The Lure of Love

by Mona Ingram

  He turned and bowed to Leeza and Jamie. “We even bought a bunch of plastic chairs for spectators. Oh yes, and a cooler and half a dozen twenty-four-packs of water.” He gave the gasoline can a shake. “We’ve almost finished knocking down the weeds. A couple more passes around the outside and it’s done.”

  Leeza looked out the window. “Where’s Matt?”

  Billy waved a hand. “Oh, he’s out in the field putting chalk on the baselines.” His gaze rested on Leeza for a moment. “He’s a cool guy.”

  Leeza nodded. “The kids must be excited. Matt said you were playing catch with them last night.”

  “No kidding, but they haven’t left us alone since we started. We had to ask them to give us some space or we’d never get it done.” He grinned. “I think they’re drawing up their teams already. This is going to be fun.”

  His enthusiasm was catching. “What time is the game?” Brooke was already planning the rest of her day. The three of them had been talking for over an hour and she knew there’d be e-mails to answer, reservations to book.

  “No special time.” His voice softened. “But I hope to see you there.” He looked at Jamie “Can you let me into the maintenance shed? Matt will be waiting.”

  They walked down the front steps. Brooke watched them go and when they passed the window, Billy looked up and smiled.

  “Earth to Brooke.” Leeza gave her a knowing smile. “You guys really connected, didn’t you?”

  Brooke leaned closer to the window as Billy disappeared around the corner. “Yeah, I guess we did. That’s amazing what he and Matt did.” She grinned at the chef. “Let’s walk over together after dinner, okay?”

  Leeza nodded. “Just try to keep me away.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I thought the last diners would never leave.” Leeza checked her watch as she hurried down the stairs with Brooke. “It’s already after nine; thanks for waiting.” Brooke had never seen her so nervous.

  “Good thing it stays light so late. They must be having fun; I can hear them from here.” They walked a little faster.

  The makeshift ball diamond was crowded with spectators and players when they arrived a few minutes later. All of the plastic chairs were occupied and a dozen or so people had brought their own folding chairs.

  As they arrived a roar of approval went up; a young boy had managed to hit a line drive between first and second, and was called safe at first. Brooke looked around for Billy and spotted him huddled with his ‘team’ on the far side of the field. She didn’t see Matt at first, then recognized him behind the umpire’s mask. She turned to Leeza, but she’d already spotted him and was moving closer.

  “You made it!” Jamie and Craig called her over. “Sorry we didn’t save you a seat, but we got overwhelmed.” Craig was standing beside a smiling Jamie, a camera slung around his neck. Dust hung suspended over the field, caught in the slanting rays of the setting sun. The scene looked like something out of an old movie; she made a mental note to ask him if she could use one of his photos on the Lodge’s website.

  She bent over so Jamie could hear her above the cheers. “Who’s coaching the other team?” She looked across the field. “I see Billy over there.”

  Jamie pointed to an older man with a red face. “He and his family are staying in the campground. He’s having the time of his life. Billy and Matt seem to be enjoying themselves as well. I wish we’d thought of this years ago.”

  Brooke shrugged. “Never mind, they’re enjoying it now. I think I’ll go over and cheer for Billy’s team.” She walked behind the backstop made of hay bales and heard Billy consoling one of his players.

  “It doesn’t matter that you struck out,” she heard him say. “We’re here to have fun.” He placed a hand on the young boy’s shoulder. “You are having fun, aren’t you?”

  The boy nodded.

  “Well that’s all that counts!” He lowered his voice. “Do you have any idea how many times I struck out?” He gave a little shudder. “Don’t even ask.”

  The boy laughed and went back to his teammates.

  Billy turned, saw her watching him and for a long, heart-stopping moment everything else faded into the background as they looked at each other.

  “There you are” he said finally, taking a step toward her. “I was afraid you weren’t coming.” He reached for her hand. “I missed you today, Brooke.” He looked back as his team called him. “Will I see you later? On the dock?”

  She nodded. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then went back to his coaching duties.

  * * *

  Matt lifted his mask and scanned the crowd. Where was she? Dinner service should be over by now.

  He’d been thinking of her ever since he left the lodge this morning. He’d asked Billy about her but the ball player had given him an odd look. It was better this way. He couldn’t allow himself to be attracted to her. Life was too complicated just now.

  And then he saw her and his good intentions flew out the window. She was watching him with those dark eyes and holding out a water bottle. He walked over, accepted it from her and took a drink without saying a word.

  “Thanks,” he said finally. “I needed that.” He took another drink. “We have to stop meeting like this, you know.” He gestured with the water bottle. “You taking care of me.”

  “Then don’t be so needy.” The edge of her mouth twitched, but she managed to keep a straight face.

  “Hey, Ump! Are you going to call this game or not?” Billy walked up to the two of them, a grin on his face.

  Matt didn’t turn. “I’ll be right there.” He stared into her eyes. “Will you be around later?”

  She nodded.

  “How will I find you?”

  She thought for a moment. “Have you got your cell phone with you?”

  He nodded.

  She held out a hand. “Give it to me.”

