by J. H. Croix
“I’m at the airport in Homer, and I need a ride.”
“Huh? What are you doing in Alaska?”
“Well, I wanted to surprise you, but I didn’t realize Homer was over a hour away from Diamond Creek. The cab ride is pricey, although I can’t even believe there’s a cab to drive me that far in Alaska,” she said with a small laugh “so I’m calling you. I know you’re busy, but I can wait until you can get here.”
Cam couldn’t help but laugh. Leave it to his big-hearted sister to try to surprise him and miscalculate. Ivy was probably the smartest person he knew, but she didn’t pay attention to details outside of her academic research. “Of course, I’ll come get you. All I need is time to get off the mountain and drive down there. I can probably be there within two hours. Will that work?”
“Of course. I’ve got my laptop. I’ll sit tight here and do some work while I wait. Take your time.”
Cam skied straight for the quickest route downhill, flew down it and came to a swirling stop at the foot of the mountain. He headed inside and ran into Gage while he was putting his gear away.
Gage stepped into the back room and leaned against the wall. “Don said the kid’s fine. If all we have is one broken ski this month and a few bruises, I’ll take it. He’s a little embarrassed. I told him even I haven’t been able to clear that stream yet,” he said with a grin.
Cam chuckled. Ski resorts dealt with injuries with some frequency. It was usually minor, but a few broken bones here and there weren’t unusual. Visitors signed waivers because skiing came with inherent risks. Gage went the extra mile and had established a good relationship with the hospital, along with a local doctor’s office that provided non-emergency care for a contract fee.
“It’s been a good season so far. I’ll take it too. Hey, my sister just called. She decided to try to surprise me with a visit, but she didn’t realize the Homer airport was over an hour away. Everything’s done for today, so I thought I’d go pick her up. Anything you need me to do before I take off?”
“Of course not. Get going as soon as you can. You think she’ll want to join us for dinner in the lodge?”
“Oh yeah. Ivy was planning to come up anyway, but she’s just here a little early. She’ll want to know everyone and everything. She’s my little sister, but she thinks she’s my big sister.”
Gage grinned and pushed away from the wall. “Great. I’ll see you later then.”
Cam followed him down the hall and raced upstairs for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Once he was in his truck, he put his phone on speaker and called Ginger. She was at work, so he knew she wouldn’t answer, but he wanted her to know Ivy was here. She startled him by answering.
“Hey,” she said brightly.
“Hey. Didn’t expect you to pick up.”
“The student I usually see this period is out sick today, so it’s just me. I saw it was you, so…”
He could feel the smile in her words, and he smiled in return. All he had to do was hear Ginger’s voice and it made his day.
“So what’s up? You don’t usually call when I’m at work.”
“Oh, right. I wanted to let you know my sister Ivy decided to come for a surprise visit. I’m headed to Homer to pick her up at the airport now.”
“That’s great! I know you were hoping she’d come visit this winter. Do you think she’ll be up for dinner at the lodge tonight?”
“Definitely. I was hoping you’d come by.”
What went unsaid was the fact that they’d been seeing each other almost every night since their pizza date. He didn’t want to make assumptions about how she might feel about meeting his family though.
“Of course! I’ll head up after I swing by the house to check on George.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you then.”
He heard a loud bell in the background over the line. “Time to go. My next student will be here any minute. See you later,” Ginger said before hanging up.
When the line clicked silent, Cam took a breath and let it out. For a split second, he’d wanted to tell her he loved her. The words almost slipped out. He hadn’t even thought about it. His heart pounded wildly in a delayed reaction. He’d fallen so hard and fast, he hadn’t even seen it coming. He gulped in air and tried to get a hold of himself. Ginger had come to mean so much to him. As the recognition of what he’d been about to say sunk in, he realized it felt exactly right. He didn’t want to scare her, but he desperately wanted to know how she felt. Much as he’d like to think he’d find a way to talk to her soon, with Ivy here, he didn’t know if he would. Maybe that was a good thing. He needed time to think about when and how to tell Ginger how he felt.
