Chapter 7
SEVEN
Wren fidgeted with the crumpled up ball of foil from her breakfast burrito. Every now and then she shot a look at Elias as he drove them back into the mountains. The cocky jerk smiled back every single time.
And every single time she asked, “Still not gonna tell me what I’m in for?”
“Nope.”
“Payback for stealing the scrubs?”
“Yup.”
She shook her head, pretending to be more annoyed than she was. By all rights, her anxiety should have been screaming at her to jump out the truck’s window at the next hairpin curve, damn the steep drop down the side of a mountain if she did. And yet, she knew Elias wouldn’t put her in any danger.
Now, putting myself into danger when it comes to my heart—that’s another story .
They’d left her car at Riversong after transferring her equipment to the truck. Elias promised he’d make her dinner and bring her back down later, but that it was, in his words ‘safer and easier’ to just take his truck, which they would recognize. Normally, that would send up a ton of red flags. And yet…she felt more like they were on a playful little adventure. Elias was obviously having fun with her, and when he ducked into the men’s room before they left Riversong, April assured Wren she was in good hands.
So instead of being worried about where she was physically going at the moment, she worried more about where her heart was going.
Wren avoided serious relationships like the plague. She’d seen too many of her friends get close to someone only to break their hearts during cruel fights and arguments. And if there was something Wren truly hated, it was arguing. So, as soon as a relationship showed any signs of exiting the honeymoon phase and getting serious, Wren was outta there. Barbie’s words came back to her.
Your style is to carefully observe. And then observe some more. Preferably through a telescopic lens. And then as soon as someone comes in for a closeup, you pack away your camera and go home .
Wren scrunched up the ball of foil even tighter. Shit. Barbie’s right about me. Well, not about my cootchie being a camera .
Another thought bubbled up without warning.
Overexposure .
“Did you just snort?” Elias asked.
“Nope,” Wren squeaked through clenched teeth.
Don’t laugh. If you laugh, he’ll want to know why. And if you tell him why he’ll think you’ve lost your mind .
She squirmed in her seat like she was in church holding back a fart, while her brain kept on churning out inappropriate camera puns.
Flash .
“Okay, what’s so funny?” Elias demanded.
“Nothing.”
“You just snorted again.”
“Did not.”
Wren clamped her lips shut. Her cheeks burned from the effort not to laugh. But if her cootchie was a camera, her mind was now a drone zooming straight for Naughtyville.
Darkroom .
Private shoot .
A bubble of laughter slipped through her clenched teeth, and she quickly coughed to cover it up.
“Seriously, what’s going on?” Elias pressed, his aqua-blue eyes flicking between her and the road.
“Nothing. Just…being…stupid.”
Wren could feel the dam breaking. She bit down on her bottom lip hard, trying to stifle the giggles. But then her brain betrayed her with the ultimate zinger.
That did it. A laugh burst out of her, loud and uncontrolled.
“You laughed.” Elias crowed, eyes twinkling with victory. “Now you’ve got to spill.”
Wren shook her head, laughing too hard to care. “Oh, you wouldn’t understand,” she managed to gasp out between giggles.
“Try me.” He grinned, clearly enjoying the sight of her losing her shit.
Wren’s laughter slowed as she considered how to explain it without sounding completely ridiculous. She took a deep breath, wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, and gave him a wry smile.
“Okay, but if you laugh, it’s two points in my favor.”
Elias considered her. “So we are both doing this, huh?”
“Doing what?”
“Keeping a laugh score.”
“You mean a laugh track?”
He grinned. “Whatever you want to call it.”
“So, just to confirm—if you laugh right now, it’s two points.”
“Yup. Hit me.”
“It’s just... I have a friend. Barbie. She was making fun of me.” Wren covered her face. “I can’t believe I’m about to tell you this.”
Elias rolled his hand in a ‘come on, out with it’ gesture.
“Fine.” The next words rushed from her lips. “She kind of compared my cootchie to a camera.”
Elias worked his jaw as his lips twitched. “A…camera? Your…cootchie?”
“Yeah. So, now my brain just keeps coming up with these really lame double-meanings.”
