by Jo McNally
Mason had been a charmer, too, in the beginning. Mason was handsome and so very civilized in his actions, but he seemed driven to make sure he was always the center of attention. Dan was far more comfortable in his own skin, but he was Gallant Lake’s version of Superman. And she had a feeling the ice queen wasn’t the Lois Lane the locals had in mind for their hero.
Dan walked to the bar. Shelly was calling to her over the loud music. “You’re looking mighty dreamy-eyed, girlfriend!”
Mack rolled her eyes. “Wasn’t it you who told me we’re not in high school anymore? The next thing you know, you’ll be asking me to carve our initials inside a heart or toss a coin in the old wishing well on Gilford’s Ridge.”
Shelly laughed. “Wow, I haven’t thought about that old wishing well in ages... I wonder if it’s still up there? I should take my kids hiking and see if we can find it. Look, you don’t have to marry the guy, Mack. Just have some fun. Dan’s a good guy, and Lord knows he deserves some fun, too. And after watching you two dance... Well, let’s just say there was some hotness goin’ on!”
Dan returned, thankfully ending the conversation. He handed her a glass, but it wasn’t beer.
“I thought you might want some water to hydrate yourself from all your...uh...activity.”
“In other words, you agree I’ve had enough beer tonight? You’re right—this is not a typical Friday night for me.” Remembering she was here to start a more fun-loving life, she lifted her chin. “At least it wasn’t before tonight.”
Owen leaned forward to make himself heard over the music. “Hey, Dan, you bike, right? A bunch of us are going to do the loop around the lake Sunday. Wanna join us?”
Mack’s eyes went wide. “Dan, you still have your motorcycle? I used to love the way that thing rumbled...”
Kiara’s eyebrows rose, and Mack realized she sounded gushy. But she hadn’t thought of Dan pulling up behind the liquor store on that dark red Harley of his in a long time. He’d been every teenage girl’s bad-boy dream—handsome, reckless and restless. She used to run to the back window when she heard him coming, just to watch him pull that helmet off and run his fingers through his hair, wearing those tight jeans.
Was it hot in here, or was it her memories that were heating her up right now? She gulped down the cold water, nearly emptying the glass in one pull. Dan was saying something. Oh, damn. Dan was talking and she wasn’t even listening...
“...think Owen’s referring to bicycles, not motorcycles.” He nodded toward Owen. “I’ve got Chloe this weekend, so I’ll have to pass.” His mouth slanted into a half grin as he turned back to Mack. “But yes, I still have the old Harley. It’s been in mothballs for a few years, but I can’t seem to part with that last vestige of my misspent youth.”
That bad boy might still be in there...
“You know, I’ve never been on a motorcycle. You should give me a ride sometime...”
Dan coughed and the others laughed. That wasn’t the kind of ride she’d meant, of course. Or was it? Rather than apologize, she just met his gaze and shrugged.
There was a spark of something in his eyes. Interest? He closed them and shook his head, as if chasing away whatever thoughts she’d put there.
“Okay, Miss New Leaf, I think it’s time to head home.” He looked toward the entrance, where several men were standing. She recognized Nate Thomas and Asher Peyton among them. Asher was smirking in Dan’s general direction. “Looks like my friends are ready to head out. I didn’t drive, but Asher and I can drop you.”
Owen spoke up. “I can drive her home.”
Dan glanced at the cola Owen held. The two men had a brief stare down before Mack had enough of it.
“Before you two cavemen start pounding your chests, I’m walking home. Alone.” She held up her hand when they both started to object. “I’m a big girl, it’s not that far, and there are sidewalks and streetlights the whole way.” She glanced Dan’s way. “And I have it on good authority that this is a very safe town.”
Owen sat back in his chair. “Suit yourself. You coming back next Friday? Third Fridays are...” His forehead furrowed in thought. “Oh, yeah. Classic rock. Always a good time.”
“I don’t know what my plans are for next week. I have to make living arrangements for Dad at some point.” Shelly and Kiara both gave her a wave good-night, with promises to stop by the store. Dan didn’t move until she headed for the door, then he fell in step with her.
