Page 20 of Massive Size Lumberjack

“I embellished. Okay, I lied,” I correct. “I’m not a lumberjack. I’m a tech CEO and I have my own company called Duality Technologies. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s a lot like X, or Twitter, or whatever it’s called these days.”

There’s a pregnant pause between us.

“You’re a tech bro?” Grace asks, her eyes squinting. “Really? But why didn’t you say so? Why the lumberjack ruse?”

I take a deep breath before fixing her with a look.

“There’s a lot of publicity that surrounds tech bros. Some dudes like it, and some dudes don’t. Some guys even welcome the attention, and pursue it at all costs. But I happen to be the kind that hates publicity, so I like to stay on the downlow.”

“Okay,” Gracie says, her expression still confused. “I kind of get it. But not really.”

I sigh.

“There are a lot of eyes on us, all the time. It’s almost impossible to have a private life, and I hate that kind of shit. So I hide, and tend to go incognito. People think I have a dark secret, but I don’t. Yeah, I like rough sex, but that’s notthatfucked-up. The truth is that I fucking hate being chased by reporters, and constantly misquoted in the papers. I hate that they leap on every woman I date, and the rumors that swirl whenever I go out.”

“But you’re a CEO,” Gracie says in a slow voice. “So how do you avoid it?”

I nod.

“Well, I’m actually co-CEO of the company, along with my twin brother Mason. He acts as the public face of the firm, whereas I’m the background ops guy. The arrangement works, and provides a lot of cover.”

“You have a twin brother?” Grace demands, sparks beginning to shoot from her eyes. “You never mentioned that! What else haven’t you told me?”

A look of remorse crosses my face.

“A lot, unfortunately. But let this be mymea culpa. I came to Fairview with every intention of flying below the radar. I had no intention of talking to anyone, meeting anyone, or causing any waves whatsoever.”

“It’s a little late for that don’t you think?” Grace says in a dry tone. “That definitely didn’t happen.”

I hang my head with shame.

“Yes, because unexpected shit blew up, and I guess that’s how life is sometimes. But yes, I met you and it was amazing. But I’m not a lumberjack, as you know now. I’m a property owner. I actuallydoown the land bordering yours, but not just the small sliver that has my cabin on it. I own the entire hillside, Gracie, and I’m erecting a massive lodge that’s going to be equipped with all the amenities. It’s going to be a fucking wonder. But it’s under construction, so right now, I’m living in the small cottage that you know.”

Gracie thinks over this new information.

“Soyou’rethe asshole developer that everyone hates.You’rethe one that’s putting up that huge glass monstrosity with unobstructed views of the lake.”

“Yes, that’s me,” I say in a steady voice. “And the house is going to be fucking fabulous. It’s almost done now because I’ve been on site every day, overseeing shit. I’m no expert at construction because like I said, my expertise is in social media and technology. But you’d be surprised at how much faster people move when they know I’m walking the grounds.”

Grace is so stunned that her mouth hangs open in a round “O” as she blinks. Oh shit, this has been too much, too soon, and my heart sinks.

“You really thought I was a lumberjack, didn’t you?” I mutter while taking her small hand in my own and squeezing it. “You really thought I was a blue-collar guy between gigs, kicking up my feet before hitting the road again. But I’m not, Gracie, and I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“Butwhy?” she chokes out, still stunned. “I trusted you!”

“I know this feels like another betrayal, but once I started with the alias of Braden Rock, I didn’t want to stop. It felt good to be a normal guy. To be anonymous, without people kowtowing right and left. And it felt nice to be wanted forwhoI am, and not how much money I have, or how much influence I can peddle. I was just me, a simple man, and I want you to know that I adore you because of what we’ve been through together, Gracie. You love Braden Rock, the man on the mountain, and that knowledge is priceless to me.”

“But still,” she whispers, reeling from shock. “This has been all about you. But what aboutme, Braden? And you still haven’t answered my question. How did you get Chief Roscoe to investigate Jim and Robbie if he thought you were a simple lumberjack?”

I pause.

“Well, the chief knows the truth. He knows who’s constructing the lodge on the hillside, so my true identity wasn’t a secret to him. Plus, the construction revealed irregularities. My general contractor let me know that the water usage for the property was wonky. Someone was siphoning water from our sources, and my water bill was way out of whack as a result.”

Grace tilts her head to the side with confusion.

“Okay, but what does that mean?”

I nod.

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