“Let’s put Lucas in Cabin 4 when he gets here,” Jake said to Tess the following morning over a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. “It’s the farthest away from us.”
Despite his poor night’s sleep—his tossing and turning had awakened her on numerous occasions—the man had risen early and taken the children fishing. Tess had chosen to sleep in, and she’d awakened around seven forty-five to the heavenly aroma of frying bacon. Jake explained that a lack of fish on the line meant bored kiddos and a brief stint lakeside. They planned to try again that evening.
Tess mentally reviewed the available cabins and frowned. “You haven’t updated the bathroom in Cabin 4 yet, have you?”
“Nope.” He smiled. “The showerhead needs replacing for sure. It trickles at best. The warm water heater makes a banging noise, too.”
A warm water heater? “That’s a bit passive-aggressive, don’t you think?”
Jake shrugged. “He can sue me. Again. Speaking of which, now it’s five after eight, which means it’s five after nine in Texas. I need to call my lawyer. Brooke gave me an idea, and I want him to okay it before I present it to the sibs.”
“An idea about Travis?”
“No, about the Lonesome River Ranch.”
Tess’s eyes widened. “Oh, Jake. Have you thought of a way to end the war? It’s not an atomic bomb, is it?”
“I don’t think so. Maybe. It’s no bomb. More like an armistice, I believe. I hope. I’ll tell you about it once I know if it’s a doable deal or not. I don’t want to jinx it.”
“Go call the man. I’ll have my fingers and toes crossed.”
“Thanks.”
It proved to be quite an involved phone call. He was still talking and taking notes on a yellow legal pad when Tess finished showering and dressing. She listened for a moment, trying to get a sense of what his idea might be, but they were talking about contract clauses, so she tuned out. When she mimed that she intended to walk over and visit his sisters, he nodded, smiled, and waved her off.
At Cabin 12, things were in a bit of an uproar. Drew had been running in the woods and tripped. He’d fallen on a jagged rock and cut his hand. Willow had just finished a call with the doctor’s office as Tess arrived.
Tess comforted a crying Drew because Willow and Brooke were in the midst of an argument. “I told you I saw a doctor,” Brooke said, her voice tight.
“It darn sure won’t hurt anything to get a second opinion. They said they could fit you in.”
“But—”
“But nothing. I dropped everything and spent big money on plane tickets to come to Colorado.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
“Sure I did, and I don’t regret it or begrudge it, but I do demand that you do this one thing I ask in return. I’m telling you, sweetheart. I’ve been there. What you’re describing is unusual.”
“Everything about this situation is unusual. I won’t argue with that… Okay, fine. I’ll go.”
So Willow convinced her sister to see a doctor. Good. Tess didn’t like the way Brooke held herself as she walked. She looked entirely too, well, tender was the word that came to mind.
“My hand hurts!” Drew cried. “Look at all the blood, Mama!”
While Willow comforted her son, Tess said, “Jake and I will watch over Emma here for you. We can—”
“No! I want to go to town, too.”
“Oh, honey,” Willow began.
“I’ve got a boo-boo.” Emma held up her thumb.
“There’s nothing wrong with your thumb,” Drew challenged.
“I wanna go, too!”
“Emma.” Willow closed her eyes and grimaced. “I need to take care of your brother. I can’t—”
“How about I take Emma to the library?” Tess suggested. “If I remember correctly, they have story time this morning. If I’m wrong about story time, I’m sure we can get her a library card and check out some books.”
The little girl’s face lit up. “I love story time and library books.”
Relief washed over Willow’s face. “Perfect. Okay, then. Thank you, Tess. That’ll be a tremendous help.”
They took Willow’s vehicle since it had the car seat, and as the registered driver of the rental, Willow drove. Brooke sat in the back with the children in order to comfort Drew. Tess sent Jake an explanatory text and climbed into the front passenger seat.
Willow waited until they’d exited the Raindrop Lodge property and traveled the highway toward town to casually ask, “So how long have you been in love with my brother?”
Tess hesitated. “I don’t know that ‘love’ is the right word. I’ve crushed on him ever since I started working with him three years ago, but workplace relationships are a no-go at Bensler, so I couldn’t even admit my feelings to myself. Then he fired me in November and—”
“Wait.” Surprise registered in Willow’s sidelong glance. “He fired you? And then you fell in love with him?”
Yes, well, maybe “love” was the right word, after all. Rather than either admit or deny the charge, Tess told them how he recommended her for the new job, her dream job. Jake had told his sisters yesterday that he’d quit Bensler, so Tess didn’t need to explain about that.
In the backseat, Brooke had distracted Drew from the pain of his injury and captured Emma’s attention by sharing a story about her dog and a missing television remote. Willow casually asked, “So what’s next for you two? How long is Jake planning to stay in Colorado?”
“That I can’t answer. I’m staying until I finish my design for the lodge.” She explained about the job he’d hired her to do, and Willow gave a long, soft whistle. “I hope you won’t take this personally, Tess, but that’s a spectacularly bad idea.”
