Lost Lake (Lost Lake, #1)(58)

Another flash of red.

She followed him, lost him for a moment, then caught sight of him again near the edge of the lawn, where the bald spot of grass was. There was no noise around her any longer, just the whoosh, whoosh of her own blood in her ears. His back was to her as she reached her hand up to touch his shoulder.

He turned around.

It was Wes.

“Eby!” he said, bending to hug her. “Welcome to your party!”

She stuttered for a moment, unable to find her words. She hadn’t realized until that moment how very much like George Wes was. “I … thank you. This is certainly a surprise.”

“Everyone—Eby is here!” Wes called to the crowd, and there was a surge toward her. They sang “For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” and some people even gave her gifts. There was a bit of desperation to the crowd, barely noticeable behind their genuine smiles and happy memories. They weren’t just saying good-bye to Eby. There was something more there. Lazlo greeted her, looking ill at ease in his dark suit in this heat. He told her that his lawyer was here and he wanted her to sign the papers today. He was going along with the party for show, but Eby could tell he just wanted to get this over with.

It took more than an hour before she was finally able to sit down. Someone put a plastic plate with a steak on it in front of her. She was a little disoriented. She kept staring at the sign.

FAREWELL, EBY.

Which meant, Farewell, George. Farewell, Suley. Farewell, Lisette. Farewell, fifty years of memories.

All this time, she’d been looking for a big sign. Just not that one. She wished she would have stayed inside.

“Quite a turnout, isn’t it?” Kate said from behind her. She took a seat beside Eby and handed her a bottle of water. She was wearing a strapless celery-colored cotton dress. With her short hair and long neck, she looked stunning. She’d gotten some sun over the past few days, making her look stronger and healthier than when she arrived. Eby was glad that she’d held on to the lake this long, at least, in order to give Kate a week she really seemed to need.

Eby took the water gratefully. She unscrewed the cap and took a long swallow. “Did you know it was going to be this big?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

Kate laughed. “We all hoped it would be. Word slipped out, and everyone wanted to come. Bulahdeen has decided to take credit for it.” They watched as Bulahdeen walked up to the sign. This time the old woman balled it up and marched toward her cabin with it, and the look on her face dared anyone to stop her. “Lazlo brought the sign. She doesn’t want this to be a farewell party,” Kate explained.

“Truthfully, I don’t want it to be a farewell party, either,” Eby said on a sigh, admitting it out loud for the first time. The words felt heavy. She’d been carrying them around for too long.

Kate suddenly smiled. “Oh, Eby. I knew it! It’s not too late. I think I have the solution. I want to discuss something with you.”

Eby was taken aback by her ebullience. “Discuss what?”

“If you had enough money to travel without having to sell the lake, would you still sell?”

Eby put the cold bottle of water to her forehead, then to her chest. “Probably.”

“Oh,” Kate said, and Eby could almost see the wind blow out of her sails. “All right, then.”

“Mainly because there would be no one to run it in my absence,” Eby continued. “Lisette couldn’t, for obvious reasons, even if she wanted to. And it would take even more money I don’t have to hire employees.”

Kate straightened in her seat. “What if I buy Lost Lake?” she asked. “Or at least buy into it? You’d have money to travel that way. Devin and I could even stay here and run the place while you’re gone. That way you’d have something to come back to.”

Eby laughed before she could stop herself. It was so pie-in-the-sky, like some great scheme a child would make up. “Kate…”

“You haven’t signed anything yet,” Kate quickly reminded her. “You don’t have to give this place up. I have money. What if I invest in it? I love it here. So does Devin. A year. Give me a year.”

Eby stared at her, beginning to understand that she was serious. Kate wasn’t that child who used to spin stories any longer. Eby was seeing that now. “Can you really afford it?”

“It’s the money from the sale of my house. The house you bought. It makes sense to invest it here. I’ve been thinking about this for a few days now. I could put a lot of time and energy into advertising and promotion. It’s what I did with Matt’s shop. I even created the logo. I’m good at it. I could get business up.”

Eby smiled at the thought. But then she shook her head. She couldn’t get her hopes up, not this late in the game. “It’s too late. Lazlo and his lawyer are already here. They want the papers signed today.”

“Wait,” Kate said, confused. “If he has a lawyer, shouldn’t you too?”

“No. I just want to get this over with.”

“It’s not too late, Eby.”

“You should use your money on a better investment than this.”

“There is no better investment than this,” Kate said, turning to stare at her daughter on the dock. Three girls Devin’s age had now joined her. They were laughing, their hands animated as they talked. The girls ran back up to the lawn and beckoned Devin to follow them. Devin looked behind her at the lake once, before running after them.