Second Chance Season

Book 3: Lake in the Clouds

by Emily March

Genres: Siblings; Women's Fiction; Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

A heartwarming story about secrets, sisters, and the enduring power of family ties.
 
When young bride-to-be Zoey Hillcrest chooses the gorgeous Inn at Mirror Lake for her destination wedding, life in the small Rocky Mountain town will never be the same. Zoey thought the hard part was over once she and her fiancé, Cooper, settled on the venue. But as the wedding approaches, Zoey faces professional burnout, her estranged mother’s terminal illness, and a worrisome distance from her fiancé. When presented with a wedding-related excuse to return to Colorado, she flees to the peaceful lakeside hotel to figure out what she truly wants in life.

After all the hard work Genevieve Prentice and her sister Helen McDaniel put into renovating their rustic waterfront lodge, the two finally have time to take a breath and celebrate the inn’s success and the lives they’ve built in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado. Then a chance run-in with their latest bride turns their lives upside down. Helen has never laid eyes on Zoey before but something about her is familiar to Helen—and not just because she looks like her niece’s twin. And when the three women uncover a devastating family secret, they must make peace with the past in order to fully embrace what the future has to offer. 

Release date: November 5, 2024

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Print pages: 368

Sample

January

A SCATTERING OF SNOWFLAKES fell outside Raindrop Lodge and Cabins Resort in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado. Helen McDaniel turned away from the window, slung a tote bag over her shoulder, and exited the business office with a spring in her step. Life was good.

She and her sister, Genevieve Prentice, had just concluded their monthly update meeting with their innkeeper, Kelly Green. For more than an hour, they’d examined the books, studied occupancy and reservation data, and discussed personnel issues and any other problems that had popped up since their last meeting. Thankfully, Kelly’s problem column was short. She excelled in her job. A little more than two years since Helen and Genevieve had taken on the task of renovating the dilapidated vacation property beside Mirror Lake, the business was thriving.

That fact hadn’t gone unnoticed. Now Helen and Genevieve had a big decision to make regarding their inn.

Helen went to the lobby, where she planned to rendezvous with Genevieve, who had stepped outside to retrieve a file from her car following their meeting. Helen placed an order at the bar for their traditional, post-monthly-meeting Bloody Marys and then headed for the sisters’ favorite chairs.

The deep-cushioned swivel rockers sat facing the large picture windows and the majestic vista beyond, yet near enough to the fire blazing in the large stone fireplace to allow those seated to feel the warmth. Helen snuggled in to wait and watched through the glass where the spruce and pine forest hugged the bank of a frozen Mirror Lake. Sunshine attempted to break through the clouds. The music piped in through speakers hidden high on the walls shifted to Fred Astaire singing about being in heaven.

“Appropriate,” Helen murmured, humming along to the song.

She heard the sound of the front door opening and turned to see her sister hurry into the room, her cheeks red from the cold.

“Brrr… it is freezing out there,” Genevieve said as she paused to grab two lap blankets from a big straw basket beside the fireplace. “I don’t know if my Texas girl bones will ever get accustomed to the Colorado winters. I think we’re done with the snow for now, however. The sun is coming out.”

“Good. I’m ready for some sunshine,” Helen replied, then thanked her sister as Genevieve passed her a soft, colorful throw. They settled into their seats, making small talk until the bartender arrived with their drinks.

“Thanks, Mike.” Helen smiled and stirred the celery stick in her Bloody Mary.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” the bartender replied, handing Genevieve her drink.

“Will do. Thanks.” Genevieve took a sip and gave an appreciative hum. When Mike returned to the bar, leaving them in relative privacy, she stretched out her legs, crossed them at the ankles, and sighed. “Okay, I’m happy. This is my favorite spot in the lodge in winter.”

Helen swiveled her chair to take in the vista of a snow-covered Granite Mountain rising above the frozen surface of Mirror Lake. “I know. It’s a better view than what I have from my condo. Plus, we have our own personal bartender here.”

Genevieve lifted her glass in a silent toast. “Are we lucky or what?”

“We are lucky,” Helen agreed as the clack of billiard balls sounded from the game room on the far side of the inn’s lobby. One guest groaned, and another chortled and chided about the unfortunate fall of an eight ball into a side pocket. “Although I’ll be honest, I’m anxious to see what that Pennsylvania groundhog says next week. I’m ready for spring. The cold temperatures have bothered me worse this winter than usual.”

