Summer At Lakeside Page 17

“That could have something to do with the fact that you’re her boyfriend.”

  “I’m not biased.”

  Theo’s eyebrow arched. “Really?”

  “Maybe a little, but I try to be objective.”

  “Good luck with that. I’ve never met her ex-husband, but he sounds like a dangerous idiot.”

  Ethan couldn’t have agreed more. The tragedy of people like Derek was that they left a trail of destruction behind them. Their families were often left traumatized by years of emotional abuse and it took a long time for them to know they deserved a better life.

  “You don’t want to give me a hand, do you?”

  Theo looked uncertainly at the dresser. “I’m not sure I can do much. I’m not a hands-on kind of guy.”

  He handed Theo a sheet of sandpaper and one of the dresser’s drawers. “As long as you work with the grain, you’ll be fine. Start on the left-hand side and move toward the right.”

  After making sure Theo knew what he was doing, Ethan picked up his sandpaper. Diana hadn’t come out of her marriage unscathed. After what had happened recently, he hoped he’d done enough to make her realize she could always trust him.

  Chapter 20

  Diana walked into the general store and smiled at her dad. He was in his element, showing a customer the latest fishing gear. He gave her a wave before returning his attention to the customer.

  As she walked toward the front counter, she looked down the aisles for her mom. When Diana couldn’t see her, she went into the workroom.

  “I was just thinking of you,” Mabel said as she wiped her hands on an apron. She was sorting through half a dozen potted plants. “I thought you’d be busy at the inn.”

  “Barbara and Katie have gone to the farmer’s market in Polson with our guests. I’ve spent the morning cleaning with Cassidy and Penny.”

  “Good for you. I’ll just take these plants into the store and then we can have a proper talk. Can you turn on the coffee pot?”

  “Sure.” As she moved around the workroom, Diana smiled. Some of her earliest memories were in this room, playing under the workbench as her parents served their customers. The long days were filled with laughter and more than one misadventure as her sisters found interesting things to play with.

  “That’s better,” Mabel said as she bustled into the workroom. “The plants were looking a little worse for wear. It was nothing that a little fertilizer and some bigger pots wouldn’t fix.” She took off her apron and hugged Diana. “Natalie came into the store this morning. She enjoyed meeting the inn’s guests.”

  “They enjoyed it, too. It was kind of her to let us visit.”

  “She’s a lovely person. It won’t be long before she heads to Europe for her next exhibition.” Her mom took two cups out of the cupboard and opened the cookie container. “It seems so long since we talked on our own. How are you?”

  “I’m okay. How was the interview with Theo?”

  “He’s such a sweet man,” Mabel said as she poured their drinks. “I did what Barbara suggested and told him the types of questions I wouldn’t answer. He still tried to sneak the odd piece of information out of me, but I was careful not to say the letter is authentic.”

  “That must have been hard.”

  Her mom grinned. “Your dad gave me a piece of paper to take into the interview. Whenever Theo asked me a question, I looked at the word and did what it said.”

  “What was the word?”

  “Stop. It made me think about what I wanted to say instead of blurting out the first thing that popped into my head.”

  Diana was impressed her dad had thought of such a simple way of helping their mom. “That was a great idea.”

  “I thought so, too.” Her mom handed her a drink. “How’s Ethan? I haven’t seen him for a few days.”

  “Between the clinic, the art therapy workshops, and what he does at the tiny home village, he’s really busy. We’re going out on Friday night, though.”

  “You’re still enjoying his company?”

  Diana nodded. “He’s amazing, but I’m worried he’s too perfect.”

  “That’s understandable, especially after being married to Derek.” Mabel cradled her coffee cup in her hands. “Marriage is never easy. Even if you think you’ve found someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, everything changes as you get older.”

  “You and Dad have a wonderful marriage.”

  “Only because we both try hard to make the other person happy. We’ve had times when we’ve thought we couldn’t go on, but we talk about what’s happening and find a solution. It might not be the best answer to our problem, but we keep working on it and muddle through.”

  “What if Ethan and I can’t find a solution?”

  “Then you find someone who can help.” Mabel placed her hand over Diana’s. “Don’t let what happened with Derek cloud your judgment. You’re a young, beautiful woman with an incredible personality. If Ethan is the right person for you, you’ll know it. If he isn’t, then at least you’ve met someone who made you think about the type of person you want in your life.”

  Ethan was everything she could ever want. He was kind, considerate, and made her laugh at the silliest things—but most of all, she trusted him.

  “Now tell me about your date on Friday. Where are you going?”

  And, with a lighter heart, she told her mom about the jazz festival in Polson and the people from the tiny home village who would be performing.

  By five o’clock on Friday, Diana couldn’t wait to go to the music festival. After telling her mom about it, Mabel had bought tickets and so had Barbara and Katie. Penny would stay at the inn to make sure their guests were all right.

  “Don’t forget to ask Ethan about the exhibition,” Barbara said to Diana as she slipped into her shoes. “If he wants to increase the art therapy program’s visibility, it will be a great way of doing it.”

