Levi
My head is deep in numbers when Mitch opens the door to the trailer on the Whisper Cove jobsite. Construction noise and voices drift into the office along with Mitch until the door shuts behind him. It’s quitting time, but my mind is still churning over Laiyla and her project.
“Hey,” Mitch says, rounding his own desk while scanning mine. He drops into his chair and opens his laptop. “Want to come over for dinner tonight? Maia’s friend Iris will be there, and she’s still seriously hot for you even after her confrontation with Tina. That’s sayin’ something, huh?”
“Thanks, but I can’t think about anything else until I figure out this job.” And I sure as shit can’t think about another woman while Laiyla is in town. In fact, it will be a long damn time until I think about another woman, period.
“Is that the Jasmine Ridge project?”
I shake my head, release a sigh, and lean back in my chair, arms overhead, stretching my back. “Wildfire Lake.”
“You’re still working on that?”
It’s day five of muddling through numbers for Laiyla’s project. “Yeah.”
“What’s the holdup?”
“It’s a big job.” I’ve been purposely dragging my feet because I’m still conflicted. “And they’ve got a tight budget.”
Mitch isn’t buying it. “How big?”
“New restaurant, renovation of the market, renovation of ten boats plus any they acquire used, storage, swim platforms, new docks, more slips, a pool…” I rest my clasped hands on top of my head. “It will take close to two years to get it all done.”
“Hardly big for you.” Mitch leans forward, forearms on the desk. “You could have estimates for all that whipped out in two days.”
He had, in fact, whipped it out in two days. Then spent three tinkering. And thinking. “The truth is, I don’t know if I want to spend all that time with her.”
Mitch doesn’t respond, just waits for me to go on.
“There’s still a spark, you know? I could get in way too deep with her way too easily.” I shake my head and stare at my notes. “I just… I don’t know.”
“Are you ready for a reality check?”
“I know what you’re going to say, and I know taking this job would benefit us, and I want that, but—”
“That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Then what?”
“I was going to say that this is the perfect opportunity to figure your shit out with her. It’s no secret you keep throwing away good women because you’re so fucked up over her. I know you want to get married and have kids, but you’re not getting any closer to that while you’re nursing this hang-up. And now that she’s in town, that’s only going to get worse.”
Mitch sits back. “Just face it and deal with it, once and for all. If there’s a spark, fan the flame. See what happens. Honestly, I don’t think you’ll ever get over her unless you try again. Then if it doesn’t work, you’ll know for sure. And if you know for sure, I think it will be easier to move on.”
I mull over his words, gaze distant. The thought of being with her again is both thrilling and terrif
ying, heavy on the terrifying. I don’t trust her not to bail when it suits her. I don’t trust myself not to fall head over heels for her again.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Think faster,” Mitch says, closing his computer and heading toward the door. “If you’re not going to take this job, you can get started on Jasmine Ridge.”
The door closes behind Mitch, and I’m left with my numbers and my fears. And when everything is said and done, I know I’m going to take the job. I’m just putting off the inevitable.
I hit Print on my laptop and the printer spits out four copies of the proposal I’ve had done for days.
On the drive to Laiyla’s, I work things out in my head. I’m not going into this for her. I’m doing it for me and the company. Working with her will undoubtedly dim the spark between us; then I can let the relationship take its natural course into a work friendship.
I’ve almost got myself convinced of it when I turn onto the road leading to the lake and slow to avoid the divots. I’m thinking of all the benefits taking this job is going to afford me—control over who’s using the lake, the view from the Whisper Cove subdivision, getting over Laiyla—when movement in the rearview mirror catches my eye.