by J. H. Croix
Ginger shrugged. “I know. It just brings up all kinds of crap that I didn’t want to ever deal with again.”
Their waitress arrived with their meals. Ginger nibbled on a few fries, while Marley took a bite of her burger. A few moments later, Marley looked over again. “Okay, how about you take a step back? Cam is damn easy on the eyes, and you and probably every woman who meets him notices that. There’s no need to get all worked up.”
Ginger took a bite of her burger, considering Marley’s words as she chewed. She liked thinking about Cam that way. So she thought he was hot? She was probably just freaking out over nothing. She nodded. “Right. That’s all it is. I’m just half-whacked when it comes to men.”
Marley shook her head. “No you’re not. Tony was a total ass to you. I’d have felt like a fool if I were you. Not that you should have, but that’s how it goes. Trust me, everyone looking in from the outside saw it for exactly what it was. Tony treated an amazing woman like shit,” Marley said emphatically. She paused for a sip of water. “You’re not freaking out over Cam, you’re freaking out over what he represents. Face it, it was silly to think you’d never be attracted to anyone again. Maybe it’s good Cam came along. You’ll realize it’s not the end of the world.” Her eyes softened and she set her burger down. “How about next time you come up with a half-baked plan like that you tell me about it sooner, so I can point out how ridiculous it is?”
Ginger finished the last bite of her burger and sighed. “Because saying it out loud made it seem insane.”
Marley chuckled. “Plus, you’re all over making sure the rest of us find our soul mates.”
Ginger grinned. “I believe in love. I just figured I’d already had my shot.”
Marley rolled her eyes. “Look, I might be biased because you’re my best friend, but you’re smart, amazing and gorgeous. Even if you’re not looking, someone will find you. Maybe it won’t be Cam, maybe it will be, but you can sure enjoy looking at him in the meantime.”
Ginger balled up her napkin and tossed it at Marley.
Chapter 4
A snowball flew through the air and landed with a thump in the center of Cam’s chest. A gust of wind blew the exploding ball of snow into his face. He brushed the snow out of his eyes and glanced around. A little boy stood across from him with his mouth hanging open and his cheeks beet red.
“It was him!” Another boy declared, pointing to the boy Cam had just noticed.
“No! It was you!” This declaration came from another boy who promptly punctuated his accusation with a snowball that careened off course in the wind and blew sideways.
In seconds, several more boys joined in and snowballs were flying wildly in the cluster. Cam leaned on one of his ski poles and chuckled. Today was the first day of a ski class he started for children aged eight to ten. He’d started skiing when he was even younger, so he was a big proponent of starting young. Skiing was a great way to burn off restless energy and taught concentration and coordination. Plus, it was damn fun. With Gage’s agreement, he was running weekly courses for visitors to the lodge, in addition to classes that ran throughout winter for locals. Today’s class was for the locals. Another snowball bounced off his shoulder, at which point, he blew the whistle he kept on him solely for this purpose. At the sound of the piercing whistle, the cluster of boys stopped throwing snow and turned in unison to stare at him. His eyes traveled over the motley bunch. A few boys were suited up in good gear, while others were bundled up in mismatched outfits. All were clearly accustomed to the weather and seemed entirely unbothered by the temperature, which hadn’t quite hit ten degrees Fahrenheit yet.
He put his hands on his hips. “Okay boys, only five minutes a day for snowball fights. You’re out of time, so let’s get started. Does everyone have their skis?”
In seconds, the snow covered boys were shuffling around and gathering up their skis and poles. The next two hours passed quickly. Cam had initially balked at teaching skiing back when he first started picking up jobs at ski lodges years ago when he and Eric traveled around together. Then, he discovered he enjoyed it. With a few exceptions, most children who showed up wanted to learn to ski. His passion for it made it easy to teach. He wouldn’t have called himself a patient man before he started teaching, but he found a patience he hadn’t known he had. He could see it would be much harder to corral the wild energy of some of the kids if it weren’t for the fact skiing was an active sport that kept their minds and bodies occupied. Today’s group was comprised of boys who had all skied at some point. They were here to learn finesse and improve their skills. Cam helped each of them gather up their skis and followed them to the sprawling deck at the back of the lodge where their parents were waiting.
