Going Under (Wildfire Lake 2)

“Maybe a great guy like Levi wouldn’t cheat, but I haven’t had that kind of luck,” she says. “Besides, I’d rather just fantasize. Fantasies are always better than the real thing.”

“I hope and pray you are so damn wrong,” I tell her, then look at Laiyla. “Any more wedding plans?”

A smile creeps over Laiyla’s face. “I think I’d like to hold off until August. I have a feeling running this place the first couple of months is going to be chaos.”

“Good point,” I say.

“August is an amazing time for a wedding,” Chloe says.

“What do you guys think of using that spot on the bluff overlooking the lake as the wedding site we develop first?”

We’ve identified several nice sites for outdoor weddings on the property. More than one site allows for more than one wedding in a weekend, and weddings are huge moneymakers, but we haven’t chosen which one to start with.

“That’s my favorite spot,” I say. “It’s perfect.”

“We should have Levi build a centerpiece between those two oaks,” Chloe adds. “Then the lake will be the backdrop for the ceremony photos.”

“I was thinking of something a little daintier,” Laiyla says, “like an iron arch. Something that would be beautiful draped in fabric and decorated with flowers.”

“Ooo,” Chloe says. “I like that idea.”

“Levi sucks at welding,” I remind them, making Laiyla laugh. “But if you give me a sketch of what you want it to look like, I can do it.”

They both look at me and say, “You weld?”

I smile. “I weld.”

“Of course you do,” Chloe says.

“Of course she does,” Laiyla tells Chloe, then looks at the ceiling again. “It’s also the only spot big enough to seat this entire town. And Levi wants to invite every last Wildfire resident.”

I grin at Laiyla. “Of course he does.”

We’re all laughing when my phone dings. My heart flips, and I lift it and read the text. Girls are finally down. Get over here.

We all go quiet for a long moment.

“I thought you’d pole vault off this bed when he texted,” Laiyla said. “What’s going on?”

“Is this a bad idea?”

Laiyla laughs. “Since when? You’ve been waiting on him for hours.”

I sit up. “I don’t want to hurt him. He’s had enough hurt for a lifetime. He deserves someone who can commit long-term.”

“Don’t you dare sell yourself short,” Laiyla says. “You’re one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. You’re a gift to anyone who meets you. You could be a vital gift to him.”

“I think you’re afraid.” Chloe’s voice is gentle. “Afraid you’ll get attached, because, yeah, getting attached would be a problem. You’d have to address your fear of true intimacy. True intimacy makes you vulnerable, which I think is your kryptonite.”

I lift a brow at her spirit-junkie talk. “What?”

“Vulnerability, trust… They’re as hard for you as they are for me.”

“Isn’t it hard for everyone?”

“Not like us,” Chloe says. “Our moms and dads left us. Granted, you never knew your mom and you had an amazing father, but he died when you were barely out of your teenage years. You haven’t been committed to anything but work since. Which makes sense—who wants to go through that heartache again?”

“Is that the real reason you’re not dating Xavier?”