by Kat Bammer
She sat down on the stoop and waited. People would arrive soon. And she’d have to go in and play hostess. But not now. She would hide out a little longer. The funeral had whizzed by. Lisa had cried at times but now she was just numb and empty.
She had always hoped. They all had. Now, there was no hope left. Nothing to do. No chance to ever talk to her father again, to hear her father’s voice, feel the deep vibrations of his laugh. Tears gathered in her eyes. She heard the first cars arrive. Car doors opened and closed but she didn’t move. Tears silently dripped down her cheeks, too many to just wipe them away, so Lisa just didn’t bother.
Peter sat down next to her. He didn’t say a word, but just his calm presence, the fact that he was the first and only person Lisa actually wanted near her, made the tears flow even more. When the tears and sobs became more violent, Lisa didn’t know and didn’t care who made the first step.
She crawled into Peter’s lap and he held her in a tight embrace.
Lisa went limp.
She cried about her dad. About the missed opportunities because she had been absent for so long; she cried, until no tears were left.
“I’m sorry, Lizzy,” Peter said. Simple words, sincere words.
Lisa let them bounce around inside her head. With her cheek pressed against his chest, she looked over the premises to the mountains that stretched behind the town and the lake. An eagle soared up in the air and she could hear his cry. This was her father—the town, the people, the lake, the mountains—he loved it all. He gave all of his love so freely. Without inhibitions. Without holding anything back.
“I am too,” she answered at last and looked up into Peter’s serious eyes. Then she snuggled back into his chest and they turned silent again. More people gathered on the patio, and listening to the noises soothed her.
Then Alan appeared on the bottom of the stoop. He nodded at Peter and sat right next to them. “How you holdin’ up, friend?” He didn’t comment, or bat an eye at her sitting on Peter’s lap.
Lisa shrugged her shoulder.
“My favorite memory of Carl was the summer I arrived in Moon Lake. Since I left my hometown, I always lived in big cities, worked in big hospitals. I had a hard time adjusting. Carl just came by the office one day. He told me to put on some jeans and meet him out front. Then he took me out on the lake. Said we were going fishing, but he didn’t even bring any gear. We just drank beer, and he asked a lot of questions. I think I told him my whole life story that afternoon. The next time he told me about the people in town. Who had a serious medical condition and who was just lonely and needed someone to chat. Who I’d better listen to and who not to take too seriously. It was his very own welcoming gift and I’m still thankful for it. He turned me from an outsider into a townie. And I suspect he did talk me up to the people, as well. It’s hard to trust an outsider. So, your dad went out of his way to make it work. Carl was the reason for me finding a new home in this town and I’ll forever be grateful for it.”
For a long time it was silent after Alan’s story. Lisa swallowed down the threatening new tears. Her dad had been exactly the kind of man he’d described.
She took Alan’s hand and pressed it briefly.
“Thank you, Alan. For the memory, and for the care you took of him, and for your friendship.”
Alan squeezed her hand before he let go. He stood up and walked up the stairs. Lisa was glad their kiss hadn’t changed anything. They were friends and Alan would make some other woman very happy. Lisa knew that. With the same certainty she knew that her heart and her feelings were strongly captivated by the one man in her life, who had first captured her feelings as a teen.
“He wanted more, didn’t he?” Peter asked. Lisa shrugged her shoulders but decided to just go with the truth, much less complicating that way. “Yes. He kissed me. We both didn’t feel anything.”
He didn’t say anything. Just as she got nervous he went on. “So now it’s a friendship thing?”
It didn’t really feel like a question, but Lisa answered anyway. “Yep.”
After another long pause. Peter leaned back so he could look into her face. “Good.”
Then he bent down and kissed her. A sweet little peck. Nothing more. People came up to them. Talked to them. Alone, this would have been unbearable to get through. But Peter’s soothing presence made it all better. They sat rooted on the same spot the whole time; not once did he leave her. Not once did Lisa feel the tightness in her chest and the confusion about her feelings and their relationship. It just felt right. He was the one for her. The one who made her feel safe. The one who made the most unbearable situation, bearable.
