Come to the Lake

by Macarthur, Autumn

  Concern creasing his brow, Brad broke in. “Don’t blame yourself, Liz. Maddie did the right thing, looking after you. If our marriage had been stronger, a couple of months apart wouldn’t have made any difference.”

  He had that much right.

  The glance she threw Gran begged her to drop the topic. As much so she could escape the uncomfortable prickle of her conscience, suggesting she’d been equally responsible, as to get going to the store.

  Gran ignored her unspoken message, turning to Brad instead. “Humor an old lady. At least wear Pete’s jacket this once. Then you can decide whether your smart city coat is better.”

  Brad shook his head, giving Maddie a rueful smile, just genuine enough to melt her resolve all over again. “I don’t aim to upset Maddie. If the coat holds special memories of her grandfather, I can understand seeing me wearing it would be hard. Besides, city slicker though I am, my coat will be good enough for the ten days I’ll be here.”

  He chuckled, and his dimple flashed. He gave every appearance of warmth and liking for the older woman. Or was it just the almost-irresistible Bradley Hughes charm at work?

  If only she could be less cynical about his motives. But it was hard not to be.

  Finally, they escaped Gran’s good intentions and got out the door. The snow piled on the sidewalk hindered her frustrated stomp as she headed off, past snowmen in yards, and clapboard houses decorated for the holidays. Brad made a move that might have been to hold her hand, but she pulled hers out of reach.

  “Not much has changed,” he observed, his words puffing steam into the cold air.

  Maddie wasn’t in the mood for small talk, but she couldn’t be impolite, either. “There are a few new houses, further around the bay. But thankfully, Huckleberry Lake hasn’t been ‘discovered’ yet. I like how things here have stayed the same.”

  They turned onto Main Street, and a gust of wind fresh off the frozen lake whipped her coat and hair.

  Brad crossed his arms and gave an exaggerated shiver. “Maybe your gran was right about offering me your pop’s coat.”

  “I don’t want you wearing it.” Hurt constricted her throat. Pop had been everything Brad wasn’t. Honest, faithful, there for his family.

  “Maddie, I wish I knew what I did to upset you so badly. I never meant to, I promise you.” Confusion deepened Brad’s low voice and shadowed his gaze.

  Her churned-up emotions boiled over in a sound that was almost a growl. “So many things. But for now, I want the answer to just one. Did you fly to London this spring trying to get Zoe back, or not?”

  An ugly, strident note sharpened her voice, but she didn’t care. Impressing Brad scored zero in her priorities. She’d only been in love once in her life. But as soon as he had the divorce papers, he’d run back to his first love. And he’d contacted Zoe long before that.

  Brad’s cheeks reddened, and his shoulders tensed, but he didn’t avoid her angry stare. His eyes stayed fixed on her, tempting her to duck her head instead. With every ounce of her resolve, she lifted her chin and met his steady regard.

  He nodded slowly. “Yes, I did. I’m sorry.” His hands reached toward her in entreaty and apology.

  Hot tears stung her eyes, and she accelerated her pace. All she wanted was to get away from him as far and as fast as she could. So it was true. She’d hoped it was gossip, with no basis in fact, despite the details Louise gave. Her heart weighed heavy, a dark frozen boulder in her chest, icy as the winter lake.

  Brad caught up with her, grabbed her arm. “I went a little crazy when the divorce came through. I wasn’t thinking straight.” His jaw flexed, and a muscle twitched in his cheek. “I’ve always been the golden boy, the one who got everything I wanted. From Christmas presents to girlfriends to promotions. But I couldn’t have you.”

  “No. You couldn’t then, and you can’t now.” She yanked her arm away.

  “I felt like I’d lost everything when I lost you and Jacob. Everything.” Passion and sincerity vibrated in Brad’s low voice. “Crazy, I know, but I felt if Zoe still loved me, I’d have something.” A humorless smile twisted his face. “Second best, but something.”

  Her mouth tightened. “That is such a lie. The whole time we were together, I was the one feeling second best. You broke off things with Zoe within a week of us meeting and then asked me to marry you. I always questioned whether you regretted that hasty decision.”

