Page 8 of Saving it with My Best Friend's Brother

I nodded, stepping back to give her space. “Of course. I’ll start making calls about the equipment while you deal with the contractors.”

She paused at the door, one hand resting on the frame. “Hunter?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For wanting to help. Just... Please don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.”

As she left, I sank into my chair, running a hand through my hair. Too late for that, I thought. I’d made it complicated when I volunteered for this job, knowing I wouldn’t maintain a professional distance, not from her.

The next few hours passed in a blur of phone calls, each connection reminding me of Dad’s favorite saying: ‘Build relationships, not just deals.’ Jake Robertson answered on the first ring, the familiar sounds of his family’s equipment business carrying through the line.

“Hunter Miller,” he laughed. “Taylor mentioned you were back in Evergreen. Pine Haven, right?”

“News travels fast.”

“Small town. Even smaller when it comes to Pine Haven.” His tone shifted, growing serious. “My kids learned to ski there, you know. Before Crystal Mountain started their aggressive expansion.”

Perfect opening. “About that equipment upgrade, you mentioned last month...”

By the time Amelia returned, I had good news to counter what I could read in the shadows under her eyes.

She dropped into her chair, the morning’s tension momentarily forgotten in the face of more immediate problems. “The snow machines are worse than we thought. Two are completely beyond repair, and the others...” She rubbed her temples, a familiar gesture that made my hands itch to help. “Let’s just say we need a miracle.”

“How does a fifty percent discount on new equipment sound?”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

I tried not to look too pleased with myself, though seeing hope replace defeat in her eyes made my heart lift. “RememberJake Robertson? From high school? He’s running his family’s equipment business now. When I explained the situation, he offered us a deal.”

“That’s...” She blinked rapidly, fatigue briefly replaced by surprise. “That’s incredible. But even at half price, we’re still talking about—”

“Two hundred thousand, minimum,” I finished. “I know. But I have an idea about that, too.”

She leaned back, wariness creeping into her expression. “Why do I feel like I won’t like this?”

“Because you’re stubborn and hate asking for help?” The words came out more fondly than I’d intended, reminding me of all the times Taylor had said the same thing. I cleared my throat and continued, “The town depends on Pine Haven, right? So why not let them invest in it?”

“What do you mean?”

I pulled up a new document I’d been crafting since watching the morning staff interact with guests. “Community investment shares. Local businesses and residents can buy in, becoming stakeholders in Pine Haven’s success. They get annual dividends once we’re profitable, plus perks like discounted stays and priority booking.”

“A community ownership program?” She moved to look over my shoulder at the proposal. Her proximity sent my pulse racing—she smelled like pine needles and something floral that reminded me of summer evenings on the deck. “That’s... actually brilliant.”

“Try not to sound so surprised,” I teased, turning to face her. It was a mistake. We were too close now, her face inches from mine. For a moment, I forgot about business plans and investment strategies, lost in the flecks of gold in her eyes—the same way I’d forgotten them during that last dance.

She stepped back quickly, color rising in her cheeks. “The bank might go for this. It shows community support and provides immediate capital.”

“And keeps Pine Haven’s character intact,” I added, focusing on the screen instead of how my hands still tingled from her nearness. “No corporate takeover, no losing what makes this place special.”

Something shifted in her expression—softened, maybe. “You understand what this place means to people, don’t you?”

“I understand what it means to you.” The words came out heavy with everything I couldn’t say.

Walking to my car later that evening, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d complicated everything. The wise move would be to step back and maintain professional distance. But watching the sunset paint Pine Haven’s windows gold—the same view that had captivated me as a teenager—I knew one thing for certain: I was exactly where I needed to be.

Even if it meant breaking every rule we’d just set.

I pulled out my phone, thumbing to the photo Taylor had sent last week—Amelia at the christening, caught in a rare moment of unguarded laughter. The same light had been in her eyes earlier when discussing the community investment plan.

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