Chapter 14
M ac stood at the front window in the cabin. Jetter had passed out after his bath, limbs sprawled like he'd dropped from the sky. The boy could sleep through everything, but Mac's mind was restless.
He ran a hand through his wet hair. Unlike the basic cabins around the lake, his place had running hot water, indoor plumbing, and working appliances as long as the propane tank stayed full.
The tension in his neck increased. He couldn't get Lauren off his mind.
He could've cooked dinner inside, but because Lauren was here for the whole experience and because he couldn't trust himself to be around her without touching her, he'd cooked their meal outside.
Maybe he'd wanted to test her.
Most women he'd spent any time with hated the ruggedness of visiting the mountain. They wanted the convenience of being five minutes away from getting their fingernails done and going to the gym.
But Lauren accepted the meal without any hesitation. She enjoyed talking with Jetter. By the time they finished eating, she was even joking about her bear encounter.
He stepped outside, the night air brushing cool against his skin, and started walking.
A few lanterns glowed in the distance, casting soft halos on the well-worn paths. Down by the lake, the water lay flat and dark, reflecting stars like scattered glass. A couple sat on the dock, tangled in each other, whispering and laughing like the world didn't exist beyond their little bubble.
Mac strolled past the cabins, past the bathhouse, past the fire pit where the last embers glowed faintly.
He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, knowing where to step without a flashlight.
While he knew the mountain as well as he knew the back of his hand, he didn't know where he was going. He couldn't sit still. Not tonight.
Cord's motorcycle was parked near the corner of the lodge. He veered from his path when he noticed his cousin strapping down a duffel.
"You heading out?" Mac asked.
Cord glanced up. "Someone's stuck on the road coming up."
"A little late." Mac frowned. "Campers?"
Cord shook his head. "Cabins are full. Tent sites, too. They're probably lost. Probably following their GPS to Montana and don't realize they should've stayed on the interstate because going over the pass would destroy their fancy cars."
Mac nodded. "I can ride out and see what kind of help they need if you want to check in on Jetter every so often."
"Stay here. I got it. I was heading into town anyway."
He raised a brow. "What for?"
Cord's smug grin said everything without needing to speak a word. Mac scoffed and punched him in the shoulder. Cord might shut himself off from the chaos in town, but he made sure his sex life never suffered because he lived on the mountain.
Cord chuckled. "Don't take it out on me that you can't get something."
Mac snorted, but the jab landed deeper than he let on. Cord had always been the smooth one. A little reckless, but charming to the ladies. A real flirt. Mac preferred to stay behind and keep things running, ensuring the campers had working toilets and running water.
Still, they were blood. They were raised side by side, more like brothers than cousins. Cord and Beckett had experienced all their firsts right alongside Mac.
Out of all of them, Beckett was the most reclusive.
It got even worse after the death of Alicia, Beckett's older sister.
She should've been here, running the campground with them, but she died when she was twenty-six years old.
She'd gone off the mountain with a man she believed would love her until the end of time.
But an auto accident took her life, and the boyfriend walked away without a scratch.
Cord swung a leg over his bike and revved the engine. "Try not to brood too hard tonight."
Mac flipped him off as the bike roared off into the trees.
He turned back toward the cabins, thoughts drifting to Lauren. The way she'd smiled at Jetter. The way she'd listened to him like he mattered. She hadn't tried to impress Mac. She hadn't even tried to talk to him.
And somehow, that made it worse.
He passed the pole building, where Beckett held a gas can, filling up an ATV.
"We have fifty gallons left before one of us has to go into town and fill up the containers." Beckett lowered the can. "Has Cord taken off yet?"
"Yeah."
"Damn." Beckett screwed the cap on. "Guess I'll go in the morning. Can you cover opening the lodge for Avaline tomorrow?"
"Sure."
Beckett grunted. "I'm gonna lock the pole barn."
"You good?" Mac lingered.
Beckett paused. "Long day. Had to chase a raccoon out of Cabin Six. Little asshole had a stash of granola bars under the bed."
Mac chuckled. "You always get the weird ones."
"Because I don't complain," Beckett said. "Unlike you, who walks around scowling and barely talking. Cord acts like cleaning a toilet is a personal betrayal."
Mac grunted. Beckett was solid. Quiet. The kind of guy who didn't say much but always showed up. They'd worked together at the campground when their grandparents were running the place. They'd helped each other with both the hard and easy jobs. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Beckett.
"You heading home?" Mac asked.
Beckett's cabin was on the other side of the lake and up on a small knoll. Far enough away, the campers never wandered over to his place.
Beckett nodded. "After I finish here. You?"
Mac hesitated. "Yeah."
Beckett gave him a look. "Go talk to her."
It figured Beckett knew what troubled him.
"She's the last thing I need." He turned and walked away.
But instead of heading home, his feet took him down the path toward Lauren's cabin.
The propane light that every cabin had next to the pull-out couch that could double as another bed was out. The place was completely dark.
She was probably asleep.
He stood there for a moment, staring at the dark window, then turned to leave.
"Mac?" A voice barely louder than the wind stopped him cold.
He turned around.
She stood in the clearing, wrapped up in a blanket, wet hair loose around her shoulders. The scent of her shampoo made his toes curl in his boots.
The silence between them stretched, full of everything they hadn't said tonight at dinner.
And for once, Mac didn't want to walk away.