Diamond Lake Series: Complete Series (Bks 1-7) Boxset

by T. K. Chapin

“Good afternoon,” a young woman greeted me from behind the counter.

  Smiling, I wove between the tables of candy and delectable treats up to where the woman was. She walked up to the counter and raised her eyebrows.

  “Does Ms. Sinclair still own this candy shop?” I asked.

  Nodding, she said, “That’s my mother. She comes in a few times a week to check up on things around the store, but I run it for the most part. Does she know you?”

  Shrugging, I said, “I grew up in Newport and got a lot of candy from here.” Shaking my head as I looked at the woman, I said, “I don’t recognize you though.”

  “Tina Sinclair?” the woman replied as she tilted her head. “Tin grin?”

  “Oh, yeah!” I replied. “That’s right. Tin grin . . . that was so mean.” My face went flush with embarrassment.

  “It’s okay. I’m over it.”

  A woman came flying through the door of the shop and hurried up to the counter. Tina began to help her. Leaning over, I said, “It was nice seeing you, and tell your mom Katie stopped in and said ‘hi’.”

  She smiled and nodded before quickly looking back to the irate lady at her counter. I left the shop and continued down the sidewalk.

  Coming across a tree, I could hear something rustling in the branches and leaves above me so I stopped. Listening closely, I could hear the faint sound of a symphony of hungry baby birds. Climbing up the tree, I wanted to see if I could snap a picture of the infant birds. As I wrapped my arm along a branch and steadied my footing on another, the momma bird came flying back into the tree and to the nest. Pulling my camera up with one hand as I held onto the branch with my other, I focused in. I watched the mother feed her young.

  Click.

  The photo was perfect. Five little heads reaching up toward their mother as they cried out for nourishment. God’s beauty was there in that tree with those birds, and it warmed me to witness it.

  “What’s your photographer doing up in that tree?” a soft woman’s voice said from below me.

  A whispering woman replied, “I don’t know . . .”

  Peering down from the branch, I saw Serenah and another woman I didn’t recognize. Maneuvering down the branches, I made it to the ground. When I stood upright, I saw they both had their hair done gorgeously. The other woman looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her. Serenah’s beautiful blonde hair was curled and twisted into a delicate twist at the back of her head. “I was photographing a bird with her babies. Your hair looks great, Serenah.”

  She blushed and looked down. “Thanks. We were just at Sally’s getting it done. You came to town early?”

  I nodded. “Wanted to explore. Haven’t been here in a while.”

  “Find anything from the past?” the woman asked.

  “Wait. Charlotte?” I asked as I leaned forward. “Is that you?”

  She grinned and walked up to me. Hugging me, she said, “It’s been a long time!”

  “It’s been a while, that’s for sure.” Prom, my senior year, to be exact. She had volunteered to chaperone the event and we bonded in the ladies’ bathroom after Charlie had spilled punch all over my dress. She helped calm me down that night and held a special place in my heart. After I moved away, we kept in contact for a few years but lost touch because of life happening.

  “Joe’s in town. Did you know that?” She asked as we released from our embrace. She had hope in her eyes. “You two were just a couple of cute kids.”

  I nodded. “Joe and I saved Mr. Atkins’s dog earlier.”

  “Awe . . . that’s so sweet!” Serenah replied as she touched her chest with her hand.

  Charlotte agreed. “You should really give him another chance, Katie. He’s changed.”

  A notch of anxiety crept up my chest at the words. She knew what had happened. “I’m here for work.” Shrugging, I continued. “Outside of that, who knows what will happen.”

  Serenah broke into the conversation. “Charlotte’s going to be one of my bridesmaids.”

  “Oh, neat. Where’s the maid of honor?” My eyes bounced between the two of them.

  Adjusting her footing, Serenah looked over at Charlotte with a frown. “We’re not sure . . .” Looking back at me, Serenah continued. “Miley’s father passed a week ago and she flew down to Texas. She’s supposed to be back tonight in time for the rehearsal . . . but we don’t know. I told her she didn’t have to be here.”

