Finn looks at me. “Setbacks happen. They’ll fix it. I think you should go away like you mentioned. It’ll do you some good to relax and not obsess over every single detail.”
“I’m not obsessing, I’m making sure it all comes out perfect,” I defend, crossing my arms.
“You can’t control everything. I feel like you’re missing out on the fun and excitement of opening your own place because you’re too caught up on making it perfect. Why don’t you go to my cabin in Bear Mountain? It’ll give you the time to relax, disconnect a bit from here, and you won’t have to spend a dime.” Finn gives me that charming smile of his, showing off his pearly whites and dimples.
“Okay,” I nod. I wanted to go somewhere this weekend, and this could be the perfect solution seeing as now I’ll have to pay more than planned. The cabin is beautiful this time of year with the snow. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. Come by in the morning, and I’ll give you the key.”
“You’re the best big bro,” I smirk.
“Only one you’ve got,” he quips.
“That’s what you think.”
“What?” His eyes widen, and I laugh.
“I’m kidding,” I say as I try to catch my breath. “Your face, though… It was priceless.”
“You’re a pain,” he teases. “Ready to order?”
“Yeah.” I fold my hands over the table and chance a glance at Eli. His hazel eyes are burning into me, a slight crease on his forehead as if I were some type of equation he can’t figure out.
The waitress leaves with our order, and I notice Knox and Eli walking toward us. I look away from them, still embarrassed about my behavior this morning with Eli, and look at my phone as a distraction.
“Hey,” Knox says.
I look at them and smile. Finn stands, shaking their hands. “What’s going on?”
“Just came to hang out with this guy,” Knox tilts his head toward Eli. “Catching up.”
“Sounds good. You guys want to stay for dinner?” I want to kill Finn when he asks them. Eli’s eyes flicker to mine quickly.
“I’m headed home. Ainsley’s making Frito pie,” he slaps his hands together, rubbing them with a huge grin. “It’s kinda our thing,” he whispers. It’s adorable to see a grown man so smitten, and I smile despite the nerves making my heart drum against my ribcage.
“How about you?” Finn looks at Eli, who has been quieter than usual.
“I was gonna head home.”
“And eat alone? Stay. We just ordered, so you’re in time,” Finn insists, and I have to wonder what his motives are.
“If it’s okay with you,” Eli looks at me.
“Yeah, sure,” I shrug as if it were no big deal.
“I’m gonna go,” Knox says when his phone beeps. He slaps Eli’s back and waves before walking out of Clarke’s.
“May I?” Eli points to the booth.
“Sure.” I scoot over, as close to the wall as possible, but his thigh still brushes mine.
“Averly was updating me on the renovations.” I could kill Finn for bringing it up.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before saying, “Finn, let’s change the subject.”
“Whatever you want,” he grins.
Eli and Finn fall into easy conversation about sports and ranching. I sit and listen, twisting my fingers under the table, so no one notices my unease. Eli shifts, rubbing against me again, and I tense. I hate that he’s so good-looking. He knows it, too. Guys like Eli use their looks and charm to their advantage, but I refuse to fall for that again.
“Averly’s going up to the cabin tomorrow.” I turn to look at Finn when he says my name, missing the beginning of this conversation.
“Huh?” My eyebrows draw together.
“I was talking to Eli about the cabin and hunting. Telling him you’re gonna head over there this weekend,” Finn explains.
“Oh, yeah,” I nod and look at Eli. “I mentioned I’d be away, but call me if there are any more problems.”
“Don’t call her,” Finn shakes his head. “You need to relax,” he gives me a pointed look, eyes wide.
“But—”
“Nope, you’ll deal with it on Monday, or say, you let Eli handle it since he is in charge of the renovations.”
I take a deep inhale, clenching my jaw. I know Finn means well, but Eli can’t make certain decisions for me. The man next to me snickers, and I glare at him.
“Hey,” he lifts his hands. “It was his idea,” he points toward my brother.
“Whatever,” I mumble just as the waitress comes by with our food.