Genevieve glanced at Helen, her eyebrows arched. “Did I just hear you admit to a sign of aging?”

“Of course not!” Helen schooled her expression to innocence and said, “It’s those twelve pounds I lost last year. Remember that weight-loss bet you and I had? The wager that I won?”

“As if you’ll ever let me forget it,” Genevieve grumbled.

Helen fought a grin as she pursed her lips around her straw to take a sip of her drink. She had won the bet, but it wasn’t a fair contest. She’d had a good twenty pounds she needed to lose.

Genevieve had lost six, all her extra weight—the witch. Genevieve looked ten years younger than her sixty years, slim and petite. She kept her hair the same golden blonde she’d been born with and wore it styled shoulder-length in feathered layers. Her gemstone green eyes had come from their father and had always been one of her best features. Genevieve was still a beautiful woman, inside and out.

She was Helen’s only living sibling, her best friend, and her closest confidant. She was her most dearly loved Sister—with a capital S. Helen gave thanks in her prayers each day that Genevieve’s midlife crisis had given her a reason to make a new life and join Helen in Lake in the Clouds.

Helen pulled herself away from the brink of becoming maudlin by tugging her thoughts back to the weight-loss wager. She reached over, patted Genevieve’s knee, and rolled out one of their mother’s frequent sayings. “You’ll do better next time.”

Genevieve gave her sister the evil side-eye, then replied with another maxim: “This too shall pass.”

“Don’t borrow trouble.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Don’t take any wooden nickels.”

The sisters clinked their glasses in a silent toast to their mother, then settled back to watch as the sun finally broke through the clouds outside.

They’d had three new inches of snow overnight, but today’s forecast called for clearing skies and sunshine by noon. Helen was glad about it. She hadn’t been lying about the cold bothering her this year. Of course, it was no wonder, since she’d spent two weeks in Iceland in December chasing the Northern Lights. Probably all she needed was a long weekend somewhere warm.

She’d check her schedule and see how soon she could steal a few days away. Maybe Genevieve would fancy a quick trip to Florida or South Padre Island.

Before they planned another trip, however, they needed to deal with business, so following a few minutes of comfortable silence, Helen broached the proverbial elephant in the room. “So, what are we going to do about this offer?”

Genevieve released a heavy sigh. “I almost wish I hadn’t answered the phone when our banker called last night. Making a decision this big is stressful.”

The night before, a local real estate agent had called with an out-of-the-blue purchase offer for Raindrop Lodge and Cabins Resort. Her buyer wanted a closing date of March 1, though if they agreed to the sale, they’d delay closing until after Genevieve’s daughter Willow’s March 9 wedding to Noah Tannehill.

“I tossed and turned half the night thinking about it,” Helen said. “Flipping this place has been on the table since the beginning. This particular offer aside, if we’re going to sell, now is probably the time. Everything is in great shape.”

“True,” Genevieve agreed. “The renovation is complete. The books look great. It’s an excellent offer, and I suspect it could be improved. You’re an excellent negotiator, Helen.”

Genevieve removed her celery stick from her drink and nibbled the end. “There’s really no reason to keep the lodge. We’re both busy with other things now, and since the prospective buyers have pledged to keep all our employees, we need not worry about Kelly and Mike and our other people losing their jobs.”

“True.” Helen readjusted her lap blanket so that it covered her feet. “I have my hands full these days being mayor. Your schedule is packed with play days with your grandchildren and overseeing our film festivals at the theater. Not to mention dating Mr. Hot-on-Horseback.”

Helen referred to Gage Throckmorton, owner of the Triple T Ranch and Lake in the Clouds’ most eligible widower.

Genevieve smiled smugly. She and Gage had publicly declared themselves officially a couple right after her birthday in November. “There is that.”

“Speaking of the theater, what’s next at the Emily?”

“Our Bogie and Bacall Festival starts on Valentine’s Day and runs for two weeks.”

“Ooh. I’ll have to put that on my calendar,” Helen said. “What are you showing?”

“Key Largo starts the festival. We end with To Have and Have Not. We’re still working on the rest of the schedule but intend to have a different film each night.”

“Excellent.” Helen licked at the salt on the rim of her glass. “You will show Casablanca, won’t you?”

“Of course. I know it’s your favorite.”

“A tragic love story.” Her heart gave a little twist because the phrase always gave her a fleeting memory of her first, her greatest, love. “That’s my thing.”

Genevieve’s following words tugged her away from past sorrows. “We also have a week of classic cartoon matinees scheduled for spring break.”

