Lakeside Redemption

Trying not to let Sully’s penetrating stare get to her, Zoe focused on the girls and patted the grass next to her. “Want to sit by me? I’ll show you how to hold Riley.”

Ava glanced at Caleb. He nodded. “Go ahead, sweetie.”

She clung to him for a moment, then crept over to sit next to Zoe.

“Hold your hand like this.” Zoe held her hand, palm side down, in a loose fist in front of Riley’s nose. He sniffed, then licked the backs of her fingers. “Riley will smell your scent and get to know you.”

Ava mimicked Zoe’s gesture with her tiny hand. Riley sniffed her fingers, then stroked them with his tongue. She giggled and wiped her hand on her shirt.

Zoe placed the puppy on Ava’s lap and positioned her small arms around Riley so she could hold him without hurting herself or the puppy. A smile lit up Ava’s face.

Ella plopped down next to her sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You’re doing great, Avie. You like him?”

Ava nodded, but remained quiet.

Sully pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the girls. Then he looked at Zoe. “Is Riley available for adoption?”

“Riley is a recent addition to our shelter.” She reached behind her to grab a brochure off the booth and handed it to him. “This talks about our adoption policy, Mr....?”

Of course she knew his name, but since he didn’t seem to recognize her, she wasn’t going to let on she knew who he was.

“Sorry.” He held out a hand. “Sullivan. Caleb Sullivan.” His gaze zeroed in on her butterfly necklace. “That necklace...I’ve seen it before.” Still holding her hand, his eyes searched her face as if shuffling through his memory bank for some sense of recognition. Then a slow smile spread across his face, revealing even, white teeth. “Zoe. Zoe James. It’s been a long time.”

Pulling her hand out of his warm, firm grip, she nodded, then focused her attention on the girls. She patted the grass beside her, feeling for her sunglasses and hat.

Did Sully know what she had become? Where she’d been? If he did, he hadn’t let on. If he didn’t, she was sure he’d want nothing to do with her once he learned about her past.

Apparently their friendship had meant a lot more to her than it had him. After his graduation from Bartlett University, he had packed his dinged Toyota, hugged her goodbye and never looked back. Not a single letter or email.

She’d heard through the grapevine he had married Valerie Fergus, who had graduated with him. What Caleb ever saw in that woman, Zoe would never know. From the moment Caleb started tutoring Zoe in algebra, Valerie had gone out of her way to give Zoe a hard time.

Were they still married?

She glanced at his hand. No ring, but that didn’t mean anything. She’d learned long ago not to assume, given her own circumstances.

Sully moved next to her and stretched out his legs, blocking any attempt to stand and run. “How’s life been treating you?”

How did she answer his polite attempt at conversation? An ache pulsed in the pit of her stomach. She fingered the butterfly pendant.

Life treated her the way she deserved.

“Fine.” The trite words mocked her. She was anything but fine. “You?”

“You know...” His words trailed off as he shrugged. He picked up a fallen leaf already turning colors and twirled it between his fingers.

“Are you still in law enforcement?”

“No, at least not the way I was.” A vacant look hollowed out his eyes as he stared past her shoulder and rubbed his right thigh. “Took a bullet to the leg that ended my career as a beat cop.”

“I’m sorry.” And she meant it. Becoming a police officer had meant everything to him. She understood the pain of lost dreams.

He shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“What brings you to Shelby Lake? Last I heard, you were living near Pittsburgh.”

“I decided we needed a fresh start. Patrick Laughton was an old marine buddy of my dad’s, so I called to see if he had any use for a washed-up cop with a bum leg. Turns out the police department had an opening for a school liaison officer. I’ll be going to the schools in the district doing programs on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. What about you? Did you end up going to vet school?”

“No. Change of plans.” Her gaze shifted to his daughters showering Riley with attention. “Your daughters are darling.”

“Thanks. We’ve had a rough year—first my injury, then their mom took off.” A flicker of pain shadowed Caleb’s eyes. “I heard about Kyle. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Words clogged her throat as her heart thundered against her rib cage. “I’m sorry about your wife. What did you hear...about Kyle?”

“He was killed by a drunk driver. I should apologize for not coming back for his funeral.” He nodded toward the daughter in the tutu. “Ella had just been born, and my wife, Val, had a hard time with postpartum depression. Between work and some...family issues, I had my hands full.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “I’m sorry. That sounded a bit insensitive.”

“No...don’t be.” The knots in her stomach cinched tighter. She rubbed her empty ring finger.

A man and a woman holding hands walked past them. The woman also held a toddler’s hand while the man controlled a golden retriever on a leash.

The epitome of family.

She wanted that...almost had it once.

Now she had nothing but the pain of regret, broken promises, and fines as a reminder of what her choices had cost her.

Even though she sat in the park surrounded by open spaces, the hills to the right of her seemed to be shifting and closing in. Her breathing quickened as beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

Sully reached for her arm. “You all right?”

She blinked several times and ran a hand over her mouth. “Yeah, I...uh...I’m fine. Probably too much sun.”

Liar.

She wasn’t fine. She hadn’t been fine in a long time. Not since she’d woken up in the hospital that night with a concussion and learned Kyle was dead.

The events of the past four years had destroyed everyone and everything she loved.

She reached up, grabbed her water bottle off the booth’s table with shaky hands and uncapped it. As she downed the lukewarm liquid, she closed her eyes and struggled to regain her composure.

Leona wouldn’t be thrilled if she freaked out in front of a potential client. And she didn’t need to give this town anything more to gossip about.

No, she wouldn’t be fine for a very long time...if ever again.

But life had offered her a second chance, and she wasn’t about to waste it on pity parties.

Now that she’d moved into her family’s cabin by the lake, she was determined to get her life back on track. Watching Sully with his daughters created an intense longing in her heart and resurrected her purpose: to regain custody of her own child and prove to her family—and the town that rejected her—that she could change and be the kind of mother her son deserved.

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