Chapter 32
Present day
Lauren returned from the road trip tired and yet, somehow, content. She flopped into bed that night and caught up on texts,
periodically petting Graham, who sat conveniently beside her on the floor. She kept reliving those moments at the motel when
Jonah had given her that present.
Her gaze flashed to the top of her closet where she’d stashed the Heelys. That gift had warmed her heart. If she was honest,
it had also opened her heart. Their easy and fun conversations on the way home resonated with her. Perhaps enjoying his company
in a way she hadn’t since the accident had opened some familiar pathway in her brain. Or maybe it was like those time-loop
movies: no matter where they were in time or space, no matter what they did, they were destined to fall for each other.
Staring at her phone, she was unable to resist the temptation to peek into the past and see what being with Jonah had been
like. She opened their text thread and scrolled way back to the very beginning. She skimmed past the perfunctory texts she
remembered. They were short and to the point, all revolving around resort duties. Her replies were direct, sometimes abrasive.
She couldn’t help smiling, remembering how he’d pushed all her buttons.
Then sometime in May the tone of their exchanges shifted. Sometimes Jonah would bring up things that weren’t work related. He sent a couple funny gifs. Their texts were short and sweet. She began joking with him, using her sarcasm as she would with a friend. And then there was this entry.
Thanks for inviting me to Flume Gorge. I had a nice time.
Just nice?
Fishing for compliments?
Always .
I agreed to see you again, didn’t I?
We have a great time together. Those sparks. Whew.
Not denying that.
You’re worrying again. Live a little. You work too hard.
My boss is telling me I work too hard?
I’m just unselfish like that. Or maybe I’m being selfish. Hmm.
She’d sent him the emoji of a brain exploding and he laughed at that.
Their exchanges continued on, sometimes business related, most times not.
In early August he sent a text late one night. I like you.
I thought we established yesterday that you love me.
Oh, I do. But I like you too . ? ??
She’d known he’d loved her. But knowing he also liked her implied a different kind of intimacy. It implied that she was someone
he chose to spend time with because of who she was. That it wasn’t all about sparks and chemistry. He liked her for who she
was, good and bad. He enjoyed her company.
The only texts that followed were of the housekeeping variety until she reached the one she’d sent in September, apologizing
for not being more compassionate after the accident.
She skimmed the rest of the texts. She now had a fuller picture of their relationship prior to her accident. A more complete picture of Jonah. Post-accident, she knew him as a patient and caring man. He’d treated her with all the respect in the world. Had given her the time and space she’d asked for—a big ask given the kind of heartbreak he must be going through.
The Jonah in the text thread was decidedly more gregarious. More forthcoming with his thoughts and feelings. Though since
her accident she hadn’t exactly encouraged him to express himself. Doing so would’ve made her uncomfortable. Would’ve put
pressure on her. He seemed to know that and responded in a way that let her off the hook.
Seeing the contrast of Jonah before and after her accident only strengthened her respect and admiration for him.
She glanced at the photo app, her heart booming in her chest. No doubt there would be many pictures of them, of Jonah, of
memories that had been erased. But she’d seen enough for one night. And given her vulnerable state, she wouldn’t risk opening
herself to him any further.
Lauren had never experienced the kind of Thanksgiving the Landrys put on. They set up a huge table in the lodge and fed not
only the family but also welcomed guests and stragglers from town who had nowhere to go. All told, twenty-seven people were
sitting around the tables in the lobby.
The day after Thanksgiving they set up the cutouts she and Jonah had picked up two days before. Lauren couldn’t think of that
trip without remembering the Heelys he’d given her and the fun she’d had circling the motel’s potholed parking lot with Jonah
egging her on. She hadn’t laughed so hard in years.
Business picked up the first week in December as the town’s Christmas on the Lake Festival got underway. Light displays featuring
holiday scenes lit up the shoreline. People came from miles around to view the magical display, visit Santa in his makeshift
cottage, sample the local hot chocolate, and listen to the symphony performing classical Christmas music.
At the resort the barn was coming along. The flooring was installed that first week of December. It looked just as Lauren had envisioned it. And as she gazed at the beautiful venue, so close to completion, she couldn’t help the little bubble of sadness that bloomed at the thought of leaving it behind. At the thought of leaving Pinehaven and the Landrys.
And yes, Jonah.
Since that fateful road trip they’d come to a sort of truce. He was busy finishing the last of his classes. However, that
didn’t stop Tammy from setting up jobs for the two of them to tackle together. Her interference hardly escaped Jonah’s notice
either, but they complied with Tammy’s requests. And Lauren found herself enjoying the tasks all the more. Jonah was fun and
easygoing. He let her take the lead, set the pace. She would miss him when she left.
She would miss him most of all.
She brushed the thought away as she traipsed across the property only two days before her departure. She huddled into her
coat as she made footprints in the newly fallen snow.
