Lantern Lake Winter Collection: Books 1-3

by Gretchen S. B.

  "Today Kevin is too busy being hungry to do anything else. Maxwell is fairly normal, he's a nurse so he's used to talking to strangers all day, so he'll be fine too. Robert, you know, so hopefully that helps, but he's not exactly the friendly type, so don't expect that to change from your encounters with him thus far."

  There was a snort from the other side of the island and Gail turned her attention to Kevin who had a half-eaten baby carrot in his hand. "Robert’s fine. He's just easily irritated. He is not totally unfriendly, but it's best to stick with everybody else."

  "How many of you are there?" Feeling rude, Gail realized she’d asked this aloud, distracted by all the names flying by her.

  Both men snorted, but Kevin answered her, popping the rest of the carrot in his mouth as he did so. "Reed is an only child. As for me I'm number four of five boys. Our dad's number two in a line of three with Dottie being the oldest and our mom is the oldest of two with a sister who lives in Seattle, she has three girls. Two of which are married, and they all come over for Christmas. That's when it becomes pandemonium."

  Gail bat back her surprise. All she had was her sister. Both her mother and father were only children. She always wondered what it was like to have a big boisterous family and here she was staring one down. This would be the perfect opportunity to watch a large family dynamic from afar.

  Before she could put her foot in her mouth about how big their family was, there was a knock at the door then it opened on its own and a man who looked very much like Kevin entered. The resemblance was so strong they could pass for twins. Only this one was thinner, and his hair wasn't as styled or cropped short.

  "Max, buddy, come eat some of the vegetables," was the only greeting the newcomer received from Kevin, louder than was necessary.

  "Hell no, I am not about to get in trouble simply because you want to eat the vegetable platter and you want someone else to do it with you." He turned and smiled at Gail, crossing the room sticking out his hand to shake hers. "You must be Gail. My aunt texted me and let me know we were expecting someone not related to us for dinner."

  Gail took his hand and found it rather easy to give a polite smile

  Before either she or Max could say anything else, Kevin mumbled from the other side of the island, "Reed had some."

  No one batted an eye at Kevin's words.

  Gail found it hard to keep a straight face; he’d clearly been relying on the group mentality to save him and it wasn't going to be the case. A split-second later, Dottie herself walked in.

  "Oh, good most of you are here. Robert’s leaving the clinic now, so he'll be here within the next ten to twelve minutes. I'm all done downstairs. Just wanted to pop-up and see how the food is before I change." She turned her full attention to Gail. "They treating you okay so far?" Her voice was accusatory as if she was expecting less than stellar manners from her nephews and son. "Yes, they’re being very nice to me, thank you," Gail responded, once again trying to keep a straight face.

  "Good." She smiled, satisfied until she saw the vegetable platter which was about two-thirds full and she frowned. "Who's been eating this?"

  "Why are you putting it out if you don't want it eaten," Kevin responded guiltily.

  Dottie rolled her eyes and made a shoving motion before checking the oven; seeming satisfied with it, she headed toward the back of the room to a door Gail presumed led to her bedroom.

  Once Dottie shut the door behind her accusatory glances bounced from Kevin to the others. Clearly, he blamed them for any trouble he got into. Though it was clear there was no real animosity and he was just being dramatic. Then a carrot went flying at Reed’s head.

  The other man had been turned away and the orange projectile beaned him in the back of the head. Reed’s eyes widened. "What the hell?" he asked in a large stage whisper.

  Kevin had a cat-that-got-the-cream grin as he chucked another baby carrot. This time Reed was able to dodge the little orange missile.

  "Oh, I want to be nowhere near this when she gets out," commented Max as he put his hands up in surrender and backed up. As he passed Gail on the other side of the large island, he looped his arm around hers and took her with him. "Not that she would get mad at a guest but it's better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes it's best to let the youngest ones fight it out."

