32. A New Normal
Chapter thirty-two
A New Normal
Brody
“What, no suit?” Chloe bites back a grin, but Mason, standing beside her, bursts out in a loud, drawn-out chuckle.
“It’s 7 a.m.,” I grumble, trudging toward them in the lodge’s main hall. “Cut me some slack.”
She stands on her toes to give me a peck, her hands flat on my chest. It’s quick, but enough to make my heart do a ridiculous little somersault.
Two weeks. That’s how long we’ve been in our new relationship bubble of bliss, and I’m still not over the novelty, the exhilaration. She makes me feel like a teenager every time she looks at me, and wow, when she smiles.
Pathetic. But also… the best fucking feeling ever.
“You’re an embarrassment,” Mason chides, setting out a selection of building plans on the workbench. “All soppy over a girl, when there are guys out here looking up to you. Depending on you to…”
“To what?” Chloe turns on him, hammer in hand. She dangles it awfully close to Mason’s head, and I swear, I see him flinch. “I’m waiting…”
Mason holds his hands up, backing away like she’s holding a damn chainsaw. “Where’d you find this one?” he asks, gawking at me like I’ve somehow lost control of the situation.
“Right here, actually.” I chuckle, then get to work separating the plans strewn across the bench. “Now, what’s this emergency you called me out of bed for?”
Before I get a reply, a crew of men in heavy boots clomp down the hall. I spot Floyd, the guy I’ve been secretly meeting with all week, and for a moment, my heart lodges in my throat. Luckily, he’s looking at Mason, not me, and I relax.
“Mr. Steele,” Floyd says, tipping his hard hat toward us. “We need you on the deck for a minute.”
I let out a quiet breath of relief. Floyd’s playing it cool, like I told him.
“You break something?” Mason narrows his eyes. “Because if you did, I’m not your guy. Ask me about deadlines, not disasters.”
Floyd gives a nonchalant shrug. “The guys have some questions about the training.”
“Great.” Mason sighs. “I guess I’m off to the deck.”
Once he’s gone, I turn to Chloe. “He hasn’t been giving you a hard time, has he?”
She shakes her head. “Mason’s harmless. I think he’s thrilled that you’re actually in love with someone.”
Her cheeks flush a little, making her more adorable. It takes everything I have not to pull her into my arms and kiss her.
But this is work, so I fight the urge and force myself to stay focused.
Everyone knows we’re dating now, but Chloe’s asked me not to flaunt it yet.
“How about you?” I pretend to be poring over the plans splayed in front of us, so I don’t have to look at her. “Are you… happy?”
“I’ll be happier if you agree to come with me to Sunset Valley,” she says with a sweet, hopeful smile.
I wasn’t expecting this curveball, and frown at her, plans forgotten. “What’s in Sunset Valley?”
“The flooring for the hotel’s new rec room. There was a mix-up with the order, and they have us down for delivery a week from Tuesday.”
“What? That’ll delay the rest of the build by almost a month.”
That smile from before gets sweeter. “Not if we go down there and get the reclaimed wood ourselves.”
Sunset Valley is over an hour away, and I haven’t had my second cup of coffee yet. Besides, I’m not usually the one running errands for work. But the way she’s looking at me? Hell, I’d agree to anything.
“ Fine .” I sigh, instantly regretting my eco-friendly, sustainable building decisions. “Road trip it is. I’ll call the driver.”
“I’ll drive.” She squeals, jumping into action with way too much enthusiasm for this early in the morning.
“Wait, why can’t we take my car? Harry can be here in under ten minutes.”
Chloe swats me on the arm. “Because then it won’t be a road trip. This might come as a shock to you, but people don’t have to be chauffeured everywhere, Mr. CEO.”
“It’s a long drive…” I grumble, but before I can protest again, she’s already darting out the door, heading for her dad’s rusty Chevy pickup in the pa rking lot.
I follow her outside, and by the time I catch up, she’s tossing her backpack into the cab of the truck.
“What’s in there? A spare car for when this one falls apart?” I deadpan, eyeing the rust spots.
“Snacks, we always need snacks,” she says flatly, ignoring the jab at the ancient vehicle. She hops into the driver’s seat. As I close the door, she revs the engine, and we’re off, hurtling down the road.
“Woohoo!” she yells out the window, laughing like a maniac.
