Dad sinks into a rickety kitchen chair. “Smells good.”
Since my mom left, I do all of the cooking around our house. Dad, try as he might, is hopeless.
“While I’m gone, remember that the food is in the freezer,” I say, my voice stronger than I feel. “There are tupperwares labeled for the days of the week. Monday is Lasagna, Tuesday is spaghetti and meatballs, Wednesday, I made chicken casserole—”
“Anaya.” Dad interrupts me. “Daniel and I will be fine. Right?”
He puts an arm around my brother. Daniel rolls his eyes but cheerfully agrees. “Right.”
My lower lip wobbles and I bite it. “I don’t like leaving you for so long.”
“It’s your dream summer job, honey.” Dad comes to stand beside me at the stove. “I’m proud of you.”
I look away and wipe the tear that’s escaped my eye. He’s right about that, I’m honored to have a job at the prestigious Legacy Inn. I’ll be teaching kids to swim and helping with lifeguarding. The job combines my three favorite things: being outside, swimming, and spending time with kids.
But, I feel terrible leaving Daniel and Dad alone. Like Mom left us.
I frown at the pan, my face dark. It’s been years since we saw or heard from her — so long that I’m not sure I want to hear from her. We’ve created a happy little family, the three of us. Dad and Daniel are my rocks.
Dad pats my back and I return to the present. His gaze is steady and he has a half-smile on his face. “Have a great time, sweetheart. We can’t wait to see you at the end of summer.”
“Plus.” Daniel smiles. “Dad says we can have french fries every night when you’re gone.”
“Shhhhh!” Dad puts a finger to his lips and ruffles Daniel’s hair. He shoots me a smile, obviously trying to appear relaxed.
I force a smile back.
3
Wes
“Thank you, Coach Campbell.” I reach over the table and shake the coach’s hand. His fingers are like sausages, and my own large hand is dwarfed by his gigantic grip. He eventually lets me free of his grasp and I push my chair back, metal scraping on tile.
“The pleasure is all mine, Wesley,” Coach says, his eyes shining.
“Wes,” I correct automatically.
“Wes. Of course.”
I get the feeling that I could’ve asked him to call me Big Papa, or Smooth Criminal, or something equally stupid, and he would’ve obliged. He keeps looking at me like he won the lottery. Like he can’t believe his luck.
I scramble to my feet and say goodbye. Once I’m out of the office, I shake off the meeting with the football coach and glance around the hallways of Edendale High. I try not to feel too dejected thinking about the year ahead. Edendale High’s football team sucks. Around here, it’s all about soccer and I haven’t played soccer since I was about six.
But I chose to be here. For my mom.
I know this as well as I know my own name, but it doesn’t stop the pang in my heart as I imagine what my senior year could’ve been. Owning the halls of Billings High. Leading my football team to victory at the state championship. Brooklyn on the sidelines, cheering her heart out.
Brooklyn. I close my eyes for a moment. The memory of my ex-girlfriend is painful.
Two weeks ago, my life was perfect. I lived in a nice house in a fancy Billings suburb, and I played quarterback for one of the best high school football teams in the state. My parents were together and, for all I knew, in love. And, I had a beautiful girlfriend by my side.
Fast-forward fourteen days, and my life contains none of the above.
I push open the front door of Edendale High with more force than necessary and step into the glaring June sunshine. I pause in front of the school and shoot the squat brick building a parting glance. This will be my new school come fall. I’ll be playing for one of the worst football teams in the state. I can only hope that this won’t ruin my chances of being scouted for a college scholarship.
Then, the front door bursts open and a dark-haired girl with huge eyes storms out. Her pretty face is torn between an expression of anger and despair.
She looks exactly how I feel.
With a sigh, I walk to my Jeep and jump in the driver’s seat. The cab still has that new-car smell of money and polished leather. It makes me feel sick, fills me with anger and betrayal.