Elias rolled his lips in as his face reddened from the effort of not laughing. “Stupid double-meanings, huh? Like what? They can’t be lame if they’re making you laugh.”
“Flash.”
Elias shrugged. “Okay.” But his twitching lips continued to give him away.
Wren played along. “Damn. See? Told you they were lame.”
“A little lame. Hit me with another one.”
“Overexposure.”
Little noises came out of his nose and he rolled his lips back in.
“Aperture.”
“Aperture?”
“It means an opening.” She stared right at him. “Like with the lens diameter.”
Elias’ chest and shoulders jumped.
“Was that a chuckle?”
“No. That was a, um, hiccup.”
“Yeah, right. What happens if I say wide lens? Like, open that lens wide for me , baby!”
Elias’ laughter filled the truck. “That’s not lame, that’s gold, Wren.”
“Two points! I’m winning!”
He cleared his throat. “Just so you know, there’s nothing wide about your lens or your aperture.”
Wren stamped her foot, trying not to laugh. “Why, thank…thank…you.” Then she lost it and cracked up. “That’s the nicest thing any date’s ever said about me.” She grinned at him. “And, I’m still ahead.”
“Negative. Ha, get it?”
“Now that’s lame.” But she still laughed, feeling a warm flutter in her chest.
“Fine, we’re even.”
“If you say so.” Wren shook her head, grinning.
But her grin slowly dried up now that they were cruising down the road near the house she’d photographed earlier. They took the opposite fork in the road, unmarked except for a sign saying PRIVATE. She rolled the ball of foil between her hands and tried to think of how to approach her potential clients.
The trees lining the road gave way after a few minutes and opened up. Wren’s eyes widened at the sight of the vast landscape stretching out before them. The mountains rose majestically in the distance, their peaks still dusted with snow even in the summer. A pristine lake shimmered in the sunlight.
“This place is gorgeous,” Wren murmured, momentarily distracted from her worry.
“The people who live here sure love it,” Elias said, his tone giving nothing away.
Wren shot him a suspicious glance.
Elias just smirked as he pulled the truck to a stop in front of a large, rustic cabin with a wide porch. A couple of rocking chairs sat by the door, and a pair of muddy boots were propped up against the wall, giving the place a lived-in, cozy feel. Wren could tell the cabin was old, but someone had done a lot of work to fix it up. The roof looked new and so did the addition on the back.
Before Wren could finish unbuckling her seatbelt—the process slowed down by her stiff shoulder—Elias was already out of the truck and opening her door. He held out his hand and helped her down.
As soon as they turned toward the cabin, the front door burst open and a mountain of a man stepped out, his beard thick and wild, his expression gruff and unwelcoming.
“Elias, you son of a—” the man boomed, cutting himself off as he spotted Wren. His stern eyes flicked to her, sizing her up.
Wren froze, her heart skipping a beat. Confrontation was the last thing she wanted.
But then, to her surprise, the man’s face split into a wide grin. “—gun!” he finished, his deep voice rumbling with laughter. “You brought a guest. My Ellie’s gonna be so happy.”
So this is the grumpy Jon Behr.
Laughing, Elias hugged the big man. “Bear, meet Wren Stapleton. Wren, this is Bear. He doesn’t actually bite.”
Jon Behr extended a hand that engulfed Wren’s. “Nice to meet you, Wren.”
Still trying to process the shift from intimidating to friendly, Wren shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Behr.”
“Just Bear like the animal,” he said. “Not Jon, not Mr. Behr.”
Elias chuckled at her confused expression. “It’s his nickname. It suits him, don’t you think?”
Wren nodded, her smile widening as she relaxed. “Definitely.” Then she put two and two together. “Oh, you’re part of Elias’ old friend group, the one with all the animal nicknames.” She grinned at Elias. “Or should I just call you Lion now?”
Bear’s eyes widened and the corner of his mouth curled up. A low grumble started in his chest but by the time it got to his lips it had morphed into a deep belly laugh. He winked at Elias.
Just then, the cabin door opened again. A petite woman with sun-streaked hair and a warm smile appeared.
