Lakeside Love (A Mill Creek Crossing Romance) Read online

  “He’s a stupid jackass, Erica. This isn’t about you. It’s about him. He’s the one lacking here, not you. This has nothing to do with being good enough. You are more than enough for any man. You just haven’t found the right one yet.”

  “I spent years with him, Callie. Years of my life wasted that I will never get back. I just don’t know if I have it in me to start all over. I don’t think Mr. Right is out there for me…”

  “Of course he is, sweetie,” Callie said putting her arms around Erica’s petite waist. “You just have to take a shower before you can find him.” Callie’s joke sent Erica into hysterical laughter, which represented the first time in days she’d cracked a smile.

  “Wow, laughing hurts,” Erica said holding her side. “My muscles must be turning to mush…”

  “That’s because you have to get out of this apartment and start living again. And, I came here with the perfect plan to help you do just that!” Callie said with her trademark grin as she pulled Erica back over to the sofa.

  “What kind of plan?” Erica eyed her with her usual suspicious face. Callie was always concocting some crazy plan, and Erica was always silly enough to go along for the ride.

  Over the next few minutes, Callie explained to Erica she had a cousin who owned a cabin on a small lake in the mountains. As spring was starting to bloom all across the Georgia landscape, Callie told Erica she thought getting out of the city for a week or two might be the best thing for her. Of course, Erica would have to convince her boss to give her a little bit more time off than her honeymoon had originally been planned for.

  After some prodding, Erica finally agreed she needed a change of scenery. She called her boss, who had been at the “fiasco”, and explained she required some time off. Thankfully, her boss understood and gave her a couple of weeks to get her head together before coming back to work. Erica was all set to go to the mountains and clear her mind of all things Max.

  Chapter 3

  After the two hour drive to the north Georgia mountains, Erica was tired. It was only mid morning, but her body and mind were still wracked with exhaustion. She wasn’t sure, but she thought this might be what depression felt like.

  She'd never experienced depression before in her whole life, but what Max had done had rocked her to the core. They'd had such a close relationship for so many years that she never would've imagined he could concoct such a plan. At the core of their relationship, she had always thought they were great friends. But was this how a friend would treat another friend? Abandonment? Betrayal?

  As she pulled into the driveway of the log cabin, Erica felt a moment of peace. She stepped out of her small compact car and started to walk around the property to get a feel for where she would be staying for two weeks. She walked up to the large wraparound front porch of the log cabin and looked from left to right. Lined with rocking chairs, she could imagine herself sitting out there having her morning coffee and listening to the birds that were so prevalent in early spring.

  As she walked around the back of the property, she could hear the gravel driveway crunching beneath her feet. It was so completely quiet and serene in this area, she knew she would never be bothered by anyone or anything. Behind the property was a beautiful view of the north Georgia mountains, along with a small lake. She walked down the gentle incline to the shore and noticed a canoe. There was also a small dock where she could sit and fish or climb into the canoe and take a short ride across the pond.

  She made her way up to the back of the house, which had a large deck overlooking the mountains. Everything about this place screamed peace and quiet. This was just what she would need to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and memories of Max.

  She walked around to the front of the house again and found the hidden key that Callie's cousin told her about. As she unlocked the door, she walked into a rustic masterpiece. It was absolutely stunning inside. It should have been no surprise since she knew Callie's cousin was quite well off. In fact, he had cabins in several parts of North Georgia as well as a couple of beach houses. She wasn't sure what he did for a living, but she knew he had plenty of money to get by.

  She walked into the cabin and saw a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and top-of-the-line cabinets. There was also a separate eating area with a round rustic table. The living room was two-stories tall with floor-to-ceiling windows. There was a curved staircase going up to a loft. Of course, there were also bedrooms and bathrooms scattered throughout the cabin. It looked small outside, but it was a deep property with plenty of room for a family to live in.

  She took her bags into the master bedroom, which was on the upper level. It had a huge, rustic style king-sized bed. The adjoining bathroom had a large garden tub with jets, which she knew she would find particularly helpful in easing her weary muscles. The long trip up to the mountains had done nothing for the exhaustion in her body.

  As she sat down the bed, she listened to the quiet for a few moments. She never really heard quiet in the city. There were always honking horns, slamming doors and people talking. To some extent, the noise had helped to drown out all of the emotions and feelings she was having since being stood up at the altar. Now there would be nothing between her and her thoughts; nothing but the silence of the north Georgia mountains.

  And the silence was already becoming deafening. She decided it might be a good idea to drive into town and see where she was. She needed to pick up some basic supplies at the local grocery store and get a feel for any local restaurants she might want to visit. Her plan wasn't to stay inside the cabin for an entire two weeks. She could've continued on doing that at her apartment … she actually did that for the last few weeks. That's what led to this little two week excursion to the mountains in the first place.

