“You said what?!”
“Wes, I told you to be nice!”
“Son, you know better than that.”
I deserved that.
I didn’t know how to act around her. All I knew was I needed to get Juliette Campbell out of my mind. I didn’t need to be thinking about her long, tanned legs. Or the way her lips tipped up into an innocent smile and eyes blazed at the sight of me.
Juliette turned to my sister. “He’s your brother?”
“Unfortunately,” Lily sighed, which earned a scowl from me. “I didn’t realize you two had met already. I told Wes to introduce himself since he lives next to the cabin, but…I guess that didn’t quite work out.” My sister then turned to me. “Well, Wes, you can introduce yourself properly to Jules and maybe even apologize for whatever first impression you made.”
“And for the second and third impressions, too,” Juliette muttered, causing Lily to widen her eyes and look between us.
“You’re going to scare my new friend away, and she just got here!” Lily exclaimed, raising her arms up and letting them drop against her sides.
Juliette locked eyes with me, straightening her stance. She was a good foot shorter than me, but her confidence sure as hell made up for it.
“Don’t worry, Lil. Wesley doesn’t scare me. I’m not going anywhere.”
I don’t think my name had ever sounded that good leaving someone’s lips. Hearing her say it for the first time at Hal’s had caused my whole body to tense up—because it sounded that damn nice.
I was forced to look away from her when Cooper joined the conversation after making his burger. It was no surprise his first priority was food.
Balancing his plate in one hand, he extended his other to shake Juliette’s. “Hey, I’m Cooper. Nice to meet you, Juliette. Would love to show you around town one of these days, if you’d like, or around the trails. I’m a park ranger, so I know the best spots around here.” He grinned, giving the type of introduction and first impression I wished I could’ve given her. Cooper made it look so easy. “Don’t worry about Wes. We’re happy to have you in town.”
Juliette’s face lit up, and I wouldn’t be surprised if at this point she reserved her smile for everyone but me. “Nice to meet you! And call me Jules. I really enjoyed hiking growing up but haven’t been out in a while. I’ll definitely take you up on the offer to show me around. What’s your favorite spot around here?”
I had no interest in watching Juliette fawn over Cooper, so I stepped around them to make myself a burger, telling myself the sudden wave of irritation had nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with Juliette Campbell being in my space.
After making a burger and ensuring my plate was filled with food, I made my way over to the glass-top table and took the seat I always did during family dinner.
I let out a grunt at the sudden sharp pain in my shin. Since it was just Lily and me at the table, it was easy to tell who the culprit was. Even with her sitting diagonally from me, she was still able to get a good kick in under the table.
“Be nice,” she hissed, keeping her voice low. Juliette and Cooper were still talking, and our parents were making their plates of food.
“I’m trying,” I grunted back.
“Well,try harder.” If looks could kill, my sister would be the only Richards sibling at this table. Everyone claimed Lily was all sunshine, but having grown up with her, I knew there was much more to her. Yes, she was kind and always had a smile on her face, but she also fiercely protected those she cared about and never hesitated to speak up. It made me proud to be her brother, except for when her wrath was directed right at me. “We want Jules to feel welcome, both at family dinner and in Golden Falls. She’s been through a lot these last few months.”
My brows furrowed in confusion over my sister’s words. What did she mean? Had something happened on that goddamn show? The look on Lily’s face gave it away that she’d said too much. Right as I was going to ask her what she meant, my parents, Juliette, and Cooper made it to the table and took their seats.
My parents were sitting at the head of the table, with Lily and Juliette on one side and Cooper and me on the other. Juliette and I were sitting across from each other. Because of course we were.
Once everyone started eating, the wine, laughter, and stories flowed with ease. The rocky start to dinner was put in the past, or at least I hoped it was. Thirty-two years old and getting a look of disapproval from my mom still hit me just as hard as it did when I was a teenager.
“So, Jules,” my mom said with a smile, wiping her lips with a napkin, “Lily was telling me about how the two of you are working on the café. How has that been going?”
Juliette set down her burger, her face lighting up immediately. “Oh, it’s been great. I’ve loved working with Lily, aswell as learning about the town and meeting the other business owners around here. I appreciate the connections Lily has helped me make so much, especially since I’ve only been here a few weeks. I hadn’t planned on working when I got to Golden Falls, but it fell into place. I’ve been really inspired by the idea of working with small businesses.”
“What do you do again, Jules? You’re a designer?” Cooper asked, and I had to admit I was grateful for the question, because I’d been curious, too.
Juliette nodded. “Interior designer, yeah. Most recently, I worked for a firm in Chicago. Things…took a bit of a turn, so I’m grateful to spend the summer here and figure out what my next step will be.”
“Very cool. I can’t wait to see it all come together. If you need anything from me, let me know. Happy to help or make any connections.” Cooper knew anyone and everyone in town.
I could see the passion in Juliette’s eyes when she spoke about her job, but there was something else I couldn’t identify. Her shoulders dropped ever so slightly at the mention of it. Curious, I kept my eyes on her.
