“It happened because of me.” He comes back to the desk, picks up the bottle of pills, and starts reading the back.
“I’m pretty sure it happened because I’m a klutz.”
“Yeah.” His eyes meet mine, and I watch in fascination as his lips tip up into a small smirk that does funny things to my stomach. In the photo, I could see he was good looking, but seeing the sharpness of his scruff-covered jaw, along with his gorgeous eyes and full lips up close and personal, takes him to a whole other level of handsome. “The bottle says to take two, but I think one should work.” He opens the bottle and shakes out one small white pill, handing it to me before screwing off the lid to the water and passing it over.
“Thanks.” I take it from him and swallow the pill down with a gulp of water.
“No problem.” He studies me as he crosses his arms over his chest, making his biceps seem even larger. “I’m guessing, since you’re here and my grandmother isn’t, you’re covering for her today.”
“Sandy?” I ask, and he lifts his chin in an affirmation. “She called out sick.”
“Sick . . . right,” he mutters, and I press my lips together, because it’s obvious he knows where she is and isn’t happy about it. “I should have called her cell before I stopped by.”
“Sorry.”
“Not your fault.” He sighs, then takes a seat on the edge of the desk and scrubs his hands down his face.
“Is there something I can do to help?”
“Can you make my family act normal for once?”
“Probably not.”
“Didn’t think so.” He sighs again, stands up, and grabs his jacket. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Oh.” I lick my lips. “Everly.”
“Blake.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” He puts on his coat, then pulls a winter cap out of his pocket and puts it on. “So are you just helping out here today, or is Gene firing my grandmother, who’s been acting like she’s sixteen again?”
“My dad isn’t firing your grandma.”
“You’re Gene’s daughter?” His brows draw together slightly. “The one with the kid?”
“That’s me,” I mumble, unsure what to make of his look.
“Cool.” He tucks his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m gonna head out, but make sure you keep ice on your head.”
“Will do,” I agree, watching him walk out. When the door closes behind him, I stare at it for longer than I should while trying to figure out why I feel so disappointed.
Chapter 2
BLAKE
After I pull up to the Live Life Adventures Lodge, I put my truck in park, then grab my cell when it starts to ring. Seeing my dad is calling, I slide my finger across the screen and put it to my ear.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, kid. You good?”
“Yeah, what’s up? You okay?” The question is ridiculous, given that we both know he’s not okay, but this has been my life for the last year, pretending that everything is fine when it’s not.
“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “Just wanted to let you know that I’m going to need you to cover for me this week.”
“Sure.” I rub my chest in a pointless attempt to get rid of the ache there. “Are your appointments the same time as last week?”
“A little later in the afternoons.”
“Will you be all right driving yourself?”
“I’ll be fine,” he says quickly, and I shake my head, not sure that he would tell me even if he wasn’t going to be fine. I always knew my father was stubborn, but until recently I didn’t know just how stubborn he could be.
“You know I’m here for whatever you need.”
“I know.” He lets out a long breath. “Love you, kid. We’ll talk soon.”
“Love you, too, Dad.” I hang up and tap my phone against my thigh. When my dad first confided in me about his prostate cancer diagnosis, I felt like my world was coming to an end. I grew up thinking of him as invincible, thinking that no matter what, he would always be around. The realization that not only is he human but that my time with him is limited was devastating. Then he asked me to keep the truth a secret; he didn’t want my mom or sister to worry, and given how I was feeling, I agreed to help hide the truth from them. Now, months later, I’m not sure that was the right decision. So far his doctors are hopeful that the proton therapy he’s doing is working and the side effects are minimal, which is great, but I don’t know that it’s healthy for him to continue going through this alone. And I don’t know that I’m strong enough to carry this burden alone any longer.
With a sigh, I send a text to my sister and another to my mom to just check in. Even if they don’t know what’s happening, it makes me feel better knowing they’re both okay. Once I’m done, I respond to the string of texts waiting for me, then get out of my truck and head up the steps into the lodge. I’m already exhausted and the day hasn’t even started. Between my dad, my family, work, and life in general, it feels like I have no time for myself, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. In two days, we have a group of ten people coming in for a weeklong company retreat, so I want to double-check that everything is ready to go, even though both Maverick and Tanner, who co-own the business with me, have said more than once that we’re ready for our guests.