  The comment struck Gail. "You’re the youngest?" she asked in confusion; she was fairly certain someone had mentioned Max was the youngest.

  "Only chronologically," he joked.

  A spatula that had been laying on the island whizzed toward Kevin. He ducked and it slid and hit the backsplash on the opposite end of the counter behind him.

  "You yellow-bellied vegetable thief," growled Kevin in what Gail assumed was supposed to be a Wild West voice.

  "This can escalate fast," muttered Max under his breath as the two of them skirted around the couch so they were safely on the other side of the room.

  Gail couldn't help but watch in amused fascination as the two adult men started slinging weird insults at each other and the occasional vegetable. There wasn't anything else on the island anymore since the spatula had been the only thing there; now only produce was flying.

  Maybe two minutes later the door to the bedroom opened and all the mayhem stopped dead. Reed had a piece of celery slung back in his hand in mid throw. The two of them stopped as if they thought if they stayed still enough Dottie wouldn't see them.

  It took her a second to take in the mayhem before her mouth thinned and she put her hands on her hips. "What do you two think you're doing?"

  "He started it," they said together.

  Much to Gail's surprise, Dottie let out a snort and shook her head, an amused expression replacing the angry motherly one that had appeared a moment earlier. "The two of you are going to clean this up, right?" It sounded like more of a statement than a question.

  "Of course," they said again in unison.

  Reed stuck the celery stick in his mouth and the two of them picked up the half a dozen vegetables that had launched across the kitchen. Dottie watched them for a split second, shaking her head again, an amused expression on her face. Then she turned back to the stove, turned it on, arranged the pots in place and Gail assumed whatever was in there had been there before she got here.

  "As you can see, we’re not the most mature of individuals. If you want to, you know, slide out the door, now would be the time. No one would notice but me," Max whispered louder than necessary, next to Gail.

  Before she could come up with a comeback―witty comebacks were just not her thing―the door to the apartment opened again and Robert stepped in. She took a second to take him in because he looked different in slacks and a fitted sweater than he did in the slacks and button up he wore to work. His work attire wasn't formfitting, but his body was much more showcased than it was in the office. Gail had to force her gaze away before she embarrassed herself; as it was, she was fairly certain her cheeks were pink. He was attractive, and she hadn't expected that. Sure, he was nice to look at in the face but who knew jeans and a sweater could make all the difference.

  It wasn't just the clothes either, he had an easier demeanor as he walked into the apartment. He seemed more relaxed as he smiled genuinely, taking in the scene of his brother and cousin picking vegetables off the floor.

  "I take it I missed an epic battle?" he asked with a wide grin.

  Maxwell snorted next her. "I wouldn't call it epic. It lasted maybe two minutes and it was mostly talk."

  "How dare you challenge our heroics," Reed called from somewhere on the other side of the island.

  "Aunt Dottie," Robert questioned as he walked over to kiss her cheek. "I understand Matthew lives in Seattle and it's a bit of a drive for him to get here for a weeknight meal, especially considering he works for the Seattle Police Department. But couldn't you have invited Jared? At least he would be someone other than me to balance out the insanity of these two?"

  "You know I always invite him. He says he's busy and not lea
ving the cabin. That boy is an old man before his time. Now would you please start setting the table? I asked these two knuckleheads to do it before I went back downstairs and as you can see, they did such a fantastic job."

  Gail looked at the table at the older woman's words and sure enough there were plates, napkins, and silverware on the dining room table next to the kitchen, but they were still in piles.

  "You didn’t specify how to set the table," countered Kevin.

  All he got was a snort in response. Gail didn’t feel excluded even though she was watching from across the room. They were joking with each other and it was warm and welcoming, but she didn’t feel forced to participate, which she appreciated. It was fun to watch them interact, even though it was absurd, and she couldn't imagine how insane Christmases must be if there were as many people as the brothers said there were.

