Stay Forever

by Darcy Schroeder

  Thankfully, they made the drive to the lake house quicker than he’d thought they would, but he was thankful for a reason to end their depressing conversation. He’d already talked to counselors, and he knew he was fine. Isabelle didn’t need to worry.

  The house still looked the same, with the addition of some new plants and trees.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” Isabelle said as she looked around at the lush landscape. Large trees with dark green leaves loomed high overhead. On the ground, the area in front of the house was perfectly manicured with large pots of colorful flowers.

  “I agree. Miles told me my mom comes out here a lot when she just needs to get away from town, and my father.”

  “I hope your mom is okay.”

  “Me too, but I think she’ll be fine. It’s been a tough few days, but she’ll make it through. She always does. Besides, she’s a Montgomery, and she’s the rock of our family. So, we need her.”

  “I can tell.”

  Andrew grabbed Isabelle’s hand and guided her toward the front door. “Let’s go inside. I’m curious to see what all my parents have done to the old place.” Andrew turned the key and heard the soft click of the lock sliding open. Warm, stale air greeted them as they walked inside.

  “It’s a lot bigger inside than it appears from the outside,” Isabelle said as she glanced around the large entryway. A large mirror with a thick silver frame hung on the far wall.

  “Yeah, my dad had the place built when I was in middle school. It was our retreat when things got crazy in town. I think my mom liked it because my dad was too far away from work to just ‘run over to the office.’”

  “I can see that,” Isabelle said as she put down her bags. “I guess when you said ‘lake house’ I just assumed it would be a small little shack near a lake, but this is much more.”

  “It’s pretty cool, huh? I used to like coming out here. I wonder if Miles and Anne make the trip regularly.”

  “I’ve never heard Anne mention it. They always talk about a resort they like to visit closer to Austin.”

  Andrew laughed. “It sounds like Anne is getting my brother to act a little more refined. That’s probably a good thing. C’mon, I’ll show you around. We have two bedrooms, a playroom, and a movie room upstairs. The kitchen, gym, living room, and master are downstairs.” Andrew walked up the stairs toward the room that had once been his. All the doors were open. He peered inside. His old room looked the same. He guessed his parents had never changed any of the decor in their sons’ bedrooms. He strode over to the desk near a large window. One of his old sketchbooks was lying on the top.

  Andrew picked up the large book. It was pretty much empty, except for the first few pages, where he’d sketched the lake and an old log that had washed up on the shore. He put the book back down and then went into Miles’s room. That also looked pretty much the same. If you didn’t know, you might think the Montgomery’s still had teenage boys. The rest of the house also had the same furniture. Andrew was glad they had made the trip.

  “Would you like a glass of wine?” Andrew asked Isabelle as he headed into the kitchen.

  “Sure,” she responded, sounding somewhat lost in thought.

  “Then we can go and sit on the back porch. I remember it always being very relaxing out there.”

  “Sounds good to me. This entire place is already having a relaxing effect on me. Sitting on the porch sounds like the perfect way to spend the evening.”

  Isabelle’s calm expression said it all. “Are you trying to get me drunk with just one glass of wine?”

  “That does sound like a good idea. We’ve both had a pretty tough few days,” he said, moving to within an inch of her body. She took a small step backward, but Andrew followed. Their bodies moved together.

  She grabbed the glass from his hand. “All right, let’s go see this porch. I’m in the mood to think about very little right now.”

  “Me too.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Andrew took in a deep breath. He could smell the pine and cedar mixed with water. It brought back memories of when he was a teenager, coming here with his family. He sat down on the wooden lounge chair.

  Isabelle let out a deep sigh. “This is nice. I’m glad we made the trip.”

  “What’s nice?” Andrew asked as he leaned back.

  “The view. The company. Everything. It’s just a perfect night.” Isabelle took a sip of her wine and then set the glass back on the side table. The sound of crickets chirping could be heard in the distance. “At least your family has this place, so you haven’t lost everything.”

  Andrew thought about what she’d said. “You’re right. It is nice being out here tonight. I guess I don’t know what I really expected, since I haven’t been here in such a long time. I just wanted to get away from everything happening in Sable Falls, but I agree that it was a good decision to come out here.”

  “Andrew, are you just saying that to make me happy?” Isabelle asked, her eyebrows jutting up.

  “No. Why?” Andrew responded, a little confused by her response. It was a good night, and he couldn’t think of a better place to be than right here with Isabelle, but now she was questioning his words.

  “Just curious. I’ll be honest. You’re different than I expected.”

  “Huh. What do you mean by that?”

  “You’re just different. I never thought in a million years I would be sitting across from the famous Andrew Montgomery, drinking wine and talking…and really enjoying the conversation.”

  “Famous? Hmm. I’m not sure I would use that word to describe me. If it makes you feel any better, I really hadn’t thought I would be sitting across from you, drinking either.”

  Isabelle laughed. “That’s because you didn’t know I existed!”

  “True and false. In all fairness, I knew about you. I remember Jessica talking about her older sister. She thought you were sooooo cool.”

  “I’m not that much older.” Isabelle laughed.

