Page 7 of Wildest Dreams

It was always known that I would join my family’s business, but I want my role to be one that I head-over-heelslove. And as a girl who never got to experience a quiet rural life? There’s nothing that I want more than to shower these beautiful small towns in love.

Sensing my spiking fear, Fallon gives her hair a confident swish. “You know what? You’re right. We can totally do this. Guys do stuff like this all the time, right? Like, inJurassic World. Wasn’t Chris Pratt building a house or something?”

“I think he was fixing a motorbike. Oh, wait! In the second one? Yeah, he was totally building a house.”

Fallon nods. “Exactly. The point is, we’re more than capable of fixing a few wooden panels and turning this place into the sexy hideaway that it was always meant to be. Besides, Hunter will totally help out whenever we need him to,andyou’ve got Connell coming to join us too. Honestly, Ash? By the end of this project, I bet that this house will be so beautiful that you’re going to want to keep it.”

I breathe out a laugh and say, “Okay, that actually isn’t allowed to happen. I need to be professional about this project, even if it is my first one. No getting sentimental and attached.”Even if this looks like it could be my dream house.

I mean, the second that I saw the photos I was immediately love-struck. And I hadn’t fallen that quickly in, like, four whole years.

I brush my thumb over the love-heart freckle that sits just beneath my elbow as Fallon and I begin walking toward the wide porch steps.

“This is going to be amazing,” I whisper, looking up with shimmery eyes at the gorgeous lake house.

When we reach the steps I give the first wooden board a tentative nudge, making sure that it’s solid and secure. Then we walk up to the wrap-around porch and look out across the lake, sparkling blue in the morning sunshine.

“This has so much potential it’s crazy,” I say. I’m almost overwhelmed by how much good could possibly come out of this risky summer venture. “Just look at that view.”

I gently rest a hand on the wooden railing but in the next second I squeal, because theentire fencecollapses over the ledge.

Fallon grabs my arm to stop me from falling with it, and we stare wide-eyed at the dust cloud that poufs up around the scattered wood.

“So, step one, rebuild this railing,” Fallon whispers, a nervous tremble in her pretty Colorado accent. “Actually, maybe that’s step two. Do we have anywhere to sleep while we’re here?”

I blink at her innocently and she presses her palm against her forehead.

“Oh my God,” she mumbles. “This is why you packed those sleeping bags.”

“I’m sorry!” I squeal as she begins pacing the porch. The wooden slats groan ominously beneath her and she quickly decides that maybe pacing isn’t such a good idea.

“I thought that maybe we were going camping,” she pouts sadly, her eyes drifting longingly to the larch forest bordering the lake.

“We will, I swear! It’s part of our summer bucket list, remember? But I have two months to flip this house before my mom gets here to survey it. We’ll simultaneously DIY the houseandcheck stuff off our bucket list, okay?”

Fallon thinks about that for a moment and then her eyes trail over to the other side of the lake.

“Yes to the bucket list thing, but I’m still not one-hundred percent sure about sleeping on the floor, sleeping bag or no sleeping bag. I mean, what about those cabins?” she asks, pointing a sparkly lilac nail across the shimmering water. “You said that your parents own those too. Maybe we could stay in those while we do the renovation on this one.”

I fold my arms across my chest and let out a sigh. “Believe me, I checked. All of the cabins have been booked up for the summer.”

“Darn it,” she mumbles. “Okay, so, do you have a tent? Because maybe we could set up a tent, just in case the interior flooring isn’t up to scratch, and then we could put our sleeping bags inside the tent for extra comfort.”

I look at her in amazement as we head back down to the 4x4.

I squeeze her hand in mine and say, “Fallon, you are beauty and brains.”

She gives me a mischievous smile and then lets out a wild howl as we race to the truck.

“Hammering the lake house into shape, camping in the forest, ticking stuff off our summer bucket list in some sexy small town bar…” My heart pounds with adrenaline as we round the bed of the truck, and Fallon leans against the side panel as I lift up the back. I pass her a sleeping bag before hugging my own tightly against my chest and we share an excited laugh as we make our way to the shore. “Like, seriously,” I say, “what could possibly go wrong?”

The sunlight sparkles dazzlingly in Fallon’s bright crystalline eyes but just as she’s about to say something she suddenly cocks her head to one side. A flash of intrigue flares in her pretty irises.

“Hey, look,” she says quickly, tipping her chin subtly across the lake. “Seems as though our campsite buddies are arriving at the same time as us.”

My gaze flicks across the lake so that I can see what Fallon’s looking at and my eyes instantly widen, too stunned to speak.

Oh no.

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