by J. H. Croix
***
A few hours later, Cam walked downstairs through the hall toward the lodge restaurant after a shower. He was good and tired from skiing almost all day and starving as a result. As he walked, he was staring at the floor, idly following the pattern of the carpet, when he collided with someone. He looked up, straight into Ginger’s eyes. She wasn’t wearing ski clothes that obscured her figure anymore. Oh no. She wore a pair of pants that hugged her full hips and swirled around her ankles, and a blouse that was fitted at the top and with a scoop neck. The curves of her full breasts rose above her blouse. As his eyes made their way up, he could see her pulse fluttering in her neck. Oh damn. Damn. One look, and she grabbed hold and sent lust surging through him.
He literally had to force his eyes up, only to have them land on her lips, which were plump and full. Her bright blue eyes held a sharp gleam. She had an edge to her he hadn’t noticed before.
“Well, hello Cam. Fancy meeting you here. Are you heading in for dinner?”
Cam found himself nodding though he couldn’t seem to speak.
“How about you join me and Marley?” she asked. “I figure since you’re here for a while, we might as well be friends.”
Chapter 3
Ginger slammed her car door behind her and hurried through the icy air into the post office. Today was one of those bitter cold days. For the most part, she enjoyed winter with its snowy landscape and the sheer beauty of the snow-capped mountains. Everything felt sharper, brighter and so fleeting with the abbreviated days of winter. Living in Alaska, it was a damn good thing to enjoy winter. But the days she didn’t enjoy were like today. A cold, biting wind blew steadily. The sun, so precious in winter when every second of daylight counted, was hiding behind a wall of heavy gray clouds. No snow fell, so everything felt gray and frozen. She couldn’t ever seem to get warm on days like this no matter how many layers she wrapped around herself. The warm blast of air that hit her when she pushed through the door into the post office was a heavenly relief.
The post office was a central place in Diamond Creek. In the far flung towns of Alaska, post offices were relied on much more heavily than in more urban areas. Many Alaskans conducted the majority of their shopping via mail. Ginger glanced around, her eyes coasting across many familiar faces. She was so chilled, she wouldn’t have minded if she needed to wait in the slow-moving line at the counter. She tugged her gloves off and loosened her scarf as she made her way to the aisle that held her post office box. It had been a few too many days since she’d checked her mail, so the box was stuffed. After yanking the pile of mostly junk mail out, she stationed herself at a table by the windows and made her way through the stack, tossing most of it in the recycling bin under the table.
She glanced out the window and saw Cam Nash walking across the parking lot. He was like a magnet for her eyes. The second he appeared, her eyes tracked him across the parking lot. He was distractingly handsome, which flustered her. She’d believed herself immune from any man. After she fell at his feet the other day, she’d determined she’d play it cool and move right past the silly attraction she felt. With him working at Last Frontier Lodge, she knew she needed to get a grip because she was going to end up seeing him a lot. With that in mind, when she’d seen him walking toward the restaurant, she’d called upon her usual bold self and invited him to eat dinner with her and Marley. She’d hoped the whole ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ would hold her in good stead. She’d fake calm, cool, and collected around him and it would be so.
No such luck. With Cam sitting across from her and her best friend, she’d been distracted and flushed the entire time. Marley looked askance at her a few times, but there were enough interruptions from other friends and customers, Ginger had managed to avoid any questions from Marley and excused herself early. Now, she watched him shoulder through the door and pause to hold it for another person coming in behind him. The wind swirled through the door as it closed, sending the remainder of her mail in a spin with a few pieces of mail blowing on the floor. Relieved for the distraction from staring at Cam, since she could barely keep her eyes off of him, she bent over to collect the scattered mail.
A pair of boots came into sight. She glanced up to find Cam looking down at her. Her pulse immediately took off. She felt a literal pull inside—physical and emotional—and it unsettled her. She didn’t like how easily he affected her. She gathered the last few envelopes and stood quickly.
His amber eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “I thought that was you. Didn’t mean to send your mail flying. It’s pretty windy out there. How’s it going?” he asked.