  He shook his head. “Never.”

  “You truly never wondered ‘What if?’ I know you emailed her, stayed in contact.” She swallowed, choking back tears. “I didn’t want to be jealous. I tried to trust you. But then you went to her the moment you were free. If she hadn’t sent you away…” Biting her lip, she trailed off.

  Something in his reaction almost broke her heart. The droop of his broad shoulders. The remorse shining in his clear hazel eyes. The downward turn of his lips. Such deep sorrow.

  If this was an act, he deserved an Oscar.

  “I can see how falling in love with you while I was as good as engaged to another girl wasn’t the best way to convince you I’d be faithful. But from the day we met, it was always you. It’s only ever been you.”

  She shook her head again. “How can I believe that?”

  Brad sighed. “I made a stupid mistake. I did run to Zoe, and I thank God every day that she was wise enough to send me away.” Wry humor curved his lips. “Easy to see why. I spent the whole time I was with her talking about you and Jacob. I showed her all the pictures of you on my phone. She saw straight away I still loved you.”

  Maddie wanted so badly to trust he was telling the truth. But it wasn’t just Zoe.

  Straightening her spine, she stiffened her determination, too. “So Zoe sent you away. And then you moved on to Louise. How many more women turned you down before you came back to me?”

  His puzzlement looked every bit as real as his regret had. “Louise? What’s she got to do with anything?” He held out his hands, palms uplifted. “I’ve seen her exactly once in the last year.”

  “That’s the problem. What happened that once. And other times, before that.”

  He looked down, and sucked in a slow breath, brow creased. She had him now.

  So why instead of feeling triumphant did she feel miserable?

  Brad raised his head. “I have no idea how you know about it, but I’ve done nothing I need to feel ashamed of.”

  Antagonism rose in her, hot and sudden — overwhelming. “Right, so you didn’t invite her to your apartment, give her alcohol, and then make a pass at her? If you see nothing to be ashamed of in that, your morals are shakier than I guessed.” She almost spat the words.

  His jaw set and his eyes darkened, became hard as stones. “Is that what Louise told you? And you trust me so little you believed her?” His gloved fists clenched. “It was the other way around. She turned up uninvited, and she’d been drinking. More fool me, I let her in. Then she got nasty when I wouldn’t play. You have to make your mind up who you want to believe, her or me.”

  Maddie stopped walking and stared at him. How could he look and sound so sincere? Her stomach swirled uncertainly. Soft, troubled words slipped out with the vapor of her breath. “Why would she lie to me?”

  The question hung between them, almost visible.

  “I told her I loved you. How going to Zoe helped me realize my marriage vows were for life. I guess causing trouble with you was her payback.” His lip curled. “Or maybe she hoped if she could stop you considering a reconciliation, she still had a chance. She hinted once or twice while we were still married that if I wanted an affair, she was available.”

  “No.” Pain twisted Maddie. Had she really got it so wrong?

  Brad’s eyes met hers, clear and transparent as the lake shallows in summer. “Was it her who told you I’d flown to London, too?”

  Wordless, she nodded, biting her lip. It all made a kind of horrible, crazy sense. Brad’s old classmate, Louise, had seemed her only friend in L.A. But Louise
subtly poisoned her trust, and encouraged the divorce, too. She twisted the toe of her boot in the snow. “I’m sorry. I guess because I was already angry with you, I wanted to listen to her lies. I was wrong.” Her admission choked out, small and quiet, and lingered there.

  Brad took her arm, and this time, she didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry too, Maddie. Sorry I didn’t do a better job of showing you I loved you. If I had, you might not have fallen for her lies. I see how you might not have felt able to trust me, or believe our love would last.” He barked a short laugh, edged with regret. “It took Zoe to tell me that. I never realized.…”

  “Okay, now I believe you did spend all your time talking about me.” She laughed shakily. “I was always that bit jealous of Zoe, that you loved her first. She’s pretty and smart, and I’m—” She broke off to wave her free hand up and down herself. “I’m just me.”