31
Lisa looked up from combing one of Mattie’s Barbies when she heard a car door close in the parking lot. She couldn’t see who’d arrived from her spot on their picnic blanket in the middle of the meadow, but Claire should be somewhere in the house to deal with it. Other than the occasional guest, it had gone quiet around here since the funeral.
“Aunt Lizzy, can you help me?”
Lisa helped her niece pull impossibly tight trousers on the toy when a shadow fell over them and she looked up.
She squeezed the doll until Mattie snatched it from her fingers. Lisa hadn’t seen or heard anything from Peter since the funeral. He had tucked her in that night. Hadn’t left her side. But they hadn’t talked about them, and the fear that his ex had been telling the truth was always lingering in her mind.
“Peter.”
“Lisa.”
He leaned down and for a short, delicious moment, she thought he was about to kiss her. But he just flopped down on the blanket and squished some dolls under him. This left Lisa in a strange outstretched position, and heat immediately gathered in her cheeks.
“Hey,” Mattie protested, but calmed immediately, after Peter saved the dolls from under him.
“Mattie, meet Peter—he’s an expert in playing with dolls.”
Peter’s eyebrows shot up, and he stared at her for a short, intense moment.
A pleasurable shiver ran down her spine. He had the most sensuous eyes she had ever seen in a man. And being the sole focus of these eyes—it made her fingers itch to touch him.
“You can play with Aunt Lizzy.” Mattie shoved a doll in Peter’s hands and broke the magical spell.
When her niece’s words sank in, Lisa snorted with laughter, while Peter alternated his stare between the doll in his hand and her.
“That’s the doll’s name. You can play with Aunt Lizzy, the doll.” Or, he could play with her, if he wanted to. Somehow, since her father’s death, the visit from Special Agent Holt, and Peter’s behavior at the funeral, her feelings had mellowed out. She could at least understand where Peter was coming from. Yes, she still wanted him to be on her side, always. But most things in life didn’t work that way. There were two sides to every story and Lisa had realized that the only thing she could control was her own reaction to things.
“So…” Lisa pointed at the doll.
She thought Peter would be at least be a little uncomfortable, but far from it. He commandeered the male doll and played with Mattie as if he was used to it.
Warmth flooded her body and a slow smile built on her face while she leaned closer to him.
Then Karen came down the patio stairs and flopped down on the blanket, as well.
“So, what are you up to?” Karen asked and Mattie immediately told her the whole scenario that they were about to play out.
Karen declined an invitation to join in and just watched.
“So, how is Mom? Did she talk?”
Karen looked at Lisa and rolled her eyes. “Yes, she’s good, or at least will be. She is a little overly angry, maybe. She was ranting about some old pair of shorts Dad had kept, even though they had been ruddy and torn. So, why aren’t you two talking?”
Lisa shrugged her shoulders. “I actually really don’t know. I think, I got too close; now she’s pushing me away again.”
“Hmm.” Karen shook
her head and looked at Mattie and Peter, who were still playing.
“So, he’s back in your good graces?” Karen mumbled and looked Lisa in the eyes.
She could feel Peter’s body tense beside her.
Lisa narrowed her eyes, but Karen just shrugged. Maybe she was right. This was as good a time as any to stop being a coward.
“Yes,” Lisa said.
“Good,” Karen replied and Peter’s body relaxed.
Lisa wouldn’t have noticed the subtle movement, but now, somehow, their legs were touching.
Karen stood up and dusted off her jeans. “Time to go, Mattie.” She picked up the bag and handed it to Mattie. Lisa got up too and hugged her sister goodbye.
Mattie moaned a little, but when Peter and Lisa helped her put the dolls into the bag, everything was fine again.
Lisa cuddled Mattie a little, and Mattie even gave Peter a hug. “You can play Barbie next time, okay.”
Peter grinned, nodded, and pinched her nose. “Thanks, Mattie.”