“I am down for that, too. Saturday morning cartoons were the best. I loved me some Yogi Bear and Road Runner. And, Bugs Bunny. He was my favorite character. Any chance you’ll be showing Bugs Bunny?”

Genevieve gave her a side look and a grin. “Oh, Looney Tunes for sure.”

“Good. That’s so appropriate for us.” As Helen stirred her drink with the celery stick, ice cubes clattered in her glass. “So, we’re avoiding the subject at hand. Back to Raindrop Lodge.”

Genevieve swallowed a long sip of her drink, then said, “We’d probably be foolish to turn this offer down. We’d make a significant profit.”

“True,” Helen agreed. “We never intended to be involved for over a year or two. Our plan from the beginning was to refurbish the inn, bring it up to operational speed, and flip it.”

“I know.” Genevieve’s mouth twisted ruefully. “It’s just that we’ve put so much time and effort into the place. We’ve made some lovely memories here. I don’t know if I’m ready to walk away from the Raindrop entirely.” She looked at her sister and asked, “Are you?”

Satisfaction washed through Helen. “No, I don’t believe I am.”

“So, we’re going to turn down this offer?” Genevieve asked.

“That’s my vote.”

“Excellent.” Genevieve beamed a smile Helen’s way. “That was easier than I thought it might be.”

They returned their attention to the outdoors, where sunshine had turned the snowy expanse an almost blinding white. Helen thought about the folders tucked into her tote bag. With the potential sale question behind them, it might be a good idea to give her sister a heads-up about the meeting Genevieve’s daughter Willow had requested for later today.

But as Helen reached into her tote, Genevieve said, “Since that question is settled, I’d like to run an idea by you. I came up with it amidst all the tossing and turning last night.”

“Let’s hear it,” Helen said.

“If we’re committed to keeping the business, why not go all in? Think big. I believe we could really grow the business if we focused on making Raindrop Lodge a destination wedding venue.”

Helen eyed her sister for a long moment. “You thought of this last night?”

“Yes.”

“Did you call Willow and discuss the idea with her?”

Willow was a professional event planner. She’d moved to Colorado with her two young children at this time last year, and since then, she’d coordinated four weddings here at the lodge.

“No.” Genevieve shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that without talking to you first. Raindrop has been a partnership between the two of us from the beginning. I respect that. Any decisions to be made, we make together. I also thought we should deal with the immediate flip-it-or-keep-it decision independently of this idea.”

“Would you have mentioned it if I said I wanted to sell?”

Genevieve shrugged. “I don’t know. I might have changed my mind if you’d felt strongly about selling. Look, this is simply an idea I’d like you to think about. We’re in no rush. It’s not like Willow’s plate isn’t full as it is, what with her wedding on the horizon and trying to get the new house finished and furnished so they can move in when they return from their honeymoon.”

Helen clicked her tongue, then lifted her drink in a silent toast. “All I can say is, like mother, like daughter.”

When Genevieve gave her sister a curious look, Helen explained. “Willow came to me yesterday with a business proposal.”

Genevieve sat up straight. “What kind of proposal? And why did she bring it to you and not me?”

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. She knew we had a three o’clock meeting here with the accountant yesterday. She came at three-thirty, hoping to catch us both. She didn’t know that you would ditch me to go horseback riding with Gage.”

“I didn’t ditch you,” Genevieve protested, her tone defensive. “I got my dates mixed up.”

“Nevertheless, there’s no reason for you to feel slighted. Willow left a folder for each of us to study. She has an appointment with a potential client here this morning. She wants to discuss her proposals afterward.”

“Where’s the file? What’s in it?”

Helen removed one of Willow’s folders from her tote. She handed it to her sister, saying, “The bottom line is this. You and your daughter have been thinking along the same wavelength. Willow is presenting us with two different business plans. One has her buying into the property as a partner. The second retains the current ownership status quo but puts Willow officially in charge of special events. Either way, she wants to focus on the destination wedding business.”

“A partnership?” Genevieve’s eyes went wide with surprise. “So, what did you tell her?”

“Nada. I wore my poker face. Didn’t say yea or nay. Like you said a few moments ago, you and I are partners. We make decisions about the Raindrop together. I was getting ready to call you to discuss it when you phoned me with news about the offer. I didn’t want to complicate that decision with the possibilities of this one. Not from the beginning, anyway.”

