5. Chapter Five
Memories poured through Katie’s mind as they drove along the achingly familiar winding road lined with pines and ancient maples. In the fall, it sported color unlike anything she’d seen elsewhere. Occasionally, the trees parted to reveal a farm or house as the narrow road dipped and curved.
A couple of miles from the highway, she glimpsed water through the trees, and just beyond that, Ethan slowed the car to pull onto a long blacktop driveway. A driveway that had seen many a bicycle race years ago. At the end, a big lake house with dark green siding rested amongst towering pines. Katie’s heart lifted at the sight of it, and the emotions that swelled inside were like coming home. She’d spent more time here than almost anywhere else during her childhood.
A large shed sat opposite the house. Beyond that, tucked into the trees at the end of a gravel offshoot of the driveway, she spotted the smaller cabin that was the original home of previous generations of the Hart family. Ethan’s residence now, apparently.
When he pulled up to the house and stopped, Katie stepped out and breathed deeply of the damp pine and lake scent. For a long moment, all she could do was stand and take it all in. The memories of this place had become almost like a dream over the years. Only now did she realize how much her soul had yearned for it. A yearning she had buried so her heart would stop hurting with the longing. But seeing it again resurrected it.
On the other side of the car, Ethan opened the passenger door and grabbed her suitcase. He motioned for her to follow, and they climbed the steps up to a wide, wraparound porch. A muffled woof sounded from inside as Ethan reached for the front door. He glanced over his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. She’s friendly.”
The moment he pushed the door open, a large dog lumbered out, fluffy tail wagging. She resembled a Saint Bernard, though she was smaller, suggesting a mix of breeds.
“This is Rosie.” Ethan patted the dog’s back. “Us kids got her for Mom for her birthday last year.”
Katie let the dog sniff her and rubbed her soft ears. “She’s beautiful.”
Ethan turned back to the door, and Rosie preceded them into the entryway. Cozy wood paneling greeted Katie, accented with greens, reds, and plaids, typical of a Northwoods home.
Footsteps came from a doorway to the right, which led into the kitchen, and Ethan’s mom appeared. Her loving smile warmed Katie, and she happily accepted another hug.
Evelyn squeezed her arms as they parted. “I’m so glad you decided to stay here.”
“Thank you for welcoming me. I appreciate it.”
“Of course, you are always welcome.”
Though fifteen years had passed, Katie knew that was as true now as when she was a child.
“Let me take you up to the guestroom.”
Katie removed her shoes and took her bag from Ethan before following his mom down a short hall into the spacious open living area of the house. A wall of windows and a patio door led out onto the porch facing the lake. On the opposite wall stood the stone fireplace, where Katie, Ethan, and his siblings used to gather around to drink hot chocolate after playing in the snow for hours on end. A brown leather couch and chairs had replaced the well-loved dark green ones Katie remembered. But she recognized some of the colorful throw pillows scattered around. And though no childhood toys cluttered the space, a couple of crates in one corner contained some of them.
They climbed a log staircase to the second floor, and Katie swept her gaze over the numerous framed family photos on the wall along the way. They tugged at her to stop and study them more closely. At the end of the hall upstairs, Evelyn pushed open the door to the guestroom and ushered Katie inside.
“I put new sheets on.” She gestured to the bed. “We haven’t had company in a while, so I wanted to make sure they were fresh. I’m warming up a cinnamon loaf to tide us over until supper if you’d like to join us once you’re settled.”
“Thank you, that sounds great. I need to make a call before I come down.”
“Take all the time you need.” Evelyn then stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Alone for the first time since this morning, Katie set her suitcase down near the closet door and looked around. Like downstairs, honey-brown wood covered the walls. The curtains over the window matched the red and black buffalo plaid comforter on the bed. A painting of a loon adorned the wall above the headboard, and the lamps sitting to either side were made from two repurposed lanterns. It was a world away from the dingy motel room, and the soothing, warm smell of cinnamon and vanilla from the plug-in air freshener was a vast improvement over the stench of cigarettes.
Sinking down on the edge of the bed, she released a long sigh. After so many intense emotions and lack of sleep, she wasn’t sure how to feel, and she welcomed this quiet moment to breathe. After a few minutes to let herself process and decompress, she reached into her purse for her phone. Now that she was settled, she should call Drew back to make sure he wasn’t still hesitant about her staying here. This house was one of only two places she’d ever felt safe.
Shifting farther back on the bed, she propped the pillow behind her and brought up his contact. Instead of hitting call, she tapped the video chat. It would be easier to gauge his mood if she could see his face. After the third ring, he appeared on the screen. His brown hair looked freshly washed and still damp. Surprisingly, he hadn’t shaved, but she liked it when he had a bit of scruff. His blue eyes held an apology as the video quality sharpened.
“Hey, sorry about before. It’s just been fifteen years since you’ve visited Two Lakes or anyone from there. I worried about you staying with someone you haven’t had contact with in so long.”
Katie dragged the second pillow onto her lap to set her arms on. “It’s all right. You’ve never met the Harts, but if you had, you’d understand why I accepted the invitation. They’re good people, and fifteen years hasn’t changed that. They didn’t hesitate to welcome me into their family when I was a child, and the same is true now. I’m not sure how I would have made it through today without them.”
Without Ethan. But she kept that detail to herself. No point in planting a seed of jealousy or guilt.
“I’m glad they were there and that you have someplace safe to stay tonight. You should have told me how bad the motel was.”
Katie winced. “I don’t think it sank in until today. I’m just glad I’m here now. I spent almost every day here in the summers and as many days as I could the rest of the time. I basically grew up in this house.”
