Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
APOLLO
I hate this house.
It’s not horrible, and I’ve seen far worse, but this isn’t the house that I’ll grow old in.
Plopping onto the couch, I let out a long breath and take a pull from the beer I retrieved from the fridge. Not too long ago, my buddy Tanner pointed out that this place is sad, and he’s right. I’ve lived here for over ten years and have yet to hang anything on the walls. It’s cold and sterile, which has nothing to do with the thermostat, but it has the necessities, and that’s really all I need for now. Besides, I’m hardly ever here. I live and breathe my job, and I spend a lot of time with my friends and family.
Basically, this is where I flop down and shower before going back to my life.
But, this evening, I’m too damn tired to care about the blank walls and boring décor of my house. It was a long day, and I spent a portion of it subcontracting out a couple of jobs so nothing gets lost in the shuffle or falls behind deadline.
The truth is, fitting June’s project into my schedule was a pain in the ass, not that she’ll ever know that. I’ll help her—at cost—without a fucking word about the inconvenience because it’s June.
She may give me a hard time and glare at me more than she’s ever smiled at me, but at the end of the day, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. So, if she wants to live in that tiny church by Christmas, that’s what will happen, come hell or high water.
My phone pings with a text, and I’m a little surprised to see that it’s from Tanner. Since he and Sarah have been together again, I hear from him less, which is completely expected and normal.
Tanner: Hey, feel like a beer and pizza?
I snort.
Me: Do birds fly? Meet in 20?
Tanner: See you there.
After setting the almost-full beer back in the fridge, I change into clean clothes, grab my keys, and head out for dinner with a friend. Lighthouse Pizza is our favorite haunt in town, and I could go for a pie tonight.
The drive is short, and when I walk inside the restaurant, Tanner is already seated at a high-top table, a beer in his hand, and there is one waiting for me.
“Hey.” We do the handshake/hug thing, and then I sit across from him and sip the beer. “What’s the occasion?”
“Sarah, Luna, and June are at the chapel. June wants opinions on something or other. Wolfe should be here soon.”
“Cool. How are things at the gallery?”
Tanner owns Whalers Gallery, an art studio in town. He’s always been interested in art, even when we were kids, so when he studied art in college, it wasn’t a surprise. Whalers Gallery is a fantastic place, and a popular one for the tourists.
“They’re great. The summer season was really good. I can report that tourism is alive and well in Huckleberry Bay.”
“Excellent.” We clink beers just as Wolfe walks over and takes a seat.
“No beer for me?”
“You said you may be awhile, and I didn’t want it to get warm,” Tanner replies.
“Yeah, we were working on a bitch of a transmission.” Wolfe blows out a breath and waves to the bartender, who waves back, already knowing Wolfe’s order. “I left it to Zeke and got the hell out of there,” he continues.
“That’s what business partners are for,” I reply with a grin. “I think I’m about to take on a partner and a few employees. I can’t keep up with my workload alone anymore.”
“You haven’t looked great,” Tanner says, and I glare at him. He holds up his hands as if in surrender. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean that to sound like a jerk, but you’ve
been working too damn much, and it shows. You look tired and grouchy as fuck.”
I’m tired because I work too hard.
I’m grouchy because June won’t give me the time of the goddamn day, and I crave her in a way I’ve never craved anything or anyone before.
That absolutely is not something I’m going to admit to anyone, not even my two best friends.
“It was a busy-as-hell summer,” is all I say, and the other two nod in understanding. All three of us own businesses in Huckleberry Bay. Wolfe has the garage, which is newly rebuilt and equipped to fix anything that a vehicle could need repaired. He also owns a sweet-as-fuck personal garage where he works on and restores muscle cars.
That place is a gearhead’s wet dream.
“But I won’t complain about having work because, for a while there, new construction was hard to find. So, I’ll hire more people and pick and choose the projects I want to personally take on.”
“Good call.” Tanner nods and then smiles when the bartender and owner of Lighthouse Pizza comes to the table with Wolfe’s beer.
“You fellas ready to order?” Harvey asks after slapping me on the back. “You want your usual large pie?”
“And another large to go,” Wolfe adds. “I’ll take one to the girls on my way home.”
“I know how they like it.” Harvey winks before walking back to the bar to put in the order.
