Changing Dreams (Bear Lake Dreamers Book 1) Read online

  He laughed. “Always. Have a good day, and I’m sure I’ll see you soon!”

  Hannah nodded, smiling as she moved onto the next customer.

  Nick thought a lot of Hannah, knowing she worked three jobs to try and make her dream come true. She had been working three jobs since she graduated from high school, and it wore him out just thinking about the sheer number of hours she had to work. He couldn’t imagine having to work that way, but if he had children, he guessed he would do what it took to feed them. Still, it was a hard way to live.

  He put the food into the front seat of his truck and started the engine. He wasn’t looking forward to Kami’s annoyance at him cooking dinner and not taking her out. He wasn’t sure why anyone would want to eat out every night of the week, but Kami did.

  When he pulled into his driveway, there was a car he didn’t recognize. He looked at it for a moment, noting the Utah plates and the car seat in the back. It was a small-sized SUV and looked like it was made for hauling children around. Nick couldn’t think of a single friend of Kami’s who had small children, but he certainly didn’t mind her having friends over.

  There was still snow covering the shrubs he’d planted on either side of the driveway, and the trees all had a light dusting. The snow was deep in front of the house, but he’d painstakingly removed it using a four-wheeler equipped with a snow plow. His driveway was long, and he didn’t think he could shovel it all. Well, he knew he could, but it would be hard work.

  Nick opened the door and noticed the lights were off, which was odd. If Kami was entertaining someone, she should be with them in the living room, shouldn’t she? He put the groceries on the counter and walked through the house to the master bedroom, where he could hear low voices. Pushing the door open, he stopped where he was, in shock.

  Kami was in bed with a man he didn’t know.

  He cleared his throat. “When you’re finished, I’d like to talk to you, Kami.” He was surprised he didn’t feel hurt by it. After all, they’d been together for two years. All he felt was relief. He could get rid of her now, and he wouldn’t even feel an ounce of guilt for it.

  He closed the door and walked back to the kitchen, intent on cooking his supper. She wouldn’t be eating it with him as planned, but he was still going to enjoy his meal—the first meal he’d eaten at home in a good long while.

  He was just finishing up browning the meat when Kami walked into the kitchen, wrapped in a bathrobe. “I guess you finished? Did you tell your friend to leave?” Nick asked, not bothering to give her more than a cursory glance.

  She sighed. “I did. I’m sorry you had to catch us that way, but a woman has needs. You should have been treating me like a princess and making love to me every night instead of being so worried about your career.” She crossed her arms over her chest, obviously ready for a fight.

  He looked at her then, wondering what he’d ever seen in her. Her blond hair was obviously from a bottle, though she still denied it. She always seemed to think she was better than the people around her, and he got sick of apologizing for her. No, there were no feelings left inside him for her. “So, I was planning on finishing the job I’m working and taking a few days off to pack and help you get out of my house. You’ve saved me the trouble. Leave. Now.”

  “You can’t mean that, Nick. I know you love me.” She stepped closer to him, pressing herself against him.

  All he felt was disgust. She hadn’t even showered after having sex with someone else, and she was trying to offer herself to him? He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away from him. “No. I don’t. Leave. I’ll pack your things up this weekend and put them on the doorstep Monday morning before I leave for work. If anything is still here when I get home Monday evening, I’ll burn it. Every last thing.”

  Her face flushed with anger, her eyes narrowing. “You can’t do this to me! Where am I supposed to go?”

  “Your parents live thirty minutes from here. Your lover in there can take you home with him. I really don’t care where you go, Kami, as long as I don’t have to put up with you for another minute.”

  “What are you doing home early anyway?” she asked, tapping her foot with her arms tightly crossed against her chest. She obviously wasn’t giving up without a fight.

  Nick saw the man she’d been in bed with flee the house, and he chuckled. “Look at that. Your lover boy was afraid I’d hurt him over you. Not happening. You don’t matter enough for me to fight anyone.”