“Well, I hope it helps. I’m sorry I can’t be there.”
She shrugged, fighting the feelings of betrayal from earlier. “It’s all right. So, how did the surgery go?”
He got more animated, telling her all about it before apologizing for boring her with the details. She just shook her head and assured him she wanted to hear it. Not that she understood much of anything, but she wanted to show her support for his work and dreams. They then discussed the next couple of days and Katie’s appointment with the attorney on Monday before ending the call.
By this time, the scent of baked cinnamon downstairs competed with the air freshener. Setting her phone on the nightstand, she slipped off the bed and left the room. On the way downstairs, she paused to look at the photos like she’d wanted to earlier. Each one drew a little more of a smile to her face. The collection included images of birthdays, holidays, and simple everyday moments. She did not expect to find herself in so many of them. It hurt to see her young self—to pick out the pain always hiding behind the smiles—but the moments in these photos were what had kept her going.
“A lot of good memories.”
Ethan’s voice drew her gaze to the bottom of the stairs, where he leaned on the railing. He’d changed into jeans, a heather gray tee shirt, and a dark green flannel with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Pushing away from the railing, he climbed the stairs to meet her halfway.
Katie nodded to the frames. “I didn’t know I was in so many of your family photos.”
“Well, you were family. I don’t have many childhood memories you weren’t a part of.” He reached out and took one photo off the wall, smiling down at it. “You remember this Fourth of July weekend?”
She leaned in to see it. She, Ethan, and his siblings stood in front of a red pop-up tent, grinning like they didn’t have a care in the world. “That’s when the five of us tried to camp out on the point. Just us kids.”
“Yup, and then Dad pretended to be a bear. I’m not sure who screamed the loudest, but we all ended up sleeping on the living room floor.”
She laughed at the memories. “Except for Megan, who claimed the couch despite our protests. And Joel insisted he wasn’t scared; he just thought it would be stupid to stay out there all by himself when it was supposed to be a sibling campout.”
Ethan joined in with her laughter. “I still remind him of that. And Dad is completely unrepentant to this day.”
Katie shook her head. If only she could relive a few of those precious moments again. She would have to take pictures of the photos before she left or find out if Evelyn had digital copies she could send her.
With what sounded like a wistful sigh, Ethan hung the photo back on the wall and turned to her with a smile that made her heart ache with the memory of how it had broken when they’d said goodbye.
“Mom’s got the cinnamon loaf sliced and ready if you want some.”
Swallowing down the emotions that lingered so close to the surface today, Katie managed to smile and nod. She followed him down the remaining steps and into the kitchen, drawn by the warm smell of cinnamon bread. Though the kitchen layout had remained the same, Katie found that, in the last fifteen years, the Harts had painted the previously stained cabinets a deep, rustic red that made her heart happy. It added the perfect pop of color to the predominately wood surroundings.
Ethan’s mom stood at the peninsula that divided the kitchen from the dining area, talking to Megan, who must have arrived while Katie was upstairs. They hadn’t been able to speak much beyond exchanging pleasantries at the funeral. She’d always been the social butterfly of the Hart siblings, and you could tell just by her infectious grin and sparkling eyes.
Becca stood with her, holding Megan’s nearly two-year-old daughter, Harper, a darling little thing with blonde pigtails. The way Becca grinned at Harper was the most animated Katie had seen her today. Opposite them, Ethan’s dad, Tom, sat at the table with Megan’s husband, Taylor. He seemed to have a laid-back personality that complimented Megan’s bubbliness.
Megan turned as Katie joined them. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind we came over. I thought it would be nice to visit, but I know you must be exhausted.”
Though mentally and physically drained, Kate didn’t want to inconvenience anyone while she was here. “No, I don’t mind. This is your family home. I’m just a guest.”
Evelyn’s arm wrapped around her. “You’re more than just a guest. You’re family too.”
Katie’s eyes smarted. “Thank you.”
Ethan’s mom tipped her head toward the counter. “Do you want coffee? There’s a fresh pot. Just help yourself to whatever you need.”
Katie thanked her again and approached the coffeemaker to pour a mug. Maybe it would help the lingering sinus headache. After fixing it how she liked it, she returned to the peninsula, where Ethan handed her a plate with a slice of cinnamon loaf topped with a drizzle of icing. Plates and mugs in hand, they all joined Tom and Taylor at the table.
“Katie, I just noticed your jeans,” Megan said as they sat down. “They’re adorable. Where did you get them?”
Katie glanced down at the vintage fabric patches and embroidery adorning the denim. “They’re just a pair of thrift store jeans I patched and embellished.”
“You added the patches? They’re so cute!”
“Thanks. Grandma taught me how to sew before I left Two Lakes, and a few years ago, I started upcycling clothes.”
“Do you ever make anything to sell?”
A little creative passion stirred amidst the weariness of the day. “I have sold a few pieces in consignment shops. I would like to have an online shop, but I have no idea where I’d even start.”
Ethan settled into the seat next to her. “You’re in luck. Megan is an expert in online business. She’s even working on a website for me.”
Megan waved off the compliment. “I’m no expert, but I’ve been doing it long enough to be proficient. I’ve been making and selling candles and body butter for a couple of years and have grown it into a nice side business I can run while I’m at home with Harper.”
Katie loved the sound of a home business, especially considering the disaster of her previous employment. “That sounds amazing. I love candles.”
“Well, whenever you’re ready to set something up, I’d be happy to help and give you all the tips I can to help it grow.”
“Thank you. I’d really appreciate that.”
It had been a long time since Katie had thought seriously about starting a business, but maybe now was the time to make an effort toward that goal. After all, she needed to make money again, and soon.