Chapter One

Sunlight shimmered across the lake. It glistened as though it had been scattered with diamonds. As she stood there in awe, taking in the view from the cottage, the dock invited her into the picture of beauty. Taking her sketchpad and pencil with her, Katelyn Devereaux walked across the lawn and sandy beach until she reached the pier. Settling into the deck chair, she gazed out across the water.

It was such a lovely morning. She was so glad she’d taken the advice of her friends and accompanied Suzie Branch to this beautiful Wisconsin lake. Katelyn had met Suzie while they were in college. They became instant friends and now Katelyn didn’t know what she would do without her. It had been at Suzie’s insistence that Katelyn came with her to this secluded lake just outside of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She certainly needed a vacation and could think of no place more relaxing than this quaint cottage hidden away in a different world.

In the distance, a loon called to its mate, waited for a few moments for a reply and called again. This kind of peaceful exchange soothed her and drew her attention to the fact she hadn’t taken the time to listen to it for months. She knew nature was all around her back home, but there never seemed to be time to sit and listen. In Denver, she was nothing more than a machine, pumping out sketches for her clients and on occasion playing the gracious hostess for Martin.

No, I don’t want to think of the daily grind of running the Devereaux Agency, nor Martin Collier’s marriage proposal. I need this time to figure out just who Katelyn Devereaux really is.

Katelyn turned away from the peaceful scene before her. Why can’t my life be this peaceful?

You know why, Katie. The sound of her father’s voice rumbled through her mind causing a tear to escape the corner of her eyes. She’d lost both of her parents at Thanksgiving and never really gotten over their deaths. The only thing that kept her from going completely over the edge was work, work and more work.

I don’t think I can do this, Daddy. I don’t love Martin. I haven’t even given him an answer concerning his proposal. Maybe I’m not cut out for the wife thing. Even if I did marry Martin, I wouldn’t be a wife, not in the conventional way. With him gone so much, life as his wife would be no different from life by myself.

Katelyn’s thoughts came as a shock. Never before had she admitted her true feelings for Martin. More than anything else in the world, she wanted to be a little girl again without all the problems of being a responsible adult. Considering Martin was old enough to be her father, marriage to him would be a pretense.

Back home in Denver, her life had become too complicated to allow her to rest. For the past eight months she’d been running the Devereaux Advertising Agency as well as receiving Martin Collier’s marriage proposal—which was further complicated when she discovered that she was adopted. Perhaps if her parents had told her the truth, the shock wouldn’t have been so profound, but they hadn’t. She’d learned of her adoption only days after their funeral.

A mallard duck swooped down and landed on the lake, leaving ripples in his wake. He made a perfect model for her to sketch. Opening her pad, she began to draw the duck’s features.

“Genean? What are you doing here?”

The sound of a man’s voice sent the duck away in frightened flight. Silently she cursed the intrusion on her perfect scene. “I beg your pardon,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Quickly, she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. Had he seen her crying? The last thing she wanted was to have some stranger feeling sorry for her. Besides, he did wreck the perfect setting the duck had created for her sketch.

Although he was less than twenty feet away from her, the sun at his back made it hard to distinguish anything about him. As she stood up, she shaded her eyes to get a better look at the face behind the voice. He stood well over six-foot-tall and could only be described as a blonde Adonis. He reminded her of one of the body builders she sketched while in college.

“I’m sorry. I can’t believe the uncanny resemblance between you and my friend, Genean Karsten.”

She watched him as he stepped onto the pier in order to get a better look at her.

“I’m Seth Miller. I live up around the point. Are you staying with the Branch’s, Miss…?”

“It’s Devereaux, Katelyn Devereaux.”

“Katelyn Devereaux,” he repeated her name. She liked the way it sounded when he spoke it. “You don’t look much like a Katelyn to me. Do you mind if I call you Kaye?”

Hearing him call her Kaye made her blood boil.

Don’t get mad. He has no idea why the name of Kaye would upset you. Besides, he is handsome, and you did come on this vacation to make up your mind about a lot of things. He’s certainly more interesting that stuffy old Martin.