Trying and completely failing to slow her pulse, Ginger stared at Cam. His golden brown hair was windblown. He wore a pair of faded jeans topped with a cotton jersey shirt and heavy down jacket, which he’d left unzipped. Inconveniently, this made it possible for her eyes to trace the sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen visible under his shirt. As her eyes, over which she’d lost all voluntary control, made their way up to his face, her belly somersaulted when she caught his warm amber gaze. Now would be the time where you say hello. You remember how to do that, right? Oh shut up. She snipped back at her critical voice and took a breath.
“It’s going fine. Are you getting settled in at the lodge?”
Cam nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. Gage gave me a nice suite, so I’ve got everything I need. I haven’t been here long, but honestly, it’s one of the best places I’ve worked so far. Gage is great, and the lodge and trails are amazing. I’m finally venturing around town some. Diamond Creek is small, but it’s got some high-end restaurants and shopping. It’s also flat out beautiful. I love the mountains and the ocean, so being in a place where I get to enjoy both is unbelievable.”
She felt a curl of pride. Born and raised in Diamond Creek, there had been times when she’d chafed at growing up in a tiny town on the wild coast of Alaska. A few years away in college and she’d learned Diamond Creek had a lot to offer, in addition to having a tight-knit, supportive community. Cam also put the conversation on a topic she could talk about easily, even with her pulse pounding wildly and heat sliding through her veins.
“Diamond Creek may be small, but we get a lot of tourists, so most of the restaurants and shops cater to them. It’s hard to beat the views around here. Up at the lodge, you’ve got some of the best views around.”
“Oh yeah. I was telling Gage he could charge for the lift rides if he wanted,” Cam offered with a soft chuckle. “Haven’t seen you skiing since the other day. Planning on coming up again soon?”
Ginger obviously couldn’t tell him the sole reason she hadn’t been skiing since last week when she fell at his feet was because he flustered her so much she couldn’t think straight. She was usually up there several times a week skiing with Marley or other friends. She was about out of excuses, so she clung to the idea if she just kept ignoring this incredibly inconvenient attraction to Cam, it would go away. “It’s been a busy week. I usually head up on the weekends though, so I’ll probably be up there tomorrow.”
The door pushed open again with another swirl of wind blowing through the entrance area. Marley Hamilton’s auburn hair was impossible to miss when pushed her hood back and glanced around. As soon as her eyes landed on Ginger, a smile spread across her face. She strode to them and threw her arm over Ginger’s shoulder. “Hey! I was just saying to Gage I hadn’t seen you in a few days. How come you haven’t been by?”
Ginger’s cheeks got hot, but she forced herself to keep her expression calm. “I’ll probably be up tomorrow. It’s been a crazy week at work.”
Marley nodded and turned to Cam. “Did you stop by Misty Mountain like I suggested?”
“Of course. Their coffee was as good as you promised,” he replied with a smile.
Marley’s green eyes bounced between them. “I told Cam he needs to get out and about. He’s hardly left the lodge since he got here two weeks ago. I told him he needed to check out Misty Mo
untain Café, The Boathouse, Sally’s, Glacier Pizza…”
Cam’s eyes landed on Ginger again, and Marley’s voice faded as she rattled off various local favorites. Ginger could have sworn he noticed she was about to melt. Between her pulse galloping beyond her control and the liquid heat building inside of her every time he looked her way, she was feeling ridiculous. Marley finally stopped talking and glanced between them. “Did you hear anything I just said?” she asked, directing her question to Ginger.
Ginger scrambled to pull her thoughts together and form words. “Of course I did! You were telling Cam all the places you said he should check out.” She mentally breathed a sigh of relief when Marley nodded and turned to Cam again.
“So, Gage said you guys are going to get started on the back country trails. Any idea how many trails you think you can get cleared for grooming this season? Ginger and I used to go cross-country skiing all the time when we were kids, but now we have to drive clear across town to the local park if we want to go.”