After he watched the last boy trundle across the deck, a loose ski dragging behind him, he leaned against the railing and looked out toward the mountains rising behind the lodge. It was early afternoon and the slopes were dotted with skiers. The bright colors of their jackets stood out against the snow.
“How’d the lesson go?”
Cam turned to find Gage approaching him. “Pretty good. Aside from a few snowball fights, they worked hard. Any word yet on when that tracksetter will get here?”
Gage leaned against the railing beside him. “Don figures it’ll get here later this week. Once we get the first run done, we can turn this over to Don. He loves working outside, and this looks like it won’t be too hard on him.”
Don Peters was Gage’s right-hand man at the lodge. Cam had quickly discovered Don knew the ins and outs of running a ski lodge better than most. He’d managed the slopes and grounds for the lodge in its earlier era for over twenty years. Cam enjoyed working alongside him, mostly because Don clearly loved Last Frontier Lodge and was beside himself when Gage reopened it after so many years. Gage had carefully taken Cam aside and asked him to be sensitive about the fact Don wasn’t as young as he once was.
Cam caught Gage’s eyes and nodded. “He’ll enjoy handling the trail grooming. Once we’ve marked the trails and gotten them leveled the first time, it’s mellow work. It’s basically a snowmobile ride. The tracksetter hitches to the back and does the work for you.”
“Sounds good. How about you and I head up there tomorrow and keep marking more trail?”
“Tell me what time to meet you, and we can head up together.”
Gage shrugged. “Let’s see how the morning goes and maybe plan for late morning. You want to meet for an early dinner in the restaurant in a bit?” At Cam’s nod, Gage continued. “Does five work?”
“Yup. I was about to head in for a shower. Need me to take care of anything else right now?”
“Nope. We’re covered on the slopes for the afternoon.” Gage’s cell phone buzzed. He slipped the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “I need to take this,” he commented before stepped away and answering as he walked across the deck.
Cam turned back to the mountains and breathed in the cold air. An eagle screeched in the distance followed by the call of a crow. He took a last look at the mountains before turning away and walking inside. He made his way to his hotel suite. The room was disconcertingly quiet. So many years of traveling to ski lodges had been spent with Eric. Even though they were in far flung locations, most ski lodges had a familiar feel to them. Last Frontier Lodge had the same familiar feeling—a feeling he savored because it meant he was where he wanted to be doing what he loved. Last Frontier Lodge ranked as one of the nicer lodges Cam had encountered. Gage had done a good job updating the place and had been generous in providing Cam with his own full suite. Yet, Eric’s absence was a haunting echo. Sometimes Cam wondered if he should just walk away from skiing, but every time he considered it, he could hardly bear it. Skiing was too central to his life. He only wished it wasn’t so tied to his late brother. He clung to the glimmer of hope that came from the pain starting to dull over time.
After he showered, he sat at the table by the windows and watched the s
un slide down behind the mountains. The horizon was streaked with lavender and pink, the cool colors of winter sunsets. His phone sat on the table. His eyes kept bouncing to it and away. He finally reached over and slid the phone in front of him. He quickly tapped the screen, pulling up his mother’s number. After several rings, she answered.
“Hey Cam! How’s Alaska?”
“Hey Mom. Alaska’s gorgeous. How are things there?”
“Just fine. We’re both busy with work. We’ve had plenty of snow here. I’m hoping the skiing is as good there as it is here this winter because if not, you might want to get back here.”
He smiled. His mom knew how much he loved skiing. She’d be worried he’d miss the good snow. “No need to worry, Mom. We’ve got plenty of snow here in Diamond Creek. You and Dad should come up if you can. You’d love it.”