“Yes, I do mind. I mind very much. Katelyn or Katie will do quite well. Anything but Kaye.”

Without saying more, she sat back down on the deck chair and tried to concentrate on her drawing. Instead, she stared at the man at the end of the dock.

“Wait. I didn’t mean to offend you. What do you say we start over again?”

“I think not,” she said, hoping her tone sounded as though she was teasing. “You scared away my duck.”

Even to her ears, the last words sounded tart, not at all the way she intended. They sounded angry. Inwardly she cursed herself for getting upset just because her model flew away.

“Your duck? I didn’t know they belonged to anyone in particular.”

She smiled at his statement. At least he hadn’t misinterpreted her meaning. For that she was grateful. She knew getting used to this vacation thing would take her longer than a few hours of sitting staring out at the water. Her sketch of the duck had been more for business than for pleasure, even though she promised not to think about any of her clients while she was in Wisconsin.

“They don’t. I mean they don’t belong to anybody. I was doing a sketch of him. I certainly didn’t expect someone to come up and scare him away.”

“That’s better. I do like the way you look when you smile. I know how it is when you get distracted. I should be getting back to work before I get behind.”

“Behind in what?”

She couldn’t imagine him doing anything but enjoying the sun. It had turned his skin a golden brown and gave him the look of a sun worshiper from Hawaii or California rather than Suzie’s neighbor in Wisconsin of all places.

“You look like a beach bum to me.”

She was beginning to enjoy this game of cat and mouse. If the truth were known, she would enjoy getting to know this man.

“A beach bum?”

“Well, you certainly didn’t get that tan being cooped up in an office all day.”

“Hardly,” he punctuated the word with hearty laughter. “I do woodworking in my home. When I have a beautiful day, like today, I enjoy taking my projects outside.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you.”

Katelyn realized she didn’t mean the words. She wanted to continue talking to him longer.

“I hope I’ll be seeing you again before you leave. I come this way every morning.” With a wave of his hand, he turned around and began to run back toward where he indicated he lived.

Katelyn closed her eyes and tried to get back her inspiration for the picture of the mallard. To her surprise, the only vision to fill her mind was of Seth Miller. Opening her eyes again, she flipped to a clean sheet on her sketchpad and started drawing the strong lines of his face.

If he came this way every day, she would definitely see him again. She wanted to get to know this man and decide once and for all if she wanted to live her life as a woman with a husband who traveled three hundred days out of the year or if she deserved more out of life. Suzie and Uncle Jack, her father’s lawyer and the closest thing she had to any real family, both thought so. They told her she was making a bad mistake on more than one occasion. Maybe they were right.

~ * ~

Seth finished his run and entered the house. While he prepared for his shower, he pondered this morning’s encounter with Katelyn Devereaux.

If it hadn’t been for what Brad told you on the phone last night you wouldn’t have made the mistake. Okay so there’s a slight resemblance, but haven’t you looked for Genean in every girl you ever dated. You had it bad for her, old man. You want everyone to be like your first love and it just doesn’t happen.

He’d first met Brad and Genean while he was in college. At the time he and Brad had been assigned as college roommates, but they became so much more. They were well suited to each other and soon became the best of friends. They were in their senior year when Genean entered their lives. He had been assigned as Genean’s tutor for a math class she was having problems with. It didn’t take long for the three of them to become close friends. Although he never said anything outright about his feelings, he knew he was falling in love with Genean.

With graduation, he stayed in touch with her and even went to Green Bay to take her out on several occasions. His first and only teaching job had been in his hometown, two hours away from Genean, but close enough to keep in touch with her.

When Brad landed a job with Genean’s brother, Randy Mallard, everything changed. It didn’t take long for the two of them to fall in love. The hardest thing he ever had to do was act as Brad’s best man at their wedding. Yet he did what was expected of him.

Over the years they all remained close. Last night’s phone conversation took him completely by surprise. Instead of the usual yadda-yadda of their weekly phone calls, this one had a different tone from the moment Brad said hello.

Seth had made the call to wish them a happy anniversary. Instead, he could hear Genean in the background crying.

“What’s up? Is something wrong with Genean?”