  “Yes. You are just you. That’s why I fell in love with you. That’s why I still love you.” He drew her closer. Despite the snow, his nearness sent a surge of warmth along her skin and stole her breath. Her head tilted back, as she gazed into his darkening eyes.

  The week they met, he’d almost kissed her, right here on this corner. And now she felt eighteen again. Felt the same tremulous anticipation. The same dancing heartbeat. The same hope their fairy-tale romance would end with “happily ever after”.

  But knowing the truth about Zoe and Louise didn’t change anything else. The lives they lived were just too different. Nothing could change the things that pulled them in opposite directions.

  Yet still, her eyelids fluttered closed, waiting for his kiss.

  Chapter 6

  Intense longing to lower his head and kiss Maddie’s sweetly parted lips swept Brad.

  There were so many sensible, logical reasons he should let her go. He’d rushed her too much already. They’d freeze if they stood here much longer. They needed to get to the store ASAP.

  But still, he lingered, holding her close as the silent moment stretched and her eyelashes trembled on her cheeks.

  Awareness hung in the air between them. Did the same unforgettable memories crowd her mind?

  He knew in this instant, she’d willingly let him kiss her. But how would she feel about it later? Taking advantage of her vulnerability wouldn’t change the huge gap of trust and faith between them they still needed to bridge. Let alone all the other things keeping them apart.

  Somehow, he found the will to let her go and step back.

  Maddie’s eyes flew open, reflecting the sense of loss he felt. Saying nothing, she looked away, out to the lake, obscuring her face.

  “We’d better get to the store.” Raw emotion roughened his voice.

  So much for trying to play it cool. But he didn’t want to hide how he felt from Maddie, not after she’d opened up and told him more than she ever had. As they started to walk again, he took her hand.

  Even through two pairs of thick gloves, he felt her hand shake.

  “Yes.” The same quiver shook her single word.

  He clasped her hand more firmly. “Maddie, thank you for talking about things that bothered you. I’m grateful you did.”

  She’d thrown a mountain of accusations at him, and he’d battled an instinctive urge to go on the defense, fight back against her unfairness. But though she challenged him, he preferred this more assertive Maddie. She’d spoken so little during the final years of their marriage. Better to know where he stood, than have to guess what he’d done wrong.

  And then it seemed he’d gotten that wrong, too.

  Her quiet stillness had been one of the things that attracted him, tranquil and deep as the lake. Only with the divorce had he realized the depth of unhappiness her silence hid.

  “Talking about these things feels strange. When we were married, I didn’t want Jacob to hear us argue, I worried it would upset him. And I always thought letting you know I was angry would scare you off.” Raising her eyes to his again, she gave a laugh and a wobbly smile. “Doesn’t seem to have worked.”

  She’d been honest, and he owed her the same honesty in return. He smiled. “It won’t. I’ve done some growing up this past eight months. We need to talk about this stuff. We both want to be good parents for Jacob, without disagreeing all the time. So we have to resolve the problems that split us up. Even if it’s scary and tough to talk about.”

  He wanted more than just being Jacob’s Mom and Dad. He wanted her as his wife again, for the rest of their lives. But now wasn’t the time to push.

  Maddie sucked in an audible breath. “Okay.”

  Soft and uncertain, but she said it.

  That single word surprised him so much, he nearly toppled into a snowdrift and pulled her with him. As he straightened, a grin cracked his face. Sounded like she’d agreed to try. Or at least, to discuss their issues, something she’d refused to do before. Far from agreeing to come back to him, but a big step forward.

  Thank You, Lord!

  Winning Maddie’s love again meant honoring his marriage commitment. Acting like an adult, not a spoiled kid. Being willing to wait for what was important. Opening his heart and mind to following God’s will.

  God had ways of telling him that. Like when he’d looked into the blue eyes of his waitress at the lakeside restaurant all those years ago, and knew he’d found the woman God intended for him.

  He couldn’t push her into loving him again. Maybe, for her, their marriage had problems beyond fixing. But he could go all-out to give them the best chance possible.

  Maddie accelerated her pace. “Here’s the store.” The relieved “Phew!” she didn’t add out loud echoed in her tone.

