by J. H. Croix
“Okay, this phone call is over,” he interjected with a dry laugh.
“Love you,” Faith said quickly.
“Love you too. I’ll call mom soon.”
He tapped the screen to end the call. “That’s my sister. You might not remember, but I did bring her by last summer with my mother and my other sister.”
I riffled through my memory. “I think I remember. You stop by a lot with people when you guys are taking tourists around, so I’m not sure. It’s hard to keep track. I wouldn’t know her if I saw her.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to have everybody memorized. They’ll be here this summer again, so you can rest assured I’ll be bringing them by.”
“Good to know I count as a stop when you have family.”
Elias’s eyes slid to mine again, and the heat there sent butterflies twirling in circles in my belly. Dear God. This man.
A few minutes later, he pulled up beside my SUV at the ski lodge. With it being late afternoon, the parking lot wasn’t as full as it would be when dinner rolled around. Ever since the family who owned this lodge had it renovated, this place was hopping.
I glanced over to see a shiny new tire in place of the one that had been deflated last night. “What did you do with my old tire?” I asked as I climbed out.
“Dropped it off at the transfer station. You must’ve gotten a new set of tires recently because the treads aren’t too worn. You’ll want to stop by a mechanic and get your tires rebalanced soon though,” he offered. “I also put a spare in the back.”
“Elias,” I began as I looked up at him. I suddenly realized we were standing mighty close between his truck and my SUV. My pulse skittered off.
“Let’s not argue about that. Everybody needs a good spare,” he said.
“Let me pay you,” I started, moving to open my purse.
He reached out, curling his hand over my wrist. His touch was warm and firm and my pulse went absolutely insane then, my heart kicking against my ribs and butterflies going wild in my belly.
“It’s no big deal, okay,” he said, his tone easy.
I tried to take a breath, but my lungs were pretty useless. The moment felt hazy and hot. Before I’d quite absorbed what was happening, he stepped closer and dipped his head, brushing his lips across mine briefly.
Just that and nothing more, and my entire body felt electrified and shimmering with heat. I stared blankly up at him, trying to gather my scattered brain cells.
“I’ll text you about the fundraiser, okay?” Apparently, he hadn’t lost the ability to think and form words.
After too long of a pause, I managed two whole syllables. “Okay.” He stood there waiting, looking at me expectantly. “What?” I prompted.
“I was waiting until you got in,” he said, gesturing towards my driver’s side door.
“Oh!” I was finally galvanized to actually move instead of standing there like a brain-fogged, foolish girl. I climbed in my SUV and started it. I rolled down my window, calling once more, “Thank you. For both rides and for fixing my tire.”
He simply dipped his chin and then got in his truck, waiting until I drove away first.
Chapter Thirteen
Elias
Two weeks later
The days passed in a blur once I started flying again. It was a relief because time had slowed to a crawl while I’d been healing. Although I saw Cammi every day, like before, now I knew what her lips tasted like underneath mine and precisely how she felt when she flew apart. There was usually a line when I stopped by, as had always been the case. Except now, I felt impatient about it because I wanted to steal a few minutes alone with her.
Flynn assigned me two overnight trips, which I usually jumped at. In a first, I was reluctant, but I took them anyway. I missed Cammi’s smile every morning while I was gone more than her coffee.
One evening, I sat at the counter in the kitchen at the resort, my feet hooked on the rung of the stool. “Smells freaking amazing,” I said before taking a long pull from my beer.
Daphne was busy cooking something incredibly fragrant. Her auburn hair was pulled into a tidy braid twisted on top of her head. Her green eyes twinkled with her smile as she looked up quickly, still stirring whatever she had going in the pan with one hand and adjusting the heat on a burner beside it. “I sure hope so. I aim to please.”
I chuckled. “Daphne, you’re the best cook this place has ever had. It’s not even close. You do more than please. The only thing keeping us all from just sitting here like dogs waiting for treats is we’re too busy.”
