1. Summer

1

SUMMER

T his isn't the way it was supposed to be.

That's what I think, as my feet dangling over the lake water as I sit on the edge of the dock. This spot to perch is only fitting. It reminds me of that summer , after all.

The summer where I was stuck in a corner between the Nix brothers. Zac, my closest friend, who was without a clue that his brother Nash was more.

And here I am seven years later after having my heart broken… twice. But broken in two very different ways. That's what the Nix brothers do to a human. Or at least me.

The two brothers were always complete opposites. Zac was slim and not as tall, still attractive to most, even if he often had his nose in a book, whereas Nash was and still is the guy who has a bit of muscle and a look that is cocky and tense. His glances could slice the air in half, if that were possible. Maybe that's why hockey was his calling. He was Zac's Irish twin, only ten months older. But old enough for Nash to go into protective big-brother mode, which was my undoing .

Now my husband is gone.

Zac Nix is gone.

Our marriage wasn't what it seemed, but we cared for one another all the same, and we created a child from our hearts, which means I'll always have a piece of him. A ping hits my heart. He left us five months ago, and now I have a seven-month-old baby.

Cancer is a bitch, and the path he left behind wanders around corners too sharp.

Luckily, footsteps break my morbid thoughts.

"Hey, Summer, I saw you from the window by the lobby," my friend Lexi informs me.

I glance over my shoulder to be greeted with a smile and the backdrop of the Dizzy Duck Inn. The place where people escape Chicago for a weekend getaway. Even now, when the leaves begin to turn and the charm of lake swims and sailing fade away.

"Hey." My tone must sound somber to her.

She drags her shiny blonde locks up into a messy ponytail and sits down next to me.

Lexi nudges my shoulder. "Big day."

It causes a crack of a smile to break out. "No shit. I've had my playlist on repeat for the past three hours while I was handling payroll in the staffroom. How is the lookout going?"

She winces. "Sorry. I'm not on my A-game with my detective skills today. School drop-off was an adventure this morning. Holden and Lori might kill one another soon." A fond smile hits her face.

She's perfect for Holden, who runs the Dizzy Duck Inn, and Lexi is perfect as a stepmom too, even if the school moms get snooty at her for the age difference. I can only imagine that rearing a thirteen-year-old and an eleven-year-old doesn't come easy .

I give her an amused look. "Did we not establish that today we have priorities? Holden can deal with teenage angst for the team. I needed you to be Sherlock today."

"Well, you already know…" She's dreading to remind me.

I wave her off. "That he checked in? Yeah, I heard someone mention. But damn it, I need more clues or at least a giant bucket of ice cream from Jolly Joe's."

"Gosh, our local Lake Spark establishment never fails us. Cures everything. Did you hear the bubble gum ice cream is back?"

My nose squinches. "Disgusting. If I want bubble gum flavor, then I'll just grab the children's medicine from the pharmacy," I attempt to joke.

"I know, right?" I appreciate her effort to distract me.

This is a big day. My entire body is unsettled, and my heart isn't ready for this either.

Zac, a doctor, so meticulous, left behind a house that's mine, a child so perfect, and assurance that my support network of friends won't leave me to be alone. He also passed on without ever learning of the secret I carried.

I focus my gaze on the pines surrounding the other side of the serene lake. Blowing out a breath, I can't keep it in anymore. "Tell me I'm not heading toward a car crash that I've already been in?"

Lexi opens her mouth, a sound scraping out, only to close her lips as she considers her answer. "I'm sure it's fine. Everyone needs a former hockey star to argue with. Besides, Nash is Bo's uncle."

I laugh to myself. "Really? Could have fooled me. Nash Nix has a shitty way of showing it."

"Want me to come over later, see how it all goes?" she offers .

"Nah, I have a new bottle of white in my fridge. We're good. Besides it's almost twelve, so no need to doubt when to open the bottle." I don't even really drink except for the occasional dinner. But desperate times, desperate measures, right?

Lexi rubs my shoulder. "Good philosophy to have. You've got this."

"Thanks." My voice thins.

She begins to scurry up to leave me. "If you need anything at all, just send me an SOS."

"Will do." I sigh.

My eyes shift down to the ripples in the water beneath my sneakered feet; there must have been a tiny fish that jumped. As a kid, I would imagine there were pirates on the lake, with treasure along the bottom. A ridiculous notion considering we aren't far from the corn fields that surround us, once you escape the hills surrounding the lake. I only ever shared that secret with one person, and I'm not sure why. We shared many secrets, actually.

Some more earth-shattering than others.

And now that man is walking around Lake Spark.

Okay, find another thought, Summer.

My job. Yes, my job. I love my job managing the staff at the Dizzy Duck Inn. Brings me joy, and damn, the stories of what happens there can make anyone grab a seat and wish they could watch while eating popcorn. Thanks to Holden, I get to work around my schedule, too. Which has been a saving grace when balancing a baby and mourning a loss, even though I'm finding normalcy again.

This doesn't seem to detour the pit in my stomach.

Nash.

Occasionally, Nash would sweep into our life, or rather Zac's, at random moments, and despite time passing, they always picked up where they left off. Nash was so busy with his hockey life, after all. I scoff, because for someone who is all steely and confident on the ice, he avoids me or any situation where he had to face Zac and me as a couple. If our eyes ever met, then he would only take a few moments before he would ensure his eyes snapped in a new direction.

Damn it, Zac. What have you done? Leaving me.

Because I already feel the dread and fear, purely for the fact that Nash is in Lake Spark today to speak with Zac's lawyer about his testament. The part of his will that I have no clue the contents.

I've handled Zac's death well for the most part. Despite the anger he caused in me that I don't want to think about now, we had the chance to say goodbye, and he was insistent that it shouldn't be a sad moment. He promised to be winking at me from up in the sky. But I can't help feeling that he didn't tell me something.

He was a good soul, so kind and fun, but sometimes he would be lost in thought when Nash's name was mentioned, because he missed his tight bond with his brother that they once had.

Shit. Younger us really fucked up life slightly.

My nails begin to tap the wood that I'm sitting on. There is no way to sweep away the image of where Nash is right now. Probably strolling on Main Street, with the baking club ladies sitting on a bench all ogle-eyed. I bet he's flashing them a suave grin to rile them up. Right before his eyes catch sight of the new nurse in town that might be of interest, and the mere thought causes a cold shiver to run down my spine.

Summer, come on. Get it together. You have moved on like a storm heading east.

But then I feel him before I even hear the soft steps. My body stiffens, and I'm too late to take a calming breath.

My body feels like I've eaten a hot tamale, and I climb up to face Nash who takes over my vision. His gleaming brown eyes and his face with short stubble are unreadable, but it's still damaging. The maroon t-shirt hugs the curves of his broad shoulders, and his light brown hair is short as always.

Our eyes meet in a tense standoff, and words lodge in my throat. Nash doesn't bother examining any other part of my body because his piercing eyes have trapped me.

"Did you find your treasure yet?" That deep voice wraps around me.

I may fear him because it's due to him that I have a different path in life. And despite nearly hating this man… my heart thrums.