Lakeshore Secrets: The McAdams Sisters - Kate McAdams (By The Lake Series Book 1) (5 page)

She began to walk away but turned and grabbed his arm gently, each finger marking his skin. “I’m sorry about your dad. No matter what he was to anyone, he was your dad.” He was an ass to everyone, but she knew that. “And,” she paused taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry Marc.”

“For what?”

Her eyes didn’t budge from his. “You know for what.”

He nodded his understanding, he wasn’t sure that he accepted it, but he heard it.

Kate dragged Abby through the resort’s automatic double doors by encircling her own arm through hers and leading the way in a much faster pace than her rebelling sister’s short steps across the parking lot had been. She thought it much classier than the alternative; dragging her by the sleeve of her jacket, if you could even call what she was wearing in this cold weather, a jacket. It was more a knitted wind breaker. She had to pick her battles and her sister’s attire wasn’t among the ones worth fighting.

After a tiresome daylong game of hide and seek, Izzy had broken down at the visitation and Kate found Abby at Mrs. Calvert’s, hiding away in that Mr. Brown Eyes, biker man’s apartment above the bakery.

He looked like a whole lot of trouble that she did not want her sister engaged with. Tattoos down his thick built arms, holes where piercing once adorned his rugged and dangerous looking face and the leather jacket he wore only added to the mysterious uncertainty she felt about him. Even though he was connected with Mrs. Calvert, Kate was convinced he must have done something bad. No one like
that
just started working in a bakery. Maybe he was a fantastic chef, but his eyes spoke of havoc from a past and Kate didn’t want him taking advantage of Abby. Especially, not right now. Her thoughts were scattered like her attendance.

They crossed the lobby’s marble floor, her heels clapping and Abby’s boots scraping with each drag like a pouting child.

What different lives the two sisters lived. When Kate had been Abby’s age she’d moved away from home, been set up in school where she achieved a diploma and started interning at an advertising company. Abby was schooled, thanks to the money Kate had set aside for her, but spent her nights working at Jake’s bar and apparently dabbling in soap making. But who really knew how serious that was.

The extraordinary crystal glass prism chandelier above them cast lightness across Abby’s tear stained face, quite the opposite of her regularly liquid eyeliner cat eyes and tanning blush that accented her high cheek bones. She was probably more exhausted and worn out from creatively hiding from them all for the past couple days than actually dealing with the grief.

They turned the opposite direction of the check in desk, where a set of young ears were ready to listen to her sister murmur, “I don’t understand why you even care.” Her voice was lost with sorrow.

Was she serious?  Everything she had given up was for her, Abby, her other siblings, and her father! Did she think that their trust funds for college had just appeared out of thin air! No, she thought they were secretly created by their mother before her passing, just as arranged.

“Oh enough,” Kate snapped, immediately allowing guilt to wash through her body, like a wild wave slamming against the sandy beach shore. Abby was hurting. “You know I care,” she said more softly, directing her around the corner towards the elevators.

“You have a funny way of showing it, moving across the country.”

Lots of people went away to school, that was life.

When they arrived at the mirrored elevators, Kate pressed the button furiously, letting her sister go. If she ran, Kate was mentally prepared to chase her down the long halls in her heels, and she was prepared to tackle her to the ground, even in the tight fitted dress.

“This was important today Abby, and you were expected to be there and you snuck away.” That wasn’t the worst part. “You didn’t even let any of us know where you were, or that you were okay.” If she couldn’t handle attending the visitations, she should have told them, not hidden unaccounted for all day long!

Abby leaned against the wall and crossed her arms to match her ankles. “So, let me get this straight. You would like me to check in with you for the few days that you’re here and when you leave, we can reside our normal lives of no contact. Is that right?”

They texted each other every day! All their sisters did, but this sister was just being abnormally frustrating.
It is because she is hurting.

“I would rather you talk to me instead of pushing me away with insults.”

“I would rather not talk at all.”

