The water relaxed my muscles, and I sank deeper, setting the phone on speaker so that I could leave it on the edge of the tub.
"Maybe I can see that view one day."
His words sent tingles down my spine.Was it only the view he wanted to see, or was it something else?
Working with him hadn't been as bad as I had feared.But that didn't mean it was a good idea to spend more time with him."After work one day then."
"Mmm," he said as his voice rumbled through my chest again, threatening to break down all the reasons why this wasn't a good idea.
"Eve is confident she can turn everyone's opinion around."
"But you're not so sure," he said, understanding what I wasn't saying.
I had a feeling that was because he knew me, all my insecurities and hang-ups.Except for the ones that came about because of our breakup."You know how I worry about everything, and then Eve comes along with her positivity."
"From my short time with Sterling Brothers, I've realized that you have to try things to know if they're going to work or not.If you are too afraid to do anything, then you can't expand and grow.If you're always holding back, you're stifling your business."
"That makes a lot of sense."And it was exactly what I needed to hear."So there's no harm in trying something new."
"I suspect the people who are against it are afraid of any change."
I chuckled."That's exactly what Eve said."
"You're doing a good thing in Christmas Town.I'd keep pushing forward if I were you."
"Thanks, Ford.I needed to hear that I was on the right path."He might have been my ex, but his words still resonated with me.I'd lost so much this year, my parents and the life I'd created away from home.But I'd reconnected with Ford.That had to mean something.
Chapter10
Ford
Icouldn't stop looking at the image that Natasha had sent me of her view from her balcony.But it wasn't the view I was fixated on.It was her bare skin.It made me think of her naked in the hot tub.
I wondered what it would be like to be in that hot tub with her without any clothes.It was dangerous because I shouldn't be having these thoughts.
This week, Hudson was checking the pipes and indicating which ones needed to be replaced.There weren't any leaks yet, but the pipes weren't up to code.It was something that we'd put into the estimate, and Natasha wasn't surprised.
I felt good that we were doing everything we could to update the place.I didn't want her to have any issues going forward.There was still the matter of the town itself.Each building was the same age as the inn.Maybe a little newer.I thought I'd read that the inn was built first, and the owners added the buildings in the town one by one.
Hudson flicked me in the head."Where's your head at today?"
I groaned."I'm paying attention."
"I've been talking, and you haven't written anything down."
"Just repeat it."
He placed his hands on his hips."Is it Natasha?Is it hard to work with her?"
"Not like how you're thinking," I mumbled, wishing he'd just move on and we could get back to work.
He did a double take."What do you mean by that?"
"There's no bad feelings over the breakup or, at least, not anymore.We talked it out, and I apologized for being an ass."
He nodded."Well, that's something at least.Then what has you so distracted?"
I let out a breath."I'm spending time with her, remembering all the things we used to do together."
