The Lakeside Inn Read online

  The Lakeside Inn

  A Sweet Small Town Romance (Return to Sapphire Bay, Book 1)

  Leeanna Morgan

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Thank you

  Excerpt From ‘Summer at Lakeside’

  Chapter 1

  Enjoy More Books By Leeanna Morgan

  About This Book

  Fans of Robyn Carr's Virgin River series will love this small-town, feel-good romance!

  * * *

  Penny Terry loves her job as a property development manager in one Seattle’s biggest construction companies. When tragedy strikes, she returns to Sapphire Bay to say goodbye to her grandmother and comfort her parents.

  * * *

  The last thing Penny or her sisters expect is to inherit the house her grandma called home. But there’s a catch—and it could change their lives forever.

  * * *

  Wyatt Johnson didn’t move to Sapphire Bay to be harassed by four females and a large Golden Labrador. But when the Terry sisters become his neighbors, any chance of completing his latest collection of paintings disappears under a blast of plaster dust and never-ending banging.

  * * *

  When Penny needs his help to solve an old family mystery, they’re drawn into a web of secrets unlike anything Sapphire Bay has ever seen.

  * * *

  THE LAKESIDE INN is the first book in a new series that will follow the Terry sisters as they return to a community with big hearts and warm smiles. Romance, adventure, and intrigue are waiting for you in Sapphire Bay!

  * * *

  Other Novels by Leeanna Morgan:

  Montana Brides:

  Book 1: Forever Dreams (Gracie and Trent)

  Book 2: Forever in Love (Amy and Nathan)

  Book 3: Forever After (Nicky and Sam)

  Book 4: Forever Wishes (Erin and Jake)

  Book 5: Forever Santa (A Montana Brides Christmas Novella)

  Book 6: Forever Cowboy (Emily and Alex)

  Book 7: Forever Together (Kate and Dan)

  Book 8: Forever and a Day (Sarah and Jordan)

  Montana Brides Boxed Set: Books 1-3

  Montana Brides Boxed Set: Books 4-6

  * * *

  The Bridesmaids Club:

  Book 1: All of Me (Tess and Logan)

  Book 2: Loving You (Annie and Dylan)

  Book 3: Head Over Heels (Sally and Todd)

  Book 4: Sweet on You (Molly and Jacob)

  The Bridesmaids Club: Books 1-3

  * * *

  Emerald Lake Billionaires:

  Book 1: Sealed with a Kiss (Rachel and John)

  Book 2: Playing for Keeps (Sophie and Ryan)

  Book 3: Crazy Love (Holly and Daniel)

  Book 4: One And Only (Elizabeth and Blake)

  Emerald Lake Billionaires: Books 1-3

  * * *

  The Protectors:

  Book 1: Safe Haven (Hayley and Tank)

  Book 2: Just Breathe (Kelly and Tanner)

  Book 3: Always (Mallory and Grant)

  Book 4: The Promise (Ashley and Matthew)

  Book 5: Coming Home (Mia and Stan)

  Book 6: The Gift (Hannah and Brett)

  Book 7: The Wish (Claire and Jason)

  Book 8: Country Love (Becky and Sean)

  The Protectors Boxed Set: Books 1-3

  The Protectors Boxed Set: Books 4-6

  * * *

  Sapphire Bay:

  Book 1: Falling For You (Natalie and Gabe)

  Book 2: Once In A Lifetime (Sam and Caleb)

  Book 3: A Christmas Wish (Megan and William)

  Book 4: Before Today (Brooke and Levi)

  Book 5: The Sweetest Thing (Cassie and Noah)

  Book 6: Sweet Surrender (Willow and Zac)

  Sapphire Bay Boxed Set: Books 1-3

  Sapphire Bay Boxed Set: Books 4-6

  * * *

  Santa’s Secret Helpers:

  Book 1: Christmas On Main Street (Emma and Jack)

  Book 2: Mistletoe Madness (Kylie and Ben)

  Book 3: Silver Bells (Bailey and Steven)

  Book 4: The Santa Express (Shelley and John)

  Book 5: Endless Love (The Jones Family)

  Santa’s Secret Helpers Boxed Set: Books 1-3

  * * *

  Return To Sapphire Bay:

  The Lakeside Inn (Penny and Wyatt)

  Summer At Lakeside (Diana and Ethan)

  A Lakeside Thanksgiving (Barbara and Theo)

  Christmas At Lakeside (Katie and Peter)

  Chapter 1

  Cold, unwelcome dread filled Penny Terry’s chest as she arrived at the hospital in Polson. Her sweet, adorable grandmother was dying. There were no drugs, no alternative therapies, nothing that could change what was going to happen.

  After a frantic call from her mom, Penny had caught a late flight into Kalispell, then driven to Polson. Flying into Montana was a bittersweet moment. She loved coming home, but knowing her grandma was so sick left her heart raw.

