“Yeah,” Faith nods.
“What?” I look between them with furrowed brows. I have no idea what they’re talking about.
“It’s a surprise,” Poppy sticks her tongue out and reaches behind the couch from her spot on the floor. “We got this for you.” She hands me a huge gift bag with abundant, white tissue paper.
“Why?” I take the bag.
“We wanted to. Let’s call it a business-warming gift,” Poppy adds.
“Business-warming?” I chuckle. She’s always making words up.
“Well, it’s not a housewarming, but it’s for your business, so yeah.” She lifts her brows as if I were the weird one.
“Or, we can call it a congratulatory gift,” Faith speaks up.
“Always so formal,” Poppy teases.
“Open the gift,” Abbie interrupts their joking bickering.
I remove the tissue paper, peeking into the bag. “You guys didn’t have to get me anything,” I tell them as I lift the wooden sign.
I read the lettering. The Farm House Bed & Breakfast is on a distressed white sign.
“I love it. Thank you.” I hug Abbie, who’s closest, and then lean forward to hug Faith and Poppy.
“Now it’s official,” Poppy smiles.
“I’m pretty sure it was official when I filled out my business license,” I lift my brows.
“Yeah, but you keep calling it the bed and breakfast. It has a name, use it.”
I can’t even argue with her ridiculous threat because she’s right. I’ve been so focused on using the type of business instead of the actual name.
“You’re right,” I smile, nodding. I admire the sign. “This is going to look great hanging from the porch. Thank you, ladies, seriously.”
“How are things coming along? The last time I was there was for the intervention with this one,” Faith nods toward Poppy.
“Walls are up, and we’re working on the kitchen,” I give them a quick update.
“And Eli? Is he still hot as ever?” Abbie asks with a Cheshire grin that is so unlike her.
“And annoying as ever. We got into an argument today—”
“Again,” Faith interrupts.
“You’ll be hearing that a lot more in the next few months,” I respond.
“Really?” Abbie’s nose scrunches.
“We don’t see eye to eye.” I shake my head, taking a deep breath.
They look at each other but remain quiet. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing, let’s get started.” Faith turns on her e-reader. She’s the only one of us that uses that thing, the rest of us prefer paperbacks. We open our copies of Redemption Lane by Rachel Blaufeld and begin our discussion on this week’s chapters.
I love book club—drinking more wine than necessary, talking about books, and spending an evening with my friends. Some weeks, I need it more than others, and this is one of those weeks. I know once The Farm House opens, my time will be limited when it comes to nights like these.
“We’re going to Clarke’s tomorrow night. You’ll come?” Poppy hands me my purse as I stand from my spot on the floor, getting ready to leave.
“Yeah, just tell me a time, and I’ll be there.”
“Awesome.” Poppy smiles. Things are changing in our lives. She’s got a serious, live-in boyfriend, and I have my bed and breakfast. Gone are the days where we’d have undivided time to spend together. All good things, but I don’t deal well with change, and it shakes me up at times.
“I told Faith and Abbie before you got here. It’ll be fun to get together.”
“We just got together,” I quip.
“You know what I meant.” She shoves my shoulder as we walk to the front door.
“Yeah,” I nod because I feel the same. “How is it going living with Harris?”
“Good,” her smile softens. “It’s an adjustment, but we’re getting into our routine and groove. I don’t leave clothes hanging out of the hamper anymore, and he puts the toilet seat down after using the bathroom.”
“Sounds like a match made in heaven.”
“Yeah,” she sighs.
“Okay, lovebird. I’m leaving.” I hug Poppy and leave her apartment with my new sign, the only thing I’ll be taking home tonight. I remind myself that my relationship status is my own doing, so I can accomplish my dreams. Besides, there aren’t many guys in this town that I’d call a great catch.
Eli
“I didn’t know she was coming tonight,” I practically growl at my best friend, Knox. I’m at Clarke’s, Everton’s best hangout bar, with my friends, looking forward to disconnecting from a long work week.
