Chapter 160

The chauffeur had to drive slowly after he turned onto the dirt drive that led to the cabin. The van couldn’t handle the ruts and rocks of the driveway like Victor’s pickup truck did.

Despite his caution, we bounced along for several minutes until the van stopped.

When we saw water from a small side window, I unhooked my seatbelt. William and I hurried out of the van and down to the dock as soon as the van stopped in front of the cabin.

I put my hands in the air and cheered. I was back, and the lake was as beautiful as the last time I was here.

We sat on the dock together, took off our shoes, and soaked our feet while we watched the water. A large trout jumped nearby, and I giggled with delight.

We didn’t realize how much time had passed until Lily sent the chauffeur to tell us lunch was ready.

“Did the chauffeur make our picnic lunch, or did your mother?” I asked on our way to the table that was set up on the cabin’s front porch.

“Neither. Our cook was sitting up front next to the chauffeur,” William replied. “You couldn’t see her behind the TV.”

“She didn’t need to come,” I said. “I would have made us burgers and stuff.”

William laughed. “Mom and Dad don’t eat burgers and stuff.”

“What do they eat at a picnic?” I kept my voice low because we were almost to the cabin.

“You’ll see,” he replied.

Lily’s idea of picnic food was tasty but not what I expected.

There were crab stuffed mushrooms and caviar for appetizers, tender, and juicy steaks for our entree, and crème brûlée for dessert.

There wasn’t a hotdog, burger, or potato chip in sight.

“Daisy, have you and Victor set a date yet?” Lily asked.

I froze as I was putting a stuffed mushroom into my mouth. “Set a date?” I repeated.

“For your wedding, dear,” Lily explained. “You need to set a date and reserve a venue. The best venues are booked early.”

What should I say? There wasn’t going to be a need for a venue because there wasn’t going to be a wedding.

“No … um … we haven’t duh …decided yet,” I stammered. “Maybe …maybe next summer.”

“My, you have a bad case of bridal nerves, don’t you?”

“Yeah, getting married is scary,” I agreed. Did she know the engagement wasn’t real? Lily sometimes made me feel like she could look right through me.

William sensed my discomfort. “She’ll let you know if she needs a wedding planner, Mom.”

“Of course, she needs a wedding planner,” Lily responded. “First, they need to set a date.”

“Tell me about the cabin,” I said, hoping to change the subject from my wedding. “When was it built, Mr. James?”

Mr. James was delighted to talk about the cabin, including the high price he paid for it.

After we ate the delicious meal, William took my hand, and we began to rush back to the dock to take the boat out onto the water.

“Don’t forget we’re leaving in a few hours,” Lily called after us. “Don’t stay out there all day.”

William waved to her, and we ran the rest of the way to the boat.

We climbed in and let the boat’s small motor take us around the perimeter of the shoreline, enjoying the sun and fresh air.

I spotted a pair of raccoons and a fox getting a drink and two deer grazing on the high grass near the water's edge. This place was peaceful and quiet, yet it teemed with life.

Then William steered us into the very middle of the water and let us slowly drift toward the western shore. We floated along with the tiny ripples caused by the breeze.

I lay down on the floor of the boat and looked up at the clouds beginning to gather in the sky. I smiled as my mind turned them into familiar shapes.

“You look completely happy,” William said.

“I could live here,” I giggled. “Laying here in this boat is like the ultimate water bed.”

“This place suits you.” William took out his phone and took a picture of me lying in the boat. I made faces and stuck my tongue out at him when he kept taking photos of me.

After laughing at my demands that he delete the photos, he stood in the boat to replace the phone in his pocket and lost his balance.

I screamed when the boat rocked. I was sure he would fall into the water and maybe capsize the boat. But William managed to regain his balance. Unfortunately, his phone fell into the water with a plop.

“Crap,” he muttered and leaned over the water to look for his phone.

But it was gone. The lake had claimed it as its own.

I sat up. “Oh no. Is the water deep here?”

“Too deep for me to dive for it,” William said. “Don’t worry. I’ll have another phone tomorrow. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

We talked and let our fingers trail in the water until we had to admit it was going to rain.

William started the boat’s motor. “We better get back to the cabin. The wind is picking up fast.”

The wind whipped my hair, and the sky began to spit rain as the boat raced across the water.

“Hurry,” I urged William after thunder rumbled ominously.

We arrived at the dock moments before a horrible storm hit the area. Lightning struck the lake just after we left the dock. The jarring crack of thunder made us run to the cabin and hurl ourselves inside.

Quickly, the wind and lightning became more intense, and it rained hard enough to make the cabin windows seem opaque.

I tried not to show how scared I was and told myself it was only a bad storm. But I clung to William until the lightning and thunder eased.

Although the thunder sounded further in the distance, it continued to rain like an ocean was being poured over the land. And by dinner time, the rain still hadn’t stopped.

“I want to go home,” Lily said as she glared out the window at the storm. “Maybe we could make a run for the van.”

“I'm not running through this storm,” Mr. James declared. “We will wait for it to stop.”

The soaking-wet chauffeur came in from the porch and approached Mr. James. “I’m afraid we won’t be traveling back to the city today, sir. The rain isn’t stopping, and the road out of here is underwater from a creek that flows into the lake.”

“Are you sure?” Lily asked. “I don't want to stay overnight in this cabin.”

“I’m afraid we have no choice,” the chauffeur insisted. “It will be hours after the rain stops or maybe even sometime tomorrow before we can safely travel back to the city. There are trees down everywhere.”

I pulled out my phone. “If we’re staying, I must call Alex and Victor so they don’t worry.”

“Good idea,” William agreed a second before the electricity went out, and we found ourselves sitting in darkness.

I pressed the buttons on my phone, but it wouldn’t light up. The battery was dead from texting with William on the way here.

“Drat. Does anyone have a phone I can use?” I asked as the chauffeur lit several candles. “My battery is dead.”

“I’m afraid we didn’t bring ours,” Lily replied. “William, let her use yours.”

He sighed. “Mine fell into the lake. Maybe the power will come back on soon, and she can charge her phone.”

William started a fire in the fireplace, and we sat on the couch to get warm and watch the flames dance in the darkness.

After we ate the sandwiches the cook brought us for dinner, William’s parents made their way through the dark to go upstairs to bed.

William and I sat together on the couch, waiting for the power to come back on or the storm to stop. It was cozy, and I was no longer afraid. The warmth of the fire and the sound of the rain was making it hard for me to keep my eyes open.

But I felt terrible because I knew Alex would be worried about me if I didn’t go home tonight. However, I doubted Victor would notice if he didn’t hear from me. I’m sure he was out in the town enjoying himself.

As I dozed off next to William in the firelight, I didn't know how wrong I was.