Summer At Lakeside

by Leeanna Morgan

  Diana really wanted to know what happened to their great-grandfather. After reading her great-grandmother’s journals three times, she felt as though she knew them as well as she knew the rest of her family.

  Ethan would probably tell her she’d become obsessed, but Diana preferred to call it intrigued. There were too many unanswered questions, too many secrets shrouded in decades of lies. Good grief. When she put it that way, it sounded almost as tragic as her marriage.

  Barbara’s hand came sneakily close to Diana’s lunch. “I’ll make some more sandwiches,” she said as she pointed to Barbara. “As long as you don’t keep eating them. Mom and Dad might be hungry after their flight.”

  Katie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Mom texted me from the airport. They were given a free upgrade to business class. She said the food was amazing.”

  With a smile, Barbara took a big bite out of the sandwich she took off Diana’s plate. “See. You’re worrying about nothing.”

  Diana wouldn’t call it nothing, but it was low on their list of priorities.

  Ethan hunted through his tools for a small chisel. For the last hour he’d been at the woodworking club building a surprise project for Diana and her sisters.

  “Hey, Harvey,” he said to the man at the bench beside his. “You haven’t seen my paring chisels, have you?”

  The man who’d been his mentor since joining the group shook his head. “Sorry. Have you looked in the storage room? Someone might have found them and left them there.”

  Ethan was sure he’d put them away the last time he’d used them, but it was a good idea. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Harvey lifted a hand in acknowledgment and went back to working on his bookcase.

  It amazed Ethan how much each of the people in the club had in common. They were different ages and had completely different backgrounds. Despite that, they came together at least once a week to enjoy each other’s company, to have a laugh, and to focus on something that didn’t involve their everyday lives.

  Tanya Mendez looked up from the coffee table she was making. “If you’re going past the kitchen, can you turn on the coffee pot? Pete baked one of his chocolate cakes and it’s nearly time for a break.”

  “Consider it done.” Even if he wasn’t going near the kitchen, he’d make sure the coffee was hot. Pete’s cakes were always mouth-wateringly good and too delicious to miss.

  Ethan smiled as he thought about the changes that had happened in his life since coming to Montana. Eight months ago, he was working sixty-hour weeks and spending the weekends catching up on sleep. Add on a commute that would make most people’s eyes water, and he was a disaster waiting to happen.

  He couldn’t imagine going back to that kind of life; back to the workload that made it impossible to help anyone to the level they needed.

  As he passed the kitchen, he turned on the coffee pot and left it to do its thing. The cake was sliced and ready to go. Ethan shook his head. Pete was asking for trouble leaving it on the counter. Someone with less willpower could easily sneak a few pieces before anyone noticed.

  With one last, lingering look at the cake, he headed down the corridor. By most people’s standards, the club’s storage room was massive—probably three times the size of his living room. One wall was stacked with wood in various lengths and shapes. It was mostly offcuts from projects they’d completed. Anyone was welcome to use it or add their leftovers to the pile.

  On the back wall, open shelves held each of the woodworker’s tools, safety gear, and anything else that would fit. Ethan stood in front of his shelves, pushing aside the tools he didn’t need for the dresser. When he couldn’t find his chisels, he looked around the room.

  After hunting through the spare tools they kept for new members, he gave up. The only other place they could be was in the room next door. Harvey had been trying to talk John into letting them use the other room for additional storage. Finding the chisels in there was a long shot, but it was worth looking.

  As soon as he opened the door, he coughed. Harvey might have been keen to use the room, but no one had been inside to wipe decades of dust from the old furniture.

  With the light turned on, he pushed a box of children’s toys out of the way and looked around the room. With so much stuff piled everywhere, the overhead lights were almost useless. Taking out his cell phone, he turned on the flashlight app.

  The edge of a wooden box caught his attention. He’d bought his chisels three months ago from a company in Germany. They’d arrived in a special box, not unlike the edge of the one he could see. Holding his phone higher, he moved across the room.

  Halfway there, his foot collided with an old apple crate. A pile of black and white photos, yellow with age, spilled onto the floor.

  He picked them up and flicked through the images. There was no date on the photos, but they must have been taken a long time ago.

  The photos of wooden cabins showed rectangular boxes with simple front doors. In other images, horses and carts filled dirt roads and steamboats hugged the shore of the lake. The people in the photographs, with their unsmiling faces and crumpled clothes, looked tired; beaten down by a life that must have been difficult.

  Carefully, Ethan picked up the crate and placed it under a canvas drop cloth covering some furniture. He had no idea how the photos had ended up in here, but he didn’t want to leave them on the floor where someone could damage them.

  With the flashlight pointing toward the wall, he continued across the room.

  Disappointingly, the box didn’t contain his chisels, but it did have a wooden chess set inside. He closed the lid and left it on the shelf.

  At some stage, John would have to find a more permanent home for what was in here. He thought about the photos, the memorabilia of people long forgotten. It would be great if they could match the furniture and household items to families in Montana.

