3. Nash

3

NASH

I lean against the reception desk inside the hotel. The man behind the desk whose name tag reads Stuart is busy swiping the tablet. I'm waiting patiently, but I crack a smile when Holden walks in my direction.

"Hey there, I heard you were back in town." He pats my shoulder and joins me at the desk.

"Where did you hear that?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "I have my sources."

I grin. "How bad is it?"

"Yeah, okay. I might have heard the other day when my wife and Summer were chatting about your mysterious impending arrival back at Lake Spark."

"Ah… and considering I just saw Summer, should I give it ten or twenty minutes before Lexi phones you with the latest news?"

Holden slants his head to the side and quirks his lips out. "Meh, it's school pick-up time, so probably twenty-five minutes."

Despite my absence in almost everything around this town, I know Holden and Stone, the other investor, well enough.

Holden's face turns serious for a moment. "As much as I'm not impressed with your lack of involvement at the Dizzy Duck, that was always what you wished for, and we agreed on it from the start. That means we don't need to have any awkward business conversations. I can just ask, how are you holding up?"

"I'm doing okay. It's my brother's uncanny knack to turn his passing into a time of… well, I'm not sure, but he made mourning easy until now," I explain.

"Okay, that's you all checked out," Stuart, the receptionist, interrupts.

Holden's brows furrow. "You just got here. I kind of thought that you would at least check on the place that you have some stake in?"

I hand Stuart my key, as the Dizzy Duck stuck to classic keys instead of upgrading to keycards. I glance at Holden. "No, I will be around more for the next few weeks. I'll discover what I've missed and understand how you've made this place better than my parents ever would have."

He grins and pats my shoulder. "Now that's what I want to hear. We can have an informal meeting with Stone and catch up, plus go over some ideas for the coming months."

"Sounds like a plan, and it will keep me busy I guess." I shrug.

Holden's smile fades, and his face turns puzzled. "Wait, what? You're staying longer term? Why aren't you staying here?"

"I have a new place that I'll be lodging at."

"Where might that be?"

I can almost find humor in all of this. "Turns out my brother's request is that I move in with Summer for a bit. Ensure she and Bo are doing okay."

Holden has no words as he looks at me with a blank face, his brows raised.

With my knuckles curled, I bump his arm. "It's okay. Say nothing. You're doing far better at taking the news than Summer did. And I'm too hyped up on adrenaline to even contemplate how this day is going."

"Cookie?" Stuart asks as he holds up a basket, oblivious to the tone of our conversation. I forgot he was in earshot.

"Not the time, Stuart." But they are great chocolate chip cookies that guests get at arrival and departure, even at turndown service. I reach over. "You know what, give me a cookie." I slant a shoulder up. "For the road," I justify.

"Damn, that's a little crazy," Holden finally comments.

I take a bite of the sweet goodness. "I know, right? My brother conspires even from beyond. Kind of never thought he had it in him, but alright, on this ride I shall go. I'm sure Summer and I can keep enough distance between us. We'll just get into a routine, honor my brother, ignore our past, pretend all is well," I list with a full mouth, treating this moment far too casually because that's how I'm adjusting to shock.

"I don't even know the background of…" His eyes swim side to side. "Doesn't she kind of hate you?"

My lips roll into my mouth, and I tip my head to the side in contemplation. "Probably." Because there are no labels when it comes to my history with Summer, everyone just assumes we dislike one another.

Holden looks relieved with my answer. "Anything I can do?"

I shake my head. "Nah." I hold up my cookie. "Just save me when the shock wears off," I plead .

"You got it," he says as I brush past him.

But then I stall when I get a few steps further and pivot on the balls of my feet.

"Hey, Holden." I'm not sure I want to hear the answer of what I'm about to ask. He stares at me, waiting. "Summer… how has she been holding up?"

He scratches his chin. "Oh, I guess she's doing better than we would all expect. Keeps herself busy. Focuses on Bo. You know… she's been eager to move her life forward." His shoulder raises then drops. "I'm not sure if it's a cover or not, nor do I have any idea what it's like for her when she heads home. But here at the inn, she manages to smile."

Relief hits me. I'm not sure I could handle another answer. I've always stayed away to save us all, and if I were to blow back into town needing to rescue Summer, then I'm not sure I would have it in me to keep things on a neutral level with her.

"Thanks. Well… I, uh… I should go."

His eyes seem to study me, and he nods once. If it's understanding that he is offering, then I'll take it.

Knocking on the door, I'm still wondering why I'm standing here about to embark on a request from my brother.

The door opens, and Summer's scowl greets me, but for a few ticks our eyes hold in silence.

"I'm here. Can I come in?"

She steps to the side and holds the door open. "Surprised you asked since this is now your home, too." Zero enthusiasm seeped through those words.

I mosey past her, and already I'm observing the setting as we walk into the living area. Examining the room, it's cozy and airy. The wood of the shelves is painted white, and the floors are a light pine shade. A contrast to the dark pines surrounding the house as seen through the double doors in the living room.

"And here we are. Nash knocking on our door and waltzing on in to uproot our lives."

"That's what you think. I'll always be the villain in your book." I give her a steely stare.

Rage brews inside of her, and I see her face etched in annoyance. "It's because this request is near insanity. When I got married, you sent a damn waffle maker with a note."

