Falling For You (Honey Leaf Lodge #1)

Chapter Nine

Violet

His words floated through my mind from last night as I put together the day’s lunch. Fifi and Sienna were down in Madison, and I looked hard at the stove as I tried to forget him. Telling me he couldn’t wait to see where we went messed with my mind. The look in his eyes was even more impossible to shake.

Owen’s striking green eyes haunted me in a way that seemed to pull my thoughts to him nonstop. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he had dark lashes to go with his blond hair. He was the entire package, except that he’d proven himself to be too good at keeping secrets from me.

The last thought pushed a frown right onto my lips.

The smell of sizzling bacon brought me back to the present as I chopped apples and prepared the rest of the salad ingredients. A fresh pot of coffee brewed for the afternoon as I stood over the counter. The stew pot had already been placed on the dining table, and guests would arrive shortly.

Not all guests showed up for meals, but we offered them to those who wanted them, and itseemed to be a pretty nice feature that set us apart from the main hotel.

Outside, the fall wind rustled through the trees, and bright colors painted the treetops beyond the kitchen windows. A light rain had come and gone this morning, leaving a few puddles dotted along our property.

Inside, the lodge’s warmth mixed with the clatter of drink glasses and silverware being set in the dining room with my mom’s jolly humming. The sounds all brought a tremendous amount of comfort.

When my mom trundled into the kitchen, I finished chopping the apples and went on to the walnuts. Washing my hands, I glanced at her, looking into the cabinet to choose the meal’s serving platters.

She chose a bright orange platter for the sandwiches and a giant yellow bowl to transfer my salad as I drained the bacon and crumbled it into pieces.

“You’re not as chatty as normal,” my mom said, turning with the platter and bowl in her hands.

I chuckled as she set the items down. “Did you know that I got wrangled into some dating auction or something?”

My mom’s brows lifted. “By whom?”

“Millie.” I eyed her suspiciously.

“I thought you were supposed to bake cupcakes.” My mom reached for the salad ingredients and mixed them in the yellow bowl.

“It started with cupcakes and somehow spun to being offered to the highest bidder.”

My mom chuckled and shook her head. “Ah, Millie. You really can’t trust that gal. I told her I doubted you’d be interested.”

“Come to find out, all my siblings told her no.”

“Yup. I was around for that.” My mom shook her head with a grin. “I’m sure you can get out of it if you’re uncomfortable.”

“I already committed.” I took my mom’s giant salad bowl, placed it in the corner with a pretty backdrop, sprinkled the bacon on top, and took a photo. “Perfect.”

I glanced at my mom, arranging the sandwiches on the platter. “Besides, I’ll be in a costume. She wants to make the playing field more level, whatever that means.” I shrugged. “So, I’m supposed to sell these poor souls on my personality. How scary is that?”

My mom chuckled and winked at me. “You are incredible, my dear.”

“Thanks, but I can’t think of even one thing to say.” I shook my head. “I can’t announce to the dating pool that I trust llamas more than men, specifically, female llamas.”

“No, that might not fly.”

“Or chat about being unemployed.” I smiled.

My mom laughed and picked up the platter. “Unless you just gave your notice, you’re very much employed.”

“Are you sure I’m not imposing on you guys? You did just fine before I got here, and now you have an extra salary to pay and a cabin that isn’t rentable.”

“We constantly spoke about being short-staffed. Just ask any of your siblings. They finally have a life now.”

I followed my mom to the dining room table, which had an orange and yellow gingham tablecloth draped over it. A large bouquet of orange mums had been placed in the center of the table, and tucked on both sides were fresh-baked bread options from this morning.

“How about someone who is loyal, witty, employed, beautiful, down-to-earth, compassionate, and an amazing cook?” my mom offered. “That sounds like a hefty bid to me.”

“Can you write that down for me?” I teased as I set down the salad bowl.

The first few guests arrived as I slipped out the door leading to the kitchen. My mom flourished while chatting it up with the guests, but I always had a knack for quickly turning things awkward. It usually went like this.

Me: Where are you visiting from?

Them: Such and such a state.

Me: Oh, wow. I’m sure it’s lovely there.”

Them: Not as lovely as here.

Me: It’s not that great here. We have mosquitos that will suck the life out of you and ticks that will attach to you when you least expect it.

Them: I didn’t realize that. Is it okay to go outside?

Me: Why wouldn’t it be?

And all that foot-in-mouth disease was because I wanted to make them feel better about where they lived so they wouldn’t long for something they didn’t have. The truth was, our mosquitos weren’t worse than in most places, and the ticks rarely appeared. It was an odd quirk.

It wasn’t until my sister pointed out that the guests weren’t genuinely wishing they lived here that I stopped trying to downplay their vacation playground.

