Chapter Seven
Maddox
“Are you even listening, brother?”
“Uhm, yes?”
Benson raises his eyebrow at me and puts his fork down. “Dude, I’m trying to tell you something important. Please listen.”
“I’m sorry, but that ongoing feud you have with Piper is getting on my nerves.”
He picks his fork up again and stabs the trout on his plate with it, his jaw tightening. “No, Piper is the nerve grater. Who even believes in glamping ? That’s not a real thing. It’s made up by city slickers who can’t stand the thought of going back to basics but who love the smell of cash.”
I sigh. “Benson, you’ve got to let it go. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep letting Piper annoy you like this.”
“It sounds more like I’m annoying you.” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. “Is this about that Aspen girl?”
The mention of Aspen catches me off guard. Was it that obvious I like her? I hardly said a word to her when I bumped into her at the salad bar.
“No, why?”
He rolls his eyes at me. “Dude, I know you. You’ve been grumpier than usual after seeing her ex, you’ve been eyeing the door leading to the outdoor seating area where she’s having dinner with her family, and when you noticed her earlier, your eyes twinkled. Twinkled , brother. I’ve never ever seen them do that. Didn’t know you were able to even.”
“That’s preposterous.”
“Is it? Why don’t you ask her out already?”
I grin at him. “I will if you ask Piper out.”
He points his fork at me. “Take that back, brother. I don’t like Piper. At all. We’re rivals.”
“Sure.” I take a bite of my salmon. “Rivals who luuuve each other.”
“You’re such a baby, Maddox.”
“Guess it runs in the family.”
He lets out a laugh. “Fine, we’re both idiots. I still don’t get why you won’t ask Aspen out. She looks like a great girl.”
“I don’t know,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I’ve only just met her. And besides, she’s only here for a couple of weeks.”
“So? I’m not suggesting you drop to one knee and propose. Spend some time with her. Have fun together. You could end up as friends who see each other every summer.”
“Maybe. Anyway, why don’t you continue your story? What exactly happened with Piper at the campground today?”
I know my question will distract Benson enough that he won’t mention Aspen again. At least not tonight.
The hours fly by, and by the time we’re done with dessert and have settled the bill, Aspen’s family is getting ready to leave as well.
“I think I’m going to walk home,” I tell Benson when we’re outside, hoping he didn’t see Aspen’s family get up.
If he did and he realizes I was lying about wanting to walk home, I’ll never hear the end of it.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I need some fresh air.”
It’s not really a lie. I do need some fresh air, but I’m also hoping to bump into Aspen again. My brother waves goodbye and drives away. I sit down on a bench at the pier, waiting for Aspen to pass by.
Five minutes later, the Steelbird family spills out of Pier’s Edge Seafood Shack. I try to catch her eye and, thank goodness, it works. Her face lights up when she sees me. She holds up a finger before whispering something to one of her cousins. She waits until they’re out of sight before walking towards me.
“Hey, you,” she says with a smile.
“Can I walk you home?” I ask her. “Or do you have other plans?”
She laughs as she shakes her head. “No, I don’t.”
“Great. Are you okay with taking the long way?”
She nods. “More than okay. The night is still young, and I have nowhere I have to be right away, so…”
I lead her to a small dirt road that only locals know about. It leads to a different side of the lake and eventually loops back to the path leading to the row of rental cabins on the other side.
She shivers and I immediately shrug my jacket off. I drape it over her shoulders. “Here. Looks like you can use it.”
“Thank you. The sun was still shining when we headed out for dinner. I keep forgetting that the temperature drops after sunset,” she confesses.
I nod. “The nights can get chilly in Fog Harbor. Always come prepared.”
We walk in silence for a few minutes, until Aspen points to the lighthouse. “That’s a beautiful sight, don’t you think?”
I nod. “My cousin lives in the lighthouse. He spends most of his time up there. Can’t say I blame him. The view is breathtaking.”
Her eyes grow wide. “You’ve been up there?”
“Yeah. I wish I could take you, but he’s kind of a recluse. Besides, the lighthouse isn’t easy to reach either. Especially when it’s dark. I wouldn’t want you to slip and hit your head on a rock.”
“I understand Not that I’m not jealous that you saw the view from up there.” She lets out a soft sigh. “You’re just out here living the dream.”
I laugh. “What do you mean?”
“For starters, you’re your own boss. You also get to spend a lot of time in nature, you and your brother seem to get along great, and you’ve got access to a lighthouse,” she says with a grin. “Sometimes, I feel this longing to simplify my life. I live in the city and work as a marketing assistant. Don’t tell my boss, but I’m bored most of the time. It’s always the same. Big corporations throwing money at us so they can scale up their revenue numbers. They never want anything too much out-of-the-box either. There’s not enough challenge, you know?”
I nod. “I get that. It’s why I love running Maine Catch Bait & Tackle. The variety is great for me. I take it you prefer that as well?”
“I do. Life’s too short to be risk-averse all the time. You’ve got to enjoy it to the fullest.”
An idea forms in my head at her words. “Can I take you somewhere else before I drop you off at the cabin? There’s something I think you will appreciate.”
“Color me intrigued,” she says.
The moonlight illuminates her gorgeous face, and I mull over Benson’s words from earlier. Is being friends with Aspen all I want? If I’m being completely honest, I’m not sure that’s going to be enough for me. It sounds crazy considering we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, but the heart wants what the heart wants, right? Sometimes, things feel right straight away. I could see myself falling for her. I chuckle. Falling for her? Those are big words.
“Something funny?” Aspen asks, the corners of her mouth lifting up to a smile.
“Sorry, I was thinking about silly stuff. Has Devon given you any more trouble?” I ask, trying to get the conversation in a different direction.
She shakes her head. “I’m trying to avoid him as much as possible. I honestly don’t know why he’s acting so nasty towards me.”
“I bet he’s jealous.”
A warm laugh escapes from her mouth. What I wouldn’t give to hear that laugh every day. “Jealous? If that were true, he never would’ve broken up with me. I’m glad he did, though. Good riddance to that annoying excuse for a man. I don’t know what Lexie sees in him.” She snorts. “Or what I ever saw in him.”
“The heart works in mysterious ways,” I say.
She grins. “You sound like my grandmother.”
“Uhm, thanks?” I say, not knowing whether to take it as a compliment or not. “We have to take a left here, by the way.”
Aspen stops walking and peers at the dark path I’m pointing at. “Are you sure?”
“I am. Don’t worry, it’s completely safe. I’ll protect you from any harm.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Do you think we’ll run into trouble? Are there any bears here?”
“I hope not,” I say with a laugh. “Come on, it’s not far. I promise the trees just look scary at night, but I know every inch of this trail. I could walk it with my eyes closed.”
“You’re taking me on a hike late at night?”
I give her hand a small squeeze to reassure her, and a huge wave of warmth floods through me at the exact moment our hands meet. “It’s not a hike. Trust me, Aspen. You’re going to be happy you followed me.”
“Okay then.”
She reluctantly follows me up the trail, but I know that her jaw will drop to the ground when we get there. She’s going to love what I have in store for her.