“I’ll walk you home and have Asher pick me up there. You shouldn’t be walking alone.”
Mack came to an abrupt stop. “Oh, please. Stop being such a knight in shining armor. I’m a grown woman.” She pointed at Asher, whom she’d met just that week. Nora’s husband, he owned the custom furniture shop a few doors down from the liquor store. “Go home with your pals and leave me alone.”
He stared at her, then shrugged. “Fine. Go do your independent thing.”
She hadn’t expected him to give up his protector role so easily. When he didn’t say more, she brushed past him.
She was almost by when he spoke softly, “Text me when you get there.”
It wasn’t an unreasonable request, so she nodded before heading out the door. It didn’t take more than fifteen minutes to get back to the apartment, and the walk through a quiet Gallant Lake helped sober her up. Before she unlocked the door, she sent a quick text to Dan, simply saying, I’m home. As soon as the notice popped up that the message was delivered, she saw headlights come on in the parking lot behind the strip of stores and apartments. A Jeep slowly pulled away, and she recognized it as Asher’s. Which meant Dan had made sure they followed her home anyway.
Maybe she should have been annoyed, but the way he’d done it was pretty chivalrous and sweet, and he was a cop, after all, and probably couldn’t help himself. She waved as she went inside, just to let him know she was onto him. She locked the door behind her, and Rory trotted down the hall to wind between her legs, complaining loudly.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you, cat. Your dish empty? Whose fault is that?”
She tossed a few pieces of kibble in, and they were gone in a flash. If she fed this cat as much as he thought she should, he’d weigh fifty pounds instead of twenty. She had another glass of water before going to her room and crawling into bed. She’d just turned the lights out and Rory was settling on the pillow next to her when her phone chirped with a message. It was from Dan.
Drink some water or you’ll have a headache.
Why did he have to be so freaking nice? And why did she like it so much? She debated how to respond, then grinned. Maybe she could get him to blush again.
You know, I have a bicycle-type bike, too. If you ever want to take a ride.
The bubbles appeared, then stopped. Then appeared again, but nothing came through. She chuckled, and Rory let out an annoyed mew next to her. Was Dan lying in bed like her? Staring at his phone in the dark, wondering what they were doing? The bubbles started up again.
Chloe and I are taking a bicycle ride Sunday if you want to join us. Pick you up around noon?
She had a sneaking suspicion one of those first unsent responses was more interesting, but the invitation was a pleasant surprise. And a family bike ride was something new and different, if not all that risky. Bert was covering the liquor store this weekend.
Sounds good.
As she rolled over and closed her eyes, she knew she’d be dreaming of a teenage Dan riding that Harley.
Chapter Seven
Dan took Mack’s bike out of the back of his truck and looked it over as he held it for her to take. Just like her hiking boots, she’d gone for the top-of-the-line.
“You might want to remove the price tag.”
She laughed and tugged at the tag attached to the handlebars. “That does look a little tacky, doesn’t it? Don’t want anyone to think I’m riding a stolen bike with the loc
al sheriff.”
He really wished people would stop saying stuff like that. “I’m not the sheriff today, okay?” He reached into his shorts pocket for his folding knife, reaching over to cut through the cord holding the tag in place. “There you go.”
Mack’s forehead furrowed. “You said something like that Friday night, too. That you weren’t the guy with the badge. Does it bother you being Sheriff Dan all the time?”
He watched his daughter pedaling her purple bike in circles behind the truck. “Chloe, ride on the bike path, where there aren’t any cars, okay?” He turned to Mack, handing her helmet to her. “The whole Sheriff Dan thing started as a term of affection. Respect. I guess it still is that, but sometimes it makes me feel like a cartoon character. Like that’s all I am—some 24-7 do-gooder crossing guard or something.”
