Lakeshore Secrets: The McAdams Sisters - Kate McAdams (By The Lake Series Book 1) (9 page)

Kate drank her favorite red wine, enjoying the warm, tingling feeling it created in her body alleviating the stress of her day.

Kate glanced over at Sydney, who was still texting Haylee about the situation. She glanced at Peyton who was retelling how she quit her job after Sydney’s 911 call that Abby was in trouble. And lastly her eyes settled on Abby and chuckled to herself.

She was sneaky. Purposely terrifying Sydney in order to force a family vacation, even if she wouldn’t admit it. Kate could see exactly what had happened and now Peyton was out of a job, Kate was going to miss the pitch and Abby’s true laughter almost made it worth it. Almost.

Sitting in the bar, around a tall pub style round table, music came from a live band playing at the far end for the dancing crowd.

“Holla!” Izzy hollered carrying over another round of drinks for everyone. “Pass these around.” A new glass of wine for everyone.

“You three overreact,” Abby said. “I was fine. I just wanted a break and threatened Riley that I was going to drive up on my own.” She glanced over her shoulder in the direction Riley had disappeared towards the men’s room.

Sydney looked up from her phone. “Are you two a thing?”

Abby laughed. “No! Oh gosh he is not interested in me at all.” She slashed her hand in the air to direct her point.

“You wish he was,” Izzy teased before taking a sip...or rather a gulp.

“You’re interested in him?” Sydney pressed.

Abby grinned. “He’s easy to look at.” Laughter broke out between the two friends.

“He’s delicious,” Izzy said. “I could stroke that beard forever.”

Abby laughed at her friend and swatted her. “You’re so strange.”

Izzy caught her hand mid-air. “Oh don’t give me that, I bet you ten bucks you’d like to stroke that beard right now.”

Abby laughed. “You are the daughter of a multimillionaire and you bet me ten bucks!”

She shrugged. “I would do it for ten bucks.”

All the sisters laughed. “Oh get out of here!” Abby teased swatting her again.

Sydney shook her head. “He’s not easy to look at.”

Abby raised her eyebrows. “Are you kidding me? Jake is tattooed from top to bottom and his mother was actually in a biker gang and he has a bad ass, scary edge to him. This one,” she jerked her finger in his direction. “Is harmless.”

Kate laughed. That was the perfect description of Jake, now Riley on the other hand she wasn’t so sure was harmless.

Sydney glared at Abby. “First of all, Jake is harmless and secondly it doesn’t matter because I’m not interested in Jake.”

Abby sipped her drink and with the straw in her mouth said, “Sure you aren’t.”

Sydney’s defense walls went up around her like a pop up tent. “I’m not. And we’re not talking about me.”

Kate smacked her sister when she saw Riley heading their direction.

“Do it, stroke it,” Izzy’s chanting voice repeated.

“Don’t let her play you like a violin,” Kate told Sydney. “That’s how we ended up here, remember?”

“I didn’t plan this,” Abby said yanking the defense walls from her sister and popping them up around herself. “I can’t help it you all think I’m crazy.”

Peyton rubbed her youngest sister’s arm as Riley slid into his seat with his plain cola. “Abby we
know
you’re crazy.” Abby yanked her arm away and slapped her sister.

“Get away!”

“But we love you unconditionally.”

Abby slanted a look at Riley. “See what I have to deal with?”

Riley smirked.

“Since I’m officially out of a job I suggest we get that shop up and running,” Peyton said.

“I’m in,” Kate said. The girls all looked at her to see if she was joking. She wasn’t. “I’m serious. I just had a major falling out and I’m quitting my job when I get home, so I’m almost officially out of a job too.”

Peyton’s face beamed.

Sydney’s face dropped. “Kate, have you thought this through? It’s going to be so expensive.”

Kate shrugged. “Peyton is the brains behind this operation so don’t look at me. Are you in Syd?”

Sydney shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Are you in Abby?” Kate asked.

Peyton was nearly bouncing in her chair with excitement.

“It is my soap you plan on reproducing, so hell ya I’m in! I want my cut.”

“Woohoo!” Peyton cried. “Sydney, Sydney,” she started chanting and the others followed. Except for Riley. He was the shy, quiet observer for the evening. Kate started to soften towards the man. He seemed to have a soft spot for Abby and she seemed to be completely in control of her own trials of life. He wasn’t even drinking.

