Her Summer Refuge
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Gabrielle Meyer
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15
Chapter One
A flash of lightning was followed by a crack of thunder so close, William Madden flinched. The wind was fierce, bending the stately pine trees on the riverfront property, making him wonder if they’d withstand the onslaught of the summer storm.
The lights in his cabin flickered and died, and the sudden quiet as the refrigerator shut off left him feeling oddly alone. It was only six o’clock, but the darkness of the storm made it feel like midnight.
Will stood at the sliding glass doors in the dining room and watched the storm as it moved across the Mississippi River, causing white caps to form on the generally placid water. The five other cabins in the small resort were all occupied by visitors who were hunkered down, like him. His cabin was the biggest, since he was the owner of the resort, a decision that still left him uncertain. What had made him think that uprooting his life and resigning from his corporate job in Minneapolis was a good idea? Coming back to Timber Falls to be near his aging parents had seemed smart at the time—but after just five months of running the resort, he was having second thoughts.
A flash of headlights hit the wall above Will’s head, and he turned toward the front of the cabin. A driveway led into the property and a sign pointed people to the main cabin for check-in. It wasn’t unusual to have people pull up and knock on his front door—but who would be out in a storm like this?
He sighed. Whoever it was, they’d be disappointed to learn that all the cabins were booked for the rest of the summer. Sometimes people pulled off the highway outside Timber Falls hoping he’d have a vacancy, but that was rarely the case. Brooks Family Resort had been around since the 1950s and many of the same families booked their weeklong stays a year in advance. But even with the five cabins being rented out, it wasn’t enough income to sustain a decent lifestyle. And that’s why he had a plan for expansion—if the city council would approve his variance.
Will walked through the dining room and into the living room, toward the front of the cabin. He opened the door leading into the main lobby for the small mom-and-pop resort. A puddle on the floor in the lobby caused him to look up—and sure enough, there was another leak. It was the third one he’d found since the storm hit fifteen minutes ago. With a frustrated groan, he took a potted plant from the corner of the lobby and slipped it under the leak. At least the plant would be watered, and he could deal with the leak after he turned away the new arrival.
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky and was immediately followed by thunder so loud and so close, it felt like it was centered right over the cabin.
The car came to a stop outside and a man in the driver’s side jumped out.
Will watched for a second through the window before going to the front door. He opened it, rain blowing against him.
“We’re full,” he called into the wind, trying to prevent the guy from going through the trouble of coming all the way to the door. “No vacancy.”
The guy didn’t seem to hear Will as he went to the trunk of his car and pulled out a suitcase.
Will sighed.
The back door of the car opened, and a woman stepped out. Rain pelted her, wetting her dark brown hair and her thin cardigan. It was obvious that she was expecting a baby—perhaps soon.
How was he going to turn away a pregnant woman?
The guy handed the suitcase to the passenger and then he got back into his car.
Will frowned. Was he simply a driver? And not her husband?
The storm was blowing so hard, and the rain was so thick, the woman struggled with the suitcase as the driver pulled away.
Will left his cabin and ran out to the driveway to help her, slipping in the mud but catching himself before he fell.
She looked up as he drew closer, her dark hair in wet tendrils around her weary face.
A crack of thunder shook the earth as Will stopped in his tracks, his heart pausing for a split second as he stood face-to-face with Jessa Brooks.
She stared back at him with just as much shock and surprise on her beautiful face.
“Jessa,” Will said, his voice not loud enough to contend with the storm. What was she doing in Timber Falls—here?
Jessa was shivering, her clothing soaked.
He didn’t know what to think about her sudden and unexpected arrival—and pregnant no less.
“Come inside,” he said as he took her suitcase, his pulse thrumming as his hand brushed against hers.
She was freezing.
On instinct, he put his arm around her shoulders, and they ran back toward his cabin—or, rather, her cabin. She had grown up there, after all. He was the first person outside of the Brooks family to live in the ramshackle old place. Her dad had inherited it from his parents and had raised Jessa there as a single parent after her mom passed away.
He opened the lobby door and she walked into the building ahead of him.
Will couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so shocked or speechless. Nerves clenched his gut. Nerves and growing anger.
“Here,” he said as he closed the door to the storm. He put down her suitcase and grabbed his coat off the coatrack before setting it over her trembling shoulders.
Despite the pregnancy, she was alarmingly thin and pale.
“Thank you,” she said as her teeth rattled. “I’ve been cold all day.”
There were dark smudges beneath her eyes, and she looked exhausted.
“You’re probably surprised to see me,” she said as she slipped her arms through his large coat.
“Surprised is one word that comes to mind,” he agreed as he crossed his arms. “I haven’t seen you in—” He paused, though he knew exactly how long it had been. He didn’t want her to think he was keeping track. “What’s it been? Ten years?”
Jessa nodded as her gaze took in the lobby with its small desk, pine logs and pictures of the resort hanging on the walls. “Ten long years.”
He looked from her to the suitcase and back.
