Chapter 2 #2
“We’ve been listening to them since February,” I reminded him.
“Every time these guys ‘talk,’ it sounds more and more like they consider it a done deal. Don’t forget, I was on Mayor York’s committee to review the site plans.
Evola simply cannot raze acres of natural, old-growth forest to build luxury alpine relaxation cabanas and deliciously decadent bespoke gustatory osterias without having devastating impact on the local flora and fauna.
Have you seen environmental impact studies of their other resorts?
No, me neither. Because they don’t exist. Which means Evola hasn’t publicized them.
Which means they’re bad. As a person who’s devoted himself to saving heirloom apple varietals, you should care about this, Webb.
Anyone who cares about the Hollow should care about this. ”
Webb made a soothing, noncommittal noise—the kind you made when a child was pitching a fit—and I felt like growling.
The proposed resort development project stood to bring hundreds of new tourists and their spending money to town, which meant many people, including some members of my own family, were already leaning toward approving it.
The fingernail poked me again. “I know we’re here to stop the evil developers from paving paradise, Joni Mitchell…
” Crys leaned closer and whispered under her breath.
“But what’s the deal with you know who and the plan to you know what him?
Your text was extremely light on details.
A single thumbs-down emoji? I need more. ”
I shrugged. “There’s nothing more to say. I asked. He declined. The end.”
Now I had to figure out how to give up the dream of my heart and move on. How to stop being in love with someone who represented the biggest and best parts of my life.
Romance novels had not prepared me for a situation where one-half of the fated mates decides the other isn’t a suitable match. This seemed a regrettable oversight.
“Boo, that’s not possible,” Crys said firmly. “Tell me everything you said, and everything he said about what you said, and everything you said about what he said about what you said.”
“I did exactly as you suggested. I asked him flat out. No chance for misunderstandings. And he…” I looked around to make sure no one was listening, but naturally, everyone and their brother was listening, especially mine.
“He was not amenable,” I admitted in a pained whisper.
“Barely even considered it. Can we stop talking about this now?”
Crys shook her head. “No, because I’m still not buying it. The way he looks at you… He’s very, very amenable, Hawk.”
Luke leaned over and whispered. “What are we talking about?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” I lied. “Go back to petting my brother.” I turned to Crys again. “Explain what you mean.”
As far as I could tell, Jack looked at me the way Jack had looked at me since the day we’d met—fondly, but apparently not the kind of fond that made him want to rip my clothes off and worship my naked flesh with his tongue. Not even fond enough to override his concerns about my family.
She leaned even closer, cupping her hand around her mouth and whispering in my ear unapologetically. “His eyes follow you constantly. If you’re in the room, you’re the center of his attention.”
“Well, sure, but it’s been that way forever.
Because we’re friends,” I whispered glumly.
“Which is part of the problem for him. He says he doesn’t want to lose what we have.
And he’s my boss. And he’s my ‘honorary brother.’ And he knows certain people wouldn’t be okay with it. ” I tilted my head in Webb’s direction.
To my shock, Crys’s face broke out in a smile. “That’s what he said, huh? Is that everything he said?”
“Isn’t that enough? It’s hopeless.” He’d shut me down so entirely I had no recourse. I wasn’t a fighter by nature, but I would have fought for this… if Jack had let me.
“But he didn’t say he wasn’t attracted to you.”
I blinked. “Well… no,” I said slowly, my battered heart thumping a little faster. “Not technically. But I felt like that was covered in the ‘brothers’ part.”
“Is it, though? If he didn’t find you attractive, he’d have said, ‘You’re not my type, Hawkins,’ and been done with it. Wouldn’t he?”
“I… I don’t know.” Maybe he’d been trying to save my feelings by not admitting that short, thin guys with muddy-brown eyes and cowlicks weren’t his jam.
“I do.” Crys’s smile went sly, and she tapped her lip thoughtfully with one long nail. “And I’m thinking you need to make sure he’s looking at you in a way that drives brothers out of his mind altogether.”
I stared at her, open-mouthed. “But, like… how?”
“Easy. You just have to—” Crys’s gaze moved over my shoulder, and she coughed lightly before sitting back in her seat. “Erm. Why don’t we discuss specifics later?”
“Later? No way!” Couldn’t she see I was dying here? I cut my hand through the air to make my point. “Tell me n—ow-ow-ow!” I wailed as I accidentally whacked my funny bone on the back of the chair.
