Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)

I’m stunned to see kitchen cabinets already installed and workers bustling about, measuring for the countertops that will be delivered in the morning.

“Blue cabinets?”

“I know, aren’t they great?” she says with a big smile. “The countertops will be white, and it’s really going to pop.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.” She picks up a clipboard and starts reading through her checklist. “So you and Hannah had fun at Max’s place?”

“We did. Have you ever been down there?”

“No, I keep meaning to, but something always comes up with one of the rentals.” She shrugs. “I’ll get there eventually.”

“You should hire a management company to help you.” This is an argument that’s been happening for about two years now, ever since Jenna decided to branch out from the B&B and add other vacation rentals to her list of properties. “How many properties do you have now?”

“Twelve, if you include these,” she says. “And yes, it’s a full time job, but I love it. I have a manager at the B&B now, so that pretty much runs itself. I trust Maggie completely with it. So, I oversee the building of the homes, the design, and the rentals. I have housekeepers.”

“I should hope so,” I reply and shake my head at her. “You know, just hiring a management company to oversee the housekeeping and scheduling the rentals would be a huge help.”

“I know.” She sighs and rubs her forehead. “I know I’m being stubborn. But I love this stuff. Real estate is my jam, and greeting guests when they check in is a kick. They’re excited to be there. And the personal touches I put on everything is what keeps them all coming back.”

“There’s no doubt that you’re great at your job, Jen. You absolutely are.”

“I’m going to see how it goes with these,” she says, gesturing to the tree houses. “If they’re as high maintenance as I think they will be, I’ll have to hire someone to at least oversee the properties in Whisper.”

Whisper is a neighboring town, only ten miles away, that is much bigger than Cunningham Falls and houses all of the amenities that our little town just can’t, such as chain restaurants and department stores.

“How many are over there?”

“Six,” she says. “So, I might need help down there. We’ll see. For now, I’m content.”

“That’s the important thing.”

“And now that you’ve distracted me from talking about your trip, spill it. Don’t tell me about the sex.”

“There’s not much of anything else to tell.” I grin when she wrinkles her nose and makes a gagging sound. “I mean, there was a lot of sex.”

“Ew, really?”

“Well, there was, but there was other stuff too. We walked the beach a few times, watched whales. There’s a great pool area, and the restaurants are great. We didn’t leave the resort the whole time we were there.”

“That sounds like the best vacation.”

I nod and raise an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s time for you to take a vacation.”

“I don’t have anyone to take a romantic vacation with,” she reminds me.

“It’s not like you put yourself out there, Jenna. You work and you go home.”

“I’m not discussing my dating life with you.”

“Fine.” I sigh and then smile when she passes me a paper bag. “What’s this?”

“I went to Little Deli earlier for sandwiches for the guys, and I got too many. You might as well take them for the guys.”

“I’ll take them over to Hannah’s. She has Grace and Drake there to help her pack up the rest of her things.”

“Why?”

“I told you that she moved in with me.”

“No.” She frowns. “You told me she was going to move in with you, and I assumed that meant in the coming months, not ten minutes later.”

“Is this a problem?”

She blinks, thinking it over. “No. It’s not a problem. You know I love Hannah, and I think she’s good for you. I’m just surprised at the speed that you made it happen. You’re usually more… laid back.”

“I want her with me.” I turn to leave. “Thanks for the sandwiches. I’ll take them over to her now.”

I saw her four hours ago, and I feel like I’m going through withdrawals. My friends would say I’m whipped.

And they wouldn’t be wrong.

I enjoy her more than I ever thought I could. Spending time with her is the highlight of my day, and when we’re apart, I count down until I get to see her again.

She’s the best part of my life, and I’m relieved that she agreed to move in with me. Spending every night with her has been amazing.

She’s at her old place today with Grace and Drake, finishing up with some packing and clearing out so we can get it ready for vacation rentals. I park at the curb in front of her house, pleased to see her car in the driveway. I reach for the brown bag full of lunch and climb out of the truck. It’s quiet as I approach the house. The front door is open, with just the screen door shut, but maybe they’re busy packing and aren’t talking.