in the city is great, but I never really appreciated this place until I left. There’s something special about North Lake…something peaceful.” He shrugged, then tapped her window with his finger. “You drive carefully, Caley. The roads are slick. And if I catch you talking on your cell phone again, I’m going to have to give you a ticket.”
“I understand,” Caley said.
“Good night, then.”
For a moment, she sensed he might have something else to say. But then, he turned and walked back to his SUV. A few seconds later, the lights stopped flashing and Caley took that as her cue to pull out onto the street. Moments later, she spotted West Shore Road and made the turn, Officer Jeff following her at a distance.
The houses along the shore were dark, most of them unoccupied in the winter, and she squinted to see the mailboxes through the snow. She passed by the sign for the Burtons’ driveway; the next one belonged to her parents’ house. A small light glowed at the end of the drive and she turned in and steered the car down the steep slope through the leafless trees, holding her breath the entire way. The SUV continued past, Officer Jeff apparently satisfied that she’d made it to her destination.
She switched off the ignition and stared at the house through the icy car window. It was even more picturesque in the winter, the roof covered with snow, icicles hanging from the gutters on the white clapboard facade. Looking at the peaceful setting, Caley knew it would be impossible to get any work done while home with her family. And though she felt she needed a break from work, she knew she couldn’t. So she had made a reservation, starting the next night, at the inn downtown. Between Evan’s three kids and the usual craziness that occurred when her boisterous family was together, Caley was certain she’d need a place to hide out.
Caley stepped out of the car and grabbed her bags from the back seat. She couldn’t help but glance over at the Burtons’ house. There was a light on in the kitchen, but the rest of the house was dark. No doubt Ellis and Fran Burton would be at the anniversary celebration. But there would be no reason for their children to be invited. Still, Caley had to wonder if there was a chance she’d see Jake. And if she did, what would it be like between them. Would he remember that night on the beach? Would he pretend as if nothing had happened?
It had been eleven years. Maybe it was time to let it go, Caley mused. She’d been a kid with a crush. She hadn’t seen Jake since the night before she left for NYU. Until now, the memory of that night had always brought a surge of regret and utter humiliation.
They were adults now and if he wanted to rehash her silly teenage indiscretion, then she would simply refuse to discuss it. Certainly he’d made mistakes in his youth that he didn’t want brought up around his family. Caley tried to think of one or two just in case she needed ammunition.
They had gotten into all sorts of trouble as kids. Even now, Caley was amazed that she’d managed to avoid a life as a juvenile delinquent. But she and Jake had been a pair and she’d been the only one of the Burtberts who ever accepted his dares.
She smiled. Once, they’d caught a squirrel in a live trap and let it go inside the police chief’s cruiser. Then there had been the time she and Jake had stolen a bike from the town bully. The next morning, the kid found his bike bobbing up and down on the raft just off the public beach. That trick had gained them a lot of admirers, although they never admitted to it. And then, there had been all those times they’d broken into their “fortress,” a deserted summerhouse on the east shore.
The house was dark and silent as she slipped inside. No one ever locked the door when the family was at home. She stood in the spacious foyer and took a deep breath, the familiar scent teasing at her nose—a mix of the lake and leaves, old wood and furniture polish and the vanilla candles her mother loved to burn to take the damp out of the air. Once, she’d known every inch of this house, every secret hiding place, every sun-drenched window. It had been her very own castle.
Caley slowly climbed the stairs then walked down the hall to her bedroom. But when she pushed the door open, she saw the room was already occupied—Evan’s kids, two in the bed and the youngest in a portable crib.
She carefully closed the door and walked across the hall. Emma would probably have room in her bed. She slipped inside her sister’s room and closed the door behind her. Caley set her bag down and walked to the bed. The room was chilly and Emma had found a down comforter and was buried beneath it, her pillow pulled over her head.
“Em?” Caley whispered as she stood over the bed. She shrugged out of her jacket and kicked off her shoes. Emma had always been a heavy sleeper. Caley sat on the edge of the bed. She could probably find an empty couch downstairs, but she was too exhausted to search. She’d catch a few hours’ sleep and check into the inn for a long nap in the morning.
Caley slipped out of her jeans and crawled beneath the comforter, pulling it up to her chin. She closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to the last summer she’d spent at the lake house. Jake had been home from college that summer after his sophomore year. From the moment he’d arrived, Caley had been completely and thoroughly obsessed with him. He was gorgeous, lean and tanned and so incredibly sexy that Caley was sure she would die if she couldn’t be with him.
The summer had passed, Caley trying anything and everything to get him to notice her. Finally, on the night of her eighteenth birthday party, she had decided to make a bold move. College was just a few days away and she didn’t want to leave for NYU a virgin. So she’d screwed up her courage, gotten Jake alone on the beach, torn off her shirt and asked him to make a woman out of her.
Caley groaned inwardly, pulling the comforter up to her nose. Even after all these years, the thought of her stupid offer was enough to bring a blush to her cheeks. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that Jake wouldn’t show up in North Lake until she was gone.
He was probably miles away, Caley mused. Maybe even sleeping beside another woman. She frowned at the tiny sliver of jealousy that pricked at her thoughts. The torch she’d carried for Jake had been extinguished a long time ago. It wasn’t jealousy. Closer to envy, Caley thought, for she had imagined Jake happy and settled and maybe even in love.
He probably had everything in life he’d ever wanted. And she was still trying to figure out what she needed to make herself happy. Caley thought she’d have all the answers by the time she was thirty. Now, her twenty-ninth birthday was just a few months away. There wasn’t much time left.
Maybe a week away from New York and the life she’d built there would give her some perspective, a quiet moment to figure things out. Caley yawned, threw her arm over her eyes. She’d have plenty of time to think about all this tomorrow. Right now, she needed sleep.
THE SOUND OF A CELL PHONE ringing dragged Jake Burton out of a deep and comfortable sleep. He groaned softly, then realized that the electronic jingle didn’t belong to his phone. It was only then that Jake felt the warm body beside him.
At first he thought he was dreaming, but the weight of her leg thrown across his thighs was real, as was the citrusy scent of her hair. He tried to move his arm and found her head nestled against his shoulder.
A name, he thought to himself. He was in bed with a woman and he couldn’t remember her name. Though he’d indulged in a number of one-night stands in the past, he’d pretty much given that up as of late.
The phone continued to ring and then stopped suddenly. Where had they met? Where had he been last night? Jake waited for the signs of a raging hangover to seep into his consciousness, but strangely enough, he knew he hadn’t been drinking. If that was the case, then why couldn’t he remember the woman?
“Think,”
