Hidden Gifts

by Elena Aitken

  “Are you hungry?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, I think I know about a barbecue going on,” he said and held out his hand to her. “Do you like hot dogs?”

  Ella nodded and walked down the hall to meet him. To his surprise, she took his hand. It felt tiny and fragile in his large one, but he cupped it carefully.

  “Okay, then,” he said, “let’s go get you some dinner.” Bo looked down into her big, empty dark eyes. Her silence he could get used to, but the haunted, sad way she looked at him—that was much harder to take.

  ~ ~

  Bo tried to suppress a laugh as he watched Ella devour her second hot dog. For such a small girl, she had an impressive appetite. They were sitting in a relatively quiet patch of the lawn in the common area. Ella held the remains of a bun in one hand, the clay deer from the hotel suite in the other. He didn’t think Carmen would be very happy about them absconding with it, but no matter how Carmen felt about him, Bo was pretty sure she wouldn’t deny a little girl some semblance of a toy. Besides, if it were really a big deal, she could deduct it from his check. Bo tried not to think about his ever decreasing paycheck. The suite wasn’t going to be cheap, even with the deal Carmen gave him, but he didn’t have a lot of other choices. He was dead set against exposing Ella to the debauchery that could go down in staff housing. For that matter, it went against his better judgment to even bring her to the barbecue, but he’d hoped that if they arrived early enough he wouldn’t have to subject Ella to much of the craziness that usually occurred at staff parties. He wouldn’t have brought her at all if she hadn’t needed to eat. As messed up as it was, he was trying to be a good dad, or guardian, or whatever he was.

  “Are you full?” he asked her. “Because I could probably wrestle that guy for his hot dog.” He pointed across the grass to a large muscled man who looked as if he was wearing a t-shirt two sizes too small. Ella stared at the man, her mouth hanging open. She shook her head from side to side so vehemently that her hair whipped around her face.

  “Don’t worry,” Bo said with a chuckle. “That’s Jeff. I work with him. He may look like a gorilla, but he’s a total pushover.” An idea popped into Bo’s head. “Jeff works with the horses. Do you like horses?”

  Ella’s face split into a huge smile and she nodded. Bo couldn’t help but notice that the smile didn’t reach her eyes. They were still dark, and deep.

  “Well,” he said. “I bet if we asked really nice, and promised not to wrestle him for his hot dog, we could arrange a ride. Should we go say hi?”

  In response, Ella jumped up to her feet and tugged on Bo’s hand. He didn’t even try to hide the smile on his face as they made their way across the lawn to Jeff. If she was excited about horses, that was one thing he could deliver. And if it was going to make her smile, well, he’d like that. Little girls shouldn’t be so sad.

  “Hey, Jeff.” Bo tapped on his buddy’s shoulder and the big man looked around away from the girls he was talking to.

  “Bo!” He pulled Bo in for a manly hug-shoulder slap and released him with a fist pound. “How are you? Ready for another great summer? I hear there’s a few really hot—“

  “I want you to meet Ella,” Bo interrupted. He gestured to the little girl who was standing, mouth open, staring at the huge man. “My daughter.”

  “Your…” Jeff looked down, and then up, and then back down. “Your daughter, man? I had no idea.”

  “Neither did I,” Bo muttered. He cleared his throat when Jeff gave him a strange look. “It’s a long story. Anyway, I was just telling Ella here that you’re in charge of the horses and it turns out that she really likes horses, so I thought maybe we could come see you at the stables some time.” With his eyes, Bo tried to impart the importance of what he was asking to his friend.

  The one thing Jeff liked more than women was horses. And Bo didn’t need to ask twice. Jeff knelt in front of Ella and pointed to the clay deer in her hand. “Is that your horse?” He spoke softly, with a slightly childish tone and Bo had to check his look of surprise.

  Ella nodded and galloped the statue through the air.

  “I have a niece about your age,” Jeff said. “She loves riding. Do you think you might like to come visit me at the stables soon and go for a ride? I bet I have just the right size pony for you to try.”

