Falling For You (Honey Leaf Lodge #1)

Chapter Four

Violet

“How about this?” Owen said, sipping a beer that the server brought over. “If we’re still talking one week from now, I’ll let you in on the secret.”

I shrugged. “Honestly, I’ll probably find out before then from Mr. Medowski. It’s not like you’re doing me any favors.”

He let out a slow and steady breath as something flicked behind his green eyes. “Why do you care so much?” His enigmatic gaze held a hint of something unspoken, adding to the mystery of his character.

My eyes widened. “I’m human.” I shook my head. “What do you mean, why do I care? What if he’s behind on his payments and you’re with the bank to foreclose? We could help him before it’s too late or, let’s say, his…” The tension in the conversation was palpable, each word adding to the suspense.

He shook his head, interrupting me. “I’m not with the bank, and he’s not in any financial trouble.” Owen’s eyes caught mine and didn’t let go. “Does that make you feel better?”

“Marginally.”

I still didn’t like the fact that he wouldn’t just tell me. “So, why are you at my table?”

He stretched back in the booth slightly, his maroon flannel tugging up slightly at the waist.

“I don’t actually know.” Owen scanned the bar and shook his head with a laugh. “I have absolutely no idea. Maybe I just like to torture myself.”

“Okay.” I laughed. “And I thought I could make things awkward.”

“What? Is that awkward? Is this awkward?” He motioned at the table between us.

“Which part? The fact that you’re stealing my cheese curds or that you sat down, mistakenly thinking I was working my fingers to the bones, and then missing the hint that I’d been in the middle of a book?”

“I was thinking more about the fact that I wouldn’t tell you why I was poking around Vern Medowski’s property.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know what to make of you.”

He frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re clearly playing dress up and trying to fit in around here.”

“How do you figure?”

“You look like a suit and tie type.”

His lip curled slightly on the left, and a dimple formed on his right cheek.

These were all things I shouldn’t be noticing.

“You think I just wake up in a suit and tie? Sleep in a suit and tie? Vacation in a suit and tie?”

I tilted my head. “Is that what this is?”

“What?”

“A vacation?” I pressed.

“No. I’m not on vacation.”

“Then why aren’t you wearing a suit?” I sat back in the booth, feeling his gaze on me. My insides warmed, and I suddenly felt glued to the seat. “Am I right?”

“It didn’t seem practical.”

A satisfied smile spread along my mouth as I nodded. “I knew it. Those boots have never seen a day of work in their life.”

“I work every single day.”

I chuckled. “Sorry. I mean manual labor.”

“Do you know what I find fascinating about this whole thing?” he asked.

“Enlighten me.”

“You think you’re better than me.”

I gasped. “I do not. I’m not better than anyone.”

“You don’t like me.”

“That’s not true. I don’t know you.”

“Yet, you think you’ve got me all figured out.”

“I never said that.” I shook my head, feeling an insane pull to this stranger.

I leaned closer to the wooden table, and my eyes flicked to the man sitting across from me. His stiffness in the booth indicated he was clearly out of his element. His pressed flannel shirt, sharp with his jeans, and large, almost manicured hands that tapped against the table revealed he wasn’t exactly in his element.

“How long did you live in Chicago?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Most of my adult life.”

“And if I’d met you in the city, what would you have thought of me?” he asked, lifting his brows.

“That you were like all the other power-hungry men rushing the sidewalk every morning.”

It looked like my words wounded him slightly, and I felt bad for a brief second.

“But what do I know? I’m just a farm girl.”

“I told you I didn’t mean anything by that. I’m sorry.” He gave me a slow and deliberate smile.

I glanced down at his immaculate hands and shook my head. “Have you ever gotten your hands dirty? Hauled some hay or mended a fence?”

Owen leaned in as a smile covered his features. His voice lowered a notch as his gaze caught mine. “I grew up on a ranch.”

Surprise washed through me, and he chuckled softly.

“My entire family lives in Wyoming.”

The color drained from my face with this revelation. Had I completely read him wrong? “But you look like a fish out of water here.”

“I feel like a fish out of water.” He nodded, smoothing his fingers over his blond hair. “But I’m trying to make the best of it.”

I wasn’t going to back down. “You don’t want to be here, but you’re here.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not true. It’s a cute town.”

“You’ve been to town?”

“The coffee shop.” He grinned.

“Figures. Corporate guys love their coffee.”