Her energy is infectious, and before I know it, I’m grinning like a damn fool.
“See what happens when you ditch the stuffy suit for one day?” she says with a wink.
“I get to be a terrified passenger in an unreliable deathtrap?” I quip, holding on to the door for dear life.
“Adventure!” She pumps her fist in the air.
“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” I tease. A quick, amused glance flashing her way, but her expression shifts as she grows more serious.
“Thank you.” Her words linger. “You have no idea how much it means that you’re involving the community in the build. It means a lot.”
“You’re welcome.”
My eyes drift down to her bare thighs, watching the way her muscles flex as she pushes on the pedal.
Those legs could bring a man to his knees. I’ve been too focused on how fucking hot she looks to even notice the scenery whizzing by.
“You know, Floyd and all those other guys haven’t had steady work in over a year,” she says.
“You’ve changed a lot of lives by including them. Guys who’ve never been in construction before now have a shot thanks to the training you’ve set up.”
Fuck, it takes some serious effort to tear my eyes away from her legs, because damn , but I know this means a lot to her, and she needs to know it matters to me now too.
“It was all Mason’s idea,” I admit. “He figured it’d help calm down the people still freaking out about Stirling Tech, even after my big announcement.”
“Well, he was right,” she says. “Amelia’s latest update said the protests were called off unanimously.”
“That’s good. Now pull over.”
Chloe’s head whips in my direction. I keep my expression neutral.
“What? What’s wrong?” she asks, her eyes scanning the dash as if something’s about to explode.
“Pull over, and I’ll tell you.” The words slip out, no attempt to mask the mischief behind them.
She clocks it pretty fast, mostly because I’ve already started undoing my belt, and I catch her whispering a soft, “Oh.”
Bluepeak fades behind us as the highway to Sunset Valley stretches ahead. Thanks to the early morning lack of traffic, we have plenty of privacy
But Chloe doesn’t feel the same. “Can we at least make it to the treeline over there?” She points to some distant trees like they’re going to provide us with a magical shield of discretion.
I look at the trees, their branches swaying in the breeze. “That’s at least ten minutes away. Ten minutes of me sitting here watching your thighs move while you drive stick. And those bare thighs doing things to me. All kinds of things.”
“So, this morning wasn’t enough?” She quirks a brow, trying to act unaffected, but I see right through her. That tiny smirk at the corner of her mouth? Dead giveaway.
“It’s never enough when it comes to you, babe.” I kick off my shoes and yank my T-shirt over my head.
Chloe’s eyes widen, flicking between the road and me, like she’s torn between survival and... other pressing matters. The pained expression creeping over her face tells me she’s struggling.
Big time.
“You can’t do this to me.” She whines. “Not while I’m driving.”
“This run for reclaimed wood? My crew could’ve taken care of it. But you, being the bossy little thing you are, insisted we go. So, technically, this whole situation is your fault.” I lean over and flick the turn signal to mess with her.
She swats my hand away but doesn’t bother turning it off.
“David’s expecting us before nine.” Her tone a forced calm, but I can tell she's not as unaffected as she wants me to believe.
“He’ll understand when I tell him my girlfriend’s driving me insane.”
She slows, her eyes flicking over me before she refocuses on the road. Another slow down, then she turns into a turnout, easing the truck to a stop.
Turning to face me, her brow arches. “That’s the first time you’ve called me that. ”
It finally hits me. Shit, I did say that, didn’t I? Why does this suddenly make me feel a little embarrassed?
“I... guess it is.” We sit for a moment, our eyes locked, the air thick between us. Then I add, “Is that... okay?”
Her lips lift, and before I can react, she’s across the seat, her arms around me, pulling me into a kiss.
Straddling me, she deepens the kiss, her breath tangled with mine, impossible to pull away from.
“You didn’t get any of my calls?” Mason meets us at the back entrance of the lodge, where a few guys are already unloading Chloe’s truck.
“Signal’s shit out there.” I shrug. “What’s the emergency?”
He shifts his gaze between Chloe and me, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. “Sunset Valley’s over an hour away. It’s after lunch.”
The indirect accusation hangs there, challenging me to respond. But Mason should know better than to think I’d fall for it. I look at Chloe, and the way her eyes sparkle tells me we’re both thinking the same thing.