“I’ve scouted out the area and marked some trails already. He’s ordered a tracksetter and…”
“What’s a tracksetter?” Marley interjected.
“It’s what will actually smooth down and groom the trails once we clear them. It’s a contraption that hitches onto the back of a snowmobile. We’ll ride along the trails with it to keep the snow packed and smooth. Depending on how many people start skiing on them, we’ll see how often we need to use it. At least once or twice a week at a minimum.”
Ginger couldn’t believe it, but all she wanted to do was listen to Cam talk. His voice was warm with a gruff edge. It sent hot shivers coursing through her. You are seriously out of your mind. You are so into this man you just want him to talk. What the hell is wrong with you? We had a deal. No more men. It’s been easy peasy for a few years now. Cam is just new and exciting. Ginger lost track of what Marley was saying and only heard the slow rumble of Cam’s voice while the content of his words was entirely lost on her.
Marley nudged her shoulder. “Yoo hoo?”
Ginger whipped her eyes away from Cam and to Marley. “Huh?”
“Wow, you are seriously spaced out.”
Ginger’s cheeks heated again, and she forced herself to take a deep breath. She couldn’t seem to be anywhere near Cam without embarrassing herself. “Right. Sorry. Just tired.”
“I should get going anyway. I’ll check my mail and be on my way,” Cam said to both of them.
“I’m sure I’ll see you back at the lodge,” Marley said with a quick smile.
“I’m sure you will.” His eyes canted to Ginger. “Hope to see you skiing again soon,” he offered with a half-smile before he turned away.
Ginger fumbled for the stack of mail she’d set on the table. Someone else passed by and greeted Marley, which gave Ginger a few moments to gather her wits. She watched Cam reappear at the end of an aisle with his mail before he pushed through the door outside. The icy blast of air that swirled around soothed the heat coursing through her.
Marley leaned her elbow on the table and looked at Ginger. “Okay, what’s up with you?” she asked.
Marley was Ginger’s oldest friend. They’d grown up together in Diamond Creek and been there for each other through everything. Even when Marley moved away to Seattle, their friendship stayed tight. When Ginger’s marriage fell apart, Marley had called her every day for weeks and had flown up from Seattle to stay with her for a bit. When Marley’s life skidded sideways after she was robbed in Seattle, Ginger had been the first person she called. Ginger couldn’t imagine life without Marley and loved her as family. The one and only downside to having a friend as close and supportive as Marley was she was damn perceptive.
Ginger was relieved Cam had left because her body was behaving normally again. Her pulse had finally slowed, and the fluttery feeling inside was subsiding. She took a breath. “What do you mean?” She tried to hedge, hoping Marley would leave it alone.
Marley’s green eyes narrowed. “Uh, let’s see. You hardly spoke the whole time Cam was standing here, and you kept staring at him. If I had to guess, I’d say you might have a thing for him.” A grin spread slowly across Marley’s face.
Ginger felt her cheeks heat again. She put her face in her hands and sighed. “I do not have a thing for him, but he might be kind of cute.” She dropped her hands and fiddled with the mail, riffling through the envelopes and tossing a few more pieces of junk mail in the recycling bin. She glanced up at Marley again who was still grinning.
“He’s a lot more than cute. You should hear the girls in housekeeping and the restaurant babbling about him.” As Marley looked over at Ginger, her grin faded. “Hey, I’m just teasing. It’s okay to notice a man, you know.”
Ginger’s chest tightened, a wash of vulnerability followed by anger knotting inside. She hated feeling vulnerable like this, at the mercy of the whims of desire. She prided herself on being in control and together. A few minutes in Cam’s presence revealed the fault lines in her resolve. “I know, but it’s not worth it.”
Marley was quiet for a long moment. “Okay, we’re grabbing dinner at Sally’s. Give me a sec.” She whirled away and jogged down another aisle, returning quickly with a handful of mail. She looped her hand through Ginger’s elbow. “Come on. You don’t get to say no. We haven’t had dinner, just you and me, in weeks.”
