Kat still lived in town and continued helping her mother run the coffeehouse which she would someday take over. She'd gone to college for two years, but had decided to come home and continue the family business. Everyone was surprised when Kat and Jake began dating and married. Ali was happy for her two friends, though. And every now and then the four of them got together and hung out on the lake like they'd done as teens. Ali thought it was nice having another couple to share memories with.
Ali refocused on the lake and saw her grandfather coming up the dock with fishing rods in his hands. She watched as he placed them in the storage shed, then he walked through the porch door with a smile on his face.
"So, how's that great-grandson of mine doing?" Ben asked, sitting down gently beside Ali.
Ali chuckled as she placed her hand on her growing belly. She was seven months pregnant, and despite the heat of the summer, she felt pretty good. "You know, the baby could be a great-granddaughter," she told Ben.
Ben grinned. "Well, as long as it's healthy, that's all that matters," he said. "Although, if it's a boy, I could teach it everything I know," he teased.
Ali placed her hand on her grandfather's arm. "You can teach it everything you know if it's a girl, too. Just like you taught me."
Ben let out a hearty laugh. "You still out-fish me," he said. "I think I'm the one who needed to learn, not you."
Looking into her grandfather's dark blue eyes, Ali thought back to the day she'd almost left here forever. Her grandfather had promised her he'd try harder, and he had. It didn't mean they didn't get into a scrap or two, but in the end he'd always listen to her and consider her opinion. And once he opened up his heart to Jo, he'd softened. He was rarely the gruff, grouchy man he'd been the day she came to Willow Lake Lodge. He'd mellowed as he grew older, and Ali had grown to love him very much.
The sun had made its way below the cliff, and darkness began to settle on the lake. A loon cried out its sing-song call and flew across the lake and over the lodge.
"He's heading home," Ben said. "Just like clockwork, every night."
Ali nodded. She thought back to the first time a loon had flown across the sky above her and scared her with its cry. She thought about the time she and her grandfather had saved the loon tangled in the fishing line. Now, she looked forward to summer each year when she'd hear the loons sing as they flew to and from the lake. She loved that sound. To her, it was the sound of home.
When Ali was young, she'd dreamt about a place she and her mother could call home with family all around. But as the years passed, Ali had decided that the idea of home and family was just a dream. Now she knew different.
As the sun settled down for the night, Ali laid her head on her grandfather's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. Home. It felt so good to be home.
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About the Author
Deanna Lynn Sletten is the author of MAGGIE’S TURN, FINDING LIBBIE, ONE WRONG TURN, and several other titles. She writes heartwarming women’s fiction and romance novels with unforgettable characters. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime. Deanna believes in fate, destiny, love at first sight, soul mates, second chances, and happily ever after, and her novels reflect that.
Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd, traveling, and relaxing on the lake.
Deanna loves hearing from her readers. Connect with her at:
Her website: http://www.deannalsletten.com
Blog: http://www.deannalynnsletten.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deannalynnsletten
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/deannalsletten
Visit Deanna’s Amazon Author Page to see more of her books.
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