“Chill, dude. You know she’s Poppy’s best friend, and honestly, I’m not sure what your deal with her is. Averly’s cool.”
“Dude? You spent too many years in LA, buddy.” I shake my head, bringing my beer bottle to my lips as I eye Averly when she approaches us.
She’s hot, sexy even, and there’s nothing I find more attractive than a woman determined in what she wants. But Averly drives me crazy. She’s taken that determination I’ve always admired and turned it into something that frustrates me.
I’ve never met anyone who takes their job as seriously as I do, and that makes working with Averly a challenge. Usually, my clients trust me to make choices. We come up with a plan, and I make it happen. Averly is on a whole other level. She storms in, demanding I change things, questioning my skills and knowledge, and she looks sexy doing it, which adds to my frustration.
“Hey, guys,” she walks up to us with a smile.
Poppy and Harris greet her before Ainsley, Knox’s fiancé, asks Averly how the bed and breakfast is coming along.
I offer Averly a tight smile and scan the bar.
“Fancy seeing you outside of that hard hat,” she nods in acknowledgment.
“Fancy seeing you without the demanding list of changes,” I retort.
Averly rolls her eyes and focuses back on Ainsley and Poppy. Ignoring the woman in front of me, I ask Knox how the label is coming along. After years of working in the music industry, he decided to move back home and do his own thing—playing the music he believes in and working with Harris, his former manager, on a small music label.
Every so often, my eyes wander to Averly, the way her jeans fit her legs and hips, the highlights in her hair, and those fucking dimples. I shake inappropriate thoughts out of my head and focus on Knox.
“Man, you gotta stop staring.” He quirks a brow with a knowing smile.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t stand her most of the time, but my dick hasn’t received the memo apparently,” I whisper.
“Well, I’d say keep it in your pants if you’re working for her.”
“I’m not working for her. She hired me to do a job.”
“Same thing, buddy,” he claps my shoulder. “You want another one?” he signals to my beer.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be a long night.” Harris chuckles beside me. “You think this is funny?”
“I won’t say I’m not amused.”
I’ve worked my ass off to grow my company. I got a degree in engineering and business, been building things since I could hold a hammer, and worked with my dad growing up before he retired. Never, in all the years I’ve worked for someone or as my own boss, have I ever entertained the idea of sleeping with a client. Nor have I ever had a client like Averly Cooper—stubborn, beautiful, and a perfectionist. She turns me on until she opens her mouth to speak, and then I want to scream.
But that doesn’t stop me from admiring her when she isn’t looking, because if she caught me, I’m pretty sure she’d have my balls.
“Hey, sis.” I turn my head to see Finn, Averly’s brother, swing his arm over her shoulder. I’ve been friends with Finn since we were young, which isn’t difficult in this tiny town. “What’s up?” He lifts his chin toward Knox and me.
“Hey,” we both say at the same time.
“Do you know Harris?” I ask.
&nb
sp; “We met briefly. Hey, man.” He shakes Harris’s hand.
“I thought you were out of town this weekend,” Averly looks at her bother with a smile.
“Change of plans,” he winks.
“You’re impossible,” she laughs, shaking her head.
Averly introduces Ainsley to Finn, and everyone breaks off into conversations.
“How’s it going working with her?” Finn tilts his head toward Averly, making me take my eyes off her and focus on him.
I glare at him and take a drink of beer. “She’s stubborn,” I deadpan.
“You are, too, but she’s doing okay?” Finn’s eyebrows pull together, deepening the lines on his forehead.
“Yeah, why?” I shift my feet.
“No reason, I just know she’s really excited about this and is putting her entire soul into it. As a big brother, I worry.” He shrugs nonchalantly and tips his head back, taking a pull from his beer.
“Well, we’re on schedule, everything has been seamless so far, and I’m hoping it stays that way. You know when it comes to construction, there’s no way to truly predict what could happen.”
Finn’s laughter booms around us, attracting curious eyes. “Yeah, burst pipes.” He shakes his head.
