“She’s a handful sometimes, but she makes me smile and laugh every single day,” Jill said, setting her cutlery on her plate.
Presley felt a sharp pinch in her heart. She wanted that. Bone-deep-all-the-way-to-the-core. Being with Emmett had quieted that piece of herself, or at least distracted her from taking a hard look.
“Listen, Presley,” Jill said, pulling her attention from her inner revelations. “I wanted to apologize again for putting you in the middle of things. For calling you Beckett’s girlfriend. You’re clearly so good at your job. I can’t imagine you ever doing something so unprofessional.”
Presley smiled warmly at this woman who, if life were leading her down a different path, she could definitely see herself being friends with. She got up, moved to a seat closer to Jill.
Her long, layered hair was somewhat similar in coloring to her brothers’, with reddish undertones. Her eyes were a soft blue and added to her approachable nature. She fidgeted with her napkin.
How did she thank a woman for doing something when she didn’t want to reveal how much it had given her in return? Without this week, Presley wouldn’t be realizing that all of the things she thought she wanted might not be what she needed. That she’d been settled so heavily into a path, it hadn’t occurred to her to check if she washappybeing on it. All that had ever mattered was moving forward. Progress. Succeeding.
“Please believe me when I tell you that this week is nothing like I expected and everything I never knew I needed. I don’t regret any of it. Least of all, you pairing me up with Beckett to save his virtue.”
Jill held her gaze for a solid ten seconds before bursting into laughter, which made Presley do the same.
“Okay. Maybe not his virtue,” Presley admitted.
“I’ll say,” Jill said through her laughter.
“But honestly,” she said, catching her breath. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”
She’d need to remind herself of that when she returned home; alone. She wouldn’t let herself be sorry either.
Presley was no slouch. She worked her butt off in three-inch heels every single day. No one clocked more hours moving across the hotel lobby and back than Presley. Butthiswas notthat.What they were doing here—painting, sawing, sanding—this was backbreaking work. She was sweating more than she had on the stupid hike. Nothing ladylike about it. Moisture dripped in uncomfortable spots, her chest felt tight, and the air was muggy and sticky in the worst possible way.
“How you doing?” Beckett passed her an ice-cold bottle of water. The sound of hammers and laughter echoed behind them.
She wasn’t sure if the way she moved her mouth passed as a smile or a grimace, but since muscles she didn’t know she had hurt, it was the best he was going to get. “Fantastic. This is turning out amazing.”
He grinned, ducked his head.Hissweat managed to look sexy. That hardly seemed fair. “It is. Thanks to all of you.”
After breakfast, she’d joined them along with Jill. Morgan and Bo had grown bored of the Xbox and had several helpful skills. Though the siblings said it wasn’t necessary, they’d joined in, and it felt more like one of those fun home renovation shows than work. Well, except for the work part.
Beckett leaned in. “You can take a break, you know.”
His hair was a bit damp, his shirt sticking to some of his more defined muscles. He was definitely her favorite view at the lodge.
She sent him a haughty look, the one she threw at coworkers who doubted her ability to get last-minute reservations at the hippest new restaurants. She stiffened her shoulders, stretched herself taller, pretending her blistered feet—stupid shoes, stupid hiking—were in heels rather than runners. “Do Ilooklike Ineeda break?”
Beckett stepped even closer, and the scent of him combined with the sweet after-rain summer air messed with her head. “Youlooksexy and adorable.”
Her stomach flip-flopped. So far, her fake boyfriend was better than any real ones she’d had. He made her feel more alive. More fun.
Presley opened her water and took a long drink, appreciating the way his eyes never left her. When she lowered the bottle, she smirked. “Try to keep up.”
He laughed, following behind her when she went back to the wall she was painting a creamy beige color. With so many people working in one space, things came together quite quickly. The rain had only lasted through the early morning, leaving soft, gray clouds in its wake. Everyone had migrated toward the cabin out of curiosity but ended up sticking around to help out. The sun started to peek out of the clouds in the late afternoon. Presley took a moment to stare at the rainbow. She’d always loved them for their fleeting beauty and colorful magic.
Presley did a quick live on her Instagram to show the progress. The others, including Beckett, smiled and waved in the background as she scanned the space.
“As you can see, things are only getting better here at Get Lost. They’re hard at work to make this place your go-to summer spot.”
Several people joined the feed, sending waves, hearts and comments. Many of them asked about her Hot Mountain Man.
“I see you guys asking about Beckett.” At his name, he looked back over his shoulder with a somewhat shy grin. He waved and Presley’s heart nearly catapulted out of her chest.
“Can I be on it?” Ollie asked, standing beside her.
Presley looked over at Jill, who nodded, before crouching so Ollie could take the phone.
