Please don’t judge me based on my brother.
I promise I’m nice.
Text me if you’re interested.
My fingers hover over the keyboard. It’s what I set out to do, but she’s Carter’s sister. What if he thinks I want to weasel myself into his life? What if I’m not that good and—I can’t keep thinkinglike this.
A moment later I hit send.
ELIZA: You had me at mood board.
We launch into conversations about styles and colors. She sends me a lot of pictures from her office and it’s a glimpse into Carter’s world. That’s the building where he goes every day. His office is probably similar. He doesn’t want to talk about his job or anything Rawlings Enterprise related and I feel like I’m peeping into something private, but I chase the thought away.
The morning gets better when I meet Quinn and Mike at his place. She’s so smitten with him that it makes everything around her brighter.
We’re lounging outside in Mike’s dingy fishing chairs, telling him about the dos and don’ts of Silver Lake Falls.
“Never go to Joe’s barbershop with a pic of some haircut from the internet. It offends his artistic sensibilities, and you’ll go home with a bowl cut,” I warn him. Jared made this mistake once.
Mike laughs, not taking my advice as seriously as he should. “I’ve got my trusted clippers. Never been a fan of pampering.”
“My rugged woodsman.” Quinn looks at him appreciatively. “You’re sexy as hell, but you might wanna do something about that air mattress,” she says, pointing her thumb toward the house over her shoulder.
“Don’t bring the air mattress into this. It’s comfortable,” Mike huffs in mock outrage.
“Maybe you could give Mike a hand,” she tells me sweetly. “His place is more hideout-chic than a home,” Quinn teases her boyfriend, who has recently moved to the area.
“Don’t be so tough on him.” I laugh as he shakes his head, clearly amused. “He must have some good taste.” I point to his car. “I love the sky blue color.”
“1952 Studebaker,” he puffs proudly. “Worked on it with my dad,” he says, a bit pensive, and my heart aches for him. He must miss his family.
“I wish I had the time and money to give my ol’ gal a makeover,” I sigh. On my list of priorities, having a shiny, refurbished car is somewhere second to last.
“I know my way around a car.” Mike fidgets with his beer bottle before looking from his girlfriend to me. “I could work on it a bit when I have time. I’m on the road a lot, but I don’t know.” His voice becomes smaller, and it tugs at my heartstrings. “We could patch it up.”
Quinn leans in to take his hand, all starry-eyed, and I have to swallow the knot of emotion.
Back at the site, the team is working on the finishing touches inside. Vaulted ceiling, freshly sanded wood flooring, repainted windows. My little home.
I want to fix the front door myself, so I spend the better part of the day sanding it down and replacing the broken window. Going through the motions relaxes me and also gives me an excuse to stay away from Carter for a bit longer.
The lights are off, and the cabin is quiet when I get back. My insides constrict with guilt when I spot the leftover plate in the fridge. It has a note with my name on it.
I can sense him even before he says anything. “You better practice cooking for one because soon you won’thave to bear my presence.” I laugh but the joke falls flat in the dimly lit kitchen.
“What do you mean?” I must imagine the hint of panic in his voice.
I’m fussing in the kitchen, avoiding him, filling the teapot and getting the bags of fresh herbs Martha gave me.
“The house is almost ready. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” I still avoid looking at him.
“If it’s about what I said yesterday…”
I open the oven and spread the herbs on the metal tray.
“You’ll have the place to yourself. I’ll throw in a month’s bonus, if you want, my treat, for intruding on your holiday. You can use the other bedroom if your sister visits or you want to have other people over.”
“That wouldn’t be a problem if we slept in the same bed.”
