Lies and Solace

by Jana Richards

  Scarlet followed her into the kitchen and put her hand on her arm. “Harper, Reese told us that Ethan left.”

  Her heart dropped into her stomach. She opened the fridge door and stared inside. “So? He often goes back to the city. He has other responsibilities there. He’ll be back.”

  “Not this time. He told Reese to contact him if he has any questions about the lodge, but that he wouldn’t be back. He’s gone, Harper.”

  She clutched the handle of the fridge. She’d chased him away. Lydia had been right. She’d refused to listen to him or to try to understand what he’d done.

  And now he was gone.

  Scarlet gently pried her fingers from the handle and closed the door of the fridge. “There’s more. Come sit down.”

  She let Scarlet lead her over to the sofa and sat down. Maggie sat beside her and took her hand while Scarlet rummaged in her handbag. She pulled out a sheaf of papers and handed them to Harper.

  “I think you should read this.”

  Harper stared unseeing at the papers. “What is it?”

  “It’s a legal document that Ethan had his lawyer draw up. It states that Hainstock Investments is relinquishing its forty-nine percent share of ownership of the lodge and giving it to you.”

  Harper stared at her, not sure she’d heard correctly. “What do you mean, he’s giving it to me? That’s not possible. He’s put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the lodge.”

  Scarlet nodded. “I know, but that’s what he’s doing. I had a lawyer from my company take a look at this document. It’s a totally legit and legal contract. All we have to do is sign it and it becomes binding. You’ll own sixty-five percent of the lodge free and clear, and Maggie and I will own the rest.”

  “Free and clear?”

  Maggie squeezed her hand. “Ethan didn’t want you to sell the lodge.”

  Scarlet sat next to her. “But the contract doesn’t go into effect until the renovations are complete. He’s going to honor the original contract to finish what you two started.”

  Harper looked from Scarlet to Maggie and then down at the papers. “I don’t understand. Why is he doing this?”

  “Because he loves you.” Scarlet put her arm around her shoulders. “I was sceptical of his motives at first, but after going over this contract with my lawyer friend, and now speaking to Reese, I realize it’s true. Reese says Ethan instructed him to continue to send his invoices to Hainstock Investments for payment until the project is completed. Nothing has changed.”

  “I knew he loved you as soon as he told me he wanted to do this for you,” Maggie said. “You can’t fake something like that.”

  “Sure you can,” Scarlet countered. “But not in this case.”

  Harper turned to Maggie. “When did you talk to him?”

  “A couple of days ago. He called both of us to tell us what he planned to do, and then he sent Scarlet a copy of the contract he’d had drawn up. The originals are going to be mailed to you.” She paused and squeezed Harper’s hand once more, her dark eyes shining. “He asked us to come home to help you with the lodge.”

  Harper bowed her head. It was too much. Her fondest wish was to have her sisters come home. Ethan knew and he’d tried to make it happen for her.

  “I’ve arranged a five month leave of absence from work, beginning June first,” Scarlet said. “That gives me time to put together a marketing campaign. We’ll have to sit down and figure out the direction we want to take and who we’ll be aiming our marketing toward. But we can talk about that once I get here.”

  Harper lifted her gaze to her sister. “Wait. Are you saying you’re going to stay here at the lodge for five months?”

  “Yes.” Scarlet looked down at their joined hands. “When Ethan told me you planned to sell the lodge, I suddenly realized I didn’t want to lose it. I always thought it would be here, you know? I guess I’m more attached to the old place than I thought.” She shook off the sentimentality with a flip of her hair, all business once more. “I’ve already rented my condo to a co-worker for the duration. It’s important for the three of us to work together closely and get this right.”

  “The three of us?” Harper turned to Maggie. “Does that mean you’re coming home, too?”

  Maggie nodded. “I want to be part of this crazy plan of yours.”

  “But what about your job, your apartment?”