“Are you already complaining about the schedule?” Flynn asked as he approached from where he’d been standing over by the table in the front of the room. He slipped his hips onto the stool beside me.
“Hell no, I’m not complaining. Just telling Daphne that’s the only reason we’re all not trapped here in the kitchen waiting for what she makes next.”
Flynn cuffed me lightly on the shoulder as he laughed. When he looked over at Daphne, his smile stayed, but the intensity in his eyes shifted. Flynn had fallen so hard for Daphne, it was still a little startling. I wasn’t much for romance, but even I had to admit they seemed perfect for each other. Prim and proper as Daphne could come across, the woman was strong with a streak of sass and could stand up to Flynn’s tendency to be a cranky ass.
“What are you making?” he asked.
“Seasoned rice with sautéed veggies. I’m baking some halibut with a light lemon sauce. It’s all gonna be good.”
My mouth started watering then. Daphne was already dashing to the opposite side of the kitchen to fetch some spices. Flynn stood and crossed over to the pantry. Of course, because he was whipped, he stopped beside her and pressed a lingering kiss on the side of her neck. When he paused in the doorway of the large pantry, he glanced to me again. “Need another one?” He lifted his chin toward the beer in my hand.
“Nah. Just got this one a few minutes ago.”
“I’ll take one,” Diego’s voice came over my shoulder.
Glancing back, I saw him coming into the kitchen through the archway that led into the main guest area of the resort. On his heels were Tucker and Nora. Tucker had also flown with us in the Air Force, and Nora was Flynn’s younger sister. Right behind them came Grant, Flynn’s younger brother, and then last, but definitely not least, came Cat, the youngest of the four siblings. Cat was still in high school and lived here in the family’s private apartment with Flynn and Daphne.
I called over to the pantry. “Might want to grab enough for—” I took a quick head count. “Four more.”
“Me too,” Cat called.
Flynn came out of the pantry with a six-pack from the local brewery in his hand. He cast a quick look at Cat. “Hell no.”
Cat gave him an impish smile. In a minute, the counter was crowded. Everybody except Cat pulled up a stool and sat down. Cat hurried through the door into the family’s apartment. Daphne looked up with a smile. “Oh, I got a full kitchen tonight.”
“You always have a full kitchen,” Nora said solemnly.
Daphne grinned. “Actually, not always when we don’t have guests.”
This was a rare weekend when the resort wasn’t booked. Flynn had wanted to do some work on the roof, so we’d all be doing that this weekend. He hadn’t scheduled any bookings so we didn’t have to stress about guests meandering under ladders while we did the work.
Nora shook her head. “Daphne, this is the first time since you’ve been here that we don’t have any guests. We’d have been nuts not to take advantage of it. For once, we don’t have to be polite and make sure we don’t run out of whatever you’re making. It’s everywoman for herself tonight,” Nora said, casting a daring glance amongst us as she waggled her eyebrows.
Of the Walker siblings, Nora was the only one who didn’t share Flynn’s coloring of dark blond hair and ice blue eyes. She had rich brown hair with eyes to match. She was beautiful, and for probably the one-thousandth time, I thanke
d God she did nothing for me. On the other hand, Gabriel and her had so much sexual tension between them, they were like two fighting cats most of the time. So far, they’d managed to keep a lid on it.
Cat skipped around the counter to stand beside Daphne after reappearing in the kitchen. “What can I help with?”
“Can you check on the halibut for me? If you don’t mind,” Daphne replied.
“Course I don’t mind,” Cat said. “That’s why I asked.”
Flynn was systematically opening beers and passing them to the rest of the group. “I’m gonna need to start paying you,” he called over to Cat.
“Exactly,” she returned as she opened the oven.
Daphne looked up at Flynn when she set a cover over the large wok pan where the rice was and turned off the burner underneath. “You really should pay her. She helps me a lot.”
When Cat returned, inspecting what Daphne was doing, Flynn added, “We’ll make it official and put you on the payroll. You need to fill out some paperwork though.”
“Paperwork?” Cat queried.