“I met with June at the chapel today,” I inform the other two. “She’s starting the renovations and wants to be living there by the holidays.”
“That’s fast,” Wolfe says with a frown. “She’ll work herself to death.”
“Isn’t that the same amount of time it took to build your entire, enormous barndominium?” Tanner reminds him.
“Yeah, but I used a big company out of Portland. June plans to do most of it herself. She’ll hire out the electrical and plumbing, but it’s still going to be a lot of work.”
“I’ll make sure it happens,” I mutter, staring into my beer. “If that’s what she wants, she’ll damn well have it.”
Harvey delivers the pizza, and I pull a slice onto my plate. When I go to take a bite, I realize the other two are staring at me, ignoring the pizza altogether.
“What?”
“You’re totally gone over June,” Tanner says.
“Yeah, I’m into the woman who can’t stand the sight of me, insults me every chance she gets, and only barely tolerates me because she’s best friends with my little sister.”
“You are a masochist, man,” Wolfe replies with a grin. “But, hey, we’re not here to judge.”
“June’s important to Luna, so if she wants her house done, we’ll do it. She busted her ass for the inn, so it’s the least I can do.”
“Uh-huh.” Tanner grins, finally pulling a piece of pizza onto his plate. “Right. You’re repaying her.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“You know,” Wolfe says around a bite of food as Tanner chuckles with hilarity, “it’s always amazed me that despite the chippy banter between the two of you, there’s also a shit ton of chemistry. Just fuck her already.”
Been there, done that, and would do it again if she’d let me.
“As much as I appreciate this little trip into my personal life and nonexistent lovesickness for June, can we change the subject now? You two have better things to do than write fairy tales about me.”
“Do you even know why she doesn’t like you?” Tanner asks, semi-seriously.
“Nope.” I sip my beer, thinking about it. “But she’s been like this since she was a kid—probably middle school. I always ignored her back then, but now we all hang out together a lot, and she’s hard to ignore.”
“She’s pretty,” Wolfe says. “Yeah, she has the tomboy thing down with the coveralls and hats, but even that can be sexy.”
“She’s always had the prettiest red hair,” Tanner agrees, and all I do is narrow my eyes at the two of them.
“What are you trying to do?”
“Nothing.” Wolfe polishes off his slice and reaches for another. “Just pointing out that June’s hot. It’s fine if you’re not into her. Someone will snatch her up.”
“She’s a catch.” Tanner nods, looking into his glass.
“Don’t be stupid.” I sit back and wipe my hands on a napkin. “Do you live in the sixties? Women don’t need to be ‘snatched up’. She’s fine and does damn well without any help from anyone else.”
I shake my head, surprised that they’re talking about any woman this way.
“You two idiots are better than that. Luna and Sarah don’t need you. Either of you.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Tanner is grinning. They both are.
“You two are assholes.”
They laugh and fist-bump, and I sigh.
“You sure didn’t like the idea of her being with someone else.”
“I think you ought to mind your own damn business.”
We finish dinner, and Harvey passes Wolfe a fresh pizza on our way out.
“You guys coming with me?” Wolfe asks.
“I’ll go over,” Tanner says with a nod.
“I’m out.” I shake my head and start for my truck. “I have another early morning tomorrow. Have a good night.”
“See ya,” Wolfe calls out.
Do I want to see June? Hell yes. I want more than that. But I already spent time with her today, and it was all my system could handle.
It’s almost torture to be so close to her and know that I can’t touch her or kiss her.
That night we spent together was a fucking mistake because now I’m addicted to her, and I can’t have her.
It’s fucking horrible.
“Well, what are you doing here so early?”
Luna smiles at me, holding a steaming mug of coffee as she sits inside the gazebo by the lighthouse and watches the sky come to life over the Pacific Ocean.
“I thought I’d swing by on my way to a job and see how things are going here,” I say, sitting next to her on the bench.
“They’re so good. The inn is 99 percent finished, and we’re ready to bring in furniture. I get to stage everything and make it extra pretty.”
“It’s hard to believe that it’s almost finally done.”
“Oh, I can believe it. It feels like we’ve been working on it forever. A lot has happened in the past year from Wolfe coming home, to the fire, and Sarah being hurt by her psycho ex, and on top of it, we had to rebuild Wolfe’s garage and continue to build the inn.”