  “That’s got to be hard. I couldn’t imagine losing a parent. Is there a backup in case she doesn’t make it?”

  Charlotte raised her hand. “That’d be me!”

  “Okay. Well that’s good. You have a ‘just in case’ plan.”

  Serenah nodded. “Always.” Her phone began buzzing. Pulling it out from her purse, she glanced down at the screen and then back at me. “I have to take this, but head to the inn whenever you want. Charlie is there and can check you into your room.” The two ladies turned and headed down the sidewalk, leaving me wondering if I should make my way over to the inn now. Turning around, I saw the older couple from this morning sitting on the bench I was on earlier. I smiled. The older man had his arm draped around his wife’s shoulders and they were now sharing an ice cream cone together. Letting a sigh escape my lips, I longed for such a relationship. Someone to share ice cream with and wear ridiculously matching outfits when we’re old—what more could a girl ask for?

  Chapter 3

  Arriving at the inn later that afternoon, I found the front door wide open. Walking inside, I called out ‘hello’ as I passed through the foyer and rounded the fireplace into the living room. All the French doors were open that led out to the deck and the smell of Pine Sol filled the air. White curtains that hung near the doors blew with the summer breeze while the sun shone through large windows above the doorways. The atmosphere of the inn wrapped itself around me with relaxation that the city just couldn’t provide. Interrupting the moment of tranquility, someone came rushing in through the front door and into the kitchen. Hearing the faucet turn on, I headed through the dining area and into the kitchen to find Charlie.

  He was running water over his hand. Glancing over his shoulder at me, he said, “Cut my hand trying to get a stripped bolt off my car.” He shook his head. “Anyways, how you been, Katie?”

  Walking through the dining area and up the step into the kitchen, I let out a breath of air as I leaned my arms against the counter top of the island in the center of the kitchen. “I’ve been good. You?”

  He smiled and shut off the water. Grabbing a dish towel from the stove on the island, he wrapped his hand to suppress the bleeding and extended his other hand. “Good.”

  Shaking his hand, I returned a smile. “You excited to get married?”

  “More than you know.” We released our hands and walked out of the kitchen and through the dining area to the balcony. His hands found the railing and looked out to the lake. “We’ve been looking forward to this for a while now.” He pointed down to the gazebo. “I built that with my own two hands. Well, my own two hands plus a half-dozen professional hands.” He paused and grinned at me. “Joe provided the labor free of charge. You know he has a construction company now?”

  “Yeah, I ran into him today. It’s a gorgeous gazebo. I love the white distressed look.”

  He nodded. “Serenah’s idea. You know, she’s truly the best person I’ve ever met. Sometimes, when I look at her, I see a piece of God in her eyes. I know that’s weird, but it’s true.”

  “Aw. That’s cute,” I replied. Charlie is a sweet guy.

  Letting out a laugh, he shook his head. “I want to apologize for the way I was. I know high school was a long time ago, but I’m sorry, Katie.”

  “Thank you.” Turning to him, I asked, “Why’d you have Serenah pick me? We didn’t really know each other very well.”

  Smiling, he leaned his head on his hand as his elbow rested on the railing. “I heard you were doing photography and I thought to myself, what better person to shoot our wedding than someon
e I knew from school?”

  “Well I appreciate it. This place is beautiful.” Thinking about Serenah and the photos we still had to shoot before the rehearsal, I asked, “What time were you guys thinking of doing the photos across the lake?”

  “Um . . .” He squinted as he looked upward, appearing to contemplate the question. “What do we wear for that again?”

  “Just whatever. Casual attire.”

  “I can do casual,” he replied. “Serenah should be back within the hour. Let’s get you settled into your room.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Glancing out the window, I noticed what looked like a father and son out on the lake in a little rowboat. Thinking of my father and my trips out to Bear Lake, I thought of one in particular and smiled. We had planned for weeks to go fishing, and the one day we finally went, it rained. For three hours, we sat in that row boat in the pouring rain until we finally left. My father was so upset, but he didn’t let that get to him. On our way home, we stopped and had fish and chips and laughed about the rain. My father wasn’t perfect, but he always made sure we felt loved.

