Chapter 8

Eight

Mia

I could hear the hum of the office coffee maker in the corner, the sound blending with the rustle of paperwork, and the occasional chatter from outside as tourists filtered into the park. The ranger station was quiet for now, but I knew it wouldn't last. A group of hikers had already booked a tour, and by the look of the forecast, today was going to be one of those days where the sun made everyone think they were invincible. That meant accidents. And accidents meant work.

Tessa was leaning against the desk, her arms crossed, a knowing smile tugging at her lips as she watched me. "You've got that look."

I glanced up from the digital tablet I was pretending to focus on. "What look?"

"That look. The one that says you've got something on your mind that isn't work. Spill it."

I sighed, setting the tablet down. "Fine. Things got... complicated last night with Liam."

Tessa raised an eyebrow, her smile widening. "Complicated how? You finally give in to that hot guy you rescued?"

"He's not my guy," I muttered, but Tessa's teasing had already hit its mark. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Oh, come on," she said, moving closer, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Don't tell me you're actually regretting it. I mean, I know you're a bit of a control freak, but this sounds like something you needed. Maybe losing control was the best thing that could happen to you."

I shook my head, trying to laugh it off, but it came out more strained than I intended. "I don't know. It just... happened. And now I feel like I've let my guard down with him, and that's not exactly a great feeling."

Tessa crossed her arms again, leaning back against the desk with an exaggerated sigh. "Mia, you've spent so much time building walls around yourself that you can't even see when it's a good thing to let someone in. Maybe you're being too hard on the guy."

I hesitated, her words cutting deeper than I cared to admit. "Maybe. But it's not just that. He's... cocky. Bossy. He thrives on pushing my boundaries, and I'm not sure if I'm more frustrated with him or with myself for letting him."

Tessa's grin was unrelenting. "That sounds like exactly what you need. Someone to challenge you, to get you out of your head. And it's not like you're chained to him. You could easily tell him to go back to his cabin, call his buddy to come to pick him up, or even pack his bags and tell him to head back to Dallas, where he belongs."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, unsure how to respond. The truth was, I could do all of that. But the thought of Liam leaving didn't sit right with me. His presence, though infuriating at times, had already become... comforting.

Tessa wasn't done with me yet. She stepped closer, nudging me with her elbow. "Or, and hear me out, maybe you're realizing that opposites really do attract. I mean, look at Liam. You told me he's all about rules, structure, and order. You... not so much. You value being carefree."

I scoffed, but it lacked conviction. "Opposites attract, huh? That's your theory?"

"It's not just a theory, Mia," Tessa teased. "It's reality. And I think you're starting to see it, even if you won't admit it out loud."

I shrugged, grabbing my tablet again, trying to gather my thoughts for the day's tasks. But deep down, Tessa's words lingered. Was that what this was? Was I really falling for someone who was the complete opposite of me? And if I was... did that mean everything I thought I knew about myself was wrong?

Tessa gave me a pat on the shoulder as she headed toward the door. "Think about it, Mia. Don't be too hard on yourself... or him. Life's too short to overthink everything."

I watched her leave, the familiar sounds of the park creeping back into focus. But my mind stayed on Liam. Maybe, I was just being a bitch. Maybe, there was more to this than I wanted to admit.

And maybe, just maybe, Tessa was right .

I hated it when she was right.

By the time I got home that fall evening, the sun was hanging low above the horizon. My cabin felt still and quiet from the outside, but the knowledge that Liam was inside stirred something in me. It wasn't just the comfort of knowing I wouldn't be alone tonight; it was the fact that his presence brought a new kind of energy to my space. Something I wasn't sure how to deal with.

Daisy bounded up to greet me as I opened the door, her tail wagging like she hadn't seen me in days. But as I stepped inside, the familiar scent of home mixed with something else—Liam. He was on the couch, scrolling through his phone, his injured ankle propped up on a pillow.

"Hi there, Mia," he said, glancing up with a half-smile that sent a small jolt through me. "How was work?"

I forced a smile, trying to shake the sudden wave of unease. "Busy," I replied, dropping my keys on the counter. "How's the ankle?"

"Still attached," he teased, his voice light but tired.

I paused for a second, taking in the sight of him in my cabin. Part of me had been looking forward to seeing Liam again, even though I wouldn't admit it to anyone—especially not Tessa, who had spent all day teasing me about him.

"Good to know," I said, walking over to him. "Need anything?"

Liam's smile softened as he met my gaze, and for a brief moment, the tension between us melted away. "I'm good," he replied, but I could sense there was something unspoken beneath his words.

Daisy nudged my leg, reminding me that it wasn't just the two of us in this cabin. With Liam here, everything felt different. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

After dinner, the tension still hung in the air like a thick fog. I busied myself in the kitchen, cleaning up the dishes while Liam sat on the couch staring at his laptop. His frustration was palpable, and I knew why. He couldn't stand being out of control—being stuck here, unable to move like he wanted or do what he needed.