  A shadow briefly crossed Maggie’s face, but she covered it with a smile. “I never liked that place anyway. I gave my notice at work and the lease on my apartment is up at the end of May. If you still want me, I’ll be arriving with Scarlet at the beginning of June. There’s nothing holding me in Minneapolis.”

  “Of course I still want you!” She turned to Scarlet. “Thank you, both of you. You don’t know what this means to me.”

  “I think Ethan knew,” Maggie said softly. “He really loves you, Harper.”

  “Maggie’s right,” Scarlet said. “I still don’t understand why kept his identity a secret from you, but I think he’s really trying to make it up to you.”

  “He had good reasons. I should have listened—”

  She put her hands over her face to cover the sudden sob. She’d been so hard on him, but after what Lydia told her, she now understood why he’d lied.

  It didn’t matter anymore. Her reasons for being angry had more to do with her past and her fears than with anything Ethan had done. But she was afraid it was too late to undo the damage she’d caused.

  “I love him, too,” she whispered. “I can’t sign those papers. If I do, he’ll be gone from my life forever. He’ll think the money is more important to me than he is.”

  Scarlet stroked her hair. “What do you want to do?”

  “I’m not sure. All I know is that I can’t lose him.”

  “What happens if you don’t sign the new contract?” Maggie asked.

  “My lawyer friend said the original contract is still in force in that case,” Scarlet said.

  “So Ethan would still own a forty-nine percent share in the lodge, right?”

  “Right.”

  Harper remembered the argument she’d had with him about the share structure. She’d been so adamant about retaining a majority share for her and her sisters that she nearly walked away from the deal. It all seemed so meaningless now.

  She suddenly knew what she had to do. “I have an idea, but I’ll need your help.”

  Scarlet didn’t hesitate. “Tell us what you need.”

  Ethan wandered around his spacious condo, too restless to land in one spot for long. Since leaving the lodge, he was at loose ends. He had nothing to do and all day to do it.

  The only thing left to occupy his time were thoughts of Harper and the mess he’d made of their relationship.

  He’d spent the weekend with his family at Lydia’s house and, as comforting as it had been to be with people who loved him, he hadn’t wanted to stay any longer. They’d treated him with kid gloves, as if they were afraid he might break. Though no one mentioned her name, Harper seemed to be on everyone’s mind.

  Especially his.

  He stared out the living room window at the panoramic view of the night-time Minneapolis skyline. He’d go crazy if he hung around this place much longer. Maybe he should take off. He’d always liked Playa del Carmen in Mexico, and he’d been meaning to visit Italy. Perhaps now was the time.

  But he couldn’t get excited about going anywhere. The idea of travelling alone left him cold.

  What he needed was a project, something to occupy his time and his mind. He could buy another small inn or hotel and fix it up. He could do whatever he wanted with it.

  But his heart wasn’t really in it. Without Harper, everything was meaningless.

  A knock sounded at his door, surprising him. Visitors needed to be buzzed in, and he didn’t know many of his neighbors, so it was unlikely one of them was looking to borrow a cup of sugar. But he was glad for the distraction, even if it was someone trying to sell him somethin
g.

  When he opened the door and saw Harper standing on the other side, he could only stare, his powers of speech deserting him. Her long blonde hair was unbound, the way he liked it best, the silky length of it nearly reaching her trim waist. She wore a bright red jacket and a short denim skirt that showed off her lovely legs. It was the first time he’d seen her in a skirt, and she couldn’t have looked more beautiful. He ached with love for her.

  “Hi. One of your neighbors let me into the building. I guess he figured I didn’t look too threatening. I’m sorry to barge in unannounced.”

  “It’s okay.”

  She swallowed, appearing uncomfortable. “Do you think I could come in? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  He stepped aside, embarrassed by his lack of manners. “I’m sorry. Please, come in.”

  For the first time, he noticed she carried a large brown envelope in her hands. “Can I get you anything, coffee, tea?”

