4
Ethan watched Lily walk away as he finished answering questions and getting feedback from the other hikers. He had hoped she would stick around, but knew she wouldn’t. She seemed annoyed just by him trying to talk to her and scurried out of there as fast as her legs would carry her.
He chuckled to himself as he tried to focus on the other guests. Once they all wandered off, he made his way back to the office. His mom was still typing away on the computer, but his dad now sat in a chair beside her. They both looked up as he entered.
“How did the hike go?” Karen asked.
Ethan set his pack on a nearby table and dropped into a chair.
“Good. Nothing to report.”
“That’s good to hear,” James said.
Ethan leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. “How are things going in here?”
“Good. Your father helped me narrow down the applications. We are going to call and schedule interviews for tomorrow,” Karen said.
“Sounds like music to my ears.” Ethan stood and tucked some work gloves into his back pocket. “I’m going to help Jackson for a few hours before I head home.”
He waved at his parents before stepping out into the lobby and out the back doors. The sun was high, with no clouds in sight. It was hot—something Ethan enjoyed. But when he helped Jackson with maintenance, it always felt twenty degrees hotter, making it miserable.
He spotted Jackson on the far end of the property, pulling a wheelbarrow out of the shed. Ethan approached.
“Need help with anything?”
Relief flooded across Jackson’s face. “Yes, please. I need to fix some sprinklers. Would you mind dealing with weeding the front planters? They’re getting out of control.”
“Got it.” Ethan took the wheelbarrow, which already had a garden trowel inside, and walked around to the front of the building.
He set the wheelbarrow down and smiled politely at some guests leaving the resort while pulling his gloves on. Then he got to work. The sun beat down on his back, and after two hours, he swiped the back of his hand across his forehead and admired the planters. They looked good, and he was nearly finished. The amount of work that went into the grounds of the resort always astonished him. But they had been short-staffed for a while. Hopefully, his parents would find someone new to hire to give Jackson the help he needed and to give the rest of them a break.
He pushed the wheelbarrow to the far end of the property and dumped the weeds before taking it back to the shed and depositing it inside. Then he walked back into the air conditioning of the resort lobby and sighed. The cool air felt amazing after being in the blistering sun for several hours. His stomach rumbled, reminding him he worked straight through lunch.
Ethan walked into the empty office and left his work gloves in a cubby against the wall. He stepped out of the office and made his way toward the parking lot when he heard his name being called.
He turned around to find his brother Miles approaching him with a takeout container.
“You never came in for lunch. Jackson said you were helping him out, so I made you a burger.”
Miles was the chef of the resort restaurant, and the man knew how to cook. It was typical for Ethan, his siblings, and parents to get lunch at the resort when they were working, and Miles typically prepared the food.
“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Anytime.”
They parted ways, and Ethan walked out into the parking lot and pulled himself into his truck. He deposited the takeout container on the passenger seat and his mouth watered. He considered devouring it right there in his truck, but he only lived a few minutes away.
Ethan pulled out of the resort parking lot and instead of turning toward his house, he drove down the main strip of stores in town and parked in front of Wintervale’s Country Store. The store contained just about every odd and end someone could need that couldn’t be found in one of the other stores in town. And right now, Ethan wanted beer, and he knew they would have it.
He walked into the store and waved at the cashier before making his way toward the drinks. He found a case and walked back toward the front, but a wave of brown hair caught his attention.
Lily stood near a window, looking at a book display. He tapped his fingers on the cardboard case he held, debating on saying anything to her. Curiosity won out.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he said.
She looked up, startled. “Ethan.”
He took a step closer. “Find anything good?”