Tess winced. “Because it isn’t his place to hire a designer for his mother’s and aunt’s project.”
“Yep.”
“That’s what I tried to tell him.”
“This is their project, not his. He’s being his buttinsky self by hiring you to create a design.”
“I know. He said he’s going to give it to his mother as a gift with no expectations that she use it or not. Honestly, he came up with it as an excuse to keep me in Colorado because I needed to go back to Texas and return to work. He worked this deal out with my boss.”
“Oooh. That’s different.” Willow darted her an intrigued look. “So how long has he been in love with you?”
Tess’s heart skipped a beat, then began to race. “I don’t know for sure that he is. He’s never said the words.”
“Have you?”
“No, but like I said, we haven’t been together that long.” She waited maybe five whole seconds before asking. “Why would you say he’s in love with me?”
From the backseat, Brooke proved that she hadn’t missed the conversation by responding, “The Raindrop Lodge is technically Mom’s roof, and Jake is sleeping with you beneath it. Openly and publicly. That is a declaration with a capital D.”
“Do you really think so?”
Both Prentice sisters spoke simultaneously. “Yes.”
“I don’t know. That’s subtle, and Jake is one of the most direct men I’ve ever met. That’s one of the things that made him such an effective boss.”
“That’s work Jake. Completely different animal than lovelorn Jake.”
“Lovelorn?” Tess chuckled at the silliness of that idea.
From the backseat, Drew piped up. “Why are y’all talking about Uncle Jake? I’m the one who is hurt. You should be talking about me!”
“Talk about me!” Emma said.
“Nope. We’re going to play the quiet game from now until we get there.”
Tess was grateful for the strategy because her mind was spinning, and her mouth had gone dry as West Texas in August. Was Jake really in love with her? How could his sisters be so certain of it? Shoot, she’d only figured out her own feelings a short time ago. Sure, she’d known she had a thing for him, but she hadn’t known she capital L, forever-’til-the-end-of-time loved him until, well, when? Sometime during these past two weeks?
Sometime during these past two minutes?
Oh, holy moly.
“Can you direct me to the library, Tess?” Willow asked.
Glad for the distraction, Tess said, “Sure.”
“And let me give you my phone number. If you send me a text so that I have yours, I’ll keep you up to date on how our schedule is looking at the doctor’s.”
“Good idea.” Tess pulled out her device, and Willow rattled off her number. “Do you know where the Lake in the Clouds Medical Clinic is, Willow?”
“I do. I spotted it on the way into town.”
“We go to the doctor’s all the time,” Drew explained to Tess, his tone serious. “I’m always having accidents. I’m an active boy.”
“I see.”
His lip quivered. “Mommy, my hand hurts.”
Willow said, “I’m hurrying, baby.”
“Hush, bubba!” Emma said.
Tess slipped her cell phone into her pocket and said, “Turn right at the next corner, Willow. The library is halfway down the block on your right.”
Her memory proved to be correct regarding story time, and Tess and the three-year-old passed a pleasant couple of hours searching for books and listening to the day’s reading selections, the theme of which centered around love.
Quite appropriate, under the circumstances, she decided.
Willow called to say they were finally through at the doctor’s office and on the way to the library. She asked Tess to meet her car out in front. “One of the nurses here recommended a sandwich shop nearby. Apparently, they have exceptional chicken strips, which is Drew’s favorite food in the world. We thought we’d have lunch before returning to the lodge if that’s all right with you?”
“Sounds great.”
The sandwich shop had outdoor seating and was located directly across from a playground. After finishing their meal, the children asked to go play, and their mother went with them.
Tess and Brooke sat at their table watching the trio in companionable silence for a few moments, then Tess observed, “Drew seemed pretty proud of his sticker and his stitches.”
“Yes. A little too proud, according to Willow.” At Tess’s questioning look, she elaborated. “She’s worried about him. Drew is a troubled little boy. You know that his father is dead.”
“Jake mentioned he passed away a couple of years ago.”
“He was killed in a car accident. Drew was in the car with him.”
“Oh no.”
“Our little guy came through it without a scratch, but he’s had this fixation on injuries ever since. Willow has him seeing a therapist. He’s doing better, but the accidents haven’t really slowed down. How much of it is because he’s a normal, rambunctious seven-year-old, she can’t tell. He’s her older child, and she’s cautious about mentioning her worries to other mothers of her acquaintance. In this day and age, she’s half afraid that someone will turn her in to Child Protective Services.”
Tess couldn’t blame her for that concern. “What does your mother say about it?”
Brooke winced and dragged a French fry through a pile of ketchup. “She doesn’t, I’m afraid. Willow’s relationship with Mom is complicated these days. Willow hasn’t confided in her about Drew and his accidents. If Drew tells Mom about them, I don’t think she has put the clues together to recognize a problem. She hasn’t asked me, and I think she would have because she knows that Willow and I talk.”
