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The narrow gravel road, bordered by patches of yellow and purple wildflowers, takes me past clusters of cabins, the dining hall, offices, and the infirmary. The road ends in a circular drive, in the middle of which stands an empty flagpole. Just on the other side is the Lodge slash dining hall, where we held assemblies, dance performances and plays, and team-building activities.
Next to the Lodge is a small parking lot, where I spy Lucas’s rental car beside a giant truck with black lettering reading Torres Construction.
Jeremy’s brother is here. My stomach tumbles, then calms. Billy being here is a good thing, reinforcing the necessary boundary between Lucas and me.
As I leave my car, I spot the two men coming out of the Lodge. Billy has a clipboard in one hand. He jots notes and nods while Lucas speaks, his hands gesturing animatedly. I blink, momentarily seeing boy-Lucas, arms waving around as he told one wild story or another.
Shaking my head at the memory, I get out of the car and head for the men.
“Celeste!”
Billy’s grin is both contagious and a little jolting—there are strong echoes of his brother in it. He strides to me and squeezes me to his chest. Then he leans back, eyes sparkling.
“Surreal, right? Wild Lake returns!”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Surreal.” A glance at Lucas shows me he’s not paying attention to us; his gaze is directed toward the lake, glittering through the trees. “What are you guys doing?”
Billy gestures over his shoulder. “Just taking a look at the Lodge, seeing how it’s held up. Luckily, the initial builders did solid work. Foundation is intact. The structure needs some minor updating and cosmetic work. Nothing major. Plumbing for the whole site is intact as well.” He jabs a thumb toward Lucas. “This guy wants to update everything, modernize it, but I’ve been trying to talk him out of it. Let the kids suffer with creaky faucets and slow flow showers like we did, right?”
I laugh, remembering the misery of the shower situation. Water that was never hot enough. Spray that was never hard enough.
Lucas clears his throat, his gaze briefly meeting mine before focusing on Billy. Whatever I thought I might see in his eyes—some feeling, conflict, or maybe even desire—is absent. His gaze is friendly but businesslike. Detached.
“Now that Celeste’s here,” he tells Billy, “maybe you can walk her through the timeline and objectives for opening. I have about twenty phone calls I need to make.”
“Sure thing.” Billy grins at me. “You ready? We can walk back to the entrance and start there.”
Lucas leaves without a word to me, heading toward his car. I watch him walk away, heaviness coalescing in my chest and sliding down my ribs. Maybe we won’t need a conversation about boundaries, after all. Maybe he regrets the kiss as much as I do.
I’m not sure why, but the thought doesn’t make me feel better.
I tear my gaze away from him and nod at Billy. “Let’s do it.”
20
The next two hours pass in a blur as Billy and I walk and talk. By the time we reach the Lodge again, I’m overflowing with excitement and my brain hurts in the best way, overfull with details and plans.
In addition to necessary updates—replacing old, drafty windows, the porch outside the dining hall, and repairing several roofs—we talk about Lucas’s ideas for adding basketball courts behind the Art Barn and expanding the laundry building to include a private kitchen for staff. There are also plans for a volleyball court by the lake, more bathrooms, a cabin dedicated to music, and an outdoor picnic area.
“And we can do all this in just over two months? It seems like a lot.”
Billy’s nod is all confidence. “Oh, we’ll get it done.”
We settle on the steps outside the Lodge. A cool breeze tempers warm sunlight, and birds chatter to each other in nearby trees.
“It’s good to be back, isn’t it?” murmurs Billy.
“Still feels like a dream.”
He nods, dark eyes on mine. “I’m glad you and Lucas are on speaking terms again. In a weird way, it feels like Mom and Dad are back together.”
I choke. “Uh, what?”
He laughs. “When we were all kids, you know? It was always you and Lucas. The dynamic duo. Everyone else just orbited around the two of you. Even Jer.” My mouth drops, but before I can summon denials, he continues, “He loved you both so much. Wherever he is, he’s happy the two of you have buried the hatchet.”
Words dry on my tongue.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Billy says quickly, looping an arm around my shoulders. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
