“This place is so nice,” I gushed, gesturing with a hand around me. “You guys have done such a great job up here. I’ve never stayed anyplace this beautiful before,” I admitted. “My family always stayed at a motel or someplace like that. Never a resort.”
“Thank you,” Brad said, proudly. “My dad and mom started this place when I was a teenager. We worked hard to get it to this point. We’re on the map now,” he stated proudly. “People know our name.”
“That’s awesome,” I said. “I’m happy to be a part of this place, even if it’s just in a small role.”
“Schooling my boys isn’t a small role,” he said, smiling at me. “You’re going to fit right in here. I can tell.”
“I hope so,” I said, looking around. My gaze returned to Brad, and I caught him watching me. He smiled when I looked over, and I felt my cheeks get hot.
Just when I was about to melt into the seat under Brad’s gaze, a good-looking man with long hair came sauntering into the room from the back hallway. I instantly noticed the similarity between Brad and this man, even though Brad had dark hair and this man’s was closer to the color of mine.
“There you are,” the man with long hair said, stopping when he saw me. “Who's this?” he asked, grinning at me and then back at Brad.
“Dax, this is Angela. Angela, this is my brother, Dax,” Brad introduced us.
I started to get up to greet him, but he said, “Don’t get up,” extending his hand toward me. “It’s nice to meet you, Angela. We’ve all heard so much about you.”
“Oh?” I asked curiously, glancing at Brad.
“Nothing bad,” he joked, winking at me.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” I added, accepting his handshake.
Dax was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. He was slenderer than Brad, but I noticed his bulging muscles; his biceps almost split his shirt sleeves.
Wow, I thought. That waitress from the diner was right. From the two brothers I’d met so far, they were ‘hefty husky hunks’ for sure.
“What’s up, Dax?” Brad asked his brother.
“I want you to come and look at the new ads before I run them. I was looking for Cole out back but can’t find him. I added some pictures of him. Guess he’s off fixing something.”
“Okay, give me a few minutes, and I’ll come check them out,” Brad told him as he walked back toward his office.
“Take your time,” Dax called back, giving us a wicked smile.
A blush reddened my cheeks, so I said the first lame thing that popped into my head. “Wow, your brother looks a lot like you.”
“Yeah, we all look alike in some ways,” he replied. “Dax does the advertising for the resort.”
“Oh, really?” I asked. “That’s good. You even keep the advertising in-house. Smart.”
“Yeah, we’re lucky. Each one of us got a different talent, and it works out well. I manage the place. Dax does the advertising and social media, Cole is the handyman and is starting fishing outings, and Harley takes care of most of the activities we offer,” Brad informed me. “Oh, and Mom plans the menu every week and does the decorating around the resort.”
I looked around and said, “I love how your mom decorated this room. It’s lovely.”
“She’d be happy to hear that. She loves when guests compliment her decorating or her recipes. We have a chef, but Mom does most of the meal planning.”
“I’ll have to try one of her dinners sometime. I’m sure they’re delicious if they’re anything like her decorating,” I remarked, though I kind of felt like that sounded dumb. I smiled to cover my embarrassment.
Brad returned my smile and said, “One day, when I’m not too busy, you can stay for dinner with the boys and me. We’ll have one of Mom’s famous recipes.”
“Sounds great,” I said, my heart fluttering just a bit at the thought of sharing a meal with his family.
Again, our eyes met, and I imagined him leaning over and kissing me. Before it got too awkward, I made my move to leave. “Well, I guess I should be going and let you get to those ads. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Sure thing,” Brad answered. “You can just go straight up to the house in the morning,” he added. “If I’m gone before you get there, I’ll come up when I get the chance. I’ll bring lunch again, if you don’t mind?”
“Of course I don’t mind,” I said. “Looking forward to it.”
“Good, me too,” Brad said, grinning at me. We got up from the couch, and Brad walked me out to my car. “Be careful driving back to town. The road gets windy.”
