Page 36 of You Met Me There

“Which makes me ask,” Dad adds from the counter, “how long do you plan on staying?”

I look up at Luke who stands at my side, his hand around my waist. “I still don’t know exactly. We haven’t figured it all out,” I say.

Luke shrugs. “I can work from anywhere right now. I don’t have to visit any of the properties unless something unexpected comes up.” He says this more to me than to Dad.

I smile. “Maybe we’ll stay a couple weeks, then?”

Cam peeks inside the oven, closing the door swiftly. The heavenly smell of a sausage-and-egg casserole escapes, filling the kitchen with a warmth that tickles my nose.

“You should stay the whole summer,” he says, tossing an oven mitt onto the counter. “You’re welcome to use the cabin. No one’s renting it right now.”

Juliet passes me to grab plates from the cabinet behind us. “We talked about it last night,” she says, “and we think it would be great to have you guys around for a little while. If you can,” she adds. “I know a whole summer is a long time.”

Did my sister and her husband really just offer us their cabin for a whole summer? I still haven’t grasped everything that’s happened in the last week. Like sand falling through my fingers, time has passed so quickly I haven’t been able to properly process the events. I came to Maple Lake thinking my family would be standoffish at best.

I don’t deserve any of this.

Luke takes the offer in stride, looking down at me with light in his eyes. “We could probably make that work, actually. If I have to fly out to any of the properties, the airport isn’t too far of a drive from here. And you could book photography sessions in Maple Lake if you find interested clients. And even if you don’t, you’ll be able to relax and spend time with your family.”

My brows pull together, and my lips press into a tight line. Luke leans down so his mouth brushes the top of my ear.

“Don’t think about it too hard,” he says, quietly enough so only I can hear. “Say yes. This will be good for everybody.”

I lean back so I can see his face. “Are you sure?” He nods.

Everyone watches me, waiting for a response. They’re handing me a way to stay in town so I can be with my family and get to know them again. And they’re asking me to stay. They want me here.

I nod, and my cheeks hurt from how wide my smile spreads, reaching my eyes and making me feel tall. “Okay. Yeah, I’d love that.”

Mom claps her hands together enthusiastically, and Dad looks relieved from the way his thick brows soften. Juliet has a smile on her face. Although she doesn’t let me see just how excited she is, I can tell it means a lot to her that I’m staying.

“That’s awesome. It’ll be a great summer,” Cam says as he checks the casserole again and removes it from the oven. Steam lifts from the hot dish. “I’ll take you guys over to the cabin after breakfast so you can see it. It’s fully furnished, and all you’ll have to do is fill the fridge.”

Luke leaves my side to help Juliet collect glasses from another cabinet. “We’ll pay you rent for the summer,” he says. “We’ll make it official with a lease agreement and everything in case something happens to the house while we’re occupying it. Or in case we end up not being able to stay through the end of the summer for some reason.”

“Psh.” Cam waves his hand at us. “You won’t owe us anything.”

“No.” I agree with Luke. “We should make it official and sign an agreement. You guys already said you’re having trouble renting it out. I can’t imagine staying there for free. We’d be happy to be your tenants.”

Juliet turns to us with a bottle of orange juice tucked in the crook of her arm and glasses in each hand. “Fine. But if you have to leave early, we won’t make you pay a fee for terminating the lease or anything.”

Luke chuckles. “That sounds fine. We appreciate it. Thanks for the offer.” He looks at me with a warm smile.

Breakfast is served buffet style, and we all circle around the kitchen, filling our plates with egg casserole, bacon, yogurt, and fresh fruit. When we each have a plate and a full glass, we make our way into the dining room we’ve passed through several times and sit at the long wooden table. Juliet’s sons flit in and out of the room like little birds, taking bites of food and rushing back to their toys. Juliet informs me that she doesn’t usually let them do this, but that it’s nice for her to have a quieter moment to enjoy conversation with adults.

“So, what kind of photography do you do?” she asks once we’re all halfway through our meal.

“Lifestyle photography mostly,” I say. “Couple’s portraits, family photos, pretty much whatever the client wants. But I started out by playing around with real estate photography to help Luke with his rental homes.”

“And she became an instant pro,” Luke claims, placing his hand on my leg.

Jules looks between the two of us. “Well, if you want to keep working while you’re here, you can take our family photos. I’ve been begging Cam to let me hire someone who will come over and do them at the house, but he doesn’t really enjoy being in pictures.” She pouts at him and he laughs. She looks back at me. “And there aren’t any photographers in town. We have to get someone from Sansville to come over here, and they aren’t cheap even though it isn’t that far.”

Cam huffs. “They take advantage of the fact that we don’t have a lot to choose from in Maple Lake. They know we’ll pay the price if we really want it.” He rolls his eyes.

“I’d love to take your photos,” I say emphatically. “Just let me know when. As of this morning, I’ll be here all summer.”

Chapter 20