Love on the Lake (Lakeside #2)(56)

Often it’s on those weekends that I make the trip to visit my dad and Danielle.

And while I don’t love the silence that follows Aaron’s weekends away, it’s a reminder to keep my feelings for him in check. As much as I like Aaron, and as much as he seems to like me, becoming too dependent on him isn’t a good idea, especially when I know he’s keeping a part of himself closed off from me. And by Wednesday, Aaron is back to his usual self.

It’s a Friday afternoon, and I’m counting down the hours until the end of the day. Aaron and I have plans to head to the drive-in tonight for a movie. He has an air mattress, sleeping bags, and pillows ready to go so we can sit in the back and watch under the stars.

We’ve gone a couple of times over the summer, and it’s fun. Plus, we fool around under the sleeping bags—PG-13 version—which leads to R-rated sex later, when we’re back at his place.

At four in the afternoon, an hour before I’m done for the day at Bernie’s, my phone lights up with a call from him. “Hey! I was just thinking about you.”

“Hey, babe.”

“Can I tell you how excited I am for movie night?”

“About tonight.”

I can already feel the disappointment settling in. “You have to cancel.”

“I’m sorry, Teagan. Some family stuff came up that I gotta take care of.”

“Oh no. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’ll be fine. It kinda came out of left field. I’m sorry I have to bail on you, but I’ll make it up to you next weekend, okay?”

“Sure. Of course. Give your mom a hug for me.” I want to remind him that next weekend is the one he’s usually gone visiting family, but obviously whatever’s come up has him occupied. “If you need anything, just give me a call, okay?”

“I will. I’m sorry, babe. I’ll talk to you on Sunday.”

“Okay. Sounds good.” I end the call and wilt into my computer chair.

So much for my Friday-night plans.

It’s a necessary reset, though. A reminder that I should watch how attached I’m getting.

Plus I have another project to work on for the Stitches, and the farmers’ market is coming up next month, and there’s still so much left to do.

At the end of the day, I hop into my car and head downtown to hit up the grocery store. I pick up all sorts of appetizers, hoping Dillion, Allie, and Tawny will want to get together for drinks and snacks sometime this weekend. Although Tawny has been dating a guy from the next town over, so there’s no guarantee she’ll be available.

I park in the public lot and rummage around in my purse. I need to withdraw some cash since I’m down to my last five-dollar bill. I try not to use my credit card at the local stores since they charge a fee to the store owners every time. Except I don’t have my wallet with me.

For a moment I panic. Until I remember that my purse tipped over last night at Aaron’s, and the thunk I heard must have been my wallet hitting the floor. It’s probably under his bed. I don’t have a key to his house, but I know where he keeps the spare. I’m not sure when he’s planning to leave for the weekend or if he’s already gone, but if I stop by now and grab my wallet, I can steal a goodbye kiss to tide me over for the weekend.

My stomach does flips and somersaults on my way to his place. I shouldn’t be nervous, but I am. Worried he’s not being honest with me about this weekend. That’s how it started with Troy. Canceling plans last minute, showing up late to pick me up. I shake off the fears. Aaron isn’t like Troy. He wouldn’t do something like that.

I pull down the gravel road that leads to his house and consider sending him a message, but if he’s already left, he probably won’t see it until later. I pull up to his driveway.

It’s long and tree lined, but I can see his house at the end. There’s also a blue SUV that I don’t recognize parked behind his truck.

I pull forward, park on the side of the road, and walk up the driveway. The car has an Indiana license plate. Which is where he went to college. The sound of voices filters up from the lake.

My stomach feels like a lead weight has been dropped into it as I step up onto the deck and his dock comes into view. Sitting on the edge of the dock is a woman in a bikini. She turns her head, and I get a glimpse of her profile. She’s close to the same age as me. I fight the urge to jump to baseless conclusions. He’s been introducing me as his girlfriend for weeks. She has to be a friend of his. Maybe a cousin.

The woman laughs and ducks her head as Aaron cannonballs into the lake, splashing her and a little boy wearing a life jacket. When he pops back up out of the water, the little boy jumps in after Aaron, shrieking excitedly.

Aaron picks him up by the waist and holds him out of the water. “That was a perfect ten, little man!”

When he brings him back down, he kisses the boy on the cheek, and the boy wraps his arms around Aaron’s neck. Even from here I can see the resemblances.

He has the same smile as Aaron.

When he sets the boy on the edge of the dock and pulls himself out of the water, I can also see that he has the same nose.

Which can only mean one thing. Aaron has been keeping a big secret.

And that secret is a family I know nothing about.



I don’t stop at the grocery store on the way home, mainly because I don’t have my wallet. In fact, I don’t even remember the drive home, period. I think I’m in a state of shock. I keep going over and over the scene in my head.