  Charlie and I went back inside the house and out to my car to retrieve the camera equipment and luggage. As we came back in, he pointed to the stairwell on the left that led downstairs. We went down, which led us into a large living room with a couch and fireplace. More French doors and windows provided a lovely view of the lake. I noticed along the windows on both sides of the door to the balcony sat two little tables, each with a pair of chairs. Immediately, I envisioned setting up my laptop in the morning to go over photographs from the evening while I enjoyed a steaming hot cup of coffee.

  “Your room is this one on the left,” Charlie said as I followed him past the coffee tables to the door on the other side. Setting down the two suitcases he had been carrying, he opened the door and let me walk in first. He flipped the light switch on behind me as he came in. The room was like nothing I could have imagined. A large and spacious room with a purple bed canopy that hung above the bed made the room feel as if it was meant for royalty. As I gazed out the window overlooking the lake I felt myself relax. Setting my camera equipment down on the bed, I walked over to the window and looked out to the water.

  Turning around, I looked at Charlie. “How long has Serenah owned the inn?”

  “She just manages it,” Charlie replied, coming over to the window. “She’s been running the place for a year now. My stepmom used to run it before her. She and Wayne got in last night. They’re setting up for the barbeque right now. You’re welcome to come. It’s at Kelly Cove.”

  “Joe told me about that.” Avoiding answering the question, I turned back to the water. “This inn is a pretty awesome place. I recall hearing about you living somewhere on the lake. Just never saw it.”

  “Yeah. Not many people did. My stepmother was reluctant to let other children visit since there’s breakable stuff everywhere.”

  Nodding, I said, “I’ll get settled and unpacked. When Serenah gets back from town, we can head over to do the pictures.”

  “Okay. Thanks for coming out and doing this.” Charlie left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Going over to the bed, I began unpacking my photo equipment and organizing it on the bed. My phone rang. Peering down at the screen, I saw it was Chelsea—my photographer assistant for the wedding.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  A sniffle came across the airwaves and I knew I was in trouble before she even uttered a single word. “Hey, Katie . . .”

  “Don’t you dare cancel on me,” I demanded as I balled my fist. “Not again, Chelsea.”

  She broke into a full-on cry in the following moment. “I can’t do it! I can’t! He’s threatening to leave me if I come out there. He thinks I’m going to cheat on him.” Crying mingled with her words.

  Chelsea was the key to getting the perfect number of photographs throughout the wedding. Without a photographer assistant, I’d be stuck with what I considered sub-par work. “I’m going to have to let you go if you don’t do this shoot.”

  “Why would you put that on me?” she retorted. “I’m trying the best I can!”

  “It’s up to you. If you don’t show, I’ll take that as you’re quitting.” Staying professional, I didn’t let the despair in her tone get to me this time. She’d had too many chances before now.

  “Fine, I’ll save you the trouble. I quit!” she shouted.

  Click!

  I paused for a moment as I tongued my cheek and shook my head. Chelsea was an excellent protégé’ and was going places in photography. She was my photographer assistant for the last two years and she knew her stuff. It was too bad that a loser boyfriend would be her downfall. Tossing my phone onto the bed, I continued unpacking. Now I had to start the process I hated—mulling over whom I could call on such short notice.

  An hour passed before Serenah arrived back at the inn. Hearing her voice echo through the house, I bookmarked my page. With a little free time, I tried a few numbers of backup photographers for shooting the wedding then decided to sneak in a few pages of my new April Gardner novel I hadn’t had a chance to read since it released last month. Serenah’s voice rang with excitement to Charlie as she poured over details about her maid of honor’s sudden return to Newport. Pausing, I smiled and listened while I remained on the couch. She then went on about how she and Charlotte were at the seamstress’s shop, picking up the dress for a last-minute tweak that was a must-have. Charlie said something unintelligible as I set my book down on the coffee table and headed to my room to retrieve my camera.

