CHAPTER TWO
After the women left to go home to their families, Misty locked the front door.
She’d already made sure that the double lock on the sliding glass door was in place, and she knew the windows throughout the cabin were locked.
Once she got used to the sounds in and around the house, she’d relax a little more. But for now, this made her feel safe.
Misty was happy to be on her own again but knew it would take some adjustment. If only she hadn’t seen that ugly scrawl of words. She couldn’t get an image of Vince’s handsome, beguiling, awful face out of her mind.
Dusk was easing in, changing the blue sky to gray. Misty knew that she'd feel much better once she made it through the night.
She called Hazel and was forced to leave a message: “Sorry, I won’t be able to come to your house tonight. I’m exhausted and will catch up with you tomorrow.”
After seeing that the kitchen was cleaned up, a habit from living with Crystal, Misty padded into her new, luxurious bathroom and got ready for bed.
A few minutes later, she climbed beneath the sheets, curled up with her pillow, and finally slept.
###
Misty stirred and opened her eyes to find a rosy dawn emerging outside her bedroom window overlooking the river.
Feeling as if she’d run a marathon during the night, she got out of bed and decided to walk into town.
She needed exercise and time away from the cabin to chill out from the horrible dreams that had kept her tossing and turning.
She pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, got into her walking shoes, and left the house, determined to have a nice day.
Birds were singing and flitting about in the trees above her as she left the river and walked to the corner of Main Street to head downtown. On a whim, she walked one block over to see if she could find the special little garden park dedicated to David’s sister.
On the way, Misty chided herself for allowing memories of Vince to ruin the new life she was building in Lilac Lake.
She realized if she didn’t move forward, she’d be trapped forever in a circle of regrets and self-recriminations.
She remembered the state motto of New Hampshire—"Live Free or Die”—and knew she needed to let the past go.
It was over, and she would find a way to cope.
Lord knew she’d learned to pretend things were all right when they weren’t.
She’d walked a couple of blocks when she saw the park.
As she got closer, she noticed someone kneeling by the flower beds and realized it was David. She approached him.
“Good morning! You’re here early.”
He looked up at her and grinned, then got to his feet. “This is a nice time of day to do some weeding and make sure everything looks fine.”
“My sister told me about the park, and I wanted to see it for myself. What you’re doing is a labor of love.”
He stared into the distance. “My sister, Lily, and I were very close, like you and Crystal. Growing up, I was small until I hit a big growth spurt. But until then, I was picked on enough that she kept an eye out for me and convinced me to take karate lessons. Now, I teach classes on it. But I’ll never forget her loyalty. ”
Misty looked around. Edging the square of land, flower beds added color to the green grass at the center.
Park benches were set in several locations, far enough apart to give privacy to those using them.
A large maple tree sat along the back of the lot spreading its branches and providing shade over a portion of the park.
A yellow brick walkway wound its way through the lot to the benches.
“I love the yellow brick ‘road,’” Misty said. “It’s like The Wizard of Oz .”
David let out a sigh. “ ‘ Over the Rainbow ’ was one of Lily’s favorite songs. We listened to it together after she got sick.” His voice was full of pain.
Misty reached out and touched his arm. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you to lose your sister.”
“Doing this garden for her has been healing. The town’s support has meant a lot to me and my parents.” He motioned for her to take a seat. “Go ahead and enjoy it. I won’t disturb you. I’m almost done weeding.”
Misty walked along the brick walkway to a bench in the back corner and sat down.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled the smell of roses and other flowers, listened to the birds chirping in the maple tree, and felt a deep sense of peace wash over her.
Her entire body relaxed, Misty vowed once more to refuse to allow anyone to take this feeling away from her.
“Misty?”
She looked up to see David walking toward her. She smiled and patted the empty space beside her. “This is so peaceful.”
He slid onto the bench beside her. “That’s what we were hoping for. It’s a lot of work but worth it.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes, and then David got to his feet. “Will you be at Jake’s tonight?”
“Yes,” said Misty. “I’m going to take advantage of meeting my friends there as much as possible before school starts.”
“I’ll see you later.” David gave her a little salute.
