Lakeshore Secrets: The McAdams Sisters - Kate McAdams (By The Lake Series Book 1) (7 page)

He wasn’t about to continue standing there and make a complete ass by inquiring about a love that had obviously been so one-sided. He nodded his understanding and held out his hand. “Friends?”

She half smiled and accepted his hand. “Always.”

Kate was up before five and texted her sisters, minus the wild fire who hadn’t bothered to locate room 237 the night before and, again, didn’t bother sending a text saying she was alright. They all adorned their black dresses: Kate a full length fitted wool dress; Sydney a lace covered dress just below her knees; Peyton a chiffon dress with a string waist and waterproof makeup. They met at Gran’s before Abby could escape them. Making a strong pot of coffee they silently nibbled on some baked goods from Mrs. Calvert’s. Abby slept just down the hall. Peyton had heard her come in the night before.

The room was hushed but filled with anticipation knowing, like the seconds before the rising of the curtain in a theater, that there would be a show once Abby appeared. When she finally stumbled into the kitchen, she was hung-over. How lovely.

“Morning,” the sisters greeted in unison, smiles on their faces. It was unfortunate how those smiles would depart in a few hours as they buried Gran.

Abby paused in the doorway, her eyes swollen and bloodshot, her rock star-looking hair frizzed in every which direction and she was missing her pants, wearing only an oversized t-shirt. “What are you all doing here?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Peyton set her coffee down. “We are here to rage,” she announced so proud. Kate grinned against her better judgement.

Abby stared at them dumbfounded.

“I’m pissed I never opened my own business,” Peyton started, the same regret over and over. Peyton the big business owner, in your face little town of snobs, that was classic Peyton attitude.

Abby’s face squished together. “Huh?”

“I’m pissed I missed all my teenage years because I got preggo at sixteen,” Sydney said. “Although I love Haylee and wouldn’t trade her for anything,” she clarified quickly.

Peyton slanted a look in her direction. “Isn’t that like cheating? You can’t add a positive to a negative or it equals it out.” You could look at it that way or you could look at it as though the positive wouldn’t have happened without the negative.

“I think we will let that slide because we all love Haylee,” Kate interjected. “But how about last time, cause technically that’s not raging, it’s rationalizing.” The sisters nodded agreeing.

Abby was still lost. “What is going on?”

“I’m pissed that I slept with my married boss,” Kate continued. More pissed the dick couldn’t make it to her grandmother’s funeral.

“I’m pissed I didn’t sleep with my married boss,” Peyton said then gasped. “Oh Sydney you say it, tell us you’re pissed you slept with Jake and then rationalize because you’re actually happy you did.”

“I didn’t sleep with Jake.”

“You should.” Peyton winked at her sister.

Sydney took a deep breath clearly annoyed with her sister. “I’m not going to and you’re going way off topic. Why don’t we bring up the man’s voice on the phone yesterday when you were supposed to be at the funeral home helping me with arrangements?” Hmm, that’s where Peyton had been. “Who was that you were entertaining? And where were you and what were you doing?” she pried, accusingly raising her eyebrows turning the attention from herself.

“Oh please it was probably the radio.” Peyton waved a dismissive hand at her.

“Oh please I don’t buy it,” Peyton disagreed.

Kate whistled and they all looked at Abby. “Your turn,” she said.

Abby’s sleepy eyes darted from one sister to the next. “You three are crazy.”

“Come on Abby, rage it out,” Kate encouraged.

“I’m pissed you drank all my coffee.” Her tone was mild followed by a yawn and she stretched her arms high above her head.

“Oh don’t worry, there’s a cup for you,” Sydney quickly poured a cup and handed it to her. “You look like you need this.”

“That’s rude,” Abby said, but smiled as she inhaled the aroma.

This was going nowhere. “I’m pissed mom died,” Kate said and watched all her sister’s faces drop. It was time they faced this head on...together. Again. Just like when they were children. “I’m pissed Gran died.”

“Why are you doing this?” Abby asked dismayed. “It won’t bring her back. It won’t bring Gran back.”

“Say it,” Kate encouraged.

“No.”

“Don’t you hide away and blame the world Abigail McAdams. This stuff happens and there’s nothing we can do about it except be pissed, support each other, accept it and move on.”

Abby set her coffee on the counter beside her. “What do you want me to do? Move away like you? Is that moving on enough?”

“Abby’s pissed Kate moved away,” Peyton said.

“I’m pissed I moved away.” She really was and they had no idea how much.

“Then you shouldn’t have!” Abby yelled.

Kate softened her tone. This was one touchy topic for her. “But I can’t change it now Abby. And if this bothered you so much why are you just telling me now?”

