Page 2 of Waiting for You (Balsam Cliffs #3)

Neil tosses his things into the suitcases around me as I sit on the bed staring out the window at the land I grew up on. While the Keatons aren’t my actual family, they were the family that raised my brother and I.

I miss it. I miss Balsam Cliffs. Living in the city seemed exciting at a time in my life I needed a change. But as the pendulum of life does, it’s swinging me back to Balsam Cliffs.

I let my mind wander back to the night that things started to change as Neil hurries around me, ready to leave this space.

“You’re leaving tomorrow.” I pout at Hunter. “I wish I could be there to see you off at the airport.”

“What do you mean? We’re picking you and Rome up on the way.”

“I mean really be there. With you. I want to hug you and kiss you goodbye, having you in my arms as long as I can.” The tears that I’ve been trying to hold back finally break the dam and fall down my cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I wish it were different. But you saw what Rome did to Chad last week just for complimenting your ass. What do you think he’s going to do when I tell him that I’ve been dating you for months and meeting you in secret?” Of course he has to point out logic.

“I know. I wish it were different is all.”

He kisses my tears off my cheeks before resting his forehead on mine. “I know. Someday it will be.”

“I just don’t understand why you aren’t coming home. What is so special about this place that you’re leaving me to go home alone ?” Neil’s whiny voice interrupts my memory.

“I don’t expect you to understand,” I whisper quietly. “I need a break from the hustle of the city. With Daddy’s gala, I’ve been under a lot of stress trying to make sure everything is perfect. I need to reset is all, babe.”

I stand, reaching out to him. A gesture that always seems to calm him when he thinks I’m getting distant and pulling away.

It’s been happening a lot lately. I hate that I’m doing this to him, but I feel unsettled where I am in life.

He’s usually a little bit controlling about my behavior in Portland— I have to represent the family well —but the more I pull away, the more controlling he gets.

“It just doesn’t make sense that you’d disappear the week before the biggest gala our family is going to be involved in and you’re the planner!” His voice is up at least three octaves at this point.

I kiss his forehead, soothing out the wrinkles. “No one will miss me. I’m sure we can just say that I’m busy in planning mode.”

Something I have been for more time than I like.

I’m an insurance agent for my parent’s company.

Not a party planner. This is more than I ever wanted to take on.

I don’t know why my father is even running for governor.

He and Mom are never happy with the status quo.

They always want more. I want a simple life.

And that’s where one of the biggest pitfalls is with Neil and I’s relationship.

He wants to be Daddy in the next twenty years.

“Whatever, Evelyn. You better be back by Saturday,” he huffs. His quick movements knock me over, forcing me to fall onto the bed.

Grabbing his suitcases he pushes out the front door and I hear the doors of the car slam before the sound of gravel kicking up as he pulls out of the driveway.

No goodbye. No kiss. No I love you. Nothing. Just slamming doors and tires crunching down the gravel. All sounds that show the true level of how little he cares. How little effort and love he has to give me.

Sighing, I pull myself up off the bed. I need to go to the main desk of the inn to see if they even have a spot for me for the week. I know I could crash with Roman and Emma if I wanted to, but they just got married yesterday. They don’t need me crashing their newlywed bliss.

I pull my sweater tighter around my middle as the fall chill wraps around me. This is my favorite time in Balsam Cliffs. The leaves are all a vibrant red and orange hue dotted along the mountains and cliff sides.

The Fall Harvest is also my favorite small town festival here. Tourists flock to the area to celebrate the changing of the season.

After getting a small taste of Violet’s apple cider whoopie pie yesterday, I can’t wait to be her taste tester this week for more fall goodies that she’ll bring to the festival.

I told Neil a week, but I just don’t know if I want to go back and miss all that Autumn in Balsam Cliffs has to offer. I’m definitely coming back for the Fall Harvest festival if I don’t stay long enough. I’m tired of missing it and everything else, including my baby niece Olivia.

Pushing open the door of the inn I’m met with the familiar apple and cinnamon smell of my childhood. The inn always smells like autumn and I love every second of it.

“Hey Evelyn, here to check out?” Liam greets me.

“Hey! Actually, I was wondering if you have any availability until Saturday? I’ll take whatever I can get.”

“Let me check for you.” He starts tapping away on the computer when the kitchen door swings open.

“Taste this!” Violet comes running out with a muffin still steaming from the oven.

She stops short when she sees me standing here and pivots toward me instead of Liam.

“It’s an apple crisp muffin with a cream cheese glaze and crumble on top.

” Her smile is wide as she breaks off half and hands it to me, then hands the other half to Liam.

Violet used to spend the summers in Balsam Cliffs with her grandmother, Margaret, when we were kids.

Margaret owns the bakery, Sweet Violets, which Violet is now part owner of.

Except she runs the catering side and works here out of the inn to be with Liam.

