his head whipping from one end of the cabin to the other. “Are you seeing all these fairy lights? And look at the fireplace! Do you think he got those bricks imported from somewhere else?”
As Austin spoke, I took in the tastefully curated interior of the cabin, immediately impressed by the effort Parker must’ve put into decorating the place.
Damn.
This cabin was gorgeous. The interior was just so warm and otherworldly, it made it feel like the entire place had been built by magical woodland creatures, a dreamy aesthetic that Parker had managed to capture in the cabin’s essence.
I wondered how long it had taken Parker to put all of this together. And then, I briefly wondered if I would’ve been able to keep Parker’s original decorations as I renovated the outside of the cabin, leaving its interior as it was.
“Oh wow. Are those fake vines? On the back wall?” Austin let out an impressed whistle. “Do you see that? It looks like he had them twisted into the wood, almost like the trees outside are growing inside the cabin, like they’re coming from the same roots.”
“He… really put a lot of thought into this place,” I admitted as I continued to look around. “Does Parker always put this much effort into sprucing up places on the property?”
“Yep.” Austin chuckled again. “Not to exaggerate or anything, but Parker would probably find a way to spruce up a haunted mansion if someone left him there with enough string lights and paint cans. It’s like he can’t help himself. He just… makes things beautiful, wherever he goes.”
“Hmm. It must run in the family.” I smiled over at Austin.
Austin frowned as he said, “No way. I could never do something like this. I have an eye for color palettes on a good day, but I could never make something look so… put together.”
“Maybe so. Maybe not. But still, you can make things beautiful, Austin, just by stepping into the room.”
“Are you flirting with me extra hard because you know how sucky it’s going to be to fix up the outside of the cabin?” Austin smirked. “Because I already said that I’m down to help you, Jack. You don’t need to flatter me any further.”
“I wasn’t flirting with you because of an ulterior motive.” I grinned. “I was just flirting with you because I wanted to flirt with you.”
“Right.” Austin playfully rolled his eyes. “Do you think it’s going to be worth it, then? Renovating this place with your savings and 401K? Just from eyeballing it.”
“I think so.” I nodded. “It’s not hard for me to picture a family of four renting this place while they explore the area and spend time on the slopes. I’m betting I could charge a little more than the Bed & Breakfast, too, or a little less. Whichever one is less competitive for the B&B. We could even work something out where the guests can get a free meal or two, if they spend some time over at the lobby.”
“That’s nice of you, to consider what’s better for the Bed & Breakfast.”
“Of course, I would. I’d never want to cause any trouble for Parker or Eddie, or for you,” I went on. “I just want to make a little money on the side, that’s all. Make something out of the nothing that was my father’s leftover inheritance to me. Besides, it’s not like I’m starving without the extra income, anyway.”
“And hey, maybe I could help you run this place, too,” Austin added. “I mean, when you’re off on your photography adventures, traveling around the world. I wouldn’t mind helping you manage the guestbook here, and maybe even keep you updated on how it’s holding up, during storm season?”
“That’d be a huge help,” I replied, even as I hesitated between my words, my thoughts racing through the back of my head.
Why would Austin be in charge of the cabin?
If the people staying here didn’t know any better, they would probably assume that he was my business partner or something more, someone I obviously trusted to represent me while I was away. And while I wouldn’t have minded having Austin in charge of the day-to-day responsibilities of keeping up with the cabin, I also didn’t want to send the wrong message to my future guests.
Or maybe I just didn’t want to send the wrong message to Austin.
Fuck.
Maybe I just didn’t want to send the wrong message to myself.
“…I don’t have to do that part,” Austin murmured. “Helping you run the cabin.