Lakeshore Secrets: The McAdams Sisters - Kate McAdams (By The Lake Series Book 1) by Shannyn Leah Page A

you know?”
    “I don’t think that’s an accurate title.”
    “My brother never bothered me again after that day.” Of course he had only lived four years longer before the car crash that took his life. The two had been so different. Marc enjoyed books, Corbin liked television. Marc was calm like a warm breeze, collected with poise, Corbin was a wild bullet ready to thrash ahead without alarm.
    “I’m surprised your mom invited me back,” she said. “Is she here?”
    He nodded. “I was her favorite child and she couldn’t say no to me.”
    She laughed. “Oh stop it. Your mom didn’t play favorites. She probably thought you could use a bodyguard.”
    “That must have been it. You’re awfully full of yourself.”
    “Well, I was your hero.”
    He laughed. She laughed.
    “I should probably get back,” she said. They stood. “Wait, did you come with Izzy?”
    He nodded.
    She smiled in relief. “Thank you for the ice cream, the distraction.” She handed him the bowl. “Abby has disappeared since this morning but I bet your sister can pinpoint exactly where she is.”
    She began to walk away but turned and grabbed his arm gently, each finger marking his skin. “I’m sorry about your dad. No matter what he was to anyone, he was your dad.” He was an ass to everyone, but she knew that. “And,” she paused taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry Marc.”
    “For what?”
    Her eyes didn’t budge from his. “You know for what.”
    He nodded his understanding, he wasn’t sure that he accepted it, but he heard it.

Chapter Seven
    Kate dragged Abby through the resort’s automatic double doors by encircling her own arm through hers and leading the way in a much faster pace than her rebelling sister’s short steps across the parking lot had been. She thought it much classier than the alternative; dragging her by the sleeve of her jacket, if you could even call what she was wearing in this cold weather, a jacket. It was more a knitted wind breaker. She had to pick her battles and her sister’s attire wasn’t among the ones worth fighting.
    After a tiresome daylong game of hide and seek, Izzy had broken down at the visitation and Kate found Abby at Mrs. Calvert’s, hiding away in that Mr. Brown Eyes, biker man’s apartment above the bakery.
    He looked like a whole lot of trouble that she did not want her sister engaged with. Tattoos down his thick built arms, holes where piercing once adorned his rugged and dangerous looking face and the leather jacket he wore only added to the mysterious uncertainty she felt about him. Even though he was connected with Mrs. Calvert, Kate was convinced he must have done something bad. No one like that just started working in a bakery. Maybe he was a fantastic chef, but his eyes spoke of havoc from a past and Kate didn’t want him taking advantage of Abby. Especially, not right now. Her thoughts were scattered like her attendance.
    They crossed the lobby’s marble floor, her heels clapping and Abby’s boots scraping with each drag like a pouting child.
    What different lives the two sisters lived. When Kate had been Abby’s age she’d moved away from home, been set up in school where she achieved a diploma and started interning at an advertising company. Abby was schooled, thanks to the money Kate had set aside for her, but spent her nights working at Jake’s bar and apparently dabbling in soap making. But who really knew how serious that was.
    The extraordinary crystal glass prism chandelier above them cast lightness across Abby’s tear stained face, quite the opposite of her regularly liquid eyeliner cat eyes and tanning blush that accented her high cheek bones. She was probably more exhausted and worn out from creatively hiding from them all for the past couple days than actually dealing with the grief.
    They turned the opposite direction of the check in desk, where a set of young ears were ready to listen to her sister murmur, “I don’t understand why you even