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

screwdriver is fixing it,” she said.
    “At least we had one McAdams to save our day,” his mother praised.
    Round one. Kate’s win. He enjoyed the true smile he saw on her face. This might actually work to his benefit, deterring Melissa from engaging in flirtation and Emma from always trying to set them up. The only downside was that in a few days she would be gone. Again.
    They had resumed the Snowflake Ball conversation after supper and their glasses were all re-topped. Kate declined more wine and politely excused herself before the rest, with courteous appreciation for the invitation to their meal and insisted on paying for her and Abby’s uneaten portion. His mother wouldn’t hear of it.
    “Don’t be shy Kate. Next time you are in town drop by and say hello,” Eliza encouraged. “Maybe we will see you again before you go.”
    “That would be nice. Thank you again.”
    Although the snowflakes and icicles conversation had nothing to do with the fact he rose with Kate and offered to walk her out, he would have argued that strands of lights and fondant shaped snowflake cupcakes were the basis of his quick departure. But those, like himself, after that sauna story was displayed, wouldn’t have believed it anyway. It was Kate. He felt like this was his opportunity to ask the question frequently popping into his mind. He needed the answer. He needed some closure so he could move on. He hadn’t realized the extent of nagging the question had implied over the years until he was in such close proximately to get the answer. He needed to know just like Violet said he did. Marc hated it when she was right and he certainly didn’t look at her before following behind Kate.
    Kate chuckled on their way down the hall.
    “What?” he asked.
    She shook her head looking up at him.  “I’m so sorry if that was inappropriate but that girl-woman prickles me in a way I can’t explain,” she laughed, grabbing his arm. “She turns me back in time to a crazy love struck teenager.” As the words came out, her eyes snapped up to his and she quickly retracted her hand. “I’m sorry.”
    He shrugged. “She kind of asked for it.”
    Kate laughed. “She totally did, didn’t she?” She shook her head. “Thanks for supper. It was a nice distraction but now I have to wait impatiently for my sister.” She looked up at him. “That girl is driving me nuts.”
    He knew exactly what she was talking about. “I can relate.”
    She nodded. They stopped at the elevator just as it opened and Kate thanked him again before stepping in. He wasn’t done yet, so he stepped in with her.
    She looked him over suspiciously. “Directly to my door, that’s service,” she teased.
    He smiled. “It’s not that unselfish,” he said as each floor they passed sounded a little beep.
    When the doors opened, he walked her to her door. She got her card out and looked up at him. “I’m not asking you in,” she said.
    She had already made that clear. But it wasn’t her lips he was after, ok well...it wasn’t entirely off the radar either. He leaned his side against the doorframe hovering above her so close her vanilla scent wafted around him...again. “I want you to ask me in.”
    She stared up at him with pleading eyes. “Marcus,” she whispered.
    He leaned his arm above the door frame to shelter them. If this was as far as they went he had to ask now. “Why did you leave me?” There it was−the question that plagued him all these years. He had learned to live with it, but now with her only inches away he wanted the truth.
    Her eyes filled with pain, but she didn’t budge. “My mom had left money to all of us in a trust fund for college. My dad he didn’t tell us. Then one day when I was cleaning and I found the papers. I had to go Marc and see what else was out there. I had to go to school and start a career. And when I got there, I realized...” she paused sucking in a hard breath. “I didn’t want to come back.” Her eyes