The Inn at Misty Lake: Book Two in the Misty Lake Series (21 page)

“Very funny. I was going to tell you that I heard from Cassie and she’s going to take the job, but if you’re going to be mean...”

“I’m not being mean. Congratulations, that’s a pretty nice birthday present. I’m happy, Red, I know how much you want her here.”

Susan beamed. “I really do, I just know she’s going to be a perfect fit. One more example of everything falling into place.”

Riley walked her around, showing her the latest progress and verifying her decisions on a few minor points.

“When will you install the color-changing tile in the Northern Lights bathroom? I can’t wait to see it.”

“It will go in next week, but I’m going to have Travis do it. It’s too expensive…I don’t want to screw it up.”

“I’m sure you could do it. Look around, you can do anything.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but that’s why Travis is here. Trust me, he’s better at this than I am.”

They spent a few more minutes walking through the inn then made their way back to the bathroom where Riley had been working.

“I’d like to get this room done before I wrap up for the day and I told the guys we’d cut out a little early this afternoon. That way I can get home and get showered and we’ll be on our way by five.”

“And where are we headed again?”

Riley just shook his head. “Nice try.”

Susan frowned. “We’re not going to Switzerland, are we?” she asked, almost more to herself than to Riley. The dream she’d had suddenly came back to her and she was scared. She remembered the helpless feeling she’d had in her dream when she’d been unable to get through to Riley and she’d sensed she was going to lose him. A shiver ran down her spine.

Riley turned to look at her with his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Huh? Did you say Switzerland?”

Feeling foolish, Susan ordered herself to shake off the feeling. “Never mind, I’m just kidding. And okay, I give up, it’ll be a surprise. I’ll let you get back to work. But first…” She put her hands on his face and, rising up on her toes as she gently pulled him toward her, found his lips with hers. “Thank you for such a wonderful, thoughtful birthday gift.” She paused a moment then looked him in the eye. “I love you, Riley.”

Riley froze, his heart flipping in his chest. He’d been waiting to hear the words for months, had wanted to say them to her, but had wanted to make sure she was ready to hear them. Finally, was his only rational thought.

“Susan, I—”

“Hey, Riley, there’s someone here to see you,” a voice shouted from downstairs.

Riley let out a huge sigh as he rested his forehead against Susan’s and silently cursed whoever it was that had managed to ruin the moment.

Susan huffed out a laugh. “Nice timing.”

“Don’t move, I’ll get rid of him and be right back.”

“It’s okay,” Susan answered as she turned to follow him down the stairs. “I need to get going anyway so you can finish up and we can start our weekend. You know, there’s still time to repack if you want to give me an—oof!”

Susan walked into Riley’s back as he stopped short and stared at the woman in the doorway.

24

The drive from Omaha was miserable. She was tense and crabby and the boy was whiny. She knew he was scared and that he hadn’t had any sense of security, or home, since they’d left California so she tried to be understanding, but the whining got on her nerves and she snapped at him often. Eventually, he stopped saying much of anything except for the mumbling she heard occasionally from the backseat as he drove his truck or staged some sort of dramatic scene for Spider-Man.

She glanced at the odometer every few miles and couldn’t decide if she wanted it to move faster or slower. She wanted to get there, but she was scared. She thought she had everything figured out, but knew it could easily fall apart.

As she finally pulled into town, she looked around and tried to remember. Main Street looked about the same. She recognized the bars and restaurants where she had spent some time years ago. But there were just as many places she didn’t recognize. Whether they had been there before and she just hadn’t noticed or didn’t remember, or whether they were new, she couldn’t be sure. She drove carefully through town, not wanting to attract any attention. She followed the directions her friend Courtney had given her and in a few minutes found herself in front of an apartment building. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, she took a deep breath and told herself again that she was doing the right thing.

