by Elena Aitken
Did she ever. They spoke for a few more minutes about some of the other details, including casting Cal McCormick to play Ian. It was both a smart choice and a risky one, but even without the screen test, Jade knew it would be a good decision.
Jade was both relieved and terrified by the amount of freedom Peter was giving her on this project. Along with Gwen and Ian, there was no one who was closer to the project as she was, and Peter knew that. She wouldn’t let him down.
The sooner she got to the bottom of things, the better. Jade hung up the phone and was just about to track down Gwen, who only a moment ago had left Ian on the dock and was headed up toward the lawn, when Mitch’s voice stopped her.
“Were you looking for me?”
She took a moment to compose the look on her face, careful that it was as neutral as it possibly could be. She turned around.
“Hey there.” She blatantly ignored his question, and hoped he wouldn’t call her on it.
Jade tried not to stare at him. How was it possible that a man could look so damn sexy wearing nothing but baggy khaki shorts and a tight-fitted T-shirt? That was easy. It was possible because he was Mitch. And he was sexy. It didn’t help that she knew exactly what hid under that thin piece of cotton.
She cleared her throat and looked away out to the lake. That didn’t help either, because every time she looked at the lake she couldn’t help but remember what they had done out there only a few nights ago.
“Is it busy today? I was hoping to talk to Gwen. Maybe I should get going.” She glanced in the direction Gwen had disappeared and turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.
“What’s the rush?”
She turned around again and immediately wished she hadn’t. Mitch’s eyes traveled up and down her body, taking in her outfit, taking her in. His eyes on her made her want to tremble, but she swallowed hard to maintain her composure.
“There is just so much to do with the show.” She hoped she was keeping her tone light and friendly. She pulled her purse higher up on her shoulder. “Besides, it’s a beautiful day. You must be crazy busy.”
Mitch took a step back and tucked his hands in his pockets. “It is. But all the boats are out and Chelsea’s helping with jet skis. And I was just finishing up a tutoring session. So I have a few minutes. If you do.”
“Tutoring? Seems an awful lot like teaching. I thought you were taking a break?”
“Once a teacher, always a teacher. Besides that, it was hard to say no to his mom.”
Jade glanced over his shoulder, where the boy was packing up his books. She still didn’t know a lot of people in town, but she’d seen the boy and his mom on Main Street at the bakery the other day. She remembered because he been a nice kid, and had taken her empty dishes for her. “His mom is Evelyn Rose, right?”
Mitch nodded.
A lump formed in her chest, which was entirely stupid. Because she had no claim to him. And just because he was tutoring her kid didn’t mean anything was going on between them. And even if it was… “She’s very pretty.”
A look a lot like guilt flashed over Mitch’s face, and Jade decided she didn’t want to press the issue. She didn’t want to know whether anything was going on between them. It was easier that way.
“Well, I should go. I do have a lot of work to do.” Once again, she turned to walk away, only this time she managed to get a few steps in.
“Jade. Wait.”
She swallowed hard and put her smile back on her face before she turned around.
“You can’t possibly be working all the time, right? I mean, as your friend, I think it’s my duty to show you a little summer fun, too. Wouldn’t you agree?”
She should say no. But she was tired of saying no to anything that was fun. Everyone around her was having a good time, and it was summer after all, and she was in a lake town. “I’d like that. You did promise me a boat ride during the day, in the sunshine.” Something flashed in his eyes, and she knew he was remembering exactly what had gone on in the boat at night. “As friends.”
“As friends,” he agreed with a smile. “Wednesday? Ten in the morning.”
“I can make that work.” She turned to leave, this time for real. But his voice stopped her one more time.
“And Jade? Go get yourself some lake clothes.”
Chapter Five
One of the best parts about summer for Mitch were the longer days. Especially when he was at the lake and could enjoy them to their fullest. Mitch walked out onto the deck of the old cabin, put his hands on the wooden rail, and gazed out over the lake. He had to admit, when Ian first told him he was coming back to Cedar Springs to open up the cabin, he’d had his reservations. After all, a lot went down in Cedar Springs. A lot that shaped their whole lives.
