by Mona Ingram
Her steps faltered as realization dawned. Building the baseball diamond and creating a safe, friendly environment for the children was Billy’s way of making up for what had been missing in his own childhood. Her heart went out to the young confused boy who’d waited in vain for his father to come back.
Was she any different? Did this sudden urge to develop a spa stem from being rejected by her father? Her background was eerily similar to Billy’s, but their goals were different. Billy was re-creating a happy childhood environment, while she had to admit that she might be trying to prove something to her father. Trying to prove that she could do it on her own, that she didn’t need his approval. But her desire to succeed came with a bonus; it was about more than just proving herself. She’d grown fond of Jamie in the short time she’d known her, and had no doubt that the spa would boost the bottom line of the Lodge. That was the real goal.
She looked ahead into the gathering darkness and started walking again. Even if the spa didn’t get off the ground, she’d enjoyed every minute of dreaming about it, planning for it. Not only that, talking things over with Billy had allowed her an insight into his character that she might not otherwise have seen. She hurried across the narrow beach and stepped onto the dock.
“Brooke.” His tone was more assured tonight. He was waiting for her at the corner of the dock, a small light in his hand. It gave off a soft golden glow and he led her to where he’d set up the two chairs. He placed the light on a table between the chairs and she noticed two brandy snifters and a small bottle on the table.
He saw her look at the bottle and his shoulders lifted slightly. “I thought maybe you’d like a drink after your busy day.” He took her hand and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.
She settled into her chair. “It’s peaceful out here,” she said as she watched him pour. “And you’re right. It has been a busy day.” She accepted the glass and looked out over the water.
Billy sat quietly beside her. She liked that about him; he didn’t need to be talking constantly, like some men.
“What you did today, that was nice,” she said finally. She swirled the liquid around in the glass. “It must have cost quite a bit of money.”
He shrugged again. “It was worth every penny to see those kids enjoy themselves. Besides, Matt chipped in.” He turned thoughtful. “I was thinking that if it becomes a permanent fixture near the campground, I should have a sign made.”
“What would that be? The Billy Talbot Field?” She was teasing him, and he knew it.
He laughed. “No. It would be the rules. Then nobody could argue.”
She didn’t understand. “The rules?”
“Yes. A sign stating that there are no rules. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about parents taking over and ruining it for kids. I’d rather they didn’t play at all.”
She’d heard the stories. “So that really happens?”
He nodded. “Big time. I get riled up every time I hear about it.”
She took a sip of brandy. “Well, tonight was absolutely perfect. There wasn’t a child or an adult there who didn’t enjoy himself.”
“I thought so too.” His eyes gleamed in the golden light. “Thanks for coming. Now enough about me. Did you talk to Jamie about your idea?”
She filled him in on the informal meeting. “She needs to think about it of course, but hopefully she won’t take too long. She’s agreed to let me stock that little area in the lobby with stuff.”
“Like what?”
“I’m going to bring in items that women could use on their own in their rooms. Facials, depilatories, nail care, foot care, hair treatments, things like that. And then I’ll stock a few pieces of locally made jewellery and some fashion magazines. That’s about all I have room for, but it’s a start.”
“I just thought of something when you said hair treatment. Will you have a hair salon as part of the spa?”
She thought for a moment. “They take up a fair amount of space, but I’ve allowed for one. I know if I were one of the women in the campground, I’d enjoy having my hair done as a special treat. Some of them stay for several weeks.” She leaned forward. “It sounds like you’ve been thinking about this.”
She wasn’t sure, but she thought he coloured. “I’ve been thinking about you, Brooke.” His voice turned husky. “I haven’t thought about much else since last night, to tell you the truth.”
So she was right; the connection was there. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized how much she was attracted to him. “I thought about you, too. I was been hoping to have breakfast with you this morning but you were a no-show.”
He chuckled. It was a deep, sexy sound that curled her toes. “I was avoiding you.”
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid that no matter what I’d told you, you still believed the rumours about me. You see, in my twisted mind I reasoned that as long as you hadn’t told me to back off, there was a chance that you might be interested.”
She didn’t hesitate. “I’m interested.” She paused, wondering if her next words might turn him off, but they had to be said. “I might not be ready to jump into bed with you just yet, but I’m definitely interested.”
He stood up and held out a hand. “I can wait.” There was nothing tentative about his answer.
She rose and placed her hand in his. His gaze held hers with an intensity that was almost frightening. Then he gave her a gentle tug and she went into his arms. He hesitated for only a moment and then lowered his head, kissing her with a passion that took her breath away. Contentment seeped into every part of her body; wrapped in his arms she knew she’d finally found a man to love.
When he finally raised his head his face was mostly in darkness, but his voice was thick with emotion. “I’ve wanted to do that from the first moment I saw you. You were surrounded by guests checking in, and I wanted to send them all away and have you to myself.” He picked her up and swung her around, then put her back down. “So if this spa goes through, you’ll be living here?” He punctuated his question with a quick kiss, but she could tell his mind was somewhere else.