“Uh...you just moved your daughter to the nice safe bike path from the equally safe parking lot. And reminded me about my helmet. And you followed me home Friday night to make sure I got there safely. And you were clearly trying to determine everyone’s alcohol consumption at the Chalet. And people like my dad give you the keys to their businesses...”
Dan set his own bike on the ground with more force than he intended. “The job is hard to turn off, Mack.” She started to speak, but he talked over her. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be treated like I’m just...Dan...once in a while.” He jammed his ball cap onto his head. He wasn’t even making sense to himself. Since when had he resented the Sheriff Dan thing? Maybe since drugs moved into his town and made him feel impotent. Maybe he didn’t mind it when he felt like he might really be the hero. Maybe that made him a jerk. It was all too much to digest at the moment. “It just gets to be a lot sometimes, that’s all.” He turned away before she had a chance to say anything. “Come on, Chloe. Let’s get this show on the road. You ride between Mack and me, especially on the main roads. Mack, you take the lead. We’re taking the lake trail as far as we can, then up the hill to the resort, which means we’ll be on the main road for a little way, but there’s a wide shoulder. It’s a busy road, so be sure to look both ways...”
Mack was straddling her bike, giving him a smirky grin.
“What?”
Her shoulder rose and fell. “For someone who doesn’t want to be School-Crossing Dan, you really do tend to fret over things and boss people around.”
She wasn’t wrong. “The one job I don’t want to change is being a dad. I’m just keeping her safe.” He looked at Chloe, who was waiting impatiently for somebody to do something. Mack considered that, then tipped her head.
“Fair enough. But let’s explore this conversation more at a later date.” She waved at Chloe, and he noticed the purple bracelet sparkling on Mack’s wrist. It matched the one on Chloe’s arm. “I haven’t ridden a bike in years that wasn’t stationary and in a gym, so don’t laugh at me.”
He did laugh. All three of them did as Mack wobbled and zigzagged and had to plant her feet on the ground more than once to keep from falling over. But she eventually got the hang of it, and Dan wasn’t laughing anymore. Riding behind her, watching her rounded butt go up and down, back and forth, over and over...it was enough to make his bike zigzag a few times. She was in capris and a knit top—just snug enough to show off all of her rounded lines. Mack used to be obsessively thin in high school. Always on some crazy diet some Hollywood star raved about in a magazine. Ryan used to tease that a good wind would blow her over.
That sure as hell wasn’t the case anymore, and it was a vast improvement. She was far more interesting with those lush curves everywhere. She was far more interesting, period. He couldn’t believe he’d texted her at almost midnight on Friday, telling her to drink more water. He rolled his eyes at himself. Could he get any nerdier? And then she’d responded by carrying on that embarrassing innuendo game that she’d started in the bar, about him giving her a ride. The Mackenzie Wallace he’d known as a girl would have never spoken that way, at least not intentionally. But Mack had been very intentional.
Just like when she pressed up against him on the dance floor. Intentional.
“Oh, hell!” His bike went off the path and he barely managed to get it through the grass and back onto the path without going head over heels. Mack and Chloe both stopped, looking back at him in surprise. Not his finest moment. He felt his face heat up.
“Sorry. Bad dad language. I owe you a buck, Chloe. Can I put it on credit for now?”
She nodded with a bright grin. “Sure, Dad. What happened back there?”
As if she knew she’d been responsible for his lapse in attention, Mack joined in with a fairly wicked grin. “Yeah, Dan. What happened back there?”
“I got distracted, smart-a...” He cleared his throat. “Smarty-pants. We’re almost to the road. Mack, you remember the way to Halcyon, right?”
“I haven’t been gone that long, Dan. It’s the biggest landmark in town, after the resort, of course.” She started pedaling again. “Didn’t you and Ryan used to go up there and sneak into the place looking for the ghost?”
He and Ryan used to sneak around the overgrown property surrounding the big stone castle, but they sure as hell weren’t looking for some ghost. They used to break into the carriage house through a back window and smoke weed and drink with pals like Owen Graber. Once in a while, they’d take a couple adventurous girls with them and have fun trying to get past second base. He and Ryan really had been a couple of punk kids back then.
