Lakeside Cottage Read Online Free PDF Page A

a supportive extended family. She was grateful for those things and almost ashamed to catch herself craving more, wishing things could be different.
    Still, sometimes when she saw a happy couple together, embracing and lost in each other, she felt a deep pang of emptiness. Being in love looked so simple. Yet it had never happened to her.
    Long ago, she’d believed with all her heart that she and Nathan had been in love. Too late, she found out that what she thought she had with him had no solidfoundation, and when tested by the reality of her pregnancy, their relationship had broken apart, the pieces drifting away like sections of an ice floe.
    As she unloaded the cart, Kate felt the John Deere guy watching her. She was sure of it, could sense those shifty eyes behind the glasses. He was two lanes over and his back was turned, but she knew darned well he’d been staring just a second ago. He was probably checking to see if she used food stamps.
    None of your business, she thought. And you do too have a mullet. She glared at the broad, plaid shirt–covered shoulders.
    She finished checking out, marveling at the amount of the bill. Ah, well. Starting over took a little capital up front. She swiped her debit card through the machine and got an error message. Great, she thought, and swiped it again. “Please wait for cashier,” the machine flashed.
    “I don’t think my card’s working,” Kate said, handing it to her.
    The cashier took it and put in the numbers manually. “I’m sorry, ma’am. The card’s been declined.”
    Declined. Kate’s stomach dropped, but she fumbled for a smile. “I’ll write you a check,” she said, taking out her checkbook.
    “We can only accept local checks,” the cashier said apologetically.
    Kate glanced at the couple behind her. “I’ll pay in cash, then,” she muttered. “You do accept cash, right?”
    “Have you got enough?” Aaron asked. His piping voice carried, and she knew the lumberjack guy could hear.
    She pursed her lips and counted out four twenties, a ten and two ones, and thirty-three cents change. It was all the cash she had on hand. She looked at the amounton the cashier’s display. “Check your pockets, Aaron,” she said. “I’m two dollars and nine cents short.”
    I hate this, she thought while Aaron dug in his Levi’s. I hate this.
    She kept a bland smile in place, though her teeth were clenched, and she avoided eye contact with the cashier or with the couple behind her.
    “I got a quarter and a penny,” Aaron said, “and that’s it.” He handed it over.
    “I’ll have to put something back.” Kate wished she could just slink away. “I’m sorry,” she said to the older couple. She reached for the bag of Cheetos, their favorite guilty pleasure.
    “Not the Cheetos. Anything but the Cheetos,” Aaron whispered through clenched teeth.
    “Don’t do that,” said a deep, quiet voice behind her. “It’s covered.”
    Even before Kate turned to look at him, she knew it was the guy. The mullet man, rescuing her.
    She took a deep breath and turned. Go away, she wanted to tell him. I don’t need you. Instead, she said, “That’s not necessary—”
    “Not a problem.” He handed two dollars to the cashier and headed out the door with his sack of groceries.
    “Hey, thanks,” said Aaron.
    The man didn’t turn, but touched the bill of his cap as he went outside.
    Thoroughly flustered, Kate helped sack the groceries and load them into the cart. She hurried outside, hoping to catch the guy before he left. She spotted him in a green pickup truck, leaving the parking lot.
    “That was real nice of him, huh?” said Aaron.
    “Yep.”
    “You forgot to tell him thank-you.”
    “I didn’t forget. I was…startled, and then he took off before I could say anything.”
    “You weren’t startled,” he said. “You were embarrassed.”
    She opened her mouth to object. Then she let her shoulders slump. “Totally humiliated.” For Aaron’s sake, she