Page 1 of Lakesides and Longing

CHAPTER1

Blake stood out on the deck of the ferry and let the breeze ruffle his hair. He loved this ride even though it was on the chilly side. It was peaceful, though not terribly effective at erasing the memory of the last twenty-four hours.

He was surprised he’d even made it here.

He had been between jobs and decided to give the love of his life one more shot. Debbie had left him three times—the last right before he planned to propose—but he couldn’t let her go.

Well, at least not until he showed up in Kyoto and found out she wasn’t there on a business trip, but a honeymoon. He was such a fool. He’d really thought she’d just been scared of commitment, not him, but then she went and married the Italian playboy she’d run off with.

He was gutted and numb. Love wasn’t something he understood. All he knew was that Debbie took his heart and smashed it to pieces. He’d never love anyone again, and he had to give himself time to grieve and heal.

He wanted to find a job that would distract him. As a pharmaceutical research scientist, he never had a steady job, only projects. He didn’t need it. Several years ago, he’d created a medication that helped lessen the side effects of chemo and made a fortune. He’d never have to work another day in his life if he didn’t want to, but he did like his work, so he did projects. He was involved with a few top-secret projects with various governments and so even if he didn’t seek work out, it came to him at least once a year.

What he needed right now was a good trek in the jungle to find a poisonous spider or snake that would cure a rare disease. But none of his contacts panned out.

So he got on a plane and flew back to the States. He spent a few nights with his buddy Tristan in Florida and then hopped into a rental and drove north with his Doberman, Tria, not stopping until he reached Michigan.

Why Mackinac Island, he didn’t know.

But it was as good a place as any to clear his head and mourn his loss. And his buddies, Lukas and Hayden, would see him through it.

* * *

Tess seta cup of coffee down in front of him. She’d welcomed Blake into hers and Lukas’s home, no questions asked. Lukas had definitely found a keeper.

“Sorry if I woke you guys up,” Blake said. He’d taken the first ferry of the morning over. Hadn’t even called to say he was there.

“No, Jack was already up. We just weren’t dressed yet. I’m sorry about Debbie.” She gave him a pained smile.

He shrugged. He’d spilled the whole story to the both of them the second he stepped over the threshold. They seemed happy to see him, and Dio was over the moon that Tria came to play. He hadn’t seen his dog since he arrived. They were playing hard in the backyard.

“You think I can stay in the carriage house for the summer? I just need to be somewhere I can recharge for a few months. I’m between jobs, and I just don’t want to think about her. You know, even after Debbie left me in Prague, I figured we’d get back together at some point.” It’d been a few years, and he’d talked to her a couple of times.

Thank goodness for best friends. Blake had no living family. Lukas and Hayden were the closest things to brothers he had, and they lived three doors down from one another. Truthfully, he thought about going to Hayden first because his wife Anna had become Blake’s best friend in the whole world, but he knew they were not morning people. He’d visit them this afternoon.

“Yeah, sure. No problem. I’ll call Estelle and get it cleaned up.”

Lukas’s cell buzzed. He picked it up and stepped out of the room, leaving Blake with Tess.

“When are you due?” Blake pointed to Tess’s swollen stomach.

She placed a hand on it. “September. Jack is getting a little brother.”

They chatted a bit about Jack and the coming baby, and then Lukas stomped into the room, his face red like the inside of a watermelon. He clenched his fists, his jaw tight. It was a look that Blake had not seen on him often.

“What’s the matter?” Tess asked, tensing. Apparently neither had Tess.

“It’s Paige.” Lukas had talked about his sister before, but Blake had never met her. He wracked his brain to see if he could remember what Lukas had said about her in the past, but the only thing he could remember was that her husband died a couple of years ago. Lukas had talked about how hard it was to watch her go through that.

Tess’s shoulder’s relaxed, and she let out a nervous laugh. “What’d she do now?”

Lukas rubbed his face. “Just riling up the local sheriff’s department. We need to pay her a visit. Blake, you up for a short road trip to rescue my baby sister?” It might take a couple of days.

Blake grinned. “I’m always up for a road trip.”

Anything to distract him from the hole in his chest.

CHAPTER2

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