AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Why can't we go now?"
"Because I have to deal with…something," he said, his gaze moving toward the house.
"The lady is making you mad," he observed.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
"I like it here. Can we stay here after the summer ends?"
"I don't know. Probably not. But there's a new adventure waiting just around the corner." His dad stiffened as the woman came out onto the back deck. "Stay here."
He watched his dad move up the steps to the deck. "What did he say?" his father asked.
"He wants to talk to you in person."
"Dammit!"
Decker jumped at the sound of his dad's loud, angry voice. "Dad?" he questioned.
"Stay here," his father ordered. Then he and the lady went into the house.
"Decker?"
Chloe's voice brought him back to the present, but his heart was still thudding against his chest.
"Where did you go?" she asked.
"Just thinking about when we stayed here."
"It didn't look like a happy memory."
"I'm not sure what it was. I was out here, and I wanted to go swimming. My dad was arguing with a woman. I don't know who she was."
"Was it a girlfriend? You came here after your mom died, right?"
"Yes. The lady in my mind seems older than him. Not a girlfriend." He frowned, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I don't even know why I came here."
"Something about your stay here is bothering you," she said.
"I don't know why. It was a long time ago."
"But…"
He met her gaze. "Ever since Joel told me he was working here, I started having weird dreams about our trip, bits and pieces of memories that make little sense. I don't know why there's something tugging at my brain."
"But there is something. Maybe it has to do with the argument you witnessed. You said you came here on vacation, but your dad was upset, and he was arguing with a woman. That makes it seem like he had a reason to come here besides just wanting to visit the lake."
He nodded. "It feels that way, but it doesn't matter. We should go."
"I bet we could find out who owned this house thirty years ago," Chloe said. "My friend Keira used to be a real-estate agent. She lives in Miami now and is pursuing a career as a fashion designer, but she has a manager running her real-estate business here in town. I'm sure someone in her office could track down the title."
"We probably rented this house. The title wouldn't matter."
"They might. Let's see who your dad might have rented it from."
He gave her a thoughtful look. "Don't you have enough to do, Chloe?"
"Yes, but I'm intrigued."