“Yup. In Alaska if you want to work when you’re sixteen, we have to apply for a work permit for you, and I have to consent to you getting the job. It’s a liability issue.”
“Can’t you pay me under the table?” Cat asked, all nonchalant.
Grant let out a laugh at that. “Jesus. She’s already negotiating.”
Flynn merely rolled his eyes, taking it in stride. “Nothing under the table. We’re all official here.”
Cat let out an aggrieved sigh as Flynn chuckled. “We’ll do the paperwork together. Pretty sure it’s no big deal.”
We settled in for a rare night here where it was just staff. Flynn couldn’t have known how much I needed this job when he’d reached out. I had just finished my time in the Air Force and was on the other side of my short-lived but brutal episode of opiate addiction. With my own experience and tracking the news, I was convinced those damn pills were evil, as were the pharmaceutical companies that lied through their teeth for years while they made money hand over fist. Coming to Alaska and being able to do what I loved and be with guys who were like brothers to me helped me re-center and catch my balance in the never-ending ride of life.
Later that night, I let my eyes travel around our hodgepodge group. We had decamped from the counter over to the main table, a large rectangular table situated in front of windows that ran the length of the room. The windows offered a view of the field outside the resort with the hills rolling downward to reveal the mountains and ocean in the distance. The sun was being extravagant tonight as it set with the sky awash in pink, purple, and the fading gold of the sun’s rays lingering through the colors.
Nora was at one end of the table helping Cat with her math homework. Flynn, looking more relaxed than usual, leaned back in his chair with his arm draped over Daphne’s shoulders. Diego was sitting beside me, debating the finer points of dipnetting with Tucker and Gabriel. He glanced to me for assistance. “Don’t you think it’s better when you make the pole with cedar so it floats?”
“Agreed,” I said quickly.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “Really? You’re limited with shape when you use cedar for the pole. All you can do is make a square or rectangle net. I like the metal or the stainless steel because I can make it into a big loop.”
“What do you think?” I prompted, lifting my chin toward Tucker who sat across from me.
Tucker, ever affable, simply shrugged. “Whatever works for y’all.”
Grant had left the room to go to the bathroom and returned, sitting down beside Tucker. “What do you think?” Tucker asked him.
Grant looked amongst us. “Uh, what are we talking about?”
“The finer points of dipnetting,” I offered as I chuckled.
Dipnetting was a beloved Alaska tradition. You had to wait until you were a resident for a full year to even consider it. During short periods of time in fish season, residents could show up and stick a net in the water and catch salmon. It was like nothing I’d ever seen and a total blast.
“Cedar,” Grant said firmly, getting into the swing of the conversation immediately.
Grant was younger than Flynn by five years. He was more easy-going than Flynn, but was otherwise so much like him it was amusing at times. He was ever practical and quick. He was also shaping up to be a great pilot. I’d been one of his instructors for his training hours
Flynn, picking up on our conversation, called over, “Cedar.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll just have the best-looking net.”
Nora glanced up. “Who cares how the net looks?”
“And, here we go,” Diego muttered under his breath.
I grinned. “It won’t last long. They usually don’t argue too much when Flynn is around.”
Daphne cut the debate off at the pass. She tapped her hand lightly on the table. “While we’re all here, can we chat about the fundraiser coming up?”
“We will all be there,” Diego said, putting his palm over his chest and giving her a solemn nod.
“We’ll also be on our best behavior,” Tucker added.
“I would expect nothing less,” Daphne said in her precise, slightly Southern accent. “I just want to thank y’all for supporting this. It means a lot to me.”
Nora chimed in, “Of course we support it. I think you should do a fundraiser every year.”
“Maybe,” Daphne replied lightly. “It’s turned out to be a lot of work, and that’s with Tess helping me.”
She was referring to Tess Winters, who was a bigwig fundraiser. She moved to Diamond Creek some years ago after she met a mutual friend of ours, Nathan Winters. Ever since Tess moved to town, Diamond Creek and other nearby communities had more conferences and events than ever before because Tess organized them.