“Busy year,” I agree and take a sip of coffee from the travel mug I brought with me. “This place doesn’t look the same as it did when we were kids.”
“Does that bother you?” She turns in her seat to face me, concern written all over her face. She’s always been the pleaser in the family. “This property is your home as much as it’s mine.”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.” I shake my head and look out at the water. “Sure, we both grew up here, but the lighthouse is in your blood, Luna. This is your home and your legacy for your new family. I like to come up to hang out, and I have good memories here, but it’s not my home. If you need my approval on everything that you’ve accomplished, you have that. I’m damn proud of you. I know Mom and Dad are, too, and they’re excited to come for the holiday parties and stuff you have planned.”
“I’m excited for that, too,” she murmurs. “I just didn’t want you to think that I took over and changed this place without having you in mind.”
“You’ve checked in with me several times in the past year, and I have always said the same thing—do whatever you want. I mean that. You aren’t foolish, you love this property, and you’re going to make it really awesome.”
“Okay. That makes me feel better. What are you up to today?”
“I have a job up in Lincoln City.”
“That’s quite a ways away.”
I nod and sip my coffee. “Yeah, that’s why I’m getting an early start. I’ll finish it up today, and then I’m back in Huckleberry Bay for the foreseeable future. What about you?”
“The cleaning crew finished yesterday, so I’m going to start going through the deliveries of décor and stuff for the inn that I’ve gotten over the last couple of weeks.”
“So, you really are ready to go.”
“I am.” She does a little shimmy in the seat. “It’ll probably take most of the day, and Sarah and June are coming to help. We also get to hang all the artwork that Sarah did for the guest rooms.”
“That’ll be awesome. I’ll come by when I’m done with work and see if I can lend a hand.”
“I’ll take all the help I can get. Then, June needs to get opinions on some outfits from Sarah and I later, so she’s bringing those with her.”
I scowl. “Outfits? That doesn’t sound like June.”
“Oh, you don’t know her. She always has to get our opinions when she has to wear girl clothes for something.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“She’s going on a date.”
I almost choke on my coffee, and Luna hurries to pat me on the back. “Easy, don’t inhale that.”
“I’m okay.” I clear my throat. “June has a date, huh?”
“Yeah, with some guy who recently moved to town. I forget his name. Anyway, they met at the coffee shop a few days ago, and he asked her out. I was kind of surprised she agreed since June’s never been super interested in dating, but I’m excited for her.”
I have no right to be this fucking pissed off.
We’ve never made promises to each other—hell, she can’t fucking stand me, but I want to shake some sense into her and punch the other guy out.
“I think he’s taking her to dinner at Three Sisters,” Luna continues. “That’ll be nice.”
“Hmm. I’d better get to it.”
“Oh, sorry to hang you up. I’m babbling.” She grins and stands with me before giving me a big hug. “Thanks for being such an awesome brother.”
“I’m only mediocre, at best.”
“Nope, you’re awesome. You could have been a big jerk about this whole inn thing.”
“Only an asshole would do that. I should be done in Lincoln City by noon, and then I’ll be by to see what I can help with.”
“Awesome. I’ll save the hard-to-reach stuff for you.”
I laugh and wave as I get into my truck, and then I drive down Lighthouse way and turn toward the highway.
June has a goddamn date. And it isn’t with me.
“Where do these pillows go?”
I walk into pandemonium.
There are pillows, blankets, lamps, and cushions all over the foyer. On the steps, there are rolled-up rugs, and there are even more blankets hung over the newel post.
It looks like Pottery Barn threw up in here.
“In the library!” is the answer shouted upstairs.
“Uh, hello?” I walk back to the kitchen and find all three Kinnard sisters hard at work, storing dishes and cutlery, pots and pans, and more dry goods than I could count.
“Hi, Apollo,” Cordelia says with a happy smile. She blows a strand of hair out of her eyes. “It’s move-in day.”
“I heard. I came to see if I can help. Have you seen my sister?”
“I think I heard her upstairs,” Mira says, shaking a big-ass knife in that general direction. “I made some lemon tarts and fresh sweet tea for everyone to snack on. This is hard work.”
“I’ll definitely be back for that.” I wink at her and then set off in search of Luna so I can get my marching orders.