  She grabbed her purse and locked up the cabin. As Erica drove down the mountain and into the small city of Mill Creek Crossing, she felt like she been transported back in time. Only a few people were milling about on the sidewalks of the small city square. Of course, it was mid morning on a Wednesday, so most people were probably at work. Surrounded by mountains, the tiny little town seemed like something from the 1950s.

  She noticed an old time drugstore, a small grocery store and the coffee shop. She figured she'd spend a lot of time at the coffee shop since it was the only thing that was really familiar to her from the city. There were other little places along the square such as a barber shop with one of those real twirling red, white and blue lights outside. Amazingly, people waved at her when she got out of her car even though she didn't know anyone. Southern hospitality was seeping out of every pore of the cozy mountain town. She decided to head for the diner on the corner because she’d forgotten to eat breakfast before driving the two hours from the city.

  When she walked inside, she was a little taken aback by the decor. It had Southern charm, but it was over-the-top tacky for sure. The name of the diner was “Stella’s”. She looked around trying to figure out who Stella might be, but to no avail.

  “Hi, honey! Welcome to Stella’s. Just you today?” a sweet, very Southern, woman asked. She was wearing a full pink waitress uniform with a lacy white apron. The scene reminded her of an old TV show her mom used to watch called “Alice”.

  “Yes, just me,” Erica said softly as she was reminded that, yes, she was alone. All alone. Left at the altar. Her mind started to wander as the waitress led her to a booth by the window.

  “I’m Gracie. What can I get ya to drink?” she asked pulling a pencil out from behind her right ear.

  “I’ll take a coffee please. Cream and sugar,” Erica said with a forced smile.

  “Alrighty. I’ll be right back with your coffee.” Gracie handed her a menu and walked behind the long counter up front.

  Erica stared out the window watching seemingly happy people pass by her. There was a mother with two small children, all holding hands and singing. There was a man walking his boxer dog and chatting with a friend. No one looked sad, and it reminded her
even more that she was. Like a picture postcard directly from Norman Rockwell himself, Mill Creek Crossing was reminding her that life went on, but she was stuck.

  “Here you go,” Gracie said as she set the coffee on the table. “What can I get you to eat honey?”

  “I’ll have a turkey club sandwich with fries and a sweet tea,” Erica said. She wasn’t counting calories anymore because there was no wedding dress to fit into anyway.

  “Got it. That’ll be up in just a few minutes,” Gracie said smiling as she took away the menu.

  Erica went back to looking outside. Just then, her cell phone buzzed away in her pocket. When she took it out to look at it, she was shocked to see Max’s number flashing on the screen. She wanted to hit decline, but curiosity got the better of her.

  “Hello?” she said in a flat tone devoid of any emotion.

  “Erica, it’s Max,” he said trying to sound concerned. She knew that voice.

  “What do you want?” Anger was already welling up inside of her as she heard him speak. What right did he have to call her?

  “I’m worried about you. My Mom said…”

  “Wait just a minute! You’re worried about me? Are you freaking serious?” she said louder than she should have in a quiet diner. People started to turn around as Gracie stared from behind the counter. Erica didn’t care. She was angry, and now was her chance to let Max know it.

  “Of course, I’m worried. I heard you left town…”

  “You have no right in the world to think about me, worry about me or even let my name cross your lips. You’re a lying, cheating piece of crap, Max!”

  “I know you’re angry with me, but if I can just explain…”

  “Explain what exactly? How you had a relationship with me for years, proposed, had me plan a big expensive wedding and then stood me up on my wedding day so you could screw your co-worker?” she said pointedly. “Is that what you wanted to explain? Because I already have quite a mental picture of that, Max.”

  “I just want you to know I never meant to hurt you, Erica. Rebecca and I are just better suited for each other. We fell in love…”

  “You can’t fall in love with someone unless you’re open to cheating on your partner … and you were, apparently. What I don’t get is why you didn’t have the balls to just tell me? Why humiliate me in front of our family and friends? Why do that to your own parents?” Her anger was boiling over, and containing it to a reasonable level she could display in public was becoming harder.

  “It was a mistake, I’ll admit that. I just didn’t want to disappoint anyone,” he said.

  “Well, you ended up doing just the opposite. You disappointed everyone. Congratulations. Look, I don’t have any more time to waste on you, Max. I’ve wasted years of my life already,” she said as she clicked the ‘end call’ button on her phone.

  Erica’s heart was racing, and her palms were sweating. She had so much adrenaline coursing through her veins, she felt like running down the street.

  “Here’s your food, honey,” Gracie said as she smiled down at Erica. She turned to walk away, but then turned back. “I couldn’t help but overhear your call.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry about that. I was a little loud…”

  “No, sweetie, I understand. I’ve had it happen to me,” Gracie said as she sat down across from Erica.

  “You were left at the altar?”