She gives Finn and Eli both a flirty smile, waiting to see which of the two give her their attention. Can’t she at least pretend to not be so desperate?
“Thanks, darlin’,” Eli winks, and I roll my eyes.
“You okay?” Finn asks.
“Yeah, got something in my eye,” I shrug and cut my burger in half.
“Cheers,” Finn says.
I laugh and shake my head. “That’s for drinks, not food.”
“Well, it should be for food, too. The British use it all the time.”
“And we’re not British,” I smile.
“Whatever,” he shrugs, “Bon appétit. Better?” His eyebrows rise on his forehead.
“Much,” I chuckle.
Eli smirks as he looks at me, and I stop laughing. He frowns and focuses on eating the ribs on his plate. It’s best if I keep my distance from him. Nothing good can come from listening to my body, no matter how curious it is about the feel of Eli’s hands on it. My body does not have permission to test that curiosity out.
One day, I’ll meet a nice man who is respectful, settled, and serious. Not someone who dates a ton, has an argument for everything I say, and is stubborn.
Ever since I graduated high school, I’ve dated the safe guy. The good guy. The stable guy. Unfortunately, that is also the boring guy. But at least I know this type of guy won’t hurt me. He won’t play with my emotions, lie about his feelings, or use me. One heartbreak is enough to last me a lifetime.
Call me jaded. Call me insecure. I call it being careful with who I give my heart to. I never again want to feel like I have no control of my emotions.
I sit at the table, more tense than usual, and adding to the conversation when asked a direct question. The longer I have Eli next to me, the more consumed I become by his body. The taut muscles on his forearms where his Henley shirt is scrunched up. His deep chuckle when Finn says something ridiculous. The curiosity in his hazel eyes when he looks my way. It all washes over me like a blanket I want to hold tightly until reality slaps me, and I remember I can’t stand the man. His cocky attitude. The way he puts down my ideas. I swear he does it on purpose, to mess with me.
We finish eating, and Finn insists on paying, saying he invited me to dinner. When Eli argues, he tells him it’s a thank you for helping me.
“Come by the ranch tomorrow, and I’ll hand you the keys for the cabin,” Finn tells me as we stand outside Clarke’s.
“Thanks,” I smile and hug my brother. “For everything,” I whisper.
“Everything is going to be okay,” he reassures me, his voice low as well.
I step back and nod. Finn heads toward his car after saying bye to Eli.
“Bye,” I look at Eli. “I’ll go by the house on Monday.”
I walk toward my car.
“Averly, hold on.” I turn to see Eli jogging after me. He stops in front of me, hands in his coat pockets. “I just wanted to apologize about earlier.”
“It’s fine,” I shake my head, waving a hand in front of me.
“It’s not. I should’ve been more professional about it.”
“Forget it, Eli. I have,” I lie. I rather not rehash it.
“Okay,” he shrugs. “I’ll call if there’s an emergency, but I doubt that will be necessary, so just relax this weekend.”
“Will do.” I give a firm nod and continue the walk to my car. This sudden
change in Eli’s attitude throws me off. He’s usually arrogant, so this kindness is odd. I’m not sure how to react to it, or if it’s pity for the way he found me crying on the porch steps this morning.
Taking a break will be good. I’ll get my mind right, let go of the stress and worries, and come back on Monday ready to move forward with my plan. Besides, every new business comes across challenges, right? It’s all part of the process, and I have to be strong enough to handle a setback like this, or I’ll fail before my first year is up.
I get home and pack for the weekend, mostly loungewear and the book I’m currently reading. This is exactly what I need. Finn’s cabin is surrounded by beautiful trees, a bit isolated in Bear Mountain, but it looks beautiful surrounded by all the snow. In the morning, I’ll pick up some groceries before grabbing the keys and take a little R&R.
Averly
My whole plan to relax has been more stressful than it’s supposed to be. Actually, relaxing shouldn’t have one ounce of stress mixed into the equation. The drive up to the cabin yesterday was a mess—snow everywhere, punishing winds rocking my small car, and an elk in the middle of the road, blocking my path. When I got here, I was lucky the door wasn’t covered in snow.