But when I get to the top of the stairs, I’m met with a very fine ass.
June—I’d recognize that ass anywhere—is bent over, storing perfectly folded sheet sets in a cupboard.
“I swear to god,” she mutters, “this is a pain in the ass. Why didn’t she have me build her a whole linen closet? No, she had to have an antique cupboard that’s aesthetically pleasing. ”
I can’t help but smile. I love it when Juniper talks to herself.
“Need some help?”
She jumps in surprise and hits her head on the shelf. As she rubs the sore spot, she turns to glare at me.
“From you? Hell no. Why are you lurking behind me? Are you staring at my ass? You’re a perv.”
“It’s a nice ass.” I shrug, as if I’m not at all bothered by her rudeness. The truth is that I’m not. I love the sass that comes out of this woman.
It fucking turns me on.
“Luna’s in one of the guest rooms that way.” She points down the hall before turning back to putting the sheets into the cabinet, but I don’t walk away. “Leave me alone, Apollo.”
“Nah. I don’t think I will.” I get closer, grab one of the sheet sets that needs to be stored, and smooth out the fabric. “I think that, if you fold these one more time, they’ll fit better.”
“I didn’t ask you.” She yanks the set out of my hands and works her damn hardest to ignore me.
She smells amazing, and being so close to her, I can feel the warmth coming off her. I remember how warm her skin is, how responsive.
She’s pulled her riot of red curls into a twisted knot, which is a feat in and of itself. Her hair is thick and long, and she loves it when I bury my fist in it at her nape and give it a tug.
“You’re still here.”
I clear my throat. “You’re observant.”
“You’re not good at rejection.” She spins and, just like Cordelia did downstairs, blows a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. But unlike when Cordelia did it, it makes me want to touch her.
Before I can stop myself, I reach out and tuck the strand behind her ear. She doesn’t flinch away from my touch, but her eyes narrow.
“I didn’t say you could touch me.”
“You’re so… bitchy , Juniper.”
Her eyes widen and, if I’m not mistaken, fill with hurt.
“I am not.”
“Yeah, you are. I’m not saying that I don’t like it, but damn, cut a guy a break. I don’t mean any harm.”
I step away from her entirely and shake my head. She has made it plain as day that she wants nothing to do with me, and yet here I am, like a lovesick puppy, trying to make moves on her.
Trying to be nice to her.
It’s a lost fucking cause.
“I’ll go find Luna.”
I turn to walk away, but June grabs my arm. “Apollo.”
I stop and raise an eyebrow as I look back at her. “Yeah?”
“I don’t mean to be bitchy.”
“Right.” I nod, look down at her hand, and then back up at her. The guys are right, she’s beautiful. In every way.
She also wants literally less than nothing to do with me. Hell, she’s going out with someone else tonight.
It doesn’t get any clearer than that.
“Don’t worry, Juniper, I’ll leave you be. Luna’s that way?”
Her mouth opens, but then she sighs. “Yeah. That way.”
“Thanks.”
I walk down the hall and hear Luna laughing with Sarah. When I get to the doorway, I can’t help but grin. They’re making the bed, but they’re in stitches over something, laughing so hard that they’re crying.
Sarah slowly slides to the floor as if she has no more muscle strength, which has Luna laughing harder.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, my god, so funny,” Luna manages to get out and then wipes at her eyes before waving away my question. “But it would get lost in translation. You made it.”
“I did. What do you need me for?”
“So many things. I have some tables and chairs that need to be brought into the dining room, and if you could bring the rugs that are on the stairs up here, I would appreciate it.”
“Is there any more man power on the way?”
“Wolfe should be here soon, and if we’re still here working when Tanner closes the studio, he’ll come by. At this rate, we’ll be here all night.”
“Are the tables and chairs assembled?” I ask her.
“Yes. And they’re also heavy since I got really nice pieces that will last a long time, but we can help you.”
“I’ll go down and start with the chairs,” I reply. “Wolfe and I can move the tables later.”
“There are rugs already in the dining room and unrolled so they would relax. You should be good to go in there.”
“Perfect.” I offer her a mock salute and then head back for the stairs, not a little relieved when I see that June has already moved on to another task.
It’s time I get June out of my system and move on.