Chapter Three
Chapter Three
WHEN GENEVIEVE PRENTICE’S HUSBAND left her widowed at the age of thirty-eight with four children to raise, she’d learned to persevere. In the twenty-two years since that horrible day, she’d weathered her fair share of frights, emergencies, terrors, and crises concerning her loved ones. She’d even starred in a couple of those situations herself.
But nothing— nothing —tore her up like hearing a grandchild’s cry of pain.
Her baby’s baby, who needed her mother.
Genevieve had followed the utility vehicle’s tracks until she found it parked at the entrance to the woods. She knew Willow had a place out this way that she loved to visit—a spot where her phone didn’t get a signal—but Genevieve didn’t know exactly where it was.
She’d followed the tire tracks until she spied the utility vehicle parked in the woods. After that, she climbed from her own UTV and trailed the pair of footsteps deeper into the woods until the scarcity of snow on the ground made the two women’s tracks more difficult to determine.
Genevieve wasn’t a hunter, but she was a mama bear of a nana. She studied the forest floor carefully and managed to follow the trail. She hoped.
She called her daughter’s name every few steps, then stopped and listened. Nothing.
“I swear, I’m getting everyone whistles for Valentine’s Day,” she muttered. Maybe she’d also look into what could be done to get a cell tower built in this direction. Her sister was mayor. Couldn’t Helen do something about cell towers? “Willow! Where are you?”
Sound floated toward her. “Mom?”
Not too far away. Thank God. Genevieve shouted. “Willow, come to me! We need you.”
Genevieve stopped moving and waited for her daughter to find her. Shortly, she heard the crunch of twigs and leaves beneath footsteps. “Mom? Sound out!”
“Here!” Genevieve said even as she spied figures moving toward her. When they were close enough that she could see the panic on her daughter’s face, Genevieve led with the vital information. “It’s not too serious. Emma got tangled up with one of the pups on the ice and fell. She hurt her ankle.”
“Oh, Emma,” Willow cried. “My poor baby.”
“It’s our good luck that an orthopedic surgeon was on hand,” Genevieve continued. “He said to tell you he suspects it to be a simple fracture, and he’s gone to the hospital with Noah and Emma.”
“A fracture? She broke her ankle?”
“Cooper is an excellent doctor,” Zoey assured Willow. “Your daughter is in good hands.”
“He certainly relieved my mind.” Genevieve sent a grateful smile Zoey’s way.
Willow closed her eyes and massaged her temples. “Was it Thor? I’ll bet it was Thor. That dog is such a troublemaker. And Cooper went along to the hospital? That’s so kind of him.”
“He’s a great guy,” Zoey said. “And seriously, he’s a wonderful doctor. Great with kids. Sports injuries are his jam.”
Genevieve hugged her daughter and then handed her a set of keys. “I’m parked right behind you. Give me your keys, then take my buggy and go, Willow. Head straight to the parking lot. Helen is watching and waiting with your bag and car keys.”
“Drew?”
“We’ve got him. Don’t worry about anything here. And drive carefully! Only one family member is allowed in the hospital at a time. Family rule.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thanks, Mom. Zoey, I’m sorry—”
“Not necessary. Go see to your child.”
Genevieve added, “I’ll finish the tour, honey. Go give Emma a kiss from Nana.”
Willow took off in the direction of the UTVs. Genevieve watched her go, then exhaled a sigh. “Well, this has been an exhausting half an hour. Do you mind if I take a few minutes and catch my breath before we start back to the buggy?”
“Take all the time you need. Do you want to sit down? The glider isn’t far.”
“My daughter has a glider tucked away out here? I knew she had a spot but didn’t know it included furniture. I’d love to sit a bit. Please, lead on.”
The hike to the bench wasn’t far at all. Genevieve wasn’t physically tired so much as she was mentally whipped. She hadn’t slept well the night before, struggling with the decision to sell the inn, so she hadn’t been in top form when she first heard Emma’s scream of pain. The last half hour or so had sapped her energy. And if she were honest, the day drinking hadn’t helped.