I’m so happy that they finally figured out they had feelings for each other.

Something we all knew at the young age of twelve.

“Ohmygosh,” I mutter over a mouthful of muffin. “This is so freaking good!” I shove the rest of the muffin in my mouth in a very unladylike fashion. I’m sure I would have been scolded if my mother was here.

Violet beams at the praise. “Yes! I finally got the recipe perfect.” Without another word she turns and goes back to the kitchen.

“She’s been working on these recipes for weeks for the Fall Harvest.” He places the rest of his muffin on a napkin by the computer which shows this was not his first taste test this morning.

“It looks like we have one room here in the inn until Friday, but unfortunately your cabin is booked. Do you and Neil mind moving?”

“It’s just me this week. I need a little reset and the inn is the perfect place to do that.” I smile at him, handing him my credit card.

“Nope. You’re officially my sister-in-law now. Family doesn’t pay.”

“Liam.”

“No way. I won’t hear of it. I never make any of these fuckers—”

Just then the kitchen door swings open once again. Only instead of Violet bringing something yummy, it’s just something yummy walking through the door.

Hunter Keaton waltzes through shoving a fresh muffin in his mouth, much like I did just a few minutes ago. Despite wanting to hate him, a giggle surfaces at this large man with a toolbelt draped across his hips cramming a whole muffin in his mouth.

“This thing is so fucking good. I swear she puts crack in her food so we keep coming back for our next hit. I wanted to talk to you about the walls you want ripped out. I looked at them and I think—”

Liam nods his head in my direction, and when Hunter’s eyes land on me, he stops talking, and his smile disappears.

“You’re here just in time. Can you take the side-by-side down to the cabin with Evelyn and grab her things? She’s moving to the inn for the week.”

“A week?” He chokes out, pieces of muffin flying out of his mouth.

Liam wipes at his shirt. “Seriously?”

Hunter turns to look at me, then back to Liam. “Are you serious?”

“One hundred percent. Go help Evelyn move.”

“You know I don’t actually work for you right?” He scowls at Liam, who is unperturbed by the look.

“You know you told me that you wanted to help more around the inn, right? And with Emma on her honeymoon I’m picking up her slack and can’t do it. So you’re up.”

Liam walks away into the office leaving me and Hunter in a stand-off here at the main desk.

He grunts, grabbing the keys off the hook behind the desk.

“Let’s go,” he grits out as he passes by me on the way out the door.

When I realize he’s actually talking to me, I hop to and chase after him. His six foot four frame moves a lot faster than my five foot four legs and I have to jog to catch up.

Once we’re seated on the machine, I turn to face him. “Thanks. I could have done this myself. But it is nice to not have to lug everything myself up the dirt road.

He doesn’t answer me. He stares straight ahead and starts up the machine to head toward the cabins.

“Where’s Neil?” He doesn’t look at me when he asks.

“He went home this morning. He can’t work from home.” I try to say this as calmly as possible. Hunter has always been able to tell when I’m lying.

“Trouble in paradise, then?”

If only you knew. More than I’d even like to admit, so I’m sure as shit not saying it to him.

“Nope.” I pop the P. “I just needed a break from the city. Planning Daddy’s gala took a lot out of me.”

“You know it’s okay to admit that he’s wrong for you. You don’t need a reason.”

His advice and flat tone only pisses me off.

It’s probably true, but he doesn’t need to be the one to point it out.

I double down on keeping him out of my life.

“ He isn’t wrong for me. Portland is wrong for me.

Not that you’d even know who I am now. It’s been how long since you graced me with a conversation? ”

“Last I checked this is considered a conversation.”

He still hasn’t even looked at me and this man thinks this qualifies as a conversation? Nope. Not doing it. I choose to ignore him for the rest of this ride. Luckily it only takes a minute to get to the cabin.

Shutting off the side-by-side, he finally turns to me. “Is all your stuff just by the door?”

“Uh. No. I still need to pack it up.”

His head falls back and he mutters under his breath, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

I hop up the steps and into the cabin throwing things in my suitcase as fast as I can. But his presence in this small space is sucking all the air out of my lungs. The last time I was alone with him, this close, we were saying goodbye before he left for his first duty station.

I turn around just in time to see him grab my thong off the floor mid-clean up. His eyes close slowly and his nostrils flare and he drops them into the suitcase.

“I’ll be outside, call me when you’re ready for me.” He stalks back down to the stairs of the small porch.

Serves him right. I finish as fast as possible to end this awkward encounter. Rolling one of my suitcases out, I meet him on the porch.

“This is the heaviest one. I won’t be able to lift it.” I turn and go grab the two smaller bags I have and lock the cabin on my way out.

Hefting my bags onto the back of the side-by-side, it suddenly starts, making me jump. I don’t miss the smirk on Hunter’s face. Asshole.

I take my spot next to him, a spot that I used to relish.

Not anymore.