"It's a classic wedding gift," I defend coolly.

She's not amused. "When Bo was born, you sent a stuffed proboscis monkey and a note. Who the hell sends the ugliest freakiest choice when a normal monkey should have sufficed."

I shrug, and I'm doing my best to shove down a smirk. "It's different."

"And now you want to upgrade to moving in? I'm surprised you didn't just drop a note with one sentence through the mailbox to inform me. It's more your style," she says dryly.

Feisty Summer. It doesn't happen often, except when she's around me.

I don't answer, instead pinching the bridge of my nose and bowing my head down.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Bo is waking up."

By the time I lift my eyes, she's already whizzed away.

Slowly I walk around the living room, and my eyes pause when I see the basket of baby toys in the corner. I've seen Bo once now, at my brother's funeral. What a shitty uncle I've been. I know that I need to rectify that.

The patter of steps down the stairs draws my gaze up to see Summer walking into the room holding Bo who looks wide awake, holding the monkey.

"Oh, look at that, someone enjoys his freaky monkey." I smile confidently and raise my brows at Summer.

She rolls her eyes and bounces him on her hip, choosing to ignore me. "This is your uncle." She sighs. "He's moving in." Her tone is impassive, and she picks up his little hand to wave. "I know, what a surprise." Tone still unchanged.

I step forward to touch my nephew gently, and the corner of my mouth hitches up. Bo makes a sound that is promising for me.

"Hey, buddy, you probably don't remember me, but I'm your uncle." I grab his loose shirt delicately. He's wiggly in Summer's arms, so he acts as a barrier between her and me.

But still, my eyes flick up and catch Summer soaking in the scene, as if she's been waiting for this. Maybe so, I'm blood-related to this little guy who is smiling at me, and that lightens the feeling in my chest too.

Summer clears her throat. "Uhm… he probably needs a snack, so we should go do that."

I step back. "Of course."

A few minutes later, my nephew is staring at me with marvel in his eyes. He smiles a lot, especially when he's sitting in his highchair squishing banana between his fingers. Bo is going to be the spitting image of my brother, I can tell.

"So, buddy, looks like you and I are going to be hanging out more." I hold my clenched fist up. "No? No fist bump?" I joke as I sit next to him at the kitchen table.

"You two will get along well. He doesn't respond with words, so you'll be in your element, spewing out sentences with nobody to debate you." Summer brings the rim of her tea mug to her lips, but I can see the smug grin that she's trying to hide .

"Cute." A contrite smile is pasted on my mouth. She's angry at me for staying away for so long, and I don't blame her.

"Uhm, so…" Awkwardness begins. "I'm going to head back to Chicago for a day or two to gather some things and wrap up some meetings with my agent."

Lines form on her forehead. "I thought your hockey days are over."

"They are, but I still have a few sponsor commitments."

Her head tips slightly to the side. "Right."

"Just let me know which room I'm moving into."

An amused look greets me. "Subtle."

Shaking my head, I'm now completely drained by her attitude. "I'm not trying to figure out which room you decided to make a baby in, if that's what you are wondering."

Shit. That came out cruel and envious.

Her mouth gapes open, yet she contains her composure. "Unbelievable. You really are a piece of work."

"Not sure I'm the only one."

Summer's cheeks puff out. "I don't have time for this. I have laundry to do and a bottle of white to drown in when Bo goes to sleep tonight. But for your information, you can take the guest room across from Bo's room. It's never been used."

I'm not sure if that brings ease or is more oil thrown on the fire as I puzzle together the history of sleeping arrangements in this house, even though Summer has only been living here since around the time my brother passed. But it's the mere thought of them that…

Summer marches to Bo, ignoring the fact that she's pushing me out of the way, practically on top of me as I sit, and she reaches to unbuckle Bo from his highchair. Her body stretching too close to me drives my body haywire in epic proportions .

"Come on, cutie. Let's go play in the living room." She throws a glare over her shoulder. "My son is the cutie, in case you need every detail to be explained."

"Spirited as always." My tone is flat.

She props Bo against her hip before she grumbles and walks away.

I rub my face with my hands. I have to get a grip. We won't be able to live together like this.

I've always watched Summer from afar to lessen the sting. But now she's way too close for my resolve.

I heave a sigh and slide off the chair, knowing I'm going to have to face her one more time today for good measure. Plus, I need to walk through the living room to get to the front door.

Walking into the living room, I stop in my tracks when I see Summer sitting on the floor, her hair down and feathering her arms. She's making noises at Bo, and they're both giggling while she wiggles his captured foot. She was always meant to be a mom. She's a natural, and this is an image of two happy souls. Despite what's happened, they deserve this moment.

Even if Summer doesn't want to admit it, she's hurting from my brother's passing too. And Bo? Well, he'll never remember his father. My heart aches for too many reasons, but I won't let Summer be the reason this time. I owe it to my brother to be the man who watches over his family.

My eyes slide to the side, and something captures my eye. Taking a few steps, I pause when I notice a photo of Summer, Zac, and Bo, the three of them together when Bo must have been a few weeks old. They're a family in the photo with affection on their faces. But the photo next to them, it's clear. No need to see it up close .

The three of us . My brother, Summer, and me.

Long ago.

When this mess all began.

And it all comes back…