  Ella’s head bobbed up and down so hard and fast that Bo had to let go of her hand. He watched while Jeff explained how many horses he had and how he had to brush them every day. Ella didn’t say anything, but she hung on his every word. Every once in a while, she would nod or smile in response to something that Jeff said.

  “Hey there, Bo.” The voice distracted him from watching Ella, and Bo turned around to find Pam, a woman he’d met the season before, holding two bottles of beer. She held one out to him, which he took with a smile. They’d had a brief relationship, if you could call it that. Bo smiled with the memory of how much fun they’d had. But things were different then, he reminded himself before he got carried away.

  “It’s good to see you, Pam. How’ve you been?” He took a deep slug from the bottle. “Thank you,” he said, nodding to the beer. “I hadn’t thought to bring any.”

  “Well, I aim to please,” Pam said with a wink. “I’m looking forward to the summer, aren’t you?” Her sultry voice washed over him. Oh yes, he was— “Who’s the kid?” Her abrupt question interrupted his thoughts.

  “She’s…” Bo glanced around quickly and took a few steps to the side so Ella wouldn’t overhear. He looked cautiously at her, worried that she would be upset by the distance. He needn’t have worried, though, as she didn’t seem to notice, as distracted as she was by Jeff’s stories.

  Bo turned back to Pam, and said, “That’s Ella, she’s…“ He lost his train of thought when a tall brunette on the other side of the campfire caught his attention. Her back was facing him, but he could see that she was laughing. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. She was probably someone he’d met last season, but there was something different about her, something more compelling.

  Bo turned and said to Jeff, “Do you think you could keep an eye on Ella for a moment?”

  “Of course. How do you feel about roasting a marshmallow?” Jeff asked Ella and with a happy nod they headed off together.

  “Sorry, Pam,” Bo said, turning back to the blond. “It was great seeing you, but I have to…”

  She followed his gaze and laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit,” she said.

  Pam took off in the opposite direction, and Bo stared after her. He had changed. At least, he thought he had. But there was something about the brunette he couldn’t ignore. With a shrug, he took another swallow of his beer and navigated around the fire towards her.

  “Excuse me,” he said, and tapped the woman on her shoulder. She turned around and the smile on her face faded with a flash of recognition in her eyes.

  Damn.

  He realized a second too late why she looked so familiar.

  Chapter Four

  “Bo, right?” Morgan tried to keep her voice controlled.

  “Morgan,” he said.

  She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. “Can I help you with something?” She tipped her head to one side and waited for the apology he owed her. Surely he didn’t seek her out just to interrupt her for the second time in one day?

  “I thought you were someone else,” he said.

  Morgan tried not to let the surprise on her face show. The nerve of this man. He’d been intolerably rude to her earlier, and it was clear that he wasn’t going to be offering her an apology any time soon.

  “Well,” she said, trying her best to look calm. “I guess I’m not who you thought I was.” She moved to turn back to the crowd she’d been chatting with. Astrid was eyeing her with a sly smile on her face.

  “Wait,” Bo said. “The least I can do is offer you a drink.”

  Morgan turned and looked at him again. He had the
air of a man who knew how handsome he was. Too confident. Even though she’d sworn off men, she couldn’t ignore the way his worn, soft blue jeans hugged his body. His t-shirt was tight on his arms and chest. Not too big like some of the men she’d seen already, but with the look of a man who was no stranger to physical labor. Strong. And arrogant, she reminded herself when she looked again to his face. His dark eyes were watching her intently, as if he, too, were trying to figure her out.

  Well, keep trying, she wanted to say to him—I’m not interested.

  “I have some,” Morgan said, and pointed to the cooler on the ground next to Astrid.

  “Well, let me get you one then.”

  Before she could object, Bo strode to the cooler and flipped it open. He selected a bottle and with a flick of his wrist, popped the top and returned to her. “Here you go,” he said.

