Chapter 1 #3
“Don’t even try to deny it.” I stopped them both, but focused my gaze on Ethan, who’d recently based many of his decisions on his new fiancée, Delaney, who owned the bookstore next door.
In his case, I actually agreed with all his decisions because Delaney was fantastic, and they were super happy together.
Ethan shrugged, and Brody spoke up. “Okay, fair enough for him. But I don’t—”
“Lauren?”
“Is a friend.”
“Right.” It was my turn to laugh. “Keep telling yourself that, brother.”
Ethan turned and gave me a fist bump, joining in with my laughter.
It wasn’t a secret that our big brother and his best friend had been playing a game of push and pull for way too long.
As far as everyone in town was concerned, it wasn’t a matter of if they would get over themselves and finally be together, but when.
“So, are we going to talk about this dog?” Ethan handed me a fresh beer. “Is he yours? And why is he in my brewery?”
Both brothers looked at me expectantly. I hadn’t thought much about the pup besides the fact that I couldn’t leave him in the truck, and when I’d dropped Pete off at his house earlier and spoken briefly with his mother, it was clear the puppy couldn’t stay there.
“His name is Summit.” I shrugged.
At the sound of his name, which he couldn’t possibly know yet, he looked up at me with big, brown eyes. He was a cute little guy. “I guess he’s my new adventure buddy.”
“Quinn’s going to love him.” Ethan laughed.
Brody nodded. “He is a pretty cute little guy.”
The conversation officially shifted, and we moved easily into talking about my niece Quinn and the rest of our big, crazy family.
I was happy to talk about anything as long as the focus was off me and how I may or may not have felt about Jess Anderson. Because it didn’t matter whether I’d once, a very long time ago, had a crush on her. Those days were long gone.
Now, the only thing I felt about Jess was anger and annoyance. As far as I was concerned, she was the enemy trying to ruin my town. And if she thought I was going to sit back and let her do it, she was sorely mistaken.
Jess
The diamond on my finger sparkled in the candlelight as I spun it around. I had to admit, it was beautiful. Even if it was much larger and flashier than anything I would have chosen for myself.
But Trevor had been so proud of the ring he’d given me.
“We make such a good team, Jess.”
He handed me the little box across the table, almost causing me to choke on my wine.
We’d only been seeing each other for a few months.
We hadn’t even talked about a future together.
I took the box and carefully opened the lid, almost snapping it shut again, when the diamond flashed out from the velvet lining.
“Oh.” I blinked once or twice, sure I was seeing things. “This is—”
“I guess this means we’re getting married then.”
As far as proposals went, it wasn’t the most romantic one I’d ever heard of, and some of my girlfriends had been appalled when I told them, but ultimately, I was okay with it.
Mostly.
Trevor was a good man. He was stable and solid financially. He was ambitious, and he recognized that in me, too. As a woman who’d always put her career first, it could be challenging to find a man who not only appreciated that but encouraged it, too.
Sure, we didn’t have a wild, passionate love affair, but he treated me well, and maybe that was more important than the fairy-tale romance I’d read about and seen in the movies. And more recently, seen firsthand in a few of my friends.
I looked across the table at my fiancé, and not for the first time, wondered whether maybe I was missing something or rushing into things with him.
“Hello.” With his roll in hand, Trevor waved his hand up and down. “Earth to Jess.”
I shook my head and took a sip of water to clear my head of the thoughts before I could let them take hold. “Sorry. I was just…” My gaze dropped to the diamond on my left hand again.
“Were you thinking about the wedding?” His handsome face lit up. “It’s going to be the event of the year,” he said. “Everyone will be talking about it.”
“Oh, I don’t know if everyone will be talking about it.” I picked at my Caesar salad. “It’s not like it’s going to be huge or anything. I’m sure no one will—”
“Everyone will know I’m a force to be recognized. And when I finally get back to the city full time with my beautiful wife on my arm—”
“The city?” I set my fork down and stared at him. “But I thought we were going to live here?”
“Of course, we’ll keep a place here. But the city is where it all happens.
And once Timberstone takes off, there’ll be so many more opportunities to take advantage of.
Oh, that reminds me.” Trevor dropped his bun, dusted his hands together and reached for his phone.
“We need to add a few more people to the guest list. I’ll just send myself a little note. ”
“Who are you adding?” I tilted my head, waiting for him to finish on his phone. “I think we should keep an eye on the guest list, Trevor. Last time I looked, it was starting to creep up.”
“We can afford it.” He waved a hand, dismissing my concern.
“After all, Timberstone is going to make us very, very wealthy.” He set his phone next to his plate and raised his glass.
“And we should toast to that. Doesn’t the sales office look good?
Having a physical presence in the plaza will be huge this summer.
The tourists are going to be able to stop right in while they’re on vacation, and before they even know what hit them, you’ll be selling them their own little piece of mountain paradise. ”
He laughed and drained his glass of wine.
I put my own glass down without drinking. “But it’s mostly affordable housing,” I reminded him. “We’re not focusing on the out-of-town market.”
“No, of course not.” Again, he waved away my concern and picked up his phone.
“But we’re not not targeting it. I’m sure we’ll have more than a few out-of-towners take advantage of the location and the opportunity to get a foothold in Trickle Creek.
” He took a drink of his wine. “Besides, this is just the first phase. Once we get going, there will be lots of opportunities.”
I opened my mouth to object, but before I could, he cut me off.
“And, I’ll let you in on a little secret.
” He leaned in conspiratorially, and reflexively, I moved too.
“Selling a handful of units to tourists at higher prices is how we can manage to keep the majority of the development as an affordable housing project. It’s simple math.
And really, it’s win-win for everyone. And that’s exactly what you want, isn’t it? ”
I hadn’t thought of it that way. Of course, this was the first development project I’d been involved in, so I did have a lot to learn. Trevor had taken the lead on almost a dozen projects before coming into Trickle Creek with his Timberstone project.
That’s actually how we’d met. He’d knocked on my office door with his plans in hand and a proposal for a partnership and the investment opportunity of a lifetime. Little did I know how quickly that partnership would grow into a lifelong commitment. Things had an odd way of working out.
My lips curled up into a smile as I sat back and listened to Trevor talk about how things would progress once we got the all clear from the town, and I couldn’t help but be caught up in his excitement as he spoke.
It was going to be fantastic.
How could it not be?