Page 4 of Falling for You (Balsam Cliffs #2)

Waking up and being able to stretch out in a king size bed instead of being stuck in a twin should be listed as one of the top five feelings of all time. I’ve never been more grateful for Mom having the forethought to buy a new mattress for this cabin.

A knock on the door has me checking my phone. I can’t believe it’s almost lunch time. I’ve never slept this late, but between the wine and the cleaning with Violet last night, I was ready to sleep for a week.

Another knock sounds, this time louder.

“I’m coming.” I throw the blankets back and pad to the front door, opening it wide for whichever brother is on the other side to come in.

Wyatt and Hunter come through one after the other.

Goodie . I get two for the price of one this morning.

“It’s almost noon, Ems.” Wyatt looks at my pajamas and I can feel him judging me.

“Sorry,” I answer him sarcastically, “I was up til almost four in the morning cleaning this place.” I gesture to the living room and kitchen that gleams in the sun.

“Why bother? We’re ripping most of it out.” Hunter walks around the kitchen, making notes in a small notebook.

“Uh, because I don’t want to live surrounded by dust?” I furrow my brows at him, looking to Wyatt for some back up.

For a brother that claims he gets involved in my life so often because he wants the best for me, living in filth doesn’t really seem up that alley. So really, I’m inclined to believe that he just doesn’t want me to date.

Crossing my arms, I stare at Hunter. “Is there a reason you woke me up and ruined my morning?”

“I didn’t ruin your morning. I told you I would stop by. I’m stopping by.” He walks into the bedroom and the bathroom. “Let’s start with the kitchen.”

Okay, I can see we’re skipping pleasantries this morning.

“Can we start with the bathroom? I can live on takeout, I can’t live with having to go to the inn to shower, or worse, one of your houses.” I pout.

“Yeah, Liam didn’t give me instructions on the bathroom so I assume we’re keeping what we have and making it functional?”

Wyatt laughs from the shower where he went to see what was going on in there that would make me request that first. “I don’t see that happening. Unless you want Ems to end up in the crawlspace.”

Hunter groans. Clearly not expecting this to be a massive renovation. “I might need to get Roman to help me out on this one. I don’t think I can spare my crews for this big of a job unless you want it to take an extra two months.”

I nearly choke myself on my own spit. “Roman? Why him?”

Hunter looks at me with a raised brow, clearly confused by my protest. Way to play it cool, Em.

“Probably because he helps me out in the summer when I get busy, and he’s the only one I trust to be in this house alone with you, especially if you insist on sleeping in those scraps of fabric.” He scrunches his nose and waves his hand at me.

I uncross my arms looking down at my pajamas. It’s a new silk set of shorts and a tank top, nothing inappropriate whatsoever.

Too bad Hunter doesn’t know that Roman is the last man he should trust alone with me. Although, Rome would definitely appreciate this set. His hands would slide up under the silk, pushing the shirt up to pool around me so he could have full access…no. Don’t go there.

Between the sneaking around and mind-blowing orgasms, there were late-night promises. Promises of a future once I graduated. Promises of a future together that was ripped from me without any input from me. He just ended things with no conversation.

“What do you want in here, Ems?” Wyatt draws me from my memories, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we survey the bathroom together.

I rub my hands together, ready to make Hunter regret ever making my life hell recently.

“Well. I was thinking since the bedroom is so big maybe we could extend a little into here, and have a huge walk-in shower with one of those rainfall, double shower heads? And then—”

“Why the fuck do you need a double shower head? You’re one person. And only one person will be showering in there,” Hunter interjects.

“Uh, newsflash, you know I’m a woman right? Have had sex, have been given multiple orgasms by multiple men?”

Both of my brothers cover their ears, “Jesus. I will never be prepared for this. Please stop. I won’t question your shower choices if you just stop talking,” Wyatt whines.

“Serves you two right. Don’t question my choices and stop meddling in my life. Now can I continue about what I want?”

Wyatt nods.

