Christmas at Hideaway Lake: A Hideaway Lake Novel, #3

Christmas at Hideaway Lake

A Hideaway Lake Novel

Book 3

by

Terri Lorah

Copyright © 2020 Terri Lorah. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

*****

Illustrated by EDH Graphics

*****

Welcome back to Hideaway Lake, a small town and family-friendly community in the lush hills of Central Pennsylvania. Once again the Myer family will be celebrating a major event. Laura and Joe plan to wed on Christmas eve, the same day of the Grand Opening of the 1940’s mansion on the hill. Find out how the rest of the family plans to spend the holidays and meet some new characters that may or may not have Hideaway Lake’s best interest at heart.

Spend some time at Hideaway Lake with a family celebration in this feel-good women’s fiction novel.

*****

Dedicated to my sister, Cynthia Gail Shupp Lefever, who passed away way too young. I released this book on October 30th for a special reason. That was her birthday. She loved the fall season so much and the holidays during this time..

RIP Cindy - You are missed and loved.

Chapter 1

Is everyone listening? Joe leaned back against the leather chair in his office at the mansion. A quirky smile ran across his face, knowing every single one of his siblings would be shocked in a few minutes. It was why he insisted they get on the Zoom conference call with him. He wanted to see their faces when he told them the news.

I’m listening, Joe. His faithful sister Julia was the first to speak up. They had all been chatting with each other for roughly five minutes while Joe finished up a call from his foreman. Julia was his financial advisor. She was a whiz with numbers and made sure Russel Enterprise always stayed on track. At times it drove Joe crazy when she questioned every expense until he realized that was the reason he had hired her in the first place. Russel Enterprise would always be in the black with Julia taking care of the numbers.

He nodded to her when the phone rang. Excuse me, he told them, instructing his assistant to hold the calls.

Thank God you did that, the youngest of his siblings spurted out. I’m late for a counseling session. If you don’t hold the calls, we wind up sitting here watching you work, which I am not in the mood for today. What is on your mind, Joe?

His youngest sister was a bit grumpy today. At forty-three, Joy had a rough start to life. She got into drugs as a teenager, but turned her life around. Instead of coming to work for Joe at the company, she began working as a rehabilitation counselor at the same treatment facility she attended many years ago. Joy usually had the most patience out of all his brothers and sisters, but today she seemed on edge. You feeling all right, Joy? Joe was concerned when any of his family were not okay.

I’m fine, she snapped. It’s been a busy day so far. I really need to see this patient. It’s not going well for him.

Now that the calls are redirected, I promise to be brief. Joe had to admit he was so excited to tell them the news, he forgot to give his assistant Janice instructions to hold his calls.

He looked at the other faces staring at him through the screen. As he leaned back again, he gave them a huge smile. Joe always got right to the point. I’m getting married.

Every single jaw dropped. He laughed out loud. The reaction was exactly how he imagined.

The twins both rolled their eyes at exactly the same time. Jonathan spoke up first. He was usually the spokesperson when the two were together, while Joshua had always been the more subtle of the two. Joe? Seriously? You are kidding right? This is a trick you are playing on us, isn’t it?

Joe shook his head. I’m afraid not. I met a wonderful woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. You all know I’ve been wanting to find a place to settle down and relax a bit. It’s here, in Hideaway Lake.

Julie placed two fingers on her mouth and blew him a kiss. I’m happy for you, Joe. When will we meet this fortunate woman?

Jonathan shook his head. The only reason you want to meet her is to make sure she signs a prenuptial agreement prior to the big day. Am I right?

Julia shrugged. It’s what I do, Jonny boy. My job is to protect Russel Enterprise, and until my dying breath, I’ve promised to do so.

Joe held up his hand. No worries, Julia. We’ll talk more about this later, but she isn’t the type to marry me for my money. Let’s just embrace the moment. I’m happy. That’s all you need to worry about.

Joshua gave him a salute. Congrats, brother. I, for one am happy for you. It’s about time you got hitched.

Thanks, Josh. She does make me happy.

How much baggage does she come with? Julia asked, holding a pen in her hand as if she were taking notes.

Jonathan groaned into the speaker. "Julia! Stop already!’

Julia had been pressing her lips together. She raised an eyebrow and stared into the screen, so serious it worried Joe. His sister used to laugh and joke with everyone. Now, she seemed way too serious. Had the company created a monster? Even so, he was always honest with each one of them. She does, Julia. An ex-husband who dumped her for their accountant. We started out as friends and had our issues, but now that’s all in the past.

Julia still looked concerned. Are you sure you aren’t a rebound lover?

Joe shook his head. His sister was intense and to the point. Just like he was. I’m sure, Julia. Now, please be happy for me and you can do your sleuthing later when I’m not present to watch.

His words did bring a brief smile to her lips. He turned to his youngest sister. She had been quiet the whole time. Joe wondered if she was even paying attention. Joy? Did you even hear me?

