Lakeshore Love: The McAdams Sisters (By The Lake Book 3)

by Leah, Shannyn

  What had he been thinking? He’d been thinking he didn’t want to live the rest of his life without her, but now he was dragging her into the darkness of his life.

  Who knew what was going to happen now that he had thrown Sydney and Haylee into the middle of his disaster of a life. What if Beth returned when he was away? What if Adalyn dropped in? What were all the horrors these two women would bring with them?

  Jake screwed up and big this time. He needed to fix it.

  Hopefully, Robbie would send the address and he could get a location on this guy and drill him for some answers.

  First, he had to talk to Sydney.

  I am not leaving Jake’s side ever again and I won’t let him leave me. I will fight for him.

  Sydney was going to put up a fight and he needed to be prepared with a plan that no circumstances would put an end to her fight. He needed to give her closure to move on with her life and find a man that could take care of her and not put her into danger.

  Since Sydney was no longer employed at the Cliff House, it made day-to-day run-ins not an issue and as soon as he sorted out the Adalyn situation, they could part peacefully. He hoped.

  Jake climbed back on his bike for the long drive home. But as he passed the Willow Valley signs in the black night, he didn't go straight to Sydney's house. It was past midnight and the bar was open until two Saturday nights, so he stopped in.

  Devon was managing the place and filled him in on Joan’s departure later than usual but not into the evening crowd. Devon walked with him toward his office, informing him quickly of the day’s numbers. The numbers were the last thing from Jake’s mind and they went out just as quickly as they came from Devon’s mouth. Normally he would compare to last year to make sure they were maintaining the same numbers or picking up, but today sadness pushed all other thoughts away. And as much as the horribleness that he was aware with Adalyn and her kids, it was Sydney that stole all his attention.

  “Keep up the good work.” Jake shut his office door. He ran his hands across his face. He was exhausted, which wasn't like him for the hour. It was his early rise before six and driving all day long that had done him in. He collapsed onto the loveseat in his office and threw his feet up on the arm-rest.

  He just needed a minute to himself before going to face Sydney.

  He felt like shit as he planned to put a stop to the life they were beginning together. His guilt was immeasurable but it was his heart that was bothering him the most. A part of that organ, that he’d never known existed, was tearing up inside him and he was having a hard time working up the strength to face her. She would be waiting, and she would be expecting answers but she would be expecting him in a way that he couldn’t give her in fear of the pain it would bring.

  He just needed a minute, and then he would go to her house and face her. I just need one minute, was his last thought before his eyes drifted shut.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  JAKE WASN'T ANSWERING his phone. Sydney had called him and texted him but she hadn't heard anything since he had texted that he was on his way back. That was almost eight hours ago.

  Sydney was in a panic. What if he crashed? What if he was in the hospital? What if he was lying somewhere in the road dying?

  Oh stop!

  She grabbed the phone and dialed the bar. It was one-thirty so they would still be open. She got the evening staff and asked if Jake was there.

  “Um, just a sec Sydney.”

  Just a sec Sydney? Just a sec Sydney? She didn’t know if her nerves had a second to spare before they exploded in sheer panic.

  “Yes, he's in office did you want me to get him?”

  He was in his office? He was in his office! Her fear lifted and a cloud of anger pulsed through her.

  “No, thanks.”

  She hung up the phone, fuming. He was in his office back in Willow Valley and the stupid jerk hadn't let her know.

  Sydney knocked lightly on Haylee’s door and entered to a sleeping murmur. “What? What is it? What happened...what time is it?” she said, rolling over.

  “Nothing.” Sydney touched her arm to keep her from standing. “It's late and I’m stepping out. Can you listen for the kids please?”

  Haylee sleepily agreed and rolled over, falling right back into her sleep.

  Sydney stepped out into the cool night, tucking her hands in the pockets of her denim jacket and started for the Cliff House.

  She was angry he hadn’t called her, but worried at the same time. Why hadn't he called? Did he learn something that he was having a hard time facing?

  They were just flipping the sign as Sydney pulled the door open. The music had been turned off, but the staff was in their regular, loud bustling closing as she headed toward his office.

  She knocked lightly on Jake’s office scared of what she might find. Had he found the truth out about Adalyn and he was having a hard time dealing with it? She would stand behind him every step of the way, whatever he needed.

  When Jake didn't answer, she pushed the door open and found him sleeping on the sofa.

  Devon walked past as she stood in the doorway. “He got in around midnight and hasn't been out since.” He snuck a peek and frowned. “Is he alright? He looked stressed when he came in. I was giving him the numbers but his attention was somewhere else.”

  Sydney had no idea and shrugged, sending Devon an unsure smile.

  He understood, another year-round employee who got what Jake was all about. “I will lock up behind us.” He said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “You take care of him.”

  She smiled at him. “Thanks Devon. I will.”

  Sydney closed the door behind her and left her anger in the bar. She wanted to know what happened but she didn't want to wake him up when he was in such a deep sleep. Obviously, something had happened that he was having a hard time dealing with and she didn’t want to interrupt the solitude he was finding.