“I will,” I promised him.
I got into my car and started it. I noticed in my mirror that Brad watched as I drove out of the resort’s lot to the mountain road. He was still watching when I disappeared into the trees.
It feels good to have a man’s attention again, I thought as I drove toward the town. The thought of having someone like Brad pay attention to me gave me chills, but in a good way. A very good way.
I got to my small house and pulled into the driveway. As I walked inside, my mind was still on Brad. I glanced around when I heard a car and noticed a black sedan with tinted windows drive by abnormally slowly like they were looking for something. I hurried into the house, closing the door just as the black sedan rolled past my house. The car turned the corner without slowing further, and I relaxed. I didn’t recognize either the car or the person driving it.
My mind returned to my new boss. I walked into my house without another thought about the black sedan.
Brad
I woke up Tuesday morning and instantly thought of Angela. I couldn’t wait to see her and was ready to make an excuse to be here when she arrived just so I could see her, if even just for a minute.
I got up early to drink my morning coffee and to enjoy the sunrise on my front porch. I looked over and noticed Cole outside, heading into his workshop with Bella following in close pursuit. Cole waved, and I returned it.
I got the boys up at eight o’clock and told them they could wear regular clothes today. No ripped jeans, but they didn’t have to dress up. Happy to hear this, I left them to get ready for the morning. I’d already cooked some eggs, sausage, and toast and had it laying out on the island along with two glasses of chocolate milk.
The boys came out of their rooms and headed straight for the food. They both looked tired this morning.
“What’s up, boys?” I asked. “Why the tired faces?”
“I couldn't sleep,” Bryce informed me.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Don’t know,” he replied and began picking at his food.
“I slept just fine,” Reid countered. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“Okay, well, eat your breakfasts, and it will help wake you up.”
“Are you leaving before Angela gets here?” Bryce asked me through a bite of food.
“No, I’ll wait for her and make sure she doesn’t need anything,” I said.
“Okay,” he yawned.
The boys finished eating, and I cleaned up while they got their school stuff ready. I made a fresh pot of coffee for Angela and poured myself a cup while I waited for her.
At eight fifty-five, there was a soft knock on the front door. Reid ran over to let Angela inside. Her entering the room was like a wave of fresh air rushed into the house. She smelled lovely, like flowers.
And she looked even more beautiful today, if that’s possible. She was wearing a purple silk blouse that buttoned up the front, tucked into black dress pants that hugged her ass perfectly. I noticed she’d brought a pair of tennis shoes that she dropped by the front door when she came in. She was wearing a pair of black high heels that clicked on the floor as she walked. She wore her black reading glasses on top of her head, holding back her golden hair.
At first, I just stared at her. Don’t be so rude, I thought to myself, but I couldn’t speak.
Angela’s beauty spellbound me. All I could do was gawk at her and hand her a cup of
coffee I had poured for her. She took the cup of coffee and thanked me.
I muttered, “You’re welcome.”
She smiled at me, though her brows were slightly furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, sorry. I’m just tired.” The lie slipped out before I thought. Wow, man, get a hold of yourself.
“You weren’t tired a few minutes ago,” Bryce reported. “I’m the one who’s tired.”
Thanks, Bryce. I glared at him, and he smirked. Embarrassed, I sighed to myself and turned to wash out my coffee cup while Angela set up her laptop and pulled out her lessons for the morning.
I took a deep breath and turned to face her. She was smiling at me again. I managed to smile back. “What’s on the agenda today?” I asked her for a lack of anything else to say.
“We’ve got biology, English, and history in the morning,” she reported. “And I brought my camera today, boys, with a new roll of film.”
“Cool,” Bryce said, grinning at his brother.
“We can do a physical fitness walk and take turns taking some nature pictures,” she told them.
“I get to go first!” Bryce yelled.
