The Lakeside Inn Read online

  That made Penny smile. “That sounds exactly like the sort of thing Grandma would do.”

  Wyatt sat on a concrete step and stared at the sky. “After my wife died, I couldn’t think straight. Everything reminded me of her. I’d hear a noise and think Anya was coming in the front door. When I walked through a mall, I’d smell her perfume and think she was there. At one point, I thought I was going crazy.”

  “You missed her.”

  “More than I thought possible. But after the bone-numbing grief went away, I was left with nothing except my painting. Focusing on that gave my life purpose. It helped me get out of bed each morning and put one foot in front of the other.”

  “Do you still find it difficult?”

  Wyatt’s gaze connected with hers. “Before I came here, I did. My friend, Ethan, thought living in Sapphire Bay would be good for me. He was right.”

  The warmth in his eyes sent goose bumps along Penny’s skin. “It must be the fresh mountain air and the amazing scenery.”

  Wyatt reached for her hand. “I think it’s more to do with my neighbor. She makes me smile and talk about things I’ve never told anyone.”

  She held her breath as their hands touched. “I’m glad I could help.”

  “You’ve done more than help.” Wyatt’s fingers tangled with hers. “If I asked if you wanted to go out to dinner with me, what would you say?”

  Penny’s heart pounded. “I’d say I have to be careful. You’re leaving in a couple of months and not coming back.”

  “I haven’t decided what I’ll do after I finish in Berlin. You could always come with me.”

  Her eyes widened. “To Germany?”

  “Why not? If you open the Bed and Breakfast, your sisters can run the business while you’re gone.”

  “I can’t do it. Grandma wanted everyone to stay here.”

  “If Berlin’s out of the question, what about dinner?”

  Penny smiled. “Has anyone told you you’re stubborn?”

  “Not recently, but it’s for a good cause. Dinner?”

  So many thoughts rushed through her mind. She liked Wyatt a lot. He was kind, patient, funny, and one of the most talented men she’d ever met. But he was still grieving for his wife. And after losing her Grandma, she was just as vulnerable. It would be so easy to fall in love with him, to look into his blue eyes and tell him he could be the center of her world. But then he’d leave and she would stay here, trying to put her life back together.

  Wyatt lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “One step at a time,” he whispered.

  “It’s not that easy. My life has turned upside down. I don’t know what we’ll do if Katie doesn’t come home and—”

  Lips as soft and sweet as a spring breeze silenced the words tumbling from her mouth. She leaned forward, meeting Wyatt halfway as their kiss deepened, leaving her breathless and needy, and a whole lot of other things she hadn’t felt in years.

  He groaned and Penny forgot all the reasons why this wasn’t a good idea. Wyatt was an amazing man, and that’s all that mattered.

  When their kiss ended, she rested her forehead against his. “I like the way you kiss.”

  His sigh settled some of the butterflies jumping inside her tummy.

  “I like the way you kiss, too. What are we going to do with each other?”

  Penny smiled. “Have dinner?”

  “Tomorrow night?”

  “Okay.” She cuddled into his chest and enjoyed being close to him.

  Wyatt wrapped his arms around her. “If you don’t want to go to a restaurant, you could come to my place. I make a pretty good spaghetti sauce.”

  “I love spaghetti.”

  A rumble of laughter echoed against her ear. “Are you saying that to be nice or because you really like spaghetti?”

  “A little of both.”

  “That’s good.”

  As the stars shone overhead and a cool wind drifted off the lake, Penny closed her eyes. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment than to be sitting here, wrapped in Wyatt’s arms.

  For now, this was all she needed. Tomorrow would look after itself.

  Chapter 11

  The following day, Penny drove to the old steamboat museum building with her sisters. Wyatt was following in his truck in case they wanted to stay for longer.

  When she was a teenager, the Steamboat Museum closed its doors for the last time. Even at that stage, the volunteers who ran it were only using a small part of the huge red-brick building.

  She had wonderful memories of following her granddad around the museum, examining old pieces of machinery and discovering lots of collectibles. It was a treasure trove of memories, and her grandfather seemed to have a story for everything she saw.

  Before the museum moved here, the building had sat empty for decades. Originally, it was the center of all activity in Sapphire Bay. Built at the height of steamboat travel, dances were held here each Friday night. On Saturdays, the land surrounding it became one of the first farmers’ markets in Montana. Inside the building, rooms were dedicated to repairing parts of the steamboats. Her granddad had told her there were upholsterers, carpenters, welders, and many other people all working to keep the steamboats on the water.

  On one of her visits back to Sapphire Bay, Penny had been thrilled to see the beautiful old building once again being used. Pastor John had created a workshop in the main hall to build the tiny homes he was creating.

  The town was one hundred percent behind the tiny home village. The number of vehicles in the parking lot showed there was no shortage of volunteers to help on the project.

  “Mom wasn’t exaggerating when she said we might not find a parking space,” Barbara murmured as she stared through the windshield.

  “It’s because of the new contract,” Diana said. “The church has to build thirty tiny homes and take them to Missoula for another tiny home village.”

  It surprised Penny that her sister knew about the contract.