  Gripping her jacket tighter, she looked around the foyer of the hospital. Allan, her dad, rose from a black plastic chair. His smile of welcome was burdened with grief.

  Everyone in their family was close to her grandma. With her endless smiles, crazy sense of humor, and never-ending enthusiasm for life, she lit their darkest days with happiness and joy.

  Rushing across the room, Penny threw herself into her dad’s open arms.

  “It’s good to see you,” her dad said. “How was your flight?”

  “It was okay. How’s Grandma?”

  Tears filled her dad’s eyes. “She isn’t good, but she’s looking forward to seeing you.”

  Taking a deep breath, she blinked back her own tears. “Can I visit her now?”

  “Of course, you can. The palliative care unit doesn’t have any set visiting hours.” With their arms linked, they walked toward the elevators. “Betty’s more frail than the last time you saw her.”

  Before Penny left Seattle, her mom, Mabel, had tried to prepare her for the changes that had happened over the last week. Her grandma couldn’t get out of bed anymore. She’d lost weight and the large doses of pain medication had caused other issues.

  But she was still alive. She was still the same woman who had sung to Penny and her sisters as they’d danced around the kitchen. The same woman who told them stories of princesses and dragons as they’d sat around the fire. The same woman who had looked after the roses in her garden as if they were her children.

  The elevator doors opened and she stepped into the palliative care unit with her dad.

  “Your grandma’s down here.” Allan pointed to a different corridor than the one they’d walked down a fortnight ago. “People who don’t have long to live are in this area,” he added softly.

  Penny swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d always known her grandma would die someday. Now that the time was close, she couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her again.

  As if sensing her mounting distress, her dad wrapped his arm around her waist. “Betty has had a wonderful life. Hold that thought close to your heart when you see her.”

  All she could do was nod.

  As they walked down the corridor, she saw how much the hospital had tried to soften the clinical function of the ward. Carpet tiles replaced the u
sual vinyl flooring. They walked past small seating areas and colorful meeting rooms. There was also a small kitchen where people could make a cup of coffee and reheat food in a microwave. But nothing could disguise the antiseptic smell of the hospital; the reason everyone was here.

  She glanced at two people walking toward them. The look they shared with her bonded them in grief. They understood. They were going through the same thing themselves.

  “Here’s Grandma’s room.”

  Penny’s heart pounded. The plain, gray door seemed so normal compared to what was going on behind it. “Were Diana, Katie, and Barbara able to catch earlier flights?” Her sisters were scattered like leaves across the country, each pursuing careers that were as different as their personalities. They’d all booked flights for this weekend but, with Grandma’s health deteriorating, their parents had asked them to come home earlier.

  Her dad looked at his watch. “I can’t believe it’s after midnight. Diana’s flight arrives in seven hours, and Katie and Barbara will be here in the afternoon. Are you ready to see your grandma?”

  Penny nodded and, with a trembling hand, she opened the door.

  Sitting upright in bed, her grandma’s frail, sunken body almost disappeared against the pale linen. But when she turned her head toward Penny, the light of her gentle, loving nature still shone from her eyes.

  Penny had promised herself she wouldn’t cry in front of her grandma. So, instead of showing her how upset she was, she smiled and stepped toward the woman who made her life complete. “Hi, Grandma.”

  “It’s so good to see you, Penny. I’m sorry about all this fuss.”

  A genuine smile pulled at the corner of Penny’s mouth. It was so like her grandma to put everyone else’s needs above her own. “I’m glad I’m here. How are you feeling?”

  “A little tired.”

  She gently hugged her grandma. Even though Penny knew her grandma had lost weight, she was still shocked by how little there was of her. “I should have brought a triple chocolate fudge brownie for you.”

  “My favorite,” Betty whispered in Penny’s ear.

  Her grandma’s raspy voice brought back memories of sitting around her kitchen table licking the spoon clean at the end of a marathon brownie baking session. “Where did Mom go?”

  “For a walk. She’s spent every waking hour in here since I arrived.” Betty licked her dry lips.

  Reaching for the glass of water beside the bed, Penny held the end of the straw toward her grandma. “Water?”

  “That would be lovely.” After taking a small sip, Betty sighed. “Thank you. Tell me about the apartment building you’re working on. Is it finished?”

  Six months ago, Penny had shown her grandma the plans for a large, multi-story building. “It should be finished in five months. We’ve already sold half the apartments.”

  “Your boss will be happy.”

  “I hope so.” For the last three years, Penny had been working alongside the senior property development manager at Barclays, one of the largest construction companies in Seattle. With her colleague’s upcoming retirement, she’d applied for his job.

  Marketing and selling the apartments had been her primary focus even before the foundations were laid. If she sold the remaining apartments in the next few months, she’d have a much better chance of securing the promotion.

  “Sit beside me,” Betty said slowly. “I have some things I need to tell you.”

