Lake Magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

one situation after another. She owed it to Steven—to herself—to find her own way out of this mess. Twenty-six years old. It was time to grow up.
    She took a deep breath. “Is that everything?”
    “Except for one detail.”
    She was almost afraid to ask. “Which is?”
    “If you are unable to repay Mr. Worth in full by the date specified, as an equal partner, he could force a liquidation of assets to reclaim his investment.”
    “Liquidation of assets?” What was he saying? Liquidation of . . . Her gaze shot up, collided with his.
    “Yes, Jenny, the plane.” His eyes softened, his voice dropped a notch lower. “The property.”
    “No.”
    Foolishly, she’d thought this day couldn’t get any worse. How wrong she’d been. She gripped her stomach tighter. “You mean I could lose Nana’s property?”
    At Paul’s nod, she felt the start of tears. She blinked, trying to will them away. She turned from her brother and fought for composure. Through the window, Hidden Lake glistened in the unusually bright May sun. As she stared at the achingly familiar water, she felt her anguish grow. She could not lose her property. She would not . Nana had left it to her so she and Steven could start their business. But it was more than that. That house was a part of her. While her brother and sister had been busy with other pursuits, Jenny had spent time on the sandy beach with her grandmother. Building sand castles, wading in the lake’s cool water. No matter how tough life got, she could always find solace on that little piece of land.
    Hearing what her brother was saying was too much. She needed time. Time to think this through and more time in which to repay Mr. Worth.
    But time was exactly what she didn’t have. Because if what Jared Worth had said was true, he’d be back on her doorstep tomorrow.

    Anna Adams stood in the middle of her master bedroom and listened to the din of the people below. She drew in a slow breath and fought to find her usual unruffled demeanor. But even as the voices changed, grew louder and slightly impatient, she knew they weren’t the cause of this uncharacteristic apprehension. Her gaze strayed to the phone by the bed. She took a step toward it, only to stop short. What good would another call do?
    A glance around the room assured her that everything was in its place. The intricately carved four-poster bed gleamed from a recent polish; faint traces of the lemony wax still hung in the air. Pressed Egyptian linens graced the bed. Silk curtains billowed around the windows. On the far wall an antique armoire housed a flat screen TV, and on the wall nearest the bedroom door hung the tapestry she and Phillip had purchased a little over thirteen years ago, during their honeymoon in France. A sharp pang of longing hit her, and she quickly looked away.
    A knock sounded at the bedroom door.
    “Yes?”
    Marie, their longtime housekeeper and cook, entered. Spotting her employer by the bay window, she broke out into a huge grin. “They’re ready.”
    “Thank you. I’ll be right down.”
    “This is so exciting.”
    Anna tried to answer, but the words stuck in her throat. For over three months, she’d been looking forward to this day. She’d prepared for it, planned for it, shopped for it, but now that it was here, she wished she could sweep it away. Looking at Marie, she longed for some of that same excitement but knew it was as elusive as a peaceful night’s sleep. All she could do was nod.
    “It’s too bad Dr. Adams couldn’t be here.”
    Dr. Adams . To Marie, it didn’t matter that both she and her husband were physicians. For her, Phillip would always be the only doctor in the house. “Y-yes.”
    “Your house. In a magazine.” Marie clasped her hands together in front of her, her wide grin still in place. “I’ve told my whole family.”
    “I have, too.” Anna felt a ghost of a smile hovering as she caught a tiny sliver of her housekeeper’s enthusiasm. “And thank you again