Chapter 27
We pulled up to the cabin castle an hour later and the group spilled out of the van, their awe and excitement over Jay’s estate manifesting in excited chatter as we made our way to the back patio.
“It’s even bigger than I remember,” Erica said to Shelby.
“I would kill for a view like this,” Devin said. For a man of few words, it was a pretty long sentence for him to utter.
When we came around the back, Luna was sitting outside on a little bed next to her luxurious doggy house, and she ran up to greet everyone.
“Aw, hey there,” Macey said in a baby voice, kneeling down to cuddle Luna.
Jay went inside to grab the food and returned with burger patties and a package of buns.
“Devin, want to help me?” Jay asked. Devin nodded, and the two of them headed for the grill, conversing as they began prepping the burgers.
The mouthwatering aroma of grilling meat soon wafted through the air, mingling with the fresh mountain breeze.
I found myself gravitating toward the luxurious fire pit, where Tyler was already sitting. The smokeless fire could be turned on with the flick of a knob, and soon the two of us were in front of a blazing fire, purple, blue, and orange dancing before us.
“Quite the day, huh?” Tyler said, giving me a knowing smile.
“Yeah, it was something else,” I replied, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I didn’t think I’d actually make it through all those zip-lines.”
Tyler chuckled. “You did great, though.”
I laughed. “Yeah, well I couldn’t have done it without you. So thank you.”
“No problem.”
We settled into a comfortable silence that was only interrupted occasionally by the pop of the fire. Around us, the rest of our coworkers were chatting and laughing together. Soon, the adrenaline in my system finally dissipated, and I was able to relax a bit.
Twenty minutes later, everyone began gathering around the large picnic table, where plates, buns, and all the fixings were laid out.
“Food is ready!” Jay called.
Tyler and I got up, grabbed plates, and assembled our burgers with our favorite toppings.
“This looks amazing,” I said, taking a seat back by the fire pit with my loaded burger. I’d worked up quite the appetite and allowed myself a generous portion of tomatoes and grilled onions.
“Yeah, Jay knows how to grill, that’s for sure. I will admit I actually look forward to our office outings mainly because of the food,” Tyler said, taking a bite of his own burger and nodding in approval.
Macey joined us not long after, a mischievous look on her face.
“So, what do you think?” Macey asked, looking up at the cabin castle with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Um, it’s nice,” I said. I still hadn’t told them I was living with Jay.
“Nice? It’s unbelievable. If I could live in a place like this, I would never want for anything again,” Macey said, taking a bite of her burger.
“Yeah, speaking of houses… have you found a place yet?” Tyler nudged me with obvious concern in his brown eyes.
“Yeah, I did find a place,” I said, looking down at my food, unsure exactly how to explain.
“Where?” Macey asked innocently.
“Well,” I hesitated. “Jay’s apartment, actually.”
I told the truth, knowing immediately what was about to follow.
“Jay’s what?” Macey stopped chewing, her mouth falling open as a tiny piece of lettuce dropped onto her plate.
“You’re staying here?” Tyler’s eyebrows shot up as he looked over at the mansion again.
“Yeah, he has a place above his garage. He offered it to me after he found out I didn’t have a place.”
“Hope, you’re living with Jay?” Macey had the decency to keep her voice down, but the whisper was a whisper-yell, and her eyes were practically popping out of her head.
“It’s really not a big deal,” I said, not wanting it to feel like a big deal. But it sort of was. I was living with our boss.
“I can’t believe you get to live here. I would kill for a view like this,” she giggled. “Both the views, if you know what I mean.”
“You’re relentless,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I’m joking. Sort of,” Macey said with a shrug.
“Well, I’m really glad you found a place to stay,” Tyler said.
I nodded. “Yeah. Me too.” I brushed a stray strand of hair back behind my ear.
“The private section of the lake out here is actually insane,” Macey said, shaking her head.
“It’s awesome,” Tyler said, looking out at the water. “Wanna go down to the edge with me, Hope?” he suddenly proposed.
I wasn’t expecting the invitation, but realized I’d be happy to wander away from the party for a bit.
“Sure, let’s go. Macey, do you want to come?”
Macey waved us off. “Nah, I’m good. I’m going to go talk to Erica and Jenn for a bit.”
I nodded, setting my plate off to the side and following Tyler.
We slipped away from the group, the laughter and chatter fading behind us as we made our way down the path toward the water.
The lights from the cabin castle gradually disappeared, replaced by the silvery glow of the moon reflecting off the lake’s surface.
The air was damp and crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and lake seaweed.
We walked side by side, falling into a rhythm. The soft crunch of lake sand under our shoes was the only sound, accompanied by the gentle lapping of the water against the shore.
“This place really is beautiful,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as if speaking too loudly might shatter the tranquility of the moment.
Tyler nodded. “Yeah, it really is. It’s a perfect escape from everything.”
We continued walking, the silence between us not at all awkward. It was easy to be around Tyler. I liked that he gave me a sense of calm. He wasn’t intense and didn’t make me anxious when I was around him.
“Speaking of Dr. Jay,” Tyler said, “I was wondering. I know Macey jokes about it a lot, but do you actually… like him?”
My eyes widened at the unexpected question. “Most definitely not,” I said, letting out a nervous laugh. “I could never be with a dentist.” My cheeks burned.
Tyler laughed and ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. “Just making sure. I don’t want to make any moves if you’re into someone else.” He gave me a flirtatious smile, and my steps faltered a little.
Whoa. Hold on.
Had I missed, like, a thousand clues? Had I really been so obsessed with my new job, settling in, and avoiding my boss that I hadn’t even noticed that Ty was actually into me?
Suddenly, the veil lifted, and the unintentional friend-zoning I’d cloaked him in abruptly disintegrated.