“I also want a claw foot tub here in front of the window,” I walk over to where the large window is inside the sketchy shower. “Then I want a large vanity here with a double sink.”

Both of them grimace once more at the thought of another person in here with me. “Before you two go to where you want to go in your minds, remember this isn’t my house. I’m not staying here forever. It’s going to be the honeymooners' cabin.”

Wyatt releases a breath, “Thank God. I don’t want to build this shit thinking about you and… well, anyone.” He shudders at the thought.

“Please. You do realize I have to hear Tiff talk about your magic dick every time I go to Rebels right?” I level a stare in his direction.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. One time. I made a mistake one time. Tourist season was slow.” He closes his eyes, trying to erase the memory.

I’m officially done with this conversation. “I am going to shower at Mom and Pop’s. You two do what you need to do, just text me when people are going to show up please.”

“I’ll get a crew over here this afternoon, we’re finishing up a job and don’t start the new one until next week. We can probably demo both the kitchen and bathroom.”

“Great. Think Rome will give me a discount on food?” I ask, joking.

“Yeah. I’ll handle it.” Hunter pulls out his phone and I shake my head. They think they can fix the world for me, but the one thing I want them to fix, they can’t. Or more accurately, won’t.

I scoff at him, and grab my go bag for showering before heading out and leaving these two behind.

Hunter was true to his word and my cabin had seven men in it, hammering, sawing, and ripping out a wall from my bathroom into my bedroom.

After about an hour, I decide to take the books for the inn over to Rebels for a beer, and if Rome is wearing his signature tee that is busting at the seams from his tattooed biceps, probably a show.

Ugh. Emma. You’re supposed to be ignoring him.

A foot comes through the wall in my bedroom, and I’m interrupted from balancing the books once again. Yup, ignoring him or not, I need to get out of here. And I have no desire to go sit in the office with Violet popping in to gossip more about the man in question than if I actually just go see him.

I pack my bag and flee to the brewery, opting to walk so I can enjoy the sunshine before hunkering down to balance books, and manage some marketing for the summer. So much work to be done inside.

Maine in May isn’t the warmest time of year, but the sun feels like a heatwave after the harsh, gray winter. The smell of the air changes too. There’s a hint of the sun coming, and the salty sea air takes over that crisp snow smell.

I stop at the door of Rebels and take a deep breath, readying myself to see Roman for the first time.

I plop my heavy bag down on the bar, taking up residence at my favorite stool in the corner of the bar, the one that gives me the perfect vantage point of Roman while he works without making it obvious that he has all my attention.

I’m determined to not let him know that he still affects me.

“Hey, Sunshine, here for dinner? I was told I’m feeding you for the time being,” he greets me, placing a napkin on the bar in front of me with my favorite raspberry beer that he stocks only for summer with an orange slice on the edge.

“Hey, guess so. I had to get out of the construction zone so I can focus on work. And Violet is desperate for gossip so I had to escape her too.” I lift the pint glass, taking a refreshing sip.

“Gossip about what?” He freezes on the spot.

I stare at him. “Seriously? You have no ideas?”

He rubs his hand through his hair, “Fuck, Ems. Did you tell her about us?”

I furrow my brows about to get defensive with him. It’s not my fault he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought he was. But watching his face pale, makes me feel the teeniest bit bad.

“No, jackass. She saw you sneaking out of the inn because you left right at the time she woke up to bake. And don’t worry she hasn’t told Liam. So your precious friends don’t know.”

I glower at him for a second longer before pushing my beer to the side and pulling out my laptop to continue reconciling the books with this past week’s income and expenses.

“Emma.” He reaches out to me, but I hold up my hand, silently telling him to leave me alone.

Eventually he lets out a heavy sigh and walks away. I refuse to engage in this conversation anymore. He doesn’t get to make decisions for us and then get mad at me for something I didn’t do.

I work for a couple more hours before Clark delivers a chicken salad sandwich with his homemade coleslaw and potato chips.

I lick my lips, “Mmm, thanks, Clark.”