Mitch let his eyes travel to the water’s edge and the big old tree where they used to swing from a rope into the water. An old frayed rope still hung there, but there was no way Mitch was going to swing on it now. Maybe after it had been replaced. Maybe that’s something he could do.
He laughed to himself remembering how Declan, only eight, had tried to prove to his older brothers that he was big enough to do what they did. They probably shouldn’t have let the younger boys try, but Declan was never one to be talked out of things. Of course it resulted in Declan not letting go of the rope when he was supposed to, causing him to slam into the trunk of the tree, fall to the ground and break his arm. Which then resulted in Ian and Mitch getting in trouble. Of course, it also meant that summer kinda sucked for Dec. If you didn’t count all the ice cream and treats he got from Mom.
Yes, there were a lot of memories at the lake. But not all of them were great. It had been at the lake where the McCormicks’ life had fallen apart. Their mother had taken the boys up for the summer, just as she always did. Their father was set to join them at the Fourth of July celebration, just the way he always did. Everything about that summer when he was eighteen had been normal, except his dad had come to the cabin early to break the news to him that he had another family and was leaving them. It was the night of the summer solstice, the night that everything changed.
That had been the last time he’d been to Cedar Springs. With Ian’s help mostly, their mother had packed up and they’d gone back to the city so she could find work and try to put their life back together again.
Mitch tipped his head up to the sky and took a deep breath. It seemed like a lifetime ago when all that happened. How things had changed since. The biggest change, of course, was that Chelsea was in their lives. If anyone had asked him five years ago if he ever wanted to get to know his little half-sister, the product of his father’s affair, he would have laughed in their face. Now, of course, after only knowing her for a short time, he couldn’t imagine things without her. He was looking forward to meeting Amber, their other sister, as well.
Things definitely had changed. But the one thing that had remained the same was the way being at the lake made him feel. For the first time in longer than Mitch could remember, he felt like himself again. His hand reached up and scratched the scruff on his chin. Not that growing a beard was the epitome of who he was, but it was a symbol. Working at the stuffy private school for the last few years, public perception had been extremely important. Mitch had to watch everything he did, because everyone else was watching. It was exhausting.
He breathed in the fresh air coming off the lake and let it out in a long sigh.
“Looks like I may be interrupting something.”
He turned around and greeted Chelsea with a smile. “Not at all. I was just standing out here, remembering.”
She came to join him at the rail, crossed her arms and leaned her head down, looking out at the water. “You know, I envy you guys. That you grew up with all this. Must’ve been a great childhood, you know, until…”
He’d never talked to Chelsea about their parents, or more specifically, their father. There’d be a time for it, but it wasn’t right now.
“Well, I’m glad you�
��re here now,” he said. “Everyone should have a lake in their life.”
Chelsea nodded. “I totally agree with that.” They stood in silence for a few moments, enjoying the view, listening to the birds, and watching the boats in the distance slip by on the lake in the late afternoon, when suddenly Chelsea stood. “I totally forgot,” she said. “Ian just told me that Cal is coming later today, or I should say in the middle of the night. I mean, I guess his flight gets in…but we probably won’t see him—”
“Until tomorrow?” Mitch laughed at her excitement. Unlike him and Ian, his younger two brothers and his half-sisters had grown up as friends. It had more to do with them being close in age than anything else, and perhaps the fact that Ian and Mitch were too damn stubborn for their own good. “I can’t wait to see him,” he said genuinely. It had been way too long since he’d seen his little brother. Cal had been so busy in Australia working as a model, and apparently a little bit as an actor, that he hadn’t had much time to come home and visit his family. It didn’t hurt that he was dating one of the hottest new actresses on TV. Bridget Murphy was a star of the hit lifeguarding show that had been filming in Australia for the last two months and Cal had been photographed by her side on a number of occasions. And they were a good-looking couple.
