Now that I thought about it, Cooper, who was Eliza’s older brother, mentioned she was looking for a second job to help fund plans for her yoga studio. Eliza taught classes during the day and into the early evening.
“I’ll ask and see what she thinks. Lily didn’t say anything to me. As usual,” I grumbled. It was a low jab at my sister, and I knew it. I was frustrated at her for renting out the cabin, especially now knowing it was to someone who spent their free time on reality TV. But I also couldn’t blame her. After all, Lily didn’t know the full story of what happened. No one did.
“Oh, come on, Wes. Don’t give her a hard time. We’ve been renting out the cabin for years.” Mom paused, clearly wanting to say more. Just as I thought she’d drop it, as she had over the last two years, she asked, “Why did seeing it rented out throw you off so much?”
Wasn’t that a damn good question I wish I knew the answer to.
I didn’t even have time to think of a way to deflect before she added, “What happened between you and Gretchen?”
I let out a low sigh. Now that Ididknow the answer to, but I didn’t have much interest in revisiting the past. Cooper knew majority of the story, but I hadn’t even told him the full truth of how my heart had been broken by someone passing through.
“Things didn’t work out. Not much more to tell. I’ve moved on and am focusing on Lake Ridge now. That’s my priority.” That much was true. Gretchen might have broken my heart, but I didn’t have feelings for her anymore. My focus was making the bar as successful as possible, which left no time for dating,relationships, or falling in love. Besides, I was better off alone, because it meant not getting my heart broken. “You said you wanted to ask me something?”
Even over the phone, I could tell Mom wasn’t happy with my answer and changing the subject, but she dropped it. For now at least.
“I did. I was hoping you’d be able to stop by Hal’s this week. I was talking to him today, and he mentioned his card reader at the store wasn’t working. He should really update his whole computer system, but…one step at a time. Think you’d be able to help him out?”
“Yeah, no problem at all. I’ll stop by later this week,” I said with no hesitation. “I’ll even see if I can convince him to upgrade everything down the line. It’ll be easier on him.”
Hal Nelson was like a grandfather to me and my younger sisters. I was lucky both sets of my grandparents were around when I was growing up, but they didn’t live nearby. Hal did.
He was at every sports game, every graduation, every milestone for me and my sisters. Even now, with us all grown up, he still found ways to support what we were doing. Helping him fix the card reader was the least I could do.
“Thanks, Wes. See if he wants to come over for dinner soon, too.”
“Will do.”
Hal was an honorary part of our family, but I often wondered about his own family. He lost his wife Vera a couple of years ago. He had a son and grandson, who was a few years older than Lily. Hal had pictures on the walls of his hardware store of his grandson over the years.
Hal’s son and my dad grew up together, but Ron Nelson left Golden Falls and never came back. Ron made a name for himself with Nelson Group, a real estate firm based in Milwaukee thatnow had offices all across the country. Nelson Group focused on development, construction, and property management.
Their whole model was bringing in more “modern” businesses while keeping a small town feel. The latter was a bunch of bullshit.
They bought buildings and made local businesses think it was in their best interest. But really, most tenants were priced out when the rent increased. I knew there were likely some benefits for the businesses that were able to afford to stay, but it still didn’t sit right with me for the businesses that had to close or find a new space. Especially when the companies that filled the now vacant space were chains and multi-billion-dollar businesses.
A local coffee shop closed, and suddenly the space turned into a chain coffee shop. A building filled with small businesses was suddenly getting turned into a luxury apartment complex.
It didn’t feel like a coincidence. To me, it seemed like they were working against the businesses these small towns were built on, ones that spanned generations. The very type of business Hal owned.
And I could only imagine they were eyeing the building Hal owned and managed, which housed Lily’s café and Eliza’s yoga studio. But Hal said we had nothing to worry about, and all we could do was believe him.
I finished up the call with my mom as I was pulling into my driveway, the gravel crunching underneath the tires. I was more than ready to end the night with a beer on the back porch overlooking the water and then go to bed.
As I stepped out of my truck, I couldn’t help but let my gaze wander to the property to the left, obscured by various maple and cedar trees. My evening had been too busy to think about Juliette Campbell, but now, all of a sudden, I had all the time in the world.
I thought back to our first interaction and how she didn’t back down. How the golden sun lit her up like she was a goddamn angel. The fire in her green eyes ignited something inside me, something I had no business feeling.
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like how she’d only been in my town for less than a week and already had people talking about her, already found a way to get under my skin. A woman who looked like that—sun-kissed skin, wavy brown hair, long legs, and a sassy mouth—didn’t fly under the radar. No way in hell.
7
JULIETTE
I walked carefullyacross the tile floors in the kitchen, not wanting to mess up my freshly painted toes. As I set my mug in the kitchen sink, I couldn’t help but look out the window. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of the lake sparkling in the morning sun. I’d have to go out on the water later this week—Lily had told me there were paddle boards and kayaks I was free to use in the small shed next to the cabin.
My gaze shifted to the house down the road, or where I figured the house was. Trees obscured the property, but the dock and pontoon boat were in full view, as was the man walking down the steps with a natural, quiet confidence.
I didn’t have to stare long to realize it was the same man who’d given me my not-so-warm welcome. Guess I’d been right about him living close by.