She nodded, raising her head. Joe knew she was texting on her phone even though she held it out of range of the computer screen. I’m fine with it, Joe. Congrats. I really have to go. When’s the wedding? I’ll make sure to be there.

He raised a brow. This wasn’t like Joy to be so inattentive. He’d call her later. Christmas eve is the big day.

The same day as your grand opening?

Joe nodded. Yes.

We were planning to be there for the grand opening anyway, so a wedding will make it even more festive..

Joe agreed. It wasn’t my idea to have the wedding on the same day, but when Laura said she wanted that day, I was happy to agree knowing all of you would be there.

That’s sweet, Joe. We wouldn’t miss it for the world, Julia told him.

Thanks, sis. He looked at the enormous computer screen, first at Joshua, then Jonathan. I’d rather ask you both in person, but this will have to do since we are short on time. I’d be honored if the two of you would stand in as my best men.

Neither man hesitated. You know it, Joshua told him.

Jonathan seemed more emotional. He swallowed. Of course, he blurted out, his voice a bit choked up.

Thank you both. I’m a privileged man to have all of you as my siblings. Mom and Dad would be proud.

Julia wiped at her eyes while turning her head slightly so no one would see her tough demeanor cracking, while the twins tried hard to hold back any emotion. I’ll see you in a few weeks. He ended the call, not wanting anyone to see how emotional the call made him as well. Joe had always been like a father figure to them in the early years, followed by a friendship that far surpassed any other relationship.

Joe stood, stretching his legs and walked over to the doors leading to the balcony. It was getting quite brisk outside, which was a normal temperature for this time of year.

He didn’t bother with a jacket even though the crisp air chilled him as he went onto the balcony. It was a quiet place for him to look out over his property. Even though James Logan, Olivia’s fiancé, was an investor and a partner on this project, this had been a dream of Joe’s for quite some time.

Joe looked up at the gray clouds. He knew there was a God somewhere in the heavens and he had been blessed so many times. Joe had an amazing life and still wasn’t sure why he was worthy of it. Of course, he had worked hard to keep his siblings together the drastic day he found out his parents died in the plane crash that had changed all of their lives.

There had been no doubt in his mind that day what he’d do. At nineteen, he packed his suitcase and left college, knowing he’d never return. Taking care of his siblings had been the only thought then. When he got into the building and construction business, he worked long, hard hours to make sure they had what was needed. It was fortunate his parents left a substantial insurance policy to make sure he could pay the bills back then. Otherwise, their lifestyle today may be so much different.

Either way, he was a fortunate man. Now, he was about to learn to slow down and enjoy the things he restored, like this mansion. It had been heaven all these months being out of the city. His intention now was to sell his town house in the city and live here since there was no reason to return except for business time and again. He wasn’t going to completely retire, but Joe was anxious to enjoy the vast acres of mountainous property here.

The other thing Joe wanted to experience and enjoy was some of the places he’d been to before that had nothing to do with work. His business had taken him to many exciting places, but he always saw the world from a thick double-paned glass window of an executive board room.

Except this time, there were certain places he ached to go with Laura at his side. He knew she loved the Inn, but he wanted to do some traveling with her. Show her some of the places he fell in love with over the years.

He frowned. She’d have to loosen her rein on the Inn to be able to leave here at times. Would she? Did she even want to? She could easily afford to hire someone to run the place while she was gone now that they’d be married. Joe realized it was a subject they hadn’t discussed. He honestly didn’t know how she’d feel about chasing his dreams. Did Laura even have any of her own dreams? What if they collided with his own ones?

He had always been used to jetting off by himself either for a meeting or for a working vacation. Now, he’d have to consider Laura’s wishes. And, he would. However, he was a man used to getting his own way. Joe certainly hoped that would not be a problem for Laura. It was hard to change an old dog like him.

He grinned at his own thoughts. Yet, at fifty-five he didn’t consider himself to be old or of retirement age yet. But, he did want to slow down and live a little instead of working like a madman all the time. He had plenty of money and yet he knew that he lived frugally if he were honest with himself. Now, he wondered if Laura was willing to share this time of his life with him or would she be content to run the Inn and porch sit into their old age?

Had they decided to get married too soon? She’d barely gotten the Inn off the ground and now he was anxious to marry and jet off with her. How would she feel about doing that?

Joe went inside when the raw air made the hairs on his neck stand up. He closed the door behind him to keep out the chilly winter weather. It was December and he was letting the doors hang open like a teenager who had no idea of the cost of heat.

The whoosh of air that followed made him shiver. He walked over to stand in front of the enormous fireplace they had restored. Almost every room on the front side of the mansion had the original stone restored to its natural beauty. Laura’s son Cole had done a fine job restoring the original stone.

Except for the gas inserts, nothing else had changed. The thick wooden mantels were all restored as well. Luckily, most of the hard work was almost finished. It had been a gruelling few months, but he was glad the major problems had been an easy fix. The ceilings and foundation of the mansion were surprisingly intact. Although they had to put in a new heating and air conditioning system, the modest repairs had been minimal on his pocket book. He grinned into the flames, realizing how happy that made his sister Julia.