  Her train of thought was interrupted by Dottie turning around and pouring a mountain of mashed potatoes into a serving bowl on the table. "Everything will be ready in about ten minutes so bring those vegetables and the group of you sit down at the table. Don’t give Gail the wrong impression about this family. We don't need any of your dinnertime shenanigans."

  Reed, Maxwell, and Kevin all put their hands over their hearts and clapped their feet together as if they were standing to attention.

  “I beg to differ, Mother, the McAllister family roll toss is a time-honored tradition. No roll shall pass across the table unless it's getting air."

  "Uh huh. Sit your butt down." She returned to the kitchen, turning her back on the boys.

  Gail wasn't sure this was a good idea all things considered but from what she had seen, none of them would ever challenge Dottie; the fighting was only amongst them and really just the three youngest. Gail couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful she let Dottie talk her into coming to dinner. The time by herself, especially without Murphy would've been much harder to tolerate. At least this was a pleasant distraction.

  The thought made her feel guilty and she moved across the room slowly until she was within hearing distance of Robert. "Where's Murphy?" Her tone was more concerned than anything else. If he needed to be kept overnight surely that meant Robert would have him.

  He turned his neck and head toward her while continuing to put down silverware. "I dropped him and the girls off with Herb. They’ll be there a couple hours and be spoiled by his wife until I pick them up on my way home. You have nothing to worry about." She was grateful his tone didn’t sound accusatory. She was also grateful Dr. Struthers was willing to take on three large dogs for a few hours. Not everyone would do that, but then the man had been a vet for decades.

  ~~

  Dinner had been wonderful. Dottie's cooking was amazing, and Gail thought it was kind of funny when she made the boys critique her stuffing and green bean casserole. It had all been fantastic, yet she weeded out little things that she felt she could improve on. This competition thing she had with her sister and sister-in-law must've been mighty strong. Gail had such a good time she hadn't realized two hours passed until she stretched and saw the small clock on the microwave in the kitchen. She hadn’t had this much fun in longer than she cared to admit.

  "What is it you do when you're at home, Gail?” Dottie asked her politely. As all eyes swiveled to her, Gail couldn't help but frown. Talking about her job made her uncomfortable, especially since she was currently without one.

  "At the moment, I do nothing. I did work for Central Washington University."

  "Wildcats!" shouted Kevin pumping his arm in the air.

  The outburst made her laugh despite herself and she nodded in respect of his outburst. "I was working as an administrative assistant, even though that wasn't technically the title, in one of the humanities departments. I was being groomed to take my boss’ job in the next three or four years. Which I know might sound like a dead-end job, but I liked it and I liked living in Ellensburg. I was laid off about a week and a half ago. It was between me and a part-time employee, and even though I had seven and a half years’ more experience than she did, I guess she was more the personality type they wanted. They decided to give her more responsibility in the form of my job. I was on my way to Shoreline to crash on my sister's proverbial couch while I try to find something else." Originally, she’d started off sounding upbeat, but the end sounded really depressing and pathetic and she wasn't quite sure how to do anything to save it other than flounder.

  "That's incredibly stupid. If you have a proven track record, there's no reason to fire the more senior of the two of you unless the department’s hurting for cash and you get a higher paycheck," Max responded with disgust. "On the plus side, it means you get to help out Robert and Herb with their massive office mess. I am surprised anyone would tackle that thing, it's only been two months and there is nonsense everywhere."

  Robert seemed to resent the comment. "It's not that bad."

  "Really, when was the last time you did any billing?" Kevin interjected.

  Robert frowned and narrowed his eyes without answering. Gail hadn’t felt the need to add anything either because she knew the last time billing had been done their office manager had done it, meaning a lot of clients were behind. She was impressed with the size their client base must be to still be running after two months of being behind on billing.

  "All right, as much as I love all of you, it is after nine-thirty and quickly rolling up on ten. It is time to kick you all out since it's a school night." Dottie pushed back in her chair stretching as she'd spoken.

