She didn’t know. Or is she playing me? Panic gripped him. “Harper—”
She held up her hand. “I’m not saying forever. Maybe when the construction is done and the place is running smoothly, we can talk. If we’re both feeling the same way.”
If we’re both feeling the same way?
“So that’s really what you want? Nothing but business between us?”
She looked him in the eyes. “I think it’s best.”
Ethan stared at her and, to her credit, she held his gaze. Only a slight tremor in the hand holding her coffee cup betrayed her.
He jumped to his feet, too agitated to sit any longer. “If that’s what you want, fine. I’m heading to the cottage.”
He strode to the front door and grabbed his parka from the closet, anger dogging his every step. But his anger disappeared when he saw that Harper had followed him, her earlier bravado gone. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her midsection as if she couldn’t get warm enough. She looked small and vulnerable, and Ethan had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms.
This wasn’t easy for her. She was nothing like Bree.
He had no desire to upset her further. “I’ll see you in the morning, at breakfast. Eight am, right?”
Her lovely mouth curled in a half smile. “If it’s not too early for you.”
“It’s not. Goodnight, Harper.”
“Goodnight.”
He went to the garage and arm-wrestled the door until it opened. He started the snowmobile Harper had assigned to him and drove it out, closing the door behind him. It was late and even though he wasn’t dressed warmly enough, he headed out on the lake, needing the freedom and exhilaration the sled could give him. He drove around and around, flying over snowbanks and skidding down steep embankments, until he could barely feel his legs. By the time he got to his cottage, his hands were numb with cold.
But he couldn’t forget. Harper’s announcement played non-stop in his head like an old cassette on repeat. He couldn’t stop thinking of what might have been.
After asking around at Miller’s, a veritable hot bed of local gossip, Harper discovered that Abby and Reese had purchased Silas Johnson’s old house, a modest ranch style home a couple of blocks from Abby’s mother’s house. Phyllis Carlsson was getting on in years; it made sense that Abby would want to be close by to keep an eye on her. She was Phyllis’ only child, after all.
Harper drove to Abby’s new address, not certain what she was going to say. She hadn’t seen Abby in over eight years, since she’d married Reese and moved away. But even before that, when Abby still lived in Minnewasta, she’d avoided her. Perhaps it had been childish, but she’d been jealous of the close relationship between Abby and Maggie. Abby was the one her sister always turned to, not her. It still hurt.
Harper walked to the front door and steadied herself with a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. At first, there was no answer and she thought no one was home. She tried the bell one more time and as she was about to leave, she heard someone walking to the door. A minute later the door swung open and Abby stood on the other side, a multi-colored scarf in blues and greens and yellows wrapped around her head. She was fifty-six now, the same age as Willy, and the same age her mother would have been, but the lines on Abby’s face made her seem much older.
They stared at each other. Finally, Abby smiled and took her hand. “Harper. How beautiful you are. Your mother would be so proud.”
Emotion clogged her throat. “Thank you.”
Abby tugged on her hand. “Come inside out of the cold and have some tea with me. I want to hear all your news.”
Harper followed her through the small living room. Abby picked up some newspapers that were strewn on the sofa and set them on a side table. “Sorry I didn’t get to the door sooner. I fell asleep reading the paper.”
“I’m sorry to drop by unannounced. I wanted to call first, but I didn’t know your number and there was nothing in directory assistance for you.”
“We’re unlisted. Reese doesn’t like getting business calls at home. We try to keep our home and business lives separate. I’ll make sure to give you my number before you leave.”
“That would be great.”
“Come on in the kitchen with me and I’ll make some tea.”
The kitchen was sunny and warm, though not terribly big. While Abby put the kettle on to boil, Harper took off her jacket and hung it over the back of her chair.
“What made you and Reese decide to come back to Minnewasta?”
Abby placed a couple of teabags into a pot. “It was time to come home. This is where we belong.”
Harper blinked at her enigmatic answer. What did ‘it was time’ mean? Time for what? “How’s your mom? I haven’t seen her at the hockey rink much this winter. She used to come to all the games.”
“She’s doing fine. My mother would never let a little thing like age slow her down.” She poured boiling water over the teabags. “What about you? Reese tells me you’re embarking on a big renovation of the lodge.”
“Yes, I am.” She launched into her plans for the lodge and the business arrangement she’d made with Hainstock Investments.
“That sounds wonderful, Harper. I think your grandfather would be pleased.”
“You think so? If he were alive, he’d probably be fighting me tooth and nail over the changes we’re planning to make.”
“He’d be pleased you’re not letting the lodge die. It’s going to be reborn into something new and beautiful. Like a Phoenix.”
“I hope you’re right.”
When she thought of the lodge, she couldn’t help thinking of Ethan. In the two days since she announced she wanted to keep their relationship strictly business, he’d been polite but cool. She couldn’t blame him since she’d basically told the man she didn’t want him.
She was still amazed she’d been able to convince him of the lie.
“And how are your sisters? Where are they living now?”