They watched Karen and Mattie cross the lawn, while Mattie gave her mother a play-by-play of her doll’s latest adventure.
“Come sit.” Peter was still down on the blanket and tapped next to him with his left hand.
Lisa sat down but there was an awkward silence between them, so she smoothed the legs of her jeans to give her hands something to do.
“So…” Peter bent down and forced her eyes to meet his. “I’m back in your good graces, I hear.”
“You did? Where’d you hear that?”
Peter smiled. “Oh, I got my sources.”
Lisa smiled back at him.
“I know you had a tough time and everything. And I’m sorry. I really truly am. I should have been more supportive, a little less rigid. I acted like an ass.”
“Yep—I mean…”
Peter chuckled and touched Lisa’s upper thigh. “You had every right to be mad at me. I did everything like I used to. I made a decision. I decided what was right and wrong, and I went through with it. Didn’t even talk to you. Or explain myself.”
Lisa nodded. “You had your reasons. I understand that. I just needed you to believe in Dad’s innocence.”
“Oh, but I did.”
“You didn’t act like it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
Peter softly took her chin and guided her to his lips.
When he ended the kiss, he pulled her on his lap. “So, we’re good?”
Lisa nodded, and they cuddled and kissed some more.
“What’s the deal with your mom?”
Lisa shrugged. “She’s pushing me away for whatever reason, but I’ll just wait till she comes around.”
“Hmm.” Peter nodded. “Hey, did you know my old teammates will arrive tomorrow?”
Lisa nodded. “Claire told me—we prepared the rooms already.”
“Good.”
Since they hadn’t been on speaking terms, Blake and Claire had handled the reservations.
“I…”
Peter hesitated and Lisa’s chest tightened. “What?”
“Nothing, just, those guys…” He fizzled out again, which made Lisa suspicious.
“Are they good friends of yours?” Maybe if she got him talking about them, he would say whatever he needed to.
“Yep, we were in the military together. Great guys. Know me better than anyone. Could I ask you a favor, without you going off the deep end?”
Lisa narrowed her eyes. That sounded ominous. “I guess, it depends, what is it?”
“Could you not tell them we are together until I get here?”
His apologetic voice tightened the knot in Lisa’s belly. “Why?” Was he ashamed? Did he want to keep their relationship private?
“Actually, as soon as they know, they will tell you every piece of dirty laundry they know about me, and I want to be there when they do.”
Her tension released with a shaky laugh. He wasn’t concerned about what they thought. He was concerned about what she would think. “So, there’s a lot of dirty laundry, is that what you’re saying?” Lisa waggled her eyebrows and smiled when Peter combed through his hair and rocked his head.
“No, of course not, I’m a good guy. Plus, I was married most of the time.”
Lisa’s smile faded. She had nearly forgotten about the lovely meeting with his ex-wife. “I actually met your ex-wife.”
His face tightened and his lips pressed into a white slash. “Blake told me. What did she say?”
Lisa’s stomach roiled, and she bit her lip. Was his reaction indignation over his ex or was he angry they’d met? “I was with the girls in the Black Cat Café. Holly, the owner, Claire, Julie, and I have a standing appointment once a month there. Last time she came in. Knew exactly who I was and told me you two reconciled and are talking about starting a family. She even called you her husband and me your side project.” It all rushed out of Lisa in an attempt to just get over it, and she lowered her chin in expectation of whatever would come her way. Did his ex tell the truth? Was he playing her? Was she his side project?
Peter laid his index finger under Lisa’s chin and raised her face until their eyes met. By the look on his face he was pissed as hell, but there was a softness in his eyes. “I didn’t know she came to Moon Lake. But I sure know the divorce is through and we have no contact whatsoever.” Peter scoffed and shook his head slowly. “She called a few times, but I never returned any calls.” He leaned forward until their noses nearly touched. “And you, are no side-anything, Lisa, at least not for me.”
He gently placed his hand on her neck and looked her deep in the eyes before he kissed her again.
