by Elena Aitken
Just the realization of that shocked him. He’d never in his life wanted to spend time with a woman longer than one night, and Morgan, who he’d never even kissed, captivated him in a way he could neither explain, nor control. The thought was frightening, but instead of spending too much time thinking about it, Bo headed towards the cabin, and the field that lay beyond it.
Even though Bo would have like to skip his duties completely, he still had a job to do. And there were going to be some hungry people if he didn’t get dinner started. Bo unlocked the simple padlock that held the door closed and went inside. The cabin was simple, and far from the luxury of the Lodge. But considering the fact that it was located in the middle of nowhere, it was pretty nice. It consisted only of a simple room with a table and chairs and three small bedrooms that led off the main room. The space was cozy, but you didn’t spend all day on a horse to hang out inside Stanley’s Cabin. The real treat was outside.
Bo pulled the curtains back and pushed up the window to let the cool spring air in. The mountain meadow lay out before him. Fresh with new growth, it was a carpet of green dotted by the first wildflowers of the season. The lake with the glacier, still full of ice and snow, lay just beyond. And there was Ella, her hand already full of blooms. She ran, her hair flying out behind her as Morgan chased her in what looked like a game of tag.
He could have watched them all day, but he had to get things started. He moved to the wood stove that also acted as the furnace; after a few minutes a fire sparked to life and he started reheating the chili that he’d had the Lodge chef pack. Experience taught him that the guests were always hungry after a long day on horseback, so he had the kitchen staff prepare a hearty chili that they could enjoy with a loaf of fresh bread.
Dinner was simmering, and Bo was slicing the loaf when Jeff came in the door, carrying both of their packs and Morgan’s, too. “Smells good in here,” he said, on his way through the room to the back bedroom. When he reappeared, he sank heavily into one of the chairs. “The MacDonalds are soaking in a bit of nature. They decided to hike down to the falls. They should be back in thirty.”
“Sounds good,” Bo said. He tasted the chili. “Dinner will be ready when they are.”
Jeff stretched his arms over his head, relaxing into the chair. “Great ride out there today, wasn’t it?”
Jeff loved nothing more than getting out on the horses, unless of course it was riding deep into the wilderness on the horses. And Stanley’s Cabin was about as remote as it got.
Bo smiled and tossed his friend the heel of the loaf. “It was a good ride. Ella loved it,” he said. “I was worried, but she handled it like a pro.”
“She wasn’t the only one who handled it well,” Jeff said with a wink.
“Who, Morgan?” Bo asked. “I didn’t notice.”
Jeff shot him a look to let him know he wasn’t buying it for a minute. “Right,” he said. “All you’ve been doing is noticing. You got it bad for her. I’ve never seen you look at a woman like that.”
Bo turned away from the stove. He was pretty sure he’d regret asking, but he did anyway. “Like what?”
“Like you can’t get enough. Like everything she does and says is perfect,” Jeff said. “Like you love her.”
Love? Bo’s thoughts spiraled through his head, crashing into one another. He couldn’t process what Jeff had said. Hell, he couldn’t even process what he was feeling. But Jeff was wrong. He had to be. Bo didn’t love anyone. Never had. But Morgan…
“What are you talking about?” Bo finally managed to choke out the question.
Jeff raised his eyebrow in response.
“You’re wrong,” Bo said. Movement outside caught his eye and he found himself watching while Morgan and Ella held their arms out as they spun around in the center of the field.
Jeff followed his friend’s gaze and laughed. “Right,” he said slowly. “Like your whole world isn’t outside that window, right now.”
His friend’s words hit him hard and he turned in a daze. He wanted to protest again but he knew Jeff was right. And that scared the hell out of him.
Chapter Fourteen
Despite being so high up in the mountains, Morgan was surprised at how warm it was. And because it was such a beautiful evening, the group gathered around the large picnic table outside the cabin for dinner. Morgan was impressed with how Jeff and Bo had pulled together such a delicious-looking dinner. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it definitely wasn’t a nicely set table complete with red checked tablecloth, white dishes, and even a bottle of wine spread out before her. The flowers that Ella had picked earlier completed the setting with the place of honor in the middle of the table.
“It smells amazing, Bo,” Georgia said. “Every time we come here, I’m just so amazed at your culinary skills.”
Bo laughed. “And I keep telling you, I can’t take any responsibility for this. The kitchen staff down at the Lodge does it all. I simply reheat it.”
“Well, you reheat very well,” Dan said.
They all laughed and passed the food around. Remembering that the MacDonalds were paying guests was difficult for Morgan—they were so friendly and comfortable to be around that the whole group felt as if they were old friends. Jeff poured the wine, with juice for Ella and a soda for Sawyer, and they toasted to a great ride and the first trek of the season.
“I heard you hiked down to the falls?” Bo asked. “How were they?”
“Gorgeous as always,” Georgia said. “I could sit there forever watching the water rush past.”
“Water falls?” Morgan looked to Bo, but it was Sawyer that answered.
“Oh, Morgan. You have to go see them,” Sawyer said. “They are so cool. Totally worth the hike.”
