Raising her hand to shade her eyes from the rising sun, she scanned the cottages on the opposite side of the lake until she found the ones she’d been looking for. There were three of them, separated by small side yards and sharing a wide beachfront. Even from this distance, she could see that the grass was sparse in the yards. Sand made the grass a rare commodity for these lake properties, a commodity that most owners chose to forego in favor of grilling, boating, and sitting at the end of their docks during their weekends away from the real world. That is what this lake had been for her growing up. And it was the same for her in-laws, the owners of the three houses across the lake.
Her parents purchased the green cottage on the lot next to the Mazurs when she was only fourteen years old. That was the summer she met Alec, the summer her world had turned upside down. Granted, it hadn’t happened over night. It took nearly sixteen years. To be fair, it probably took fewer than ten years to turn her world upside down…but it took another six after that for her to realize it.
She first saw him at the Ice Cream Shoppe across the lake. Her father had docked the boat outside so that she and her sister could sneak a nice cool treat before returning home for dinner. Alec had ridden his bike around the lake to treat himself and his four cousins to waffle cones. His short hair was naturally blond, but it was sun bleached the day she met him. His eyes were pale blue and fringed by long lashes. He was beautiful. And then he smiled.
It wasn’t the perfectly white teeth. Or the way that his eyes crinkled a bit when he smiled. It was the sincerity. Elena was preparing to start high school, and she was not oblivious to the changes in the boys she’d known for her entire life. Aside from the obvious physical changes, they were suddenly trying too hard and dripping with insincerity. But when Alec Mazur flashed that smile at her, he radiated authenticity and kindness.
He turned his attention to his cousins as they approached the counter and ordered their ice cream. While they waited, he stepped out of the way and pulled his cousins aside so that Teresa and Elena could place their orders. He plucked some napkins out of the aluminum holder and handed them to her.
“Perfect day for ice cream,” he greeted.
She only smiled in response, insecure and unsure of herself.
“I’m Alec Mazur,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Elena VanStraaten,” she replied, shaking his hand firmly. “This is my sister, Teresa.”
Her sister grinned and bit into her ice cream cone.
“Girls, let’s get home before your mother realizes where we’ve gone and accuses me of spoiling your dinner.”
“I’ve gotta go,” Elena said, nodding in embarrassment at her dad.
“Nice to meet you, Elena VanStraaten. Enjoy your dinner.” Again, he smiled.
Her sister nudged her and pulled her out of the Ice Cream Shoppe by the hand, laughing the entire way.
She heard the high heels clicking down the dock toward her even before she heard the voice gently call out, “What are you doing out here, Laney?”
Looking over her shoulder, she admired her sister’s athletic form in her fitted black dress. Her tan legs were bare and toned. “Remembering,” she answered softly.
“There’s a lot to remember.” She could hear the smile in her sister’s voice. Teresa slipped out of her heels and awkwardly maneuvered herself and her short dress into a seated position beside her sister on the end of the dock. “A lot of good.”
“A lot of good,” Elena repeated with a nod, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
“A realtor was showing the place next door when I pulled in. Maybe you’ll get some neighbors.”
Elena only responded with a noncommittal hum.
She sat with her sister in silence for a few minutes, studying the minnows nipping at her toes without really seeing them. Finally, she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to look across the lake. A couple of houses down from what they fondly had referred to as the Mazur compound, a man stood on his dock, appearing to glance in their direction. He wore dark pants and a light buttoned down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Teresa sighed and softly suggested, “We better get going.”
“Yeah.” Elena pushed herself to her feet and reached down to help her little sister up. “I just want to get this done and put it behind me.”
When Elena looked into her sister’s eyes, they were filled with sorrow and sympathy.
“Stop it, Teresa,” she muttered, moving past her and walking toward the cottage.
***
Elena VanStraaten Mazur had come home. He tried to be subtle as he watched her sitting on the end of the dock with her toes in the water. He hadn’t seen her in ten years, but he could still close his eyes and envision every detail of her gorgeous legs and her cute little toes. He had been more than half in love with her for more than half of his life, but he’d never even considered telling her. She had been Alec’s long before he had even met her. And she was still Alec’s.
But now she had bought the cottage across the lake from his own. The rumor mill said she might be spending more than just the summer there. And for the first time in ten years, he was going to see her and speak to her.
But first he had to let her bury her husband.
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