. Being a midwife, she was used to keeping late hours, but she’d hoped to sleep in this morning. Now she was wide awake with adrenaline pumping through her veins.

  Something scraped against Lucy’s back porch. She stood frozen for a moment. This time, Bella opened her eyes and lifted her head.

  “Bella, bark,” Lucy whisper-shouted. Perhaps the sound of a ferocious canine would frighten the intruder away. “Bark!”

  Lucy had inherited her mom’s old French bulldog along with this excessively large home in The Village, the oldest neighborhood in Somerset Lake, North Carolina. The house had belonged in her family for generations along with half the businesses in town. Along the way, families had grown smaller, businesses had been sold off, and all that was left in the Hannigan family now was Lucy and this pink house.