The Jeep was a gift from my dad before we left Billings. A consolation prize. Lose your father, gain a vehicle. I didn’t want to accept it and I almost gave it back. But, I realized I’d need it to get to school in the fall and I didn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on my mom. When your life falls apart, the last thing you want to worry about is driving your teenage son to school.
I fumble in the center console for my sunglasses and catch a glance at my face in the rearview mirror. I have dark circles under my eyes and my cheeks are more sunken than usual. I look tired, like I haven’t slept for weeks.
I frown and turn the key in the ignition. It’s my dad’s fault. He ruined everything. I haven’t spoken to him since I found out what he did to us.
Losing my friends, Brooklyn, my home, my future. It’s all because of him.
4
Wes
“Mom?” I peer around the mountain of boxes littering the living room floor of the tiny apartment.
“In the kitchen!” she yells.
I step over a pile of garbage bags stuffed with pillows and bedding, and round the corner. Mom stands amidst a sea of kitchen utensils and stacks of plates.
I smile. “It looks like a bomb went off in here.”
“Just a small bomb, though.” She looks at me hopefully. “Right?”
“Right,” I agree softly. “It’s going to be great, Mom.”
She smiles and her eyes crinkle at the corners. We share the same blue-green eyes and blonde hair, but our similarities end there. She’s 5’2” and petite, while I tower a foot taller than her. I can thank my dad for my height and athletic ability. But that’s about it.
“How did your meeting go?” She examines an old spatula and throws it into a drawer.
I don’t want to talk about it. Instead, I hold up the paper bags in my hand. “I come bearing Chinese food.”
“You’re an angel.” She lifts her water bottle off the counter and takes a swig. “I’m starving.”
“According to Google, The Oriental Rose has the best Moo Shu pork in Edendale.” I clear a space on the counter for the food. “Not that there are many options to choose from.”
“Come on, it’s not that bad here. Edendale is up and coming.” Mom elbows me playfully in the ribs. “I hear there’s even a sushi place in town now.”
“The height of culture.” I laugh.
Mom grew up in Edendale and moved to Billings for college. She met my dad her freshman year at MSU, and I came along unexpectedly nine months later. I know Mom wouldn’t change having me for the world but, sometimes, I can’t shake the thought of what her life could’ve been if I hadn’t turned up. She was pre-law and top of her class with a glittering career ahead of her. Because of me, she now works as a secretary.
“Come on.” Mom swipes a couple of sparkling waters from the fridge. “We can eat in the living room.”
We clear a spot on the floor and I set out the Moo Shu pork, chow mein and spring rolls.
I’ve barely bitten into a burning hot spring roll when Mom rounds on me. “So, why are you avoiding telling me about your meeting?”
I swallow the scalding bite of food painfully. “It went fine. Edendale High will be... fine.”
My words sound disingenuous even to my own ears. A shadow passes over Mom’s face.
“Wes, you know that you can always go back to Billings and live with your dad.” Mom forces a pinched smile. “I would completely understand.”
“I’m not living with that jerk.” My voice is angrier than I want it to be.
“Honey, he’s your dad. And your life is in Billings. Your friends, football, Brooklyn...”<
br />
I shove another spring roll into my mouth. “Brooklyn broke up with me, remember?”
Before everything happened, Brooklyn and I were happy together. We roamed the hallways of Billings High for three years, arm in arm. This summer, I took a job lifeguarding at a place called Legacy Inn as a surprise. Brooklyn’s family has a cabin near Legacy Inn and they spend all of their summer weekends there, so I figured it was the perfect way for us to spend more time together. Not to mention the adorable dates we could go on in the mountains.
But then, Dad announced he was leaving Mom for — oh, the irony — his secretary, and everything was flipped on its head. Brooklyn cried for two days when she found out that I was moving. She begged me to stay.
I couldn’t. Mom needed me.
Brooklyn didn’t get it. She refused to speak to me, refused to hear me out. I couldn’t even tell her that I had the job and that we’d be seeing each other every weekend. It broke my heart and made the sting of leaving even more painful.
“Wes.” Mom smiles. “Brooklyn loves you. She’s just sad that you moved away. She’ll come around.”