  “I’ll remember.” At one of their weekly catch-up meetings, Barbara had suggested turning an empty store on Main Street into a pop-up art gallery. It would give their guests and other tourists a chance to see and purchase some local art.

  The positive response from their last business owners’ meeting had surprised them. Within a week, the owner of the building had agreed to let them use it for six months. Now it was only a matter of advertising the arts space and encouraging local artists and arts groups to use the venue.

  The front doorbell rang and Diana checked her watch. “That will be Ethan.”

  “Have a great time,” Katie said as she packed the last of a picnic dinner into a basket. “We might see you there.”

  With more than two thousand people expected at the festival, the chance of that was slim. Either way, it didn’t matter. “I’ll wave if I see you,” Diana said.

  She collected her backpack from beside the front door and left the inn. After a busy week, she was looking forward to sitting outside and enjoying some wonderful music. As long as Ethan didn’t get an emergency callout, it would be a great evening.

  Diana climbed into Ethan’s truck and smiled. “Hi. Did you get everything done at the clinic?”

  “As much as I wanted to. What about you?”

  “Our guests have already left for the festival, everything is clean and tidy, and my sisters are almost ready to leave. Now that I’m here, I can relax.”

  “I know how you feel. I’ve been looking forward to spending time with you all week.” Ethan pulled out of the driveway and drove down Main Street. “The only thing I have to do is stop for gas. Do you need anything from the garage?”

  “No, I’ll be fine. Before I forget, Barbara asked me to remind you about the new exhibition space.”

  “I haven’t forgotten. I asked the students in the art therapy program if they want to create an exhibition and they said yes. They’re excited about sharing what they’ve been doing.”

  “That’s wonderful. If the screen prints I saw are as good as the rest of their art, the exhibition will be a hu
ge success.”

  “Wait until you see the clay sculptures and the ceramic pots. Even I was impressed.”

  Diana smiled at the pride in Ethan’s voice. He cared deeply about the people he helped and what they accomplished.

  “That was a happy sigh.”

  She looked across the truck and grinned. “It’s nice to be doing something with you instead of spending time with our guests.”

  “Are you still enjoying your job at The Lakeside Inn?”

  “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Even though we work odd hours, it’s fun helping people and finding activities they’ve never done before.”

  “I hope you always enjoy it.”

  “So do I,” she laughed. “My sisters may not be quite as enthusiastic, though. Katie and Barbara keep dreaming of taking exotic vacations overseas.”

  Ethan smiled as he pulled into the gas station. “I won’t be long.”

  A cell phone rang and she looked at the shelf under the dashboard. Ethan’s work phone screen was flashing with the caller’s name. Chloe?

  If it was the same Chloe she knew from the Smithsonian, Diana had no idea why she would be calling Ethan. But if it wasn’t her, it could be a doctor, a nurse, or another clinician needing his help.

  She picked up the phone and opened the passenger door. The strong smell of gasoline tickled her nose as she walked around the truck to Ethan. “Your phone rang. I thought it might be important.”

  He smiled as she handed it to him. “Thanks. The mental health unit must have forgotten to switch the calls through to Zac.” While the tank was filling with gas, Ethan looked at the list of recent calls.

  For the first time since she’d known him, he blushed.

  A sick, sinking feeling left her head spinning. There were so many times when she’d seen the same guilty look on her ex-husband’s face.

  Anger bubbled up from deep inside her. She’d thought Ethan was different, that he was being honest when he said he loved her and she was the most important person in his life.

  Before she knew what she was doing, she’d turned around and was heading toward the passenger side of the truck. He’d betrayed her trust, destroyed the one thing that was important to her.

  Ethan ran after her and held onto her hand, stopping her from moving. “It’s not what you think.”

  “So, the call was from Chloe at the Smithsonian?”

  “It was. She’s helping me with a project.”

  She’d heard that excuse, too. If it wasn’t a project, it was a late-night meeting or a weekend brainstorming retreat. And sweet, gullible Diana had believed every single lie. Well, she wouldn’t believe it now.

  She wasn’t the same naïve person who’d married Derek. She was strong, independent, and deserved more than any two-timing boyfriend gave her.

  “You don’t believe me?”

  How could Ethan sound so surprised when he was the one who was hurting her?

  Hot tears filled her eyes. She wouldn’t cry in front of him. Not now. Not ever. “I’ve heard those same words before.”

  “I’m not lying.” He let go of her arm and took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you what we’re working on, but it’s important.”

  “So were the four affairs my ex-husband had.”

  “You think I’m cheating on you? With Chloe?”

  Diana’s fists clenched. “If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, it’s a rat.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Has Chloe called or texted you before?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “How many times?”

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “I know there are issues you’re still dealing with, but you can trust me. Nothing has happened between Chloe and me.”

  “You haven’t answered my question.”

  “We’ve called, emailed, and texted each other a few times.”