So the invitation to watch him sing was because he liked me.
It was at this moment that I took a second to really look at him.
He was a few inches taller than me, and he had a nice smile.
His dirty-blond hair was swept back from his face, thick and neatly styled.
And his eyes—the deep brown I’d always found quite beautiful—were now staring at me intently, gauging my reaction.
I realized I needed to respond.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about Jay. Nothing is going on there,” I said, letting out a nervous laugh and trying to sound confident.
Tyler’s smile didn’t falter. “Well, that’s good to hear. I’m happy you came today, Hope. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”
I blushed. Suddenly, the whole dynamic shifted in a matter of seconds.
He’d been so nice to me from the moment I arrived that, in my desperation to find my footing, I’d latched onto him and Macey as lifelines of sorts.
They’d become such good friends that I hadn’t stopped to consider how they might view the relationship.
“I’m glad I came too, Ty. I’ve had a lot of fun today.”
He took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage. Then, without another word, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to my cheek.
The kiss was unexpected, and I stilled in surprise but didn’t pull away. Tyler’s lips were very warm, lingering against my chilled skin for only a second before he pulled back.
When he came back into view, he wore a sheepish smile, his cheeks flushed.
“Sorry. You just looked too adorable not to do that.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know how I could possibly look adorable with this hair.” I gestured to my helmet hair. “But thank you.”
Wow. I really felt like I’d been thrown a ball from left field. I kicked myself for not being more prepared. I wasn’t upset, just surprised, and trying to decide how I felt.
Could I feel something for Tyler?
Maybe.
And that was more than I usually felt about anyone.
I’d had a few boyfriends in high school and one in college, but nothing had ever really stuck.
It was hard to date when I was consumed with my studies twenty-four-seven.
I’d never had the time or space to think about a relationship.
And it wasn’t like my father would’ve ever let me anyway.
Now that I was actually paying attention, I felt open to the idea. Tyler was good. Tyler was sweet and normal. And most important of all, he wasn’t my boss or a dentist.
“You didn’t hate it?” he asked, sliding his hands into his pockets and shifting his weight.
“No, I didn’t hate it,” I said, reaching out to take his hand from where he’d tucked it away. “It was sweet.”
Someone genuinely kind and calm with a good personality and a handsome face wouldn’t be a bad way to go.
“So, I guess that means you’ll still be coming to watch me play next week?” His eyes were hopeful.
“Most definitely. It’s a date,” I said, and we began our walk back up the path.
The lanterns lining the property made everything feel incredibly romantic, and I was feeling really happy as we started up the steps.
Then, as we neared the last dozen or so steps leading back to the party, my foot caught on the edge of one of the wooden stairs. My dirty shoelaces snagged on the rough corner, and I stumbled forward, instinctively reaching out with both hands to catch myself.
I wasn’t fast enough.
I fell face-first into one of the steps. A sharp pain shot through my face as my temple struck one of the thick wooden planks.
“Ouch,” I groaned, my world tilting as I tried to stand. My head pounded painfully.
“Hope! Are you okay?” Tyler immediately knelt beside me.
“I hit my head,” I said, my hand going to my forehead. When I pulled it back, it was covered in blood. The skin just above my right eye had been cut open, and blood was flowing freely.
“Hold on, Hope,” Tyler said quickly. “We’ll look at it in the light.” He gently helped me to my feet, pressing his hand against my wound to help stop the bleeding.
Tyler supported me through the last few steps as the noise from the deck grew louder. Soon, the glow of the fire pit and the chatter of our coworkers came into view.
“We need help over here!” Tyler called out, and to my dismay, everyone’s heads turned in our direction. Macey was the first to react, rushing over to us.
“Oh my gosh, Hope! What happened?” Macey exclaimed. When she reached us, she gently pulled my hand away to inspect the wound.
“She tripped on the stairs. It’s bleeding pretty badly,” Tyler explained.
“It was so stupid—my shoelace got caught.” I groaned, hating that everyone was looking at me.
Macey examined the cut with her perfectly manicured fingers. “Oh gosh, Hope. You’re going to need stitches. This isn’t something we can fix with just a bandage.”
She grabbed some napkins off the table and helped me press them to my head to slow the bleeding.
“Let me look.”
Jay suddenly appeared, his voice more commanding than everyone else’s. The tone sent my heart racing even faster. Macey stepped back, and Jay came closer, reaching out to cup my face so he could inspect the wound.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Keep holding these here,” he instructed, referring to the napkins. “Alright, everyone, listen up. The party’s over. Hope needs stitches. It’s getting late anyway, so it’s probably best to call it a night.”
Jay reached into his pocket and handed his keys to Devin, who was standing just behind him.
“Devin, can you drive everyone back to the office? Make sure they all get home safely.”
Devin took the keys with a small jangle. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“No, I don’t want everyone to have to leave because of me,” I said, hating that I’d put a damper on the night.
“He’s right, Hope. It’s late, and we were about to wrap up anyway,” Macey assured me, patting my shoulder.
“Thanks for coming, everyone. See you on Monday,” Jay said, and with those final words, everyone began gathering their things and heading back toward the van.
“Feel better, Hope,” Jenn and Erica called as they disappeared around the side of the house.
“Keep me updated,” Macey said, squeezing my shoulder one last time before following after Shelby and Devin.
Jay started walking toward the cabin. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and stitched.”
Tyler was still beside me, hesitating to leave.
“Go. I’ll be okay,” I said, turning to him and giving a reassuring smile while still holding the wad of napkins to my bleeding head.
“You sure?” Tyler asked, looking between Jay and me.
“Yeah. I’ll text you,” I said, forcing a smile.
Tyler nodded, finally relenting. “I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”