He turned to face her. “Chef had an accident. Dropped a knife, grabbed it out of reflex, sliced his hand and knocked a pot of hot water onto himself. They’re airlifting him to Mackinaw City Hospital right now.”
Presley sucked in a sharp breath, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my goodness. Will he be okay?”
Beckett nodded, running a hand up and down her arm. “I think so. Jilly thinks so. Louis is already on his way to the hospital. Maureen’s taking him so he doesn’t have to wait for the ferry. Gray was in town when it happened, so he’s waiting at the dock for us to come back.”
His forehead and around his eyes wrinkled with tension. Presley put her hands on his chest. “Let’s go.”
He shook his head. “Jilly doesn’t love blood, so she’s shaken. She said she’s okay on the phone, and Gray’s heading back, but I’d rather see for myself that she’s all right.”
She tilted her head to the side. “You don’t have to explain it. Of course you want to be with them.”
“I’m sorry our day got cut short.”
Presley curled her fingers into his shirt. “Beckett. This is your family. All of them. Jill, Grayson,Chef.It makes sense you’d want to be there with your siblings right now.”
He stared at her a moment like he was unsure how to take her absolute acceptance of his need to be with his family. She felt a slight tremble under her hands.
“You’re torn on showing me a good time and being there for them. There’s no either-or here, Beckett. We need to go.”
Relief washed over his features right before he crushed her to his chest in a tight hug. “Thank you.”
Emotions pulled tight strings around her heart. It wasn’t even her family and she felt the urge to be there every bit as much as he did. Beckett released her, moving to the bike to nudge the kickstand up. Presley’s butt ached with only the thought of getting back on.
“Maybe it would save time if Grayson picked us up at this dock?”
Beckett looked at her for a full beat before he grinned. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only person other than Ollie who could make me smile at this moment.”
She tipped her head to one side. “Is that a yes?”
He chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. “Get on the bike, Presley. Everything will be okay.”
Twenty-Nine
Beckett wasn’t sure why the universe chose this particular snippet of his life to show him what perfect felt like when he couldn’t fully immerse himself in it. They’d returned the night before, and Beckett had immediately told his sister to take a break and hang with Ollie while he and Gray cleaned the kitchen. The guests were more than accommodating and worried on Chef’s behalf, but Louis had called later that night saying the burns on Shane’s hip weren’t too bad and though he’d needed nine stitches in his hand, he was in good spirits.
Beckett insisted Presley head down to the cabin. She’d done so much for them already. He didn’t want her to spend her last few days working. Plus, he had so many worries, ideas, and thoughts swirling in his brain, he needed to get inside his own head and clear the space. Figure shit out.
He’d left the bed before she woke up. Maybe he’d watched her sleep for a few minutes, reveling in the fact that she was in his bed. Ignoring the fact that she was leaving in a few days. Also ignoring the contradictory way his chest tightened in her presence even though his breath came easier when she was there. Feelings were weird.
Beckett hung up the phone after confirming for a guest that, yes, this was the Hot Mountain Man lodge, because really, he didn’t have time to correct them. It would die down, and for now, the money coming in from the bookings was keeping them afloat. Living here wasn’t free for any of them.
“Hey,” Jill said, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail as she walked into the room and came behind the counter. She looked well rested if a little pale. Mrs. Angelo had heard the news about Chef through some secret Smile gossip network and sent a month’s worth of muffins and casseroles with Gray so they didn’t have to worry about food more than necessary.
“Thanks for taking care of the front desk. And for last night. I hate to say this, but we might need a more powerful dishwasher,” she said. She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m running the same load for the second time.”
“Add it to the list,” Beckett said even as he pulled his clipboard out from beside the computer to add it himself. “Where’s Ollie?”
“She’s in the garden. Mel is helping her plant some herbs. I can’t believe how much I’m going to miss her and Richard. I hate that they’re leaving tomorrow.”
“They’re special. This whole group was. Is it wrong that I’m really hoping things go well for Mr. Dayton and Grayson at the meeting? I know Gray wants to keep it in the family.”
Jill opened her laptop. She was obsessed with the site Presley had shown them. “No. I think it’s a great option as well. It was nice of Graham to agree to meet with them today.”
Beckett tapped the clipboard against his thigh. He wasn’t the only one whose life was in flux right now. “Wonder why he’d drop everything and fit them in? Maybe he really likes Grayson.” He couldn’t stop his smile. Gray and Graham had gone to school together, but the accountant’s interest was definitely in Jilly.
“I’m going to sidestep that with a question for you,” Jill said, looking up from her screen. “What are you going to do about Presley?”
Setting the clipboard down, he tidied up the counter while answering. “Nothing. Nothing to do. She’s here for a few more days. Right now, I’d be happy if I have time to hang out with her, but I need to check the dishwasher, fix another spot on the dock, confirm a bunch of equipment orders that I need to deliver next week, prep a hiking routethat isn’t really a hiking route at all so the Tiger Trio can feel like they had an outdoor experience, and pack up for a night hike with the two guys in room eight.”