  He did as she directed. She quickly entered her number.

  He finished the water and handed her the bottle in exchange for his cell. His eyes were dark and unreadable. “Thanks. See you later.”

  * * *

  The ball game continued until it was too dark to see properly. Neither team minded; they hadn’t been keeping score.

  “This is the way it should be,” said Billy as he and Matt gathered up the equipment. “Playing ball purely for the joy of it on a summer night.”

  Matt nodded. “That was the most fun I’ve had for a long time.” He looked down at the cooler, now full of empty water bottles. “We’ll have to wash this out before we use it again. I hope we can recycle these bottles.”

  “Sure can. We have a recycling bin around back.” Jamie tossed the last bottle in. She looked from Billy to Matt. “There’s a hose back there too, where you can wash out the cooler. But this garbage bin is pure genius.” She closed the lid. “I never would have thought of it.” As part of their spending spree, Billy and Matt had bought a large garbage bin on wheels to store and transport the equipment.

  She gave each of them a quick hug. “Thank you. Both of you.”

  Matt wiped a hand on his slacks and extended it. “We haven’t formally met. I’m Matt Weber.” He gave her a sheepish grin and then turned to Craig. “Nice to meet you, too. I’ve seen your work.”

  Craig nodded and gestured to the garbage bin. “Do you guys need help with that?”

  Matt shook his head. “No, we’re fine.”

  “Okay, then.” He slipped his arm around Jamie’s waist. “We’re off.”

  * * *

  Craig and Jamie sauntered along, each lost in thought.

  “Penny for them” she said finally, looking up at him.

  He smiled, but it was a crooked smile. “I was thinking how much Jody would have liked tonight. Billy’s right, there’s nothing like playing baseball on a summer evening.” He took a few more steps then stopped, swinging her around so that she faced him. “I think about him a lot, Jamie. I hope you don’t mind if I talk about him.”

  She pul
led back, surprised. “Of course I don’t mind.” She paused for a moment. “Actually, I’d mind if you didn’t talk about him. That wouldn’t be healthy.”

  They continued walking. “What would you like to do?” he asked. “I’m not the least bit tired.”

  “Would you like a cup of tea or something?” She gestured toward the cottages behind the lodge. “My porch is screened, and we could sit out. There’s something I’d like to talk over with you.”

  He shot her a curious look. “I’d enjoy a cup of tea.” They changed direction and walked toward her cottage. It was a small building in the panabode style that was popular in the 50s and 60s. Tucked under the fir trees, it looked like it would be at home in a fairy tale.

  Craig entered her living room and gave a low whistle of approval. “Now this is cozy,” he said, gravitating toward the north wall. A fireplace dominated the wall, faced in sandstone that reached the ceiling. He ran his hand reverently over the stone and called to her through the opening to the kitchen.

  “Are these what I think they are?”

  Jamie popped her head around the corner. “Yes. Aren’t they gorgeous? I went to summer camp one year up near Telkwa. On one of our outings we went to the fossil beds. They were wide open in those days.” She came closer.

  “I remember I was nervous, because we had to walk on a big log over a stream. But once we got across, they were there for the taking. Layers of what I later learned was sandstone. They looked like pages from a book. The adults must have brought picks or rock hammers, because when a slab was thick, we’d give it a tap on the edge and it would fall open, usually revealing a fossil. They were incredibly fragile, but I brought those specimens home while Dad was finishing off the fireplace and he set them in place.” Craig was admiring a winged insect and she touched it with her fingertips. “That one’s my favourite. I found all of these; there were lots of insects.” She gave her head a quick shake. “If we didn’t like what we found, or if the fossil was too close to the edge of the chunk of sandstone, we dropped them onto the pile and they broke.” She paused in front of a small fern-like leaf. “When I think of it now, I realize what a waste that was, but we didn’t really know any better.”

  “How old are they?” he asked.

  “I was afraid you were going to ask me that. I can’t give it to you in years, but they’re from the Cretaceous period, and that came after the Jurassic era.”

  He nodded to himself. “So they’re old.” He moved aside to the bookcases flanking the fireplace and she went back into the kitchen. “It’s not hard to tell where your interests lie.” He pulled out a biography of Grant McConachie. “This guy was something, wasn’t he?”

  Jamie recognized the book about the famous bush pilot turned CEO. “He’s my hero. When people play that game of ‘who would you like to have dinner with?’ I always say Grant McConachie.” She came out of the kitchen carrying the teapot and cups on a tray. “Maybe you’d rather sit in here with your tea.”

  He placed the book back on the shelf. “I wouldn’t mind. It’s such a welcoming room. Nothing like that condo I’m living in now. It’s easy to keep clean but that’s about all I can say about those cold, stark lines.” He lowered himself onto one of the large overstuffed chairs that faced the fireplace.

  She poured tea and handed him a mug. “Sorry I don’t have any cookies.” She shrugged. “I don’t keep that kind of thing in the house.” She settled into the chair facing him

  He picked up the mug and cradled it in his hands. “What did you want to talk about?”

  She pulled up her legs and tucked them underneath her. “I got propositioned today.”

