Chapter Seventy-Four

“Alright, surprise me,” I smiled and headed to the porch, taking a seat on the lounge furniture. The view of the lake was spectacular with the sun setting, hardly any boats traveled the waters, which was the nicest part about the lake. Chewing on the bottom of my lip, I recalled fifteen years ago when the lake had been unusually full of boaters. Swallowing, I dipped my head down, unable to look out at the water. I shouldn’t have been so affected looking out at the lake where I lost my father, not when so much time had passed. I leaned forward, my hand finding my chest while I breathed deeply. 

Coming here was a terrible idea. My anxiety was linked to this lake and the timeframe.

The sliding door caught my attention, and I leaned back in the chair. “Here you go,” Portia handed me a glass with an orange peel in the amber liquid on ice. “Now, tell me what’s new?”

Thankful for her distraction, I found my breath again an