“Just when I thought she couldn’t get any cooler.” She fiddled with her phone, typing some text or instant message with lighting quick fingers. “Her social media leaves a little bit of mystery, but what I do know is that she currently lives in Indiana and works in accounts receivable for some corporation.” Haylee looked up from the screen. “That doesn’t sound like Jenna, does it?”
Cody didn’t exactly approve of his sister’s snooping, but if the information was public, he supposed it was harmless. “I do have a hard time picturing her happy behind a desk,” he admitted, omitting the nugget of knowledge he had about her belongings sitting in a trailer behind the lodge. She wasn’t going back to the job.
“She doesn’t have anything on here about her books. Wonder why that is.”
Bet it has something to do with that sister. “Put a hold on the social media stalking, okay?” he said as he found a parking spot. “If you want to know more about her, you could try asking.”
“Because that’s working so well for you?”
“Are you hungry or not?”
“Starving.”
“Then be a good sister and behave.”
Haylee laughed all the way to the front door. “You invited me to crash a date. I’m not making any promises.”
“Not a date.” But Haylee had already slipped inside, his words lost to the music pouring out the open door.
ChapterEight
Jenna
“That wasCody?” Jenna asked in disbelief, still blown away by the list of movies she’d seen that he’d been in. She stole a glance at him from across the restaurant, allowing her gaze to linger a few seconds longer than necessary.He really does look good in those jeans. She never would’ve guessed he was the stuntman in any of them if Haylee hadn’t told her. “I feel like we need a movie marathon or something. I want to rewatch all these.”
“I think that’s every movie he’s been in,” Haylee said, absently staring off in the distance as she thought about it. “Yep, that’s all of them. Don’t ask me about commercials, though. I’ve never been good at keeping track of those. He was much younger then anyway.” She took a sip of soda. “And we can totally do a movie marathon. Might just be me and you if Cody does leave.”
Jenna couldn’t deny that her heart skipped a couple of beats at that comment. She glanced toward the bar to make sure Cody was still deep in conversation with the owner, Warren. “You think he might stay?”
“I think hewantsto stay but doesn’t fully realize it yet. Then there’s that whole contract mess.”
Though Jenna had spent the last twenty-four hours predominantly in her lodge room sketching her newest character and playing with the lyrical sentences for the first moose adventure book—aside from some short walks up to Lookout Point today to stretch Graham’s legs and her aching muscles—she hadn’t once stopped thinking about Cody.
She was falling for a man she hardly knew.
Maybe it was all this time the list required them to spend together.
Or maybe she was a sucker in the same way all his other adoring fans were.
But no matter the cause, Jenna couldn’t stop the butterflies from joyfully tumbling around her belly at the sight of him even if she tried. She knew better than to believe he might stay, but she hoped for the impossible just the same.
“When’s the last time your brother had a girlfriend?” Jenna dared to ask, despite the question showing her hand to someone who could be an ally just as easily as an enemy. Call it an instinct or a wish from her heart that they were sisters. She trusted Haylee.
“High school.”
“You’re kidding?”
Haylee slurped the last of her soda until the straw sucked air, then set the cup at the edge of the table. “Sadly, no. He says he dates while he’s away, but I know my brother. He stays as far from serious as it gets. Or he has until you came along.”
“I feel like you two are talking about me,” Cody said, taking his seat at the round high top and setting a fresh plate of nachos in the middle. They’d finished their tacos an hour ago, but no one was in a hurry to leave. Unless the northern lights came out or Ed made an unexpected appearance, they were stalled on the list until they went kayaking tomorrow.
Cody looked back and forth suspiciously between the two women.
“Just talking about your movie star status,” Haylee said, winking at Jenna when he wasn’t paying attention. “We’re doing a marathon next week so I can prove I’m not making up how many movies you’ve done stunts for. You’re invited to join us.” Haylee swiped a loaded nacho from the basket. “Oh, wait. You’re going to be inMaui.”
“We could do it sooner,” Jenna heard herself say before she realized she’d been thinking the words.
“Sorry, ladies, you’ll have to admire me from afar. My schedule is packed between this list, Mom’s surprise going-away party I’m not supposed to know about, and packing up for the next three years.”