The drive went by in a blur and before he knew it, he was cresting the hill into Homer. The town spread out before him. It was late afternoon with the sun dipping down in the sky. Homer was nestled against the hills toward the end of the Kenai Peninsula. One could see to the head of Kachemak Bay here with the mountains curving around the bay. Cam hadn’t been to Homer yet, although many locals in Diamond Creek kept suggesting he visit. Diamond Creek’s airport was tiny and couldn’t accommodate the larger commercial flights, so many travelers flew to Homer and drove north from there. He followed signs to the airport and parked.
When he walked in, the airport was quiet from the lull between flights. He glanced around and saw Ivy over in a corner. She was typing away on her laptop, oblivious to everything around her. He strode over and stopped in front of her.
“Ivy,” he said.
Her eyes flew up. “Cam!” She shoved her laptop into the seat beside her and scrambled up.
He caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly. When she stepped back, her clear amber gaze was warm and searching. Ivy was the heart and soul of their family. She always had been. After Eric died, she’d tried to wrap everyone in her arms. Cam had needed her then and still did, but he had his feet back under him and the sharp pain of his grief had dulled. He would always miss Eric and imagined he would continue to heal, but he’d found the ability to experience joy again. He met Ivy’s gaze and arched a brow. “I’m doing okay. You can stop worrying.”
Ivy sighed and threw her hands up. “I get to worry all I want. Let’s go.”
***
Ginger sat at her kitchen table with George on her lap. She’d gotten home after school and ended up cleaning her entire house. It wasn’t that her house was all that big, but she generally took a slapdash approach to housecleaning. The house practically sparkled now. Maybe you should get this nervous more often. It’s damn good for getting things done. A soft laugh slipped out. Her internal snide remarks were on point. She was only just starting to get used to the fact she and Cam were more than a passing fling. She’d been so internally resolved to never be in a relationship again, it had taken some mental gymnastics to keep from constantly freaking out inside. Now, his sister was here for a visit. Meeting family made things feel…real. Her thoughts were running rampant. She couldn’t’ help but wonder what he might have said to his sister about them and about her. She was tied up in knots over whether she should try to play it casual and act like they were just friends. Oh my God. Stop it. Just stop the madness. You’re a grown up. All you need to do is be yourself and act normal. *mental pause* What’s normal?
She’d thought she was doing the ‘normal’ thing when she married Tony and look how well that went. Cam is nothing like Tony and you know it. That was her heart talking, which still had to practically shout to be heard over her well-honed defenses. She knew her heart was right on that point though. Trust was a bit of a hang up for her. Yet, even though she was tied up inside over Cam, she trusted him. While she wasn’t yet certain about his feelings for her, she trusted he would be honest with her. That’s just how he was. She wanted that trust to comfort her, but it almost made it harder—because it made him that much more appealing.
She sighed and lifted George’s ears in her hands, gently rubbing the insides, which he loved. His wide blue eye
s stared at her for a moment before he wrinkled his nose and shook his head when she let his ears fall. Over twenty minutes ago, she’d run out of things to clean in the house and given George fresh water and his evening food. She’d yet to marshal the courage to stand up from the kitchen table and leave her house to drive to the lodge—a simple trip that she took so often she could probably drive there blindfolded and not miss a turn. She took a deep breath and tried to ease the anxiety knotted in her chest. George leapt down from her lap and bounded into the living room. She forced herself to stand and leave.
A short while later, she pulled into a parking spot at the ski lodge. After she turned the engine off, silence settled around her. She looked out over the bay, her eyes scanning across the mountain peaks on the far side and out over the water. It was early evening and Mount Augustine stood tall and majestic in the waters. It was the lone volcano visible from this vantage point. At the moment, it peak was arrayed with clouds shot through with orange and gold from the setting sun. After a few moments, she gathered the threads of her courage and climbed out of her car.
When she entered the lodge, Marley was standing by the reception desk with Holly in her arms and talking with Harry. She turned to the door and smiled. “Hey Ginger! I was hoping you’d make it tonight. Cam’s sister is here. Have you met her yet?”
