Tangle (Dogwood Lane 2)

“Um . . .” Neely raises a brow. “A notepad?”

“To take notes,” I say. “In all honesty, I’m feeling excited. I need to get a plan together. Or two. Or three.”

“Slow down, Tiger,” Dane says.

“I have bills to pay. I just need to figure something out.” I think once again of the flower shop and smile. “Hopefully this wine doesn’t put me to sleep before I can get my head wrapped around everything.”

“You drank three mouthfuls,” Dane points out.

“I’m a lightweight.”

“We might be out back when you come downstairs,” Neely says. “I tried to restore an old table today, and I want to show Dane. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.”

I head toward the stairs. “That’s fine. I’ll let myself out.”

“See you later,” Neely says.

“Thanks for dinner.”

“Anytime.”

I bound up the stairs, leaving their voices behind me.

Trevor

My stomach growls. It’s a loud, raucous-sounding gargle emitting from my gut, reminding me I haven’t eaten anything since the protein bar before I left home this morning. Much to my dismay, the Dogwood Inn doesn’t offer dinner.

I drop onto the white duvet covered in little purple flowers and look around the room. The walls are cream with a floral-print border. A television just a bit bigger than a large pizza box sits on top of a dresser that’s currently white but that I’d bet my last dollar has at least five layers of paint beneath it.

It’s so quiet I can hear myself breathe. There are no sirens, no car alarms, no dogs barking from a neighboring yard. I’m not sure what to do with myself.

Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I dial my brother.

“Well,” he says, answering on the second ring, “how’s it going?”

“The site looks great, actually. The guys we hired are thorough as hell. I figured I’d get here and find a hundred corners cut, but there’s not one I can find. Everything is done to a T.”

Jake whistles. “That’s shocking.”

“I know, right?”

“A guy I know used them on a remodel a while back. Said they did a real good job, but you never know how that’s gonna go,” he says.

The bed moans as I stand. My shoes sink into the thick shag carpet as I plod my way over to the window.

A barn sits a few hundred yards back. A couple of horses stand in the field surrounding it, the breeze blowing their manes like something in a kids’ movie.

“Where are you staying?” Jake asks.

“Got a room at an inn, believe it or not. I’m looking at a horse right now.”

“Sounds terrible.”

“Nah, it’s not.” I scratch my head. “Weirdly.”

“I’m reading that pause to mean the real reason it’s not terrible is pussy related,” Jake says. “You already got one lined up, don’t you?”

“No,” I say quickly. “Nothing like that.”

“You sure?”

My thumb brushes against my lip as I try not to laugh at myself. No, I’m not sure. But I’m not not sure either. All I know is staying here doesn’t sound as bad as it might have this morning.

Maybe it’s because I’m relieved not to have to deal with Liz. It’s possible I don’t want to go back and sit in an empty house. I really don’t want to have dinner with Dad and Meredith and listen to her go on and on about her dogs and interior design. Any way you cut it, being here and staying busy for a few days seems preferable.

The chance of running into Haley again doesn’t sound too bad either.

“You’re totally not sure,” Jake says.

I turn away from the window. “You know what? Fuck off.”

Jake laughs. He knows me well enough to leave this alone.

“I kind of like it here,” I say.

“No. Nope. You are not joining the dark side with Meredith. I refuse to let that happen.”

I laugh. “I just mean it’s not terrible. You might even like it.”

“No. It’s Meredith’s place. I hate it on principle.”

“Speaking of Meredith,” I say. “You should’ve seen Dane’s reaction to the poodle spa.”

“It probably looked similar to mine when I heard about it. And we are not putting that in our portfolio.” Jake groans. “It’s almost embarrassing.”

“Almost? Try again.” I yawn, my arms stretching high over my head. “I need to go. I’m starving.” A grin slips across my face as I think of Haley and her warning to get my stuff before ten.

“Tell her I said hi,” Jake says.

“Who?”

“Whoever you’re thinking about.”

“You’re outta your mind,” I say with a laugh.

“I’m gonna be if I don’t get out of this office soon.” He blows out a hefty breath. “What does sunshine look like? I don’t remember.”

I lug my bag onto the bed and rummage through it. “Take a day off tomorrow and come up here. Get some sunshine, fresh air, check out the house.”

“I have no interest in seeing Dad’s love nest. Thanks.”

“We’re getting paid for it.”