By the next afternoon, she was feeling more confident. She’d talked with Courtney well into the night and had gotten caught up on town gossip. Not that she’d remembered most of the people Courtney talked about, she hadn’t, but she thought she had done a good job pretending to care. She had really only paid attention when Courtney brought up the one name she was waiting to hear.

Courtney had offered to let them stay with her for a few days, much to her relief. Thankfully, Courtney had taken a liking to the boy—that had been one of her biggest concerns—she really hadn’t been sure what she would have done if Courtney hadn’t offered. The money was running out quickly. So was her prescription. Dez had filled it once, but had refused the next time she had asked. Knowing she was leaving soon had left him in a less-than-generous mood. After finally working up the nerve the night before, it had taken only a few carefully worded questions to Courtney to lead her to the run-down cabin on the lake she was now looking at.

With strict instructions to stay in the car and to stay quiet, she closed the door on the boy and called on every ounce of courage she had to set her feet in motion towards the cabin. She made her way across a rutted yard littered with empty beer cans and countless cigarette butts. The place looked deserted, but Courtney had assured her someone would be there…they didn’t dare leave the place unoccupied. She raised a shaky hand and knocked on the scarred door.

It took so long she was just about to turn around when she heard a gravelly voice shout, “Yeah, who’s there?”

“Um, I’m a friend of Courtney’s, she said you’d be expecting me?”

It took a few more minutes until the door finally squeaked open. Squinting into the dark room, she was able to make out a figure walking away from the door, his back to her. Unsure what to do, she started to follow, and with a quick glance back at the car, pushed the door closed behind her.

“You got the money?”

“Yes, I have money.” She fumbled in her purse and pulled out the wad of bills Courtney had assured her would get her what she wanted.

“Court said Oxy. Anything else as long as you’re here?”

Her eyes had adjusted to the dim light and she could see a short, skeletal man with a heavily pock-marked face and stringy, greasy hair sneering at her, his eyes moving up and down her body.

She was desperate to leave. “That’s all.”

“You sure? Got some good stuff here, comes with my personal guarantee.” He wheezed out an evil-sounding laugh that ended in a cough that he couldn’t seem to get under control.

“No, thank you, not today.”

“All right, suit yourself. Gimme the money.”

She handed over the bills and watched as he slowly counted them, holding each up to the little bit of light that was coming in through a grimy window. Her heart was pounding and her hands shaking as her eyes darted around the room. She was afraid…not so much of him as she was that he’d change his mind. Finally, he seemed satisfied and handed over a small plastic bag. She snatched it from his hand and turned for the door.

“Ya’ll come back now, ya hear?” he cackled at her back as she shut the door behind her and stumbled to the car.

Once inside, she locked the doors and let go with the breath she’d been holding. She greedily swallowed two of the pills and once the shaking slowed enough that she could start the engine, backed out and spun her wheels in her desire to put him, his house, and the entire experience behind her.

She drove for a while until the pills did their job and she felt reasonably calm. Their next stop was going to be even more important than the last and it was imperative she was ready. She glanced in the rearview mirror at the boy. What to tell him? Too many instructions and he’d get confused. Not enough, and who knew what he’d say. She decided to keep it as simple as possible.

“We’re going to stop and visit one of Mommy’s friends. I want you to be nice, okay?”

“Okay.” She could see the hesitation in his eyes.

“He’s a busy man so I don’t want you talking a lot and wasting his time.”

“Okay,” he repeated.

“If he talks to you, you can answer but that’s all, understand?”

“Yeah.”

She was almost certain he didn’t, but she didn’t know what else to do. She flipped over the piece of paper with directions, this time following a route to a different house on the lake, a house where Courtney had assured her she’d find him.