  She frowned at him but took the drink. “Thank you.”

  They stared at each other for a few moments before Morgan broke the standoff by taking a sip of her beer. She didn’t normally drink much and the few she’d already drunk had made her bolder than she might normally be.

  “So,” she said, keeping her voice as cool as she could, “I trust that you were able to figure out whatever situation you had earlier.”

  Something flashed across his face, causing him to lose his air of control for a split second. “I did,” he said. His voice was softer than it had been. Bo gave his head a quick shake, making one unruly dark lock to flop over his eye. Morgan squeezed her bottle to keep from reaching out and brushing it off his forehead.

  What was wrong with her? He may be handsome, but this man was not only infuriating, but he was a man. He would only lead to heartache and frustration. Which meant she needed to steer clear of him if she were hoping to find a fresh start.

  “That’s good,” she said, her voice much weaker than she wanted it to be. Morgan cleared her throat. “It seemed rather important.”

  “It was,” Bo said.

  “Morgan.” Astrid came to stand next to Morgan and wrapped her arm around her. “I see you’ve met Bo, our resident Casanova.” She flashed a wicked smile at Bo before releasing Morgan to give him a friendly hug.

  “It’s good to see you, Astrid.” Bo grabbed a handful of Astrid’s tiny braids in his hand and let them fall to her back. “New look?”

  “Always,” Astrid said and stepped out of his embrace. “I see you’ve met my roommate.”

  “Roommate?” Bo’s eyes flashed with something. Humor, maybe? “We have become acquainted, yes.”

  Astrid laughed. “Don’t worry—I’ll fill her in on all the stories later.”

  Attention piqued, Morgan lifted an eyebrow in question.

  “Don’t believe all of them,” Bo said. “Only some are true.” He winked at Morgan and turned his focus back to Astrid. “How’ve you been? What did you do with the off-season?” She couldn’t help the irrational and totally annoying flare of jealousy she felt at his attention on her friend.

  The two launched into a conversation about their winter months and what staff had returned for the summer, but Morgan only half listened. She kept her eyes on Bo. Morgan knew his type. Over-confidant, arrogant, and very aware of what type of effect he had on women. He was everything she didn’t need in her life right when she was trying to start over.

  “Excuse me,” Morgan said. She lifted her hand in a slight wave and backed away from the pair, leaving Astrid and Bo to catch up. They were deep in conversation, but Morgan didn’t miss the smile Bo gave her and the way his eyes seemed to see right through her.

  Morgan tried to put him out of her mind as she picked her way through the crowd, nodding at people and smiling. Most of the group seemed to know one another already, probably from previous seasons, but it didn’t bother her because the vibe was warm and welcoming, and she didn’t feel as if she were on the outside of anything. Passing the bonfire, Morgan stopped and watched a small blond child roasting a marshmallow. Her dad, one of the over-muscled men she’d seen earlier, smiled and laughed when the little girl withdrew her stick and revealed her flaming treat. She watched, frozen in place as he blew it out and offered the child his own perfectly roasted marshmallow.

  The sweet scene had tears pricking at Morgan’s eyes. She blinked hard and forced herself to move away so she wouldn’t have to watch. She walked fast, trying not to run, until she got to the edge of the clearing and was alone. She looked up to the darkening sky and towering mountain peaks that were casting mysterious shadows in the early evening light and forced herself to gain some control. When would it get easier? When would the pain of seeing a child and knowing she’d never have her own lessen? It had been months since the doctor gave her the news, but still, she struggled with it.

  She took a deep breath and let her lungs fill with air. She couldn’t let herself get worked up. The doctor said that after dealing with such a serious case of endometriosis, even after it was under control—with the scar tissue that she likely still had—there was less than a five percent chance that she’d ever carry her own child. The odds were way too small to even consider. She took a few deep breaths and reprimanded herself. She was being ridiculous. The sight of one child should not send her into an emotional tailspin.