  “Is that what Dad was talking about the other day?” Barbara asked.

  Diana nodded. “He donated some tools for the workshop. No one can believe how successful the project has become.”

  A truck reversed and Penny waited patiently behind it for the parking space. “Has Wyatt found somewhere to park?”

  Barbara looked over her shoulder. “He’s pulling into a space about five vehicles behind us.”

  “That’s good.” Penny turned off the ignition and smiled. “Are you ready to look for a missing dresser?”

  An excited grin lit Diana’s face. “I can’t wait.”

  Barbara opened her door. “I haven’t been here in years. I wonder if the ghost of Old Man Biggins is still prowling the empty rooms?”

  “I’d forgotten about Granddad’s friendly ghost,” Penny said.

  Barbara shivered. “I’ll never forget. Granddad pretended he was the ghost one day and gave me bad dreams for weeks afterward.”

  Diana frowned. “But he was a friendly ghost.”

  “A ghost is a ghost,” Barbara stated.

  Wyatt walked toward them. “I didn’t think it would be so busy.”

  “It’s surprising where everyone comes from.” Penny held her hand above her eyes. “It looks as though someone’s tidied up the front of the building.”

  The faded sign above the front door had been replaced with a new one. Pots full of colorful plants stood either side of the wide concrete steps and a new mailbox gleamed in the afternoon sunshine.

  As they entered the large foyer, Pastor John came to meet them. “You’re on time as usual.” He looked at Barbara and Diana. “How are you finding being back in Sapphire Bay?”

  “It’s almost as if we never left,” Barbara said.

  The smile on Diana’s face faded. “It’s nice to be back with my family and friends. Thanks for showing us the storage areas.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Unfortunately, we don’t have any information about individual items stored in each r
oom or who put them there. All I can tell you is that quite a few rooms contain furniture. Are you ready to go exploring?”

  Penny took a flashlight out of her pocket. “Ready and prepared.”

  John smiled. “As much as I hate to admit it, your flashlight might come in handy. We’ve been busy fixing the work areas over the last twelve months. The rooms we’re not using haven’t been touched.”

  Barbara and Diana pulled out their flashlights, too. “Don’t worry. Between us, we have enough light to brighten the darkest room.”

  John led them across the foyer and down another hallway. “If you see any rats or mice, let me know. I bought a supply of traps yesterday.”

  “It sounds as though we’re going to have an interesting time,” Barbara said hesitantly.

  Penny hoped it was more than interesting. If they could find the piece of furniture the key belonged to, they might find another clue about their great-grandfather. And, if they were really lucky, it might unravel the mystery of his life.

  Wyatt turned on the lights in another storage room and frowned. The single light bulb lit where they were standing, but the rest of the room was left in a murky shadow.

  He knew the old steamboat museum was in a large building, but he’d never imagined how many unused rooms were hidden within the brick exterior.

  In its day, the building must have been humming with events and activities. Some rooms they searched were small storage areas sitting side-by-side to accommodate all the equipment and tools the occupants needed. Other rooms were the size of his living room. Some held relics from the steamboat years. Others contained an odd assortment of decorations, furniture, and clothes.

  Penny walked around him and shone her flashlight into the far corner. “I keep thinking we’ll find the dresser in the next room. But, so far, all we’ve found are bits and pieces of furniture that no one wanted to keep.”

  “At least this room isn’t as crowded as the last one. We should know quite quickly if the dresser’s here.” Wyatt walked toward a canvas drop cloth covering a large, bulky object. “Can you give me a hand with this?”

  Carefully, they lifted the cover off the object.

  Penny coughed as a cloud of dust flew into the air. “We should have brought our face masks.”

  “If it’s too much, I can ask John if he has any spare masks in the workshop.”

  “I’ll be okay.” She looked at the writing desk they’d found. “It’s not the dresser, but it’s beautiful. I wonder how old it is?”

  Wyatt ran his hand over the dark, gleaming wood. “I don’t know, but it’s the type of thing you’d find in an antique store. I’ll take a photo for John and let him know which room it’s in. He might be able to find a home for it.”

  “That would be better than leaving it here under an old drop cloth.” Penny walked to the far side of the room. “There are only boxes of books and some old household appliances over here.”

  He lifted the edge of a sheet and smiled. “Come and have a look at this. It matches the style of the desk.”

  When Penny saw the small sofa, she smiled. “The pink velvet upholstery and dark wood make it look as though it belongs in a lady’s parlor.”

  “You could be right. I wonder if there are any other pieces of furniture that belonged to the same house?”

  After a few minutes, they found a matching footstool, a piano seat, and a small bookcase.

  “Instead of solving the mystery of my great-grandfather’s life, we’re finding another family’s treasures.” Penny looked around them. “I think we’ve seen everything there is to see in this room.”

  Wyatt pulled the covers over the smaller pieces of furniture. “I agree. Out of all the rooms we’ve checked, this is the most interesting. Can you give me a hand with the drop cloth for the desk?”

  Barbara rushed into the room. “I think we’ve found the dresser.”

  Wyatt and Penny looked at each other. Without speaking, they left the drop cloth on the floor and followed Barbara into another room.