  “I didn’t say you were and I never called you a cougar.”

  “Stop! I’m not a cougar.” She laughed. “I’m only two years older than you!”

  “Two years is a long time.”

  “No, it’s not!”

  “It kinda is.”

  It felt good to laugh with Isabelle after everything that had happened. He loved how she blushed almost instantly.

  “You know, in a way, I’m envious my sister got to know you so well in high school,” Isabelle said.

  “I’m not sure how well she got to know me, but we were definitely friends. I always thought she was a cool girl, with a sort of confidence about who she wanted to be and where she wanted to go.”

  “But you guys never officially dated?” Isabelle asked.

  “No, but I definitely wanted to date her. Trust me, I thought about it a lot, but she didn’t want to upset Cassie.”

  “That’s what I was told.” Isabelle looked out across the water. The setting sun cast a rainbow of various shades of orange across the smooth surface. “She and Cassie had been close friends since they were very little. I never really understood their relationship. To me, it seemed to benefit Cassie more than Jessica, but my sister never wanted to turn her back on little Miss Cassie Adams.”

  “Jessica was afraid that if I broke up with Cassie she would have a horrible last few months of our senior year. They’d been best friends for such a long time that she didn’t want anything to change. So, I listened.” Andrew shrugged.

  “My sister mentioned something along those lines as well. At the time, I told her she needed to suck it up and get over it.”

  “That was easier said than done. Cassie was definitely a force in high school.”

  “I get it. I can see it in her eyes now. She’s pretty intense and brings out a hint of fear in the folks who cross her.”

  Andrew laughed. “Intense. I guess you could call her that.”

  “But still, you took care of my sister. She always had so m
any great things to say about you. I didn’t understand what she saw in you at the time, but I understand it now. You’re pretty awesome.”

  Andrew feigned a look of sadness. “Why couldn’t you see it when I was in high school?”

  “I just thought you were an arrogant jock. Every time I came home, I had to hear about the ‘amazing’ Montgomery boys. Everyone thought you boys were Greek gods. Seriously, it was ridiculous.”

  “I’m glad to hear people talked about us,” Andrew said as he downed the last of his drink. “We were pretty popular back then—”

  “Oh, please. Everyone talked about your family. You had to know that.”

  “Honestly?” Andrew really hadn’t ever thought about his family being something the rest of the town discussed.

  “Yeah. You guys owned everything. You still do.”

  “Okay. I honestly get it now, but you have to know that I had no clue when I was a teenager. My parents were simply my parents. We didn’t talk about money or anything to do with my dad’s company,” Andrew said. “It wasn’t until I came back a few weeks ago that I realized just how big of a role Montgomery Industries has played in the town.”

  The sun was fading, the orange of dusk turning into the black of night. The dark sky was sprinkled with tiny stars.

  “Wow, it’s amazing out here,” Isabelle said as Andrew crossed over to a line of candles his mother had left on the outdoor coffee table, and lit each one.

  “Is that a bit better?”

  “Yeah,” Isabelle said. Andrew watched as she bit down on her bottom lip in the soft light.

  He kneeled in front of her chair. “You look very relaxed out here, Dr. Rodriguez. I like the look on you.”

  Andrew reached up and touched her face. His fingers lingered on her cheeks. They had only known each other for a short time, but he felt like he had known her forever.

  “I feel very relaxed,” she responded as she leaned forward, bringing her face within inches of his. She cupped his face. “Thank you for bringing me out here. It’s truly a great night.”

  “You’re very welcome,” Andrew said. “I hope we’re able to come out here more in the future.”

  He leaned closer to her and let his lips softly caress hers. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him gently backward.

  “You need to go back to your chair. I’m not ready to go inside. I’m enjoying sitting out here on this porch and talking.”

  Andrew winked. “As you wish. I’ll return to my chair, and I promise not to touch you for the next thirty minutes, but after that, I can’t promise anything.”

  Isabelle giggled. “Really? I only get thirty more minutes? That’s not enough time. Are you afraid of just sitting out here and talking to me? I want to know so much about you.”

  “Fine, you can have an hour, but I’m going to set my timer, and when the little hand lands on the ten and the big hand is on the twelve, then you’re mine.”

  He really didn’t want to wait that long to touch her body, but he could tell she needed some more time to enjoy the charm of the porch. This had been the place he loved sitting when he was a teenager and needed to clear his head. There was just something about the view that made you forget all the troubles in the world. It was an escape. The water seemed to wash everything away. He was glad he’d brought Isabelle to this house. Sitting out here, he knew he’d made the right decision. He needed her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Sometime in the middle of the night, Andrew found himself walking down the dark hallway toward his old room. He picked up his sketchbook and headed downstairs back to the porch. The air was now slightly cooler, but still sticky as he flipped open the book and stared at the blank pages. There was an image he needed to draw before he forgot any details.

  He let his pencil glide over the cream pages. Stroke by stroke, he watched as his family’s old home came to life on the paper. The sun began to rise, casting beautiful rays of various shades of orange on the patio. Soon Andrew heard the shuffle of feet as someone walked up behind him.