Abby’s question brought her back to the present. “They’re great. Scarlet’s a marketing exec in Chicago, and Maggie’s in Minneapolis working in a five-star restaurant.”
“That’s wonderful. I know that’s what she always wanted to do. Maggie, I mean. She always wanted to be a chef.”
Abby poured a little tea in her cup and showed it to Harper. “Strong enough for you?” When Harper nodded, Abby filled both cups. She cautiously sipped the hot tea before speaking again. “Will your sisters be coming out to the lodge anytime soon? I’d love to see them.”
“Not that I know of. They were out in February to sign some papers, but they’re both so busy with work it’s difficult for them to make the trip.”
Disappointment swept across Abby’s face, surprising Harper. Then, she winced in pain.
“Are you all right? Can I get you anything?”
Abby made an attempt at a smile. “No, I’m fine. Just a spot of indigestion.”
“Is everything really all right with you? I’d heard you’d been ill.”
“I had an operation a couple of months ago, but everything’s fine now.”
“I’m glad you’re on the mend. I was worried.”
“You’re a sweet girl, but really, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Abby reached across the table to clasp her hand, surprising Harper with her strong grip. “So like your mother. As I said, she’d be proud of you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
They finished their tea and chatted about people they both knew, and about Harper’s plans for the lodge in the future.
“We’re going to add a spa. It’s going to be a place where guests can come to commune with nature and get a massage and maybe a mani-pedi at the same time.”
Abby chuckled. “Sounds like my kind of place.”
“When the lodge is finished, you’ll have to visit us. I’d love to treat you to a nice dinner, on the house.”
Abby’s smile was wistful. “I’d like that a lot. I’ll
keep your offer in mind.”
“Good. I look forward to you and Reese being our first guests.”
“That would be wonderful.”
Dark circles had formed under Abby’s eyes and her skin had a slightly grey pallor. Obviously, she was still recovering from surgery and needed her rest. “I’d better be going.”
Harper got to her feet and gathered the teacups. Ignoring Abby’s protests, she washed them in the sink and set them in the drain board to dry. She wiped her hands on a towel and reached for her jacket. “Is there anything I can do for you, Abby? You probably don’t feel up to cleaning house while you’re recovering from your surgery. I could do that for you.”
“No, we’re fine, but thank you for offering. My mother is helping out, and Reese takes very good care of me.”
Abby had married late in life. Harper had heard the story about how, at the age of twenty-seven, she’d met an old friend from high school who was home on leave from the army. Abby shocked everyone in the small town when she announced she was pregnant but wouldn’t be marrying her child’s father. She’d had a son, Luke, who was a couple of years younger than Scarlet. Abby raised him on her own with the help of her widowed mother and, as far as Harper knew, Luke had had very little contact with his father. The story around town was that she and Reese had reconnected about eleven years ago. They’d known each other before, of course, since they’d both grown up and gone to school in Minnewasta. But this time something must have clicked between them. They’d been together ever since.
“I’m glad to hear it. But seriously, if there’s ever anything I can do, like getting groceries, baking cookies, whatever, please call me.”
Abby rose slowly to her feet and gave her a hug. When she let her go, she cupped Harper’s face with her hand. “I’ll keep your lovely offer in mind, but what I’d really like is if you could drop by and say hello when you can.”
Harper smiled. “I’d like that. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“Good.” She wrote her phone number on a piece of paper and handed it over. “Goodbye, Harper. I’m so glad you came.”
“So am I. Bye, Abby.”
Harper drove back to the lodge feeling relieved. Though Abby was a little frail from her surgery, she was on the mend and sounded upbeat. Willy was already in bad shape. She couldn’t bear the thought of another of her mother’s old friends in trouble.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
On March thirtieth, the first shovels went into the ground for the renovation of the lodge. The weather had warmed up enough for Reese and his crew to begin digging below the frost line to pour the piles that would support the new guest wing. Between the piles, the crew put together insulated foam blocks that would create forms into which concrete would be poured for the foundation. When they were done with the foundation for the guest wing, they’d start construction on the new event center.
In a few days, a geo thermal crew would arrive to begin installing the new heating and cooling systems for both buildings. At the same time, a roofing company would repair the roof of the old lodge. Then the forms would go in the ground for the other outbuildings, including the spa and the recreation center. Things were beginning to take shape.
Harper documented the progress with her camera, then sent the pictures to her sisters, hoping to make them feel more involved. She was not a skilled photographer by any stretch, but things were happening so quickly that she wanted to record the stages of development. To see her dream coming true was exciting beyond words.
What wasn’t quite so exciting was clearing out the contents of the lodge. Every bed, every table and chair, and all the personal contents accumulated over the seventy plus years of the lodge’s existence had to be removed. Aside from a few family heirlooms and mementos, most of the contents of the lodge would be donated to charity. A truck would be coming to make the pickup in a few days.
