Page 65 of For Fox Sake

She shifts on the couch, crossing her legs. “I don’t know.”

Hope lifts in my heart. “That wasn’t a no.”

“I have work.”

“Could someone else cover you for a few days?”

“Maybe.”

“When was the last time you took time off?”

She blows out a breath. “Hardly ever. I only took a few mornings off even this week to get mom’s affairs in order.”

“You need time to rest. Relax. Everything would be taken care of. We have plenty of cabins, all meals would be covered, plus there is so much to do. Ari would love it. We can go fishing, hiking, axe throwing. Literally anything any kid could want to do, it’s there.” I bite my lip to stop the words from going on and on and talking her out of it.

“You have no idea how tempting that is. Ari with an axe might be a bad idea, however, but I don’t know. I’d have to see if someone could cover me at work.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“I guess not. But I can’t really afford to fly across the country, even if meals and lodging are free.”

I scratch my chin. “Well, if you can go in a couple days, you can just ride with me.”

She’s shaking her head before I even finish my sentence. “Driving would be way too long?—”

“I’m not driving. Remember Oliver the billionaire?”

“Piper’s boyfriend.”

“Right. So, at his insistence, his private jet is picking me up at the Portland airport in a couple days. It can definitely fit two more.”

Her brows fly up. “Private jet? What about your truck?”

I wave a hand. “He has someone meeting me at the airport to bring it back to Whitby.”

She stares at me. “Are you serious?”

“I know it’s weird. You get used to the whole snap-his-fingers-and-things-just-miraculously-happen thing. Actually, no, you don’t really get used to it. Either way, it’s all taken care of.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Her mouth opens, then closes. Then opens again.

“Ari would freak out over the plane. Can you imagine her reaction to it? To everything?”

She chuckles. “Low blow, using Ari, but Jake, I can’t possibly accept such a gift. I would have to pay for something.”

“Fine. You can reimburse us for the food.”

She sighs. “I don’t know.”

The hope deflates like a pricked balloon. Maybe it’s a bad idea anyway. I’m already in too deep. I like her too much. We live on opposite coasts. She can’t trust me and that is not a good foundation for... anything. I don’t even know that she likes me that way, anymore.

It’s probably a recipe for disaster.

She rubs her lips together. “I have to think about it.”

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