“Poor Willow. Poor Drew.” Poor Genevieve. Then, figuring in for a penny and such, she asked, “And how about you? Did the doctor give you a sticker for bravery, too?”
“No. I tried to wheedle a lollipop out of ’em, but they claimed that those went out of favor a decade ago. Made me feel old.”
“But you, um, don’t need stitches or anything?”
Brooke sighed. “How old are you, Tess?”
“I’m twenty-nine.”
“Great. So when Jake marries you, I’ll have two older sisters.”
“Whoa. Who said anything about marriage?”
“Me.” Brooke popped the French fry into her mouth and smirked. “I say he pops the question by the Fourth of July.”
Tess thought about it a moment, then shook her head. Jake’s sisters might think they knew him well, but she understood something about their brother that they had yet to comprehend. The Jake whom they’d met yesterday in Colorado was not the same man as the one with whom they’d grown up in Texas. “That’s a valiant effort at deflection from my question, Brooke. I apologize if I was too nosy.”
“No.” She waved away the apology. “You’re engaged to be engaged to my elder brother. You’re allowed.”
Tess softly laughed. “I’m not going to change your mind on this one, am I?”
“Nope.”
The bright smile she showed Tess suddenly faltered, and her eyes filled with tears. Alarmed, Tess instinctively reached out for her. “Brooke?”
“No.” Brooke held up her hand, palm out. “It’s okay. I’m sorry. The doctor said that physically, I’m healing fine. Emotionally, I’m a little more beat up than is readily obvious. Honestly, thinking about you and Jake is a nice diversion from my own situation. My brother makes me crazy, but he’s not a bad guy. I want him to be happy.” She swallowed hard, and her gaze drifted toward her sister. “I just want us all to be happy. Sometimes that seems like an awfully tall mountain to climb.”
Tess couldn’t argue with her, but she sensed that a change in tone and subject would be welcome. Searching for a way to lighten the mood, she said, “Speaking of climbing mountains, Jake has me a little concerned about a potential issue with the overarching idea of the design I’ve developed for Raindrop Lodge. Brooke, what can you tell me about your aunt Helen and cuckoo clocks?”
She chortled so loudly that Willow, Drew, and Emma all looked their way. Drew called Tess and Brooke to join them, and they whiled away another hour in the park before loading up the car to return to Raindrop.
Tess’s phone dinged with a text when they were halfway between town and the resort. “Jake would like you to drop me off at the lodge,” she said to Willow. “He’s meeting with the contractor, and they have an idea they wish to discuss with me.”
“No problem. I need to ask Jake where the password for the Internet is in Cabin 1. I couldn’t find it where he told me to look.”
Emma said, “We need the Internet to play Animal Crossings. We get fifteen minutes to plant flowers before our afternoon nap.”
“I don’t plant flowers,” Drew grumbled. “I smash rocks.”
“Animal Crossings?” Tess asked.
“A video game,” Willow explained.
“Nintendo,” Emma elaborated, emphasizing each syllable. “We play with Nana on the Internet. She has an island named Play Date, and she plants flowers everywhere, but she’s bad at catching fish. I miss playing with her. I’ll be glad when she gets home from vacation.”
“Would you drop me off at the cabin first, Will?” Brooke asked. “I’ve all of a sudden run out of steam. I need my nap without fifteen minutes of Animal Crossings.”
“Sure.”
Brooke added, her tone oh-so-innocent, “I wonder if Jake’s meeting has anything to do with cuckoo clocks?” Brooke asked in an oh-so-innocent tone.
“Cuckoo clocks?” Drew repeated. “Like Auntie Helen has? I love them.”
Willow groaned, and Brooke chuckled as Emma asked, “Mommy, what’s a cuckoo clock?”
A few minutes later, Willow dropped Brooke off at Cabin 12 before driving on to the Raindrop Lodge. As she pulled into the circular gravel drive, a dusty black pickup truck pulled in behind them. A man climbed down from the cab as Willow and Tess exited her car. Willow exclaimed, “Lucas! Wow! Brooke said you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”
Well, Tess thought as she watched the tall blond beauty greet a man who could have been Jake’s twin. Lucas was a bit leaner perhaps. Perhaps a skosh taller. He had the same dark hair as Jake, but Lucas wore sunglasses, so she couldn’t tell if he and his brother had the same color eyes.
But as his arms opened wide for his sister’s embrace, his stance echoed his brother’s. His grin was identical to his brother’s. And his laugh sounded so similar to Jake’s that Tess actually gasped in shock.
Then Jake stepped outside the lodge accompanied by Zach Throckmorton. Lucas lowered Willow to her feet, removed his sunglasses, and slipped them into his shirt pocket. The brothers’ gazes met and held. Jake’s green eyes were as cold as a glacier. Lucas’s amber ones sizzled and snapped with temper.
Okay then. The next few minutes promised to be interesting.