Then, one attempt at connecting to Wi-Fi on my laptop shut down every dream of drooling over the Scott twins as I binge watch Property Brothers. After a few failed tries to call my brother and undelivered text messages, one staticky phone call went through where Finn informed me that he doesn’t have Wi-Fi or cable in the cabin, so therefore, no television.
Now, I’m snowed in with only my book to keep me company, and I’m already half-way done. I sigh and put my book face down on the coffee table, open to the page I’m on so I don’t lose my spot. A bookmark would be too easy of a solution, and I’m being lazy because I kicked it under the couch earlier, and I don’t feel like moving.
I look at the notes in my journal, a list of possible things I can cut out from my current plan so I can make up for the difference to fix the kitchen. Although I don’t have an estimate from Eli yet, I know it’s going to cost me a lot to cover that ceiling, build the beam again, and redesign my kitchen to make the support beam fit without it being awkward. I’d have to cut a lot more than granite countertops or a jacuzzi in the honeymoon suite to have a budget for this.
The only other solution I can think of would be to finish the guest house where I’ll be living sooner, talk to my landlord to see if I can get out of my lease before it’s up, and move in so I won’t have to pay additional rent. The fee I might be charged to break my lease ahead of time will be less than paying the next five months of rent in my apartment. Hell, I’ve been a great tenant. Maybe my landlord will agree to keep the security deposit and call it even.
I look out the window at the white specks of snow floating in the air. I’ve been stuck in here for over twenty-four hours, and I have cabin fever—literally. I press the side button on my phone to light up the screen in case I miraculously got phone service.
Getting antsy, I serve myself a glass of red wine and pace around the small cabin as I take a sip. The cabin is an open studio layout with the bed exposed in the living space. One big room, except for the bathroom, makes up the home. It’s great for one person or even a couple, but not being able to go outside, I feel like the walls are closing in on me.
I sigh and stand by the window. The snow is beautiful, though. The tall pine trees are covered in it, making them look like ghosts. Cradling the wine glass, I exhale the tension and just look out the window. I came here to disconnect my mind, not become more worked up. I need to lighten up.
I only interrupt my window-gazing after I’ve drained what was left of my wine and refill my glass. Then, I’m back to mindlessly admiring the white blanket piling up outside. I haven’t paused to just look at anything in a long time. I’m either staring at my phone in case an email comes through, working on my laptop, or at The Farm House overlooking the renovations.
And frankly, I feel like I’m about to snap at any moment. Finn is right, I’m not enjoying this process as I should be. The excitement I originally felt when I bought the house has been swept away, and I’m left looking at everything from a technical perspective instead of the creative one I love.
Finishing the second glass of wine faster than the first, I go for a third. I have nowhere to be, seeing as I’m stranded here for another day. I might as well drink all the wine and eat the junk food I bought on the way here.
Sounds perfect. I only wish I had the Property Brothers to stare at. I’m especially fond of Johnathan, the sexy contractor. Poppy makes fun of my obsession, but have you seen him demo a room in that plaid shirt? Drool.
I sigh, my mind wandering to another contractor in plaid shirts with strong arms and hazel eyes. The wine lowers my inhibitions just enough for me to fantasize about the man who’s consumed my dreams lately. Annoying, arrogant, sexy man.
I lean the side of my body into the window frame. Eli may be a pain in the ass when we’re working together, but I can’t deny that the anticipation of seeing him each day excites me.
My body hums as the wine relaxes my muscles, and I close my eyes for a second. The trees rustle outside, evening beginning to set. This is what I needed, an afternoon with a bottle of wine and no distractions. It took me a while, but eventually, I started to relax.
The sound of a motor snaps me back, and I look out the window, my neck in an awkward position as I try to see the front of the house from here. Finn didn’t mention anyone was coming, but the motor gets louder, and it sounds like tires crunching the snow.
