“Oh yeah, sure.” Peter turned his head. “Susie!” he hollered. “Show the guests their rooms.” Then they tromped toward the back of the house and what must be the exit toward the lake.

  A woman slumped into the room. She had blonde hair, cut short, but long on top that had a way of flopping over and hiding one eye. Her mouth formed a borderline scowl. “Who are all of you?” It came out like an accusation.

  Now the sweat dripped down Belle’s back. Talk about tense. “My Aunt Eliza received an invitation and we’re here in her place.” That made the story nice and simple.

  “As you heard from my obnoxious brother, I’m Susie.” She didn’t even smile. “Welcome to the birthday bash.” There was a hidden smirk, one that said, You’re going to wish you hadn’t come.

  “We’d love to meet Molly,” Belle said, mustering up what she assumed was proper enthusiasm.

  “Of course, you do. It’s Molly St. James.”

  “If you point us in the right direction, I’m sure we can find our rooms,” Lucas said.

  A short and blunt laugh came from Susie. “We’d never see you again. You’d get lost in the wilderness of this ridiculous place.”

  Just then, another woman with shoulder-length brown hair floated into the room. She had a way of walking, like she should be in Hollywood on the red carpet. She smiled and hurried over. “Susie, hope you’re being polite.”

  “Whatever,” Susie muttered.

  “Happy Birthday, Molly!” Belle exclaimed again.

  Now that someone else had arrived, Susie barked out a laugh, turned and left them. The woman smiled, and this one seemed real. “I’m Claire, Molly’s best friend. I’d be more than happy to show you to your rooms.”

  “I hope we’ll meet the birthday girl eventually,” Belle teased, to lighten the moment.

  Claire waved a hand. “She’s here somewhere. It’s a large house. It’s the afternoon where everyone just does their own thing. You’ll definitely see her tonight at dinner.” There was a tiny, almost imperceptible frown on Claire’s face before she smoothed it over with another smile. “I’ll give you the tour and show you your rooms. You can use the kayaks, swim at the beach. There’s a bunch of games set up in the sunroom. Dinner’s at six.”

  It was an hour later. Belle almost needed a nap after the tour. In the central and the right side of the house was the kitchen, the living rooms, the sun porch. Probably where most of the living happened.

  Then to the left there was a huge great room with an enormous stone fireplace. The ceiling went on forever, and surrounding the great room was a second story railing. All the doors behind the railing led to bedrooms. Everything was made with dark wood and crown moldings, but none of it appeared stuffy. It felt lived in.

  Dressed in capris and a tee shirt, she stepped out onto the small private balcony off her bedroom. A wave of heat brushed against her. She hoped the water wasn’t too cold. This spot provided a view of the entire backyard that sloped down to the waterfront. The dock extended into the water; Belle imagined evenings and mornings just sitting at the end of it, observing the beautiful scenery. There was a small beach with chairs.

  She heard the motorboat chugging back. Looked like Pete was driving, but there were only three of them. Belle could have sworn there had been more. They grabbed a tube from the dock, then took off again. The sun was getting lower, but the heat remained strong.

  A canoe glided into view from off to the right. A man and woman were in it and they were standing. The canoe wobbled back and forth. At first, Belle wanted to call out to warn them, but then she noticed they must be fighting. Their hand motions were frantic and violent, their voices almost carried all the way up, but Belle couldn’t make out the words.

  Then the woman pushed the man overboard. He fell in with a splash. The canoe rocked violently and almost completely flipped. The man rose, spluttering, and they continued the fight.

  Oh my, Belle thought. Thankfully, they were close to shore because they weren’t wearing life jackets. She had always assumed that wealth brought happiness. Surely, there couldn’t be problems when you could have a chocolate fountain for a snack, but she was realizing maybe money had nothing to do with happiness, and maybe brought its own set of problems, depending on the family. Maybe they shouldn’t have come. It almost felt like they were intruding.