  Much to her surprise, none of the guys argued; they brought all the dishes to the sink and packed up the food in what looked like individual bags for leftovers. Dottie cooked a lot of food and even though the four men seemed to have large appetites there was still food left over, enough for most of them to have lunches the next day.

  "Robert, do me a favor," Dottie called to her nephew as she pushed up from the table out of her seat.

  He turned and looked at her with a question on his face. He was more than willing to do whatever it was, which sent a pang of appreciation through Gail. She loved that they were all so accommodating to Dottie. The older woman was clearly amazing, and she was glad to see she was well taken care of. It also made her wonder about Reed's father and where he fit into the picture, but she knew better than to ask.

  "Jake needs some tomatoes from the greenhouse upstairs. He also wants peppers; would you mind grabbing them for me? You know my after-dark eyesight isn't what it used to be. You can bring Gail with you for an extra set of hands."

  That surprised Gail. She thought they were on the top floor and she looked from Robert to Dottie confused.

  When Robert finally saw her expression, he laughed. "Come on, I could use the extra set of hands. You can hold the basket. There's a greenhouse on the roof so it's in direct sunlight for months like this. It also gets the heat from the building to keep it warm."

  Gail stood and followed Robert out of the apartment. What a cool idea, a greenhouse on the roof. She'd never seen such a thing, though she'd heard about it. It was cool to know that the omelets the cook made in the morning were from fresh vegetables, so fresh in fact that they were picked the day before. She didn't know why she was so excited to be a part of that process, but she’d always loved gardening. Her mother had a small vegetable patch in the childhood backyard Gail and her sister grew up in. The best she had were potted herbs and she gave those away when she moved.

  "So, did you enjoy yourself?” asked Robert as they walked across the opening that served as a hall, on the fourth floor to a dark unassuming door. It was painted the same color as the wall.

  "I really did. I'm glad your aunt invited me. It was fun to watch a large family interact with each other. It was a welcome break from the last couple weeks I've had."

  "Oh, I'm sure. I'm sorry you were laid off. Sounds like you really got the raw end of that deal and that's not cool."

  Honestly, Gail was tired of feeling bad about being laid off. The oc
casional twinge still happened but she couldn't keep moping about something she couldn't help and was in the past. She didn’t want to keep dwelling on it, talking about it, she wanted to move on.

  "I appreciate that, but it is what it is."

  At her words, Robert stopped and turned to look at her, assessing whether her expression matched what she was saying. It must have because he turned back and kept walking.

  The staircase to the roof was longer than the other staircases in the building; there was a small pad, about five feet by eight feet that was the entire indoor section of the floor. Robert pulled out a key, which she was not surprised he had, to unlock the outdoor, but as she heard the lock disengage, Robert turned around and looked at her.

  "Be prepared, the blast of cold air that comes is horrible. Even though part of the roof is heated, the walk to and from the greenhouse will be ridiculously cold so we’re gonna make a break for it."

  She nodded at his words and he waited a beat as if bracing himself before opening the door.

  He was right; the blast of cold air was Arctic and neither of them had thought to grab a sweatshirt or their jackets. Gail let out a gasp; a second later they were jogging to the glass building that took up about one-third of the roof. Luckily it wasn't locked; Robert opened the door and the two of them walked in and stood in the doorway a second, adjusting to the temperature. It was comfortable, though a bit muggy in the greenhouse.

  After a moment they were better adjusted and Robert turned and grabbed a wicker basket and handed it to her. "The tomatoes are near the back. We'll get those first and move forward. I've run this errand before, so I know where everything is."

  They worked in silence for a little while; even though there were small lights throughout the greenhouse, it wasn't bright enough to see everything. After a moment they ended up switching positions so Gail could pluck the ripe tomatoes and Robert held the basket.

  "You have a knack for this." It wasn’t a question, but Gail answered anyway.