Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(36)

“Okay. I think we’re good on the talk for now.” I chuckled.

“Are you going to see him again?”

“I think we’re just going to be friends. It was fun, but I’m not staying here forever, so what’s the point?”

“The point is, you orgasmed from kissing the man. That’s hot. Why not keep doing it? And you can lose that damn V-card to a man who actually turns you on.”

“I don’t think he wants that pressure, so I think that’s a no.”

“A hard no?” Her voice was all tease, and we both burst out in a fit of giggles.

“Something like that. All right, I’m going to bed. I love you, Delilah Bernadette McCallister.”

“Love you more, you little horn dog. I can’t wait for this weekend. Get ready to flirt with all the bikers, baby.”

I shook my head. “Goodnight.”

She waved, and I ended the call. I reached for my notebook and studied my list. I checked off skinny dipping and bit down on my bottom lip as I thought about the night.

So much had happened.

I just wished it wasn’t with the one man that I couldn’t have.





The next morning, we acted completely normal, and I was relieved. I’d gone for my run, and I’d just returned home to find Hugh mowing the lawn wearing nothing but some basketball shorts and a baseball cap turned backward on his head. His chest was on full display, and it was hard not to stare. I’d hurried inside and made us pancakes and juice as he and Travis both walked through the door, talking and laughing at the same time.

My brother sure showed up at the worst times, didn’t he?

“You still pissed at me?” Travis asked.

“We’re fine. But maybe you could shoot me a text to let me know when you’re going to just show up for breakfast?”

“Sorry. Shay hasn’t felt like cooking, and she doesn’t like the smell of food when I cook, so, there you go.” He kissed me on the cheek and dropped down to sit.

“Well, lucky for you, I made plenty of pancakes today,” I said, as Hugh came up beside me to wash his hands at the sink. His hip brushed mine, and I swear that little bit of contact had my body blazing.

“You need any help?” he asked, as my brother typed into his phone and completely ignored us.

“Nope. I’ve got it.”

His tongue swiped out and moved along his bottom lip as his beautiful green eyes locked with mine, and he nodded. His muscled chest had the name Reynolds tattooed in script across his heart. I wanted to trace the ink with my fingers.

With my tongue.

Oh. My. God.

What was happening to me?

I focused on the damn pancakes before piling them onto a plate and pulling myself together. We all sat down and started eating when Hugh’s phone vibrated, and he looked down to read the screen. “My mom wants you to know she’d love you to come to Sunday dinner. Not everyone will be there this week since Brinkley is back in the city, and so is Georgia. Not sure about Finn. But I’m guessing Cage and Gracie will be there.”

“Oh, I’d love that. Tell her thank you for the invite.”

“Yeah.” My brother held up his fork and pointed it at me. “That’s who you want to be spending your time with. Hugh and his family. That fucking Kline is a player.”

It took all I had not to laugh in his face. Kline hadn’t even made a move. But I’d been the one to make the move on the big, beautiful man sitting beside me.

“Stop judging everyone, Trav. We’ve never liked being judged, but you do it to everyone, and it’s not a good thing.”

“Because it’s my job to look out for you. I make no apologies,” he said. “You’re still going with her to check out that hippy treatment center on Saturday, right?” He looked at Hugh, and I pushed to my feet, taking my plate to the sink to rinse it off because my brother was ruining my mood.

“It’s not a hippy place. It’s an actual treatment center with a pretty damn impressive track record of helping people. I emailed you the website, so the least you could do is read up on it.” Hugh’s eyes locked with mine when I turned to look at him. My brother was too busy typing into his phone to notice. Hugh’s green gaze was filled with empathy.

Thank you.

I didn’t speak the words, but he heard them just the same.

He winked at me before turning his attention back to my brother as Travis completely changed the subject and started talking about football.

And I made my way to my room to get showered and cleaned up.

I picked up my notebook and stared at the list.

This was supposed to be my list.

For my eyes only.

So, I added something new to the bottom of my Snow Day list that I’d be keeping to myself moving forward.

Make out with my hot boss one more time.





eleven





Hugh





I’d planned on putting distance between Lila and me after what happened out at Cottonwood Cove, but between living together, working together, and her brother pushing us together, that had not been the case over the last week. We hadn’t talked about what happened again, but I couldn’t stop fucking thinking about it.

Thinking about her.

We’d watched movies last night after she got back from spending some time with her dad and having dinner with her girlfriends. I knew that Kline was still flirting his ass off with her, but she didn’t seem interested in him. Brax had shown up at Reynolds’ last night with two women tourists, who were in town checking out some property. He was all jazzed about them, and they were both attractive and nice enough, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I’d tried. I’d flirted and had a few drinks.