“Don’t let him scare you, Wren. He’s just a big softie,” she said, coming down the steps to join them. “Elias called and told him that you all were coming and Bear was just putting on an act, like this prankster wanted.” She winked at Elias. “Not that we would have turned you away or anything if we didn’t know who you were,” she said in a mock-stern tone directed at her husband. “We’re very happy to have guests, aren’t we?”
Bear snorted.
“I’m Ellie.” She stuck her hand out for Wren to shake.
Wren felt the last little bit of tension drain from her shoulders as she shook Ellie’s hand. “It’s great to meet you. Your place is amazing.”
“Thanks! We love it here.” Ellie’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “We’ve been dreaming up all sorts of projects, and that’s where you come in. I heard through the grapevine that you were the one flying a drone around this morning.”
Wren almost staggered. “Wow, yeah. Word travels fast.”
Ellie shrugged. “Small town, even though we’re miles and miles away from it.”
Bear wrapped his arm around Ellie. “Distance don’t matter when April’s got gossip.”
“Bear!” Ellie frowned.
But Wren laughed. “Don’t worry, I get it. I’m glad she let you know I was okay.”
“I was on the phone with her right after Bear got a text from Elias. She likes you.” Ellie’s smile widened. “Let’s get you something to drink inside, and then I’ve got some ideas I’d love to bounce off you.”
Wren felt the familiar thrill of creative potential bubbling up. “I’d love that. And I can already picture how I’d photograph your lake.”
As they headed inside, Wren glanced back at Elias, who was grinning from ear to ear. She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. I should have known.
And that I can trust him.
“So… There’s a house nearby for sale?” Ellie asked once they were all inside. Bear raised an eyebrow at her inquisitive tone that went beyond casual conversation. Wren wondered too.
“Yes. It’s getting re-listed. It was on the market with no bites so the owners switched Realtors to Chase, the guy you met. Don’t tell me you want to sell all this and buy that one instead.”
“No, no. Not us.”
“Put too much work into this place,” Bear added.
That was obvious to Wren as she looked around the cabin. The wood trim and fireplace looked original, but the kitchen, open to the living room, was full of new appliances and definitely had a more modern layout.
“Your home is gorgeous,” she told them. “I’d hang on to it, too.”
Ellie was already halfway to the kitchen. Wren, Bear, and Elias followed her.
“Thanks! We have friends who’ve been house hunting.” She pulled a couple of water bottles out of the fridge and handed them to Wren and Elias. “They’re renting now down in Lyons and haven’t seen anything they absolutely love yet.” Ellie grabbed Bear’s hand. “Wouldn’t it be great to have them living nearby? Can you imagine?”
Bear’s eyes twinkled, seeing his wife so excited. He nodded.
“If you don’t mind, I’d love to be the one to bring them to Chase,” Wren said. “I’m trying to build my real estate photo business and bringing potential buyers to an agent would help.”
“Of course.” Ellie nodded happily. “I’ll give Gina your contact info. She and Lachlan are looking for something quiet and kind of out of the way.”
“Well, that’s certainly the neighborhood.”
“Are you totally new to photography?” Ellie topped off Wren’s water glass as she asked.
“No. I used to photograph people. For magazines and newspapers. And online.”
“Oh, like for news articles?”
“More like feature stories. Human interest.”
“Cool. Would I know any of your photos?”
Wren’s cheeks warmed. She always felt weird talking about the details of her career with people she’d just met, hoping they didn’t think she was name-dropping.
“Well, I photographed Barbie a couple months ago for Vogue.”
“I don’t read Vogue, but that’s a big-deal magazine. Is Barbie a model or something?”
“No, not anymore. She’s an actor now. Barbie Gillis? Have you heard of her?”
“Are you kidding? I love her in everything she does. What’s she like in real life? Or did you only meet her the one time?”
“No, actually, she’s my bestie.”
Ellie’s eyes rounded. “Oh, wow.”
“So, she’s nice?” Wren smiled and shrugged. “She’s funny. Very funny person. Which, kinda goes along with someone who does comedy.”
Ellie must have sensed Wren’s discomfort because she didn’t press. “So you wanted to do something different with your photography?”
“I did.” Not that she was totally done photographing people, but she couldn’t talk about her next gig, at least not yet. “It’ll be fun working on your property.” She took a drink of water.
“If you’ve got time now, I’d love to show you around.”
