Beckett hid his smile behind a roll. His sister was a master of redirection.
“It’s what I came for, and I hear we’ve got a newbie with us,” he said, looking at Presley.
“I can help you fish,” Ollie told her.
Presley smiled at both of them. “Thank you. I’ll give it a shot, but I think I’m better suited to sunbathing than fishing.”
“You can do both,” the older man said, chuckling. “I plan to.”
“Other than hiking, are there more activities we can do here at the lodge if we don’t want to fish each day?” Mel, the woman with the many large hats, asked.
Jilly looked over, set her juice down, glanced at Beckett and Grayson.
“What sorts of activities do you like, Mel?” Presley asked easily.
Mel cut her burger into fourths, picking up one little wedge. “I enjoy hiking and fishing, actually, but I didn’t have anything particular in mind.”
“Melly doesn’t like to let a conversation lag,” Richard said fondly, smiling at his wife with obvious affection. “How about you, Presley? What do you enjoy?”
Beckett couldn’t say why their eyes connected effortlessly, like they’d already been seeking each other, but they met and locked like a needle slid right into a groove.
“Shopping,” she said, ducking her gaze with a smile as the others laughed.
“Mom likes shopping, too,” Ollie said.
Presley grinned at his niece. When she reached out to smooth down a wayward lock of Ollie’s hair, Beckett’s heart muscles tightened.
“I also like yoga, walking on flat ground”—she shot Beck a mock glare—“swimming, paddleboarding, finding good deals, and posting them online. I enjoy reading, and I absolutely love to cook.”
“I can confirm you are excellent at cooking,” Beckett said, picking up his glass of juice.
“The famous French toast,” Grayson said with a lopsided grin.
“I’m not sure it was the toast getting all that attention,” Presley said, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.
“Uncle Beck is a thirst trap,” Ollie said as she set her napkin on her plate.
Beckett nearly spat his juice all over the table.
“Olivia Anne Keller. Where did you hear that?” Jilly set her fork down.
Grayson’s mouth hung open for a full second before he stood abruptly. “I think Ollie and I will grab the dessert.” He reached out a hand for Ollie and the two of them made their escape.
Jilly took a deep breath. “I thought with school being done for the summer, she’d have only good influences. I forgot my potty-mouthed brothers.”
Beckett had to work at holding the laughter in. “What’d I do?”
The rest of the conversation stayed light and fun as the guests shared little details about themselves and Beckett snuck glances at Presley. It didn’t hurt his feelings one bit that every time he looked her way, she was looking back at him.
Gray and Ollie returned with the cake and serving plates. “If you don’t mind, we’d appreciate if everyone can scrape their plates and stack them on the trolley,” Gray announced. “Beckett will be leaving at sixA.M.There’ll be oatmeal, cereal, and granola bars available for breakfast and sandwiches at lunch. I’m heading to the mainland at noon if you’d like to do some sightseeing or shopping. Also, the hot tub is closed tonight for repair.”
The guests did as asked, complimenting the food as they left the room. Mel and Richard headed to the lobby, which doubled as a largermovie viewing area if people didn’t want to watch on the smaller televisions in their rooms.
Jill left to finish turning over one of the rooms, and Ollie trailed after her.
Presley cleared her plate, setting it on the trolley as Chef came to collect the dishes.
He smiled widely at Presley. “Oh, hello again. I hope you enjoyed your meal.”
