He might’ve lost her forever.
Chapter 22
June 10
Lauren’s day off found her sitting on her deck with her laptop. With her cabin on the far side of the property, the guests didn’t wander out her way too often. She might just have to stop by the Hollandsworths’ cabin today though. They had the cutest goldendoodle puppy. Maybe she could talk Jonah into getting a resort mascot. Perhaps that was shortsighted since she’d only be here through the end of the year, but it would be nice to have a little company in her room at night.
The early morning’s coolness had given way to late-morning heat, but the forest’s shade kept her adequately cooled. The tweeting of birds, nattering of squirrels, and occasional drone of a boat motor were pleasant backdrops to her work.
She’d finally settled on a structural engineer to assess the barn. The company had wonderful reviews and reasonable rates, and it would be able to do the job quickly. She was now focused on finding contractors for the renovation—presuming the engineer found the building structurally sound. There were a lot of pieces to the project, and it would be a tight timeline, but she was eager to see it through.
She was researching painters when the sound of someone approaching had her glancing up from her laptop.
Jonah.
She hadn’t recognized him at first. His long dark hair had been cropped into a stylish cut, short on the sides, a little longer on top. But as he neared it was his lower face that captured her attention. His jawline turned with masculine angles.
And his lips—he had very nice lips, in fact. The bottom one was almost plump and the indent on the top one was the size and shape of her fingertips. And to think he’d covered all of those beautiful features with that awful mustache and big, bushy beard!
Those nice lips curled into a smile. “I’ve never seen you speechless before, Wentworth.”
“I didn’t recognize you! Someone visited the barbershop.”
“I had an opening in my schedule.”
They’d just talked about his lumberjack look in the barn three days ago. She suspected she had something to do with this sudden change. “Is that right?”
“That’s my story.” He glanced at her laptop. “What are you up to?”
She allowed the change in subject but had a little trouble pulling her gaze from that newly excavated face. “Pulling some things together for the barn. I found and scheduled a structural engineer and now I’m researching contractors.”
“Isn’t this your day off?”
“This isn’t work. It’s fun. But you have to keep paying me. Have a seat if you aren’t busy.” Meg or Tammy usually managed the resort on Lauren’s day off, but Jonah pitched in too.
“Don’t mind if I do.” The Adirondack chair squawked as he sat beside her. “It’s been pretty quiet around here today. I got some wood chopped and fixed the leg on the Ping-Pong table.”
“I didn’t know it was broken.”
“I guess it happened over the weekend.”
“Nobody said anything.”
“That happens sometimes.” Jonah peered at her for a long moment. “So tell me about this job you have waiting for you in Boston at the first of the year. I understand the owner is an old friend of my mom’s.”
“They went to college together, apparently.”
“Ah, right. My mom dropped out after her freshman year when she met my dad.”
“Okay. Well, her friend Olivia Stafford is now Boston’s premier event planner and the CEO of Glitter. I met her when I worked for a caterer they utilize. She has a planner retiring at the end of the year, and that’s basically my dream job. She suggested I get some experience in the meantime, and the job would be waiting for me when I return.”
“Event planner... Is that corporate stuff mostly?”
“Exactly. They do everything from political fundraisers to corporate conferences.”
“I’m starting to see where your passion for this barn venue comes from. What made you want to be an event planner?”
She smiled at the memory his question invoked. “When I was a sophomore in high school, I was invited to a sweet-sixteen party of this wealthy classmate. We weren’t close or anything, but the whole class was invited. It was amazing. While all the other girls were going gaga over each other’s dresses, I couldn’t peel my eyes from the spectacular venue, the amazing decorations, and the acres of food. I’d never been to a party like that. It was quite the production.