  She stared at him for a long time, but as she felt the night stealing her energy. Finally, she pulled his jacket from the coat hook and lay down beside him using it as a blanket for their arms.

  This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She fit against his side, her head nuzzled perfect against his arm. They were meant to be together.

  Jake stirred a bit but didn't wake. Sydney closed her eyes and let the night steal both their dreams.

  ***

  THE LOW BREATHING hum and heat penetrating against Jake’s side pulled him from his sleep. The familiar vanilla bean cream Sydney wore drifted from her soft skin and filled his early senses with a verification of the person lying next to him. His eyes remained closed as his breathing was slowly drifting back into the relaxing sleep blanketed in the warm peace Sydney conveyed.

  Sydney?

  His breathing stopped.

  Why was Sydney sleeping beside him?

  His eyes snapped open and darted around the room determining their whereabouts: his office. Why were they asleep in his office? His eyes rushed for the clock on the wall. It was early morning again just after six. When had Sydney snuck into his office...and how had he not noticed?

  He let out the breath. Just lying on the couch, bodies pressed against each other, even fully clothed, he could feel his decision to end things with her slipping away. It wasn’t only the loss of her physically that he would long to have, it was Sydney, his friend, that he feared losing when the words he didn’t want to say passed his mouth.

  Unsuccessfully unable to move even a centimeter from her, he lay back down and stared at her.

  She was latched onto his entire side, her cheek resting against his chest and her neck curled into the nook of her arm while her free hand burned each fingerprint through his shirt. Her legs were so entwined with his own that he couldn’t tell where hers began and his ended. Sydney`s heap of wavy blonde hair spilled everywhere like waves in the lake, over his arm, across his chest, around her head. He would rather sweep away the stray pieces falling across her face and kiss her g
ood morning, but with his decision he no longer had that right and he wasn’t going to kiss her just to leave her.

  Where were the kids? Joan? Haylee?

  There were so many reasons why they needed to get up and yet none of them convinced him to shake her awake.

  What time had Sydney arrived at the Cliff House? Did she brave the late hour and walk up when no woman should be on the street? He didn’t have to ask because he knew deep down that was exactly what she had done.

  He should have called her or at the very least sent a text when he got into town. He’d been selfish not wanting to face her and wanting to hold onto her for only a little while longer. As a result, she had ended up walking to the Cliff House at the crazy late hour. Something could have happened to her. This was another prime reason why he wasn’t good for her. He was selfish.

  Sydney stirred and her fingers tightened around his shirt as her body stretched across him sending heat to every place. She pressed harder with a long, sexy, low moan that caused one to commence beginning deep down in his groin.

  Her sleepy eyes found his and she smiled, a sexy, soft, drowsy smile that pulled the sides of his mouth into a pleased grin. “Morning.” Her voice came out just as soft and sexy and his instinct was to wrap his hands around her tighter, pulling her up to his lips. He didn’t move.

  “Did you sleep well?” she asked with a half yawn that ended with a little squeal.

  He had never slept so well in his life. “Yes.”

  “Me too.” Sydney snuggled up closer against him, if that was even possible, and her free hand found his chin where she stroked the roughness with the smoothness of her long fingers.

  “Did you walk here?” It came out a little gruff, but why wouldn’t it when he was well aware of what her answer was going to be and how it would displease him.

  “Mm-hmm.” Her eyes drifted back shut her lashes sweeping her soft skin.

  The answer infuriated him and he didn’t want to ask the following, but he did so anyway. “Alone?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  He was about to tell her exactly what he thought of that when her finger touched his lip. The touch sent excitement down his body and he had the urge to suck that finger into his mouth.

  “I have to get home,” she said.

  Suddenly after trying to escape her grip, he didn't want her to leave.

  With the hand hiding under her body, he moved the fallen hair across her face. “Syd, you have to get up, I can't move,” he whispered quietly to her.

  Her hand travelled down the front of his shirt. A casual touch, but intimate in every place it touched.

  She looked back up at him. “Are you alright? You didn't call me last night.”

  “I'm fine.”

  “Did something bad happen?” She worried about him like no other person on the earth, which made what they needed to discuss even more difficult.

  He shook his head and then smiled. “In fact I learned some good things about Adalyn.”

  She smiled back at him. “Like what?”

  “How about I tell you all about it on the walk back to your house?” He needed her off him and fast before he dipped into her morning mouth and ended with both of them naked.

  She pouted at him. “I guess you’re right. I left Haylee in charge.” She didn’t move.

  “It would be quicker if you got off me.”

  She didn't move.

  “Jake I thought something bad happened to you. I was terrified.” The morning hour was allowing the desire to creep into her eyes again and he felt like he might let his restraint go.

  He sat up, forcing her legs away from his and she slowly sat up beside him, curling them under her.

  He threw his legs over the edge of the couch and ran his hands across his face. “I'm sorry. I should have called you.”