Harry gave Ginger a wave and called out. “I’m headed back to the kitchen. See you ladies in a bit.”
Ginger walked to Marley’s side and dropped a quick kiss on Holly’s forehead. Before she said a word, Marley’s eyes narrowed with concern. She hadn’t been Ginger’s best friend for most of their lives for nothing. “What’s wrong? You look, I don’t know, off or something.”
Ginger bit her lip. “What does ‘off’ mean?”
Marley adjusted Holly in her arms. “”I don’t know. Tense?”
“Oh, I’m definitely tense. Cam asked me if I’d be up tonight because Ivy’s here. Of course I said I would and I want to meet her, but I’m completely freaking out now.” Since they were alone, her words tumbled out. If anyone could help her make sense of her personal freak out, it would be Marley.
Marley lifted an arm and tugged Ginger into a quick hug from the side. “Okay, no big deal. I’m guessing meeting Cam’s sister might be weird. Is that it?”
Ginger chewed her lip and shrugged. “It makes things seem really real. I know we haven’t had tons of time to talk since you had Holly, but things have kind of…” she paused and gestured her hand in a circle “…moved along with Cam and I. I had my own little freak out about that, but Delia talked me down. And then last week, Cam and I actually talked…” She paused and blushed furiously when Marley arched a brow and grinned. “You can tease all you want, but you had to figure your own stuff out with Gage, so cut me some slack. Plus, you and Gage are perfect together and it worked out just like it was supposed to. I don’t even know what’s going to happen with me and Cam and now I’m meeting his sister and who knows what she’s going to think and I don’t…”
Marley held a hand up, and Ginger gulped in a breath of air. Her stomach was tied in knots and she was talking so fast, she’d forgotten to breathe.
“Okay, so this is a big deal. That’s okay. I was pretty nervous when I met Gage’s family,” Marley said.
“Yeah, but you two are together, together.”
Marley angled her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “So are you and Cam. Maybe we haven’t had a ton of time to talk, but I’m not blind. It’s super obvious Cam is way, way into you.”
“Really?” Ginger couldn’t help but ask and then blushed even harder at what her question revealed—her deep insecurity about whether a man like him could be into her, and just how into him she was. If only she didn’t care, but she cared—way, way, way too much. It made her feel so exposed, she could hardly tolerate the feeling.
Marley’s eyes softened. “Yes, really. Do I have to remind you again that you’re totally a catch? You’re smart, gorgeous and one of the best people I know. Cam isn’t stupid. He totally gets you.”
Ginger took a deep breath and shook her head. “I need an off-switch for my brain. If I could just stop worrying and thinking, I wouldn’t be so crazed.”
Marley laughed softly. “If only we all had one of those. I can still talk myself in circles on a bad day. Gage and I are solid, but it’s not like doubt doesn’t creep in. When I felt like a walking beached whale at the end of my pregnancy, I happened to come into the restaurant when this woman was blatantly sizing Gage up and flirting like crazy. For the next hour, I beat myself up for how crappy I looked and convinced myself Gage was only putting up with me because he thought he had to.”
“Are you serious?” Ginger asked.
“What? You know how much I can worry. If there was a contest, I’m pretty sure I’d beat you,” Marley said with a wry laugh.
Ginger shook her head with a laugh. “I suppose so, but Gage is totally in love with you. He probably didn’t even notice that woman was flirting with him.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. I’m only telling you because maybe you won’t feel so silly if you know you’re not the only one. Cam is totally into you. Take my word for it. Come on. Let’s get in there. Even if you’re nervous, you’ll like Ivy.”
Ginger walked beside Marley into the restaurant where they immediately veered to their usual booth in the far corner. Cam’s sister couldn’t be missed. She shared his amber eyes and hair. As soon as they reached the table, Ivy stood and threw her arms around Ginger. Ginger reflexively hugged her back. When Ivy stepped away, she clasped her hands together, a wide smile on her face. “It’s so great to meet you! Cam told me all about you. Anyone that Cam loves that much is automatically my friend.”