25

Susan rubbed her forehead on the spot where she had walked straight into Riley’s back as she peeked around his shoulder to get a better look at the woman standing in front of them.  She was tall and thin with faded, stringy blonde hair. As Susan studied her closer, she realized she wasn’t just thin, she was alarmingly so. Her collarbones jutted out under the cotton blouse she wore and the wrists extending slightly past the end of the sleeves seemed to be nothing but bone. She had applied makeup with a heavy hand, most likely in an attempt to hide the dark circles Susan could still detect under her eyes and to smooth the rough complexion. However, her high cheek bones, narrow, straight nose, and huge, wide-set, brilliant blue eyes told Susan she had been beautiful—stunning, most likely—before. As she watched the woman’s hands shake and her eyes flit around nervously, Susan suspected the woman was a drug addict. She had spent enough time with Danny, had attended enough group sessions while he was in various treatment centers, to know the signs.

Susan was so focused on the woman and on trying to figure out why she was there, she didn’t immediately notice the young boy peeking out from behind her legs. Now she was even more confused. When she looked at Riley, he was staring. She didn’t think he’d moved a muscle with the exception of his jaw that she watched open and close without him ever making a sound.

Finally, the woman spoke. “Hi, Riley. It’s been a while.” She forced a laugh that came out shrill and died quickly on her lips as Riley stayed silent and motionless.

Susan stepped forward and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Susan Taylor.” Susan dropped her hand after a moment when the woman ignored her.

Susan’s voice jolted him out of his stupor. He watched Susan try to shake Lissa’s hand and figured he must be having some sort of out of body experience. What in the hell was Melissa Cosgrove doing in Misty Lake? He hadn’t seen her in…how many years? Six? Seven? He couldn’t remember. Then he noticed the young boy. Lissa’s kid?

He watched as the boy gazed around the yard, looked toward the lake with curiosity, then caught sight of Gusto tied out near the barn. The boy started to bounce on his toes and tug on Lissa’s arm.

Turning his attention back to Lissa, Riley finally answered. “It’s been a long time, Lissa. How have you been?” He hardly knew what to say to her, he hadn’t heard from her in years, not since she’d left Misty Lake at the end of that summer years ago.

“Good, I’m doing good.” But she didn’t seem good.

“How did you find me out here?” Riley knew he was being rude, but he couldn’t come up with a logical reason why she was in Misty Lake, let alone tracking him down at the inn.

“I ran into Courtney, she told me you’ve been working out here.”

Susan softly cleared her throat. Riley jerked and looked at her, his eyes wide in his pale face. “Oh, um, Susan, this is Melissa Cosgrove. Lissa, Susan Taylor. Susan is…I’m working…she owns this place.”

Susan gave Riley a questioning look but he didn’t notice. His eyes were back on Lissa and the boy. “Is this your son?”

“Yeah, um yes, yes it is. This is Ryan.” Looking down at the boy she nudged him and said, “Say hello, Ryan.”

Ryan squinted up at Riley and gave a quick, “Hi,” before turning his attention back to the dog.

Riley didn’t know what to say to her, they’d never had much in common. “When did you get here? And what brings you back to Misty Lake?”

Lissa seemed uncomfortable as she nervously looked from Riley to Susan then back to Riley. “That’s kind of a long story.”

Riley was wondering how to respond when the boy looked up at him with wide, deep blue eyes. “Is that your dog?” He looked and pointed to the barn before turning his gaze back on Riley.

“Actually, he’s my dog. His name is Gusto. Do you want to meet him? If it’s okay with your mom, that is.” Susan smiled at the boy who looked hopefully at his mother.

“Sure, fine,” Lissa answered with barely a glance at Susan.

Giving Riley a long look, she held her hand out for the boy. When he eagerly grabbed hold and started pulling her along towards the dog, she followed, glancing back at Riley as she did so.

Riley watched for a minute as the two crossed the yard, still trying to work out what Lissa could possibly be doing in Misty Lake. He centered his attention back on her as she took a few shaky steps across the porch and sat on the stairs.