“Smart,” Genevieve agreed with a nod. “I’m glad we decided not to sell independently of family concerns. It’s better to keep family and business separate as much as possible.”

“Difficult to do in a family business,” Helen replied, her tone dry.

“But better for relationships when we pull it off.” Genevieve flipped open the folder and scanned the first page. “So, what do you think of her idea?”

“I like it.”

“The destination wedding part or the partnership part?”

“I like both. What about you?”

Genevieve’s green eyes brightened with pleasure. “I love the thought of bringing her in as a partner. If she expands the business, she should have a piece of it.”

“I agree.” Helen folded her arms and nodded with satisfaction.

Lifting her gaze from Willow’s proposal, Genevieve said, “This is exciting. I’ve grown to love this inn. Sometimes I’ll make an impromptu visit to the Raindrop to sit in the lobby and visit with our guests. People can be so interesting. And the weddings make me happy—especially since Willow is there to deal with all the problems that erupt—large or small. So, how should we handle this?”

Helen sipped her drink, savoring the spicy tomato flavor as she considered the question. “I didn’t do more than glance at her paperwork, but knowing Willow, she’s presenting us with well-considered proposals. I suggest we let her make her presentation, tell her we want her as a partner, and then let our respective attorneys hammer out the details.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan.” Genevieve flipped to the second page of Willow’s proposal. “She wants to change the name. Reflections Inn at Mirror Lake. I like it.”

“I do, too,” Helen agreed. “So, do you have time to meet with her this morning? Or do you have a lunch date with the hunky rancher?”

“I’m free.” The smile on Genevieve’s lips faltered just a bit as she added, “We’re going to dinner tonight.”

“Oh yeah?” Helen waggled her brows. “Having a sleepover afterward?”

“No!” Genevieve snapped. Then, in a more tempered voice, she added, “I’m not sleeping with Gage.”

Helen drew back. “Something going on there that you haven’t told me about, sister?”

Genevieve shrugged. “Not really. We only recently agreed that we are officially dating. And we’re doing it the old-fashioned way.”

“Old-fashioned,” Helen repeated with a snicker. “What does that even mean? Does he take you parking somewhere on his ranch, and you steam up the windows? I imagine it’s not easy to crawl over the backseat at this age. Your knees!”

Genevieve chastised her with a look. “Very funny.”

“Be fair. I remember when you were dating David. It didn’t take him long to get into your—”

“Stop. Gage isn’t David, and I’m certainly not the same woman I was in the 1980s.”

“What does age have to do with anything? There are lots of positives to having sex at our age. No worry about getting pregnant is a good one.”

“Enough.” Genevieve scowled at her teasing sister. “I’m not discussing this with you, Helen.”

“Spoilsport. I’m not asking for details. Well, actually, I’d love details so that I can live vicariously through you. I’m alone, and Gage Throckmorton is such a hunk.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. The only reason you’re alone is because you want to be alone. All you need do is snap your fingers, and every unattached man in your retirement community will come knocking at your door. Probably some of the married ones, too.”

Helen waved the comment away. “As if I’d want anything to do with those old men. Have you heard about the STD rates at that retirement city in Florida? Shocking, I’m telling you! No, I’m good with a fantasy man at this point in my life. And let’s face it. Gage is—”

“When is Willow due to arrive?” Genevieve interrupted, pointedly changing the subject.

Helen gave in, glancing toward the cuckoo clock mounted on the wall beside the lodge’s front doors. “Any minute. She said she’s meeting potential clients at ten thirty. I don’t know any more details.”

“Oh, I know about these clients.” Genevieve tucked her daughter’s business plan back into the folder’s pocket. “Maybe that’s why weddings were on my mind at three o’clock this morning. We have a new referral from Celeste. A couple is looking for a wedding venue, and Angel’s Rest is already booked for their date.”

Their friend, Celeste Blessing, owned and operated Angel’s Rest Healing Center and Spa in Eternity Springs, another small mountain town about an hour’s drive from Lake in the Clouds. An experienced innkeeper, Celeste had been Helen and Genevieve’s mentor, guiding them through the process of becoming successful innkeepers as the sisters took on the project of making Raindrop Lodge shine again.

Helen nodded with satisfaction. “Perfect. We can visit with Willow after she’s finished with the lovebirds and then have lunch.” Rattling the ice in her nearly empty glass, she added, “Shall we have a second one to celebrate?”

“You’re talking my language, sister,” Genevieve said. She signaled to the bartender. Moments later, he delivered another round of Bloody Marys.

