#Resort Romance (Lakeview Harbor)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was like stepping back in time.

But not necessarily in a good way.

Jayce Nash climbed from his SUV and stared in disbelief. The last time he had been to Lakeview Harbor Resort was thirteen years ago, and it looked exactly like this.

Exactly.

Almost weirdly so.

Shaking his head to clear it, he turned and walked around to the back of the vehicle to grab his luggage from the trunk.

The rest of his family was either here already or arriving soon.

Glancing around the parking lot, he didn’t recognize his parents’ car, but that didn’t mean they weren’t here.

Taking his phone out of his pocket, he tapped out a quick text to gauge where everyone was.

Jayce: Hey! I’m here!

Three little dots immediately appeared on the screen.

Mom: You made good time! We’re already up at the cabin!

Mom: Cabin #14! Our usual!

Mom: Do you remember the way?

Did he?

Jayce: I’ll swing by the lobby and get a map. It’s been a while. Lol!

Mom: Should your father come and get you?

Groaning, he shook his head.

Jayce: I’m fine, Mom. See you soon!

And before she could answer, he slid the phone back into his pocket before making his way up to the main lodge. If everything truly was still the same as it was all those years ago, he’d find the front desk in the lobby and someone to draw his route to the cabin on a photocopied map.

Two minutes later, he stepped into the lodge and froze because now it just felt freaky.

The walls, the furniture, the pictures on the wall…

everything was exactly the same. The Lakeview Harbor Resort was a family resort located in upstate New York, and Jayce had come up here every summer with his family until the summer he turned seventeen.

That was the year he had gotten the opportunity to travel to Japan on a school trip.

The following year, he’d spent the summer getting ready for college, and every summer after that, he just didn’t feel the need to join his parents, grandparents, and whichever random relatives accompanied them on the annual trip.

“And clearly I didn’t miss anything because it feels like I’m stuck in a time warp.”

Walking over to the registration desk, he noted how most of the guests were closer to his parents' and grandparents’ ages.

What used to be a fun family resort now felt like a place geared toward senior citizens.

He smiled as people walked by and fought the feeling of impatience because it seemed like the line was barely moving.

Pulling his phone out again, he was about to scroll and check his email when he noticed he barely had a signal.

Worse, there were no Wi-Fi networks to connect to.

You have got to be kidding me…

When it was finally his turn to step up to the desk, Jayce did his best to smile politely. The gentleman standing there looked old enough to be his grandfather and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that this guy had been working here for a long time.

“Welcome to Lakeview Harbor Resort! Are you checking in today?”

“Hey, I’m Jayce Nash and I’m here with my family. They’re already checked in and…”

“Of course! Your grandmother told us to be on the lookout for you! Cabin fourteen!” he said cheerily as he picked up a map.

“What you’re going to do is go right out those doors around the corner there and take the marked path past the picnic area.

” He drew on the map with a black marker for emphasis.

“Once you pass the volleyball court and the pool, you’ll take the path to your left and then follow it until you hit cabin fourteen.

” Smiling, he handed Jayce the paper. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Yes, I was curious about the Wi-Fi. There’s nothing coming up on my phone for a network, so…”

“The Lakeview Harbor Resort doesn’t have Wi-Fi, Mr. Nash. We encourage our guests to enjoy all the activities we have to offer as well as the beautiful scenery and nature!”

And the thing was, the guy was serious.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Thanks, I think this will do it. Have a nice day.” With a smile and a nod, Jayce turned and walked toward the doors.

Staring at the map as he went, he realized he probably could have found his way on his own.

The route was fairly direct and when he stepped outside, the path was also clearly marked.

Still, he paused and checked his phone again, but realized it was a lost cause for now. If he really needed to do anything, he’d have to get in his car and drive into town.

Or cut this trip short.

It was his grandparents’ fifty-fifth anniversary, and this was where they wanted to celebrate with everyone.

Last Jayce heard, there wasn’t a final head count on who was coming to the party, but he figured at least a dozen or so relatives.

That meant he couldn’t really cut out early.

He was here for a minimum of ten days, so he was going to have to make the best of it.