  He studied the building she’d grown up in. The first time they came here, she’d enthused about the history of the store, opened by her great-great-grandfather in 1906. Relic of the days Sunset Point was intended as the railhead for a westbound line that ended up diverting, the big two-floor clapboard structure now seemed way too large for the size of the town.

  It hadn’t changed much. A new cream-colored paint job and masses of Christmas lights replaced summer’s hanging flower baskets and the softly yellowed paint he recalled. As they pushed through the wide double doors to the store’s welcome warmth, a bell jangled overhead. It didn’t look much different inside, either. Crowded to the rafters with backwoods necessities like snowshoes, paraffin lamps, hand tools, and fishing and hunting gear, half the stock looked as if it could have been there over a hundred years.

  The grocery section had changed some. The fresh-bake bread machine was new. A mouthwatering odor from the morning’s baking persisted. The ice-cream stand he remembered still stood in one corner.

  A traditional Christmas carol played softly. His favorite, “Silent Night”. All is calm, all is bright.… He wasn’t too sure about the calm. Maddie’s worried expression looked anything but, biting her lip as she glanced around the store. A tall stack of unopened boxes suggested a recent delivery hadn’t been packed away.

  The bright part, they had. Apparently, they followed Liz’s rule on Christmas lights — you can never have too many. Twinkling strands hung everywhere. He blinked at the tinsel and bauble overdose filling one corner. The heavily decorated backdrop to the Christmas goods section glittered and shone in purple and blue.

  Not that he cared how it looked or sounded. They were here to help Maddie’s friends.

  A door at the back of the store marked Private opened, and a gray-haired man peered out. This must be Pat, though his worry-lined face appeared far older than the active enthusiastic man Brad remembered.

  “Praise the Lord! It’s Maddie,” he called behind him. He hurried into the store, letting the door swing closed. “Susanna’s nearly done with packing. I’ll go through a few things with you and give you the keys. Then we’ll get on the road. I can’t tell you how grateful we are to you.” He shook his head and sighed. “The one time we can’t lock the door and hang out a Closed sign. The Christmas turkeys were just delivered, and then there’
s the carol singing tonight. We’ve been so concerned about Ruth…we haven’t even started preparations. I hate leaving you to deal with all this.”

  Maddie hugged him. “Pat, you know I love being back in the store. I know you’ve made some changes, but it’s still like home to me. I’ll help here for as long as you need.”

  Rather than easing, Pat’s frown intensified. He shook his head. “I don’t know how long it will be before we’ll make it back. If the doctors can’t bring Ruth’s blood pressure down, she’ll need a C-section. But the baby will be too small for Kootenai Health’s preemie unit to manage. They’re talking about transferring her to Spokane.”

  “You and Susanna must take as long as you need. Please don’t worry about the store.” Soft compassion made Maddie’s lovely face even more beautiful. “You’ve lived in Sunset Point long enough to know what people are like. I won’t be able to keep Gran away. And half the town will offer to help once news gets out.” She grabbed Brad’s arm, drawing in into the conversation. “You’ve met Brad Hughes, my husband. He’s here till the New Year, so that’s another set of hands.”

  Something warm and sweet swelled in Brad’s chest at hearing her call him “husband”, for all he knew it was only to reassure Pat.

  Pat nodded welcome, and then switched to rattling through store logistics with Maddie. Grabbing a pen and paper, Brad took notes. Maddie might remember all this, but he wouldn’t.

  So he had an MBA. Retail was a whole other world.

  By the time Susanna emerged from the rear of the store, her hair still colored the same unlikely dark red he recalled, his brain was stuffed full. Running a store seemed every bit as complex and challenging as running a hospital, though on a smaller scale. At least no one died if you got it wrong. He hoped.

  Susanna smiled gratefully at them both, though anxiety creased her face. “Thank you so much, Maddie. And you must be Brad.” Taking her husband’s hand, she tugged him away. “Pat, we’re all packed. I’m sure you’ve covered the essentials. You can email Maddie anything you forgot. Or call her.”