Another couple.
Mitch tried not to let it bother him that his little brother had also found love, while he was still looking. “I wonder what his girlfriend thinks about him coming all the way over here, for a show of his own?”
“Didn’t you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“They broke up.” Chelsea bit her lip and opened her eyes wide in fake horror. “I don’t know what happened, but I think it was Cal who broke up with her. You think he’s losing his mind?”
Mitch shook his head and laughed. “I’m sure we’ll hear all about it when he gets here tomorrow. What time is it?” He changed the subjects. He had his date with Evelyn tonight, and he didn’t want to be late. It had taken enough convincing to get her to go out with him as it was. The last thing he needed was to be late.
“It’s just after five. Why? What’s up?”
Mitch shrugged casually. “Just heading to the Grizzly Paw. You’re not working tonight?”
“Nope. I’ve got the night off. And I’m looking forward to a little bit of couch time. It’s long overdue.”
He gave his sister a kiss on the forehead, said good-bye, and left her on the deck. He was looking forward to tonight. Over the last few days, he tutored Jonah twice more. He was a smart kid, and he was catching on fast. It was true: you could take the teacher out of the school, but you couldn’t take the school out of the teacher. He laughed at himself, not entirely sure that made sense. But regardless, he was excited to tell Evelyn how well her son was doing. He was pretty sure it would make her smile. And she had a pretty smile.
An image of Jade’s sexy smile flashed in his mind, almost knocking him to his knees with the power of it.
He’d been trying for the life of him, but he could not get thoughts of that woman out of his head. He was really hoping focusing on another woman, a woman as great as Evie, would be just the distraction he needed. Because he definitely needed something.
Jade had been putting it off long enough. That morning, she’d taken a long, hard look in her closet and had faced facts. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Mitch was right. She needed some lake clothes. Her wardrobe was full of black, tailored pants and structured blouses. That might work for the city for negotiating contracts and deals. But more and more, she was finding her wardrobe was not entirely practical for life at the lake.
She’d already decided today would be the day that she’d go down to Main Street to check out the new boutique. Evelyn’s boutique. The fact that Mitch was tutoring Evelyn’s son had definitely been a factor in the reason she’d put off her shopping trip until now. Despite the fact that she kept telling herself it didn’t matter. But even if that didn’t bother her a little bit, the reality was there weren’t that many places to shop in Cedar Springs, so regardless of the little seed of jealousy she felt in the pit of her stomach, Jade didn’t have a choice. She was going to have to check out the shop.
At least she thought it was just a seed of jealousy that was making her stomach so upset. For the last few days, she felt as if she might be coming down with something, but besides an upset stomach that only seemed to respond to peppermint tea, there were no other symptoms. She must just be a little run-down, which didn’t make much sense considering she’d never felt more relaxed and at peace in her life. The lake did that.
Just walking down Main Street relaxed her. Everyone was so friendly. They all waved at her. They even said hello, calling her by name. It was so unlike anything she was used to. She’d barely been there a month, but already she’d been accepted as a local.
Jade paused before opening the door to the Live, Love, Lake boutique. She’d purposely waited the whole day, planning her arrival only a few minutes before closing time so she wouldn’t have to stay long.
Bells jingled as she opened the door.
Cute.
In fact, the whole store was cute. At least that was Jade’s first impression. There were racks of casual, soft colored clothes made of cotton and other flowing fabrics. There wasn’t a pair of black slacks in sight.
Jade stood, slightly dazed, in the doorway and looked around. She was just about to turn around and leave, when a voice stopped her.
“Hello. Can I help you?” A pretty petite woman, wearing a floral sundress that probably came off one of her racks, appeared from the back room. Evelyn.
Jade shook her head, and almost told the woman no. But she needed clothes. “Yes. I really hope you can.”
