Chapter 7
7
JOSH
I ’ve never really thought about living with anyone before. I mean, I've always hoped I would find a lovely woman to marry, but it was kind of like hoping to win the lottery – something you dream about, but don't think it's really going to happen.
Not that I need to win the lottery with my family's wealth, of course.
As Emie and I puttered about the house in the morning, I kept finding myself smiling. I snuck a bit of cocoa into the coffee. She jazzed up the breakfast omelets with some crumbled leftover bacon.
Now I'm poring over my maps and plans, spread back across the dining room table, as she launders every item of clothing in her suitcase.
Just as I identify and mark in pencil the two locations that have the widest variety of bird sightings, I notice Emie frowning at her phone over on the couch.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
"Yes." She sighs. "I'm just hearing the details of that potential gig. Parts of it sound perfect. I'm just not sure that Jennifer has outgrown her college flakiness, you know?"
"Yes. You need something stable."
She looks up at me, but I can't read her expression. "And yet I've always wanted to live by the mountains. Colorado Springs sounds amazing."
"Yes, but that's sort of beside the mountain. Right now you're on the mountain."
She laughs. "But isn't the best view of the mountain from fifty miles away?"
I scowl hard, making her laugh again.
She turns back to her phone, thumbs flying over the screen.
Dammit. Emie is a hard worker. Which is great, of course. It just means she's not going to be satisfied with being a “professional houseguest” for long. She needs more interesting work. If those girls are starting a business, they might be exaggerating its potential and elevating her hopes. Plus, Emie is only twenty-one. She might not realize that many businesses never get off the ground. Many don't make it to the second year.
Shit – that's what I need to do: get her a job! Give her a reason for being precisely in this spot. "Hey – can I get your opinion on something?"
"Sure." She jumps up and pulls a chair over right beside me, distractingly close. Focus, Josh .
I point to the two locations, tracing the area with my finger. "We're thinking of building a cabin for the birders. Something small and rustic. Maybe six suites and a communal area. We want it to have a minimal impact on the forest itself, since that will obviously upset the birds. These areas here are where the birds hang out the most."
She points over to the side. "It's a shame you can't use this patch."
My fingers drum on the map beside that spot. "No, that's my cousin Kaden's ‘Cabin of Solitude’. He's hardly ever there, but it's brand new, so he won't want it to be disturbed."
Emie leans right in, studying the locations I've outlined. "So… The spot in the east has fewer trees next to this meadow area, but the one in the west is further from the road."
"Exactly. Putting in a road is a lot of disruption."
"Not to mention expensive."
I reach down to squeeze her knee. "Let's pretend for a sec that money is no object.”
"Okay." Emie's ponytail swishes as she glances back and forth, peering at the photos and maps for a few moments. "Wait. This is the walking trail for the birdwatchers?"
"Yes."
"So, they're already gearing up for a hike. How far of a walk would this distance be?"
I follow her fingers. "Maybe five minutes, assuming you're a hiker with good shoes?"
Emie laughs brightly. "Then just build the lodge right there, beside the road!" She points again. "There are fewer trees right there. Stick in the lodge and make the first part of the trail wide and easy. A bit of gravel. You’d only have to take down maybe a dozen trees here for the lodge, and there for the start of the trail."
She gasps and clutches my arm. "Oh oh oh! You could make hiding spots like hunters use! A comfortable bench, some camouflage netting around them. Maybe raised up a bit to be closer to the treetops. So people could hike and rest, hike and rest…?"
"Holy shit." I lean back, shaking my head. "Hunters are completely banned in this area. It never occurred to me to use some of their tricks."
"Yeah, some people hunt with cameras," Emie grins. "So, you need the same camouflage. Putting in a series of blinds would work perfectly."
"You're right. And instead of putting in a new road, build near the existing road."
"Oh!" She grins again, elbowing me slightly. "If money is really no object, you could buy a handful of bikes to leave at the lodge. People could bike partway to stop number three or whatever, leave the bike there, hike, return, and bike back."
I sit back a bit more. "Your mind just goes ballistic when it has a project, doesn't it?"
Emie shrugs. "I like to solve problems. Analyze spaces and think about how they're being used."
"Even calling it a lodge instead of a cabin is perfect." She blinks at me strangely, and I realize I'm grinning from ear to ear. "You should take the reins on this project. You'd be perfect. You're looking at this area with fresh eyes, but I can tell you already understand it completely."
Again with that lip bite that sends half of my blood south. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to concentrate with her sitting here looking so sweetly sexy. With the way her hair is tied up in that casual ponytail, it’s making me need to nibble on her throat. Her inviting lips purse for a moment. "But this is a gigantic project. It should really be given to someone with more experience."
"If it makes a difference, I’d be your partner. I'd take care of the funding, logistics, and construction. I've already got people for all that. We need your ideas, your organization. Your creativity."
Crap… Emie suddenly looks more jittery than she did when the plane took off.
"You don't have to answer now." I slide an arm around her, cuddling her to my shoulder. "It's just a thought. Just ideas that we're batting around, right?"
She looks down at the survey again, then nods, thinking. "Maybe I could sketch out some ideas as they come to me. Start a mood board of suggested looks for the building. Things like that."
My instinct is to offer to pay her for any work she does but feel that now is not the time.
"Well, since you're so busy with this, I should be the one to make dinner." Leaping to her feet, she taps my shoulder. "Shotgun!" She darts into the kitchen, and we both laugh.
Inside, my stomach is turning over and over. She won't want to be my houseguest forever. The organization of the birder lodge would be perfect for her.
In order for that to happen, Emie needs to know that this bond between us is real.
But I feel I need to tread carefully. Approach slowly. No sudden movements. As if she herself was a wild bird.
The thought of scaring her off before we've even begun is suddenly the biggest fear I've ever had.