“You could say that. Hell, you’re our best friend, Seth. At this point you might as well know what’s going on in our lives.”

Seth always knew that when Genean turned twenty-five, she intended to look for her twin sister who had been given up for adoption after the death of their mother as a complication of childbirth. He’d often wondered why she had been willing to wait until her twenty-fifth birthday as her grandfather’s will had dictated. With the old man gone, she could have looked at any time. Of course, she had been busy with school, marriage and a baby. To complicate matters her aunt and uncle had not told her until her twenty-first birthday and the adoption agency said their records were sealed for another four years. He should have expected to hear she contacted the adoption agency again at the first possible date. What he didn’t expect was that the sister didn’t want to be found. Seth wished he could have been there for Brad and Genean. They were closer than most siblings. When he had a problem, he knew he could talk about it to Brad and vice versa. Seth promised to come up on the weekend and spend some time with them at Mallard’s Nest, the cottage Genean and her brother, Randy, owned in Door County. He needed to get away for a while and being able to spend time with his friends would serve a dual purpose. He would be able to comfort them and at the same time convince himself Katelyn in no way resembled Genean.

He turned off the water and stepped from the shower. He wished he could shut down his mind as easily as turning off a knob. Unfortunately, thoughts of Genean and Katelyn kept running through his head.

“Wouldn’t it be something if Katelyn turned out to be Genean’s sister?” he asked himself, aloud.

The thought of anything so absurd amused him. You’re letting your imagination work overtime. Katelyn is nothing more than Suzie’s friend. Once you get to know her, you’ll see just how warped your first impression of her was.

Do I want to get to know her?

The answer came as a resounding yes. He’d put his life on hold far too long. It was time he started enjoying life. Sure, he’d dated, but he was always looking for Genean’s replacement. From here on in he would begin to have fun and get to know the women he took out without comparing them to Genean. He’d start with calling Katelyn Devereaux and asking her out to dinner.

Who knows, it could prove to be a lot of fun. It’s not like you’re going to hop in the sack with her. She’s only here on vacation. Why not get to know her?

~ * ~

“You’ll look like a lobster if you stay out in the sun any longer,” Suzie called from the porch of the cottage.

Katelyn looked up from her sketch of Seth, amazed at how time had gotten away from her so quickly. The sun was straight overhead, indicating it was past noon. “I’ll be right in.” She gathered up her drawing materials and prepared to go back to the house.

Once inside, she laid her sketchpad on the table and went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands. “Do you need some help with lunch?”

“No. I picked up a pizza in town. It should still be hot enough to eat. Did you have a relaxing morning?”

“I’m not sure I know how to relax. I did some sketching. I found a wonderful model while I was out there.”

“So, I see. It looks like you met Mr. Wonderful.”

“If you mean Seth Miller, yes I did. Of course, he wasn’t the model I was referring to. Is he for real?”

Suzie began to laugh. “Seth is for real all right. During the winter, he teaches math at the high school in town. In the summer, he spends his days making furniture. I have to admit he’s good at it, too. He made the table in the dining room.”

Katelyn thought about the craftsmanship of the table she so admired earlier. For some reason, she hadn’t believed Seth when he told her he made furniture.

Before Katelyn could say more, the phone rang. “Branch residence,” Suzie answered. “Oh, hi Seth…I hear you met my friend, Katie…yes, she’s here. Just a minute.”

Suzie held out the phone and mouthed he wants to talk to you.

“Why, Mr. Miller, what a surprise,” Katelyn said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Within her chest her heart beat so loudly, she wondered if he could hear it over the phone. Just the thought of hearing his voice excited her. Confusion set in, as the feeling was alien to anything she could ever remember.

“I’d like to make a better impression on you than I did earlier. Would you have dinner with me?”

“Dinner?” Katelyn questioned. From the corner of her eye, she saw Suzie nod and give her the thumbs up sign. Even without prompting, she knew she would agree to the meeting. The thought of having the chance to see the man who so easily captured her imagination thrilled her. “Yes, I’d enjoy having dinner with you.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at six. See you then.”

