Page 76 of Mountain Dreams

“Oh yeah? What’d you tell him?”

“I told him I’d check with the construction manager and get back to him.”

It had taken a while for the brothers to get here, but Jax was finally acknowledging Cody’s worth. They’d both worked hard to keep the resort running and profitable, and their efforts were paying off. The resort was almost always booked, and they’d received numerous glowing reviews in the local papers and on travel websites, thus the need to build more cabins.

“I could use another guy,” Cody said, pleased that Jax had checked with him first.

“He’s not just any guy. He owned his own building company, but he recently sold it.”

“Why would he want to work for someone else?” Cody wondered aloud.

“Something to do with a divorce and wanting to spend more time with his kids. Anyway, I checked his references, and he seems like a good guy to have on our team.”

Our team. Cody liked the sound of that too. After their parents had died, Jax, as the oldest sibling, had taken on the bulk of the responsibility for the resort. Cody was a few years younger and had wanted to do his share, but it had taken Jax a while to trust him enough to hand over the reins, at least on the building end of things. Jax still managed the daily operations, and now he had Avery’s help too.

Avery tapped Jax on the arm. “Hey. No business talk tonight. We’re here to have fun, remember?”

“Talking business is fun,” Jax argued.

They all laughed.

Soon the server arrived with their food. After he’d set down their plates and left, Maddie said, “Wow, this looks huge!”

Cody and Jax exchanged a look, and Jax shook his head. “Don’t even say it.”

“Say what?” Avery asked.

In the meantime, Maddie was giggling, and her cheeks had turned a pretty shade of pink.

“Oh…I get it now,” Avery said, joining in on the laughter.

“That’s my younger brother for you,” Jax teased.

“Hey. You thought it too.”

“But I wasn’t going to say it.”

For the next hour or so, they enjoyed the food, drinks, and each other’s company. With the women there, the conversation flowed easily from one topic to the next. They talked about the resort and Avery’s dad, who lived nearby and was suffering from dementia, and Maddie talked about her family too.

There were times when Cody shifted and his leg accidentally brushed against hers. His whole body tingled with awareness, and he wondered if hers did too. The first time it happened, she moved her leg away, but the second time, she kept it there. Still, they didn’t have much eye contact since she was focused on Avery, so he wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

Since the other night when she’d rushed out of his bedroom, he wasn’t sure of anything at all. She’d been pleasant yet reserved, and neither of them had really acknowledged what had transpired. He’d been trying to play it cool, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep up the pretense. He was dying to know what was going on in that pretty head of hers.

Finally, Jax said, “We should probably clear out of here so someone else can have our table.”

He assumed Jax had reached his social limit and/or wanted to be alone with Avery. It was fine with him, though, because he felt the same about Maddie. Even if nothing physical happened tonight, he was determined to find out what was on her mind.

The brothers took out their wallets at the same time. After a brief argument, Jax paid the bill, and the four of them walked out of the restaurant. Cody gave Maddie a hand up into the backseat of Jax’s truck and slid in beside her, leaving a respectable distance between them.

He’d rather she slid over to his side, but he didn’t dare slide over to hers and face the possibility of being rebuffed. He did, however, rest his hand in the space between them as an invitation of sorts.

Country music was playing on the radio, and it was dark and cozy in the back seat, reminding him of the makeout sessions he’d had in his own truck as a teenager. He’d upgraded to a newer, bigger truck since then, and glancing at Maddie, he thought he’d upgraded to a better girl as well. She wasn’t a girl anymore, though. She was all woman, and he recalled the way she’d proven that the other night.

Right when he thought it, she put her hand over his and squeezed. The move was so subtle that he looked down to make sure. Then he glanced over and saw her smiling at him. Holding hands was a simple gesture, yet she had a way of making it feel sexy.

They rode like that the rest of the way home, his anticipation rising as they drove up to Sawyer’s Ridge. When Jax pulled into Cody’s driveway, she subtly moved her hand away.

Avery twisted in her seat and glanced back at them. “Thank you so much for coming out with us tonight. We’ll have to do it again soon.”