“Bird?” The voice from my dreams made me spin around to find Jack Wyatt leaning over the seat next to Mrs. Cleeward, watching me with a troubled expression that suggested he’d witnessed the whole thing. “You okay?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and ignored the spot of dampness in my eye caused by the pain.
Ugh. The only thing worse than confronting the person you love after they’ve rejected your affections is confronting him while surrounded by your busybody family after demonstrating that you are, indeed, the foolish child he believes you to be.
Elizabeth Bennet would never.
Jack’s large palm cupped the back of my head, and it was harder than it should have been not to lean into his touch like Webb had earlier with Luke. “Look at me, Hawk. Are you alright?”
Closing my eyes didn’t help when I could perfectly picture Jack’s laser-beam-of-concern eyeballs boring a hole into my brain.
And that was the problem, really, with fantasizing about someone for as long as I had.
Two thousand days analyzing the precise meaning of each smile-crinkle beside his deep blue eyes and two thousand nights dreaming of him touching me like a lover had conspired to make me imagine things in his gaze that weren’t there.
For example, that he might be open to the idea of some recreational sex with an inexperienced (but very eager to learn) younger man…
And that today, of all days, would be an auspicious time to approach him about it.
I sighed and opened my eyes.
“Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine, Jack. Now, sit down, okay? The meeting’s starting.”
But Jack didn’t let go. His eyes searched mine for a beat, his hand still warmly clasped in my hair. “Your scrapes from earlier… are those—?”
I felt like everyone was staring, so I twisted my neck and shook him off with a big, friendly smile. “Also fine! I’m totally, completely… fine.”
Jack dropped his hand—which was a good thing, and I did not immediately miss it. He gripped the back of his chair until his knuckles turned white. “Hawk. Are you sure…?”
I could tell he was asking about more than my pinecone rash now. “Oh, for god’s sake. When a person says they’re fine, they’re fine!”
Everyone whipped their heads around to stare at me, like the sight of Hawk Sunday losing his shit was a newsworthy Hollowan event.
Which, okay, maybe it was.
“Now who’s making things unnecessarily complicated?” I asked softly.
Jack’s eyes darkened, but before he could say anything, Mayor York called the meeting to order. Everyone turned their focus to the front while he welcomed us and went over a few pieces of Hollow housekeeping before introducing the primary topic of tonight’s meeting.
“As you know, we have an important vote coming up in just four short weeks. Our friends at Evola Corp made us a very generous offer back in February to purchase the land at Fogg Peak in order to build an exciting new resort that’s sure to bring many more visitors to our little town.
Tonight, we’re going to hear from some of Evola’s representatives about the design concepts for the Fogg Aerie Resort so that we as a community can come to a decision.
I’d like to give a warm Hollow welcome to—”
“Fogg Aerie?” I scoffed under my breath. “It has a fancy name now?”
“Shh.” Uncle Drew, ever the peacemaker, leaned across Emma. “At least they kept Jeremiah Fogg’s name in it.”
Hmph.
I missed the name of the man Mayor York introduced, but he made his way to the podium and gave the audience a warm, slightly nervous smile.
“He’s cute,” Em and Crys whispered to me, one in each ear. I shrugged both of them off.
The guy was definitely cute in a smiley, enthusiastic way, which, sadly, was not the type that set my blood on fire.
His fair hair was neatly combed, his suit was perfectly pressed, his expression was innocent and earnest…
all in all, exactly the sort of harmless-looking person a soulless corporation would send to a small town to convince them to part with their precious natural resources.
I sighed. I really was cranky.
“Good evening, folks,” he said. “Thank you, Mayor York, for that nice introduction. Um. As Ernest said, I’m the environmental compliance officer for the Evola Development Corporation.
We’re so excited to be here in Little Pippin Hollow to work with you on creating the kind of resort development that would not only be mutually beneficial from a commercial standpoint but also an exciting opportunity to preserve and celebrate the beautiful landscape of Fogg Peak.
We hope Fogg Aerie becomes the kind of destination resort that honors the values and purpose of Little Pippin Hollow, and we really, really appreciate your willingness to work with us to make sure this project is the best it can be. ”
My ears perked up. Environmental compliance officer? That was new. And he sounded like he actually cared about the things I was most concerned about.