Her lip trembled against the angry facade she was withholding. “Because my third mother just died and I’m pissed my second one left me here after my first one died and now I’m all alone.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I left Gran alone that night and didn’t come home until morning and you know why?” The girls shrugged. “Because I was off drinking like Dad. And last night...” She glared at Kate. “Because when you left I took my first sip of alcohol and two years later I was just like this: a horrible hangover the next morning and going to likely vomit in the funeral home...drunk. And now you two will be gone and Sydney will be over at her other life and I will be alone with Dad. Just like when you left the first time. A drunk, just like Dad. And this time I won’t have Gran to come pick me up and put me back together.” Kate hadn’t seen that coming.

“I’m pissed Dad was a drunk...” Peyton said in a low tone. Kate sent her a glare and shook her head.

“Abby sit down.” Kate pulled a chair out and waited for her sister to collapse in it like a raggedy doll. “Are you an alcoholic?” Her tone was serious for show, she already knew the answer. None of them were the young lost kids they’d been back then, even Abby, although the youngest, was still past the raging hormones of a teenager.

“I drink. I get drunk.”

Kate raised her eyebrow. “You know the difference.”

“It’s in our genes,” she said. “Dad’s doomed us all.”

“Abby...”

“Well, I’m scared I’m going to end up like him.”

Kate rubbed her bare arm. “I know you won’t. Gran certainly didn’t think you would and you will always have the three of us, plus Avery. We are your family and it doesn’t matter how far away we are, we are only a phone call away. We love you kid.” Tears streamed down Abby’s face staining her white t-shirt.

“And Abby you couldn’t have helped Gran. Even if you had been here, she died in her sleep. You would have never known sleeping in the room next to her,” Sydney explained. “And she would never want you to blame yourself. Ever.”

Kate grabbed some tissue from the box on the table and passed them to Abby. She blew her nose overly loud like a sounding horn and the girls laughed. “What?” she said as though she hadn’t heard. That was going to be attractive in the quiet funeral home. “Why didn’t you say you’re pissed you had to raise us? The first opportunity you got you left,” she accused Kate wiping away at her face. Her anger was less but her sadness remained.

“I’m not angry that I had to raise you and Avery. I’m sad Mom died. I’m sad Dad drank. I’m sad Gran was so sad, but I loved all of you. I’m pissed I left you. I never should have because you were only fifteen but all of a sudden I had the opportunity to get a career and make money rather than working a minimum wage job. I was selfish. I’m sorry. I should have gone to school here and I should have stayed with you two until you went to college.” Abby sniffled. Kate leaned in close. “You’re not an alcoholic.”

“I know. And you weren’t selfish. I love you too.” Abby leaned over and hugged her. “I’m sorry too. You deserved the opportunity to go to school. Gran always called you my guardian angel. You were an awesome second mom.” Kate didn’t feel like she was a good second mom at all.

“Abby, sweetheart.” Abby pulled away to look at her. Kate gave her a grin. “You sure do
smell
like an alcoholic.”

Abby hit her and smiled. Peyton and Sydney stood up and rushed over for a group hug that nearly toppled them all over the chair. “Are you making me pancakes?” Abby asked when she was finally released. That had been her favorite breakfast as a child.

“Don’t kid yourself, I gave up my mommy years, here’s a croissant,” she tossed a bag from Mrs. Calvert’s at her.

Abby opened the bag and was digging inside when she said. “Her baking is better than yours anyway.”

All the sisters laughed and Kate was happy to see that Abby had a small glimmer in her eye.

The funeral had been beautiful with bright, thoughtful bouquets of flowers spilling in every corner and a line up of wonderful people that shared breathtaking stories of how Gran had touched their lives. They’d cried and they’d laughed and when it was all finished, they had hugged one another. 

Hours later the women, accompanied by their father and Haylee, stood in an empty building situated on the Main Street. It was right across the tiny alley that divided this building from Mrs. Calvert’s bakery. They all stared at the run down, two-story mess in front of them that hadn’t housed a business in years. Not from lack of interest, or so the lawyer had informed them. With every building on the strip rented out during the summer season, apparently there had been a lot of inquiries about the rental of the building, but Gran refused to rent. It had been empty for about three years after a throw in quick summer store, as Abby had described it, couldn’t survive. All that remained were lime green, bright yellow, and some Caribbean teal splashed against every available space on the old chipping walls. Kate was pretty sure this had been a hair dresser’s salon when she was young. A lot of businesses set up and then left in this town, so it was hard to keep track.

“She should have rented it out at least to pay the taxes,” Sydney said.

Kate supposed that would have been the logical thing to do except it was totally trashed. “She would have had to invest quite a bit to get this cleaned up enough to rent out.”

“Yeah, but Dad’s a handy-man,” Sydney pointed out. “When did she buy it again?”

Their father was walking around examining the structural parts of the building, the walls, and the fallen off baseboard. He was knocking and picking tiles up from the floor and shaking his head. “After this store closed,” he said. “I remember when it went up for sale. It was a quick sale and the sign came down, the windows were set up and it was just left here, empty.”