Genevieve sank onto the glider. “Goodness. I’m afraid we are not showing you our best side in our effort to earn your business, Zoey.”
“Not at all. The Raindrop would be a fabulous place to get married. You can’t ask for a prettier setting. Honestly, it’s more scenic than Angel’s Rest.”
“Better than Angel’s Rest? Be still my heart. Oh, I do like you.” Genevieve patted Zoey’s knee. “I really want to be Celeste Blessing when I grow up.”
“I don’t blame you. She’s great. Willow has been great, too. I’m the last person to criticize a mother rushing off to care for her injured child.”
Genevieve leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Thank you. That’s sweet of you to say. Cooper mentioned you are a physician, too?”
“I am. My specialty is pediatric emergency medicine.”
“What could I do to convince you and Cooper to move to Lake in the Clouds? We need a new generation of talented doctors in town. Willow told me not long ago that her pediatrician plans to retire this fall.” Giving Zoey the side-eye, she added, “I can get you a great discount on the wedding.”
Zoey had never considered practicing medicine in a small town. Sitting here in these woods, she had to wonder why. “The weather would appeal to Cooper, that’s for sure. I’m afraid our leaving Houston wouldn’t make my dad happy. The hospitals we work in are only minutes apart.”
“Your father is a doctor, too?”
“Yes, but he’s not budging from Houston. He’s a cancer researcher at MD Anderson.”
“A noble occupation.”
“He’s really good at it. Gifted. Unfortunately, he works all the time. I wouldn’t see him nearly so often if I didn’t work so close by. When I was in med school in California, visits were rare. I missed him.”
It didn’t escape Genevieve’s notice that Zoey failed to mention her mother, but she felt she’d pried enough. Right at this particular moment, anyway.
She could always put Helen on the job.
Genevieve couldn’t help but be a little curious about Zoey Hillcrest. Her resemblance to Willow was uncanny. However, right at this moment, she was more interested in her education than her pedigree. “It’s been a while since I’ve dealt with a broken bone. How long will our Emma be out of commission?”
“It depends on the severity of the break, of course, but you can figure on six to twelve weeks.”
“That poor baby. She’ll still be dealing with it at her mother’s wedding. Poor me, too, since I’m keeping the kids while Willow and Noah honeymoon. Emma’s brother has a history of injuries, but this is Emma’s first serious incident. She’ll be traumatized.”
“She’s how old?”
“Five.”
A frown creased Zoey’s brow. “And Willow’s getting married when in March?”
“March ninth,” Genevieve said.
“Emma is likely to be out of a cast by then. She’ll be accustomed to it even if she’s still in one.”
“That’s good to know. And speaking of weddings, let’s get back to yours. I’ve lazed around long enough.” Rising, Genevieve invited Zoey to join her with a wave. “Let’s continue with our tour, shall we? What questions do you have about Raindrop Lodge or our special event capabilities? I’ll do my best to answer them. Has Willow taken you by the cabins yet?”
“We haven’t gotten to that part of the tour.”
“I’m happy to show them to you. Or would you prefer to return to the lodge, have something warm to drink in front of the fire, and wait so Cooper can join us?”
“I’d love to see the cabins. No telling how long Cooper will be.”
Genevieve pursed her lips. “We have completely thrown you off your schedule, I’m sure. Do you have other appointments today?”
“Actually, we don’t. We thought we’d spend the rest of the day sightseeing between here and Durango. We have a flight home from there tomorrow afternoon.”
“In that case, the Raindrop would love to offer you a complimentary room and dinner tonight, along with tickets to a showing of It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert at Lake in the Clouds’ historic theater, the Emily.” Noting Zoey’s spark of interest, Genevieve added, “It’s our special Thank You, Doctors MacKenzie and Hillcrest package.”
Zoey laughed. “While I can’t decide about our wedding venue without speaking to Cooper first, I can make the executive decision to accept your kind offer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Clark Gable movie.”
Genevieve halted abruptly and clapped her hand against her chest. “Seriously?”
“No,” Zoey said with a laugh.