“Guys, I can’t just decide out of the blue like this. You need to have a plan, an outline...and money.”

“Sydney. Sydney.”

She rolled her eyes. “What choice do I have? Two out of three of you are unemployed and Abby only works part time.”

The table cheered.

Kate held up her glass. “It’s official. The McAdams sisters are opening shop down town in Willow Valley.” They all drank to that.

The next morning Kate was climbing out of the shower when a hard knock on her door startled her. Quickly wrapping a towel around and fastening it at the top corner, she crossed the room, glancing at the clock beside the bed. It wasn’t even seven yet. What were her sisters doing up so early?

When she pulled the door open she was surprised to find Marc’s Uncle Carl on the other side. He was wearing his usual dress slacks and button up collar shirt in grey, which matched his short wavy hair. “Carl, what a surprise,” she greeted, her eyes automatically glancing past him looking for Marc. She almost rolled those roaming eyes but Carl’s very serious brown eyes caught them instead.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

She moved aside.  “Yes, of course. You caught me in the shower. If you don’t mind, I’m just going to go change.”

He looked around the room with a nod. Kate ducked into the bathroom and threw on the black pencil line dress she was planning to wear for the day, skipping her nylons and raked her fingers through her curls to give them some bounce. They fell flat and straggly like a wet cat.

What was he doing at this hotel? What were the odds they would both end up here together and how did he know this was her room? The thought cautioned her when she returned to the living area where he was waiting for her with that serious look on his face.

“This is a surprise,” she said.

“This is business,” he corrected.

Alarms went off in Kate’s head, alerting her from yet another Caliendo. “Regarding?”

“Your debt with Robert.”

She stilled. So he was aware. She figured as much.

“I have no outstanding debt with Mr. Caliendo.” She would stand her ground, not back down. She wasn’t some scared young adult he was going to walk all over.

He menacingly walked around the couch, his hand grazing the top contemplating his next words. The room exhibited an uncomfortable ambience. “And yet you showed up at the resort and defied the deal you both had agreed upon.”

Her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. She could feel her jaw tightening. “It didn’t seem to bother you at the time.”

“In reality I’m not bothered at all,” he said. “I have no quarrels with you. Whatever went on between you and Robert was your business. However you have been trying to pay the money you took for a couple years.” He knew a lot more than she presumed. “To no doubt be able to come home, to your family, to the life you left...to my nephew.” She had to muster all her strength not to gasp at his truthful words. “I will allow you to pay off your debts and walk away from the arrangement you and Robert agreed on with no remaining obligations, rules, terms or threats from any of the Caliendo’s. Not me, not anyone. You will have the opportunity to do as you please, go where you please, your life will be your own with nothing hanging over your head.” That was awfully generous of a man who was staring at her with eyes of steel, just like his older brother. “The agreement will be destroyed like it never happened.” Only it had happened. It would never truly be destroyed for her. “You will be free to pursue whomever you wish, Marcus included, and this will never, ever be spoken of again. I give you my word.” Mmhmm. And who even said she wanted to pursue Marc anyway?

“What do you want in return?” She suspected he wouldn’t have gone to such dramatics if there wasn’t something underlying his offer.

“Marcus is here in this hotel.” She hated that her excitement arose at the idea that he was here. It had been six years since she’d seen him and now there was a chance she would see him twice in a two weeks. A child-like feeling of butterflies began in her stomach. “I need you to distract him after lunch and keep him away from this hotel until tomorrow morning.”

She eyed him suspiciously, trying to mask the giddy girl swirls consuming her body at the thought of spending not only a whole day, but a night with Marc. Unrealistic thoughts, but none the less, wonderfully exciting. “What do you propose I do?”

“Be creative. I’m sure you can think of something to entertain the two of you. I see the way you two look at each other.” So she wasn’t the only one who saw lust in Marc’s eyes. She couldn’t tell if it had been lust or she hadn’t been thinking clearly through her own.

Kate was saddened at his implications, saddened that his thoughts were so similar to Robert’s. She had misread him. As wonderful as that sounded, if she and Marcus were ever to be together, it certainly wasn’t going to be because Carl blackmailed her too.

“I’m not going to sleep with him.”

“My dear, I don’t think that would be the worst thing you have done.”

Her calm was wearing thin. “And if I don’t?”

He shrugged. “Why don’t we skip the “if I don’ts” and prevent me from threatening you. We both know you can distract him. I don’t care how you do it.”

