Page 12 of Close to Heaven

Mary was showing her the bookkeeping system when the front door opened and in walked the youngest Sawyer brother. She looked behind him, expecting Jax to appear too, but he was alone.

“Morning, Cody,” Mary said, smiling at him.

“Morning, ladies.”

“I assume you’ve already met Dakota’s other brother,” Mary said.

“Yes, but it’s been a while,” said Avery. “Nice to see you, Cody.”

“You too,” he said, giving her an appreciative once over.

Dakota had warned her that Cody was the flirtatious one, so she didn’t even flinch. Instead, she gave it right back. The similarities between the brothers were obvious, but there were distinct differences too. Cody dressed like Jax, in a flannel shirt and jeans, but he had a more carefree vibe about him. His shirt was partially untucked, and his hair looked messy, whether on purpose or not, who knew? He was good looking in a more relaxed way, unlike his gruff big brother.

“What brings you by, Cody?” Mary asked with a knowing look.

“I just wanted to welcome our new employee to the ridge,” he said without taking his eyes off Avery.

“Thank you,” Avery said. “It’s good to be back in Townsend.”

“Is your cabin okay? Everything working good?”

“It’s great. A lot bigger than I expected.”

“Well, if you need anything, anything at all, I’m your man.”

She had a feeling he wasn’t only referring to the cabin, but she let it slide. “Thanks.”

“I guess I’ll let you two get back to work,” he said, although he didn’t look in a hurry to leave. “By the way, some of us go out to the bar on Friday nights, and you’re welcome to join us.”

She wondered if “some of us” included Jax, and then she scolded herself for even thinking it. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Great. I know it’s been a while since you lived here, so I’d be happy to take you around and—”

The door opened again, and in strode Jax. He scowled at Cody. “Are you harassing our new employee already?”

There wasn’t a hint of humor in his voice, but Cody seemed unthreatened. “Just offering to show her around.”

“She grew up here. I’m pretty sure she knows her way around,” Jax said evenly.

“Now, boys. No arguing in my lobby,” Mary scolded.

Cody smiled and turned to Avery. “I’ll let you know what time on Friday.” He brushed past Jax, checking him with his shoulder, and sailed out the door.

“Sorry about him,” Jax said.

Avery shook her head, feeling somewhat defensive on Cody’s behalf. “He was just being friendly.” Which was more than she could say for his older brother.

Jax gave her a brief nod and then turned and went down the hall toward his office.

Neither she nor Mary spoke until they heard the door close behind him.

“Those two,” Mary said with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “They’re like oil and water sometimes.”

“You don’t say?” Dakota had told her the same thing, but she’d also mentioned how much her siblings loved and respected each other, especially Jax. As the oldest, he’d taken on a lot of responsibility after…

“Sadly, their relationship changed after the accident.” Mary flapped her hand. “Never mind that. Let’s get back to work.”

It wasn’t until the end of the day, when Avery was trudging up the hill to her cabin, that her thoughts returned to Jax. She was overwhelmed with empathy for him and all the Sawyer siblings. She’d lost her mom five years ago after a long battle with cancer, and it had been devastating. But to lose both parents at the same time in such a tragic way… It was unfathomable.

It was no wonder Jax was so serious and unyielding. He’d taken the brunt of the responsibility for his family and their business. Dakota had been in college in Knoxville when the accident had occurred, and now she only came back to the ridge for brief visits. According to her, returning to her childhood home was painful since her parents were no longer there.

Jax and Cody had stayed to manage the resort. No wonder there was a lot of tension between them. She could only imagine their pain.

She unlocked the door of her cabin and went inside. Glancing around, she thought of the things she should do, like finishing unpacking, going grocery shopping, and calling Trevor, yet she didn’t feel motivated to do any of them. Instead, she opened the sliding door to the back deck and stepped outside.

Inhaling the fresh mountain air, she was instantly infused with a sense of calm. It was fall in Tennessee, and an inherent peacefulness accompanied the season. There were fewer tourists this time of year, and the resort was quiet except for the birds chattering in the nearby trees. The sun was beginning its descent and bathed the mountains in the late daylight. She’d witnessed dozens of scenes just like this, but she never grew tired of them.

Leaning her elbows on the railing, she peered into the woods and noticed the trail that cut through the trees. A movement in the distance caught her eye, and she squinted against the sun. She saw a flash of dark fur and immediately thought, Bear, since sightings were common. However, upon closer inspection, she saw a tail wagging and realized it was a dog. Then her eyes followed the dog’s leash to its owner. Jax.

The sight of him and his dog made her smile, and she watched them intently until they disappeared over a hill, into the setting sun.