“Oh, sweetheart. He was my first movie star crush. You’ll love the movie tonight.” They arrived at the utility vehicle, and Genevieve climbed behind the wheel while Zoey took the passenger seat. Genevieve asked her guest, “So, who was your first movie star crush?”
“Legolas in Lord of the Rings . Orlando Bloom. My dad got me the DVDs for my birthday when I was ten, and I spent my whole summer in Middle-earth.”
As Genevieve started the motor and put the UTV into gear, she noted that, once again, Zoey Hillcrest didn’t refer to her mother. Genevieve found that she was curious about the young woman’s family. A natural reaction, she figured, considering how closely Zoey resembled Willow.
Genevieve exited the woods and headed cross-country toward the section of the property where the stand-alone cabins were located. She and Helen had renovated the original buildings and added four more after purchasing the resort. A quick check of the dash revealed that Willow had indeed left her ring of master keys.
“Isn’t this cute?” Zoey said when Genevieve pulled up to Cabin Number 6.
“Six is a one bedroom, one bath. We have eighteen cabins—ten one-bedrooms, seven twos, and one three-bedroom. It’s Number 17 and our only cabin to have two baths. It’s rented this weekend, but our website has photos of its interior.”
“Yes, I’ve seen them,” Zoey said. “It looks so cozy.”
“My sister and I had fun decorating,” Genevieve said as she unlocked the door. “Each cabin is a little different, but they all have a fireplace, kitchenette, and rockers on the back porch.”
Zoey’s enthusiastic reaction to Cabin 7 and the two-bedroom Genevieve showed next had her preening. After viewing the adjacent playground area and the tennis and pickleball courts, they returned to the lodge, where Helen awaited them. She’d kindly had a small square table moved from the dining area closer to the fireplace. The heat from the roaring fire felt heavenly to Genevieve. She glanced around for her grandson. “Where’s Drew?”
“He’s downstairs in the game room,” Helen replied. “I gave him a bag of quarters for the pinball machine. He’s happy as a clam.”
“Good. I’m going to run down and check on him. I’ll be right back. Any word from Willow or Noah?”
Helen shook her head. “Not yet.”
Genevieve hurried downstairs and soon discovered that the boy was indeed happily occupied. She challenged him to a game of pinball and won. Putting off his request for a rematch, she returned to the lodge’s main floor. She found Helen and Zoey standing before the fireplace, their hands outstretched toward the warmth. Zoey glanced over her shoulder. “I’ve had a text from Cooper. Willow arrived safely, and she was with her daughter and Noah. Cooper said to tell you that Emma is doing well. He is going to head this way soon.”
“Do we need to pick him up?” Genevieve asked.
“No. He’ll bring Willow’s car back.”
“Good.” Genevieve sank into a club chair with a heavy sigh. “Well, Zoey, I don’t know what to say besides thank you. Believe me when I tell you this is not how we ordinarily run our sales presentations.”
“Honestly, I’ve liked it.” Zoey tucked a long blond curl behind her ear. “Not that Emma got hurt, of course, but you’ve treated me like family.”
“Hard not to when you appear to be Willow’s long-lost sister,” Helen observed. She gave Genevieve a considering glance, opened her mouth to speak, then apparently reconsidered and abruptly shut it. She took a seat on the small sofa perpendicular to Genevieve’s chair.
Genevieve knew her sister and could predict what Helen wanted to say. She’d probably been thinking back to events more than thirty years past and running numbers. Genevieve did not doubt that Helen would get her answers before Zoey Hillcrest rode off into the sunset—most likely never to be seen again because seriously, after today’s circus, who would trust the Raindrop with their wedding?
And speaking of that… if they decided to make the wedding business a focus, they should seriously consider going forward with rebranding like Willow suggested. Raindrops and wedding days weren’t a popular combination. “Zoey, we’re thinking about changing the name of our resort. Would you prefer to be married at Raindrop Lodge or Reflections Inn at Mirror Lake?”
“Oh, that’s pretty,” the young woman said. “I’d vote for the new name.”
Helen shot Genevieve a look of frustration, which told Genevieve that her sister wasn’t ready to let her doppelg?nger questions go. Genevieve understood. She was curious, too, although Helen was probably chewing on some suspicions that David had cheated on Genevieve and had a love child. Genevieve didn’t believe that one little bit.