Ginger blushed so hard, she thought she might go up in flames. Cam was nowhere in sight. Fortunately, only Marley, Delia and Garrett were present. If she had to have a crowd for her mortification, at least it didn’t include too many people.
Delia caught her eye. “Hey Ginger, have a seat,” she said patting the spot beside her. Delia sat across from Garrett who had the grace to offer nothing more than a friendly smile and a wink. Ginger sat down quickly. Delia immediately held up a bottle of wine. “Wine?”
“Yes, please.”
While Delia filled her wineglass, Marley asked if Ivy needed anything else for her room.
“Nope. I’m all set. It’s a beautiful room with the most amazing view ever! You didn’t have to give me my own entire suite,” Ivy said.
Marley shook her head. “Family comes first around here. Gage always keeps one suite vacant just in case. He’s got a big family, so every once in a while we get surprise visitors.” At that, she pointed to Garrett. “He’s the one who started that policy when he showed up unannounced and we didn’t have anywhere for him to sleep for a few nights.”
Garrett shrugged. “It was worth it. I got to crash in Delia’s office,” he said with a sly grin.
Delia rolled her eyes. “Anyway,” she said with a pointed glance at Garrett, “Marley means it. Family comes first, so don’t worry about being in that suite. If you weren’t here, it would be empty.”
“Well, thank you.” Ivy paused and looked around. “When did Cam say he would be back down here?”
Gage approached the table at that moment. “He just finished helping me unload some supplies for the kitchen. He’s snagging some cider right now and should be out any minute.”
Gage dropped a kiss on Marley’s cheek. “Need anything from upstairs? I’m gonna run up and change.”
“I’ll go with you. Holly needs a diaper change, and I forgot to bring the diaper bag down.”
After they departed, conversation carried on around Ginger. She was still getting to know Garrett since he’d married Delia and was coming to appreciate that he was the master at sizing up a situation and making any social setting feel comfortable. He promptly began asking Ivy what she did and offering a veritable history on Diamond Cr
eek and the geography of southcentral Alaska.
After learning Ivy was practically a genius and was getting her graduate degree in mechanical engineering, Ginger was more than a little relieved at Ivy’s enthusiastic welcome. It wasn’t that Ivy bragged about herself, but Ginger knew perfectly well that a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley required near perfect grades and test scores in math and sciences. Ivy had a freshness and enthusiasm about her research that was rare. She clearly loved what she was doing. She was also fascinated with Alaskan geography, which led Garrett down the path of the local area. By the time he finished his mini spiel on where Alaska was situated in the Ring of Fire, the basin within the Pacific Ocean where over seventy five percent of the world’s volcanoes were, Ginger was impressed.
“Wow, Garrett. I had no idea you knew all that. I grew up here and I didn’t even know half of this stuff,” Ginger said.
Delia shook her head with a laugh. “He studies everything. He asked me one morning how many volcanoes were nearby, and I knew I’d come home that night and he’d have looked it up.”
Garrett grinned. “When I have questions, I like to know the answers.”
The swinging door by the kitchen opened and Cam walked through. Ginger’s pulse took off at a gallop. She was starting to wonder if the effect he had on her would ever lessen.
***
Cam walked down the hallway at the lodge later that night. He wasn’t thrilled with the fact he wasn’t going over to Ginger’s place, but he didn’t feel right taking off the same night Ivy arrived. Ivy had headed to her room a few minutes ago after their small dinner gathering broke up. He’d pondered asking Ginger to stay here, but before he had a chance to ask, she’d commented she needed to go home to check on George. He’d never had a pet rabbit, so he didn’t quite know if George really needed that much attention. He wondered if she was simply looking for an excuse not to spend the night with him. The thought unsettled him. It was enough to accept he’d fallen in love with her and even harder to be uncertain of her feelings for him. He let himself in his suite, tossed his key card on the coffee table and plunked down on the couch. He didn’t bother to turn the lights on because he liked looking out into the night sky.