“A hike?” She’d enjoyed the hike she’d taken with the kids, but Morgan was pretty sure that the word hike held a completely different meaning so high in the mountains. “I’m not sure—“
“It’s really not too bad,” Jeff cut in. “And it is beautiful. Maybe Bo could take you tomorrow.”
Jeff smiled and shot Bo a quick look that Morgan didn’t miss.
“I’m not sure.” Morgan looked between the two of them. “I’m not much of a hiker.”
“Morgan, you have to go!” Sawyer practically bounced out of her seat with the enthusiasm of youth. “It’s totally not hard. Well, not too hard. And so worth it.”
“It is spectacular, Morgan,” Dan said.
Morgan looked towards Bo, who still hadn’t said anything. “Maybe I should go,” she said slowly. “I’m feeling adventurous.” And she was, and not just about hiking, which is why she added, “Would you take me, Bo?”
Morgan didn’t miss Jeff’s satisfied smile before he shoveled another piece of bread in his mouth. A look of shock flashed across Bo’s face before dissolving into an easy smile. “Sure,” he said. “If you’re sure you can handle it.”
Her confidence lapsed for a moment but she thought back to the stone Astrid had made her pack. Tucking it into her pocket before they left probably wouldn’t be a terrible idea. “I do want to go,” Morgan said, trying to sound more self-assured than she felt. “If it’s as beautiful as everyone says, I don’t want to miss it.”
“Then we’ll go.” His eyes held a question, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was. Before she had a chance to read too much into it, he looked into his bowl of chili and said, “First thing in the morning, before we head back to the Lodge.”
The group fell into easy conversation again while they finished their meal. But Morgan noticed that Bo didn’t make eye contact with her again. What was up with him? She’d been pretty sure they’d finally gotten past their rocky start and were actually starting to be friends. But ever since the falls were brought up, Bo would barely even look at her. Maybe she’d been wrong.
“How do you feel about making s’mores, Ella?” Jeff was up and gathering the empty dishes from the table. At the mention of dessert, Ella, who was starting
to look very tired, perked up again. “Tell you what,” Jeff continued. “Why don’t you help me clear this table while the others get the fire started? That way it’ll be ready when we are. Sound good?”
Ella nodded and jumped up to help.
“Bribery by way of marshmallow always works,” Jeff said with a smile.
Morgan turned to ask Bo whether he needed help with the fire, but when she looked, he was already gone. With a sigh, she pushed up from the table and went to help Jeff with the dishes.
~ ~
“Ella, you are an amazing chef,” Georgia said as she shoved the last bite of a s’more into her mouth.
“That’s for sure. But I’m stuffed,” Dan said. He rubbed his stomach in a dramatic show. “I think if I have any more I’m going to burst. And that would be messy.”
Ella giggled and Sawyer rolled her eyes.
Morgan smiled and licked her fingers clean of the remaining marshmallow strands that stuck to them. She looked up and caught Bo staring at her but before she could smile at him he jumped up into the shadows. His behavior had only gotten stranger since dinner, but for the life of her, Morgan couldn’t figure out what’d caused the shift in his attitude.
Despite the strangeness, the fire had been fun and Morgan couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever enjoyed a campfire, if ever. But sitting around the open flames, watching the fire lick at the logs that Jeff and Bo kept piling in had been relaxing and kind of therapeutic in a way. But it was listening to everyone’s stories about past expeditions or camping trips that had been the real highlight. Morgan hadn’t realized how much she’d been missing by sticking close to the city.
Everyone had a story. Everyone but Bo. He’d been conspicuously absent most of the night. When he wasn’t chopping wood, he was stacking it or off getting more. Morgan couldn’t shake the feeling that his absence had something to do with her. She just couldn’t figure out what it was.
“I think it’s probably time for you to go to bed, Ella.” Bo reappeared out of the darkness and crouched next to the little girl.
Morgan was ready for Ella to protest or put up a fuss. And if she were any other four-year-old, she might have. But Ella was definitely not any other four year old. She nodded and held her hand out to Bo.
“Would you like me to—“
“No.” Bo spoke without looking at Morgan. “I’ll go tuck her in and then come back to tend to the fire.”
Morgan pushed down the sudden hurt feelings that sprung up. It was nice to see Bo stepping up and being a father to Ella. And of course, it was so good to see Ella warming up to him. They were figuring each other out, and that was what was supposed to happen. She knew that. And she also knew that it didn’t make any sense for her feelings to be so hurt when she wasn’t needed. But sometimes knowing it wasn’t enough. Morgan looked down at her feet and kicked at a pinecone.
“You know what?” Dan sat up, and held out his hand to his wife. “I think I’m going to hit the sack, too. It’s been a long day.”
“Sounds good,” Georgia said, allowing Dan to pull her to her feet. “Sawyer?”
“Sawyer?”
All heads turned toward the teenager, who was leaning against a large stump, head in her hand, fast asleep.
“So much for the energy of youth,” Dan said, laughing. He gently shook his daughter awake and together the family headed into the cabin for the night.
When they were gone, Jeff turned to Morgan and asked, “How about you? Are you ready to call it a night?”