“I didn’t know where else to go.” She met his gaze with her dark brown eyes. Tears rimmed the bottoms, surprising him.
Jessa Brooks had been one of the bravest, smartest and most confident girls he’d ever known. Even when she tripped and skinned her knee in the three-legged race at the church picnic, she hadn’t cried. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her cry.
“Philippe left me,” she said as she looked down at her stomach. She shook her head. “He cleaned out our bank accounts, what little there was, and moved in with another woman. On the same day our divorce papers arrived, I was told my marriage visa was rescinded and I needed to leave France.” She pressed her lips together and inhaled a shuddering breath. “I know I’m the last person you want to see. Honestly, I didn’t even know you were going to be here. When I spoke to my dad in February, he told me the new owner promised I’d always have a place to stay, if I needed one.” She looked toward the door and then started to pull out her cell phone. “I’ll call the Uber back and find somewhere else to stay.”
“Don’t—” Will put his hand on her cell phone to stop her, sighing. No matter what had happened between them, he couldn’t turn her out. “Jessa, your dad made me promise that I’d have a place for you, like he said—but to be honest, I didn’t think you’d ever return to Timber Falls.”
She blinked back her tears and nibbled the inside of her lip in a way she’d done when they were younger. It was a telltale sign that she felt guilty—no doubt because she hadn’t been there for her dad, Oliver, when he was sick.
She hadn’t even come home for the funeral in February.
“I’m sorry, Will. If I would have known it was you, I wouldn’t have come.”
“I’m surprised your dad didn’t tell you I was the new owner.”
“Always the matchmaker, even until the end.”
Her words created an odd, uncomfortable silence between them.
Oliver Brooks had spent most of their teenage years trying to convince Jessa to go out with Will. Oliver was like a second father to Will. They’d gone to the same church and then Oliver had hired Will to start working at the resort when he was fifteen. Will had been in love with Jessa for as long as he could remember. Finally, Oliver had convinced Jessa to go to their senior prom with Will. They’d had so much fun, when Will asked her out again, she had said yes. They had dated for four short months before she’d left for college in New York City—and sent him a Dear John letter, telling him she didn’t want to see him again.
And she hadn’t.
Until now.
Jessa Brooks had never felt so cold or heartsore. It was a deep, gnawing pain that went to her very core. In her desperation, she had decided to return to the last place that made any sense in her life: Timber Falls. More specifically, the little cabin on the banks of the Mississippi River that had been a haven as a child.
In her mind, she was returning to a refuge—at least, until running into the last person she wanted to see.
A heavy silence hung between her and Will as he held her gaze.
She was surprised she had even recognized him. He’d grown into a man since the last time she’d seen him. His dark blond hair was wet, but it still curled around his ears like it had before. He wasn’t classically handsome—not like her ex-husband, Philippe—but there was a wholesome quality to Will Madden that reminded her of home. Comfort. Safety.
But it was his stunning blue eyes that made him attractive. They were so vibrant, so probing and perceptive.
A shiver ran through her, and it seemed to move Will to action.
“Come inside,” he said. “The storm is supposed to linger, so I’ll build a fire and you can warm yourself.” He took her suitcase and stepped around a plant in the middle of the floor—apparently collecting the rainwater from a leak—and opened the door between the lobby and the private residence.
Jessa braced herself for the memories.
Not a lot had changed since she’d been home ten years ago. Apparently, Dad had sold the place to Will with all the furnishings. But then again, what else would he have done with everything? They didn’t have any family left and she hadn’t been able to come back when he was sick. Philippe hadn’t let her. The flight from Paris to Minneapolis had been far too expensive. She had begged and pleaded, but he had control over their accounts and refused to let her buy a ticket. After Dad had died, she’d begged again, but he had said no.
That had been five months ago. Four months after Dad died, Philippe had left her. She had found the divorce process quicker than expected, and within weeks, they were divorced, she had her last name back, and her marriage visa was null and void.
Jessa wasn’t sad to leave France. Her marriage and life in Paris had been one disaster after another. Yet—now she was homeless, jobless, spouseless and expecting a baby that Philippe wanted nothing to do with. And she was back at her childhood home, with a man she had hurt deeply.
Will worked quickly to build a fire and said over his shoulder, “Go ahead and change out of those wet clothes. You know where the bathroom is.”
She picked up her suitcase—everything she owned in the world—and went down the hallway to the bathroom. Though the lights weren’t working, the storm had cleared enough that there was a small amount of daylight from the window. After quickly changing into some dry yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, thankful the semidarkness hid the worry lines around her eyes and the dullness of her skin.
What must Will think of her? She’d aged in the past ten years—and not in a good way. The adventurous life she had yearned for since childhood had turned out to be a sham. The past six months had been the worst. But she had come home for one reason: her baby. She was seven months along and determined to give the baby the life it deserved. Even if that meant starting over in her hometown.
She left the bathroom and paused in the hallway, wondering what had become of her bedroom. Had Dad moved things out? Had Will gotten rid of all her things once he took ownership?