However, she and Helen did have three brothers, all now deceased. People always said that Willow had a lot of Bennett in her. Since Zoey had accepted Genevieve’s lodging offer, Helen would have her chance to pry. Good. Her sister was better at it than she was.
Genevieve didn’t for a moment think she’d heard the last of Helen’s inquiry into the status of hers and Gage’s sex life. In fairness to Helen, Genevieve had previously discussed such matters with her. Pre-David and post-. But this time with Gage was different.
She was different.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted or needed at this point in her life.
Genevieve loved spending time with Gage. She had feelings for him, and those feelings were growing, but she was perfectly happy taking it at a tortoise pace. She’d been single a long time. She’d made one great big fat change in her life recently when she sold her home and most of her belongings and moved to Colorado. She didn’t need to rush into another one.
Besides, Gage had his own issues. He was now on better terms with his children than when Genevieve first met him. But his daughter didn’t like the fact that her father was dating, now two and a half years since losing his wife to cancer.
Why am I worrying about this now?
Dismissing the disturbing thoughts, Genevieve rose and picked up the lunch menu on the small square dining table nearby. “Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I can use something to eat.”
She gave the menu a quick scan. “Looks like tomato soup is our soup of the day. I will have a bowl of that and a grilled cheese sandwich. Zoey, could we order something for you?”
“No, thank you. I’ll wait and have lunch with Cooper. I will check out the menu, though.”
Genevieve handed her the paper. “How about something warm to drink? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?”
“I’d love coffee. Black, please.”
Genevieve glanced toward her sister. “Helen?”
“Hot chocolate.”
“Got it. I’ll be right back.” Genevieve crossed through the lobby to the cafe where she placed the order. A new server had come on shift since Emma’s accident, so Genevieve spent a few moments answering her questions about the events. When she returned to the fireplace seating area, she found her sister and Zoey in the midst of a conversation.
“… father was a small-town lawyer, but his brother was a general practitioner in another even smaller town in Texas not far from the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex,” Helen said. “In those days, you had to go to the city to see a specialist, so Uncle Ray did a little bit of everything—minor surgery, setting broken bones.”
Genevieve set her tray down on the square table nearby. She offered her sister the mug of hot chocolate as she said, “Uncle Ray delivered a lot of babies, too. He loved delivering babies.”
Helen frowned down into her drink as Zoey accepted her coffee from Genevieve. “I sometimes regret not choosing obstetrics as a specialty,” Zoey said. “When it came time to make a choice, I was in love with the adrenaline rush of emergency medicine. But I always gravitated toward children, so I added the pediatric subspecialty. Sometimes, I wish I’d chosen pediatrics from the beginning. It would be nice to watch the littles I treat in the ER grow up.”
“Is it too late to change?” Helen asked.
Zoey shrugged. “I’ve invested a lot in this specialty. It would be a waste to abandon it before I even get started.”
“What’s wasteful is spending your life doing something you don’t enjoy,” Genevieve observed.
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy the work,” Zoey defended. “I’m just… well… tired. I need to get to the end of June, when I complete the fellowship. Then I’ll have a nice long break when all I’ll need to worry about is enjoying our wedding and honeymoon.”
Having served her sister and guest, Genevieve sat at their table and spread her napkin across her lap. “That sounds like an excellent plan.”
Helen, bless her heart, then asked the question Genevieve was curious about the most. “Will your mother be helping with your wedding planning?”
“No. Honestly, I’m not certain we’ll invite her to the wedding.”
Genevieve and Helen shared a quick look that silently conveyed shock, curiosity, and the nudge to find out more. Genevieve said, “That’s… um…”
“Harsh, I know.” Zoey sipped her coffee, then explained, “She left us when I was young, and she’s been an inconsistent part of my life since. If I send her an invitation, I’m inviting drama.”
Genevieve clicked her tongue. “That’s a shame.”
Zoey gave a fatalistic shrug as Helen inquired, “No stepmother to fill that role?”