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he took a moment to get his bearings when…

“Oof!” Stumbling forward, he turned to see who or what had bumped into him.

“What the hell…?” His words died in his throat, and now it definitely felt like he had fallen back in time.

The woman standing behind him was a petite brunette wearing a big floppy hat and oversized sunglasses.

She might be hiding under all of that, but Jayce swore he’d know her anywhere.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going!” She fumbled with her purse and phone and suitcase while not truly looking at him. Reaching out, she asked, “Are you okay?”

Was she serious? “Um…yeah. Fine. No worries. Are you okay?”

Now she looked up and her soft gasp told him she was equally shocked.

“Hey, Kelsey,” he said softly.

Taking off her sunglasses, she continued to stare at him. “Jayce?” Then she let out a small laugh. “Oh my…what’s it been, like…ten years?”

“Thirteen,” he confirmed confidently, because he never forgot the last time he saw her. “So…how are you?”

Her smile was a bit on the shy side. “Other than being wildly embarrassed, I’m fine.

I’m usually perfectly capable of walking without being a menace to people around me.

” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I’m really sorry.

I was trying to read the map and should have paid attention to where I was going. ”

Grinning, he held his map up too. “Me too. Although after all the years I’ve come here, you’d think I wouldn’t need it. And it’s not like the grounds aren’t well marked, but there’s something oddly comforting about having the map.”

“Exactly! It’s easily been ten years since I’ve been back, and I thought I would need it, but now that I’m looking around, it all looks the same.” Pausing, she smiled. “So, what brings you here?”

“It’s my grandparents’ anniversary and this was where they wanted to celebrate, although…

” Pausing, he glanced around and knew he was frowning.

“I don’t know why. It looks like nothing’s been updated since the last time I was here.

We could have taken them anywhere they wanted to go, and yet…

here we are.” Smiling, he asked, “What about you? What brings you back here?”

“Oh, um…it’s my mom’s birthday and…you know…nostalgia and all that.”

“It certainly doesn’t get more nostalgic than this.” Leaning in a bit, he added, “I’m feeling like I’m sixteen again. It’s like this place is frozen in time.”

She nodded. “I heard this is their last summer season and then they’re closing. It makes me sad because I have a lot of great memories of our trips here.” Sighing, she added, “It just felt like I needed to come back one last time before they close.”

“I had no idea they were closing, but…you have to admit the place has seen better days.” He was about to say more when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. “Excuse me a moment.”

Mom: Are you lost? Lol!

Mom: Do we need to send a search party?

Rolling his eyes, Jayce quickly tapped out a response.

Jayce: Just taking my time and admiring the view.

His eyes immediately went to Kelsey before he finished.

Jayce: I’ll be there soon.

Mom: Okay! Just checking!

Putting his phone away, he couldn’t help the smile on his face.

Kelsey Brooks was the one who got away. They used to spend every summer together while they were at Lakeview Harbor Resort with their families.

It was a summer romance sort of thing because they lived hundreds of miles apart the rest of the year.

At sixteen, they had made promises about all the things they were going to do when they saw each other again, but none of those plans came to fruition because they hadn’t seen each other again.

Until now.

“So,” he finally forced himself to say. “I would love to catch up with you while we’re both here. What cabin are you staying in?”

Years ago, she always had the cabin next door—he was in fourteen, she was in sixteen. It would be a bizarre coincidence if that was still the case.

“Sixteen,” she said, smiling. “That was always our cabin, so when I made the reservation, I made sure I asked for it. What about you?”

“Um…our usual too. Fourteen. Care to walk with me?” Holding out his arm to her, he caught that shy smile again. Kelsey took a moment to put her phone and the map in her purse before hooking her arm with his and reaching for her suitcase with her free hand.

“Lead the way!”

In any other situation, running into Jayce Nash would have been a nightmare.

But today? It literally saved her sanity.

They strolled along like they had all day to get where they were going, and the entire time, they talked about memories they’d shared here at the resort.

“Remember the volleyball tournaments?”

“Remember the time we instigated a s’mores eating contest?”

“What about all the times we used the rope swing to get into the lake?”

“Or how many times we tipped our canoes over?”