  “Yes, ma’m, I was. It was fifteen years ago. I had dated this man for four years, and he never showed up on our wedding day. Turned out, he was gay. Don’t know why he couldn’t figure that out a little sooner…”

  Erica almost spit out her coffee. “I’m sorry… You just caught me off guard with that one…” she said trying not to laugh.

  “Yeah, well he certainly caught me off guard with that one too!” Gracie said laughing. Erica joined in, and it felt good to laugh again. Maybe she would survive this after all. “Do you mind a little advice, woman to woman?”

  “I can use all the advice you have to offer,” Erica said regaining her composure.

  “You can’t change the past. All you can do is move forward from here. Don’t let any man steal who you are, or steal your joy. He ain’t worth it. Your path is set, and you need to find what your path is.”

  “Did you find your path?” Erica asked.

  “Yes, I did. About two years after our non-wedding, I met a wonderful man. His name is Randy, and we got married about eight years ago. He is my dream come true, and sometimes I look back and thank the good Lord I didn’t settle for the wrong man. Sometimes, we don’t know what’s best for us, and we have to walk through these trials to get to the good stuff.”

  “I hope there’s some good stuff left for me,” Erica said with a half-hearted smile.

  “Honey, there’s so much good stuff out there for you. You just have to be open to it. Don’t let what this scoundrel did destroy your faith in finding the right man for you. He’s out there, and he will find you when you least expect it.”

  “Thanks, Gracie. You’re my first friend in town. I’m glad we met,” Erica said.

  “Well, I still don’t know your name!” Gracie laughed as she stood up.

  “Oh, sorry. I’m Erica Dixon. I’m visiting for a couple of weeks.”

  “Well, nice to officially meet you, Miss Erica. I hope you’ll come by a lot while you’re here,” she said reaching down to touch her hand.

  “I’m sure I will,” Erica said as Gracie smiled and walked back to the counter to wait on another customer. With that, she started to dig into her lunch with renewed hope and a returned appetite. Mr. Right would find her, according to Gracie, so for now she was just going to enjoy her life and wait.

  Chapter 4

  Erica’s first day in Mill Creek Crossing was uneventful except for her phone call from Max. Somehow, being able to yell directly at him was just the tonic she needed to feel a little bit better. She certainly wasn’t over the trauma of her fiasco of a wedding day but she felt like she might be on the mend. Two weeks of peace and tranquility might be just what she needed, she thought to herself.

  As she sat on the deck of the cottage, she could almost hear the lake calling her name. As a child, her grandparent’s lake house had been her favorite place on Earth. Grandma Dixon was a big barrel of a woman who made the best oatmeal raisin cookies on the planet, as far as Erica was concerned.

  They often spent weekends at her lake house in Tennessee. The pontoon boat was a big hit with the kids, especially when they were able to ski and tube behind it. Just swimming around in the lake was fun on a hot summer day. Usually, they’d picnic down by the shore, having fried chicken, watermelon and peach cobbler until they were stuffed.

  Since it would be daylight for another few hours, Erica decided to go down and try her hand at canoeing across the lake. Although it wasn't huge, it was definitely bigger than a pond. She figured she’d row out to the middle and take a look at all the mountains surrounding her.

  It was still early enough in the spring that the evenings became quite cool in the north Georgia Mountains, so she threw on a pair of jeans and tennis shoes along with a T-shirt. She decided to carry a light jacket in case she needed it and walked out the door. As she headed down to the pond, she could see the flowers starting to bloom in the yard, and hear the birds singing in the trees. This further helped her to find a peaceful place in her mind where she didn't have to obsess about the issue with Max. Instead, she tugged on the old canoe until she had pulled it out far enough so she could get in. Keeping one foot on shore and one foot in the canoe, she pushed off into the water holding onto the oar for dear life.

  For the next few minutes, she rode out into the middle of the small lake. There were very few houses dotting the landscape around her. Most of them were way up on tall cliffs on the mountainside. Only one other house shared the shore of the lake as far as she could see. It was a beautiful log home with contemporary features situated almost directly across from the home she was renting.

 
The canoe was older, which was surprising because she knew Callie’s cousin would replace it if he came out there that often. At least it seemed to be holding water okay, so she slid into the floor and settled her back against the seat. Looking up at the perfect sky, she thought about her life.

  Making plans for the future alone was something she couldn’t have fathomed just a few weeks ago. Every plan she’d made in her adult life had included Max. They had plotted out where they would live one day, how many kids they would have, even what kind of dog they would get once they were settled into their new home. They would get an RV and travel the country later on, seeing all the sights with their kids and bulldog, Eddie. She could see it all in her mind so clearly.

  She thought about her own hopes and dreams. Did she want to be in marketing forever when her real dream was to be a writer? Why hadn’t she ever taken the plunge to try it? That was easy. Max had told her writing wasn’t practical for someone who’d gotten a college degree. He said most writers were broke and didn’t make any money. He said art was a hobby, not a career, and to him writing was “art”. Why had she allowed him to steal her joy for something she truly wanted to do?