  “Be careful where you step. There’s lots of furniture in here.” Barbara wove her way through what looked like enough furniture to fill an entire house. “The dresser is right at the back of the room behind an old wardrobe.”

  Diana appeared from behind another piece of furniture. She shone her flashlight toward the back wall. “It was too heavy for us to pull out, but it has the same scrollwork along the top edge.”

  Wyatt studied the dresser, comparing it to the photo he had in his pocket. “It’s identical. If this isn’t the dresser, it must have been made by the same furniture maker.” He moved out of the way so Penny could see what they were talking about.

  “It looks as though no one’s touched it since it was left here.”

  Diana moved another box out of the way. “I don’t think anyone has. Everything was covered in drop cloths and dust.”

  Penny borrowed Wyatt’s cell phone, shining his more powerful flashlight toward the top drawer. “There’s definitely a lock, but we can’t open it while the dresser’s stuck between the wall and the wardrobe. We’ll have to move all the other furniture.”

  Wyatt looked over her shoulder. “It doesn’t look as though it’s resting on the wardrobe. I’ll try to slide it along the wall before we move everything else.” He changed places with Penny and placed his hands either side of the dresser. Planting his feet against the wooden floor, he pulled the wooden frame toward him. It moved an inch. “It’s heavier than it looks.”

  Diana sighed. “I guess that means we’re moving the rest of the furniture.”

  Barbara was already one step ahead of her. “We don’t have to move everything out of the room unless we want to take the dresser home. For now, all we need is enough room to put the key into the lock. If we move the furniture in front of the dresser a few feet forward, that should be enough.”

  Wyatt had a feeling it would be easier said than done. If the other large pieces of furniture were as heavy as the dresser, they could be here for a while.

  Forty sweaty, dust-filled minutes later, they’d finally made enough room for Penny to squeeze between the dresser and wardrobe.

  She looked at the large wardrobe and frowned. “Are you sure I won’t create a domino effect and knock the other furniture over?”

  “Just keep your bottom pulled in,” Barbara said seriously. “If the furniture starts wobbling, Wyatt will pull you out.”

  It was just as well Barbara had complete faith in him. Penny didn’t seem so confident.

  She looked at him and frowned. “My life could be in your hands.”

  With a smile, he lifted his arm and flexed his bicep. “I’ll take care of you.” He wasn’t sure if his display of manly muscle made her feel better or worse.

  With one last look at the rows of furniture, Penny wiped her hands on the back of her jeans. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  Barbara took the key out of her pocket and handed it to her sister.

  Wyatt didn’t know how Penny and her sisters were feeling, but he was more anxious than excited. If the key didn’t fit, they’d decided that Penny and her sisters would drive to Polson and talk to the lady from the museum.

  Even if the key did fit, they didn’t know what they’d find inside the drawers.

  “The suspense is killing me,” Barbara said from behind him. “What’s happening?”

  Penny wiggled a little farther into the cavity. “Three of the drawers are locked. I’m putting the key into the top one.”

  Silence filled the room.

  Then, click.

  “It unlocked the drawer,” Penny said excitedly. “I’ll open it now.”

  Wyatt held his breath, waiting for what Penny had to say.

  “It’s empty.” He didn’t need to see her face to know she was disappointed.

  Barbara and Diana sighed.

  “I’ll try the others.”

  One after the other, each drawer opened to reveal nothing.

  Penny appeared from behind the
wardrobe. “I can’t believe the dresser is empty.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Diana said. “At least we found it.”

  “What are we going to do with it?” Barbara asked.

  Wyatt looked at the other pieces of uncovered furniture in the room. “Everything is in good condition. You could leave it here.”

  Penny bit her bottom lip and looked hesitantly at Wyatt.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I want to take it home.”

  Barbara groaned. “You can’t be serious? It took us more than half an hour to move everything so you could squeeze between the furniture. It will take us hours to pull the dresser into the hallway.”

  “I can’t explain it, but this dresser needs to come home with us.” Penny looked at Wyatt and her sisters. “If you don’t want to stay, I could ask Pastor John if he has anyone who could help me move the furniture.”

  Diana’s gaze traveled over the carefully placed rows of bookcases, tables, and chairs. “I’m happy to help. But finding more people to give us a hand is a good idea. Otherwise, we’ll be here all day.”

  “Okay,” Barbara grumbled. “I’ll stay, too. But you owe me an enormous mug of hot chocolate.”

  “I’ll stay,” Wyatt said.

  Penny frowned. “What about your paintings?”

  “If John can supply a few extra people, it won’t take long to remove the dresser.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “In that case, thank you.” Penny looked at her sisters. “I know it would be a lot easier to leave it here, but I can’t.”

  Barbara wiped her hands on her T-shirt. “I’ll find Pastor John and asked him if he has anyone who can help.”

  “I’ll start moving the boxes in the front row,” Diana said. “Don’t worry, Penny. We’ll have the dresser home before you know it.”

  It wouldn’t be that easy, but Wyatt was impressed with Diana and Barbara’s attitude. And he would be even more impressed once the dresser was on the back of Penny’s truck.