Chloe called back to him. “Dad! Did you really break into the castle? Did you see the ghost?”
“I did not break into the castle.” Just the carriage house. “And there is no ghost, Chloe. It’s just a story. Mr. and Mrs. Randall live there now with their kids. They wouldn’t do that if the place was haunted.” Of course, they’d named their daughter Madeleine, after the woman rumored to haunt the place, but they must have just liked the name or something. A large truck passed them but was courteous enough to swing out into the far lane. “Pay attention to the road, sweetheart.”
The hill to the resort and Halcyon wasn’t steep, but it was long, and Dan could see Mack was struggling a little. He called up to her, “You okay up there? Need a break?”
“Nope...” She sounded winded. “I’m fine. It’s not much farther...is it?”
There was so much hope in those last two words that he had to laugh. She must have been exhausted, but she didn’t quit.
They passed the entrance to the Gallant Lake Golf Club, and a low stone wall stretched ahead along the road all the way to the main entrance of the resort. The Gallant Lake Resort was nearly a hundred years old, built back in the days when people flocked from the city to the Catskills for weeks at a time during the summer. The movie Dirty Dancing wasn’t all fiction. The resort had even had waterfront camp cottages at one time, and the main building had several hundred rooms.
Most of the cottages were gone now, and the resort had almost met the same fate. When Blake Randall bought the three-story fieldstone and timber hotel, his plan was to tear it all down and build a ten-story casino in its place. But then he met his now-wife, Amanda, and she changed everything. She remodeled the historic castle named Halcyon and captured Blake’s heart in the process. They adopted Blake’s orphaned nephew and had a daughter of their own, and Blake went from being despised in Gallant Lake to being a community leader and benefactor.
The stone wall rose to form two large pillars on either side of the entrance to the resort. A limo pulled out as they rode by. These days, the remodeled resort was bringing in well-heeled guests from Manhattan and all over. Beyond the resort entrance, the fence changed from stone to wrought iron, signaling they were almost to the Halcyon entrance. When they were opposite it, Mack pulled her bike to the edge of the shoulder and looked back to Dan. Her face was red and shining with sweat, but she was smiling.
“What now? Are we going in?” She winked. “Wanna see
if there are any windows unlocked in the carriage house?”
So she knew what her brother and Dan had been up to all those years ago. He shook his head. “No, thanks. The place is very much occupied these days, not to mention it’s monitored by the security team at the resort. Cross over when it’s safe, and we’ll grab an iced tea down at the resort.”
“Yes!” Chloe gave a little fist pump. “Can we walk down to the lakeshore? Can I go to the ballroom where the fashion show’s gonna be? Can I go up the big tree stairs?”
He gave his daughter a don’t-push-your-luck look. “Yes. Probably not. Maybe.”
Her face scrunched up as she tried to apply the answers to the questions and determine if it was good or bad. Traffic was clear, so they crossed the road and went down to the resort, riding between the big stone pillars and putting their bikes in the rack near the front door.
Mack took off her helmet and shook her hair loose, frowning at her brand-new bicycle. “I don’t have a bike lock. Will it be safe here?”
Dan directed her attention up to a small camera on the building, aimed directly at the bike rack. He waved, and grinned when the green light below the camera blinked twice. Either Nick West was in the surveillance room, or his employee Brad was, and they’d seen him. Dan flashed a thumbs-up and took his daughter’s hand, smiling over her head at Mack. “No one will touch the bikes. This place has tighter security than Fort Knox, and probably more cameras.”
* * *
Mack was amazed by the transformation of the old Gallant Lake Resort. She remembered it being a nice, but really tired even then, place. It had always seemed trapped in a time warp of 1950s mountain lodge kitsch and even more questionable 1980s “upgrades,” with gleaming brass everywhere. But there was no sign of that now. The lobby was open and inviting, with a very contemporary nod to camp motif. The main staircase used to be a wide, curving oak affair. It wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t pretty, either.