“No. Dad never remarried. Cooper’s mom is nice. She’ll be a great mother-in-law, but we don’t have that type of mother-daughter relationship where we would expect her to be involved in wedding arrangements.”
“Well, as long as you have an excellent wedding planner, you won’t need much help,” Genevieve pointed out. “With Willow overseeing the event, a bride can do as much or as little as she wishes—if we haven’t scared you away from the Raindrop, or rather, Reflections Inn at Mirror Lake, that is.”
Zoey grinned. “I’m not scared. I just need to talk everything over with Cooper.”
Genevieve swallowed a bite of the sandwich and then informed her sister. “I’ve offered Zoey and Cooper complimentary accommodations for tonight. Dinner and tickets to the Emily, too.”
“Wonderful.” Helen folded her hands and beamed at Zoey. “You’ll love the Emily. I think our suite here in the lodge is open for tonight. Would you prefer that or one of our cabins?”
“The lodge, I think.”
“Excellent choice. And dinner reservations? We have a local steak and seafood restaurant that’s highly rated. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
After that, the talk turned to other activities the couple might enjoy on a chilly afternoon in Lake in the Clouds. Genevieve finished her lunch, and when Helen offered to show Zoey the Mirror Lake Suite, Genevieve went downstairs for the pinball contest. Drew eventually won in a three-out-of-five match. Genevieve had just returned to the main floor when the front door opened, and Cooper MacKenzie stepped inside. Zoey and Helen were nowhere in sight.
“How’s everyone doing?” Genevieve asked Cooper.
“Emma’s doing great. Your orthopedist knows his stuff.”
“We’re lucky to have Dr. Knowles in town. He’s semiretired and only works during ski season. Once spring thaw happens, he hangs out his gone-fishing sign. What can you tell me about Emma’s injury?”
“Very little,” he said with a sympathetic smile. “I’m not her doctor, so what I can share is limited. That said, I did get a quick look at the X-ray before I stepped back from professional mode when Dr. Knowles made it in, and I’ll tell you not to worry.”
“Okay. Wonderful. I’m so relieved.”
“Good.” He glanced around the lobby. “Now, I’m back to being a groom, and I am hunting for my bride. She texted me she’s in the Mirror Lake Suite?”
“Up the stairs and to the left. It’s the last room at the end of the hall.”
“Great.”
Cooper started to turn toward the stairs, but Genevieve stopped him with a touch on his arm. “Dr. MacKenzie,” she said, using his title to emphasize her point, “thank you so much.”
“Hey, Noah had everything under control, but I’m glad I was able to be of assistance. According to my text messages, it netted me some perks. I understand I get a gander at Claudette Colbert’s gams tonight. Lucky me.”
“She did have some pretty glamorous gams,” Genevieve replied, smiling. “Be sure to let us know if we can do anything to make your stay more comfortable.”
After Cooper disappeared upstairs, Genevieve visited for a moment with a foursome from Iowa playing eight ball in the billiards room before going in search of her sister. Peeking into the innkeeper’s office, she asked Kelly if she’d seen Helen. Moments later, at Kelly’s direction, she joined Helen in the lodge’s conference room, where she quickly ascertained that her sister was on a phone call with her assistant in the Lake in the Clouds’ mayor’s office.
Genevieve sat across the desk from Helen and waited for her to finish the call. She eavesdropped as Helen agreed to meet with the local tourism board and scheduled a lunch with a city councilman the following week.
When Helen set down her phone, she met Genevieve’s gaze and said, “What a day.”
“It’s definitely been eventful.”
“Any more news about Emma?” After Genevieve summarized her conversation with Cooper, Helen nodded. “Good. I like that young man. I hope they decide to get married here. How bad do you think we screwed that up?”
“Hard to tell. I think Zoey likes us, but who knows?”
Helen reached for the handbag she’d left on a credenza and removed a small notebook, which she handed to her sister. “I had a few minutes, so I consulted with Mr. Google. Don’t judge me. I was curious. Read the last page.”
Genevieve turned to the indicated notation and read a date. “And this is…?”
“Zoey Hillcrest’s birthdate.”