Riley followed but didn’t sit, instead paced a little in the yard in front of the steps. He didn’t know why, but the fact that she had shown up out of the blue left him with a very uneasy feeling. He studied her a little closer and was shocked to see how different she looked from the beautiful, carefree girl he remembered. Her hair was dull and hung carelessly around her face, a far cry from the bouncy, sunny ponytail that had so often been pulled through a baseball cap after a day on the water. She was frighteningly pale. Granted, winter was just ending so she wouldn’t have the same tanned complexion she did when she’d spent the summer working at the resort, but she looked unwell. And her eyes, while still the brilliant blue that had always made him think of the lake on the clearest, sunniest day, had lost their sparkle and laughter. Now, they looked tired, haunted, and desperate.

“So, did you just happen to be in the area or did you have a reason for coming back?” He tried to sound friendly, but knew the question came out sounding critical.

“I came to talk to you, Riley. I’ve been thinking about you lately.” She shook her head and looked at the ground. “That’s not really right. I’ve been thinking about you ever since I left.”

“Oh?” What the hell was he supposed to say to that? If he was being honest, he hadn’t given Melissa Cosgrove a thought since she’d left town.

“I should have called you years ago. Actually, I shouldn’t have left. I need to tell you something.”

Riley’s heart thudded painfully. Without knowing what was coming, he somehow knew it wasn’t going to be good. He waited while Lissa fidgeted and grabbed her purse. He wanted to yell, wanted to demand she tell him why she was there. And why now when everything was going so perfectly with Susan?

“It’s Ryan. He’s your son.”

Riley didn’t exactly know what it felt like to be hit by lightning, but guessed it had to be pretty close to what he was experiencing. For a moment, it was as if every inch of his body was electrified and he could feel a current running from his head all the way to his fingertips and to his toes. And then he went numb and couldn’t feel anything.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, didn’t know how he had gotten to the lakeshore, and certainly didn’t know what the hell to do. He felt like he was going to be sick, so he staggered to the nearest tree and leaned against it. He tried to breathe deeply when his breath wanted only to come in short, quick gasps. When the nausea finally passed and he looked around, he saw Susan and the boy still near the barn playing with Gusto. He was alone so apparently Lissa hadn’t followed him, and since he couldn’t see her, guessed she was probably still on the porch.

He looked back at the boy. His son? He forced himself to concentrate and to try to figure out when it was he had last seen Lissa. He knew he had been done with school and had already started working for Howard, the man who had mentored him and had taught him more than school ever had, so it was probably six years ago, close to seven. Many of his buddies had already moved away, but those that remained were, like him, working full time and finding themselves with a pocket full of money come the weekend. They had been wild and carefree, hanging out in the bars, and more often than not, looking for some girls to hang out with them.

That’s where he had met Lissa, he remembered now. He’d been with a big group at The Hideout when she’d come in. He’d recognized one of the girls she was with so invited them to join their table. Lissa had been the classic All-American girl…long blonde hair, blue eyes, glowing, sun-kissed skin, and a smile and personality that lit up the room.              

He blinked hard and forced his thoughts back to the present. He had a son? A son he was just now finding out about? The shock started to turn to anger and after glancing once more at the boy, he began striding furiously back to the porch.

“How can you show up here after all this time and just announce that I have a son? Where the hell have you been for the last six years? It never occurred to you to tell me about this before now? Damn, Lissa, if he’s mine I had a right to know!”

He wanted to shout but fought to keep his voice low enough that Susan and the boy wouldn’t hear him. He could feel his face heating and his hands trembling. Lissa seemed to shrink before him but he didn’t care. He deserved an explanation.

Lissa crushed out the cigarette she’d been smoking. “I’m sorry, Riley, I should have let you know about Ryan long ago, but try to imagine how it was for me. I was back in Denver, supposed to be starting my senior year of college, and I find out I’m pregnant. I couldn’t tell my family, my dad would have killed me. He was up for reelection and news of his twenty-one-year-old unwed daughter turning up pregnant wouldn’t have done much for his campaign. You were back here, busy with your work, and surrounded by a family and a town that expected more from you than winding up with a kid. I considered an abortion but I kept putting it off and the next thing I knew, it was too late.” She shrugged and clutched at her purse once more.