“We probably will. I was just telling your father maybe we could get up there later this winter. So, how are you?”
Cam could imagine her expression. Her brown eyes would be warm and concerned. He could feel her soft smile through the phone. Eric’s death, of course, had been a blow for her and his father. Yet, Cam felt so alone in his grief. It didn’t matter how many times he tried to tell himself he couldn’t blame himself, he did. If he hadn’t said anything at that moment, Eric wouldn’t have looked over and he wouldn’t have clipped the truck and the car accident wouldn’t have happened. Cam felt tears press at the back of his eyes. He took a deep breath and looked out over the mountains into the swirl of colors. Stars were dotting the sky through the fading light. Another breath, and he thought he could manage answering.
“I’m okay, Mom. I’m glad I found this place. It’s beautiful. The owner is a great guy to work for, and it’s giving me time to get my feet back under me. How are you?”
“Oh, you know. We’re doing okay. I stay busy at the library, and your dad’s store is having its best year yet. We just want to know you’re okay. Promise me you’ll let me know if you need anything.”
“I will, Mom. How about you check with Dad and let me know when you think you two can come up for a visit?”
“You got it. I’ll talk to him tonight.”
“Okay. I gotta go, but I’ll call again this weekend. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you.”
Her warm words pinged in his heart, still sore every time he thought about Eric. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. He had another call to make, so he tapped his screen again, this time pulling up his sister’s number. Her voice mail picked up. “Hey, it’s Ivy. You know what to do.”
“Hey Ivy, give me a call when you can. Miss you,” he said to her voice mail.
He set the phone back down, a smile curving his lips. Just thinking about Ivy made him smile. Ivy was ten years younger than him and kept him on his toes. She was the brilliant one in the family and was currently finishing up a graduate degree in mechanical engineering. After Eric died, she’d taken a semester off and prodded Cam through the darkest months after Eric’s death.
He glanced at the clock above the door and stood from the table. Moments later, he made his way down the hallway toward the lodge restaurant. He fumbled around in his pocket to make sure he had his keys. He suddenly remembered he’d left them in his truck. When he reached the reception area, he veered through the main entrance and out to the parking lot. After he reached his truck and snagged his keys from above the visor, he started to walk back to the lodge when he noticed a car stopped at the head of the long driveway. He waited to see if the vehicle was about to move when he saw a form silhouetted in the headlights leaning over the check one of the front tires.
***
“Dammit!” Ginger pounded on the steering wheel.
She’d just turned into the drive at Last Frontier Lodge when she noticed her tire felt squishy. She hadn’t had too may flat tires in her life, but the feeling was distinct. She stopped where she was and climbed out. A quick check and she confirmed her suspicion. The last thing she wanted to deal with was changing her tire in the cold darkness. “Dammit!” she said again to no one.
Or so she thought. “Dammit, what?” a voice replied.
She swung around and saw a tall, lanky form approaching her down the lodge drive. The lights from the lodge didn’t quite reach this far, but they offered a soft halo of thin light. As the form got closer, she saw it was Cam. Her body instantly tightened and her pulse quickened. She didn’t know what to do with how she reacted to him. All he had to do was show up and electricity buzzed through her, rattling her to her core.
“Flat tire,” she called out softly.
Cam came to a stop at her side and glanced down. He arched a brow. “Ah. Well, I suppose it’s a good thing you made it to the drive.”
She stood up and brushed her hands off. “I suppose. I still have to get it changed out though, so I might as well take care of it now.”
What she left unsaid was the fact she desperately needed something to do. Changing a tire would keep her occupied. Remember what Marley said. He’s just a man. You happen to think he’s hot, but so do plenty of women. It’s nothing more than a little appreciation. Oh, now come on. This is waaaay more than a little appreciation.