I stole a glance at him as I dried my hands on a towel. He hadn't said much during dinner, but I could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out how to keep things moving, even with his ankle restraining him.

"You good over there?" I asked, my tone lighter than I felt.

Liam looked up, his brow furrowed slightly as if he hadn't heard me at first. "Yeah, just... trying to figure out how I'm going to manage all of this."

"All of what?" I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms. "You're supposed to be resting. Isn't that the whole point of you being here?"

He let out a small, dry laugh. "Resting is great, but I've got work to do. I'm not exactly in the position to take a break."

"Right," I smirked, pushing off the counter and walking toward him. "Because clearly, you're running a full-blown investigation from my couch."

"I could," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "But I need help."

"Oh, do you now?" I raised an eyebrow, feeling a smirk of my own starting to form. "And what exactly does this help involve?"

Liam gestured to the stack of papers scattered across the coffee table. "I've got notes that need to be organized, contacts that need to be listed out. It's hard to focus with this ankle, and, well... you're here."

I looked at the papers, then back at him, my arms still crossed. "You want me to be your secretary now?"

"You offered to help earlier," he said, shrugging as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm just taking you up on that offer."

I let out a long sigh, shaking my head. "Fine. But don't expect me to start taking orders from you like I'm one of your employees. I've got a real job, you know."

Liam grinned, and I could see that spark of mischief in his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it."

I grabbed my laptop from the corner of the room, settling onto the other side of the couch as I picked up the first few pages of his notes. His handwriting was messier than I expected—scattered thoughts and ideas, all jumbled together like his mind was racing too fast for his hand to keep up.

"You've got a lot of stuff here," I muttered, flipping through a few more pages. "And not all of it makes sense."

"That's why I need you," Liam said, leaning back against the cushions with a satisfied look. "You can help me make sense of it."

I shot him a sideways glance. "You're lucky I'm feeling generous tonight."

He chuckled softly as I started typing up his notes from meetings and phone calls, putting the contacts in a list and organizing them into something coherent. It wasn't the most exciting work, but there was something oddly satisfying about it. Maybe it was the fact that I was helping him in a way I hadn't expected to, or maybe it was just the quiet focus that settled over us.

After a while, I leaned back and stretched my arms over my head. "Alright, I think I've got it all organized. I've just emailed you the file."

Liam looked impressed. "You're quick. Maybe too quick. Better check for mistakes."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I already checked."

He laughed, and it was a genuine sound—one that softened the usual cockiness he carried with him. "Fair enough."

We sat there for a moment in comfortable silence, the weight of the earlier tension still hanging in the background but less sharp than before. I had to admit that even though he could be insufferable at times, there was something about Liam that made him hard to resist. His drive, his focus... it was admirable, even if he drove me crazy with his bossy attitude.

"You know," I said, breaking the silence, "you could always call that friend of yours. Have him take over for a bit."

Liam's expression shifted, something darker flickering in his eyes. "I could. But Derek would suck at it."

"Oh, I see, Mr. Perfection," I teased, but there was a soft edge to my voice. "You don't always have to do everything on your own, Liam."

He didn't respond right away, and for a second, I thought I might have crossed a line. But then he looked at me, his gaze steady, and there was something unspoken in the air between us.

"Thanks for this, Mia," he said quietly. "I know I can be... intense. But this is important."

I nodded, feeling a jolt of electricity spread through me for the umpteenth time. "I get it. Just... don't forget you're not invincible. You can't just boss everyone around."

He smirked, the cockiness creeping back in. "What can I say? I'm good at what I do."

I rolled my eyes. "You're impossible."

"And you love it," he shot back, his grin widening.

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died on my lips. Instead, I just shook my head and looked away, my heart pounding a little harder than I'd like to admit. Damn him for being so irritatingly charming.

We sat in silence for a few moments, the fire crackling softly in the background. The banter between us had shifted again—less sharp, more... something else. Something I didn't want to name just yet.

Then, before I could react, Liam reached out, gently taking my hand in his. His thumb brushed over my knuckles in a way that made me smile. He looked up, his expression softening as his lips pressed lightly against my hand.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his voice sincere, breaking through the layers of cockiness. "For everything."

For a second, I couldn't move. The sudden vulnerability in his words, paired with the tenderness of the kiss, caught me off guard. I lingered there, my hand in his, feeling the tension and connection between us shift yet again.

But reality settled in quickly. I pulled my hand away, standing up and reminding myself where the boundaries were supposed to be. I couldn't afford to blur them any further.

"I should get ready for bed," I said, the words coming out more abruptly than I intended. "It's a workday tomorrow, and you should sleep in the spare room instead of on the couch. You need to rest that ankle properly and keep from messing it up even more."

He smirked, leaning back against the couch with that confident ease that made my stomach flip. "So now you're the one giving orders, huh?"

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "Well, somebody has to be the responsible one around here."

Liam chuckled softly, his eyes locking with mine in a way that made it hard to look away. "Who's being bossy now, Mia?"