I pad to the front door, swinging it open and shiver as the cold hits me. Shielding my face from the bright lights shining from the truck, I try to see who’s here. As I question if it was smart to open the door for a stranger, Eli jumps out of the truck.
I put a hand on my hip and glare. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been calling you, and you wouldn’t answer.” Eli stomps his boots on the small porch to shake off the snow.
“So, you showed up here?” My eyebrows move up on my forehead as I stare at him. “Oh crap, is everything okay with the renovations?” My voice becomes high pitched.
“Yeah, yeah,” Eli scratches the side of his head. “Everything’s fine. I thought maybe… Never mind.” He shakes his head, dropping his hand to his side. His eyes flicker down and then up to my face again before looking into the cabin.
“Good. Um…do you want to come in?”
“Uh, yeah, sure. You’re probably cold.” He avoids my face, looking somewhere over my head. I glance down, horrified that I’m wearing an almost transparent shirt sans bra—because why would I wear one when I’m stuck in here alone—and grab my coat from the hook next to the door. I put it on and do up the buttons, making sure he can’t see anything else.
My neck heats, and my cheeks flush, but I walk into the cabin, leaving the door open for him to follow.
“If everything is okay, why are you here?” I shake my head, confused about him just showing up when he knew I came here to disconnect from everything.
“You didn’t answer your phone,” he repeats.
“The service is crap out here, especially with the snow, and Finn doesn’t have Wi-Fi.”
Eli looks around the cabin, assessing my mess. I place the wine glass on the coffee table and cross my arms over my chest.
“You don’t have the fireplace on,” he states.
“So? The heater is on.”
“Do you know how to set the fireplace?” He begins grabbing logs.
“Of course I do. Drop that. I didn’t light it because I would roast in here if I did. I’m not incompetent.” I stalk toward him, grabbing a log from his arms.
“No one said you were, but fireplaces can be tricky to set up.”
“Oh, my goodness.” I run my hands through my hair, my nails scraping my scalp before I tug at the roots. “Eli, drop that. I don’t want the fireplace on.”
“I
t will keep the place warmer better than the heater,” he argues. “Especially if the electricity goes out with the bad weather. You won’t freeze.”
“You’re such a pain. Why do you feel the need to always tell me what to do? Or better yet, to point out when I do something wrong?” My voice grows louder.
“Averly, I’m just trying to help. Stop being so stubborn.” Eli squats in front of the fireplace, arranging the logs.
“I don’t need your help,” I say, grabbing my wine glass and walking the few steps to the kitchen to fill it up again, more than half the bottle gone already.
By the time I turn around, Eli’s lit the fireplace, the flames coming to life as the wood catches. I lean against the wall, tucking my arm under the one holding the glass and taking a sip of wine. It does look beautiful, a soft glow lighting the cabin.
“I could’ve done that.” I lift my brows.
“I never said you couldn’t.” Eli turns around to face me.
“I grew up on a ranch, getting my hands dirty. I’m not afraid of using them.”
“I’d like to see that,” Eli mumbles.
I cock my head and glare at him. “Oops,” he smirks. His smile should be illegal. Every time he directs it my way, whether arguing with me or genuinely smiling, my body heats. There’s nothing better than a man with a gorgeous smile.
I shiver and push off the wall to sit on the couch. “I’d offer you some wine, but there’s only about a glass left in the bottle.”
“You drank the rest?” His eyebrows lift.
“I’m locked in here—no Wi-Fi or TV, so I can’t watch Property Brothers and drool like I had planned,” I bite my lips, realizing I said more than I meant to. My eyes widen, and Eli laughs.
“You got a thing for contractors?” He arches an eyebrow, staring into my eyes with a crooked grin.
I stare at him blankly for a few seconds and then grab my book, staring at the pages instead.
“Are you going to ignore me?”
“You showed up uninvited. I had no plans of entertaining anyone.” I lift my gaze to look at him and find him staring at me intently.
Make You Mine Page 4
