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“I’m sorry, Jas,” he said, hugging me to his side. “It’s got to be rough on you, but I think it’s a good sign in a way. Like you’ve felt this way all along, but you finally feel safe enough to let go of some of that tension. Now you really feel that sadness and you can figure out what to do with it. You were just surviving before. Maybe soon you’ll be ready to reach out.”
“Who knew you were the one with all the wisdom?” I teased, hugging him and stepping back.
“Of course, I am. I’m the oldest,” he said with a self-deprecating lopsided grin that belied the arrogance of his quip.
“Thank you,” I told him. “I’m excited to be here. I just wasn’t expecting a rush of feelings. I know how lucky I am, believe me.”
“You’re tough, not just lucky,” he said.
That was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said to me, and I felt it bury itself in my chest like an arrow of light. I felt better. Not healed or totally well, but better than I had before.One more green flag from the Burns boys,I thought with a soft smile.
Their form of protectiveness wasn’t about keeping me small and weak and under their control. It was supportive, respectful, and centered around making sure I had a safe place to walk through the world with them at my side.
“Hey,” Jake joined us, “how are you doing?”
“You’d think I was in a hospital waiting room not a luxury resort,” I said.
“Not at all. I wanted to check on you. I’m sure that Ty let you know I always have a nap on planes because I’m not crazy about flying. Eli thinks it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard. Particularly since he was in the cockpit on the controls practically before he could grow a decent beard.”
“I didn’t know. Are you okay now?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m good. I have eyes on everyone in my family, so I’m okay.”
Once we were checked in, a VIP golf cart took us out to our cabin. The driver told us the cabins were less than a year old, and they were cutting edge luxury all the way. If we needed anything, she gave us her number and we thanked her.
What they called a cabin was a luxury ski chalet in its own right. A vaulted ceiling soared over a hulking stone fireplace in the main room which was partly open to a small but fancy kitchen. A narrow wooden stairway hugged one wall, leading up to a partial loft tucked under the eaves that looked incredibly cozy. Glass doors opened onto a broad deck with a hot tub, a grill and real Adirondack chairs to recline in and gaze at the gorgeous mountain view.
Beyond the main room was a short hall with a coat closet, a bathroom, and the huge master suite. It had a massive bed heaped with white down comforters and strewn with pink rose petals. The same lemon sage candles burned in a row on the dresser. A bedside table held a basket of treats—chocolates and massage oil and all kinds of decadent things. I gaped at the lavish amenities like the flowers and candles and treats, and I knew the Burns boys had put a lot of thought into this. I turned to them where they stood watching my reaction.
I beamed at them and went first to Drew, wrapped my arms around his neck. I hugged each one of them in turn. “Thank you for everything,” I said, nestling into Ty’s arms last of all.
20
DREW
We checked out listings for local activities and ordered in some room service for lunch. I thought we should do the toboggan run onto the lake because it looked amazing. Ty thought it was for kids. After lowkey arguing about that for a few minutes, Jake interrupted and said he was ordering food because we were all hungry.
When the food arrived, I let Jasmine know so she could finish up her bath and join us. I felt nervous, which was ridiculous. I had no reason to be anxious about seeing her. We were all adults. I wanted to make sure she was okay and still on board with the lot of us.
Something about this trip felt high stakes to me, despite all Eli’s assurances that it was just a well-timed long weekend to a take advantage of the free cabin. I wanted things to go well, but not in my usual oldest brother way. This weekend could be make or break for our fledgling relationship with Jasmine. She was so important in our lives, in our business, that the risk of losing her friendship loomed over me like a real threat for the first time.
That fear came not from any negativity I’d seen from her but, ironically, from the fact that my feelings for her went so far beyond friendship now.
Jake, who considered himself the chef of the bunch, arranged the covered plates on the table and revealed them by lifting each lid and pausing as if to say, ‘ta-da!’ and because Ty laughed every time that Jake did it.
Jasmine emerged in gray sweatpants and a baggy shirt, her wet hair twisted back in a messy bun. I went and took her hands, kissed her cheek and searched her face for any sign of misgivings. She smiled and said, “I’m starving! What did we get?”
Jake took the opportunity to put the stainless-steel lid back on a plate just to whip it off with a flourish to show her the food. She giggled. “I feel like you should be pulling a rabbit out of your hat with that kind of showmanship,” she teased.
Jake grinned, “I can’t take credit for cooking it, but it never hurts to show off in front of a beautiful woman.”
We all settled in and ate, hungry from the travel and the morning’s exertions. “This sandwich is fantastic,” Jasmine said, indicating her avocado and egg on brioche. “The cheese is unreal, taste this.” She held her sandwich out to me and I obliged, taking a bite, nodding and muttering something about how good it was.
“My smoked salmon is great, want a bite?” I offered. She shook her head, mouth full of the bite that Eli had just given her from his salad that seemed to be made primarily of chicken and olives.
“Oh my God, that salad,” she said, “are those walnuts?”
“I don’t know, but it’s awesome,” Eli said, tucking back in to his meal.
