21. Haven
Chapter Twenty-One
Haven
“Where’s Elsa?” Jude asked as he approached me, where I was eyeing the finish trim I was putting on the desk in one of the offices.
“Today’s her first day at work,” I replied.
Jude tapped his fingers to the side of his head. “That’s right. Totally spaced it.” He plunked down in the chair across from me. “We’re almost there.”
“I know,” I replied with a glance up.
“Really glad Elsa’s here.”
“Yeah.” I kept my tone vague. I was more than glad she was here, but I didn’t think Jude shared my specific reasons.
“Yeah, she knocked out the painting quick, and that sign out on the barn looks amazing. I think we’re ready to roll. You think Lincoln will come back soon?” he asked next.
Lincoln. Our missing brother.
I tapped the last nail on the trim and straightened as I set down the hammer. “I don’t know. He’s with a hotshot crew up in Fairbanks. We all rotate out.”
“He doesn’t rotate out. He’s gone most of the time,” Jude pointed out.
“I know.” I bit back the sigh rattling in my chest.
Lincoln had taken Bree’s death a little harder than the rest of us. It seemed to have been a body blow for him, where he pulled away instead of turning toward us. We were all worried, but most of our worry was left unspoken because I guess we all figured he just needed time.
“Mom thinks you’re in love with Elsa,” Jude said next.
I almost choked on the swallow of water I’d just taken from a bottle. I lowered it and dragged my sleeve across my chin. “Excuse me?” I said between coughs.
Jude waggled his brows. “I’m inclined to agree with Mom on this.”
“Jude…” I warned.
“Look, I guess we’re all worried about each other. But phew.” He let out a low whistle. “You could win a medal for being a cranky ass, but since Elsa’s been here, you’ve lightened up a little. I think she’s good for you.”
I shifted my shoulders as I sank my hips into the chair by the desk, letting out a heavy sigh and running a hand through my hair. I knew damn well I’d been more irritable since Bree died. But well, our whole family had been a mess. I wasn’t short on reasons to be stressed out.
“Jude, Dad died, then within a year, the whole place burned down and Bree died. It’s been stressful.”
“Well, your mood’s been a hell of a lot better since Elsa’s been around. So don’t be a dumbass.” At that, he tapped his fingers on the desk and stood to leave.
It was startling how quickly I adjusted to Elsa being here all day, every day.
I didn’t want to think about missing her when she started her job, but I did.
That worry feathered along my thoughts until the day she actually did, and I carried a piercing ache in my heart.
She was just at work, but that was how bad I had it for her.
As I walked through my days, which were always busy, I missed the light, teasing sound of her voice, her asking my brothers for their opinions on the paint and so on. But I kicked those thoughts away. Until Cole pointed out, “Man, I forgot how grumpy you could be.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes. “Elsa’s not here full-time now, and you’ve reverted.”
“Reverted?”
Jude chuckled as he plunked down in a chair at the kitchen table. “Yep. We’re going to have to adjust.”
I rolled my eyes. “Cut the shit.”
“Why? You like Elsa. Just admit it,” Jude said.
“We all like her,” I pointed out.
“She’s the best thing that’s happened to you since—” Cole began.
“Since when?” Tommy asked as he entered the kitchen.
For a moment, the mood turned serious, but it passed quickly, because we all knew this drill. We didn’t dwell on Bree’s death, especially not around Tommy.
“Your dad’s just cranky sometimes,” Jude pointed out lightly.
“I know, but he’s been in a better mood lately. I think it’s Elsa,” Tommy said with a somber nod as though he was a freaking genius about relationships.
Asher chuckled as he walked into the kitchen. “From the mouths of babes. You are smart, my man.” He clapped Tommy on the shoulder.
“And I won the spelling bee at school today!” Tommy announced.
“You did? That’s awesome!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, I’ve been studying. That’s what you told me to do, and Elsa tested me the other day,” Tommy explained.
“She did?” I prompted, wondering what else I’d missed.
“Yeah, she was painting, and I was doing my homework, and I needed someone to test me, so she put the notebook on the floor while she kept painting, and we ran through a whole bunch of words. She’s a good speller.” Tommy nodded vigorously at that.
My brain went where it wasn’t supposed to. Elsa was good at a lot of things, including some that made my body very happy. I didn’t think about how impatient I was to get to tonight when I would have some time with just her.
I forced my mind off that train of thought. “Well, rock on. Since you won your spelling bee, what do you want for dinner?”
“I don’t know. What’s Grandma making?”
“Well, you know it’ll be whatever you want. We have something to celebrate,” I said.
Tommy considered this seriously. “I’m gonna go ask her what my options are.”
We all high-fived him before he left the room, and then I dragged the laptop over in front of me.
“All right, we gotta do some planning, guys. Mom says she and Elsa have hired somebody who’s starting next week.
They’ll sort out the reservations and so on, and in the meantime, we need to take a look at the budget. ”
“Oh, the fucking budget.” Jude sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We need an accountant.”
“Once we’re up and running and bringing money in, we can hire one,” I pointed out. “In the meantime, well, it’s me.”