  She shook her head, her smile tense. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I brought some papers with me. My sisters and I have already signed, so we just need your signature.”

  Disappointment hit hard. Of course. The new contract he’d had drawn up. Scarlet must have given her the preliminary copy he’d sent. He wasn’t sure why Harper was delivering it in person, but at least it gave him one last chance to see her.

  “Why don’t you come into the living room?”

  She set her envelope on the coffee table and walked over to the windows. “This is an incredible view of the city, Ethan.”

  “Yeah, it’s okay.” He’d take the view of the lake from her lodge over his cityscape any day.

  Harper looked around the room. “You have a beautiful home.”

  Not a home, simply a place to hang his hat. No place was home without her.

  “Thank you.”

  He clenched his fists at his sides to keep from reaching for her. It killed him to have her so close and not be able to touch her. The familiar scent of lilac filled his senses, inviting him to bury his face in her neck and drink her in. He wanted to sink his hands into her hair and feel its softness flow through his fingers, the way he’d done when he’d made love to her.

  Don’t go there.

  “I’ll find a pen and sign the papers. I’m sure you’re anxious to be on your way.”

  She reached into her handbag and pulled out a pen. “Here. You can use this.”

  He took it from her and walked to the coffee table where she’d left the envelope. With a heavy heart, he sat on the sofa and removed the papers from the envelope. Shuffling to the last page, he saw the other signatures and the spot where he was supposed to sign. For a moment, he held the pen poised over the signature line. When he signed this, it would be over. He’d never see her again.

  “Aren’t you going to read through the contract before you sign it?” Harper asked.

  He looked up at her, surprised. “I know what’s in it. I told the lawyer what to write.”

  She bit her lip, her face pale and tense. “Would you read it, Ethan? Please?”

  What was going on? “All right, if you want me to.”

  She looked relieved. “I do.”

  He turned back to the first page and began to read. After the first few lines, he realized this wasn’t the same document he’d had his lawyer draw up. “Harper, what is this?”

  “Please. Read the whole thing and then we can talk.”

  He nodded, confused, but he did as she asked and continued reading. The contract, as it was now worded, divided ownership of the lodge equally between him and Harper and her sisters. Fifty percent for him, fifty percent split between Harper, Scarlet and Maggie.

  Dear God. Instead of taking his offer to own the lodge outright, she was giving him an equal share.

  He looked up at her. “I don’t understand.”

  She sat next to him on the sofa and grasped his hand. “I couldn’t sign that first contract. I couldn’t let you believe that all I wanted from you was your money. And I couldn’t lose you. I’m sorry, Ethan. For not listening to you, and not trusting you.”

  He reached out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her face. His body hummed with pleasure at the silky texture of her skin. God, how he’d missed her. “I’m sorry I lied, Harper. All I ever wanted was to make the lodge viable again. I wanted to bring all your ideas to life. I know how important your lodge is to you.”

  “I think I started to believe that if I kept the lodge alive, somehow I’d be able to keep my parents and grandparents alive, too. But as much as I love the place, it doesn’t have magical powers.”

  “Still, it’s important to you. You were so adamant that ownership of the lodge stay in your family. What’s changed?”

  “Your sister told me about some of the things that happened to you after you won the lottery. She told me about Bree, and the baby.”

  A sense of disappointment assailed him. She was here because she pitied him. He let his hand drop from her face and looked away. “She told you about that?”

  “Yes. Don’t be angry with Lydia. She thought I should know the truth, and she was right. She made me understand why you didn’t talk about the money, why you were afraid to tell me who you really were.”

  “I wanted to tell you the truth from the beginning, but I couldn’t. I planned to tell you when you got back from your shopping trip with Maggie, the day after we made love. I couldn’t lie to you anymore, not after that.”

  She gripped his hand again. “But then my sisters told me what they’d found out about you and I wouldn’t listen. I was stubborn and selfish, and I wouldn’t look at things from your point of view. I’m so sorry for what you went through. Especially the baby. I can’t imagine how hurt you were.”

