“Yeah. Those of us who are in, which up until last night was just Hunter and us.” Silas gestures between himself and Bailey.
“In for what?” Rory asks.
The four of us exchange glances. It’s not like it’s a secret, exactly, but we’re not talking about it just yet. Hunter, rightly so, doesn’t want the rumor mill to get ahold of the idea that we might buy the lodge, and thus get all the Herevians’ hopes up.
But Rory is my “fiancée.” I would definitely tell her if this relationship was real.
I dust some powdered sugar off my hands. “In to buy the ski lodge.”
“Save the town,” Kit adds, and then raises a fist like Superman flying to the rescue.
We explain Hunter’s numerous ideas to Rory. Her gaze meets mine after Silas tells her how much the lodge is listed for. “Are you in?”
I shrug. “I don’t have the money.”
Her mouth flattens. “This is why you wanted cash from your brother.”
“It’s not a big deal.” I move the conversation on before Rory can put together that the ring on her finger would also be my ticket to buying in. “Who joined the group chat?”
Silas smirks. “Zachary Lawson.”
My eyebrows shoot up and Kit’s jaw drops. “No shit.”
“Who’s Zachary Lawson?” Rory asks.
“A guy we went to school with,” Silas explains. “Real quiet. Comes into town sometimes, but mostly keeps to himself.”
“He lives out in the woods,” Kit adds. “Kind of a homesteader.”
“But apparently,” Bailey says, “a homesteader with enough money to buy in. Hunter said Zach just texted him out of the blue. Lord only knows how Zach even heard about it.”
Huh. Zach is definitely a rugged individual who doesn’t seem to care much for local happenings—social or otherwise. “Maybe this is him coming out of his shell. Kit, we could get him to be our mountain man.”
Kit laughs and sets his empty mug on the counter. We get to work, chuckling and trying to picture the beast of a man cleaning shirtless.
Rory’s apartment is a one-bedroom, and she’s selectively chosen what to pack up and what to leave behind.
“You want to bring the coffee machine?” I ask. “Even though I already have one?”
Rory looks from me to her coffee machine and back, raising an eyebrow.
“You bought a coffee machine?” Silas asks. He peers over Rory’s shoulder. “Oh, that’s a good one. Probably better than whatever Morgan has.”
Rory smirks. I shrug and take the coffee maker out to the car.
“I better leave to pick up Grandma,” Rory says, putting a framed picture on the bookshelf in my living room. She unpacked most of her things yesterday and was asleep when I got home. This morning before she sat down to work, she asked if she could make space for some items in the common rooms—even though we already said we’d make it look like she lived here, I think Rory’s uncomfortable with the imposition.
Then she set up her laptop on my kitchen table and put in a full day’s work.
When she called it quits, Rory paced around the house with nervous energy, moving things around and repacking items we don’t have room for. Princess followed her everywhere, her tail wagging and her nose inspecting every new thing. Now she’s run out of time and will have to leave things the way they are.
“Is there anything left you need me to do while you’re gone?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Just the food.” I’m cooking tonight, a stir-fry Rory approved as a good first meal to serve Mrs. Patterson.
“Deal,” I say. Everything’s already chopped up and the rice is done on the stove. Rory disappears into her bedroom, Princess on her heels, when there’s a knock on the door. Princess barks and trots to look out the front window.
Rory sticks her head out, brow wrinkled in confusion. “Are you expecting anyone?”