After the long day, she should probably go to bed, especially considering they had another big day ahead of them. But as Morgan looked into the dancing flames of the fire and felt the heat on her face, she wasn’t ready for it to end.
“Is it okay if I stay up for bit? Or do you need to put the fire out?”
“Nah,” he said. “There’s no hurry. It is nice, isn’t it? There’s nothing I like better than a campfire under the stars. I’m going to go check on the horses and make sure they’re settled in for the night. Will you be okay for a few minutes on your own?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, you are a city girl,” Jeff said as he stood. “And we are pretty far away from civilization.”
Morgan threw a pinecone at him and laughed. “I’ll be fine. I promise I won’t let anything get me.”
He caught it easily in one hand and said, “Okay but, if you hear anything you think might be an animal, run for the cabin.”
Morgan tried to make out his features across the fire, but they were hidden in the shadows so she couldn’t tell whether he was joking or not. “I’m fine,” she said after a moment, but even as she said it a sense of unease washed over her.
“Okay, I won’t be long.”
He disappeared quickly into the dark night and Morgan focused on the fire in front of her. The night air was chilly, but the heat from the flames was almost enough to keep her warm. She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Something about the way the flames licked at the logs was hypnotizing. The crackle of the sticks and twigs burning pulled her in and she got lost watching the flames dance and move.
The entire day had been so fun and she really couldn’t believe that in such a short time she’d gone from a girl who never set foot into the woods to a girl that didn’t want to leave them. Andi and Eva wouldn’t believe it when she told them.
Morgan chuckled to herself and tipped her head back so she could stare up into the sky that was anything but dark. Even without the glow of a full moon, the sky was bright and popping with the light of millions of stars. She’d never seen anything like it. Even at the Lodge, where she was able to see a lot more stars than she ever had in the city, there was still too much light from the buildings to see the magical starlit world that surrounded her up at the cabin.
She watched a shooting star streak across the sky, and Morgan tried to make a wish but she couldn’t decide quickly enough about what to wish for and then the moment passed.
A distant owl calling from the trees and then a loud snap, like a stick being stepped on, brought Morgan firmly out of her daydreams and directly into the present. She sat up with a jolt and stared across the fire into the darkness, trying to remember what Jeff had said about animals. Should she run or play dead?
He was probably just back from checking the animals already. “Jeff? Is that you?” She tried to sound tough and in charge but her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
No answer.
Her heart pounded in her chest but Morgan couldn’t move. She was frozen by the fear of what she couldn’t see in the darkness. Her thoughts flew out of control as she tried to remember what she’d heard about wild animals. If it were a bear, she should run. And a cougar…damn, she couldn’t remember.
Another noise. A crunch of leaves or grass. Closer this time.
Chapter Fifteen
“Damn it,” Bo muttered under his breath. He hadn’t meant to scare her.
After tucking Ella into her bunk, he’d decided to check the horses, anything to give him some space from Morgan and the feelings he was having. The feelings that scared the hell out of him.
But Jeff was with the horses and he’d already done everything that needed to be done, so he sent Bo to take care of the fire. He failed to mention that Morgan was still up.
Watching her from a distance was a beautiful kind of torture. Sitting on the ground with the warm glow from the fire illuminating her face, Morgan looked completely at peace, and more gorgeous than Bo had seen her yet. He’d leaned up against the wall of the shed and watched her, unseen. Morgan kept surprising him, especially earlier on the horses and her willingness to try everything that was so new to her. She was his opposite in so many ways. It didn’t make sense for her to be having such an effect on him.
He probably would have stood there all night watching her if the owl hadn’t chosen that moment to call, causing him to startle and step on the stick. The trance broken, Morgan’s
head jerked up and she called out to Jeff. She was scared; Bo could see it on her face and he instantly felt like an ass. He grabbed an old wool blanket from a shelf in the shed and made his way to her.
“Is anyone there?” Morgan asked. Bo’s chest tightened when he heard the fear in her voice.
“It’s me,” he said softly. He moved into the circle of light cast by the campfire.
“Bo! What the hell are you doing? You scared me half to death!” Her transformation from terrified to angry was instantaneous and almost made him chuckle, but he was smart enough to know that it was never a good idea to laugh at a woman right after he’d scared the daylights out of her.
“I’m sorry,” he said instead. “Here.” Bo shook out the wool blanket and moved around the fire so he could drape it around her shoulders. “I thought you might be cold.”
She took it and pulled it tight. “Thank you.” She still looked pissed, but she no longer looked as if she was going to attack him.
Instead of moving back to the other side of the fire, Bo sat on the ground next to her. She was close enough to touch, and he had to fight against the overwhelming urge to reach out and take her hand. Instead, he grabbed a long stick and poked at the fire.
They sat in silence watching the sparks fly when he jabbed the stick into the glowing embers. Finally, it was Bo who said, “I really am sorry that I scared you.” He snuck a look over his shoulder. She didn’t look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the flames. “I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s fine,” she said slowly. “I thought I was alone is all and Jeff had mentioned something about animals. You just caught me off guard.” She tossed a twig into the fire. “Are you okay?”
Her question caught him by surprise and he turned to see her looking at him.