Page 76 of Get Lost with You
“A pearl?” He took the flowers, studying them while wondering if he shouldn’t have gotten her the bracelet.
Gray laughed and came down the stairs. “A pergola.”
Levi looked up. “Oh. Where?”
Ollie took her uncle’s hand and Levi followed them around the side of the house between the outbuilding, the shed, and the paths through the trees, one of which led to the ropes course.
“Right here.” Gray pointed. “She said if we ever host a small outdoor wedding we could decorate it with flowers and twinkle lights, and if we don’t, the guests can just sit and enjoy it.”
Ideas spun in his head. Ollie looked up at him. “Can you build one?”
He could. And so could his dad. But how would they get it done without Jillian knowing? She worked here and didn’t want him there at the same time.
“I can, but it would take a bit and there’s already so much going on. How would I pull it off?”
He was more asking himself, so when his dad joined them, his employee at his side, he startled out of his own thoughts.
“You bring in professionals,” his dad said, slapping him on the back hard enough to knock him forward a step.
Levi smiled. The bracelets sat in his pocket, waiting for the perfect moment, and now, maybe, he had a plan on how to make that moment happen. He grinned down at Ollie. Thanks to a nine-year-old kid, he might finally get the girl.
Thirty-six
There was no time to dwell on how spectacularly she’d screwed things up. That’s what Jillian told herself, but the truth was, she purposely threw herself into every single second of work so that she didn’t have to think, breathe, or feel. Because every one of those things led her straight back to Levi. To the anger in Ollie’s gaze and the disappointment in her mom’s. To the ache in Levi’s. Energy hummed in the air at the lodge, like it knew it was opening for business in one day.
The restless feeling coursing through her made her feel like she was trying to hold her balance on the ropes course. She’d braced herself for the impact of seeing Levi today, but so far it hadn’t happened. She’d managed to avoid him even though she knew he was working, at least one of the days, in the kitchen. Heat washed over her skin when she remembered the things she’d said to him. How she’d behaved. How would she fix that? Did she want to? Her fears weren’t gone but she missed him so much it felt like a wound that wouldn’t close. At least Ollie had started talking to her again, even coming to work with her today. Though, she’d kept herself busy as Gray’s sidekick instead of hanging with Jilly. And still, no Levi. She found herself listening to see if she could hear his voice, but the lodge was loud with other sounds today,making it hard to concentrate. Gray was doing some construction on the outbuilding next to the lodge, making it more useful, he’d said.
Emmy, who would be with them for the summer, tapped the computer and lifted her hands with a flourish. “There! I did it. It’s booked.”
Jillian tried to smile at the teen’s enthusiasm. She’d been walking her through the reservation booking system and other front desk duties for most of the morning. Emmy’s dark hair hung over one shoulder in a long, thick braid. It nearly took Jillian out when Emmy swung her head toward Jill with excitement.
“That’s so fun.”
Jill could only nod. “The online system does a cross-check with our calendar, but sometimes there are glitches so I try to check it at least once a day.”
“Okay. What if a guest has special instructions, like they need a room on the ground floor?”
Jilly leaned around Emmy and pressed another button. “It’ll come through here on the screen and we transfer it into the notebook as well and onto the calendar.”
“Okay. What’s next?” Emmy clapped her hands together and Jillian envied the teen’s optimism and excitement.
“We have a messaging system set up so if a guest needs something and we’re not at the front desk, they can text,” Jill said, pulling her phone from her pocket.
She held out her phone to show Emmy. “If I get a text and you’re not at the front desk, I’ll text you. Just make sure you have your ringer on when you leave the desk.”
Walking Emmy through a few more things, Jilly was confident that the young woman would be a helpful addition to their summer team. “You can help Mateo with stocking up all bathrooms and making sure each room has two extra pillows and a spareblanket. He’ll show you where the laundry is and explain how we reset the room. Our first guests will be here at noon for check-in tomorrow. By midweek, the lodge and cabins will be full.”
“Okay. I’ll go find him. Thanks, Ms. Keller.”
Now she just felt old. This week had aged her. “Jilly is fine.”
When the girl walked away, toward the kitchen, Jilly felt like a high schooler, wanting to ask her to see if Levi was working in the kitchen.Pass her a note that says “Is Levi here? ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’”Jilly cringed at her own thoughts. She really needed to pull on her big girl pants and talk to him. He deserved that and so much more.
Ollie came through the door with Grayson just as Jilly was rounding the counter, working up her nerve to act like an adult.
“Hey, Mom.” Her tone was back to normal, though her smile wasn’t quite as bright as usual.
Jillian probably overexaggerated her own in response. “Hi, sweetie.”