“I can’t help that I’m a guy who enjoys…” He stopped himself, and I realized he was about to give away why he was here.

“Tell me, Owen Benson.” My lips curved into a smile. “What brings you to Buttercup Lake? There has to be something.”

“Oh, there is.” He nodded, tapping his index finger on the table. “But none of that matters now.”

“Then what matters?” I asked flatly, trying to ignore the electricity I felt every time his eyes stayed on mine a second too long.

I tore off a piece of pretzel and bobbed it in the cheese sauce a few times before taking a bite. I looked over at Liam and Evie, who appeared to be having the time of their lives, and brought my eyes back to Owen.

“Well, what matters?” I repeated.

“Finding out what makes you tick.”

I scowled and shook my head. “Why would you care?”

“You surprise me.” He nodded slowly, not taking his gaze from mine. “You really surprise me.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment? Like no woman has ever surprised you before, and I’m the unicorn?”

A low, gravelly rumble of laughter erupted from Owen before he let out a sigh. “You definitely aren’t just a farm girl.”

“I’d be proud if I were,” I told him. “It’s an amazing thing to operate a farm, but I know my limits.”

“No, I believe it.” He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I never meant to imply that working on a farm is less than…”

My brows lifted. “Yeah? Had me fooled.”

“I admire anyone who can do it.” He shrugged, and I saw a flicker of something I didn’t recognize dart through his gaze. “But I don’t have the patience for the seasons or the strength to carry on in down years. When I called you farm girl, it wasn’t meant to be condescending.” He sucked on his bottom lip for a brief second and returned his gaze to mine. “I just thought you were cute out there with that sheep.”

My eyes narrowed on his, and I laughed. “You knew Liddie was a llama the entire time, didn’t you?”

“Of course.” His smile widened. “I’m not an idiot.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Could have fooled…”

He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t say it.”

I popped the last cheese curd in my mouth and smiled. “Well, you’ve surprised me too.”

“In a good way or a bad way?”

I chuckled, nodding my head. “I’m not sure yet, but I think in a good way. I can’t believe you knew Liddie was a llama.”

He nodded and let out a deep sigh. “It’s funny. I thought I’d come to this place, grab some dinneranda drink, and return to the hotel to scan over some legal documents before bed.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “What makes you think any of that is about to change?”

Owen nodded and glanced over at Evie and Liam. “No, I’ll still return to the hotel and work, but this…” He nodded. “Having a lovely conversation with a woman who keeps me on my toes… this was a pleasant surprise.”

My brows lifted in surprise. “We’ve argued back and forth most of the night.”

He shrugged. “I don’t think we argued. I think we sparred a little and hashed out our similar belief systems.”

I laughed and sipped my pop. “You’re delusional. We’re not similar.”

“I think we are.”

“Like I said, delusional. So, how long do you plan to be in Buttercup Lake?”

“At least three weeks.” He looked like he wished he could take the admission back.

“Three weeks?”

“At least.”

“And you’re staying at the hotel for three weeks?”

He nodded. “It’s funny. I actually thought about staying at your parents’ place.”

“It’s not just my parents’ lodge. The Honey Leaf Lodge is all of ours.”

“Well, I thought about staying there.”

“Why didn’t you?”

The thought of him on theproperty was a little too close for comfort. We all had a rule. Stay away from the guests.

“It didn’t feel like the right thing to do.”

I cocked my head slightly and shook my head as laughter from a few tables over undercut our conversation.

Swirling my glass in my hand, the ice clinked, and soda bubbled as I brought my eyes back to his. The words he spoke slid under my skin, and I knew there was something more he wasn’t telling me.

I hadn’t planned on any of this tonight. Instead of hanging out at my tiny cabin in the woods, I wound up here for my brother and his date, and the next thing I knew, I was staring at a man with a gruff demeanor and the kind of sharp eyes that could see right through me.

He’d been quiet and reserved at the property, barely smiling.

But now I see something else behind his gaze—a softness, perhaps.

I looked over at my brother and his date and could tell things were going well. A smile touched my lips.

“Do you come here often?” he asked, then laughed, shaking his head. “Listen to me. I sound like a guy trying to pick up a woman.”

I shot him a sideways glance. “Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

He shrugged. “I guess I’m not great at small talk.”

“I can tell.” I leaned in just slightly. His eyes traveled to my mouth before returning to my eyes, and my entire body warmed.

“You don’t hold back, do you?”

I shook my head and let out a silent sigh. “Nope. It’s not my style. I also don’t take no for an answer.”

