in the street and zoomed by on bicycles. Most
of the houses were like Missy's; small and modest, but well kept. As
he neared the center of town and the resort, the houses were larger.
When he turned onto Main Street, the waterfront homes that lined the
lakeshore looked beautiful. Set back at the end of long driveways,
with beautiful sweeping lawns leading down to private docks on the
lake.
He stopped to catch his breath before he entered
the convenience store for the papers. From there he ran across the
square to the Boathouse. He'd called ahead and hoped their order
would be ready to go. He spotted Ben sitting out on the deck and ran
up the steps.
Ben grinned at him. “Run, Forrest, run!”
Dan laughed. “Very funny. How you doing?”
“I'm good. Just catching some peace and some
sunshine before the day kicks in. You?”
“Yeah. I'm good.”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “I saw a breakfast
order with your name on it. I'm guessing I know who the Boathouse is
for?”
Dan shifted from one foot to the other. “You
do.”
Ben smiled. “Hey! I'm just busting your
balls, buddy. I think it's great. I was wondering how long it would
take the two of you.”
Dan met his eye. “It'll take us a little
while longer, yet. I still have to officially end it with Olivia.”
Ben nodded. “But it must have been over for
a while, really? I mean, you're here every weekend and she never came
with you.”
“Yeah,” said Dan. “I don't even
remember the last time we went out.”
“Then kick her to the curb of her and move
up here, like everyone else is doing!” Ben grinned.
“I'm seeing her tonight to finish it.”
“Good.”
“I need to get that breakfast and get back.”
Ben raised his eyebrows with a grin.
Dan bit his lip. “No. I'm worried about her.
I think she's more than worn out, Ben. I know she's been working a
lot, but I think she might be sick. She keeps going really pale, and
this morning she was all dizzy.”
“That doesn't sound good. Do you want me to
call Michael?”
What the hell did Michael have to do with
anything? Dan was going to take care of her himself!
Ben laughed out loud. “Jesus, Dan! Don't
look like that. He's a doctor. Didn't you know?”
Dan felt foolish. “No, I didn't. Still, I
don't think she'd be too happy if we did that. Would you text me his
number, just in case, though?”
“Will do, bud. Let's go find you that
breakfast so you can get back to her.”
Running back down Main Street, Dan spotted a For
Sale sign in the yard of one of the waterfront homes down at the end
of the road. He ran on, clutching the insulated delivery bag Ben had
put the food in. Move up here, like everyone else is doing .
That's what Ben had said. How could he do that though? He had to go
into the office everyday. He didn't really though, did he? That was
one of Olivia's rules. She made him and Steven go in every day—just
like she made him shave—because that was how she thought
things should be. He and Steven could work anywhere they could get
online. Why had he been allowing her to dictate everything? For that
matter, why had Steven?
He slowed to a walk as he turned onto Missy's
street. He knew why. Both he and Steven had been allowing it because
it was easier than standing up to her and arguing with her. He'd
always thought he was being wise, taking the path of least
resistance. Right now he was starting to think that what he’d
actually been was cowardly—and not very wise at all.
***
Missy opened her eyes when she heard the front
door open. She must have drifted off. She struggled to sit up when
Dan poked his head into the living room.
“Don't get up. You stay right there. I'll
get us some plates.”
She nodded. Her limbs felt like lead. She sank
gratefully back down, hoping she'd be able to muster the strength to
sit up by the time he came back. She'd never felt this tired
before—and she'd always known what an honest day's work felt
like. She smiled, listening to Dan bang around in
of the houses were like Missy's; small and modest, but well kept. As
he neared the center of town and the resort, the houses were larger.
When he turned onto Main Street, the waterfront homes that lined the
lakeshore looked beautiful. Set back at the end of long driveways,
with beautiful sweeping lawns leading down to private docks on the
lake.
He stopped to catch his breath before he entered
the convenience store for the papers. From there he ran across the
square to the Boathouse. He'd called ahead and hoped their order
would be ready to go. He spotted Ben sitting out on the deck and ran
up the steps.
Ben grinned at him. “Run, Forrest, run!”
Dan laughed. “Very funny. How you doing?”
“I'm good. Just catching some peace and some
sunshine before the day kicks in. You?”
“Yeah. I'm good.”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “I saw a breakfast
order with your name on it. I'm guessing I know who the Boathouse is
for?”
Dan shifted from one foot to the other. “You
do.”
Ben smiled. “Hey! I'm just busting your
balls, buddy. I think it's great. I was wondering how long it would
take the two of you.”
Dan met his eye. “It'll take us a little
while longer, yet. I still have to officially end it with Olivia.”
Ben nodded. “But it must have been over for
a while, really? I mean, you're here every weekend and she never came
with you.”
“Yeah,” said Dan. “I don't even
remember the last time we went out.”
“Then kick her to the curb of her and move
up here, like everyone else is doing!” Ben grinned.
“I'm seeing her tonight to finish it.”
“Good.”
“I need to get that breakfast and get back.”
Ben raised his eyebrows with a grin.
Dan bit his lip. “No. I'm worried about her.
I think she's more than worn out, Ben. I know she's been working a
lot, but I think she might be sick. She keeps going really pale, and
this morning she was all dizzy.”
“That doesn't sound good. Do you want me to
call Michael?”
What the hell did Michael have to do with
anything? Dan was going to take care of her himself!
Ben laughed out loud. “Jesus, Dan! Don't
look like that. He's a doctor. Didn't you know?”
Dan felt foolish. “No, I didn't. Still, I
don't think she'd be too happy if we did that. Would you text me his
number, just in case, though?”
“Will do, bud. Let's go find you that
breakfast so you can get back to her.”
Running back down Main Street, Dan spotted a For
Sale sign in the yard of one of the waterfront homes down at the end
of the road. He ran on, clutching the insulated delivery bag Ben had
put the food in. Move up here, like everyone else is doing .
That's what Ben had said. How could he do that though? He had to go
into the office everyday. He didn't really though, did he? That was
one of Olivia's rules. She made him and Steven go in every day—just
like she made him shave—because that was how she thought
things should be. He and Steven could work anywhere they could get
online. Why had he been allowing her to dictate everything? For that
matter, why had Steven?
He slowed to a walk as he turned onto Missy's
street. He knew why. Both he and Steven had been allowing it because
it was easier than standing up to her and arguing with her. He'd
always thought he was being wise, taking the path of least
resistance. Right now he was starting to think that what he’d
actually been was cowardly—and not very wise at all.
***
Missy opened her eyes when she heard the front
door open. She must have drifted off. She struggled to sit up when
Dan poked his head into the living room.
“Don't get up. You stay right there. I'll
get us some plates.”
She nodded. Her limbs felt like lead. She sank
gratefully back down, hoping she'd be able to muster the strength to
sit up by the time he came back. She'd never felt this tired
before—and she'd always known what an honest day's work felt
like. She smiled, listening to Dan bang around in
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