  Coming up the stairs a few minutes later, I found Serenah and Charlie in the kitchen. Immediately, I noticed the cute summer dress she must have changed into. Yellow with white polka-dots. Flashing a smile as I looked her over, I said, “You look stunning, Serenah.”

  Her face lit up and a light blush crossed her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  “Want to head across the lake now?” I asked. Daylight was burning and we needed to get some good shots in before the rehearsal in just a couple of hours.

  Serenah nodded and headed toward the hallway off the kitchen that led to her private quarters as she began speaking. “Let me get my yellow flower I have for my hair. I picked it out last week in Newport. It’s perfect for this dress I just got. What are you wearing, Charlie?”

  Charlie’s eyebrows raised and he looked down over his khaki shorts and baby blue polo. “I thought this would be fine . . .”

  Serenah stuck her head around the corner of the hallway. “Really? That?”

  “It’s not bad. Katie said casual wear is fine.”

  “Please put on a white button up shirt at least. It would look cute with the sleeves rolled up.” Serenah’s eyelashes fluttered. “Right, Katie?”

  Shrugging, I shook my head. “Sure.”

  “But I have to go home to get that.” His words carried a weight to them. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave.

  Serenah didn’t reply, only stood silently as her eyes pleaded with more fluttering.

  Charlie let out a laugh. “Okay. I’ll go get the dress shirt. This wedding sure has you a bit more . . .”

  “Awesome?” Serenah replied, finishing his sentence with a twinkle in her eye. “I know.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, something like that.” Their eyes collided and stayed for a moment as they both smiled. Then he glanced over at me. “I’ll hurry back. Promise. It’s not far.” Charlie left after kissing Serenah sweetly, and Serenah vanished back down the hallway. Left alone in the kitchen, I turned and went into the living room.

  Peering out at the lake, I saw a few birds flying not far from the inn. They drew my attention as they landed on the railing just outside on the balcony. Pulling up my camera, I zoomed in from where I was standing in the living room. Two red robins. Gorgeous. Click.

  Capturing the two birds on camera filled me with delight. I turned my eyes to the camera’s LCD Screen. Crimson red feathered bodies and smoke-black eyes made the little creatures o
f the air adorable. As I walked outside, they flew away from the railing. Surveying the scenery below where the gazebo sat not far from the shore, I took in a deep breath. Though I was a professional by anyone’s standards, I still fretted over every event I did. That was quadrupled when I was short a photographer assistant. There’s no way I can pull this off without someone helping. Pulling out my phone, I began to make more phone calls while I had a free moment.

  Chapter 4

  Arriving back from across the lake after the photo shoot, the sun was making its final descent. Closing in on the shore in the canoe we took, we saw people gathered around the gazebo, chatting and exchanging laughs. As we docked, opportunity presented itself for a picture, so I snapped one of the group. It so happened that one woman threw her head back in a laugh at the exact moment the camera went off. Perfect, I thought to myself as I reviewed the photo on the LCD screen. Charlie tied the canoe to the dock as I showed the screen to Serenah.

  “Love it. I’ll introduce you to everyone here in a moment.” Serenah stood up and began getting out of the boat, and I followed.

  Climbing out of the boat, we walked down the dock to the grass. Greetings and even a few cheers came from the group as we joined them near the gazebo and Tiki torches. Serenah and Charlie were like a couple of celebrities. One man came up and patted Charlie on the shoulder and congratulated him.

  “Thanks, Dylan,” Charlie replied with a firm nod.

  “I’m so sorry about your dad, Miley,” Serenah offered to a woman. That must be the maid of honor.

  “I’m a little emotional and jet-lagged, but I couldn’t miss this for the world. Plus, I have to work tomorrow at least for a few hours since our manager is out with a broken leg.” Miley wrapped her arms around Serenah and hugged her tightly. It made me think of my sister, Anna, whom I hadn’t spoken to in over a year. We weren’t really fighting. We just lost touch more and more over the years. She had her life in LA and I had my life in Spokane. Breaking into my thoughts, Serenah introduced me to Miley.