“I’d pretty well have to, don’t you think?”
“Uh-huh. So I guess that means I have to find a place near here.”
She smiled at him. “Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? We’ve only just met.”
“True, but if I’m going to convince you that I’m the man for you, I have to be around.” He grinned the boyish grin that had attracted her on the first day. “Brooke Stephens, I’m putting you on notice. I won’t rest until you tell me you love me.”
He kissed her again. She didn’t tell him that it was too late; he’d already captured her heart.
* * *
Leeza took one last look around the kitchen. It wasn’t her job to do the evening clean-up but she was a stickler for cleanliness and when she became chef, she had adopted the habit of doing a final evening check. The equipment was clean and ready for breakfast. At least Marta would be back tomorrow. The breakfast cook was unflappable; a valuable trait at any time of the day, but especially at breakfast.
She pushed through the doors and walked into the dining room. Had it been just this morning that she’d sat there with Matt, listening to his story? It seemed like such a long time ago, and yet she remembered every word, every inflection of his voice.
Her cell phone sounded, cutting off her reverie. She looked at the call display and her heart started to pound. She tried a couple of quick, calming breaths but it didn’t work. She answered breathlessly. “Hello?”
“Leeza.” Just that single word made her weak with desire. How did he manage to do that? “Where are you?”
“I’m in the Lodge. Where are you?”
“Have you finished for the day?”
What was he up to? “Yes, but you didn’t answer my question. Where are you?”
“Go out the front door.”
Something propelled her feet out the door.
“Go down the stai
rs and turn left. Go back toward your cottage.”
“But where are you?” He was toying with her and she couldn’t decide whether to be angry or delighted. Playfulness wasn’t one of her traits, but with Matt, she could learn to like it.
“I’m watching one of the most spectacular sights on the planet.” He was silent for a moment. “Kind of reminds me of you.” He disconnected.
She followed the landscaping lights that dotted the path to the cottages. She, Jamie and Brooke each had a cottage to themselves; it was a generous side benefit of working at the Lodge.
Where was he? She pulled up even with her cottage and watched for movement in the darkness. To her right was the road leading out of the resort and beyond that, the new baseball diamond. Instinct told her he wasn’t there.
She went forward another few feet. The level area where they’d built the baseball diamond extended to this side of the road, but she could see nothing there.
“Okay, that’s enough,” she called into the darkness, trying to sound serious. “You’re starting to try my patience.” Her eyes were adjusted to the dark now. She was turning to go and search the area around her cottage when a light caught her eye. It was at ground level, waving back and forth.
“Matt?” She walked toward the light. “What in the world...” She stopped. It was the light from his cell phone and he was lying flat on his back on the ground.
“Come join me.” He patted the space beside him and she realized that he’d spread out some sleeping bags. This was the last thing she’d expected.
“Are you drunk?” She sat down beside him. He didn’t seem drunk.
“Nope.” He was looking at the sky. “At least not with alcohol. Come on, lie down.”
She did as he asked and was immediately rewarded with the sight of several meteors streaking across the sky.
“Wow. That’s beautiful.” She watched as a single meteor followed. “What is it?”
“It’s the Perseid meteor shower. Happens every year at this time.” He turned to her and there was something about him that hadn’t been there this morning. His face looked softer, happy almost. He’d been appealing this morning, but this new Matt was someone against whom she had no defenses. She smiled at him in the darkness, and then went back to watching.
“This is the best I’ve ever seen it,” he said, his tone almost reverent. “In the city, the ambient light gets in the way.” He waved an arm in an arc across the sky. “Nothing here to interfere with the brightness of the stars either.”
“I’ve noticed that too,” she said. “When I first got here I wasn’t sure if I could adjust to life away from the city but it’s been surprisingly easy.”
He turned toward her, his head supported by an arm. “This would be a great place to raise kids, wouldn’t it?”
She looked at him, startled. “I suppose so. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“You don’t want kids?”
She laughed. “I’d like to get married first.”
“Details, details.” He chuckled, then went silent for a moment before he spoke again. “I’m of two minds about it. I’d love to have children, but in a way I’m glad we didn’t. Especially now, with everything that’s happened.”
“I can understand that.” She turned her head so that she could look at him. “You were great with the kids today.”
“We had fun.” He searched her eyes. “How did Jamie like it?”
“I haven’t had much time to talk to her, but I think she was delighted.” She thought for a moment; with his experience in real estate his opinion could be helpful. She decided to tell him about Brooke’s proposal.
“Jamie has a lot on her mind right now. Brooke came up with the most amazing concept today.” She told him what Brooke had in mind. “It would be fun for me, too. I’d get to do a new menu that caters to women who are watching what they eat. Not bean sprouts and tofu like some of the places I’ve heard about, but healthy.” She was having a difficult time judging his reaction. “What do you think?”
He lay back down and stared up into the sky.