  He swallowed and looked down at their joined hands. Losing his unborn child was something he was never going to forget. Or forgive.

  “I love you, Ethan. Even with everything we’ve been through, I never stopped loving you. I think I’ve loved you since you walked through my door in that blizzard.”

  His heart overflowed with relief. And love for her. “I love you, too.”

  She caressed his face, a smile of happiness blossoming on her lips. “You mean so much to me. I loved you when I thought you were an ordinary working man. It wouldn’t matter to me if you didn’t have a dime. I hope you can believe that.”

  “I do. I swear to you, I’ll never keep another secret from you again.” A thought occurred to him. There was still one lie he had to make good on.

  “About Mr. Hainstock’s brother—”

  “I know. Your brother,” she said with a laugh.

  Ethan shook his head, relieved. Everything was out in open now. “I promise I’ll tell you every day how much you mean to me.”

  “It’s a deal. So, will you sign the new contract and become my business partner and join me in this crazy venture we’ve embarked on?”

  He kissed the back of her hand. “I will. And will you join your life with mine and be my wife?”

  She blinked in surprise. Tears filled her eyes but her smile brimmed with happiness. “I will.”

  Ethan softly kissed her lips to seal the deal.

  EPILOGUE

  Harper and her sisters walked around the lake to The Point, the thin piece of land jutting out into Solace Lake. They stepped onto the dock and walked to the end. The sun was beginning to set, painting the western sky in shades of pink and red. Harper inhaled the pine scented air and listened to the croaking of the frogs hiding amongst the reeds along the lakeshore.

  It didn’t get much better than this. Her sisters were home and for the next five months, they’d all be together. And in a week, she’d be marrying the man she loved. She was truly blessed.

  Scarlet draped her arm over Harper’s shoulders. “Happy?”

  Harper linked her fingers with her sister’s. “Ecstatic. Especially now that you two are home.”

  Maggie put her arm around her waist and rested he
r head against her shoulder. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride. Your dress is perfect.”

  “Thank goodness the one off the rack fit you so well. There wouldn’t have been time to order a custom dress.” Scarlet gently tugged on a lock of Harper’s hair. “Of course, this wouldn’t have happened if you two had waited a few months to plan your wedding instead of springing it on us so quickly.”

  “We didn’t want to wait. We want a simple wedding with our friends and family. If I hadn’t found my dress yesterday, I would have been happy to wear jeans and a flannel shirt.” Harper put her arms around both her sisters. “All I want is to marry Ethan.”

  “He’s perfect for you. You’re going to be very happy together.”

  “Yes, we are. I just wish…” She shook her head, not wanting to spoil this perfect moment with sad thoughts.

  “What? Spit it out.”

  She should have known Scarlet wouldn’t let her be evasive. “I wish Mom and Daddy could be here on my wedding day.”

  “Yes, that would be truly perfect,” Maggie said. “I often wonder what our lives would have been like if they’d lived. If Daddy hadn’t…” She bowed her head.

  Harper squeezed her waist. “After all these years, I still can’t believe he killed her, no matter what the police said. I wish there was some way of knowing what really happened that last day.”

  “We know what happened, Harper.” Scarlet’s voice had a rough edge. “There was a witness, remember? Willy saw Rob hit Miranda with the oar, and she fell into the lake and drowned. For whatever reason, Rob jumped in after her and he drowned, too. End of story.”

  “Yes, but we don’t know why it happened. What had gone so wrong that it led to murder? I’ve never been able to understand or make sense of it. I tried talking to Grandma and Grampa and Willy when I was a kid, but they never wanted to talk about our parents. Maybe they thought what we didn’t know wouldn’t hurt us. But they were wrong.”

  “I’d like to find out what happened, too,” Maggie said. “I never had a chance to know them in life. Maybe learning about them now will help me discover who they were.”