The furniture was easy. Most of it was older than she was and not of great quality; it held little sentimental value. Going through the kitchen items proved more difficult. So many things, from the collection of salt and pepper shakers to the embroidered tea cozies, reminded her of her grandparents, especially her grandmother. Though she’d had a complicated relationship with her grandmother, she’d still loved her. She could only imagine how hard it had been for Grandma Dorothy to lose her only child. Having to raise three young orphaned children when she was nearly sixty must have been trying, especially since all three of them were headstrong and determined and grieving the loss of their parents.
Harper packed up and labeled all the things in the kitchen she couldn’t part with, including the Madeleine pans Maggie had asked about. She would store them in the second cottage where she’d soon be moving. Since Reese lived in Minnewasta now, he didn’t need the accommodations. Many of his crew had already moved trailers onto the property to live in during construction.
The home she’d lived in since childhood was going to change so drastically. When she and her sisters had come to live at the lodge, Grampa Bill had added onto their small living quarters on the main floor. The lean-to structure he attached to the lodge became the bedroom she and Scarlet and Maggie had shared. Harper still used that bedroom. Even though it was colder than the rest of the lodge, it was home to her.
Things were changing, but it was a good change. A necessary one. She was excited about the small apartment being built for her on the second floor of the event center, and she could hardly wait to put her own stamp on it. Ethan had been incredibly thoughtful to take her needs into account. But that was the Ethan she’d come to know—a thoughtful, kind and generous man.
If only…
She cut off that line of thinking. It did no good to wish for things that could never be. She had made the right decision.
After finishing in the kitchen, Harper moved on to what would be the hardest part of the lodge go through. In the days following Grandma Dorothy’s death, she’d been so busy dealing with Maggie’s anguish and Grampa Bill’s overwhelming grief she hadn’t had time to go through clothes and personal items. Besides, Grampa didn’t want anything disturbed, as if he was convinced Grandma was away on a little vacation and would soon arrive home and need her things.
After Grampa died, she’d sorted through his clothes, donating many of them. She’d kept some of them, like the ones she’d loaned to Ethan, in the trunk in her room. Then, she’d simply closed the door of the bedroom her grandparents had shared for so many years and left things the way they were. But now, she needed to go through each item in her grandparents’ bedroom and ruthlessly purge. She couldn’t put it off any longer.
She dreaded sorting through the old memories. She wished her sisters were here to help, but they were miles away. As usual, she was on her own.
Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Harper. Staying at the lodge and renovating had been her idea, her choice. She had to stop blaming her sisters for wanting something different.
She squared her shoulders and reached for the knob.
Opening the door of her grandparents’ bedroom was like breaking into a time capsule. She only came into the room occasionally to dust and vacuum, and she hadn’t opened the closet or dresser drawers in a long time. Taking a deep breath, she got to work.
The dresser drawers held few surprises. She carefully packaged Grandma Dorothy’s jewelry box and a few knickknacks she thought her sisters might want, setting those boxes aside to take to her cottage later. Then, she packed all the clothes from the drawers into garbage bags for donation and did the same with the clothes hanging in the walk-in closet.
When she’d removed all the clothes from the closet, she found several cardboard boxes piled on the floor. A couple were marked ‘Christmas Ornaments’ in Grandma Dorothy’s messy scrawl, and she put those aside to take to her cottage. Others were unmarked and sealed with packing tape. She tried to bring one out into the bedroom, but it was too heavy to lift. She’d have to empty some of the contents before she could shift it.
&
nbsp; After finding a box cutter, she sliced through the tape and opened the flaps. The box was filled with photo albums. Harper lifted out the top one and began thumbing through it. Many of the pictures were old black and white shots, probably taken by her grandparents in the fifties and sixties. There were dozens of pictures of her mother as a baby and a little girl, pictures she’d never seen before. Harper quickly turned the pages, fascinated by the recounting of her grandparents’ family life in pictures.
She pulled out another album labelled “1974 – 1976”. This time, most of the pictures were in color. Her mother was now a teenager, a girl with coltish, long legs, and bright red hair. In a couple of close-ups, the freckles and deep blue eyes Harper remembered so well were clearly visible. Harper lightly ran her finger over her mother’s face. Miranda’s smile was confident, even a little cocky, as if she had the world by the tail and nothing could stop her.
Except death.
“Hey. What do you have there?”
Harper looked up as Ethan crossed the room. “I found some old albums. See? This is a picture of my mother. She’s probably fourteen or fifteen here.”
Ethan knelt beside her as he studied the picture and then her. “I can see the family resemblance. The shape of your face and your nose are the same, but your coloring is different.”
“I take after my father. He was blonde and fair like me. Scarlet is the only one who got the freckles and red hair.” She shook her head. “Why would Grandma hide these pictures? They’re just family photos. Why be so secretive about them?”
“You’ve never seen them before?”
“Never.”
Anger bubbled inside her chest. This was part of her heritage. She and her sisters had a right to pictures of her mother. All these years, the only picture they’d had of her was a family picture with her parents, taken when she was fifteen. Grandma Dorothy had no right to lock these away. It made no sense. But then a lot of the things her grandmother had done or said over the years had made no sense to her.
Ethan reached into the box and pulled out another album. “Let’s see what’s in this one.”
Lies and Solace Page 15