Flynn was always trying to spread the word about the resort, so he signed us up for pretty much everything. That was my only complaint about this job because he often prevailed upon us to attend events with him.
“Please God, tell me you don’t expect us to wear a suit,” Gabriel commented.
“You don’t have to wear a suit,” Daphne said in a soothing tone. “You could look nice. There probably will be people there in suits. It won’t kill you to at least shower and maybe shave.”
Diego scrubbed his hand along his chin, which had several days of stubble growing. “I’ll shave, I promise. I probably won’t wear a tie, but I’ll wear a button down. Also, Elias is bringing a date.”
Fuck my life. I should’ve known Diego was waiting for the right moment to tease me about Cammi.
I slid a look at him. “Really?”
Cat straightened in her chair, her curious eyes bearing down on me. “Who?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Well, we’re all going to meet the mystery girl next weekend,” Nora chimed in from Cat’s side as she set down her pencil.
“True. I invited Cammi.”
“From Red Truck Coffee?” Daphne prompted.
I finished off my beer and nodded. “She’s the only Cammi I know.”
“Oh, I like her. I can’t believe she’s coming with you,” Cat added, her tone bordering on incredulous.
“I wasn’t looking for your personal approval, but thank you.”
Flynn caught my eye, a knowing glint in his. He’d been giving me a little hell about Cammi for some time. I didn’t want to prove him right, but the temptation of her was too much for me to go out of my way to prove him wrong. “Okay, now everybody knows. Can we stop talking about it now?”
“You’d better be nice to her,” Cat said, her eyes narrowing almost comically.
“I’m not known for being an asshole to women,” I returned.
Cat wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips as she stared at me. “Maybe not an asshole specifically, but you and Flynn could have a contest for cranky.”
Grant burst out laughing, along with Diego.
“Although, Flynn’s been
much better since Daphne got here. Maybe you’ll be nicer if you get a girlfriend,” Cat added matter of factly.
Even I couldn’t help but laugh at that.
Chapter Fourteen
Elias
Hours later, I found myself unable to sleep, which was nothing new. Sleep and I had never gotten along all that well. The regimented routine of the military had helped somewhat, but then everything blew to smithereens when Greg died. I got hurt and then got hooked on those asinine pills.
Since then, I felt like I was in an endless boxing match with sleep. I was gradually coming to peace with the fact that sometimes I’d wake up and need to get out of bed to snap my brain out of its habit of rummaging around in the dark, casting about for every painful regret or needless worry I could find.
I walked outside in the darkness after shrugging into my jacket and lowered my hips onto the top step. Just last month, all of us had finally finished building a house a stone’s throw away from the main resort building. It was nice too. There were six bedrooms in here and four showers, along with a nice hangout space downstairs and an efficiency kitchen. We’d been working on it in fits and starts over the last year or more and took the winter months to get the interior complete for us to move in. With my limited mobility over the winter, I hadn’t been able to do as much as I’d wanted, but I’d managed to help some.
I stayed here with Diego, Tucker, Gabriel and Grant. Nora had her own place nearby, while Flynn and Cat lived at the main building with Daphne. I was relieved to be able to get around without my crutches and not need to stay in the room there anymore.
I rested my chin on my two fists stacked on top of each other and stared out into the darkness. A barred owl hooted nearby, and I heard a rustling in the trees. It was loud enough that I figured it was a squirrel. Small animals generally made the most noise in the woods.
My mind spun to the call I’d made to my mother recently, as I’d promised my sister. My mom wasn’t adjusting to aging all that well. She’d always been active and hated slowing down. It didn’t help that she was a medical assistant, and there was always work to be had at the local hospital where she’d worked for years. She had rheumatoid arthritis and wasn’t too pleased with how stress exacerbated it. She’d told me she knew she needed to scale back and promised she’d already talked to the hospital about it. Of course, she only got to that after I pointed out how I’d hate to see her lose more mobility by pushing herself too hard.