“Thanks for the reminder.” I clap him on the back. “I’m starving.”
Chloe and I fight back our laughter as we walk into the lodge, leaving Mason standing there, still trying to figure it out.
“Has he ever had to deal with you having a girlfriend?” she teases, fluttering her lashes exaggeratedly.
I loop my arm around her waist, pulling her close as we walk. “Keep teasing me, and I’ll be single again before dinner.” I press a kiss to her temple.
She rolls her eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but I’m not letting her go. She shoves at me, as I sneak in another kiss.
“Brody, this is work...” she giggles, her stern act crumbling as she gives in to my relentless attention. “What if somebody—”
The sound of a throat clearing stops her, and we jump apart like we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t. Turning the corner into the hallway, we freeze. Standing there, arms crossed, is none other than Chloe’s dad.
“Sir.” My hands slip into my pockets, trying to act casual even though he just saw me yank my hand out from under his daughter’s shirt.
What he didn’t see? That’s what’s making my damn ears and neck burn. For some reason, my brain insists on replaying every second of Chloe in the passenger seat of his truck.
“We were heading to the dining room,” Chloe says, somehow managing to sound innocent. “Want to join us for lunch?”
I’m impressed by how smoothly she handles it, though I can’t help but feel a little off. Shouldn’t I be the one staying composed? I’ve spent years handling situations like this. I should be better at it by now.
Norman’s brow softens. “Good idea. Vince’s salmon sounds perfect for what I want to talk to you about.”
“Me?” Chloe asks, leading the way to the dining room, with her dad on one side and me on the other. “It’s not bad, is it? Is it Mom? Did something happen to the garden? Eli was telling me about an issue, and I haven’t had a chance to stop by with everything going on here at the lodge…”
Her dad’s already laughing by the time she gets halfway through her ramble. “How much coffee have you had today? Or is something else riling you up?”
Chloe’s cheeks flush pink, and she flashes him a sheepish grin.
Meanwhile, I keep my hands in my pockets, eyes on the table the waiter’s ushering us toward.
Norman’s comment was definitely aimed at me, but I’m not giving him anything.
After reliving that incredibly inappropriate memory, I’m damn sure he’d figure out exactly what’s got his daughter all ‘riled up.’
“Sorry,” Chloe mutters, suddenly self-conscious. “I guess I’m in management mode after this morning’s close call. Go ahead, Dad.”
Norman slides into a seat across from us, leaving Chloe and me to sit side by side. It’s a small gesture, but I notice. It means he’s acknowledging me—somewhat.
He ignores Chloe’s prompt and calls the waiter over. “It’ll be the usual for me, please. And a bottle of champagne on ice.”
“Champagne?” Chloe and I say in unison, exchanging a look of surprise.
“Well, how else are we going to celebrate?” he asks with a gleam in his eye.
Chloe turns to me, eyebrows raised like I’m somehow in on whatever this is. “Don’t look at me.”
I shrug. “I’ve been with you all day. ”
“He’s right.” Norman steps in, saving me from Chloe’s growing skepticism. “This has nothing to do with him. Now, order your food so we can get to it.”
The waiter looks mildly disappointed that he won’t be hanging around to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation, and honestly, I don’t blame him. After all this buildup, I’m practically crawling out of my skin to find out what’s going on.
Once it’s the three of us again, Chloe asks, “Should we wait for the champagne, or…?”
Norman shakes his head. “As you know, your mother and I have been planning our retirement for a while now.”
“You’ve been retired for almost five years,” Chloe says, her frown deepening.
“From Bluepeak matters,” Norman clarifies. “Being the mayor’s advisor has kept me busy. But now, it’s time to pass the torch.”
“Takes a village,” I chime in. “In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen how much the community relies on each other. It’s impressive, really. Like running a tight ship, but with more heart.”
“Which brings us to you, Chloe,” Norman says.
“Mayor Dawson and I spent the morning finalizing my departure. And when it came time to choose my replacement, I told him there’s only one person fit for the job.
I’d like to recommend you as the new Bluepeak spokesperson and mayoral advisor.
Since it’s a part time gig, you can keep doing what you’ve been doing, and this won’t interfere. ”
I watch as Chloe’s face shifts from confusion to realization, and finally to pure shock.
“ Me? ” she stammers.