I pause mid-bite, her words flipping over in my head. Could she be right? I’m committed to spending the next three months at this random mountain Inn, no matter what. But, could this be an opportunity for Brooklyn to listen to me? Maybe even for me to get her back?
I chew in silence, lost in thought. What if this Legacy Inn place is a second chance for me — for us? What if I show Brooklyn that we can be together this summer but live in different places?
A plan starts to form in my mind. We’ll see each other every weekend at Legacy Inn and I’ll show her how good we still are together. Then, come fall, I’ll drive to Billings every weekend to be with her. We’ll only be missing our senior year classes. Brooklyn and I always talked about going to college together, anyway. In a year, we’ll be back together full-time.
The plan seems crazy. But a spark of hope ignites in me.
This could be the answer.
5
Anaya
It only takes me a few minutes to settle into my cabin. My favorite books are stacked on the shelf, photos of Dad and Daniel are tacked above my bed, and a secret stash of dark chocolate is hidden in the bedside drawer. It’s practically home.
With a sigh, I step onto my balcony and my breath catches. I could pinch myself.
Legacy Inn is postcard-worthy. A perfect Rocky Mountain backdrop frames acres of rolling hills and forested walking paths. The distant snow-covered peaks reflect beautifully in the jewel-like Legacy lake. The Inn itself is a grand, log cabin-style structure, built from rich redwood. Colorful flower beds flank the sides of the building and spill out into the gorgeous garden.
And, at the edge of the property, our cluster of A-frame cabins. These six cabins are housing for the Inn’s student workers.
I glance at the surrounding cabins, but see no sign of life yet. I’m early. Dad dropped me off at the crack of dawn this morning — he had to be back in Edendale for a 9am meeting. On a Saturday. Poor Dad.
A wave of guilt washes over me. For the millionth time, I hope that he and Daniel will be okay without me. They feel very far away.
I shake myself off and duck back into my cabin. With nothing to do and hours to kill before tonight’s Welcome Bash, I decide to take a walk. I may as well get acquainted with my new home for the summer. I throw on a bathing suit, flip-flops and a cover-up, and head out of my cabin.
I stroll down the gravel path to the main Inn building, the mid-morning sun warming my shoulders. The mountain air smells fresh and floral. Around me, I hear the sounds of nature — bees and butterflies landing on flowers, waves on the lake, birds in the trees.
It’s paradise. I allow myself a smile.
“Welcome to Legacy Inn, Anaya,” I murmur aloud.
“Well, thank you, but my name is not Anaya,” a disembodied voice replies.
“Agggh!” I jump backwards and trip over my feet. Stumbling, I almost go head-over-heels in a rosebush, but I manage to right myself just in time.
The voice chuckles. “Sorry to scare you, dear.”
I finally lay my eyes on the speaker, a dark-haired woman kneeling in a flower bed. She wears a sunhat and light clothing. She can’t be more than forty, but her bright smile makes her look much younger. She rises to her feet, removes a dirt-encrusted gardening glove and extends her hand towards me.
“I’m Nath,” she says. “The landscape architect.”
“Anaya, as you heard.” I shake her hand, smiling bashfully. “And I don’t usually talk to myself.”
Nath’s eyes twinkle. “Legacy Inn is the place to try new things.”
“Well, I’m working here for the entire summer,” I say. “So let’s hope I don’t stick with it and seem crazy.”
“Oh, crazy isn’t so bad.” Nath flings her arms open. “For to define true madness, What is it but to be nothing else but mad?”
I smile. English is my best subject at school, and I love Shakespeare. “That’s from Hamlet.”
“Good girl.” Nath nods approvingly and then returns to the flower bed. “So what will you be doing this summer at the Inn, Anaya?”
She kneels and gestures towards a fork-like object next to my left foot. I hand it to her and she starts digging.
“I’m teaching swimming lessons.”
“Lucky you!”
I blink at her enthusiastic response. I love kids and teaching, but it’s hardly the most glamorous job. “Why’s that?”