The two display windows on each side of the door had little stages where a backdrop hung so people couldn’t see into the store, but the windows were all decked up for the holidays. They were absolutely beautiful with garland and lights. The door was a large glass door, but there were bunched curtains that again prevented nosey people from seeing the disaster they stood in.

“And you didn’t know it was Gran that bought it?” Kate asked.

He shook his head. “I had no idea.”

“She was probably planning on selling it,” Kate said. “She must have purchased it at a low cost thinking she could flip it and make a profit. Why else would she buy it?”

“To leave to us,” Peyton clarified the obvious.

“With a clause stating we can’t sell it for a year,” Sydney said sounding irritated by the clause. “Now we have to pay the taxes,” she added. 

“This has so much potential,” Peyton said. “We could clean it up, paint the walls, add a new floor, and we could open a shop in here.”

“I love that idea Peyton,” Abby agreed. “There are a lot of businesses we could open for next spring.”

Sydney put her arm around Abby’s shoulder. “And what type of business? None of us know anything about business.”

Peyton crossed her arms and stared at them all with a very serious face. “First of all, Sydney, you’ve been working at Jake’s bar since the accident and you could run that business in your sleep. Second, I am the perfect hair stylist. Third, Abby went to school to be an esthetician and she and Gran were making and selling soap on a small scale. Fourth Kate is an advertising creator and could design all our artwork.”

Abby looked up. “You saw my soap?”

“We all bought some Abby. Sydney set us up and we left the cash in an envelope in the cupboard.”

“Do you like them?”

“Haven’t tried any yet, but they smell wonderful.”

“I started making little batches for myself and all my friends love it and their friends and families starting putting in orders, so Gran said to start charging. Like, I can’t even keep up with the demand. We had just finished tagging those batches before Gran...” she paused, her eyes filling with tears.

Sydney was closest and wrapped her arm around Abby’s shoulder. “We know Abby. It’s going to be hard for all of us, especially at the beginning.”

“I know.” She gave her head a little shake.

“See, we could start a little all natural soap store,” Peyton suggested with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “The demand is high, Abby has already started the clientele.”

Sydney leveled her best mother stare at her sister. “And you live hours away and Kate lives a flight away so this plan is ridiculous. And Abby, sorry girl, but you can’t hold a job.”

Abby pulled away from her sister insulted. “That’s because the salons around here are full of a bunch of stuck up snob women that I would never be able to fake smile with all day.”

“And we are stuck with this place for a year anyway,” Peyton said.

Sydney shook her head absolutely against the idea. “Besides all of that we would need funds Peyton, like serious funds from the hanging electrical up there.” She hiked her thumb to the ceiling and the lights dangling from cut wires. “And what appears to be a smashed human body through that wall and a staircase that looks like it’s going to come crashing down. It’s not just a matter of paint and floors, this whole building needs to be gutted and rebuilt.” They all glanced over their shoulders at the broken wall and staircase. Sydney was over exaggerating a little bit. The staircase maybe needed a new railing and the painted wood needed to be stripped, sanded and refinished but it looked walk-able.

“Dad?” Sydney called looking for backup to confirm the money hole they were standing in.

“I think you would definitely have to hire an electrician and by the looks of that ceiling...” He pointed straight up the open staircase to the second floor where tiles were discoloured from water damage. “You might need a whole new roof. The stairs seem fine, but some of the walls are going to need new drywall.” He continued a list that left the sisters awe struck and helped with Sydney’s argument.

“I think it’s more than we all have to invest, don’t you?” Sydney asked at the end. “And what if it failed and we lost all our money? It would be thousands of dollars Peyton.”

“I think we could figure a plan out,” Peyton said to Sydney.

“Well I think you better come up with a financial plan before we touch a thing in here except for fastening a ‘For Sale’ sign in that front window.”

Kate intervened before they had another ‘I’m pissed’ match. “This has been a long few days, so why don’t we all just think about it. We have a year before we have to decide anything permanent.”

Everyone agreed, some more reluctant with scowling faces than others, but the topic was dropped.

“What about that hotel getaway Gran bought for us? When are we taking that? Because I could use it now, so let’s drive north,” Abby suggested.

Gran had been full of strange surprises in the reading of her will, including an all paid week stay getaway to Crystal Hotel, an eight hour drive up north. A little note was included that they take a break together and enjoy it.

“With the week I just took off, I think I’ve used my sick days for the year,” Peyton said.

“So scrap paid vacation?” Abby sulked.

“It’s a gift certificate thing, you can go anytime,” their father said. “But for now I have to get going.  I’m working the afternoon shift. Are you heading back Kate?”

She nodded. This was her last paid day in the resort, but she didn’t plan on boarding an airplane back to her condo. She planned on staying with Abby until she felt her sister was back to normal and if that meant losing her job...well so be it. She was working for a genuine ass anyway.