Page 90 of A Chance for Us
“Fuck off.”
“Glad to hear the honeymoon was fun.”
It was more than fun. It was perfect. However, I know how my asshat siblings are, and I’m not giving them anything they can torture me about.
“How’s the resort?”
Gray sighs. “It’s been fine. We had a few small issues, but we handled them. We have two rooms booked, but the guests won’t be here for two more weeks. It isn’t great, but it’s something.”
“It’ll take a little time, we knew this.” It’s hard to open a new business and getting people to spend a night in a new establishment is harder. It doesn’t help that Melia Lake isn’t well-known on the map yet. The Firefly Resort is the first real lodging opening. Our hope is that more stores or restaurants follow our lead, and we can build the town up. After all, Willow Creek Valley was only popular after The Park Inn inspired the town to be eclectic.
“Yeah, but I hoped for a bit more for opening week. I guess we’ll spend this time making sure those two families love it.”
I shrug. “We built it, they will come.”
He laughs at my botched quote from the movie we all loved. “I sure fucking hope so. Otherwise, my daughters are going to be in trouble when it comes to college.”
We all risked a lot financially, and for Grayson, sometimes it feels like too much. “Do you regret it?”
“Not a single second. I worry, but that’s par for the course.”
“Yeah. I think this will all work out.” I’m not just talking about the resort. I mean with Maren too.
Gray tilts his head. “All kidding aside, what happened with Maren?”
I look at my older brother, who has always been there for me. He and I had a different relationship from what I had with my other siblings. Where Josh was the father figure, always bossing us around, Grayson was the brother who would hand me a beer and tell me not to say anything. He’s who I talked to when things were bad and when our father fucked up, he came to my aid without hesitation.
He’s been my best friend, and I know I can tell him, but I’m not sure what this is or how to explain it.
“I think I’m falling in love with her.”
“You think?”
“It’s too fucking soon. We didn’t even decide to date until last night.”
He grins, and we make our way toward the entrance. “I think it’s funny that you think you have a choice of when it happens or how fast. You were falling in love with her before the wedding. All of us saw it. Also, I won the bet.”
Great, another fucking bet. “What was it this time?”
“That you’d be in love with her before you got back.”
“Who lost?”
“Josh.”
Of course he did. “What did he bet?”
“That it would take her leaving for you to admit it.”
“So, you all thought it was going to happen?”
He nods. “Yup. Even Alex, and he hasn’t even seen you two together.”
Alex can keep his stupid opinion to himself in Egypt. “He doesn’t get a vote.”
Gray laughs. “You tell him that. Anyway, Stella said it happened already and that she wasn’t going to bet because she’s not an infant.”
“We don’t deserve her,” I say as the doors open.