Genevieve held up her glass. To the tune of The Dixie Cups’ “Chapel of Love,” Genevieve sang her own lyrics. “Gonna build a business, and we’re gonna get ’em ma-a-ar-ried.”

Delighted, Helen clinked glasses with her sister and joined in, singing, “Gee, I really love this and can’t wait to get ’em ma-a-ar-ried. Goin’ to build a business of love.”

The sisters shared a snicker at their silliness, then returned their attention to the view beyond the windows. Genevieve mused, “Do you know what the lunch special is today?”

“I don’t, but I can check. I need to powder my nose, anyway.” Helen set her glass on the side table and rose from her chair. “I’ll be right back. Do you want some munchies now? Crackers and cheese, maybe?”

“Sounds perfect. Thanks.”

After a visit to the ladies’ room off the lobby, Helen made her way through the café and into the kitchen, where a mouthwatering aroma greeted her.

“Something smells delicious,” she said to the cook, whom they had stolen from a local diner last year. “Is that the lunch special stewing on the stove?”

“It is,” the cook replied. “Beef stew. The soup of the day is tortilla. And our sandwich special is a Reuben.”

“I may have to have a little of everything. In the meantime, Genevieve and I would like some cheese and crackers to hold us over. Mind if I help myself?”

“Be my guest.” The cook made a welcoming gesture and added with a teasing tone, “After all, it’s your lodge.”

“But it’s your kitchen,” Helen replied as she opened the refrigerator. “I know my place.”

A few minutes later, Helen whistled the Dixie Cups tune as she departed the kitchen carrying a small charcuterie board she’d put together. Softly, she sang the legit version of “Chapel of Love,” and she’d just glanced at the cuckoo clock near the registration desk to check the time when the front doors opened, and her niece stepped inside.

Helen beamed a bright smile at Willow Eldridge, soon-to-be Willow Tannehill. “Hey, sunshine. Perfect timing. Your mom and I are ready to discuss your ideas about the Raindrop as soon as you’re free.”

“Excuse me?” Willow said in a voice that wasn’t Willow’s. “Are you speaking to me?”

In that instant, Helen noticed three things. First, Willow’s hair had grown four inches since Helen last had seen her. That was yesterday. Second, her coat sported a Houston Astros logo, and Willow was a Colorado Rockies fan. She wouldn’t be caught dead wearing Astros gear.

The third and final sign that Helen had misunderstood the situation was that a man had followed Willow inside, and the masculine hand now taking hold of Willow’s didn’t belong to Noah Tannehill.

Helen bobbled her charcuterie. This wasn’t Willow.

ZOEY HILLCREST WATCHED SHOCK enter the mature woman’s mossy green eyes. The cheese board she held teetered, and Zoey lurched forward to intercept it. Ever quick on his feet, Cooper beat her to it, rescuing the charcuterie before it hit the floor. That he lost only two small squares of cheese and a trio of grapes in the process demonstrated his dexterity.

The woman was stylishly dressed in a thigh-length, geometric-patterned sweater in shades of green over slim jeans and knee-high leather boots. She shoved her fingers through her short, auburn hair and dropped her gaze. She shook her head, which sent her large gold hoop earrings swaying, then gave Zoey a second look. “You’re not Willow.”

“No, I’m Zoey.” She guessed this woman to be in her mid-sixties, and the confusion in her expression brought dementia to mind. Gentle compassion washed through Zoey as she asked, “What’s your name?”

“Helen.” She raised her hand to cover her mouth and murmured, “I can’t believe it.”

Helen’s bewilderment tempted Zoey to reach out and hug her. She was a hugger by nature, which often came in handy for her professionally, but she’d learned to read the room. A hug wasn’t the appropriate response here today. Instead, she made her tone friendly, saying, “We have an appointment with someone named Willow. I love your earrings, by the way. I’d wear big hoops every day if I could, but I work with children, and the little ones like grabbing my earrings.”

Helen’s hand shifted from her mouth to her earring, but her gaze didn’t move from Zoey. Cooper interrupted the odd moment by returning the charcuterie board to Helen.

While Helen thanked Cooper, Zoey took that opportunity to glance around the room. A wide-eyed teenager stood behind a registration desk, gawking at them. She smiled at the young man, stepped toward him, and said, “Good morning. We have an appointment with your event planner. Where can we find Willow Eldridge?”

“Uh…,” responded the teenager. “I don’t k. . .