They leaned against their vehicles, eating, drinking, and talking. Maddox seemed to set himself apart from everyone. I wondered if he did that because he felt separate from them or if it had something to do with being the boss soon.
It made sense that a supervisor wouldn't get in the thick of a social gathering, but Maddox wasn't that yet.
After they were done eating, I cleaned up. When Maddox moved to help me, I said, "You can go home. I think Morgan will be here for a while."
He nodded. "Sofia needs to get to bed."
"Thanks for helping. Everything looks great," I told Sofia.
She twirled in a circle, her gloved hands floating out from her side. "I can't believe you used my design."
"It was good," I said.
"Now let's get you to bed," Maddox said to Sofia. Then he kissed my cheek.
I waved goodbye as they left, excited that the light trail had come together so quickly. While Morgan inspected everything, I pulled out my laptop and worked on the designs for the signs I wanted to put up around town, both in Telluride and here. I decided that all proceeds would benefit the fire department. I felt good about that decision. They'd come through for us this season.
When Morgan knocked on my window, I opened the door and hopped out. "How does it look?"
"I made sure everything was connected properly so you should be good to go. If it's windy, you'll need to walk around and resecure the connections. They tend to come loose."
"Thanks for doing that."
"I have a feeling it's going to be a popular attraction."
"I hope so. It was a lot of fun to plan and build. Although Sofia was the one who came up with the specific design."
Morgan nodded as he moved toward his truck. "It's a nice addition to the town. You're doing a good job here."
"I know you're already working at the inn, but would you be willing to inspect the other buildings and write a report on what needs to be done?"
He nodded. "I can do that."
I let out a breath. "I don't want to wait until we have a problem."
"You definitely want to fix things before they become a problem." He placed his tools in the bed of his truck.
"I really appreciate your help here and at the inn."
He closed the tailgate. "You and your sister are practically family."
I smiled, pleased that he thought that. "That's good to hear."
Morgan got into his truck, and I headed home. The last few nights, Maddox hadn't asked me to come over. I wasn't sure if it was because this past weekend scared him. I wouldn't be surprised if so.
We'd spent a lot of time together, and he might be questioning whether it was a good idea. I needed to be careful. After Sunday, I felt like I was in a free fall, and it was too late to turn back.
At home, I turned on the fireplace in my room and got into my pajamas. It was another quiet night.
How would it be if I went home to Maddox? Would we cook dinner together, then play a game or watch a movie before Sofia went to bed? It was a nice vision. My phone buzzed.
Maddox: Sofia's in bed.
Eve: I bet she was excited about the trail being done.
Maddox: She had a hard time settling down. She can't wait for the trail to be open.
Eve: Everything is ready to go. I don't see why we couldn't open it this weekend. Maybe a soft open tomorrow since I haven't had much time to advertise it.