  He knew how special it was for Diana and her sisters to have found the dresser that belonged to their great-grandparents. Imagine if the same thing could happen for other families in Sapphire Bay? Now that would be a story for Theo to broadcast on the radio.

  “Did you find the chisels?” Harvey asked.

  Ethan jumped and nearly knocked over another box. “Hi, Harvey. They’re not here or in our storage room. Maybe someone borrowed them.”

  “I can’t see that happening. Most folks are particular about who uses their tools. If they don’t turn up, you can look through my chisels and use what you need.” His friend placed his hands on his hips and studied the room. “Will you look at this place. It’s like stepping into an antiques store.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. If John lets us use this room, someone will have to find a new home for what’s in here.”

  Harvey picked up a wooden rolling pin. “Our club might have to clean it out. It won’t be at the top of John’s list of things to do.”

  “If you’re looking for volunteers, you can count me in.” Ethan didn’t have a lot of spare time, but if he could connect the residents of Sapphire Bay with some of the stored furniture and memorabilia, it would make a lot of people happy.

  Chapter 16

  As Diana moved among the family and friends who’d gathered to celebrate Penny and Wyatt’s engagement, she still couldn’t believe her sister was getting married. She was happy for Penny, but more than a little sad that her relationship with her sister would change.

  “Cheer up. It can’t be as bad as that,” Ethan said, coming to stand in front of her.

  Diana held his hand. “I just realized how much I’ll miss Penny when she leaves.”

  “Wyatt only lives next door. She won’t be far away.”

  “But one day soon she’ll be married. She’ll spend most of her time with Wyatt and want to do things with him instead of us.”

  Ethan stared into her eyes. “Take a deep breath and close your eyes.”

  Diana frowned. “Why?”

  “Just do it,” he said softly.

 
; She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Music was playing in the background. Someone on her right laughed, and the occasional squeal from her much younger cousins penetrated the low hum of the adults’ voices.

  “I want you to empty your mind of all your preconceived ideas about marriage,” Ethan said. “Wyatt isn’t Derek and your sister definitely isn’t you.”

  Diana groaned. “Are we having a therapy session in the middle of my sister’s party?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a therapy session,” Ethan whispered in her ear. “It’s more like a reality check.”

  Diana’s eyes shot open. “What are you saying exactly?”

  “I think you’re basing your thoughts about Penny and Wyatt on your experience of marriage. Lots of people successfully combine their new life as a couple with their families.”

  “Lots of couples find living beside their family overwhelming. What if that’s what it’s like for Penny and Wyatt?”

  “Then they’ll have to decide what they’ll do about it.”

  Diana clamped her lips shut. She knew what she’d do if it were her, except she didn’t want Penny and Wyatt moving away.

  Ethan studied the expression on her face. “Do you think they’ll be able to work through any problems they have?”

  “I can’t imagine them not being able to.” Wyatt was one of the most easy-going people Diana had met. Penny was used to dealing with conflict and finding solutions that appealed to everyone. Between the two of them, they should have a happy life.

  Ethan’s hand tightened on hers. “There you go. That’s part of your concerns solved.”

  “How do I stop my brain from telling me that marriage is a bad thing?”

  “You replace those feelings with something else.” He kissed her gently beneath her ear, making her giggle. “Something that’s positive and unexpected.”

  “Like your whiskers against my skin?”

  Ethan ran his hand along his jaw. “I was going for the rugged Montana man look.”

  Diana grinned. “It suits you, but I’m not sure there’s such a thing as a Montana man. Maybe you’re letting your preconceived ideas about men who live in Montana cloud your judgment.”

  With a chuckle, Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist. “You learn quickly, Ms. Terry.”

  “I’ve learned from the best, Mr. Preston.”

  “Do you feel better?”

  She took a deep breath and didn’t feel nearly as anxious about her sister. “I do. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Hey, you two. Before you get too cuddly, I need your help. We’re down to our last box of orange juice.”

  Diana looked around Ethan at Katie. “How did that happen? We bought twice as much as we thought we’d need.”

  “It’s a hot night,” Ethan said with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “If you’re worried, I could pick some up from the supermarket.”

  Katie checked her watch. “It’s too late. They closed half an hour ago.”

  “In that case, we only have one option. Can we borrow the keys to your parents’ store and bring some of your dad’s cider back to the party?”

  “That’s a great idea.” Diana looked at her sister. “Do you want me to find Mom and Dad?”

  “If you could, that would be great. I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on the barbecue. Uncle Ted’s cooking.”

  Ethan looked confused.

  “Uncle Ted tends to overcook the food,” Diana explained.

  Katie laughed. “That was a nice way of saying he burns everything. I’d better get back before the grill explodes in flames. Let me know if there isn’t enough cider in the store. I know someone who works at the supermarket. They might be able to help.”

  Ethan held onto Diana’s hand. “The last time I saw your parents, they were standing under the oak tree.”

  Before they moved, she quickly kissed his cheek. “I enjoy spending time with you.”

  “You say the sweetest things.”

  Diana sighed. They weren’t only sweet, they were true.