  Penny’s dad was sitting in a chair on the far side of the room. He stood and smiled at them. “I’ll grab a cup of coffee while you’re talking. Would either of you like one?”

  “Not for me, Dad. I had something to drink on the way to the hospital.”

  Betty shook her head. “Not for me, either.”

  Allan turned his worried eyes toward Penny. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “I will.” After her dad left, she pulled a chair close to the bed. She didn’t know what her grandma wanted to say, but there was an urgency in her voice that hadn’t been there before. “What did you want to tell me, Grandma?”

  “I’m going to die soon, Penny, and there are some things you need to know.”

  She didn’t know whether it was her grandma’s matter-of-fact voice or her determined expression that worried her the most.

  Holding her grandma’s hand, she told herself not to be too dramatic. Their family didn’t have any secrets that were worth repeating. They were a normal family with a very normal life.

  Or so she’d always thought.

  Wyatt lifted his arms above his head and stretched. After six solid hours of painting, he needed to get rid of the kinks in his back or he wouldn’t be able to move.

  He hadn’t painted for this long in months and it felt great.

  With a critical eye, he studied the canvas that had kept him so focused. Most of his paintings were of landscapes: fields of corn, glowing golden brown in the late afternoon sun; seaside cottages on the shores of endless, sky-blue lakes; or towering mountain ranges stretching into forever.

  This one was different.

  His friend Ethan had challenged him to explore what it meant to be human. Three years ago, he’d given up trying to understand anything about being human. After losing his wife in a car accident, all he wanted was to be left alone.

  Ethan, in his wisdom as a counselor, made it clear that he needed to rejoin the world of the living and not hide in an overcrowded city.

  So, with almost everything he owned packed into his truck and trailer, he’d driven from Chicago to Montana, and made his home in a small town called Sapphire Bay.

  Walking across the room, he stared through a large window at the night sky. The stars were so bright that he felt as though he could reach up and touch them, hold them close, and make more wishes than were good for him.

  In the daylight, the view from the window was like looking at one of his paintings. Flathead Lake was every bit as grand as he’d imagined. With its glistening water and towering mountains, it was the perfect location to begin a new life.

  Wyatt’s cell phone rang, making him frown. It was after midnight. His parents would be asleep in Los Angeles, and the only person he knew in Sapphire Bay wouldn’t be calling him at this time of the night.

  When he read the caller display, he relaxed. It was Ethan. “Isn’t it a little late to be calling me?”

  “I was driving past and saw your lights were on,” said the familiar voice. “I hope you aren’t painting.”

  “I forgot about the time.”

  “That must be a good sign.”

  “Don’t read too much into it,” he muttered. “What are you doing awake, anyway? I thought you’d be enjoying your beauty sleep.” The silence on the end of the phone made him regret his words. “What’s happened?”

  “I’ve just come back from Polson. I took a patient to the mental health crisis team.”

  “Will they be okay?”

  “I hope so.”

  Wyatt didn’t envy Ethan’s career choice. His friend had a big heart and even wider shoulders. He was always there for anyone who needed his help. But that willingness to be everyone’s sounding board came at an emotional cost.

  “Where are you now?”

  “On my way home.”

  He leaned against the windowsill. “If you’d like some company, come and have a hot drink with me.”

  “It’s too late. I know how grumpy you are when you don’t have a good night’s sleep. Are you still able to meet me at the tiny home village at nine o’clock?”

  “Are you sure you want to? You’ve had a long day.”

  “I’m only showing you around and introducing you to some of the residents. We can talk about the art project in the next few days.”

  Wyatt was already regretting his decision to organize a community art project. As well as not knowing how many people would volunteer, he didn’t know if it would achieve what Ethan hoped it would.

  “There’s another artist in Sapphire Bay who runs a
rt classes at The Welcome Center. We could ask her if she has any ideas about how we can make the lessons more enjoyable.”

  A smile pulled at Wyatt’s mouth. “Are you telling me my charming personality won’t be enough?”

  “I’m not answering that question. Just remember to wear a clean shirt.”

  He looked down at his favorite paint-splattered T-shirt. “There’s nothing wrong with my clothes. At least the residents won’t mistake me for anyone other than an artist.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Ethan said with a yawn. “I’m pulling into my driveway. I’ll see you later today.”

  “Sounds good. Sleep well.”

  “I will.”

  After Ethan ended the call, Wyatt looked around his studio. In a few hours, he’d find out if the community project had any chance of working. He already knew that using art as therapy helped on many levels. His only concern was that creating a way for people to express themselves could lead to disaster.

  All he had to do was look at his own life to see how bad it could get.

  Penny leaned forward, trying to catch each word her grandmother said. Picking up the glass of water, she held the straw close to her grandmother’s mouth. “Try this, Grandma. It might make it easier to speak.”

  Betty took a sip of water and sighed. “Thank you. Where was I?”

  “You were telling me about your house.”