  Diana swatted away a tear that wasn’t listening when she said she wouldn’t cry. “Why can’t you tell me about the project you’re working on?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  That was Derek’s excuse, too. The only difference was that she’d believed him—and she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. “I didn’t know you knew her, let alone started calling her.”

  “I don’t know anything about Chloe. I called her to ask—”

  “Hey, buddy,” yelled a man sitting in a truck behind them. “Argue with your wife somewhere else. I need gas.”

  “I’m not his wife,” Diana yelled back. “And I never want to be.” And with those empowering words, she snatched her pack off the back seat and walked away.

  “Diana! Wait!”

  She kept walking. Ethan could jump in a freezing creek for all she cared. She didn’t need a two-timing boyfriend in her life. She didn’t need anyone.

  Except Charlie, her parents, and her sisters. Her eyes clouded with tears. And until a few minutes ago, Ethan.

  Chapter 21

  Ethan paid for the gas, then drove down Main Street, searching for Diana. He couldn’t believe what had happened. One minute they were both looking forward to the festival, and then everything had changed.

  To anyone else, the call from Chloe wouldn’t have meant a thing, but Diana was hypersensitive to anything that looked as though it was an affair. Even so, she should have believed him or at least listened to what he’d said.

  He slowed down as he drove past Sweet Treats. If he’d told Diana he was making a replica dresser, she wouldn’t have accused him of whatever she thought was going on. But he really wanted it to be a surprise for her and her family.

  At the end of Main Street, he turned around and headed toward the general store. If he was upset, he’d want to see his parents, especially if he had the same close bond that Diana shared with her family.

  By the time he found a parking spot and walked into the store, another ten minutes had disappeared and he was no closer to finding Diana.

  He walked up and down the aisles, searching for Mabel or Allan.

  “Can I help you?”

  He turned around and frowned. “Andrea? What are you doing here?” As far as he knew, Andrea only worked at the church and The Welcome Center.

  “Mabel and Allan have gone to the jazz festival along with all their part-time staff. They asked if I could look after the store for a few hours.” She stepped closer and whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but I have no idea what an orbital sander or a circuit breaker looks like. But if you want to know about knitting wool or crochet hooks, I’m the perfect person to ask.”

  “I was looking for Diana. You haven’t seen her in the last few minutes, have you?”

  Andrea shook her head. “I started work an hour ago and I haven’t seen her. Have you tried calling her?”

  “I’ll do that next. Thanks.” The likelihood of Diana answering her phone was almost zero, but he’d give it a try.

  As he walked back to his truck, he looked down the street. Tourists were walking slowly along the pavement, looking inside the window displays of the local stores. He recognized a few residents going about their daily lives and moving with ease between everyone else.

  He was hoping Diana would suddenly appear, but he couldn’t see her.

  She was upset when she’d left, and that worried him more than the reason she’d gone. When she calmed down, she’d realize how much she’d overreacted. But if time didn’t make any difference to how she felt, he didn’t know what he’d do.

  Sitting in his truck, he pulled out his phone. After the second call went to voicemail, he left a message and started the truck.

  Next stop. The Lakeside Inn.

  Penny looked up from the kitchen table and frowned. “You look terrible. What’s happened?”

  Diana blew her nose and sat beside her sister. “Ethan is seeing someone else behind my back.”

  “Ethan? Why on earth would you think he’s doing that?”

  “He’s been calling Chloe from the Smithsonian. She left a message on
his phone and I told him he was no better than Derek.” Diana took a deep breath. “And then I left him at the gas station and walked home.”

  “Because he talked to Chloe you thought they were…involved?”

  She lifted her tear-streaked face to her sister. “This is the part where you’re supposed to tell me everything will be all right. That I did the right thing and shouldn’t look back.”

  “If you knew what I was going to say, why did you come and see me?”

  “Because I feel miserable. How could he do that?”

  “I don’t know. You could always call and ask him.”

  Diana shook her head. She wasn’t talking to Ethan ever again. As far as she was concerned, everything she’d felt for him was based on a lie. A hurtful, deceitful lie. “I’m going to bed. If he comes here, tell him I don’t want to see him.”

  “Are you sure you—”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything.” And with another shuddering sob, she raced upstairs to hide from the world.

  After he’d tried to see Diana, Ethan drove to Theo’s house. He found his friend bent over a microphone in his studio. The glass window separating the studio from the rest of his house looked out of place in the large, wooden cabin. But nothing about Theo or his life was exactly as it appeared.

  His friend looked up and, after sending Ethan a few hand signals, he worked out he would only be another few minutes.

  When Theo was finished, he opened the studio door. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” He studied Ethan’s face and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Diana accused me of seeing someone else.” Just saying the words brought tears to his eyes. “I thought she trusted me, that we had something special. How could she even think I’d do something like that?”

  Theo pushed him toward the kitchen. “Come and sit down. Who does she think you’re seeing?”

  “Chloe.”

  “Who?”

  “From the Smithsonian. Chloe Anders.”

  “Isn’t that the person who’s helping you with the measurements of the dresser?”