She watched him go. He might’ve been small as a child, but he was tall now, with a muscular body toned handsomely by his work. She liked that he didn’t gain muscle by constantly working out at a gym. That would remind her too much of Vince.
Misty continued her walk into town to the Lilac Lake Café.
Though she and Crystal had moved out of the apartment above it, Crystal was temporarily helping at the café until Nettie Mancini and her fiancé, Jason Rockwell, were comfortable enough with the operation to go forward without Crystal’s help.
She arrived at the café just before six-thirty and waited with others for the door to open. Early morning hours were a reality in running the café, something Misty was delighted to avoid going forward.
She stood a moment and gazed at the town she loved so much. Bright-colored awnings covered some of the windows of the shops along Main Street. Matched by pots sitting by doorways and overflowing with summer flowers, it looked postcard-picture perfect as the small New England town it was.
After unlocking the door, Crystal and Nettie greeted the small gathering.
Nettie had short, dark, curly hair, blue eyes, and a smile no one could resist. Though she wasn’t tall, her body had an appealing curviness.
Misty was thrilled that she’d be taking over the café.
Jason, her fiancé, was just as nice and as eager as Nettie to make friends.
“Hi, Misty,” said Nettie. “I heard you’ve moved into your new place.”
“Moved is the operative word. Settled is another. But I’m getting there,” said Misty. “When do you begin painting the apartment?”
“Not for a couple of days. Jason has a friend who’s going to do it for us. His name is Vinnie.”
Misty’s heart jerked to a stop before her pulse began pounding in her ears. “What’s his full name?”
Nettie frowned. “Vinnie Morelli. Why?’
Misty sighed and shook her head. “Someone I knew was named Vince. Not a nice man.”
“Oh, I get it. This Vinnie is a great guy who’s worked for us for a couple of years. We’re trying to get him interested in moving to Lilac Lake so he can work with us here.”
“I’m sure he’ll love it,” said Misty, feeling her knees gain strength.
In the last day, there’d been too many reminders of Vince.
She went over to the counter and sat, needing a cup of coffee, her favorite, a mocha decaf.
She glanced into the display case and ordered a maple raisin scone.
In maple sugar country, lots of treats contained it.
Crystal stood by her seat. “Are you okay? Whitney told me about one of your books being ruined. Vince, no doubt?”
“I’m sure of it,” said Misty. A shudder slithered snakelike across her shoulders.
“Whitney promised me that Nick was aware of it and that he’d talk to all his deputies about the situation.” Crystal shook her head with dismay. “Thank goodness you got away from that jerk.”
“A lesson learned,” said Misty, setting her jaw in a firm line.
“Don’t let that terrible experience ruin you for other relationships,” said Crystal quietly before turning to seat more customers. “I see how David looks at you.”
Misty sipped her coffee and took a bite of the warm scone. No wonder customers loved the Lilac Lake Café.
###
That evening, Misty and Hazel headed to Jake’s.
The bar was busy and looked like most sports bars, with an array of televisions blaring a variety of games. Crystal waved to them from the large “locals” table at one corner of the room.
“Hi, y’all,” said Hazel, settling in an empty chair beside Misty.
Wearing blue jeans that clung to her long legs and a white T-shirt, she looked stunning.
Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her dark brown eyes sparkled.
From a wealthy family, Hazel liked to downplay her appearance.
But with her natural beauty, it worked in the opposite way.
From the other side of the table, David caught Misty’s eye. She returned his smile, happy to see him.
By the time Melissa arrived with her fiancé, Ross Roberts, a former professional baseball player, there were sixteen people crowded around two large tables.
Misty listened as Dani talked about the new cottages The Meadows would build along a section of lakefront property.
Taylor shared news of a book she was writing, and others, including Dirk McArthur, the new young dentist in town, talked about what they were doing in their jobs.
As they spoke, Misty realized how intertwined their lives were.
When Crystal told them she and Emmett were thinking seriously about eloping, Misty clapped with the others. Emmett’s family situation was proving to be more and more awkward between his father, a U.S. Senator running for President, and his mother, who was recovering from alcohol addiction.
“The one reason I hesitate is that I want all of you to be part of the celebration,” said Crystal.