“And if I don’t?” she repeated.

“You already know.”

“Say it.” She wasn’t agreeing to a single thing unless he had the balls to stand up and blackmail her directly.

“I will tell him everything Kate, and he will never look at you the same. We both know that to be true. Marcus might be forgiving and understanding, it’s his trait, but everyone has their limit. So, I’m offering you a chance to be with him or be privy to his hatred.”

“You’re just like him.”

“I’m nothing like him.” He knew exactly who she was referring too. “If I was, you wouldn’t be getting this silent understanding.”

This wasn’t an understanding. It was blackmail!

They stood in silence, staring one another down. What was at this meeting that was so important he wanted Marc to skip out on it? What did it matter anyway? Regardless, this man had proven his true identity in spades and she would never look at him the same again. He waited for her answer. “What choice have you left me?”

He smiled, but it lacked triumph.

He gave her the details of Marcus’ breakfast location and time, expecting her to whisk him away immediately and not return until morning.

She wanted to slam the door when he left. Slam it right against his old, grey-haired ass! She was so angry she had to squeeze her hands tightly around the wooden doorframe from completing the action. Years had passed her by with only dreams of spending the day and evening with Marc, but not like this, not by blackmail. In a five minute conversation Carl had ripped away any possibility of a future with Marc just like Robert had. He may have promised her a “get out of jail free” card, but how could she ever pursue a future with Marc with Carl mulling around with this hanging over her head?

She wasn’t a child anymore, she could say no. But really she couldn’t. She was trapped like a mouse, foolish enough to latch onto that cheese and the trap was just as painful. A life without Marc was a life she never expected to change, but a life in Willow Valley with her sisters was a wish granted from a fairy god mother. If Carl and the Caliendos would let her live her life in Willow Valley, she would be able to open a soap shop with her sisters and finally be around the family she had been missing all these years.

Kate had to get to her laptop and figure out a plan to get Marc out of the hotel and stuck somewhere without taking their clothes off.

She groaned. And she was going to have to explain this to her sisters, and as usual not tell the entire truth. Lies and deceit. These seemed to follow her around everywhere. Derek’s white manipulative smile flashed in her head. And now she was sweeping Marc off his feet with more lies and deception.

She pulled her laptop out. She better get to it, she had less than an hour to finish getting ready and swoop in on her prey with a fool proof plan.

The structure of the building was good, an old inn transformed into a sky rise hotel, very similar to the resort. The amenities were less, they usually were when compared to the Caliendo Resort. No hotel or resort could actually measure up to the extreme offerings they had worked hard to create. The Caliendo Resort literally had everything.

The set up in the front foyer was welcoming, with a long solid cherry wood against a speckled marble floor. The chocolate coloured walls were a contrast against the sun poking in and out of the snow clouds in the sky and streaming through the front glass wall. The room, especially the suite he had stayed in, was magnificent and bright white with contemporary furniture in the three rooms, and a large Jacuzzi centered in the bathroom. His dad and uncle had a real eye for an amazing hotel. He wasn’t surprised, his dad never made a deal unless it benefited him. Unfortunately if you were on the wrong end of the deal his father did not mix work with emotions. You were basically screwed. He was like a darkening storm that thrashed around at its own pace with no one in mind, and finished you off with careless destruction.

He smiled and nodded at a passing employee who did the same with a soft greeting. The staff had been very welcoming, helpful and kind.

It was an exquisite five-star hotel. He planned on checking out the gym, pool and sauna after breakfast. Sauna. Flashes of Kate and their interaction in the hot steaming room clouded his trail of thoughts.

He shook the vivid images away like an etch-a-sketch, knowing his mind was ready to redraw them at any point. Just think the thought.

He rounded the wide open double French doors a little quickly colliding with a tall, slim brunette.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” she quickly apologized, gripping the front of his shirt, as though this was her fault. He had been lost attempting to eliminate Kate from the main stage of his brain. She was beginning to be a central act more often then he enjoyed. Well, he enjoyed them but they were rather disruptive to his daily life. Look at him running into a guest like wild Izzy would.

His hands caught her bare arms and he found himself dragging her lowered head away from him, annoyed he was hearing
her
voice and knew it couldn’t possibly be her. However he still needed to see. And he found her russet, emerald flecked eyes staring up at him.

“Kate?”

“Marc?”

She laughed. “What are you doing here?”

“Business and you?”

The surprised smile he had been enjoying dropped. “Abby again. She took off and put Sydney into a panic.”