  Kami raised a hand to slap him, but he caught it in the air before it connected.

  “You’re a cold-hearted jerk.”

  He shook his head. “Go away, Kami. I’m tired of looking at you.” He dropped her hand and turned to drain the grease off his meat into a coffee can he kept for just such a purpose. He had no need to speak with her again. She just needed to do as she was told for once in her miserable life.

  “What about the wedding invitations? They’re already out!”

  He didn’t even respond as he filled a pot with hot water and put it on to boil. She could deal with the invitations. She could show up for the wedding for all he cared, but he wasn’t spending another dime on it, and he wouldn’t be there. He preheated the oven for the garlic bread and added the sauce to the meat. He’d start packing right after supper. He whistled as he finished seasoning the pasta sauce and walked around to sit on one of the barstools he’d carved out of an old oak tree. Everything in his cabin was handmade and of the best quality. And she was throwing it—and him—away. Good riddance to her.

  “Nick, please, if you’ll just listen to me.”

  He pulled the air pods he used while he worked from his pocket and stuck them in his ears, hearing the audio book he’d been listening to come through the speakers loudly and clearly.

  Finally, Kami got the hint, and she hurried off to change into real clothes and get out of his house. At least that’s what he hoped she was doing. He wasn’t putting up with any more of her nonsense, and if she came back out in her robe, Nick was going to throw her out in the snow still wearing it. It wouldn’t hurt him even a little bit to do so.

  Thankfully, he didn’t have to go to that extreme, and she stomped out into the hallway, glaring at him. She said something to him, but he couldn’t hear it over his book, and he watched as she left with a small suitcase and the clothes on her back.

  He picked up his phone and called the grocery store, hearing his book pause and the call go into his AirPods. “I need some moving boxes? Do you have any extra lying around?”

  “Nick?” the voice asked.

  “Hannah? Yeah, it’s Nick. Kami’s moving out, and I need to pack her stuff up this weekend before she gets back.”

  There was silence for a moment. “We have boxes. Come and get them when you’re ready.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I finish eating. Thanks. Make sure someone knows I’m coming.” Nick was sure she was leaving for the day. It was time for her second job.

  “I will. I’m about to head to Coopers, so I’ll make sure the manager gives them to you. Sorry. I hoped she was the one for you.”

  Nick smiled at the friendliness. He had tried dating Hannah once in school, but neither of them had felt anything for the other. He thought they were probably too much alike for things to work out between them. They’d stayed friends, though, and he was glad. “Thanks. I already knew she was not the woman I was looking for, but I appreciate the sympathy.” With those words, he ended the call and went to check on his spaghetti. He was hungry, and he was going to enjoy his meal, no matter what kind of chaos was going on around him.

  Five

  Alyssa finished her last showing of the day, and because she had no plans for the weekend, she went to the grocery store so she could spend the entire weekend at home, ensconced in front of the fire, watching movies. Or maybe she’d re-binge watch something. That was always fun.

  As she was looking at the different cheeses, trying to decide which one to have with crackers and summ
er sausage over the weekend, her phone rang, and she pulled it out. She half-hoped it was a client who wanted to see something over the weekend so she wouldn’t feel so dreadfully alone, but instead, it was her mother.

  “Hey, Mom. What’s happening in your world?”

  Her mother’s voice was sweet and soothing, and Alyssa always felt better after talking to her. She was definitely closer to her mother than she was her father. All of her sisters felt like they were closer to their dad, but not her. She’d take her mother any day of the week.

  “I just wanted to let you know that your father and I are going up to the lake for the weekend.”

  “Oh, that’s awesome.” Alyssa considered asking to go with them for a moment, but she decided against it. She needed to be on call for her clients. “If you run into Hannah, give her a big hug for me.”

  “You know I will. Oh, and I have a professional question . . .”

