Page 17 of Honeymoon Phase
“I hate that you know me so well,” I murmur into his shirt.
“No, you don’t.”
“No, I don’t,” I sigh heavily. “You’re my best friend too, you asshole.”
He shakes with silent laughter that just makes me squeeze him harder. After a long pause I pull back and look up at him, nodding with a renewed sense of determination. His brows lift as I say, “If I can’t find anyone at Man of the Mountain that feels safe, then I’ll take you up on your offer. But only as my last resort.”
I smile up at him and can’t help but notice the tight set of his jaw. It’s not what Luke wants. But it’s what’s best for both of us.
I hug him one more time. “Thank you, Luke. Thank you for offering. It means a lot that you care so much.” I stand on my tiptoes and press a kiss to his spikey cheek before shoving him away from me in that playful way we have with each other. “Let’s go back inside. I’ve got ice cream to go with the brownies that I bet are still warm.”
“Right behind you,” he replies flatly, and I do my best not to look back at him because I’m not sure I’d like what I’d see.
I fear I could have broken my best friend’s heart.
Chapter 6
Fact or Fiction?
Google can teach you anything.
Everly
OperationTurn My Uncle into a Lumberjack So He Can Marry His Best Friend and Force Her to Fall in Love With Himis in full effect!
When Luke texted me a week ago telling me the only way he can marry his best friend is if he can figure out how to become a lumberjack, I’m pretty sure he was joking.
But I responded with...bet.
You see, I have a doctorate in good ol’ Google and where there’s a will, there’s a way. My education is obvious when you look at what I did for my uncle Wyatt. I learned more than I’ll ever need to know about gestational and traditional surrogacy and now I have an adorable cousin and new auntie to show for it. I also used Google to brush up on my rusty Spanish skills to help get Uncle Calder sacked up in a one-bedroom palapa in Mexico. So really, figuring out how to turn Uncle Luke into a lumberjack is par for the course in my matchmaking endeavors.
I’ve learned a lot about lumberjacking the past few days and have now come up with a foolproof plan that even my lovable uncle can’t screw up. Which is how I find myself back on Fletcher Mountain one week before I fly back to Dublin, watching my uncle stare at the mound of logger supplies spread out on his front porch.
“This is a bad idea,” Luke says, picking up a pair of boots with spikes that look like lethal weapons.
“No, it’s not,” I state, pushing Rufus out of my way. He clucksand flaps his wings like I drop-kicked him instead of gently scooting him out of the way.So dramatic.That rooster is always getting into everything and we’re on a tight deadline right now. “This was your idea, Luke, and I think it’s important that you follow your instincts. Don’t bitch out on me now.”
Luke’s eyes lift from the logger gear to me. “I’m not bitching out. I’m just wondering what happens if this actually works and I get her to marry me after all this?”
“That’s phase two. This is phase one. Just stay focused. I’ve done some research on the Man of the Mountain and I think you’ve got a shot at not sucking at everything.”
“Well, with an endorsement like that, I’ll be unstoppable,” Luke deadpans as he squats down beside me and picks up a throwing axe in need of some sharpening. Maybe purchasing some of this gear secondhand was a bad life choice. I bet if I ask my dad he can upgrade Luke’s gear and throw his company logo on a flannel shirt to be his sponsor. Then at least we can look the part, even if Luke doesn’t quite have the skills to pull this all off.
“I watched the Lumberjack World Championships on YouTube this week and it’s intense.”
“I did the same.” Luke pinches the bridge of his nose. “We’re in way over our heads.”
“No we’re not!” I argue, looking around for the rope thing that I ordered to go along with the spiked boots. “Look around, Luke! You and Calder and Wyatt used to be city boys until you moved up here. Now you’re proper mountain men who’ve been chopping your own wood for years. Lumberjacks are really just mountain men’s hotter cousins.”
“Nice, Everly,” Luke grumbles.
“Well... I watched a lot of footage this week.” I swallow the attraction blossoming in my chest right now because I didn’t realize how hot professional lumberjacks were. “I’m talkinghours,” I whisper, feeling my cheeks flush with heat. “I’m really bummed I’ll be back in Ireland and unable to attend this event.”
“Gross, Evie. Just stop.” Luke holds his hand in front of me. “I don’t need to hear about my niece lusting after lumberjacks. I got enough of that shit from Roe, thank you.”
“Sorry.” I shake my head from side to side. “They’re just so agile.”
“That’s it, I’m out—” Luke stands up and I rise, grabbing his arm to yank him back to the task at hand.