Ginger didn’t hesitate. She didn’t want to talk about Cam, but she could use some advice. Because really, it wasn’t Cam. It was all the baggage she was carting around that had everything to do with men and romance. She’d braved her way through her divorce and somehow cobbled together her pride after it was over. So much of her pride relied on her confidence that she wouldn’t let herself be vulnerable again. Her attraction to Cam, so powerful and so fast, was testing her confidence. The fear she’d walled inside her heart was seeping out because those walls weren’t as strong as she’d believed.
Marley tugged Ginger through the icy wind and into her car. Moments later, they were walking through the door in Sally’s. Sally’s was a fixture in Diamond Creek. It was a restaurant and bar housed in an old refurbished barn. The kitchen was in the center with one side holding the bar with a stage for music and performances. The other side held the restaurant with tables filling the center and booths lining the walls. The old hayloft held additional seating that wrapped around the upstairs. Ginger and Marley had spent so much time here over the years, a sense of comfort washed over her simply walking inside.
They snagged the only available booth. After a waitress took their order, Marley leaned back and eyed Ginger. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.
Ginger busied herself unrolling the napkin around the silverware. She looked across the table at Marley and took a breath. “I’m fine. As you noticed, I, uh, kind of noticed Cam is, well, Cam.” She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up.
Marley’s laugh rang out with hers. “Cam is most definitely Cam. He might not do much for me, but I’m not blind.”
Ginger rolled her eyes. “It’s amazing you see anyone other than Gage. It’s been over a year and you two are still like new lovebirds.”
This time, Marley flushed. “Maybe so. Don’t forget you practically pushed me into his arms.”
Ginger shrugged. “Maybe I did. It was obvious you two were meant for each other.”
Marley nodded as her eyes sobered. “So back to Cam.”
“Right. Since you already noticed, I might think he’s pretty hot. Problem is, that’s not supposed to happen.”
Marley’s brows hitched up, her eyes puzzled. Their waitress arrived and quickly placed a beer for Ginger and water for Marley on the table before she turned away to serve the next booth. Ginger took a swallow from her beer and leaned back with a sigh. Marley followed her movements minus the sigh. “Gotta say, I cannot wait to be able to have alcohol again,” she said as she rubbed her round belly. Marley and Gage were expecting a little girl due in roughly a month.
“Not much longer. How’re you feeling? You hardly ever complain.”
“Honestly, it’s been pretty okay until a few weeks after Christmas. Since then, I just feel gigantic.” She shook her head and shrugged. “Anyway, back to you. What do you mean it’s not supposed to happen?”
Ginger took another gulp from her beer and mentally pushed back against the old feeling of vulnerability. She thought she was past this. Her grand plan to never be attracted to another man had been working out great. She’d convinced herself she was immune, and then Cam had to come along and blow her confidence out of the water.
“After everything went down with Tony, I decided it would be best if I just didn’t get involved with anyone ever again. It’s not worth it, not for me. It’s been a piece of cake. I mean, Alaska is overrun with men. Maybe half of them are a little too rough for wear, but there are plenty of hot guys around between the outdoorsy types, the skiers, the hunters and what-not. Not a single man has even made me think about sex, so I thought it would be easy.”
Marley leaned forward, shaking her head. “Wait, you’re saying you seriously thought you’d go through the rest of your life and never be attracted to anyone? Ever?”
Ginger flushed. Hearing Marley say it aloud made it sound ridiculous. Yet, Ginger had thought it reasonable, especially since it seemed to be working. She’d decided she wouldn’t bother with relationships and since no one, absolutely no one, drew the slightest bit of response from her, she figured she had it made. She wouldn’t need to worry about falling for the wrong guy and looking like a fool later.
“Yes. I seriously thought it just wouldn’t happen. I know it sounds crazy…”
Marley nodded vigorously.
“Maybe it was crazy, but I don’t want to go through what I went through with Tony. It sucked. You have no idea how stupid I felt.”
Marley nodded. “I know it was awful. Noticing Cam doesn’t have to be anything more than that, you know.”