  After a few moments, her heart rate calmed down and she wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself in defense of the coolness of the night that was starting to descend. She’d have to go back to the fire if she wanted to stay warm. Morgan turned back to the party, where it looked like things were starting to pick up. To her surprise, she wanted to go back and have some fun. Besides, it wasn’t as if she could avoid children altogether.

  She was just going to have to learn how to deal with her new reality.

  ~ ~

  As it turned out, Morgan didn’t have to worry about running into the little girl again. By the time she returned to the fire, there was no sign of her. The little girl’s father, however, seemed to have traded in his marshmallow roasting stick for another beer and was holding court with a group of girls. Just watching the sight, a sense of distaste settled around Morgan. It wasn’t any of her business, but she couldn’t help wondering what type of guy would bring a small child to a bonfire party and then dump her on a babysitter so he could pick up women. She could only assume that he’d even bothered to find a babysitter.

  But it wasn’t her business, and Morgan tried to remind herself of that as she grabbed another drink from the cooler and went in search of Astrid.

  “Morgan,” a voice yelled over the crowd. She turned to see Carmen pushing her way towards her. Carmen looked a lot different out of her work uniform. Much less intimidating, and a whole lot more fun with her black hair pulled into a high ponytail and her t-shirt untucked from her jeans. The beer in her hand helped with the image of fun, too.

  “Hey there,” Morgan said.

  “Looks like you got settled in okay.” Carmen waved her arm. “I’m really sorry about earlier. That’s not how I usually like to handle staff orientation but Bo can be quite insistent and completely exasperating at times.”

  Morgan shrugged her shoulders and before she realized what she was doing, she scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of the exasperating Bo. “It’s fine, really,” she said. “I met Astrid and she’s been great. She’s introduced me to lots of people and I’m sure I’ll have no idea what all their names are tomorrow.”

  “Oh, good.” Carmen’s relief showed on her face. “That’s one less thing for me to worry about. I can’t tell you what a transition this new position has been for me. I’m not complaining or anything, but I think it’s going to be a lot more challenging than I thought it would be.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Carmen took a long pull on her beer bottle. “Oh, just trying to get all the staff here ready to work, and happy, of course.” She took another slug on her bottle and Morgan raised her eyebrow in question. “Sorry,” Carmen said, “I just need a little stress relief. You wouldn’t believe
how many last-minute openings I’ve had to fill.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah and it’s just the usual excuses. One got a job in the city, one guy got a position working in his field, and, oh yeah, now Patty’s getting married. I just found out about that one yesterday.”

  Morgan offered a sympathetic smile. “That’s terrible. And I can see how you might be a little stressed out. But at least you don’t have to worry about me,” she said. “I’m very happy to be here and thanks to Andi and Eva and Party Hearty, I have lots of experience with event planning. So my position is solid.”

  Morgan had been looking forward to the challenge of organizing a summer of weddings and family reunions up at the Lodge. Party Hearty would be called in for the larger events of course, but Morgan’s job would be to ensure everything ran smoothly.

  “Oh,” Carmen said. “That totally reminds me. I need to talk to you about your job this summer. I meant to bring this up earlier, but with the interruption and everything else that’s been going on it totally slipped my mind.”

  “No worries. Is there a function or something I need to jump right into? I know I’m not meant to start until Monday, but I’d be happy to get right to work.”

  Morgan had been looking forward to exploring the trails and paths around the Lodge over the weekend, but the allure of jumping right into work was also a strong pull. Besides, she had all summer to explore.

  “I’m glad to hear that you’re willing to get to work, because I actually do need you to start tomorrow. But I had to shuffle things around a little and I was hoping you’d be willing to fill a different position.”

  Her attention piqued, Morgan crossed her arms and listened.

  “I noticed on your résumé that you have quite a bit of experience with children. And actually with a degree in child development.”

  Morgan’s stomach flipped. She was afraid she knew exactly what Carmen was going to say, and she didn’t want to hear it.