“Absolutely.” She glanced at Elias. “If you’re not in a hurry?”
“Not at all. Bear and I will catch up in here,” he said.
Wren and Elias ended up staying for lunch at Ellie’s insistence. “The least I can do is feed you after dragging you around the entire property.”
They hadn’t actually seen everything—Ellie owned acres of land covered in forest and craggy outcroppings—but what they did explore took Wren’s breath away. So did the story of Ellie’s inheritance and how she almost lost everything. Bear literally saved her life. Wren found herself wiping away a tear at the end of Ellie’s story. Bear might have the size, but Wren knew Ellie was just as strong as the big man in her own way.
And the woman can cook! Wren couldn’t say no to an extra biscuit with a spoonful of honey.
“Pretty soon, that’ll be honey we harvest ourselves,” Ellie said, glancing fondly at Bear.
“Those beehives were something else,” Wren said, remembering the stacks of white boxes and the bees flying in and out of their bases. Their back legs were thick with orange, yellow, or red pollen, making them look like they were wearing bright little pairs of shorts.
“We got the bees at the end of spring, the last ones the beekeeper had, actually. Bear built the frames and boxes himself.”
Elias grinned at his friend. “When does the first jar of Bear’s Honey roll off the assembly line?”
“Go ask the bees,” Bear said around a mouthful of fresh-caught trout from the creek cutting through their property.
“Talking to the animals is more your department.” Elias pointed his fork at Bear. “This guy’s other nick is St. Francis.”
Bear grunted. “It’s their factories, so it’s up to them. One hive for sure is going gangbusters, but a couple more are gonna have to grow a lot bigger before we’ll harvest any honey from them. Gotta survive the winter.”
Ellie turned to Wren. “I’ve already promised jars to April, Rochelle, Gina, Arden, my cousin Ellen, Stephanie, Sandra… And I forget who else.” She ticked the women’s names off on her fingers. “I’ll add you to the list.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Wren felt her cheeks redden.
“Oh heck yes I have to. I can’t leave out a friend.”
Friend . Wren smiled at that. Ellie was damn near the sweetest person she’d ever met. “You should call it Ellie’s Honey.”
Bear pointed a thick finger at Wren. “Yeah, that’s what I said, but she don’t want that.”
“ You’re the one doing all the work, Bear. It was your idea, too, so it’s your honey. Besides, Bear’s Honey sounds cute.”
The big man’s face turned bright red under his thick beard.
Elias pounded Bear on the back. “What’s wrong, brother? Looks like you swallowed something down the wrong pipe. Maybe some of your cute honey, Honey?”
Wren stifled a giggle.
Oh, God, I’m being rude .
But then Ellie burst out laughing beside her. Bear rolled his eyes but Wren didn’t miss the twinkle in them.
Elias gave him one last slap on the back. “Just be glad all the women aren’t here, especially Stephanie.”
“Stephanie?” Wren asked.
“Trouble,” was all Bear said.
“Oh, she is not! She’s lovely.” Ellie stuck her tongue out at Bear. “And a good friend.”
“She works with our buddy Gabe down at the rec center,” Elias said as he reached for the basket of biscuits.
“Rochelle’s husband,” Ellie added. She passed the butter to Elias, who tipped his head in gratitude. “Rochelle and I had a double wedding earlier this year. Have her show you her wedding ring when you meet her. Ben made it himself. He’s another of Bear and Lion’s friends.”
“What’s his nickname?”
Ellie frowned as she tried to remember. “Oh yeah, Moose.”
Elias grinned at Wren. “I’ll get you a scorecard later.”
“Will it have everyone’s real names or their nicknames? I might need two cards,” Wren teased.
Ellie patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll catch right up, just like I did.”
Wren felt her stomach flutter. Catching up would mean she was sticking around. Getting to know more of Elias’ friends. Making them her friends.
‘Serious girlfriend’ activities .
She braved a look at Elias to gauge his reaction, not knowing what she’d see in his eyes. Acceptance or annoyance?
And which do I want to see?
Meeting his gaze was like looking into a mirror. She saw the same question for her in his lagoon-blue eyes. They both looked away at the same time.
With the same thoughtful smiles.