Jessa slowly opened her bedroom door as the storm continued to blow outside and she inhaled a surprised breath.
Her room hadn’t changed a bit since she’d left for college. All her high school memorabilia were still hanging from the corkboard. A Timber Falls pennant, awards from drama club, pictures from her spring musical and fall play, medals from speech meets and so much more. The white bedroom set her father had bought for her after saving up for two years was in pristine condition. The quilt her grandmother had made for her was on the bed. And her treasured books were on the tall shelf with other mementos from her childhood.
It was as if time had stood still.
She closed the door and reentered the living room.
The fireplace was crackling, and heat poured into the room. She went up to the hearth and spread out her hands, thankful for the warmth. Will entered the living room from the kitchen with a steaming cup in his hand.
“Chamomile tea,” he said, “with a little honey.”
Exactly how she liked it.
“Thank you.” She took the cup and wrapped her cold fingers around it.
They stood for a couple of seconds, just looking at one another. Will’s gaze was full of apprehension—and rightfully so. She’d broken his heart, and though ten years had passed, it wasn’t the kind of heartache that someone forgot about easily. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was some anger in his gaze, as well.
Finally, Will said, “Have a seat.”
She was exhausted, so she sank into the worn La-Z-Boy recliner, her dad’s favorite chair, feeling like he was giving her a long-lost hug. She missed her dad, but her guilt about not being there for him at the end cut her deeply.
Will took a seat across from her and put his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry about all your troubles.”
He was sorry? She was the one who needed to apologize.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” she said, in a quiet voice.
“I’m sorry you’ve gone through so much pain.” He looked up at her, his emotions hidden behind a reserved facade.
“I would have come home to be with my dad when he was sick,” she said, trying to explain herself without making excuses. “But Philippe wouldn’t let me. I used every penny I had to get this ticket to be here now, even selling my wedding ring to a pawnbroker. I’m sure I didn’t get the best price, either. I could never master the French language.”
It had been one of many of her issues.
“You’re here now,” he said. “Your old room is available for as long as you need.”
She looked at her tea again, wondering how weird it would be to stay in the same house as him. The house that was full of so many memories.
But he interrupted her thoughts. “I’ll stay in the boathouse. It isn’t fancy, but it’s dry and clean. I’m in the process of remodeling it for another cabin.”
“I can’t kick you out of your own house.”
“I made a promise to your dad, Jessa. I won’t turn you away—especially with—” He motioned to her midsection.
“The baby,” she said as she rested her free hand on her swollen stomach.
He looked away from her toward the fire, clearly uncomfortable. “When is it due?”
“The beginning of September.” Just two short months away.
Will stood and moved some of the logs, causing a cascade of sparks to fly up the chimney.
The electricity was still out, and the storm was blowing, though the thunder and lightning had passed. The sky was starting to lighten up, as well, offering a little more light.
A bucket nearby was catching another leak and Jessa took the opportunity to look around.
Will noticed.
“I spent the first few months remodeling the guest cabins,” he said. “I plan to get to this place this winter—if I’m still here.”
“Still here?” She looked at him sharply. “What does that mean?”
He stared into the flames and shook his head. “I don’t want to worry you about it now.”
“What’s going on, Will?”
He sighed. “I bought this resort from your dad on kind of a whim. I was burnt out at my job, a long-term relationship had just ended and my mom was sick.”
His mom? Jessa sat up a little straighter. Sandy Madden had been one of her mentors at church and a mother-like figure in her life. Her pulse thrummed. “Is she okay?”
“Mom?” he asked. “Yeah. She recovered. But your dad was sick, too, and he was afraid that the resort would be parceled off for single-property cabins if I didn’t buy it. He hated to see the property divided up—so, I agreed to purchase it. But I knew it couldn’t sustain itself on the five cabins—so I purchased the adjoining land, hoping to create a summer theme park with a mini-golf course and waterslides.”
“I think that’s an amazing idea.”
“Well—” he shrugged “—I did, too. But the mayor doesn’t seem to think so. I need a variance for the amusement park because it’s in city limits. He’s being difficult, making me jump through a lot of hoops, with no guarantee that they’ll approve the variance. I have a lot of money invested in my waterfront property and if I can’t get the variance, I’ll have no way of paying for it. I’ve already eaten up most of my savings.”
“I’m sorry, Will.”
She knew what it felt like to have a dream and see it crumble around her feet. Her dream was a little different, but no less difficult.
He glanced at her, his gaze heavy, and she wanted to apologize for so much more. But it felt strange to bring up the past. Maybe they could ignore it.
“I don’t want to be a burden to you,” she said. “In the morning, I’ll start looking for another place to stay. I’ll need to find a job, too. Hopefully there’s something available.”
“You look really tired, Jessa,” he said. “With all that traveling, I’m sure you haven’t slept well in a couple of days. Feel free to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. You don’t need to worry about where you’re going to stay for now. You’re welcome here as long as you need.”
It was the second time he’d made that offer, but she knew better.
The sooner she could get out of his house, the better. For both of them.
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