Oddly enough, even though he usually avoided dinners with the guests, Beckett found himself looking forward to it, too.
When Dayton went back into the lodge, Beckett looked at Presley. “Come on. Let’s take care of your feet.” He nearly held out a hand but stopped himself.Guest. Guest. Guest.
She made a face. “What? My feet are fine.”
“Mm-hmm. Sure they are.” He crossed his arms over his chest, appreciating the way her gaze followed the movement. At least he wasn’t the only one who was hyperaware of whatever this connection between them was.Nothing. It’s nothing.
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and my feet, thank you very much.”
He shook his head, all too aware of the way just her hint of a smile lit something inside of him. “Fine. When you’re done being stubborn, there’s a first aid kit under my bathroom sink.” He waved and started off toward the uninhabited cabins. If he stayed, he’d try to convince her that she should let him take care of her. She probably wasn’t used to people watching out for her, which was none of Beckett’s business. The last time he’d had a serious relationship, one that included thinking more about another’s needs than his own, she’d left, telling him there was nothing for her in Smile. He wondered, at the time, what the hell he was to her, then decided he was better off alone.
“Wait, where are you going?” Presley fell into limp-step beside him.
“I need to look at a cabin and see what I can do to get it ready for six guests.”
“Mind if I come?”
Something flickered in his chest. “Not at all.”
There was a gentle breeze coming in off the water. It felt good after the hike, but he couldn’t wait for a long, hot shower. He glanced at Presley. Which he should definitely take at the lodge. Shit. He hadn’t thought about today or tonight. Would she feel more comfortable after the first night?Should text Jilly and see if Tevin is coming to fix the AC.
“Now that we’re back, the hike seems less awful,” Presley said, pulling a bottle of water out of her small pack.
Beckett laughed. “I think my sister said something similar about Ollie’s birth.”
Presley tipped her head back with a soft, carefree laugh that suited her personality and made him want to get closer.
He could easily become addicted to making Presley laugh. His phone rang just as they approached cabin four. He put a hand on her arm before answering and gestured to the steps, which were broken.
Proud of himself for ignoring the flash of heat from touching her skin, he answered, “What’s up, Jill?”
“Have you checked Instagram?”
His brows drew together. “Why the hell would I check Instagram? I don’t have any of those apps. That’s your area.”
“You, my tech-averse big brother, are getting some serious attention. We’ve been tagged over three hundred times this morning alone. People are sharing your morning photo and you’ve put Get Lost Lodge on some sort of singles’ map.”
He shook his head. “What the fu—” He broke off and looked at Presley, who was watching him with keen interest. He tried to curb his language for Ollie’s sake, but every now and again, words slipped. “What’s a singles’ map? What does that even mean? What photo?” He hadn’t ever posted a photo to anything. Other than texting, emails, and a few games, he didn’t use his phone that much.
Presley’s face scrunched adorably. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapped her fingers on it.
“Ask Presley to show you,” his sister said into the phone as Presley covered her mouth with one hand, her gaze going impossibly wide.
“Fine.” He hung up without saying goodbye and stared at Presley, who was backing up slowly. “Something I should know?”
She winced and nodded at the same time. “Um. So, I have a fairly small following compared to other influencers.”
“Influencers?”
“Yeah. People who promote stuff, get free stuff? Have a certain vibe and run with it?”
She had a certain vibe all right. Even with his brain tripping over Jill’s call, his skin was humming with awareness.
“You’re a hotel concierge. Not an influencer.”
She nodded, bit her lip. “I am. But I also love a really good deal and sort of gained a following for it. Which is cool, when you think of it. I got the flights to Mackinaw for free.”
He stopped moving, arched his brow, waited.