She had been relentless with each purchase he made. She always had been a tight-wad, even when they were younger. It was a good thing, because she had run the kitchen at home and made their meals. She knew what every item cost and knew how much to spend on groceries. Her skill at using every single item in the pantry kept her siblings fed well while he grew the business. Julia had been an asset and when he asked her to join the corporation, she never hesitated.

Because of her, the company grew without being in too much debt. After years of hard work, they became wealthy beyond their means. All of his siblings were a huge part of this. Even Joy, who didn’t want anything to do with the family business was rewarded with monetary bonuses because she was family, too, and put in a lot of work as they grew up without parents. Joe loved them all. He worried at first that Laura may be intimidated by his loud, boisterous family until he experienced an evening with hers.

They were two of a kind.

He was anxious to get the wedding over with so he could finally hold her in his arms.

Joe smiled into the fire. His life was so complete. Right then, Joe made a promise to himself to make sure his future wife’s eyes were always smiling and she was happy.

*****

I don’t think I want to get married.

What? You can’t take it back now, Shar told her. Girl, you have cold feet. I certainly know how that feels. Remember how drunk I got when Ryan told me he loved me? What a mess!

Laura shook her head and stared out across the lake. They were sitting on her front porch swing, winter coats and scarves covering their necks, along with a woollen blanket over their lap. December’s weather felt colder than normal this year. She wondered if they’d get snow for Christmas? A white wedding would certainly be beautiful.

The reality of everything had slapped Laura in the face today. It was barely five in the evening and she called Shar to stop by after court. Knowing her best friend would make a pit-stop at her office across the street before going home had prompted Laura to contact Shar when a moment of panic surrounded her like a dark rain cloud.

When Laura sent her a photo of a bottle of local wine, Shar had answered with a thumbs up. Now, the two were snuggled together on the front porch sipping on a glass of the red liquid.

I do want to marry Joe.

Shar stared at her. Then, what is the problem? He’s a great guy. Perfect gentleman.

That concerns me. He’s too perfect, Shar. There has to be something wrong with him! She laid her head on Shar’s shoulder. I know it sounds so stupid, but I’m scared to death. After Kurt, I am leery. Although Joe proved himself over and over again, what if I’m just rebounding? What if -

Shar flung an arm around her shoulder. Oh, love. I’m pretty sure you haven’t been going through a rebound period. Joe is a genuine good guy. But, if it makes you feel better, I’ll dig up some dirt on him so you can convince yourself you can’t marry him.Whatever you want.

Her words made Laura realize how silly she was being. After all, Shar would go to the ends of the earth to find something in Joe’s past if she asked. I won’t ask you to do that and you know it, Shar.

If you want a former lover who has something against him, I’m pretty sure I can find it. Well, my assistant will dig up old wounds. There isn’t a person on earth that doesn’t have something smelly in their closet, even good ol’ Joe.

Coming from a lawyer like you, that makes perfect sense. I probably don’t want to know anyway.

Look, love. Just enjoy life for once. You no longer have to answer to a man like your ex. I can’t even say his name without cringing. As your attorney, you know I’ll tell you to protect yourself and your property, and then learn to let loose a little. Joe is good for you. Lord knows you deserve this chance at happiness.

You are the best, my friend.

I miss Holly and I’m shocked to have to say that out loud, but she always had made us feel better about a bad situation. Shar had been the hardest on their other best friend. But Holly had lost their friendship after they found out she was Bailey’s real mother and Laura’s ex was the biological father.

Laura didn’t want to think of that right now. I miss what we had. The sad part is I doubt we can ever bring that back.

Shar nodded. I know. You were spilling your guts so I thought I would, too. She always made me laugh a little harder.

Me too.

What’s done is done. Shar lifted her glass up in the air as a salute to no one in particular.

Bailey wants us to forgive her. She said her bio mom was young and we all make dumb mistakes.

Shar nodded. Sometimes Bailey makes sense.

Laura smiled. Right now, it’s impossible for me to forgive her. It’s too soon.

Agree. Back to your man. Did he ask you to sign a prenup?

No. Why would I do that?

I think you should make him sign one, also.

Ugh, that’s so technical. I don’t know, Shar.

Shar gently took Laura’s chin in her hand and turned her face towards the house. You were given this property to carry on your mother-in-law’s legacy. She would be so proud of you right now. What if things don’t work out with Joe? You may lose this if it gets wrapped up in a divorce settlement. Or, what if he isn’t a rich man after all? What if he needs your property to pay off his debt? That mansion must’ve cost a fortune. I’m not saying that’s what happened, but as your lawyer I have to assume the worst of everyone. As your friend, I’ll ruin him if he hurts you.

I hate when you make sense. Okay, I’ll talk to Joe about this. I’m sure he’d want me to sign one for sure.

Have you settled down about not knowing if you want to marry him?

"You are always blunt and to the