20
Jake convinced Olivia to stay at the lodge that night. After a raucous dinner—which included everyone except Max—they holed up in his favorite guesthouse. It had been newly renovated and practically sparkled with fresh paint and new triple-pane windows.
He made a fire in the little woodstove, and they curled up on the couch and watched the flames flicker behind the smoked glass.
“What do you think of the lodge?” he asked Olivia, surprisingly anxious to hear her response. Even though he didn’t live at the lodge anymore, he held the place close to his heart. He hadn’t realized how much it still meant to him until Max had considered selling it.
Thank God for their formerly silent investor, Lyle Guero. And for Nicole, who pitched the idea of investing to him. Sometimes it really seemed