“Welcome, darlin’.” He continues to stand in front of me, waiting for what I don’t know.

“Did you need something?” I ask probably a little more rudely than intended.

“Don’t give up on him. He was happier when you two had whatever it was you had. Since you left he’s been a miserable bastard.” He walks away after dropping that bomb.

This brings the total number of people who know up to three.

I guess we weren’t as stealthy as we thought.

And if Clark knows, I can only imagine my brothers have to at least have a suspicion.

But then again, Rome’s face is still intact so maybe they’re still blissfully ignorant like I think they are.

“You need anything else?” Rome asks me.

“I’m good.”

“Emma. I—” He pauses. “Evelyn is coming home this weekend for the parade. Thought you might want to know.”

Evelyn is Roman’s sister. She’s Cooper’s age, and when the boys were off doing their thing, we became besties. But something happened and she’s been keeping her distance from me since she went to college. There’s a sadness about her now when I see her. But I have no idea what I’m doing to cause it.

“That’s great. What are you doing for a float this year?” I ask him as I shove as much of my sandwich in my mouth as I can fit. Clark’s chicken salad should be illegal, it’s so good.

Every year, local businesses decorate a float for the Memorial Day Parade.

The townspeople donate money to their favorite floats.

The winner gets bragging rights, and then all the money raised gets donated to a local military cemetery for upkeep, or flowers and wreaths for those headstones left forgotten.

“I can’t tell you, you’re the competition this year.” For the first time today I get half a smile.

“Well I could help you if you wanted. I haven’t had anything to do with any of my brother’s floats.” Like I’d help them anyways, they’re still on my shit list. Rome is too, but I know he’s working on limited staff to get this float done.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, you know to be seen together,” he whispers as if he’s truly afraid to spend any time with me.

“Yeah, right.” I scowl. “Can I get this to go please?” I begin packing up my stuff. Unable to handle his rejection on yet another thing.

Something as simple as helping him build a float that I would normally be around for anyway.

“Sunshine, you don’t have to go.” Does he have to use the nickname he gave me?

“I do. Because I’m so fucking tired of my brothers running my dating life. And I can’t handle one more rejection from you.”

Against his wishes, he hands me a to-go box and I finish packing up, escaping before he can come say anything else to me.

Everyone else walking down Main Street is giving me space as they pass. Even Esther didn’t try to get the gossip. My nostrils are flared and I’m practically stomping down the street.

How dare he try to use my nickname while he rejects me. I was just offering to help him as a friend. He wants to play this game, well he can just get ready because my middle name is petty. And he’s about to regret his choices.

How did I get here? How did I let this thing with Roman take over my life? How did I let myself believe that he could want me like I want him?

It has to be his magical dick. I’m under some kind of spell. That can be the only explanation for me being this stupid girl and falling for the older guy who’s best friends with her brother. The forbidden fruit with the magic dick.

“It’s too risky, Sunshine. Wyatt almost caught me,” he says in a whisper in the hallway near his office.

“Who cares?” I run my fingers down his abs, trying to slip them into the waistband of the dark jeans that are molded on his muscular thighs and ass.

“I care.”

“I thought you cared about me. More than my brothers.”

“Isn’t that the problem? Where do we go from here?” he asks, waiting for me to answer.

“I don’t know, Rome. It seems like nowhere.”

I turn away from him, slipping down the hall and out of the brewery’s side door before anyone can even see I was here.

Roman: Sunshine, what do you want from us?

Me: Nothing, Rome. Apparently I was the only one in this.

Roman: Please don’t let us end like this.

Me: I didn’t end it, Rome. You did. You don’t want to face my brothers, and I mean less to you than they do.

His texts keep coming but I keep ignoring them. I should have known this is how it would end. Childhood crushes never end in love.

No. It would seem I was just a little bit of fun for Roman, and when push came to shove he didn’t want to risk his friendship, but it was all too easy to throw me to the side.

All too easy to forget me and the false promises he made in hushed whispers in the dark.

Too bad I can’t get my heart on board with the rejection.