That would probably be wise, at least until they got to her room, where the walls weren’t listening. “Finally, we agree on something.”

“Whatever’s easiest for you. It’s kinda like running away.”

Argh! She was relentless!

“Or sleeping with your married boss.”

“Abby!” she cried horrified. Boy, Peyton had a big mouth.

Her appalled squeal wasn’t the only sound that rang out Abby’s name. Isabelle Caliendo, the youngest of the clan, waved erratically making her way down the hall, directly towards them.

From the not so innocent grin her sister flashed Izzy, it left no doubt in Kate’s mind that the finger clicking texting madness the whole ride here was them preparing a getaway plan.

The friends embraced in a long, overly exaggerated hug, meshing together their similar outfits consisting of tights and long chiffon blouses like twisting sheets hung along a clothes line on a windy day.

“Hey, fancy running into you here,” Izzy said, pulling away and squeezing her friend’s arms.

Fancy? What young adult used such terminology, unless rehearsed, and was that a wink she caught from Izzy? No doubt.  Little brats, she thought forcing a half smile. Kate was exhausted and now found herself preparing for another fight.

“Abby, why don’t you come to dinner?” Izzy suggested.  “With me and the family,” she added

Kate crossed her arms skeptically watching the women’s getaway plan unfold. Dinner? She didn’t buy for one second they planned on going to dinner.

The elevator doors opened. Kate tugged her sister inside with Izzy chatting away and joining them inside. She couldn’t very well forbid the blonde from entering the elevator, since her family owned it, but the thought did cross her mind.

Abby was agreeing to Izzy’s plans as the door was shutting.  Kate was strategizing a game plan to prevent losing sight of her sister in fear she would lose the opportunity to speak to her before the funeral. And, they absolutely had to speak before that funeral, so Abby didn’t have her breakdown there.

A hand slipped between the closing doors and a deep voice asked them to hold the elevator. Kate pressed the open button as Marc slipped inside and the doors slid together behind him, enclosing them altogether. The small elevator felt like her tiny childhood closet with his tall, thick body and the yummy smell of his cologne invading every space.

He looked taken aback at the sight of all the girls inside. Probably just her. He had been nice to her at the funeral home, not an hour earlier, out of respect for her loss. It didn’t automatically put them into the same friends category.

“Good evening.”

Izzy quickly latched onto her brother’s arm and filled him in on the generous invitation, aka “secret escape plan.”

Kate thanked her. “We are just going to retire to our room for the night and order room service.” Maybe with Marc’s presence she might get Abby all to herself without the game plan being put into effect.

“Don’t be silly,” Izzy said. “We are eating at the pub and the food is way better than ordering in.” She made a face as to say the take-out was appalling. “You can come too, Kate.”

“Oh, I can’t intrude.”

“Yes you can.  It’s been too long since we’ve seen you. Everyone would be so excited! I mean you used to always be around.” She only knew half the truth of that. The later years when Izzy would have remembered Kate, she was usually there to find her father, sober him up, help him finish his duties and then only have a few minutes to sneak with Marc before she had to go home and take care of her siblings.

“That was a long time ago,” Abby muttered, the youngest unappreciative sibling.

Kate ignored her sister. She wasn’t about to display their dirty garbage for Marc to witness. “We really can’t...”

“Don’t speak for me,” Abby interrupted. “I’m going.” Stubborn little spark.

Kate held her breath for a second, forcing herself not to show the exasperation she was feeling from her toes all the way up to her clenched hands that were fighting to seek out her sister and shake some sense into her.

“Marc, convince Kate to join us,” his little sister whined, tugging his arm and laying her head on his shoulder staring up at him with big, round puppy dog eyes, dramatically making her point.

Kate was sure he would agree they had spent more than enough time together.

Marc smiled at Kate. “She doesn’t need my convincing but you’re more than welcome to join us. It might be a nice distraction for you two.” She never allowed herself to dream he would be so forgiving and welcoming. She never allowed herself to dream of ever stepping foot back in this resort in the first place.

