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Hazel blinked, then turned to the table. Her mouth pressed firm, but Hunter was 90 percent sure the emotion she worked to suppress wasn’t anger. This was new for them—being on the same side. Well, not new, exactly. But it’d been a long time. He wanted to hug her, to let her know he still wanted her to be his partner in this, that this thing was for both their good. But knowing Hazel, she’d not appreciate that. So Hunter plunged ahead with business.
“The footprint is marked off with stakes.” Hunter pointed to the section of meadow he’d cleared and measured off. “I’m sure you’ll want to redo that, because who knows if my measurements are accurate, but the general outline is there.”
“It’s a good place to begin.” Evan peeled the top layer of blueprints from the stack on the table and moved toward the footprint Hunter had marked off. “Let’s make sure we have the same vision. If everything falls into place, we can break ground before it freezes solid. Framing will be done before Thanksgiving, cross our fingers.”
They went over the details. Where the front door would be. How the covered porch would face both the lake and the falls, and how the elevation of it would lend itself to a perfect view. The pitch of the roof. The location of the rock chimney. Where the carriage house would sit, and the views that would be offered for the owner in the quarters above. Evan considered all the angles, and he and Hunter discussed everything the project would entail.
And Hazel remained present but quiet.
After nearly two hours, Evan was satisfied they shared a common vision. With a handshake for both Hunter and Hazel, and a start date just around the corner, he bid them a good afternoon. Hunter walked him to his four-wheel drive.
When Hunter came back, he found Hazel standing in the middle of what would be the great room, her gaze glued to the minor lake.
“Can you see it?” Hunter gestured, as if painting the image of his vision for her.
“No.” Her tone sounded flat. “But I’ve never been a visionary.”
“Are you still upset about it?” His enthusiasm took a nosedive.
“No.” Hazel turned to look up at him. “No, it’s just overwhelming to think of such a change. But I’m not mad.”
Hunter blew out a relieved breath. But then he shook his head. “Something’s wrong.” His sister didn’t wear her heart out where everyone could read it—though she could be dramatic at times. But he knew her well enough to know when something poked at her.
“I . . . I’m surprised you waited for me. I wasn’t needed, you know.”
Hunter stepped closer. “Zel, when I said I wanted you with me on this, I really meant it. This is a whole new life for both of us—and it’s a little scary. I get that. It scares me too. The last thing I want is for you to feel excluded. Or that I’m stealing your inheritance or life. In fact, I was thinking about the cabin. We can work on that too. Fix it up. Make it bigger. Or update it. Make it something you and Bennett would really love.”
Hazel crossed her arms. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“The cabin hasn’t been touched in, like, thirty years. It just means we could—”
“Bennett doesn’t live there.”
“Ah.” Hunter rocked back on his heels. His thoughts moved to the texts he and Bennett had recently exchanged.
Hunter:Hear you’re going to be out of town?
Bennett: Yeah. I was going to call you about that. I have a project going up here. Should be fine, but if I need some eyes on it, could you be the guy?
Hunter:Of course. Don’t know what I could do, but I can make it up to Bozeman if you need me to. Going back to Chicago?
Bennett:Yes. Visiting my dad. And my mom.
Hunter: Are you okay?
Bennett: Sure. Just need to go back for a week or two.
Hunter:Hazel told me about your conversation . . . I mean are you okay?
Bennett:Oh. If you want the truth, I don’t know. Would you be okay if you proposed and the woman said no?
Hunter:No. Not really. Kind of been there, actually. Not okay at all.
Bennett:Well, that’s where we are. Not sure where to go from here.
Hunter:I get that.
Hunter:Bennett? Don’t give up on her.