His brows quirked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I will find out why you’re in town.” I pressed my lips together, trying to ignore the connection I felt to him.

He was the exact type of man I swore off when I left the city.

“You mentioned reviewing some legal documents when you return to the hotel.” I pursed my lips and shook my head. “So, maybe you’re planning Mr. Medowski’s estate.”

“Can’t say one way or another.” Owen nodded slowly, keeping his gaze on mine. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Do you really care if I come here often?”

“Actually, I do.” He steepled his fingers together and glanced around the bar.

“I come here often enough to know that they have the best fish fries in town, and their prime rib is phenomenal.”

“Do you like being back in a small town?” he asked.

His question took me by surprise. A few seconds passed, and I smiled.

“Yeah. I missed it more than I knew. I love being around my family and helping out with the lodge.”

“Is that your plan, then? To stick around and help or…?”

I focused on the attractive man across from me and wondered why he cared.

“For now. Why? Does it matter?”

“Just curious.” He tapped his finger onthe table and caught the server’s attention.

“It sounds like you’re a workaholic,” I said, shaking my head. “Is there anything else you like to do for fun?”

“Does it matter?” he teased, throwing my words back at me.

I chuckled and nodded. “Okay. I get it. I’ll try to let my guard down a little. Your type just hits a little too close to home.”

His ears perked up. “So, I’m your type?”

“ Were my type,” I corrected.

“Tell me more.”

I laughed as the server came over, and Owen ordered a beer, and the server promised to bring me another Coke.

“I did some hardcore soul searching and realized that I tended to go after the emotionally unavailable men who put work first and relationships second.”

He touched his heart. “That stings.”

I chuckled as the server brought drinks over. “Is it true, though?”

Owen groaned and kept his gaze on his beer. “Maybe.”

“When was the last serious relationship you had?”

His gaze flickered to mine with a hint of amusement. “Never.”

I gasped, and the table of people next to us looked over.

“I don’t believe it.”

He grimaced and shook his head. “I don’t have any reason to lie.”

“What if you’re just trying to make it seem to me like you’re one of the good ones, a diamond in the rough?”

Owen’s green eyes sharpened on me. “Most women would see a guy nearing forty never really having a serious relationship as a red flag.”

I shrugged, and he laughed.

“Wait a second. Have you never had a serious relationship?” His brows raised slightly as he took a sip of his drink.

“Don’t turn this around on me,” I said, laughing.

“So, it’s true.”

“Whatever. Let’s switch subjects.” I eyed him nervously. “Now, why are you here?”

“Afraid I still can’t say.”

“Can’t say or don’t want to say?”

He shifted in the booth. “Both.”

Owen’s eyes held mine briefly, and I felt another flush roll through my body.

This was the exact type of guy I’d fall head over heelsfor in my prior life.

Not tonight.

Liam walked over to our booth, leaned against the side, and smiled. “Sorry to interrupt, but Evie has to get up at four tomorrow, so she’s headed out.”

Evie was nowhere to be seen, so I nodded and ushered Liam to sit beside me.

My brother smiled, and I realized what he was thinking.

I didn’t shoot out of the booth, waiting for an excuse to leave. If I didn’t act now, the news would be all through the family, and I’d be treated like Liddie.

“Actually, I should get going,” I said, glancing at Owen and my brother.

“Oh, sure.” Owen nodded and smiled as I dug into my purse.

“I’ll just leave some—”

“Nope. I’ve got it covered.” Owen shook his head.

The way his eyes caught mine made my tummy knot into something unexpected. Curiosity had become mixed up with attraction, and I only knew I wanted to learn more.

“Actually,” Liam interrupted, “I covered all of ours. It was just easier that way since you started at our table.”

My heart squeezed with love for my brother as I stood from the booth.

“Thanks, Liam.”

Owen stood, holding his beer. “Nice to meet you, Liam. Thanks for the drinks. Since we haven’t officially met, I’m Owen.”

“Good, you have a name.” Liam flashed his familiar and friendly grin. “Those puppies you shot over to us probably cost twice as much as the two I picked up for you. No prob.”

I squeezed my brother. “Great. Then we’re all even, and we can go about our merry way.”

“Nice to see you again, Violet.” Owen’s voice sent a happy shiver through me as we turned to exit.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Liam said, turning to Owen. “If you treat my sister like you did earlier today, a few free drinks won’t be allyou’ll owe us.”