  “That’s amazing, Andrew. Did you just start drawing this?” Isabelle asked as she sat down next to him and held out a cup of coffee, her eyes locked on his sketch. “You’re really talented.”

  “I wanted to make sure my mom has a way to remember the house. Forever. I’m not sure if she has any pictures of the place that meant so much to all of us.”

  “She’s going to love it.” Isabelle draped her arm around his back. “Seriously, this is a cool present.”

  They spent the rest of the morning enjoying each other’s company. After breakfast, Andrew took her on a walk around the lake. It would have been a nice morning to go on a long hike, but Andrew still had the boot. It was starting to feel like he would have the stupid thing on forever. He was ready to get it off and get back to walking normally.

  “How much longer do you think I’ll need to wear this thing?” Andrew pointed down at the awful contraption that now had leaves and dirt hanging off the side.

  Isabelle shook her head. “At least another two to three weeks, if you want it to heal properly. I would take it off earlier, but I really don’t think I can trust you not to go out and over do it.”

  “Two to three more weeks! Seriously?” Andrew rolled his eyes. “I’m over it. I need a new doctor.”

  “No, you don’t. We may have a medical license, but there is no magic potion to help us speed up the time your bones need to heal. Instead of focusing on your foot, why don’t you tell me what time we’re going to leave? I’m not trying to rush us, and I don’t have anything packed yet, but I should probably get back to town before dark or my brother might start to worry.”

  “We can leave whenever you want,” Andrew responded. He didn’t have any place he needed to be anytime soon, but he understood Isabelle had work and, of course, her family. All of which demanded her time.

  His thoughts drifted back to the cup he’d picked up at his house—the one that had Lucy’s name on the bottom. Without looking at Isabelle, he walked over to his truck and threw open the driver’s door. The cup was in his center console. He grabbed the purple ceramic piece and returned to Isabelle. “What can you tell me about Lucy?”

  “Is that the cup you found near the garage?”

  He held up the mug. “Yeah. It looked like a craft project Miles or I did when we were in elementary school, but when I looked at the bottom of the cup, it had another name etched into it—Lucy’s name.”

  “I don’t get it. She’s just a girl in the town. Everyone has met her and knows about her. Her grandfather is the guy who attacked me the other night at the clinic.”

  “What? What are you trying to say? That drunk is related to Lucy? How come you’re just now telling me this piece of information?” Andrew could feel his cheeks burn with anger.

  “I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t know how you would react. No one ever inquiries about her or him. The past few days have been different, but you should know that Lucy is Marlin’s granddaughter. They live on the outer border of town in a tiny shack that I’m not even sure has electricity. It’s one of the reasons I’m pretty confident she’s always walking around town.”

  “Near the curve where the accident happened? Is that where she lives?”

  “Yeah, I guess it’s pretty close to that area. I’ve only seen her house one time, but that’s how my family all knows her. She comes out every time she sees one of us visiting Jessica’s cross.”

  “What else do you know about her?”

  “I really don’t know much else.

  “I feel like I know Lucy,” Andrew said. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with her family or where she lives. There’s just something about her that seems familiar.”

  “She’s a likable girl. I really do enjoy getting to talk with her when she comes into the clinic to pick up her grandfather.”

  “Yeah, but there’s also something about her that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I know her. I’ve s
een her facial expressions before, and now I’ve found a child’s school project in the ashes of my family home, with her name etched on the bottom…it just doesn’t make sense.”

  “I agree. It’s been a crazy few weeks. Nothing really makes sense anymore.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” Andrew sighed as he thought about Lucy and her crazy, curly, brown hair.

  “I can see how you could say that,” Isabelle said, and then let out a soft laugh as she shook her head. “You know, when Anne told me she was inviting you to the wedding, I didn’t think I would have any sort of reaction to you. Obviously, I was wrong. Seeing you caused me to feel a wide range of emotions, and then somehow you ended up in my clinic, and I got to know you better and realized you’re really not that bad a guy.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad to know that you like me.”

  Isabelle smiled. “I have to be honest and say that I’ve never really thought too much about Lucy. She’s just a girl who lives in the same town. She’s very nice and seems to know a lot of things.”

  “Her grandfather attacked you.”

  “He did, but Marlin isn’t a bad person. He’s just had a rough few years.”

  “He held a knife to your throat.”

  “But I’m fine.” Isabelle caressed the front part of her throat. “See, he didn’t even leave a mark.”

  “Isabelle, he’s crazy and should be in jail.”

  “I told Pete I didn’t want to press charges.”

  “What? Why not? You should have pressed charges!

  “Marlin is a nice man. He doesn't need any more trouble.” Isabelle held up her hands.

  “I might want to press charges.”

  “Andrew, stop! Let it go. Marlin had a bad lapse in judgment and did something stupid. I’m not going to cause him more problems because he had one really bad night. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  Andrew looked back down at the cup in his hands. “Fine. I’ll let it go, but I would really like some answers.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, but if Marlin attacks you again, I can’t guarantee I won’t stop my fist from pounding into his head and causing him some serious damage.