  “Yes, you should have.” He must have had her worried to snip at him like that. “I'm just glad you're alright.” Sydney climbed to her knees and walked over to his side. In one quick motion, she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, tucking her head in his shoulder. “You should have come to my house last night, then instead of rushing off we could have snuggled and played together all morning in my bed.” Her abruptness heated his body. She nibbled on his throat before standing up, slipping into her jacket and waiting at his office door. “Are you coming?”

  How was he going to tell this loving, caring, teasing, and gorgeous woman whom he’d loved his whole life that there was no future for them? He felt the day’s events come to weighing heavily on him as they walked back to her house, hands laced together.

  He needed a strong black mug...maybe pot...of coffee before he even attempted to explain his view on their relationship. Besides, he was enjoying telling her everything Robbie had told him, and the lead he might get to Lucy and Benji’s dad. If he didn’t get a phone call from Robbie he was sitting Mia down again for a nice long chat. That chat seemed a thousand times easier than the one he needed to have with Sydney.

  For someone who avoided long, or small, chats he was getting himself into a hill of them and none were pleasant.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  JAKE SAT ACROSS the picnic table staring into the very intimidating bright blue eyes of his niece. If eyes could tear someone down into shreds, hers would surely do so right that moment. She didn’t like his request for a private conversation any more than he did. But it had to be done. Living in limbo for all of them would be far worse.

  Lucy and Benji were content playing in the sandbox where Jake could see them behind Mia.

  He was totally shocked that Sydney had actually left him alone with all three kids for almost the whole day to take her shift at the shop until five. There hadn’t been a right moment to talk to her about the relationship and it was lurking in his head, distracting him, confusing him, but he knew what needed to be done. For now, his time would be better spent getting the answers they needed because Robbie hadn’t called him back and he had nothing.

  Sitting in Sydney’s backyard after a barbeque lunch...he made a nasty barbeque if he did say do himself...it was time to get some answers.

  Mia was prepared to deflect him. She was prepared to protect herself and her siblings, just as she had been doing for the last year since they were dropped into the laps of Beth. He knew this child all too well from his life with his mother. But Mia would answer him. He needed answers to find her mother.

  “Straight forward and honest,” Sydney had told him, “Firm but loving. Nice not mean.”

  Alright. I can do this. I would rather be shot in the foot, but here it goes.

  “I drove to the address you gave me yesterday.” No movement in her face. Did you really think it was that easy? “I talked to Robbie.” There was a shimmer of knowledge shadowed in those eyes. A start in the right direction...looking good.

  Jake was more nervous than this girl.

  “He told me that you, Lucy and Benji, left the condo six months ago.”

  She stared at him.

  “He also told me that you three kids were wonderful and your mom and your dad were good, nice people.”

  That didn't seem to faze her.

  “He said you left in the middle of the night without telling your dad and he didn't know where you went or why.” He wished he had asked Adalyn’s boyfriend’s first name. Hopefully, by the end of the conversation, he would know.

  Silence.

  “Where did you go?”

  She folded her arms across her chest telling him not a chance in hell was she answering his question. Be nice. Be nice.

  “Your sister likes me,” he observed out loud, glancing over her shoulder at Lucy who was a ball of sunshine compared to this girl.

  “Lucy likes cockroaches,” Mia said flatly.

  Hmm. Was she calling him a cockroach?

  “Your brother likes me.”

  “He's three. He eats sand.”

  Jakes head snapped back over at the two in the sandbox. Benji was digging a hole, no
sand in the mouth. Phew! He wasn't good at this taking care of children thing. It had been a long time since Haylee was young and he'd always been there for her but Joan or Sydney had never been far away.

  It felt like Sydney was in a whole other country right now.

  He leveled a look at Mia. “I want to find your mother.”

  “She will find us when she's ready.”

  “So you do know where she is?”

  “No.”

  “Did she tell you she would find you?”

  “Does she know where you live?”

  Of course she knew where he lived. So, yes she'd told her that.

  They were getting nowhere and he didn't like the games.

  “Alright Mia...can I be honest with you?” he asked in a serious tone, slowly folding his hands in front of him on the table. Nothing else was working and he really didn't want to be mean. These kids were his family. They were scared and alone and Adalyn loved them. For whatever reason she thought they would be safer with him.

  Nothing.

  “Your mom is my baby sister. I love her. And I am worried about her. More than likely she's in some kind of trouble.”

  That sent a little terror to her face and Jake felt guilty for putting it there. I’m sorry Mia, but I need some answers.

  “I can help her if I can find her. Please Mia, tell me what has happened since you left six months ago. Tell me everything because it might help. Or anything before you left that was a little strange.

  For a long time she stared at him silent and thin-lipped, but he could see he had gotten through to her. In her eyes she was struggling to keep a secret...or perhaps fear of talking. He hoped she would find it in herself to trust him.

  “My mom said you're not the bad guy.” Relief filled Jake. Maybe he wouldn't have to fight so much.

  “She said we could trust you and you would take care of us.”

  “I will.” His voice almost caught in his throat. For two years he’d tried to convince Adalyn of those very words.

  Mia looked up at him shyly as if scared to say the next words. “We don't want to go back with Beth.”