“We’ve got two bedrooms, two baths,” Jason said. “It’s really perfect for us. Much more homey than staying in a hotel all summer, plus, we like having the extra bedroom. Family always comes to visit, and this way, we can offer them a place to stay without the hassle of renting a house.”
We stood in silence for a moment, smiling at each other. “Hey, it’s five o’clock somewhere.” He grinned. “How about a glass of wine?”
I had planned to head up to the grocery store, but it could wait. “I’d love that.”
“It’s a beautiful day,” he said, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle. “Why don’t we sit on the deck and chat for a while?” He gestured toward the french doors. “You go make yourself at home, and I’ll be right there.”
Outside, I settled into an Adirondack chair and took in the view of the town’s shops, restaurants, and inns that were up the rather steep hill from the lake. Jason popped outside a moment later carrying two glasses filled with white wine, then handed one to me.
“So, the question we summer people always get is: ‘Oh, you’re spending the whole summer?’” he said, sinking into his chair. “Be prepared for it, because everyone is going to ask. They all want to know if you’re retired or taking time off or whatever. We’re a nosy bunch here in Wharton.”
I managed a chuckle, but nosy people were the last thing I wanted to deal with.
“You don’t have to tell them anything, or you don’t have to tell them the truth,” Jason said, as if reading my thoughts. “But you should have an answer ready, especially if you’re coming to happy hour today.”
“I’ve heard about this happy hour.” I sipped my wine, stalling for time. “LuAnn says it’s quite popular. Everybody wants to know everybody’s business, huh?”
Jason laughed. “This is a small town.”
Since I’d be asked to offer some sort of explanation for why I was here, I thought I might as well practice my spiel. “An old friend of mine from college lives here,” I began. “She suggested I come for the summer after a rather”—my words trailed off into a sigh—“a rather difficult few years.”
He nodded. “I get it. Taking a break from the rest of the world?”
“Something like that,” I said, tears pricking at the backs of my eyes. “I’m a college professor and was on sabbatical last year. I’m gearing up to go back to work in the fall, and I just wanted to take the summer to recharge.”
Jason reached over and squeezed my arm. “This is a very good place to do that,” he said, his voice impossibly kind.
I rested my head on the back of the chair and gave him a sidelong glance. “Thank you.”
“Who’s your friend?” he asked. “The one here in Wharton?”
“Kate Granger. Now it’s Stone, I guess. She got married last year.”
“Oh! We know her! Kate’s cousin Simon is the reason we started coming here years ago. He and Gil go way back. They went to school together.”
What a small world. Coincidences like this seemed to happen to me regularly. Some would argue they were not coincidences at all. I hadn’t been close with Kate over these past few years—more than a few—but I knew she had gone through a divorce and an upheaval of her life. I had been too busy with my own problems to be present for hers, a situation I regretted. The fact she had reached out when she heard I needed some help made me regret it even more.
“So, our story.” He cleared his throat and began. “After being a Realtor for many years, I now own a gaggle of rental properties, and Gil’s a high school teacher. I can manage what I have to manage from anywhere—I’ve got a guy who handles any maintenance issues that come up. Gil’s got the summers off, of course, so we like to take advantage of that, unplug from the world, and come here. It’s sort of our ‘life’s too short’ philosophy. Our boat is docked at the town pier, and we like to putter around from island to island—you’ll have to join us sometime soon—and we’re big kayakers, too. We’ve both been drawn to this lake as long as we can remember.”
“It sounds lovely,” I said. “What a nice way to live.”
Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair. A shiver ran through me, but I wasn’t quite sure why.
“There’s something different about this summer, though, something you really should be aware of, since you’ll be living here,” he said.
But he didn’t get a chance to tell me what it was, because a man I presumed to be Gil poked his head around one of the french doors.
“Oh!” he said, looking at me, first with surprise, then with a grin. “Hello.”
“You’re back!” Jason said. “Honey, this is Brynn. She’ll be in the Yellow Lady this summer. Brynn, my husband, Gil Tanaka.”
Gil extended his hand. “Welcome,” he said, his dark-brown eyes holding mine in their gaze. “I’d heard we were getting another summer lodger. You have hit on the best-kept secret in Wharton. I’d never stay anywhere else.” He turned to Jason. “I don’t want to be rude to our new neighbor, but we have that conference call in a couple of minutes. Remember?”
Jason glanced down at his watch. “Is it that time already?” He let out a theatrical groan and pushed himself up from his chair. “Brynn, please excuse us. This can’t wait.” He extended his hand to me and helped me up.
“Of course,” I said. We walked back into the main room, toward the door, both sipping the last of our wine.
“It was so delightful to meet you,” Jason said. “We’ll see you at happy hour?”
“I’ll be there.”
As Jason was closing the door behind me, I caught a concerned look on Gil’s face as the two men exchanged a glance. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I wondered what was going on, if this call was about the “something different” about this summer that Jason had alluded to. But then I shooed those thoughts out of my mind. I wasn’t going to be one of Wharton’s busybodies. Their business was theirs. Not mine.
Groceries gathered, the cold stuff assembled in my fridge, and the shelf-stable items lined neatly on top of it, I was wondering what to do next when my phone rang.
“So, you made it.” I recognized Kate’s voice on the other end of the line. “Settling in?”
I nodded, as though she could see it. “It’s great,” I said. “The place has everything I need.”
“LuAnn’s a trip! You met her?”
I chuckled. “Leopard-print leggings and all. She seems really nice. And I met a couple of the other summer lodgers today, too.”
“Jason and Gil?” she asked. “You’ll love them. They’ve been friends of Simon’s for a long time.” Kate was silent for a moment, and then continued. “How are you holding up?”
I knew the question was coming, but my whole body stiffened when I heard it. “I’m doing okay.”
“Yeah.” Kate’s voice was soft. “I’m so glad you agreed to come here. This will be just what you need. A summer of nothing but enjoying yourself. Getting back on your feet. The peace of this place will smooth out the rough edges and put life back into perspective again. I would know.”