“Is she alright?”

She smiled and nodded slightly. “Yes. And guess who was on board for her little adventure?”

He shrugged. She arched an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes knowing. “Izzy.”

She nodded and smiled.

He could feel the heat from her warm hands through his button up and smiled, realizing they were standing in the entrance, her gripping his shirt and him holding her arms, their bodies pressed together, having a...moment.

Reluctantly he let go and stepped back and as if she too had just realized the position they were in, she released her hands and mimicked him, her cheeks flushing in color. “Are you finished with your business for the day?”

He arched his eyebrows with curiosity. What was she thinking? “I’m not needed now.” He was still wondering how this was possible! Running into Kate like he had etch-a-sketched her into reality.

Her smile widened. “Do you want to get out of here with me?” Oh Lord, did he ever!

“Why? Don’t they have everything here?”

She shook her head giving him a mischievous grin. “They don’t have everything here. And if you’re willing to drive I will make it worth it. I promise,” she added.

How could he say no to that? He had the whole morning and into the afternoon before the meeting. All gyms, pools and saunas looked the same...unless of course Kate was inside with him.

He gave his uncle a quick call on their way to the underground parking letting him know he was going to miss breakfast.

“What’s up? Is something wrong?”

“No.” He glanced at Kate. “Ran into an old friend and we are going out for breakfast.” She elbowed his side and mouthed,
old friend
. He grinned.

“Don’t worry about it Marcus. I’ve told you this is a closed deal and this is just the final signing. No need for your presence.” And yet he had told him over and over he wanted him to be there. These behaviors made him wonder about his uncle. Carl insisted Marc not help with certain aspects of the resort and their business deals, but then with others he was welcoming and encouraging. It was confusing the hell out of Marc. It was the deals he insisted on managing on his own that alarmed Marc. “No rush back boy. Maybe you should enjoy yourself today. You have been so deep in work the last months it might be nice to have a break.”

“I will be there,” Marc confirmed in a no-nonsense tone.

“Alright.”

Marc said goodbye and slid his cell into his shirt pocket while unlocking the door. They climbed into the Jeep.

“Do I get a clue?” he asked.

She tilted her head debating his question. “It’s my downfall.”

He thought for a second and wondered what was one thing Kate would drag him around for, or maybe sneak into a kitchen for.  “Are we on a search for ice cream? In November?”

“I Googled a cute little shop.”

He laughed then. So he hadn’t been off at the funeral home attempting to distract her. In the years apart, her soft spot for ice cream hadn’t changed.

“What?” she said defensively. “It calms me down and Abby’s been stressing me out!”

“I’m sure they have ice cream at the hotel.”

“Not the good flavors. Not the
real
flavors.”

“But for breakfast?”

“Don’t be judgmental and turn left up here.”

He obeyed her directions and they pulled up to a small quaint restaurant with an all year round ice cream bar. It had a little fifties edge to it, with the long counter and spinning chrome stools, and booths lining the walls, in old fashioned teal, pink and black. If he could etch-a-sketch an Elvis, they would be back in time.

Every flavor of hard ice cream you could possibly dream of ordering was on the menu and Kate snuck in front of him to peak at the ice cream flavors like a child. She ordered a large bowl of pralines and cream with extra whipped cream and extra caramel...for breakfast. It made his insides cringe.

While they were scooping out her breakfast, he ordered a special with eggs, bacon and toast then he led her to a small booth in the back corner.

“You’re so original,” she said as the waitress slipped his plate in front of him. He thanked her as he watched Kate twirl her spoon in the ice cream, over the whip cream and into the caramel and then stick a large spoonful in her mouth. His stomach turned and not in a good way. It was much too early for ice cream.

“That’s a child’s dream order right there in front of you. All you are missing is sprinkles.”

She made a face at him. “Those things are disgusting.”

He chuckled. “This coming from the girl eating ice cream before eight in the morning?”

“Where is your adventure Caliendo?”

“I think it left with you.” She was the one who had created any meaning of the word “adventure” in him. Before she had rolled around he had been content reading books, lots of books. Gallivanting around the hotel having adventures had certainly been inspired by her. During his time in University, with her being so many miles away, he’d had no problem concentrating on his work and acing everything, so there had been no adventures. But knowing she was waiting also pushed him to succeed. He had missed her so much.