“That was your fault for digging in the yard when I told you to wait.” I point at him. Finn is impulsive, and sometimes I see pieces of that in Averly, like when she threatened to knock down that beam in the kitchen herself.
“What’s going on?” Averly turns and looks at Finn with raised eyebrows.
“Just remembering some good old plumbing fun,” Finn chuckles.
“Fun for you. I had to fix the pipe and deal with a flooded yard.” I shake my head, grinning. Opposite of straight-laced Averly, Finn is always creating some kind of raucous. “It was a mess.” I chuckle, remembering that day.
Working on Finn’s house was almost as stressful as Averly’s bed and breakfast. Averly is demanding and a perfectionist, but Finn took the liberty of “helping” me, which meant he created a bigger mess. He’s lucky I like him.
“Okay,” Averly nods once, her eyebrows still lifted on her forehead and turns away from us.
“Thanks for helping her,” Finn lowers his voice.
“Thanks for recommending me. A job like this is always nice for the pocket,” I shrug. No matter how good business is, taking on a project like a bed and breakfast will guarantee stability for the next months. It’s nice to have a cushion.
“I really do believe you’re the best for the job,” Finn claps my shoulder.
I nod and watch Averly interact with her friends. At some point, Faith, Abbie, and Abbie’s cousin, Gavin, joined us. She looks so normal talking to them and laughing as she drinks her cocktail. I’d almost believe she was relaxed, but after working with Averly for the last two months, I see the hint of tension on her shoulders and the slight clenching in her jaw. Averly Cooper is too uptight to relax.
Or, I’m the cause of her tension.
Oddly, the idea of that excites me.
Averly
Averly: I need a HP nerd
Poppy: HP as in harry potter?
Averly: Yes
Averly: Not as in Hugh Patrick
Poppy: I’m sure if you ask they'll all come out from hiding lol jk
Poppy: Ha I didn't even think of that. Hugh is hot. I first went to Hewlett Packer LOL who's the nerd now?!
Poppy: Wait. Is it Packer?
Averly: I think it's Packard
Poppy: Oh damn lol well whatever
Poppy: I guess I lost some nerd points there
Averly: Hahahaha
Poppy: what do you need HP fans for?
Averly: I want to do book theme nights at the bb once I open… draw in a crowd besides guests. HP is a great start
Poppy: That’s a cute idea. You’re an HP nerd, so you know how to plan an amazing event
Averly: Yeah but I’d love outsider views on my ideas
Poppy: Ask abbie… she loves HP almost as much as you do
Averly: I still think it’s a sin you’ve never read it
Poppy: So sue me and send me to confession
Averly: What do sue and confession have to do with each other?
Poppy: Idk it just sounded like the right thing to say
Averly: You’re one of a kind
Poppy: Thanks!
I chuckle at Poppy’s response. I love that girl, but she’s a hot mess most of the time. I look down at my notes, a vast list of ideas scribbled on paper, but I’m too overwhelmed to focus on one. I’ve been vetoed out of visiting the bed and breakfast all week by Eli and his entire team. They literally kicked me out of my own place with a stack of notes and magazines in my hands.
Apparently, I’m too needy. Me! I’ve never been needy a day in my life. They’re just men that aren’t used to having an intelligent woman standing up for herself.
“Do you want another coffee? On the house,” Veronica, Cup-O-Joe’s morning barista asks.
“Sure, but I’ll pay.” I reach for my wallet, but she stops me.
“You’ve been here for hours each day, we’re not going to go broke by treating you to a cup of coffee.”
“Thanks.” I drop my wallet in my bag and lean back.
“How’s it coming along?” She nods at my notebook.
“I have no idea. I keep taking notes, but I can’t hang on to anything long enough to create a plan.” I fidget with the pen between my fingers.
“Maybe you need a break.”
I stare up at her with wide eyes. “I can’t,” I shake my head. “I have a million things to do, alone, and before I know it, opening day will be here.”
