“I think it was like fifteen hours, so I suppose so.”
“Oh right, therapy. Nic told me about that. How’d it go?”
“Well enough that I’ll be going back next week. I hope the exhaustion doesn’t hit me after every time, though.” I carried my mug to the spot by the door where a couple of stools were by a small table. It was as out of the way as anything could be in a professional kitchen, but I had never sat here before.
Dana glanced at me, smiled slightly, and stayed quiet as I sipped at my nectar.
Eventually, she turned to grab bacon from the fridge near me. “You know, you could stop avoiding Law.”
I almost inhaled my coffee. “W-What?”
“Stop avoiding the man. I don’t know what it is you two have going on, but whatever it is, both of you have been moping for a week now. So stop it. It makes me feel annoyed.” Her tone was easy, nonjudgmental, and kind of loving.
“Do you think anyone—”
“No. But I pay attention.” She hefted the bacon container closer to the ovens. “I won’t give you any advice. Nor him, for that matter. Just… don’t complicate things that don’t need to be complicated, you know.”
I snorted. “Yeah. It’s all so very uncomplicated right now.”
She grinned over her shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay in the end. And hey, if it’s not okay yet, it’s not the end.”
A giggle escaped me. “What was that?”
“Advice from a motivational poster.” She laughed. “Take it or leave it, Oak Mulligan. It’s all I have time for, so get out of my kitchen.”
I quickly refilled my coffee and did as I was told. I went to sit by the window as I waited for her to serve breakfast. I knew I needed to talk to Law, but I didn’t know where to start.
I hoped he’d know, I just needed to stop avoiding him first.
Chapter 19
Law
At first, I let Oak avoid me. I was running around after my kids; we’d started work on Cabin 3—since it was all inside renovation—and I knew he needed time to process. I’d overheard Charlie ask Oak something about how therapy was going, and I was simultaneously proud of Oak for seeking out help that he needed and worried that he wasn’t getting enough support. That I was just adding to the whole problem.
I was hurt. There was no denying that. I’d tried to talk to him and he hadn’t listened, ignored me, and walked out anyway. And I was a little bit angry too, because he was acting like a child, petulant and pouty. If he wasn’t willing to talk to me, then I shouldn’t have to chase him. Clearly we weren’t compatible, if this was all it took to send him running. He wasn’t mature enough for anything serious, anything more between us. I needed to just accept that and move on.
But damn I missed him.
I missed his sweet smile and our banter. I missed our conversation and the way he interacted with the kids. And yeah, I missed touching him. Holding him. Kissing him. I missed whatwe hadn’t gotten to as well. Because I wanted him. In my bed and in my life.
“What did that wall ever do to you?” Teague’s voice was filled with amusement and I barely got my expression under control before I glanced over at him. Maybe I hadn’t done a good enough job because his smile fell and he asked, more seriously, “Everything okay?”
“Yep.” My reply was short, but it’s not like I could tell him I wanted to take his nephew to bed and give him the dicking of his life. I tried for a smile. “Really, everyone and everything is okay. Just taking out some frustration is all.”
Teague studied me for another long moment before he shrugged and we got back to work.
I was good at grunt labor and took direction well. I was handy and had handled most of the repairs in my own home. I’d redone the kids’ bedrooms back in Phoenix and built the shed we’d had in the backyard. But renovating a property to code was a little outside my expertise, so I was relying on Teague’s knowledge. The demo was easy, though, and a bit freeing. I destroyed ruined walls until it was lunchtime.
Teague was done for the day, since he was needed at the sawmill, and I waved him off as I headed back to the house. I debated on taking a shower, washing off some of the sweat and grime, then decided against it. I still had plenty of work left to do for the day, including clearing a fallen tree that had come down in the snowstorm the day before yesterday. It wasn’t exactly in the way of guests, since no one was venturing too far out on the property these days. Too much snow.
It was wildly different from winter in Phoenix, and I loved it.
At the last second, I detoured from the house and headed to the Inn itself. Breakfast and lunch were included for all employees, and up until a week ago, I’d always grabbed whatever Dana had put together for the midday meal. But lately, I’d beengrabbing a sandwich or whatever I could find at the house, since chances were high I’d run into Oak and he clearly didn’t want anything to do with me. I didn’t feel like eating peanut butter and jelly yet again, though, so it was time to face the music.
Charlie was helping a guest when I walked into the lobby, so I waved as I walked by and headed straight for the dining room. I pulled open the door and, in a scene reminiscent of the bathroom encounter, nearly ran smack into Oak. Automatically, I reached out to steady him, and though he froze, he didn’t pull away. Just stared up at me, blue eyes wide, looking like a deer in the headlights.
I’d decided I wasn’t going to chase him. I’d told myself that it was up to him to get his head out of his ass and I didn’t have to be the bigger person. But one look at him, the first good look I’d gotten in a week, and I was a goner.