Since I moved back around family and these little things had started to be pointed out to me, I realized how much I did stuff like that back in the city. It was a moment of self-awareness that made me see the need to change.

I’d gotten into the nasty habit of toning down my dreams and accomplishments.

Anyway, that was why I let my mom do the welcoming. I still hadn’t managed the finesse required to handle guests.

The weird thing was that since I met Owen, I rarely fell into my old habits. It was really comfortable talking with him, even when I was trying to get information out of him. His presence brought a sense of ease and reassurance.

I poured myself cider as my mom walked into the kitchen.

“They love the stew, salad, and sandwiches.”

“Yay.” I grinned, taking another sip. “So, I’m employed for another day?”

She chuckled and touched my cheek. “At least.” She wandered to the cupboard and reached for a glass before filling it with water. “Not that it’s my business, but I noticed you had company last night.”

“How’d you see that?” I asked, chuckling.

“Dad and I went on a stroll, and your window shades were wide open.”

I sighed, feeling uncertain about what to say next.

“It’s none of my business,” she teased, sipping the water.

I laughed and shook my head. “No. It’s not like that. Remember the guy tromping around Vern’s property the other day? That’s him.”

“You’re trying to sweet talk him out of answers with dinner?”

I laughed and set my cider down. “No. Not quite. He actually asked me out yesterday morning, and I forgot by the time dinner rolled around. I’d already stuck a casserole in the oven, and he showed up.”

She snickered. “That sounds exactly like the Violet I know.”

“Worst part of it was I chose to make a new recipe that involved sauerkraut and corned beef.”

“Oh, I’m sure the smells were lovely.”

“Very enticing.” I laughed and nodded. “He actually seemed to like it. Had two servings.”

“Might be a keeper.” My mom patted my arm and cocked her head slightly. “But what’s truly on your mind?”

“I know it’s too soon to even talk about this, let alone think about it, but I always fall for guys who aren’t right for me.” I sighed with a silly smile on my face. “And after hanging out with Owen and thinking about how we first met, it’s like deja vu.”

My mom came up beside me, and her voice softened. “I know you’ve gone for men who tend to be emotionally unavailable or—”

I laughed. “Mom, these guys don’t tend to be. They are completely checked out before we get through the first date. It’s like I zero in on the men prioritizing work over love.” I shook my head and raised my hand. “And I’m definitely not saying I’m headed that way with Owen. I’ve just met him, but I couldn’t help but realize last night that here I went again. Even when I’ve moved far away from the big city, I find the one guy who’s attached to his phone like they’re magnetized to one another. The kicker is he’s even here on business.”

My mom nodded slowly and grimaced. “I see what you’re saying.”

I glanced outside to see the wind blowing a few leaves down. “I mean, let’s be honest. Buttercup Lake isn’t exactly a bustling hub of business activities.”

“No, it’s definitely not that.”

“Anyway, I know Owen won’t be here for long, and there’s nothing to worry about since we won’t actually be dating. It’s just that the epiphany smacked me on the side of my head.” I chuckled. “I’m the problem. My picker is off.”

My mom’s hand rested softly on my shoulder, and she chuckled. “It’s not you, Vi. You can’t help who you’re attracted to, and you can’t be sure Owen is like the rest of them.”

“I’d be a fool to think he wasn’t.” I shrugged. “I can just tell. But again, this revelation isn’t about him. It’s about me. I go for the unavailable guys.”

“What is that telling you, honey?” she asked, cocking her head slightly. “If you truly believe what you’re telling me, what is that telling you about yourself?”

“I don’t know,” I said, ignoring the knot in my stomach.

Maybe that I hadn’t been available either?

My mom’s loving gaze rested on me as she brushed my cheek like when I was a kid. “You know more about yourself than you let on. But one day, your heart and mind will finally be on the same page.”

“Is that the sort of pep talk you give Liddie too?”

She chuckled. “You’re an amazing daughter, friend, sister…” My mom let out a deep breath. “So don’t be so hard on yourself. It will all work out when it’s meant to. If it takes Buttercup Lake for this eureka moment to pop up for you, then great.”

“You always make me feel calmer,” I told her. “How do you do that? I was ready to run in circles with my thoughts.”

“That’s what moms are for.”

I grinned. “However, I did go over to Vern’s and knock on the door to see what was going on.”

My mom’s right brow arched. “And?”

“I heard them both inside, and they didn’t answer.”

She bit her bottom lip for a brief second. “Interesting.”

“I thought so.”

“We can’t get ourselves worked up in a tizzy,” she reminded me. “Life is too short to worry about stuff that’s out of our control.”

“True, but I like it better when it is under my control.”

She laughed and sipped her water. “I know you do, Vi. But sometimes, we have to learn to just let things be.”