“It’s just a suggestion, but you don’t want to be burned out by the time you actually open your dream bed and breakfast.” Veronica arches an eyebrow.
“I know.” I take a deep breath, inhaling her advice.
Deep down, I know she’s right, but I’m so afraid of failing that I haven’t done anything but live and breathe this business since I decided it was time to take the plunge. The problem is, I’ve never leaped into anything without a plan, and lately, it feels as if my plan for The Farm House isn’t enough.
“I’ll bring you your coffee,” Veronica offers a small smile and heads behind the counter to prepare my next shot of caffeine. Considering my current state of panic, I’m not sure more coffee is what I need. Alcohol, sure. I wonder if she has Bailey’s stored in the back that she could splash in my cup.
I check my phone in case any emails have popped up in the last three minutes and then look back at my list.
Okay, deep breath.
Sorting through, I pick one item to focus on the rest of the morning. Like that, my mind won’t wander to the infuriatingly handsome contractor working on my bed and breakfast, which I’d say is ninety-nine-percent of the reason for my distraction. Ever since Friday night at Clarke’s, I’ve had him stuck in my mind. His ease, his dangerous smirk, the twinkle in his eyes when he’d talk to someone, and the scowl he’d direct at me whenever our eyes met.
He’s a distraction I sure as hell don’t need. I know guys like Eli, and they’re only good for one thing—breaking your heart.
I thank Veronica when she brings my coffee and then get to work. No more wasting time thinking about men I don’t need in my life, especially one who’s currently employed by me.
…
“I’ll take that, Mom,” I grab the casserole dish my mom is carrying and take it to the dining table. After barely achieving anything at the coffee shop this morning, my mom called to remind me that we had our weekly dinner at my parents’ house tonight.
Every week, the four of us get together for dinner in order to keep our family nucleus intact. It’s kind of silly when I think about it because we live in a small town, and I run into my mom at the grocery store almost every week, but it’s nice to have this time with my family to catch up, laugh, and eat together. Growing up, we’d eat together like this every night, so it b
rings back good memories.
“Go tell your dad and Finn that dinner is ready,” my mom calls from the kitchen as I place the dish on the table.
I head outside to the barn where my brother and my dad are.
“Hey, dinner’s ready.” I peek into the barn and see them standing by a stall.
“How’s my favorite girl doing?” my dad says.
“Great.”
“I was talking to Ace, but I’m glad you’re great, sweetie.” My dad points to the mare peeking out of the stall with a mischievous smile.
“Funny, Dad.”
“Only joking, Averly.” He and Finn meet me by the barn entrance. “What did your momma make?”
“A casserole,” I shrug. “Not sure what kind.”
“Well, if it’s your momma’s cooking, I’m sure it’s great.”
As soon as we head inside the house, my dad and my brother wash their hands, and I take my seat at the table. Once we’re all seated, we say grace and begin serving ourselves.
“How are the renovations coming along?” my dad asks as he passes me the salad.
“Good, slowly but surely getting to where I want to be,” I smile before moving the onions in the salad bowl to a side and serving myself.
“I saw it,” Finn says, looking at me. “It’s making progress.”
“You did?” I furrow my eyebrows. I haven’t seen him come by the days I’m there.
“Yeah, I went by earlier to see if you were there, and Eli gave me a quick tour.”
“How is Eli doing? I’m sure he’s going to create a beautiful space,” my mom says with confidence.
“Yeah, sure.” I know he will, but I rather avoid the topic of Eli tonight.
“I saw him at church on Sunday,” my mom continues, giving me a pointed stare. “You were not there.”
“I know, Mom. I overslept. I already explained. I’m sure God will forgive me.”
“Don’t use that sarcasm when speaking of God,” she chastises me as if I were five.
Eli probably had to go to confess his whoriness. I refrain from saying that out loud, knowing I’d get some scowls.
“How’s the ranch?” I change the subject, looking at my dad.
Make You Mine Page 2