Evelyn’s smile was sweet, just like she was. Jade didn’t even need to talk to her to know that she was a lovely person. Some people just radiated a genuine kindness. Evelyn was definitely that type of person. “I’m going to close in about fifteen minutes,” she said. “But don’t worry about that. How can I help you? What were you looking for exactly?”
Jade took a step inside the store, feeling much more at ease. “Everything. I’ve been told that if I’m going to spend the summer at the lake, I should probably dress down a little.” She held her arms out and laughed at herself. “And I guess that’s probably true.”
“Well, I think you look great. But I can definitely help you choose a few pieces that would probably be more appropriate for hanging out at the lake. Why don’t we start over here?” Evelyn let her toward the back of the store and a rack of shorts. “The first thing you’re going to need is a good pair of shorts. Something casual, but still something with a little bit of structure, more like what you’re used to.”
The more she spoke, the more Jade liked her. She couldn’t be more opposite than herself, but one thing Jade could appreciate was a woman of business. And Evelyn clearly knew her business.
“My name is Evelyn, by the way. But most people call me Evie. I’ve seen you around town. You’re working on the show with Gwen and Ian, right?”
“Guilty. But lucky me, I get to spend the summer in Cedar Springs. My name is Jade. Jade Johnson.”
Instead of shaking her hand, Evie offered her another warm smile. “Well, it’s really nice to meet you, Jade. Let’s find you some clothes.”
With amazing effectiveness, Evie pulled pieces off the racks and handed them to Jade, who she’d settled into a changing room. Almost every item Evie handed her looked great. Obviously, the clothes were different than what Jade was used to but Evie had an eye for picking items close to what Jade was used to, only much more appropriate for the lake. Jade was surprised, when only twenty minutes later, she had a pile of new wardrobe choices.
“I can’t thank you enough.” Jade took the pile of clothes on the counter in the back of the store. “You really do have beautiful things here. And honestly, I’m not sure if you noticed, but I was a little out of my depth in here. I really appreciate your help.�
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“It is my pleasure.” Evie started scanning tags into the till and folding the pile of clothes. “I’ve only just opened this season and it’s nice to see the community responding so positively. It’s always been my dream to open a shop in my hometown. And frankly, it’s taken about all my energy. But it’s so worth it.”
“Well,” Jade said, “if my experience has been any indication, you’re going to do great. I don’t think I’ve ever bought so many clothes in such a short time, and it was relatively painless. I think I have an outfit for every occasion in here, unless of course I need a cocktail dress of some sort.” Jade laughed. She couldn’t imagine a situation where she might need a cocktail dress in Cedar Springs. “But I think—”
“Oh my God!” Evie dropped the blouse she was folding and looked up. “I have just the thing. It just came in. You have to try it on.”
Jade shook her head. “I was just kidding. I don’t need a fancy dress. I already have a few cute sundresses here.” Jade patted the pile of clothes on the counter. She already had more than enough. “Honestly, I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to buy it. But you have to try it on. It will look so good on you. Just wait right here.”
Evie was so excited and she’d been so helpful, it was the least she could do. A moment later, Evie reappeared with a stunning dress in her hand. It both fit with the rest of the clothes in the store, and at the same time was incredibly different. Jade disappeared into the changing room and slipped the dress over her head. She didn’t even look in the mirror before going to show Evie, who waited impatiently for the reveal.
“You are gorgeous. That dress is absolutely amazing on you. I wasn’t sure if I should order it—it’s not really something that most people around here would buy. But on you, it’s incredible. What do you think?”
Jade turned toward the mirror and drew in a breath. The dress was amazing. The emerald-green color made her eyes pop and was made even more dramatic by her dark hair falling over her bare shoulders. The fabric hugged her body, over her breasts, her waist, and her hips before falling into a light and floaty skirt. Jade shook her hips back and forth, letting the fabric float around her knees. It really was beautiful. “It’s stunning.”