His kisses really were the best. Unhurried, deep, soothing, and exhilarating, all at the same time, and Lisa snuggled deeper into his body.
“So.” She decided to address the one little tidbit that had sparked her interest during the talk with Peter’s ex. “Did you ever talk about starting a family during your marriage?”
Peter looked at the lake and shrugged. “We did some. But we both decided it wasn’t the right time.”
Lisa rubbed her hands down the leg of her jeans. “So, you do want kids sometime?” She held her breath in anticipation of his answer.
Peter turned his eyes back to her. “Yes, I do want kids. What about you?”
Lisa exhaled. “Yep, I want kids—maybe not right this moment, but yes, definitely in the foreseeable future.” With you.
They looked each other deep in the eyes.
A promise of a future together, a secret pledge—not spoken out loud, but they both knew without words.
32
“Here you go.” Lisa handed the receipt to Mrs. Griggs. “Thank you for your stay; we hope you’ll visit us again.”
“In fact, let’s make a reservation right now. Same time, next year. What do you say, kids, wouldn’t that be great?” Mrs. Griggs turned to her family, and a grin split Lisa’s lips from the chorus of “yeah” and “awesome” coming from the three kids and the husband, who had been great guests this last week. Things were really looking up for the Inn and Claire and Lisa had so many ideas, they had already started a dedicated Inn-Idea notebook.
Life was good. Business was picking up. She and Claire had gotten into the groove, and she and Peter had spent an awesome night together. Last night.
She thought about Grace Ketley and her killer, who was still somewhere out there. But her sleep wasn’t haunted anymore and even though she missed her dad tremendously, life in Moon Lake was somewhat back to normal. Mostly normal. Her mother still wasn’t talking to her which soon became the new normal, and Claire and Lisa were still not going anywhere alone especially not at night.
The FBI investigation was still going on, but Lisa hadn’t heard a thing since the day her father had died.
Maybe Peter knew more, but the topic hadn’t come up last night.
Blake squeezed himself through the main entrance past the Griggs family. “Hey, they aren’t h
ere yet?”
“Nope, not yet.”
He nodded and made a beeline to the kitchen. Quite possibly to flirt with Claire, or get a coffee, or both. They resembled teenagers, the way they were all coy about what was going on between them. Not that Lisa knew exactly what their status was. Somehow Claire became awfully monosyllabic whenever Lisa inquired about their relationship.
Lisa heard car wheels on the gravel of the parking lot, and when she looked up, a bunch of mean-looking men exited a ginormous truck. That must be them.
She hurried to the kitchen to fetch Blake and Claire.
When she entered, Claire was on the counter, halfway undressed, her hair tangled and her blouse undone, while Blake stood between her legs and nibbled on her. Lisa covered her eyes immediately. “Ugh, gross. I didn’t need to see this, not ever.”
She turned back to the door, her eyes still covered. “I hope you’re decent again, because they’re here.”
She left the kitchen, accompanied by Blake’s rumbling, belly laugh, happy to escape the awkward situation.
This was the second time Lisa saw them kissing, so maybe there was more to it then “just being friends” which were Claire’s answers whenever she’d asked about it. Well, no maybe about it. Definitely more than friends, maybe even love. Lisa really hoped this was true for Claire. She hadn’t had it easy. She didn’t know a lot about Claire’s life before they’d met. But she knew enough to sometimes wonder how Claire had survived and kept her humor and the willingness to love and support the people around her. It took a very strong person to come out the other end stronger after what had happened to her. But Claire was a survivor. Maybe she should talk to Peter, make sure Blake was an okay guy.
The boys entered the Inn at the same time as Lisa, followed by Blake and Claire entering the reception hall. There was hooting and hollering, lots of manly hugs, with plenty of mutual back-patting.
Maybe Peter had thought they could keep their relationship in the quiet for now, but within a minute of the group’s arrival, it became as clear as day to Lisa that they already knew. She didn’t even have to guess.