Ginger swatted the voice away and walked rapidly to the back of her car. She popped the hatch open and started to tug the spare tire out. She half hoped Cam would just walk away. He didn’t. He came to the back of her car, lifted the tire from her hands and got right to work. It was bad enough she was stumbling through her silly attraction to him, but he had to go and be even more irresistible by being helpful and annoyingly manly in his efficiency at changing her tire. She was so befuddled by his presence that she let him just take over, which wasn’t usually how she was, but she didn’t really care at the moment. Not much later, he stood up and glanced over at her.
“There you go. Your spare’s in good shape, but you’ll want to take it in and swap the spare out as soon as you can.”
She nodded wordlessly. It was driving her nuts, but somehow Cam robbed her of the capacity to speak. And she liked to talk, damn it all. He stood in front of her, the jack resting in his hands. After a moment, he walked to the back of her car and put the jack and other tools away in the compartment on the side and closed the hatch.
When he turned to her, the air felt alive. Her breath caught in her throat, and her pulse hammered wildly. She was frozen in place. When she met his eyes in the darkness, they were locked on her. For this moment, she forgot everything—her uncertainties, her silly promise to never be attracted to a man again, and all the baggage she’d carted around for the last few years. Right now, all she wanted was a taste of Cam. He stood before her in the darkness, the lights from the lodge offering just enough light she could see the golden amber of his eyes. The air around them heated. Her low belly clenched and need rose within.
She stepped closer to him. For a second, she wondered if he’d step away, but he didn’t. She lifted a hand and stroked it up his arm. He hadn’t worn a jacket, so she could feel the shape of his muscles under her palm as she slid her hand up. She kept moving, her palm coasting across his sculpted chest and curling around his neck. A tiny corner of her mind wondered if she’d gone completely mad. Not only was she ignoring her promise to never be attracted to a man again, but she was about to kiss Cam.
Cam had been standing stock still, but he suddenly moved. He stepped closer to her, his amber eyes nearly burning into her. He opened his mouth as if to speak. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought for certain he could hear it. “What are we doing?” he asked, his words rough.
“I want to kiss you.” Her words were raw and bare. She was so out of her element, she couldn’t even call upon her defenses to make her sensible again. All she wanted was this kiss. Right here, right now.
She felt his shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath before he nodded. “I suppose it’s a good thing I want to kiss you too.”
At his words, a flash of heat scored through h
er center. Ginger bit back a gasp at her body’s swift reaction. She didn’t wait and tugged him down to meet her as she leaned up. Cam’s lips met hers. For a flicker, she hesitated. She hadn’t kissed a man in over two years, so the feel of his lips against hers was unfamiliar. She pushed back against the feeling and threw herself into the kiss. If she was going to be stupid, she might as well make it worth her while. Problem was, she entirely underestimated how a kiss with Cam would feel. As soon as their lips touched, it was like a match to a flame. She gasped, and his tongue swept inside.
His arms slipped around her, his embrace strong and sure. She flexed into him, desperate to get closer. His kiss was everything she could have hoped for and more. She’d been so busy batting her fantasies away, she hadn’t even allowed herself to imagine this kiss. He kissed masterfully. His tongue stroked against hers in between tracing her lips, he tugged at her bottom lip and dove in deep again. Liquid need swirled in her center. She was so wet, she could feel the moisture seeping through her underwear.
Cam’s hand stroked up her back and laced into her hair, his touch hot and strong. He tore his lips from hers and lifted his head. Their breath gusted in the icy air. When he glanced back down, all she could do was stare at him. Desire thrummed through her body. She was caught in its sway. She didn’t want this to stop. Their eyes held, an electric current vibrating between them.
He swore softly, right before his lips crushed against hers again. She didn’t quite know how it was possible, but this kiss eclipsed the first and went wild. It was a tangle of lips and tongues—hot, wet and deep. Out of breath and nearly overcome, when his lips made their way down her neck, hot shivers raced through her. She trembled against the onslaught on sensations. When his lips reached her collarbone, he dipped his forehead to rest in the curve of her shoulder. They held still in the cold darkness. The heat within and around them was so intense, she barely noticed it was near zero outside.