She stopped playing delightfully in her ice cream and looked up at him with a serious frown. And there it was again, that look of regret that he couldn’t figure out. If she regretted leaving, if she’d loved him as much as he’d loved her why didn’t she come back? Why didn’t she phone? The answer was probably as simple as she was searching for her own adventure.

“That’s a shame,” she said finally. “Just when you were beginning to come out of your shell.”

He shrugged.

Her eyes lit up then like a spark of genius had filtered through them at that very moment. “How about you and me go get into some trouble.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Trouble?”

She shook her head. “Alright, let’s not call it trouble. How about we call it an adventure?” And there was that word again, always not far from her thoughts.

“You don’t think that,” he paused, pointing at the puddle of gooey mess she was consuming in front of her, “is adventurous enough?”

“Oh come on. It will be fun.”

“What will?”

“I don’t know yet. I just threw the idea out there,” she said. Then she grinned at him and teased him with her excited eyes. “Do you want to come on an adventure with me Marcus Caliendo?” He wanted to go to the edge of the world with this woman at one time, but now after all these years...that was still the first thought that popped into his head, even against his better judgment.

“Let’s see if you still have it in you after all these years,” she teased.

His eyebrows rose in response. “Are you calling me old?”

She laughed. “First adventure, open your mouth.” She dug her spoon into the ice cream and twirled whipped cream around it, then dipped it into the caramel. She held her creation towards him.

As much as the thought of all that sweetness first thing in the morning mixing about his mouth with the flavor of eggs and bacon appalled him, he didn’t even hesitate biting the whole spoonful and tugging the spoon with his teeth. “Conquered,” he said with a mouthful. His mother would have gasped, but not Kate of course.

She laughed and pulled her spoon away. “I’m not sharing the whole thing with you.”

He shrugged, resisting the urge to grab the tall glass of ice cold water in front of him and flush the sweetness away so he could continue with his regular morning breakfast. “You never were a good sharer.”

“Yes I was.”

“Not when it came to sweets.”

“Who is?”

He was curious what this woman thought was adventurous at their age and what she could possibly plan on the spur of the moment for them in the late days of fall with snow covered grounds and white falling snow.

Apparently she was a pretty quick planner. She used her phone and directed him, using an online site, to an outdoor skating rink. They spent the morning in the park skating as genuine snow fell around them, reminding him of Emma’s plan for the Snowflake Ball. As the large white fluffy flakes danced and teased around them as they skated, laughed, slipped and fell on the rink, he found it romantically enticing...just like Emma had been explaining. They stopped in a little coffee shop, when they were too exhausted to continue, across the road to warm their fingers. 

It was still too early to sit down and eat lunch but he asked, “Do you want something for the ride back?”

“The ride back?” she asked as if the words were foreign to her. “We are not done. Get our hot drinks to go while I run to the ladies room and then we are off Caliendo.” She was off herself and he was left in the lineup feeling this pleasure that he had long dismissed...and one that he needed. Sure, he’d dated after she left...a long year after she left, but never had any of them bossed him around leaving him with a thrilled feeling in his gut.

He ordered their drinks and waited for her at the door.  They couldn’t be any longer than two hours. That would give him enough time to drive back, shower and meet with his uncle with minutes to spare before the meeting. He explained his timeline to her while she directed him with the map she’d pulled up on her cell phone, promising him they would be done with lots of time to spare.

“My vehicle does have a GPS,” he told her.

“Yes, and then it would tell you where we are going and you wouldn’t get the whole effect.”

“Is it that scary?”

“It’s not scary.” She paused. “You know what, I’m going to be truthful with you here Caliendo, we picked a snowy winter day to be adventurous and since I know you are a pro at skiing, it doesn’t leave any adventurous things to do that are scary.” She tilted her head at him. “Unless you want to get a tattoo?”

“I don’t.”

“We could get matching ones.”

“I’m going to pass.”

She shrugged. “That’s what I figured so I opted for this. Turn right up here,” she directed, hiking her voice up a notch, hinting to him it was right around the corner. “And...” A big wooden distressed sign appeared around the corner reading, “Collins All Season Cottage & Horse Carriage Rides.”

“We are here,” she squealed in delight, clapping her hands together.

He sent her a sideways grin as he clicked the signal before turning. “You rented us a cottage in a secluded bush for the weekend?” he teased. “That’s
very
adventurous of you.”

She slapped his arm playfully. “No. We are going to have a winter wonderland horse drawn carriage ride.”