Free Lakeside Reunion by Lisa Jordan Page B

absolutely terrific way to wake up.
    Lindsey jammed her fingers through her wet, tangled hair. How did she manage to sleep through this mess?
    Last night’s storm wasn’t exactly a lullaby. Rippling thunder, whistling wind and pounding rain carried on past midnight or so before allowing Lindsey to drift off to sleep. Still, she should have awakened when the water started dripping on her.
    Lindsey stomped across the carpet and opened the blinds. Sunshine cascaded over the windowsill, warming her bare toes. She unlocked the window and shoved it open. Sticking her head out, she craned her neck to see if she could find anything against the roof. The cool air nipped her nose and pinched her cheeks.
    Scattered branches and twigs littered the backyard. Multi-hued leaves blanketed the fading grass. Two squirrels raced across a heavy oak branch that cleaved the section of roof over her bedroom.
    Now what?
    She pulled her head inside and slammed the window. If she were home, she’d call Paul, Rita’s husband and her grounds-keeper/maintenance man. But she wasn’t home. She was stuck in Shelby Lake. And she had no idea who Mom used for repairs. Maybe Granddad could help.
    Shivering, Lindsey dug through her bottom drawer and pulled out an old crimson-and-silver Shelby Lake Lions sweatshirt. She slid it over her head, unleashing memories of football games, playing her clarinet in the marching band and spending more time sneaking peeks at Melissa’s older brother who was home on leave from the Marine Corps than cheering for the Lions who went to the championships her senior year.
    Yeah, she had a secret crush on Stephen even as a teenager. For the first time since they met in seventh grade, Lindsey kept a secret from her best friend. Sure, she may have broken some kind of BFF code, but seriously? Tell the sister of the hunky guy she had a crush on? So not likely.
    She definitely had to snap out of it. It was back to reality, because she had work to do.
    Putting all her weight behind her, she pushed the bed out of the way and set a trash can in its place to catch the water.
    Plink.
    Plink.
    Plink.
    The worn hardwood creaked with each step as she crossed the hall and headed down the stairs to the kitchen to call Granddad.
    She picked up the cordless phone and punched in the number to the farmhouse. Grandma answered, but thankfully, Granddad was still eating breakfast. After she explained the situation, he promised to swing by after doing the milking to check out the roof. With the sun shining, she didn’t have to worry about more rain.
    Lindsey hung up the phone. She filled the copper kettle with cold water and set it on the stove to heat for tea. She made a mental note to strip the bed before heading to the hospital. Hopefully the mattress hadn’t gotten too wet.
    A light tapping on the kitchen door window startled her. She glimpsed at her reflection in the microwave door and squelched a scream. Her hair looked as if it had been combed with Mom’s KitchenAid mixer. The borrowed pajama bottoms were a couple inches too long. Lindsey rolled over the waistband to keep them up. They didn’t match the Lions sweatshirt she threw on a few minutes ago. Well, it wasn’t as if she expected guests so early in the morning.
    Maybe she could pretend she wasn’t there. She crouched below the breakfast bar that separated the cooking and eating areas. But the kitchen light was on. Anyone sneaking a peek through the curtains on the door probably saw her moving around anyway.
    Another knock. Louder this time. “Open up, Lindsey. I know you’re in there.”
    Captain Obvious back on the job. So much for her stealth skills.
    What was he doing here so early anyway? She so did not have time to deal with him today.
    She stomped to the door and yanked it open. “May I help you?” Each word slid out between clenched teeth as she forced a smile.
    Stephen gave her a once-over and grinned. Clearly amused.