  Then a guy’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  It sounded tense, almost angry. It came from the balcony beside hers, the room next door. Belle was pretty sure they hadn’t met yet. She didn’t mean to listen, but didn’t want to move and attract attention, which would make it look like she was spying!

  “You shouldn’t have come.” His tone was accusing. “It will not happen this weekend…I need more time.”

  Belle heard a voice through the phone, but couldn’t make out the words. It sounded like a chattering squirrel angry someone had stolen his stash of nuts.

  “No, not this weekend…it can’t…that would be cruel…what? How could you say that?”

  Then the man moved back into his room.

  Chapter Six

  Belle stepped into her room, hoping whoever it was on the other balcony hadn’t seen her. It was already an awkward weekend, given they didn’t know anyone, and no one knew them.

  And then to be caught overhearing a private conversation?

  It wasn’t like she could help it, being on her own balcony. It didn’t matter in the long run. She didn’t care about any personal drama happening between everyone here. It all seemed trivial compared to the moment when she returned home. It loomed over her like a storm cloud.

  No. She shook it off.

  Belle didn’t want to spend this fun getaway thinking about Uncle Rupert and Aunt Rose.

  Nope.

  Maybe she should be nosy and focus on everyone else’s problems. If this house and the lake and the activities weren’t enough of a distraction. Never mind the chocolate fountain.

  She heard a knock on the door.

  “Hey, there,” Lucas said. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” She turned away from the balcony, as Lucas entered. He wore aqua board shorts with waves across the bottom, and a T-shirt, and she felt a bit at a loss for words. This was a newer thing. In the last couple months. The way she felt around him. She didn’t really know why. Yes, he was handsome, but they were friends, and he was ten years older.

  He grinned, eyes lighting up. “What do you think so far?”

  Belle took the cue and launched into a replay of the tense scenes she’d seen so far: the apparent disgruntlement Suzie felt toward her sister; the fighting scene out on the canoe that left someone in the water, the overheard conversation minutes earlier.

  With a compassionate smile, he approached and grasped her hand. “Hey, their problems aren’t ours. How about we escape for a while. I thought you might like to go kayaking before more clouds roll in.” He withdrew his hand.

  She immediately missed the warmth of his touch, but of course, nothing had changed between them. She was his friend. “Um…I’ve never kayaked. What about Lexie?”

  “She has plans to park by the chocolate fountain for a good hour and then she’s roped Bixby into some board games.”

  Belle laughed. “They’ll be lucky if there’s any fruit left.”

  “True. I’ll wait in the hall.” He left and closed the door.

  Before she could put forth a solid argument, he’d convinced her to change into her suit and join him. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to kayak, but it was new. It couldn’t be that hard.

  She changed into a black tankini with white polka dots and threw a coverup over it. She joined him and they headed outside.

  As they walked across the large stretch of manicured lawn, toward the dock, she expressed her concerns. “I’m not a great swimmer. Is this kayaking thing hard?”

  “Very hard. It takes years of experience,” he said, as the dock grew closer and closer. “The hardest part is stepping into the kayak. Only about fifty-percent ever get that far. We’ll be lucky to make it out onto the water past the dock.”

  “Maybe we should go back and play games with Lexie and Bixby.” She stopped mid-step. “Or you should kayak with Lexie. It will be a great experience for her. I’ll go get her.”

  “Two words. Chocolate and fountain.” He flashed her a teasing smile, and she saw through his words.

  “Fifty-percent?” It was a popular pastime to do on a lake and if that many people could barely get started, it wouldn’t be so attractive to so many people. She played along. “Fine. I just hope you don’t fall in the water.”

  She headed toward the kayak. She had this, even if she did end up in the lake.

  The kayak was sleek and yellow, a two-seater. With a life jacket on, it took about ten seconds to be seated in the kayak ready to go.

  “I guess I’m just a natural,” she said to Lucas behind her.

  “I figured you would be but wanted to give you a heads-up just in case.”

