But it also means everything.
Dallas and Griffin must’ve been taking sips of their drinks because liquid sprays across the bar in different directions before they both shout. “What?”
“Let’s not make a thing of it,” I say as casually as possible.
“We absolutely are,” Dallas adds.
“I want all the details,” Lily chimes in. “How the hell did that come about?”
I shrug, trying to remain indifferent. “The producers thought we had chemistry. Claims it’s good for the subplot.”
Lily exhales, hands flat on the bar. “Wait, wait, wait. So the woman you hooked up with is now in charge of renovating thehome you’ve had your eye on since you moved here, and the producers decided, hey, let’s trap them together on camera all day?”
“It’s a coincidence,” I mutter.
“So, what’s the deal, Tucker?” Griffin asks. “You don’t like her?”
I hesitate for a moment, trying to decide what to say.
It’s not that I don’t like her. It’s that I like her way too much. More than I should for someone I barely know. In the short time she’s been here, she’s already getting under my skin and makes me forget there are cameras rolling just a few feet away. One moment, she’s laughing and it feels like sunlight. The next, she’s glaring at me.
It’s chaos.
Pure fucking chaos.
And I can’t help but continue walking straight into it.
“I never said I don’t.”
“Translation,” Dallas says, pointer finger in the air. “He likes her.”
“I didn’t say that either.”
Lily smirks. “But you’re not denying it.”
“We’re working together. That’s all it is.”
Lily gives me a look that only I would understand. “You know you’re allowed to let yourself have something good once in a while.”
I busy myself drying glasses from the dishwasher rack as I take in her words. I can’t. Even if she’s right,I can’t.
“I have everything I could want in life,” I say to the glass in my hand, before lifting my eyes to meet hers. “I have you all. I have a job. That’s all I need.”
That shuts them up for a second. Not in an awkward way, just the kind of silence people who know you well enough leave space for.
Lily busies herself with clicking away on her phone and Dallas clears his throat. “I think this is great. I’m willing to betyou two do have chemistry, and it will be good for both of you. She gets her show and the best contractor in Bluestone Lakes, and you get to showcase your skills for more work when the show is over.”
“Nan says it’s the most exciting thing to happen in town since the water tower got repainted,” Griffin says.
We all stare at him before we break into a fit of laughter.
“I believe it,” Poppy says first.
“If it keeps you busy and gives Scottie someone to boss around, I’m all for it. She seems nice,” Lily says next, standing up from the barstool and grabbing her purse.
“She’s all right,” I say, and even I notice how flat that sounds as I say it.
Griffin raises an eyebrow. “That’s the exact tone you use when you’re trying not to admit you like something.”