“Sure.” Angela chuckled at his enthusiasm. Then she glanced at me. “That reminds me, do you know a good place to set up a dark room for our photography class? Maybe a closet or small room? It would need to be big enough to have an oblong table and for the three of us to fit inside comfortably,” she listed. “Oh, and if it has windows, we’ll need to cover them.”
I thought for a moment. “Well, there’s that small supply room in the main resort building by the offices. We can clean it out. We don’t keep any real supplies in there right now,” I suggested. “How does that sound?”
“Sounds perfect to me,” Angela replied. “I brought everything we’ll need, and maybe we can clean it out and set it up this afternoon.”
Both boys were looking at me, waiting for my reply. I couldn’t believe they had an interest in photography, which made me wonder about the cost of Angela’s supplies.
“How much does this stuff cost?” I asked her
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she said, waving her hand. “I already have everything we need. The special lights, developing tank and spiral, developing fluid, stop bath, fixer, and water to wash the negatives. I have a negative enlarger, and we’ll need photo paper. I have about half a ream left. When I run out, I’ll let you know.”
“Dad, you should get us cameras for our birthdays,” Bryce said excitedly.
I just looked at him for a moment. He was one of those kids who was into something one minute and forgot about it the next. I hoped this would be different but feared it wouldn’t be.
“We’ll see,” I told him. And to Angela, I said, “I’m going to reimburse you for those supplies,” I told her. She just nodded at me.
“Look at what time it is,” Angela said after glancing at her watch. “We better get started,” she told the boys.
I watched in amazement as both boys scurried to take their chairs at the kitchen table. I took that as my cue to get out of their way. “I’ll see you guys for lunch,” I told them. “And I’ll see about getting that supply room cleaned out for you.”
“Okay, thanks, Dad,” the boys said in unison.
I caught Angela’s eye and gave her a real smile, not the nervous one I’d worn on my face all morning. Her face lit up like it had the first day I saw her. I turned to leave before I got too sappy.
Oh, boy, I thought as I walked out the front door. I’m in trouble.
* * *
In my office, I tried to concentrate on my work. I had employee payroll to finish this morning, so I could turn their hours into the check printing company. I found it impossible to focus, so I got up and went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Looking at the clock, I noted that it was only eleven o’clock. Another hour and a half until I could take lunch up to the house.
Sighing, I returned to my office with my cup of coffee. I was thankful when Bella nudged open my door with her nose and came over to greet me, tail wagging. I looked up to see Cole peeking inside.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked him.
“I need your help,” he asked. “You busy?”
“Yeah, but no,” I said, chuckling. He lifted his brow at me. “I can help,” I clarified, getting up to follow him out the back door.
He wanted help moving a project he’d been working on in his workshop: a new handmade wooden bench to put outside on the resort’s front porch. We would have to use his pickup truck to move it. I was relieved to have something to do besides think about the next time I would see Angela.
Cole and I headed up to his workshop in his truck, Bella hanging out in the truck’s bed, tongue out, tail wagging. She was happiness in a furry body. We passed my house, and I looked over, hoping to see her. Of course, she was inside with the boys, so I didn’t see her. I felt a tinge of disappointment. I focused on the task at hand. Cole backed up his pickup to the workshop doorway, and we climbed out of the truck and headed in. I noticed Cole looking at me.
“What?” I asked him.
“What’s going on?” he asked me. “Your mind seems to be far away today. You're too quiet.”
“Nothing, I’m just tired.” I tried to use that excuse for the second time today.
“Okay,” Cole said, letting it go, but I could tell he didn’t believe me. “Here’s the bench,” he said, pointing to the back of the shop.
“Wow, Cole, it’s beautiful. And a lot bigger than I thought,” I said, rubbing my hand over its smooth, stained surface. All-natural wood and hand-carved, it was about three feet long and was as tall as my waist.
“Thanks,” he responded proudly. “I can’t wait to see it on the porch. And we can get rid of that old one now. Think I’ll take it apart and recycle the wood.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said. “Mom’s going to love this. She’ll probably want one for her porch at the house,” I told him, grinning.