  “Well, thanks for that.” The entire lake spread out before them. It was big and wide, but not so wide she couldn’t see the other side, the stretch of pine trees along the shore, and the houses tucked away in the shade. There were other boats, some speed boats, a couple of water skiers. A few other kayaks, too. “Where should we go?” she asked.

  “Let’s paddle around the perimeter and check out the mansions. There are quite a few speedboats on the water right now. It’s better to stay out of their way.”

  “Sounds good.”

  It didn’t take long for Belle to realize that kayaking was more than just this wonderful time with nature, close to the water. It was hard work. Just a few minutes in, her arms were tired and sweat glistened on her skin, so she slowed her pace and let Lucas do most of the hard work. Yes, she still paddled just not as vigorously.

  It was in this stretch of time that she almost forgot about the problems in her life. There was the sound of the water lapping against the side of the kayak. The laughter and splashing of families and children jumping off docks. She loved the view of the large houses, not all as much of a mansion as the one they were staying in. Not that she’d turn down living in one if it was smaller.

  But being here, taking in the sights, made her forget for a little bit.

  Their forward motion stopped. “Hear that?”

  “What? The motorboats?”

  “Ignore the sounds made by humans. Just close your eyes and listen.”

  She closed her eyes, immediately her other senses becoming sharper. The hot feel of the sun, the muggy thickness to the air, the scent of the lake water and her sunblock. She didn’t hear anything.

  “Give it a second.”

  Then she heard it. A soft, mournful cry. Very distinct. “What is it?” she whispered.

  “Open them. They’re right near us.”

  She opened her eyes and scanned the water. The black head of a large bird was a stone’s throw away.

  “It’s a loon.”

  “Cool.” She watched as the bird dove under water for a long time before popping up further down the lake.

  There was a few more minutes of silence as she kept looking for the loon, when Lucas cleared his throat. “Belle, can I ask you something?”

  A part of her froze. It depended on what he was about to ask. Lucas never pushed too hard. He knew her foibles, like the inability to cry in front of others, and how long it took to trust that others sincerely cared.

  He knew the worst and maybe he was done. Belle’s thoughts turned to the worst-case scenario. That next fall he didn’t want her working with Lexie anymore. Or maybe he was moving out of town. Or he met someone and she wouldn’t be seeing them as much. Her heart squeezed. Not that she cared if he was dating. He shouldn’t be alone the rest of his life. Nothing good lasts forever.

  Especially for you, her uncle taunted in her head. You’re a drain on everyone in your life. Isn’t that right, Rose? Her aunt’s endless mocking laughter echoed in her mind.

  “Belle?”

  “Of course, what is it?” She held her breath as dizziness washed over her.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “What do you mean?” Her heart rate spiked. Maybe she would end up in the water after all.

  “I don’t claim to know you as well as I will next year, or in two years, but we’ve been through a lot and I can tell when something’s off.”

  She waited as a feeling of peace rested on her. He just mentioned the next year or two years. Maybe he wasn’t cutting her off. She took a deep breath.

  “Is anything wrong?”

  She should tell him about her aunt and uncle, but that would make it real instead of just a nightmare. “Guess I’m just nervous about crashing this birthday weekend and leaving the house behind. What if someone wants to steal all my ugly furniture?” She offered up a half-hearted laugh at her attempt to lighten the moment.

  “I can have Officer Rob swing by.”

  “No, no, that’s okay. Really, I’m fine.” If Officer Rob went to the house, he’d ask her uncle and aunt questions and then he’d report back to Lucas. Who knows what kind of vicious lies they’d tell about her.

  “Hmm.”

  Belle wasn’t naive enough to think he believed her.

  They fell into a comfortable silence as she felt relief that it wasn’t what she feared. She knew what Valerie would say about her doom-spiral of thoughts. That she needed to stop them right away, and replace them with positive statements. It was a work in progress.

  Belle watched the sky grow darker and darker, like it was an omen telling them to leave. The clouds were black thunderheads, huge and puffy, angry-looking.