She’d been in contact with Olivia about her job, which would start January second. That gave her almost two weeks to settle
into her new studio apartment.
When thoughts of her dream job failed to produce the usual infusion of adrenaline and excitement, she shrugged it away. She
had a lot on her plate—a lot to wrap up here before she left. The barn was finished except for the twinkle lights, but there
were a million of those. She’d wanted to hang them herself, but after her fall the Landrys insisted on hiring someone to do
it. A small crew was coming tomorrow.
The fully occupied property required a good deal of her attention and she still had to pack her things. The cabin felt like
home after so many months here.
The sense of sadness at leaving swept over her again. She’d become so close with the Landrys. They were the kind of family she’d always wished for. And the rustic resort—which at first had turned her off—had grown on her in ways she couldn’t have foreseen. She would miss the nightly sunsets over the lake, the colorful guests, the frequent sightings of deer in the woods and loons on the lake. She would miss the sense of community and the feeling of belonging in this family.
She brushed away the melancholy thoughts as she neared the lodge.
When she reached the steps Tammy exited the building. “Hi, sweetheart! Oooh, it’s freezing out here.”
“You need a heavier coat.”
“I’m stubborn—I refuse to take the winter coat out of storage until after Christmas.”
Lauren laughed as they passed on the steps. “Suit yourself.”
“Oh, shoot! I forgot our passports and I’m already late for my appointment with Ellen.” Ellen was her travel-agent friend.
Tammy was surprising Tom with a spring cruise for Christmas.
“If you tell me where they are, I’ll take pictures and send them to you. Will that work?”
“Oh, you’re a doll. They’re in our little safe upstairs in the entry closet. The passcode is 5489. Thank you, honey!”
“No problem.” As Tammy rushed to her car, Lauren headed inside, instantly grateful for the warmth of the fireplace. She’d
come to clean up the mess one of the families had made in the lobby. The pieces of several games and two puzzles were scattered
haphazardly around the seating area. It would take a while to sort it all out. But she passed the clutter and headed upstairs
so she could allay Tammy’s worry.
The lobby held the comforting scent of pine and looked like a Christmas wonderland with the sixteen-foot Fraser fir, decked
out with ornaments, garland, and white lights. Ropes of lit garlands topped the mantel and wrapped around the wooden banister.
Tammy sure knew how to make a place welcoming. She had a gift, both with décor and demeanor. She had the ideal personality
and skills for the hospitality business.
At the top of the stairs, Lauren twisted the doorknob and found it unlocked. Tom had left with Meg to get supplies for the property, so she helped herself to the entry closet and found the safe situated on a shelf at eye level. She put in the passcode and levered the door open.
Her gaze skittered over two shelves, passing a small hanging-file box, a manila envelope, boxes of blank checks... Ah,
there they were. The passports were stacked toward the back, just past a blue velvet jewelry box. She withdrew the passports,
snapped photos of the picture pages, and set the documents back inside the safe. Then she sent the photos to Tammy.
She was just about to shut the safe door when she spotted the jewelry box again. Perhaps it contained an heirloom ring once
belonging to Tom’s mother. Or maybe a lovely pair of diamond earrings Tom had gifted Tammy for one of their anniversaries.
That was probably more likely since the jewelry box looked newish. Her curiosity got the best of her. She scooped up the box
and lifted the lid.
She gasped at the sight of an oval diamond engagement ring. The glimmering central diamond was rimmed by a halo of smaller
sparkling diamonds. It was beautiful—and obviously new!
Why would the Landrys have a new engagement ring in their safe?
Even as the question formed she knew the answer. It was Jonah’s. He had bought it for her . The ring was just to her taste. It was exquisite. Breathtaking.
She clutched her chest. Jonah had been planning to propose—and then she’d fallen and lost her memory. Her heart ached for
him all over again. She wanted to find him immediately. All these weeks he’d been so sweet, so patient with her. He was an
extraordinary man and he loved her enough to spend the rest of his life with her.
The ache inside bloomed until she couldn’t even look at the ring anymore. As if the jewelry box was burning a hole in her hand, she snapped the lid closed and shoved it back on the shelf. Then she slammed the door closed and yanked the lever until it locked with a heavy clank.
If only she had locked her heart so thoroughly. Because seeing that ring and feeling his pain, she realized now what she hadn’t
known only a moment ago.
She’d fallen in love with Jonah Landry.
Her eyes burned with unshed tears. How had she allowed this to happen, not once but twice? The first time she’d given in to
the feelings and surrendered everything she’d worked so hard for.
Only now did she realize how that had happened. The feelings roiling through her were as powerful as a riptide. But undertows
were dangerous and so was love. It was seductive and spellbinding. It held the power to drag you away from what mattered most.
Hadn’t her own mother taught her that very lesson? Hadn’t Lauren suffered for years because of her abandonment? No matter
how hard it might be to leave Jonah behind, Lauren would not make the same mistake.