  The following day, Diana was helping Katie make a picnic lunch for their guests when Barbara walked into the kitchen. She looked at her sister and smiled. “I’m heading up to Bigfork today. Is there anything you want me to pick up?”

  Barbara frowned. “Not today. We’ve got a problem.”

  Diana stopped what she was doing. “What’s happened?”

  “I just had a call from Chloe at the Smithsonian. She said the snuffbox didn’t arrive with the other things we sent.”

  Katie looked at her sister. “Is she sure? It isn’t very big. It could have slipped down the side of the chest and be buried under something.”

  “She’s positive. Her team has looked everywhere and it definitely isn’t there.”

  Diana wiped her hands on a dishtowel. “I didn’t see it in the living room after the Smithsonian collected the dresser and chest. I assumed it went to Washington, D.C.”

  “I was here when they collected everything,” Barbara said. “It wasn’t on top of the dresser, so I thought someone must have put it in one of the drawers or in the chest.”

  Diana wasn’t too concerned. It had to be somewhere around the house. “The last time I saw it was the day before the furniture was taken away. It was in the living room. Did anyone see it anywhere else?”

  “It was in the living room when I saw it,” Barbara said.

  “Me, too.” Katie placed a strip of pastry across the top of an apple pie. “As soon as this is in the oven, I’ll have a look for it.”

  “I’ll look in the living room now,” Diana offered. “If it’s not there, I’ll check the storage room on the first floor.”

  Barbara was already at the kitchen door. “I’ll help you. I know it’s small, but it’s strange it didn’t arrive in Washington.”

  “Everything’s been a little crazy around here. It wouldn’t surprise me if other things have been put in different places.” Diana walked to where the dresser had stood for the last few weeks. She looked behind the chairs on either side of the empty space, then under the coffee table and sofa. “It’s not here.”

  Barbara was on her hands and knees, looking behind the television and sound system. “It’s not here, either. Let’s go upstairs.”

  As they climbed the staircase, Diana went through all the places it might have gone. The next obvious place was the kitchen. If someone had found the snuffbox, they might have left it on the counter. But with Barbara and Katie not seeing it, she was slightly concerned that it might have been thrown in the trash by mistake.

  Her sister opened the storage room door. When they were remodeling her grandparents’ house, they’d converted the smallest bedroom on the first floor into a large storage area. Between that and the garage, there was more than enough room for the things that hadn’t found a new home.

  Barbara headed toward the left-hand side and started looking through the boxes. “This could take a while.”

  “If it’s in here, it will probably be on the top of one of the boxes.” When Diana pulled the next box forward, she frowned. “It doesn’t look as though anyone’s touched the boxes since we moved them.”

  “The last time I was in here, I was looking for a spare bedside table.” Barbara flicked open an ivory handled fan, releasing its cream feathers. “I wonder if our great-grandmother used this?”

  “Someone must have.” Diana smiled at her sister. “It suits you. You look like a debutante from the Victorian age.”

  With a mischievous smile, Barbara carefully returned the fan to the box. “The only time I could use it would be for a fancy dress party. Some of the things in these boxes are really old.”

  Diana nodded and opened another box.

  Silently, they worked their way through everything they’d carefully stored in the room.

  As the minutes ticked by, Diana became increasingly worried. Halfway through the next box, something occurred to her. “Did Chloe mention anything about the key when she said
the snuffbox was missing?”

  “I asked her about that,” Barbara replied. “It wasn’t there, either. The whole lot has gone missing.”

  The pretty blue box with its gold trim couldn’t have just disappeared. She knelt on the floor to check the last box. “It has to be in the house somewhere.”

  Barbara placed her hands on her hips. “Unless someone took it.”

  “No one would have done that. Anyone who’s visited the inn knows how special it is.”

  “Some people are desperate and don’t care about history. That’s one of the reasons we wanted the Smithsonian to look after everything. There are too many dishonest people around.”

  Her sister’s comments surprised her. Barbara had always been more practical than her sisters, but she was never a pessimist. “It could have been an honest mistake.”

  “We’ll see. Let’s check on Katie. She might have had more luck than we have.”

  Diana hoped so. Although the snuffbox was worth quite a lot of money, its value was in what it represented.

  Someone must know where it had gone.

  Diana sat at the kitchen table with a pen and paper. She was making a list with her sisters of all the people who might know where the snuffbox was. “We know it was here the day before the dresser and chest were taken to the Smithsonian. Who came to the inn after that?”

  Barbara leaned forward. “Mom, Dad, Wyatt, Ethan, and Pastor John.”

  Katie pulled out her phone. “I’ll call them to see if they know where it is.”

  Diana sighed. “We’ve had two parties since then. I’ll find the guest lists and call everyone.”

  “What about the teenagers who helped wrap the candy for my engagement party?” Penny said. “They might have seen it.”

  “Or taken it,” Barbara said.

  “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Diana said. “Just because we don’t know them very well, it doesn’t mean they took the snuffbox.”

  “You’re too trusting,” Barbara said. “They might have taken it because it looks pretty and they needed the money.”