Nath winks and wiggles her eyebrows. “Just wait ‘til you see the new lifeguard. He’s a stunner.”
My cheeks warm. “Oh, no. I’m just here to work this summer.”
“Of course you are.” Nath’s tanned face breaks into a wide, cryptic smile, like she knows something I don’t. “I look forward to working with you, Anaya.”
I frown, wondering who Nath could be talking about. I forgot that there would be another student from Edendale High lifeguarding here. While there are some nice-looking boys at school, none of them have really caught my eye. But then again, given the age difference, Nath and I are likely to have very different tastes in guys.
I say my goodbyes and continue down the path to the lakeshore. My stomach fills with butterflies as I spot the massive dock stretching across the clear blue water. I lean against a shed and assess the view.
Tomorrow is my first official day on the job, and it’ll consist of getting set up before the guests arrive mid-afternoon. I’ll be spending the day training with the Inn’s manager Delia, and the lifeguard. Whoever he is.
My brow darkens as I think about the lifeguard. Who will it be and, more importantly, will he spill my secret to Isabella? Lost in thought, I assess the grounds and the beach. A girl from school — Kiara — waves at me with a smile. I snap out of my thoughts and wave back shyly. I don’t know Kiara well, but she’s a top photographer at our school. The cheerleaders used to make fun of her — called her the Queen or something like that.
Kiara wanders away and I turn my attention to the water. My stomach turns over thinking about tomorrow. My only wish is that I’m not going to be stuck working with a guy who hangs around with Isabella and her Edendale cheer cronies. If so, she’ll probably use him to spy on me — to prove that I don’t have a boyfriend.
That would be just my luck.
Before I can think twice, I strip off my cover-up and run across the dock. I dive into the lake and the ice cold water shocks my system, a familiar and welcome feeling. Goosebumps erupt over my skin and my mind clears as I move through the water, propelling myself forward. I feel alive. Free.
There’s something about swimming that calms me down. I get lost in it. I can turn my mind off, focus on my breathing and the feeling of my arms and legs slicing through the water. After the stress of my mom leaving, I threw myself into swimming and haven’t looked back since. It’s like medicine for me now. And with the intercounty swim meet coming up at the end of the summer, there
’s no time like the present to start training.
The sapphire lake stretches as far as the eye can see. I don’t know for how long I move seamlessly, mindlessly, through the cool and reviving water. The goosebumps disappear as my endorphins kick in. I could swim like this forever.
And yet, too soon, I find myself swimming back towards the dock. I want to stay here, submerged in this alpine lake, forever. I float on my back and the midday sun warms my skin. With a calm smile, I exhale and dip below the surface. I let myself sink for a moment, the water caressing my skin. I’m perfectly at ease, my thoughts a million miles away.
The world is blissful, calm, quiet. It’s just me and the endless blue water of Legacy Lake.
6
Wes
“Thanks for breakfast.” I nod at Delia, sitting across from me. “And, you know, for the job.”
Delia swallows a gulp of coffee and then beams at me, her cowboy hat askew. “The pleasure was all mine. Now, go out there and enjoy yourself. Today is the calm before the storm, so to speak.”
I laugh and rise from the table, clearing our plates. Tomorrow, the guests arrive and I’ll be on full-time, high-stress lifeguarding duty. But today, I have a clear schedule, aside from the staff party tonight. I bring our dishes to the kitchen, smiling and nodding at other workers as they mill about the staff room. Everyone seems friendly here at Legacy Inn.
When I return to the table, Delia is standing and chugging the last of her coffee. “Now, I must get back to work. This Welcome Bash isn’t going to plan itself!”
Without another word, Delia disappears from the staff room, her hands waving frantically. I smile and shake my head. Delia sure is a character.
It’s my first morning at the Inn. I arrived early, pulled towards Brooklyn like a magnet. But, I was greeted by an empty summer cabin where her family should’ve been, and an equally empty Legacy Inn. A couple of the A-frame cabins appeared to be occupied, but I couldn't see any of my fellow student workers wandering around.
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 18