  Alyssa smiled. That was the real reason her mother was calling. She didn’t usually check in with her daughters when she wanted to spend some time out of town. There was no need, as they were all adults. Only Lauren still lived at home, and that was because she’d just graduated from college in December. With a liberal arts degree, no less. What was she supposed to do with a liberal arts degree? Alyssa had offered her a job working for her, but she’d have to get her real estate license, and Lauren was sure she didn’t want to do sales. What else could she do with a liberal arts degree, though?

  “I’m here to be your real estate expert.” She found the cheese she wanted and dumped it in the cart, moving down to get some skim milk to eat over her cereal. Crunch Berries were in order, and she didn’t care at all what Tim thought about it.

  “I’m so glad, because I don’t have any other daughters with your expertise.” There was amusement in her mother’s voice, and that thrilled Alyssa. Her mother had the best sense of humor, and she was so drawn to it. “We’re thinking about selling the lake house. We only make it up there every few months, and we’re paying more for maintenance than we’re getting use out of it. What do you think it’s worth?”

  “No!” Alyssa couldn’t imagine losing the house where she had so many wonderful memories. She could close her eyes and picture sitting on the front porch swing or having a water balloon fight on the back deck while her father grilled burgers for them for supper. She could see the fireworks display they had always watched from the yard, put on right there in Richland. It would break her heart to not have the house available to them.

  “Alyssa, none of you girls have been to the lake house in at least three years. Why would we keep it when there’s another family who can buy it and make the same kind of happy memories we have in it?”

  “I guess I just like knowing it’s there, so I can go whenever I want to.” Someone reached around her for butter, because she’d stopped in the middle of the aisle, unable to move any farther. She moved out of the way, but she couldn’t keep shopping. Not while talking about this.

  “I know. But it’s not logical or economical. Your dad and I are thinking about getting a condo in Arizona. It’s time we were in a warmer climate.”

  Alyssa closed her eyes against the tears. Not the lake house. Anything but the lake house. “It’s probably worth between five hundred to six hundred thousand, depending on the market at the lake. Do you want me to find a real estate agent to help you with the sale?”

  “That would be really nice, if you don’t mind. I know it’s not what you want, but I think it’s what your father and I need. We’ll spend summers at the house in Kaysville and winters in Arizona. Or maybe Florida. We’re thinking of looking near Disney because when the grandbabies start coming, we’ll want to be able to take them. Hint hint.”

  Alyssa laughed softly. “When do you leave for the lake?”

  “We’re on the road now. Go ahead and text me the name of the real estate agent, because you know how bad service is between here and the lake.”

  “All right. It’s no problem.” But it was. It really was. The lake house.

  Alyssa tucked her phone back into her purse and continued her shopping trip, but now all she could think about was the lake house. About the beautiful little town of Richland, Idaho and how very much she missed it.

  As she checked out, she thought about seeing a friendly face at the register like she would have in Richland. Maybe it was time for her to visit the lake house. One last weekend with all of them there before the house sold. They could pack and cry and reminisce. She felt like a part of her childhood was being sold—the most important part.

  When she got home, she found the name of a real estate agent for her mother and texted it to her, not wanting to help but not wanting to stand in her parents’ way either. She was so conflicted about the whole thing. Couldn’t they rent it out weekly for vacationers and use it when they wanted? There had to be other options than selling. It was too important to sell.

  Alyssa ate an entire box of Junior Mints, calling her sister, Taylor, who was two years younger than her. “Hey, Taylor. Did Mom call you?”

  “No . . . why would Mom call me?” Taylor asked, sounding confused.

  “She called me to ask for the name of a real estate agent in Idaho. They’re selling the lake house.” Alyssa had no doubt her sister would feel the same way she did. They’d shared too much in that house.

  “No!”

  Alyssa heard the same panic in her sister’s voice that she’d felt herself. “Yup. She says we never use it, and they want to move to Arizona or Florida.”