“Okay. And I should care why?”
“She’s more than a year younger than Brooke.”
Brooke was Genevieve’s youngest child. “Okay,” Genevieve repeated. “And I should care about that why?”
“Because David got his vasectomy when Brooke was a month old!”
“Helen!” Genevieve tossed the notebook onto the conference table. “Seriously? You seriously thought Zoey Hillcrest might be my husband’s love child?”
“No, not seriously,” her sister said in a defensive tone. “But in the words of Ronald Reagan, trust, but verify.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. We’re not talking nuclear weapons.”
“No, but it would darn sure be a nuclear bomb in your family if it happened to be true. Personally, I don’t want to negotiate another one of those, Genevieve. We’re still dealing with the fallout from the last one.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“No, I’m not. Zoey Hillcrest could be Willow’s twin!”
“No, she’s Willow’s doppelg?nger. It’s a thing.”
Helen shrugged. “Well, now we know for certain, and you can forget about that nagging little worry.”
“I didn’t have a nagging worry.”
“If that’s true, it’s only because you haven’t had a moment to brood about it yet.”
Genevieve rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Look, I made reservations for them at Vista Ridge, took care of the check, and arranged to have tickets at the Emily box office in their name. Can you think of anything I’ve overlooked?”
“I think that’s the perfect amount. Anything more might look like a business bribe rather than a personal thank-you.”
“Good point. Well, I promised Drew another game downstairs, but before I join the pinball wizard, I wanted to confirm you’re planning to be at book club at my house on Tuesday?”
“I’ll be there with bells on,” Helen replied.
“What are you bringing for snacking?”
“A veggie plate with a Greek yogurt dip.”
Genevieve gaped at her sister as her stomach sank. “Seriously?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Genevieve. I’m planning to bring Mom’s sheet cake as usual.”
Relieved, Genevieve wiped her brow dramatically. Mom’s sheet cake was the sinfully delicious chocolate concoction their mother used to make. The recipe called for two unusual ingredients that made the cake uniquely delicious. The Lake in the Clouds crowd loved it when the cake appeared on the dessert table.
The Bennett sisters did not share the recipe, keeping the special ingredients secret even from Genevieve’s children. Family tradition dictated that the recipe be passed down in one’s will, and Genevieve and Helen had sworn to honor the custom.
But there would be hell to pay at the book club if neither brought the chocolate cake.
“Okay, I’m going to—” A knock on the threshold interrupted her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Zoey Hillcrest standing in the doorway. The young woman sparkled, and Genevieve couldn’t help but smile at her.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Zoey said. “Cooper and I headed off to explore Lake in the Clouds. I wanted to let y’all know that we have discussed it, and we would like to get married here at the resort.”
“That’s wonderful,” Helen said.
“Fabulous,” Genevieve added. “Willow will be thrilled.”
Zoey beamed at them. “I’m really excited. I know Willow has her hands full at the moment, and I don’t want to call and interrupt her, but I’m hoping we could squeeze in a short meeting tomorrow before Cooper and I leave for the airport at ten. Around nine, perhaps? I figure you’ll speak with her at some point this afternoon. Would you ask her?”
“Absolutely. I’m sure nine o’clock will be fine with her. Why don’t you plan on it, and if she can’t make it work for some reason, I’ll have her call you.”
“Good deal. I am so happy we found the Raindrop or, should I say, Reflections Inn at Mirror Lake?”
The Bennett sisters shared a glance, and then Genevieve said, “Reflections Inn at Mirror Lake it is.”
Helen rose, moved around her desk, and hugged Zoey. The move surprised Genevieve. As a rule, Helen wasn’t a hugger. Not with guests, anyway. Genevieve was a hugger, though, so she naturally followed her sister’s lead. Once the group embraces ended and Zoey stepped away, Genevieve was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
“It’s going to be a beautiful wedding, Zoey,” Genevieve assured her. “You are going to be a beautiful bride.”
“Thank you. I hope so.”
“I know so,” Helen insisted. “Because, Dr. Zoey Hillcrest, you are one of our brides. Welcome to the family.”