  He was about to take a sip but froze at her words. “I beg your pardon?”

  She grinned. “Just seeing if you were paying attention.” A small frown creased her brow. “Brooke came to me today with the most amazing proposition.”

  “Brooke. That’s the woman who runs the office?”

  She nodded. “Yes. And she runs it well. She wants to open a spa in connection with the lodge, and she’s willing to pay for the construction of the buildings. She’s put a lot of thought into it. She’s even been to see the planning department, for goodness sake.”

  Craig watched her carefully. “So what do you think?”

  “Offhand, I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t do it. I thought I’d ask you for your opinion. You’ve been around more than I have.”

  His gaze drifted to the fireplace, but his thoughts were elsewhere. “How much land would it take, and where would you put it?”

  Jamie repeated everything Brooke had said. “And I love her idea of separate buildings connected by walkways.”

  “I can see it working. I imagine the biggest stumbling block could be the legalities. If you sit down and hammer out what each of you want from this venture, and be honest about it, then it sounds like a winner.”

  “What do you mean, be honest about it?”

  He sipped his tea before replying. “I’ve seen it happen with friends. They let their egos get in the way when it comes to decisions. What they should do is sit down and rationally discuss what’s best for the business, but like I said their egos get in the way and things get mired down.”

  Jamie thought for a moment. “I don’t think that would happen. Brooke even wants to make sure Leeza gets a share. What’s the term? ‘Give her a vested interest’?”

  He nodded his head slowly. “I don’t know Brooke, but I think it’s a genius idea. I can even see women from the campground coming over for spa treatments, or whatever you call them.” He pulled up short. “How many rooms do you have?”

  “Sixteen in the main lodge, and thirty-two in the two outbuildings.”

  He tilted his head, as though hearing a far-off voice. “I wonder if that’s enough. I can see you needing another building within a few years.”

  Jamie slumped back in her chair. “You see, that’s where it doesn’t feel right to me. I feel like I’m not contributing enough.”

  “You have the Lodge, and all the goodwill you’ve built up over the years. You own the land. I’d say that’s a fair contribution.”

  She twirled a piece of hair around her finger. “I suppose...when you put it that way.”

  He set down his mug and steepled his fingers. “Okay. Let me play devil’s advocate. Tell me what you don’t like about the deal.”

  Jamie thought for a moment. “Nothing.”

  He spread his hands. “Then what are you worried about? I’m not saying you should make up your mind tonight, but unless and until you find something wrong with the deal, you should at least give it some serious consideration.”

  She relaxed for the first time since this afternoon’s meeting. “You’re right. I’ll sleep on it. Thanks, Craig.”

  He drained his mug and stood up. “I’d better get back and get some sleep. Evidently there’s a hotshot pilot who’s going to take me flying tomorrow.”

  She grinned and rose. “I heard that, too.”

  He held out his hand and she took it. There was something comforting about slipping her hand into his. What would it be like to have someone like Craig in her life? Someone who seemed to like her just the way she was? He led her out to the front porch and she reached for the light switch.

  “Leave it.” His husky voice sent shivers of delight skittering through her body. She looked up to find him watching her with an intensity that took her breath away.

  “I didn’t expect to find someone like you here, Jamie.” He lifted her hair from her neck and sifted his fingers through it. “And to think I thought you were a man instead of a beautiful woman.”

  She was glad he couldn’t see the blush that crept up her neck. “I’m not beautiful.”

  “To me you are.” His thumb traced the line of her jaw with a delicate touch and he brought his head down, his lips stopping inches away from hers. “You’re a breath of fresh air.”

  His lips brushed against hers, teasing, tantalizing. A low moan of need rose
in his throat and he pulled her closer, slanting his mouth over hers, sending her racing heart into overdrive.

  His body was long, lean and hard and for one wild moment Jamie wished she could crawl inside him and stay there forever. In his arms she knew she was safe and secure.

  He pulled back and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I’d better go.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and turned to the door. “What time will we be leaving tomorrow?”

  “Huh?” Jamie’s head was spinning. “Oh, the flight. Let’s leave here around ten, okay? And wear some comfortable walking shoes and bring a bathing suit.”

  He paused, one hand on the doorknob. “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Just be ready.”

  She watched him disappear into the darkness, taking her heart with him.

  Chapter Nine

  Brooke dug through her bag for the small vial of perfume she always kept there. Her heart was beating as if she’d just run a marathon and she told herself to slow down, but the message wasn’t getting through.

  You’re being silly, she told herself as she dabbed on some scent and raked her fingers through her long, curly hair. Billy just wants some company, that’s all.

  So why did every molecule in her body disagree? Why did the air seem to sizzle between them every time their eyes met? Why had she looked up every time the door opened today, hoping to see him? And then when he’d finally walked in, why did everything seem all right again?

  “I believe him when he says Slick Billy doesn’t exist any more,” she murmured to herself. She powered down her computer and set out the security log for Larry. As she crossed the lobby her thoughts went back to earlier in the evening. She’d been touched by the way he interacted with the young ball player.