  “Way to be clichéd retired people, Mom and Dad.” Taylor was quiet for a moment. “They’re really going to sell?”

  “Mom asked me what I thought they’d get for it and asked for a name. She said they’re spending one last weekend and talking to someone about selling. I don’t want to see it go.”

  “I don’t either. I want to sit here and cry.”

  “Well, depending on where you are, that’s not a terrible thing to do. I was in the grocery store when she told me.” Alyssa shook her head. “I wanted to sit down in the middle of the aisle and bawl like a baby. I did cause something of a traffic jam in the dairy section.”

  “I’m at work.” Taylor was a hotel manager for a swanky hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.

  “Well, you probably shouldn’t cry, then. You don’t want to scare the guests away.”

  “Oh, I want to scare some of them away,” Taylor responded. “Hang on.” Alyssa listened to hold music for a minute before her sister came back on the line. “Sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kept you on the phone so long while you were at work. I’ll call you when I know more. And you need to help me work on Mom and Dad. I think if we all show an interest in the house and going up there, they’ll change their minds. They have to.”

  “You call the others. We’ll all get together and make a plan. Save the lake house!”

  Alyssa smiled. Taylor always made plans, and they were usually viable. “Save the lake house!”

  After she ended the call, Alyssa called her other sisters one by one. Next, she called Amanda. “Hey, have you talked to Mom and Dad?”

  “Not recently. I mean, I talk to Mom every weekend. Why? Did something happen to them?”

  “Not at all. They’re just thinking about selling the lake house.”

  “Not the lake house!” Amanda practically shouted. “Well, that was unprofessional. I’m finishing up a job. I’m just glad my clients aren’t home!” Amanda was an interior decorator, and she’d done Alyssa’s house. She made everything feel so homey for her, which was exactly what Alyssa had needed. Alyssa often recommended her to clients looking for decorating help.

  “That’s what Taylor said. Me too, actually. Taylor thinks we all need to get together and make a plan to talk them out of selling. You up for it?”

  “As long as you’re hosting. Your house is the biggest.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll even make some snacks, and we’ll have a sister
party.” Alyssa loved the idea of her lonely weekend being filled with her sisters and plans for keeping the lake house.

  “Sounds good. How’s two?” Amanda asked.

  “I’ll text Taylor and see. I think she’s the only one who might be working this weekend.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll bring soft drinks. You still drink Coke?”

  Alyssa thought for a moment. She should drink Diet Coke, but she didn’t like the taste. “Yeah, Coke sounds good.”

  “Okay. See you tomorrow!”

  “Bye.”

  Alyssa started a list of what she needed from the grocery store if she was making snacks for her sisters. An impromptu sister party might be just what she needed. The others could call it a planning meeting, but for Alyssa, it felt like a party.

  She texted Taylor and got an immediate response that two was fine, so she went ahead with her other sisters.

  She called Kayla next, just going through the order of their births. When her sister answered the phone, Alyssa could hear the sound of power tools in the background. “Yeah!”

  “Hey, Kayla. I can hear you’re still at work, so I’ll be quick. Mom and Dad are planning to sell the lake house, and we’re having a planning meeting at my house at two tomorrow afternoon to find a way to stop them. You in?”

  “Absolutely. They can’t sell the lake house!”

  “I agree. See you tomorrow.”

  Alyssa called Lauren—the youngest—last. She was sure her sister knew of the plans because she was living with their parents again, but she’d find out.

  “Hey, Alyssa. What’s up?”

  “So did Mom tell you they’re planning to sell the lake house?” Alyssa asked with no preamble.

  “No. She told me they were thinking about it but not that they’d decided for sure. I suggested they go up for a weekend, because I figured all the memories would crash down on them and they’d change their minds.”

  “Mom asked me for the name of a real estate agent there today, so it doesn’t sound like they’re changing their minds. They plan to go through with it.”