“My first thought was that it doesn’t fit with the fishing lodge concept, but that’s not necessarily true. Wow! Look at that one.” He went silent for a few moments and she waited until he was ready to speak again. “These days people are thinking outside the box when it comes to developments. I hate that overused expression, but in this case it fits. For example, some of the residential developments on the lower mainland are incorporating businesses and services you’d never have imagined twenty years ago. It’s exciting.” He turned to look at her again. “I think her idea could work.”
He sat up and turned toward her, the sky forgotten for a moment. “I’d like to ask you something. If you don’t feel comfortable answering, I’ll understand. Has Jamie been having financial problems?”
Leeza sat up as well and took a deep breath. “Jamie told us earlier this year that it’s touch and go financially. All of the fishing resorts are having the same money problems. The high rollers who used to fly in on private jets aren’t coming in the same numbers as they did ten years ago. The staff are still getting paid of course, but I don’t think there’s much left over. Thank goodness for Brooke, that’s all I can say. Jamie is great at what she does, but Brooke has more business experience. She’s made sure we maximize our web presence.” She gave a little laugh. “At least I think that’s the way she says it. She’s smart; that’s why I feel good about the potential of this spa thing.”
He toyed with his cell phone, deep in thought. “But it won’t start paying off until at least next year. Possibly longer if there are delays.”
Leeza nodded thoughtfully. “There is the other land, of course but Jamie has held out against the people who wanted to develop it. I think she’d do it if it meant saving the Resort, but it would break her heart.”
His head came up. “What other land?”
She pointed behind him, to the north. “She owns the land between the road and the lake for about a mile in that direction. As she likes to say, her grandfather had vision.”
He frowned. “I’m trying to remember what that land looks like. Billy and I drove in that direction today when we went into town. What sort of development did these people propose?”
Leeza lifted her shoulders. “You’d have to ask her, but I think there was some talk of high density. Jamie is stubborn and has been holding out against that.” Her tone softened. “She grew up right here and hates the idea of anything that would spoil the lake.”
“I don’t blame her. Do you think she’d mind if I took a look at it?”
“I can’t speak for her, but I think she’d welcome your input as long as you’re not talking about jamming in a bunch of vacation homes.”
“I’ll look it over tomorrow.” He was silent for a few moments and Leeza studied what she could see of his face. A sliver of moon had crept up behind the trees on the far side of the lake, bathing them in silvery light. His cheekbones and jawline were sharply defined, in striking contrast to his generous mouth. She looked at his mouth and swallowed involuntarily. She was drawn to this man like a moth to a flame. A fitting image, when she considered how she’d get burned if she got involved with him. The rational part of her mind told her that, but she wasn’t listening. She wanted this man with a fierceness that must be obvious to anyone who looked at her.
He spoke, breaking into her thoughts. “Listen to me going on about property. I asked you out here to see the meteor shower and I end up talking business.”
“That’s okay. The meteors were spectacular.” She looked into the sky, afraid to let him see the longing in her eyes. “Thanks for inviting me to see them.”
“That was purely selfish. I enjoy your company.” He looked at her for a moment and seemed to be debating with himself. “Would you like to have breakfast together tomorrow, or do you have to work?”
“No!” She was rewarded by a look of disappointment in his eyes. “I mean no, I don’t have to
work.”
“That’s great.” He stood up, and pulled her to her feet. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he dropped her hand at the last minute. “Somewhere around nine? Is that okay with you?”
“Perfect.” She bent to pick up the sleeping bag.
“No leave it. I’ll get it later.”
“Later?” She looked around. The place wasn’t exactly a hive of activity.
“I mean after I walk you to your place.” He pretended to shudder. “Who knows what kind of critters are out there?”
She laughed. “My cottage is just over there.” She pointed downhill to the back of her cottage.
The walk was far too short; they were there in moments. Two steps led up to the small screened porch. They stopped, neither knowing what to say.
“Well, I guess I’ll say goodnight,” she said at last. “See you in the morning.”
“Right. Goodnight then.” He waited until she’d gone inside and then turned away.
Leeza watched him through the window until he rounded the corner. Matt Weber was a hard one to figure out. At one point she’d thought he might be interested in her, but now she wasn’t so sure. If he was interested, he was keeping it to himself.
Who are you kidding? she said to herself, not for the first time. He’s married and in all sorts of trouble. She was setting herself up for a fall and she knew it. Trouble was, she was willing to accept the consequences in order to find out.
* * *
Matt walked toward the sleeping bags. Thankfully he could see them in the thin moonlight.
He picked up the first one and started to fold it but Leeza’s scent lingered in the fabric. He brought the soft flannel to his nose and inhaled.
What was he going to do about his growing attraction for her? It couldn’t have come at a worse time in his life. She had everything going for her here, and with the new spa development, she had a bright future ahead of her.
He couldn’t say why he was attracted to her; he just was. Maybe it was because she was the polar opposite of Cassandra. He thought of his wife; tall, blonde and undeniably elegant, they had been working together in the business for just under six years. He shook the sleeping bag and started to fold it, still thinking of Cassandra.