Riley stared at her through narrowed eyes. Did she really believe that was a reason? An excuse for keeping his son from him?

“Sorry, Lissa, you’re going to have to do a little better than that. You’ve had years to tell me about him. How can you say I was too busy? What the hell is that even supposed to mean? If he’s…” Suddenly Riley froze. When he started speaking again the words came out slowly and ominously. “How do I know he’s even mine?”

Tears pooled in her eyes and she shook from head to toe, even after she grabbed the porch railing to try to steady herself. “That’s not fair, Riley. You and I had something special. There wasn’t anyone else.”

Riley ran his hand roughly through his hair and turned away. It was a lie, plain and simple. There hadn’t been anything special about their relationship. They’d been casual friends, they’d hung out together with a bigger group on the weekends, and a couple of times, when they’d both had too much to drink, they’d been stupid and careless. And there had almost certainly been others. He wanted to tell her that, but no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t stand to see her cry. And what would be the point of lying to him? If he wasn’t the father, why would she be there? She’d tracked him down, she could have just as easily tracked down someone else.

“Okay, Lissa, this isn’t the time or place to do this. I have people inside working, the boy is right across the yard, and Susan…” At that, he sunk down onto the steps, closed his eyes, and dropped his head in his hands. How was he going to tell her?

“Maybe we can meet later and talk?” Lissa asked. She was already inching toward her car.

“Yeah, okay. Give me your phone number and I’ll call you to arrange something. I’m supposed to be going out of town this weekend…” He didn’t know how that was ever going to happen now. He’d have to tell Susan what was going on and didn’t expect she’d feel much like going away with him after she heard the story.

“Um, I’ll give you Courtney’s number, I’m staying with her. My cell phone is, ah, broken.” She hadn’t used the phone Jenny had given her for months, she didn’t want Jenny to be able to figure out where she was, and she’d returned the phone Dez had given her. She dug the slip of paper with Courtney’s number out of her wallet and copied it onto a gum wrapper. Her hand trembled as she handed it to Riley.

Riley shoved it in his pocket without looking at it as he stared across the yard at Susan and the boy. His son, he corrected himself. So many emotions were ripping through him he didn’t know which one to hold on to. With nothing more to say to Lissa, he started for the barn.

Susan was taken with the boy. He was polite, sweet, and absolutely in love with Gusto. She had learned a little about him, that he had an Aunt Jenny and that he and his mom had driven a long time to get to Misty Lake, but he was reluctant to talk too much. Every time Susan asked him a question, he glanced toward his mother before giving a brief answer.

When it came to Gusto, however, he couldn’t talk enough. He asked if the dog was a boy or girl, how old he was, what his name meant, where he lived, what he ate, and if he knew how to swim. Susan found an old tennis ball and let Ryan throw it repeatedly for Gusto. The two chased and wrestled and hugged one another and Gusto planted countless sloppy kisses on Ryan’s cheeks, which delighted the boy to no end.

Susan kept stealing glances over at Riley and Lissa. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out that Riley was upset. She watched as he staggered towards the lake, paced some, and then stormed back to the house. As much as she wanted to know what was going on, she sensed it would be best to keep Ryan away from the tension. When she spotted Riley coming their way, she couldn’t miss the turmoil in his expression.

As Riley approached Susan and Ryan, he searched the boy’s appearance for resemblances. His hair was brown, lighter than Riley’s, but brown, and a little wavy. Riley didn’t know how tall an almost-six-year-old should be, but he studied the boy and tried to figure out if he was tall, short, or average for his age. Riley had always been tall. He seemed very coordinated and athletic, Riley thought, as he watched him run and jump with the dog. When he sent a tennis ball sailing through the air, Riley couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as he watched it soar.