“Maybe I am getting the hang of this vacation thing. I just accepted an invitation to go out to dinner with a perfect stranger. Wouldn’t Uncle Jack be proud of me? He’s been after me to start dating for months. He’s not at all excited about the attention Martin has been paying me. When I told him about the ring Martin insisted on giving me, he went off like a roman candle. He thinks Martin is just looking for a hostess for his parties and not a wife.”

In her heart she knew Uncle Jack was right. Martin was much older than she but…

“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” Suzie interrupted the wanderings of Katelyn’s mind, “that’s what I think as well. I’ve been trying to tell you that Martin is not the guy for you. He’s old enough to be your father and you don’t love him. I know at least a dozen men back in Denver who would give anything if you looked their way. There’s no need to rush into a marriage that will bring you nothing but heartache. Besides, you haven’t given him an answer and if you ask me, you shouldn’t. Give him back that damn rock he gave you and tell him thanks but no thanks.”

Katelyn nodded. She didn’t love Martin but at the same time, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. He’d been kind to her at the time of her parents’ deaths and he was the type of man her father would have approved of.

You don’t have to please your father anymore, Katelyn. You’re a grown woman. It’s time to think about pleasing yourself.

“I’m beginning to agree with you. Maybe a date with a perfect stranger will help me be more comfortable with all those men you say are just waiting for me back home.”

“You only accepted an invitation for dinner from Seth. He’s far from perfect and he’s certainly no stranger. I’ve known him most of my life.”

“Big deal. Maybe you know him, but I don’t. I could be letting myself in for more than I can handle.”

Suzie put her arm around Katelyn’s shoulders. “Look, if Seth is interested, go for it. Why not try a little vacation fling?”

“A fling? Who said anything about a fling? I’m going out to dinner with him and nothing more.”

“No. I only want you to take a long hard look at yourself and make certain you know what you want.”

“All right, already. I’m going out to dinner with Seth tonight. What about you? It’s rude of me to leave you on our first night here.”

“Not really. I promised to meet my brother, Jeff, at the mall. You know how it is. I have to fill him in on what I’ve been doing with my life since I came home last Christmas. He’s not much on letter writing and neither am I. We only get to talk when I come home. If we called each other our phone bills would resemble the national debt.”

Katelyn laughed. “No, Suzie, I don’t know how it is. I’m an only child, or have you forgotten? I can certainly imagine it, though. I know how long you and I talk on the phone; and we see each other on a weekly basis.”

~ * ~

Seth hung up the phone. Katelyn’s acceptance of his invitation to dinner pleased him. Could it have only been a few hours since he first saw her? It seemed as though she dominated his thoughts forever. Good God, she’s no different from any of the women I’ve dated over the past four years, or is she?

For the first time, he allowed himself to think about the women in his life. Although he had a reputation of being a lady’s man, he certainly didn’t deserve it. No one he dated in the past turned out to be what he wanted. One date, two at the most and he knew they weren’t for him. Unfortunately, it would be the same with Katelyn, or would it?

Why am I even bothering to ask her out?

The answer sounded loud and clear in his mind. Katelyn is different. She is beautiful, intriguing and a bit mysterious. She reminds you of your first love, but there is something more than just her resemblance to Genean that attracts you to Katelyn.

In college, he wore his heart on his sleeve. He thought it was clear to Genean Mallard he wanted to marry her. It came as quite a shock when Genean told him she didn’t love him. Reluctantly, he stepped aside and let her go. He remembered the pain of watching her marry his best friend, Brad Karsten. Now, four years later, he knew he made the right decision. If he hadn’t allowed the hurt to heal, he would have never been ready to let someone like Katelyn excite him the way she did.

He ran his fingers through his hair and went back to his workshop. As he sanded down the rough wood of the table he was working on, he decided to enjoy tonight. Katelyn, or Katie, as Suzie had called her, presented a mental challenge. She certainly wasn’t like the women he dated recently. It would be fun getting to know her, having a good time with no strings attached. Before he knew it, she would be gone and he would have the memory of a pretty girl who came to the lake for a vacation.

Maybe, he told himself, more would happen than just having a good time with her. For the first time, in years, he longed to make love to a woman, to make love to Katelyn.