  It had happened fast.

  “Maybe we should head back,” Lucas said.

  When they started out, it had still been sunny and hot with a few clouds. Slowly, as they paddled around the edges of the lake, looking at the rest of the mansions and the loons, the air had turned more humid, the sky darker. It felt electric. A thin layer of sweat covered her body. The once-smooth lake was now choppy.

  “Look at those clouds,” she said, agreeing with him. “Something nasty is brewing.” She had never kayaked before. It was harder than it appeared, more so now that they’d gone around the lake. Thankfully, Lucas was doing the most work, though she did her part. “Do you think we can make it before the storm hits?”

  “We can try.” They headed back. “Dinner tonight should be interesting,” Lucas said, huffing as he paddled the kayak toward Molly’s dock.

  Belle thought about everyone they’d met, and they hadn’t met everyone. There was still no sign of Molly or the guy Belle overhead on the balcony. “Yes, it will be. Overall, no one seems too overjoyed to be here.”

  “You sensed that, too? I hoped it was just my detective suspicion kicking in when it shouldn’t. When really I should mind my own business.”

  “Nope. Lots of stuff going on behind the scenes here. I am excited to meet Molly, though.”

  “Right. And finally wish the actual birthday girl happy birthday,” he teased.

  “Me and my big mouth. I just kept assuming eventually one of them would be her. They should have included a directory of people with the invitation.”

  He laughed, a deep chuckle that Belle was growing to love. “One of these times,” he said, “it will be the famous Molly St. James.”

  Crack!

  Lightning split the sky in two.

  A tiny scream escaped Belle. Shaken, she realized thunderstorms brought back terrible memories of her tiny attic room when she lived with her aunt and uncle, and when the storms came back then, she trembled in bed alone.

  In silence, they put all their efforts into getting back to the dock before the storm hit. It felt like rain would pour and the wind would gust any second, but the dark clouds just hovered, threatening.

  Even though they returned and took shelter, it still hovered.

  The air was still.

  It was quiet. Ominous.

  Chapter Seven

  It was close to dinnertime. Everyone waited for the birthday girl to arrive.

  Molly St. James. The mysterious woman who had offered Belle an escape from a tough situation. The invitation had been a lifeline, coming exactly when Belle needed it. The curiosity over Molly had only risen as the day passed.

  Cocktails were offered, along with appetizers and salads. Belle, Bixby, Lucas, and Lexie stood together, talking about the afternoon. Lexie couldn’t stop gushing about the chocolate fountain, which she hoped would make another appearance. Lucas made sure to ask questions about the games they played and who had won.

  Bixby finished off a sushi roll, then asked, “I want to hear about the kayaking.”

  “Well”—Lucas flashed Belle a teasing look—“considering most can’t even get into a kayak until they’re more experienced, we ended up making it around the lake.”

  Belle teased right back, adding in a smug tone, “I guess I’m a natural.”

  Lexie blurted out, “Uncle Lucas, that wasn’t very nice.”

  “Don’t worry, Lexie,” Belle said. “I saw through his teasing. We did see a loon though, and we made it back before the storm.”

  “Yes.” Bixby peered out the front windows. “That storm still hasn’t hit but feels like it will any second.”

  Silence spread across the room, like something was about to happen.

  “Here she comes,” announced Susie, Molly’s sister, with fake enthusiasm. “The birthday girl, herself.”

  Finally, Molly St. James.

  She waltzed into the room, wearing a slinky, sexy dress, a strand of pearls around her neck with matching earrings. She was definitely the woman Belle had seen pushing a man from the canoe. They had been arguing. But now, Molly was all smiles and an air of glamour.

  She wore her gorgeous blonde hair piled up in some kind of messy bun, but somehow looked like she’d just walked out of the salon. Who knew, maybe she had a private hairdresser stashed up in her room. Maybe a makeup artist, too. Belle was always envious when someone knew how to apply makeup so it looked natural. She felt somewhat in awe.