Charming Hannah (Big Sky #1)(33)

I don’t want to chance it.

You’re being unreasonable. And I know that. It’s the anxiety. The rational side of me knows that there’s nothing to be afraid of. The irrational anxious side of me doesn’t give even one shit.

I’m going to over think it anyway.

I can’t watch the other boat without my stomach dropping, so I turn my lounge chair in the opposite direction and sit back, breathing deeply. I’m in a bathing suit with a cover up, but I’m not too hot. It’s always about ten degrees cooler on the lake. The chair is soft and plush, and before long my anxiety has calmed down and I could easily drift to sleep.

But I don’t. I’m watching the shoreline off in the distance, floating by lazily. We took the boat out in the middle of the lake, directly in front of Grace and Jacob’s house. From way out here, their house still looks massive. It’s just been the two of them in that big house, but soon there will be three.

I’m happy for her.

“You’re up here by yourself,” Jenna says and sits next to me, surprising me.

“I thought you were on the other boat?”

“I had the guys bring me back here. There was a lot of testosterone on that boat.” She laughs and passes me a fresh Coke. “We could go in Grace’s house and make iced coffees.”

“How did you just read my mind?”

“Friend, your mind is always on coffee.”

“True. Maybe in a bit, the sun is so nice right now.”

Jenna is in a turquoise bikini, showing off her curves. Her natural platinum blonde hair is tucked up in a sun hat, and she’s wearing huge sunglasses.

“You look like a starlet today.”

She smirks. “Sure.”

“You look like a starlet every day. You must hear that a lot.”

She shrugs one shoulder and then links her fingers over her flat belly. “Maybe I shouldn’t dress nice in front of my crew.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know I’m building the tree houses on the mountain, right?”

“Yes, and I’m dying to see them.”

“I’m so irritated. My brothers are co-owners with me, but I’m the brains behind the operation. They’re my vision, my heart, my project.”

“Gotcha.”

“But I guarantee you, every single day when I go to the job site and speak with someone, they either dismiss me altogether, or tell me to have my husband come talk to them.”

“What the fuck?”

“Right?” She pats my arm and nods. “When I explain that they’ll have to talk to me, they shake their heads and look frustrated. It pisses me off.”

“It would piss me off too.”

“So I’ve told Max and Brad to stop coming to meetings. They’re all going to learn to deal with me and me only. I’ve been in real estate for over ten years. I’ve run my own vacation rentals, including a super fancy B&B, for almost that long. I know what I want, and I have the money to get it.

“But now they’ve decided to go over budget already and we’re only half way built.”

“Not acceptable.”

“No,” she agrees. “So I just fired my contractor yesterday, and now I have to find someone new. I would just do it myself, but it’s three buildings, thirty feet off the ground. It’s not a normal house.”

“It sounds incredible.”

“It will be,” she says with a smile. “I can’t wait for you to see them. I also have my eye on a piece of property in the park that just went on the market.”

“As in, inside Glacier Park?”

“Yeah,” she says with a nod. “There are about a dozen private residences inside the park. This one is on Lake McDonald, and it’s gorgeous. I know I could rent it out most of the year.”

“Absolutely. You should do it!”

“I’m sinking a shit ton of money into the tree houses right now,” she says and wrinkles her nose. “But I may never have the chance to own property in the park again.”

“Exactly. Do it. I’m serious. I’ll go in on it with you.”

“You’re a good friend.” A slow smile slides over her perfect lips. Jenna looks annoyingly like Grace Kelly. If she wasn’t so wonderful, we might all hate her. “I’ll just get another loan for it. I know it would pay for itself in less than three years.”

“Sounds like a no brainer.”

She claps her hands excitedly. “Now to get those tree houses finished and rented out so they can start paying for themselves, too.”

“Do you mind if I fold out the awning?”

“Not at all,” she says as I stand and roll out the awning, casting us in blessed shade.

“That’s better. I was starting to sweat, and no one wants that.”

“No,” Jenna says with a laugh. “My mom likes you.”

“I feel bad because I was nervous and I’ve hardly said three words to her.”

“She likes you,” she says again. “And I know my brother likes you.”

“I should hope so. He’s naked with me a lot.”

“Ew,” Jenna says and then laughs. “But good for you guys.”

“Am I missing good stuff up here?” Grace asks and joins us. “Also, side note, be very proud of me for climbing that ladder and not dying.”