“I know. And you’re stingy,” Cole chimed in.
“I’m not stingy. I just want us to make this work.
We haven’t had any income from this place since it burned down.
Thank God we’re all trained firefighters because that’s what we used to get by.
But it’s also part of why building this place has taken us so long.
Separate from the time it took to get the insurance money for the construction, let’s just look at everything so we know where we’re at. ”
“I mean, the way it worked before, Dad did firefighting, right?” Asher asked.
“Oh yeah, he did, but the resort was also a smaller operation. We’ve got more rooms now, and even Dad hired out for help,” Cole said.
“As long as four of us are here, two of us can rotate out with the hotshot crew when they need someone extra,” I explained.
“How many people do we have on the waitlist?” Jude prompted.
I clicked on the screen where our mom had been keeping a list and let out a low whistle. “Over forty.”
“Holy shit,” Asher breathed.
“Yeah, Mom booked twenty of them already for three weeks from now,” I explained.
“Okay, this is really good news,” Jude said, nodding. “And a shit ton of work.”
“The rooms are ready to go. Whoever’s helping with the computer stuff and the reservations, we’ll need their help with supplies because people can come stay, but we need... oh fuck. I’ll talk to Mom.” I ran a hand through my hair.
“Do we need Lincoln to come back?” Cole asked.
“Nope, we’re good for now. “I looked around at my brothers, realizing, not for the first time, that I was the only one of us who had been an adult at the time of the fire. While we’d all grown up here and been a part of the family’s business, for them, it had been tagging along after school and during summers.
Bree had been an adult, but she was gone. I’d been the one who helped Dad and had a better sense of the logistics of the business before he passed. I glanced at my brothers. “We’ve got this. I promise.”
Cole leaned back in his chair, nodding to himself. “We do. This was the plan all along.”
“Well, it’s only been delayed by a whole freakin’ year,” Jude cut in with a dry chuckle.
“That’s construction for ya,” I returned. “We’re more than ready. We have to be.” I only hoped we could convey our confidence into action.
Just then, our mother came in and started reeling off all the things she’d already taken care of as far as supplies for the guests.
When Cole started to look worried, she squeezed his shoulder.
“We’ve got this. You boys might be the tough ones and the firefighters, but I ran this business with my parents and then with your dad.
I’ve got it. The only part I don’t have to do is trek out in the wilderness to fish or hunt or whatever else.
” She rolled her eyes. “You’ve got the fun part, but it stresses me out. ”
After my brothers departed, I glanced over at my mom. “They want to be more a part of this, Mom.”
It was rare for her sorrow to break through, but she swiped at the tears glittering on her eyelashes. “I know they do, and your dad always said I could be kind of bossy. The new employee, her name’s Chloe, is starting tomorrow. Between her and Elsa, I feel ready.”
“I miss Dad. And Bree.” The words slipped out before they’d even fully formed in my thoughts.
“We all do.” She took a deep breath. “Life has changed. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t miss your father, and I’m beyond grateful that all of you wanted to be a part of this.”
“There was never any question about that, Mom.” My voice was low.
She shrugged lightly. “I know, but it’s the kind of thing you’ve got to love to do. And after the fire…” She closed her eyes briefly as she took another breath. “That could have scattered us to the winds. Instead, it seems to have brought us together.”
My chest ached thinking about Bree and my dad. I quickly shifted the subject, checking in with her to cross-check her handwritten list with the one Elsa had made for her on the computer. When we were done, I closed the laptop.
She tilted her head to the side. “I like Elsa,” she announced. The moment she spoke, I knew this was going somewhere.
“I like Elsa, too. Pretty sure we all like her. She’s likable.” I kept my tone light, hoping my mom didn’t press too much.
My mom bit her lip, pressing them together as if trying to keep from laughing before finally snorting. “She is very likable. But I think you like her in more than just a friendly way.”
“Okaaaay,” I said slowly.
“You be good to her.”
“Of course, I’ll be good to her, Mom. Aren’t you supposed to be protecting me? I’m your son,” I pointed out.
She waggled her brows. “Of course, I protect you. But…” She paused. “There’s something a little special about Elsa. I think you know what I mean.”
My heart squeezed tight because I knew exactly what she meant. There was something more than a little special about Elsa.
When Elsa walked into a room, everything felt a little lighter.
Her smile itself was sunshine. And it wasn’t as if life had been perfect for her.
She’d lost her own father, and I knew she grieved him.
But her sweet smile, radiant warmth, and that soft uncertainty underneath—as if she wasn’t sure she belonged—made me want to give her everything, to unfurl the world for her and ensure she always knew just how special she was.
My voice was gruff when I replied, “I know she’s special.”
“I know you’ll be good to her, and you definitely have been in a better mood since she’s been here. But then, I think we kind of all have.”
“Elsa has that effect,” I said with a chuckle.
“She does. And maybe, just maybe, you could give yourself a chance.”
“What do you mean?” I narrowed my eyes.
“You know what I mean.” My mother stood from the table, pecked me on the cheek, and gave my shoulder a squeeze before she walked out of the room to leave me to ponder that observation.