We each grabbed an end and carried it to the truck. We carefully heaved it up and onto the bed, then we got back inside the cab, this time with Bella between us, and drove the bench down to the front porch of the resort. Again, I looked over when we passed my house, hoping to see her. Again, I did not.
The good news was that by the time we got the new bench put into place and the old bench removed, it was time to box up lunch.
I headed to the kitchen and rummaged through the leftovers from today’s brunch buffet. There was always a nice variety of food. Choices today included elk steaks, chicken breasts, salad, broccoli, potato salad, and garlic bread. I boxed up some of everything, grabbed a two-liter of seltzer water, and drove to the house for lunch.
“Hello! I bring lunch,” I announced, walking through the door.
“Just in time,” Angela responded as they were closing their laptops.
“We’re starving,” Reid informed me.
I laid out the boxes on the island since they had their school stuff on the kitchen table. “Bryce, get us four glasses of ice, please,” I asked him. “Reid, plates and silverware, please.”
Bryce grabbed the glasses from the cupboard and filled each one with ice from the fridge dispenser before placing them on the island while Reid set the plates and silverware. Trying to stay busy so I didn’t act silly in front of Angela, I poured the seltzer water into the glasses.
“Have a seat,” I told her and the boys. I sat on the stool across from her, our eyes meeting. “Today we have elk steaks, salad, and broccoli,” I told her, opening the containers. “But if you don’t like elk, there’s grilled chicken again. And potato salad and garlic bread.”
“I’ll try an elk steak,” Angela said, and I plopped one on her plate.
“They’re good and tender,” I told her. “Michael, our chef, prepares them as soon as Cole butchers the elk,” I informed her. “We freeze what we can’t eat immediately and pull them out in the spring. He got a big one last season.”
�
��Interesting,” she commented, looking at the steak on her plate.
“Give it a try, you might be surprised at how good it is. It’s fresher than the meat you buy in the grocery store, you know. And organic. Wild animals aren’t fed growth hormones and herbicides,” I explained.
“Okay,” she agreed, taking a small bite. Chewing, she smiled, her eyes brightening as she said, “You’re right. It’s good. I never had elk before. Or deer, for that matter. Nobody in my family hunts.”
“You’ll have your chance here,” I said, eating my steak and salad. “Cole hunts duck, goose, and squirrel. And pretty much anything else.”
“Sounds interesting,” she said, eating slowly, though I could tell she was worried I might try to feed her squirrel one day.
“It is,” chimed in Bryce. “I can’t wait to go hunting again with Uncle Cole,” he informed her.
Angela smiled. “What about you, Reid? Do you hunt?”
“No, I don’t like killing anything,” he said. “Except for fish. I do like to fish and eat them.”
“I told your dad I’d come fishing with you guys sometime,” she told the boys.
“Sweet,” Bryce said. “We should go tonight.”
Angela’s face lit up in surprise and a little apprehension. She clearly wasn’t prepared for a spur of the moment fishing trip.
“Boys, we’ll have her up over the weekend sometime,” I told them. “Or we’ll plan it, so she has something comfortable to wear.”
Angela smiled at me, looking relieved. “That sounds good.”
The conversation flowed during lunch, and the time passed quickly. I was able to act normal around Angela this time. I was getting used to having her around, even though it’d only been two days. I felt comfortable with her, and so did the boys.
I didn’t want lunchtime to end but knew I had to let them get back to their studies. I wished I could have stayed longer, but that would’ve been awkward.
Then, Bryce reminded me of the storage room and asked if it was ready.
“No, I had to do payroll this morning, and I helped Uncle Cole move the new bench he built down to the resort porch,” I told them. “I can work on it this afternoon, though. What time do you think you’ll be down there?” I asked Angela, trying to tamp down the excitement at the thought of getting to see her again later.
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 6