“Finally convinced Frankie to go camping,” I said.

“Wow.” Bev lifted her eyebrows, looking impressed as I installed the fresh keg. “You’re going to be a mountain woman before you know it.”

“Not likely,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

“Maybe you’ll end up staying forever like your sister,” Bev continued. “I’d be happy to give you more hours here now that you can actually make a decent drink. Well, almost.”

“Ha. Ha,” Frankie replied dryly. “You know I’m only here until I find a job. And I have a good feeling about my next interview.”

My jaw clenched with the way she so lightly delivered those words. Something like irritation simmered in my chest, but I swallowed it down and did my best to keep my face neutral.

I knew she wanted this job. We talked about it constantly. Hell, I even asked her practice questions last night to help her prepare for her next interview with this so-called dream job.

None of that made it any easier. Her landing this job was going from possible to probable. I could feel it.

Ever since we slept together a couple of weeks ago, we’d been even more inseparable. We spent all of our free time together. We’d even had more conversations about my family and growing up. I was trying like hell not to read too much into it, but I’d never been this close with a girl. Ever. People came in and out of my life like a revolving door—my best friend and now my brother being the main exceptions to that. It wasn’t like I intentionally didn’t sow deep seeds. I liked trying new things and meeting new people. Deep conversations made me irrationally anxious, so keeping it at surface level had been the perfect solution.

Until now. Until Frankie.

She’d burrowed her way right the fuck in, and now I wasn’t quite sure how to let her go.

I knew I needed to. She had been very clear that her career was her dream. She belonged in some big city, climbing the corporate ladder. We were nothing alike in that regard.

By some twist of fate— either incredible or vindictive—we’d been brought together. And while I wouldn’t change my time with her for anything, I was starting to resent the fact that I couldn’t have her for keeps. A committed relationship had never been something that appealed to me, but now that I knew this particular girl was out of reach, it was all I could think about.

“Hello.” My eyes readjusted from disassociation to see Frankie snapping her fingers at me. “Where’d you go?”

I removed any trace of distress from my face. “Sorry, I got distracted thinking about you next to me, naked, in a sleeping bag.”

“Oliver,” she hissed, turning to see if Bev had overheard, but she had already retreated to the other end of the bar to talk to a customer.

I shot her a wink, enjoying the pink tinge splotching her soft cheeks. Without thinking, I reached out and brushed aside the strand of hair that had fallen across her face.