Izzy jumped away from her brother clapping her hands in delight. “A wonderful distraction, so it’s settled.”

On a good day with Abby, Kate was thankful she was notches down from this blonde. Well, brunette sporting blonde bleached hair and definitely a few layers of hair extensions.

Before she knew it, she had agreed to supper and they were entering the loud pub. The restaurant was packed with a lively bunch of people clashing their voices with the music flowing from the speakers. It was a bar and grill style eatery with flat screens on the barn board walls displaying different sports games, a bar room to the side with pub tables and stools, then a maze of separate booths and open tables.

Izzy pulled Abby in front leading the way to their table in a speedy fashion, which left Kate to walk beside Marc.

The walkways were snug with guests pushing their seats into the aisles as they ate and drank, enjoying their retreat getaway.

“I’m sorry we’re intruding on your family,” she said to Marc as he paused to let her go first between two chairs.

“We will call it even after I enjoy watching you squirm.”

She turned suddenly, taken aback by his teasing words. “Why would I squirm?”

His instincts didn’t react as quickly and his body collided against hers. Again. She flushed and quickly apologized.

He grinned. “If I didn’t know better, and I suspect I do,” he clarified taking a deep breath against her body. His warmth snuck through her clothes and tickled her skin. “I would think you are trying to seduce me.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at the same time.  “If I was trying to seduce you, there wouldn’t be any question in your mind.” She turned not giving him a chance for a comeback, so flustered she forgot why she had turned in the first place.

She didn’t press the issue further before they arrived at the Caliendo table, where everyone was already engaged in laughter and conversation. As she scanned the table, meeting eyes of surprise and joy, she discovered “the what” was in fact a “who.”

Besides his sister Violet’s children, it was the usual Caliendos. Of course, the missing man of the house was replaced with Marc’s Uncle Carl. He had always been very nice compared to Marc’s father. He was quiet and didn’t stare down at you, condemning, just because you didn’t come from a family of wealth.

His mother, Eliza sat across the table showing little signs of aging over the last years and her blue eyes widened in pleasure at Kate’s presence. “Oh how lovely, Katherine McAdams, come and sit.” She swept her hand across the long table at the empty chair in front of her, then thought better and stood up. “Let me get another hug first.” She came rushing around the table as Izzy dragged Abby to the far, opposite side. Eliza pulled her into an extended hug, whispering her condolences again. They had already done this at the funeral home. “We have missed you around here,” she said pulling away and examining her from her tamed curls to her designer heels. “You are beautiful. Isn’t she beautiful Marcus?” It wasn’t rhetorical. She looked up at Marc standing beside her and waited for his answer.

He didn’t even flinch. “Yes, beautiful.”

Kate swallowed hard.

Eliza moved to Marc and gave him a hug. “Not sure what happened to this one,” she teased.

“Thanks mother.”

She laughed and kissed one cheek and patted the other. “Sit, sit, sit you two.”

On the opposite side of the table, across from where Marc pulled an empty chair out for her to sit, was Marc’s entertainment. Melissa Carter forced her own surprised and judging smile at Kate. Oh, it was a hate/hate relationship they shared. And Kate sensed even now that this woman did not like her.

Suddenly, Kate wondered if they were an item. No. He’d made it clear earlier in the evening that there was no woman in his life. Not that it mattered who he dated. But Melissa? She had been such a nuisance back in the day. A very good friend of Marc’s sister Emma, who was seated between her and Eliza, looking almost as surprised. The both of them hadn’t been on Kate’s list of friends and she was sure Emma had been biased towards Kate because of her relationship with Melissa. They both came from wealth and their clique didn’t include Kate. Or so they’d pointed out on many occasions.

“Let the games begin,” Marc whispered in her ear before sitting beside Melissa directly across from Kate, a mischievous grin across his face.

Mature, she thought. Did he really think she would fall into old habits during this short, hopefully short, dinner?