by J. H. Croix
Ginger shrugged. “No worries. How’ve you been?” she asked.
“You know, nothing new. Busy with work, life and what-not.”
Violet considered her life briefly. She liked her life here in Diamond Creek. She had a job she loved, a cute little apartment, and a gorgeous area to explore. This was her second summer here, and she was working her way through the many possible outdoor activities. Last summer, she’d hiked just about every trail in the nearby vicinity. This summer, she’d focused on getting out on the water. She’d taken several kayaking trips and hoped to go fishing soon, along with taking a flight tour. She’d gradually started to get to know people in Diamond Creek. To be honest, the move had been so huge for her, she was only now settled in enough to feel like she was part of the community. She’d first met Ginger about six months ago when they both stopped to help an elderly woman who had a flat tire. Violet had been halfway under the woman’s car when Ginger arrived. Her thoughts circled back. So yeah, life was busy and mostly good. Something about Sawyer made her want more.
“How about you?” she belatedly asked.
Ginger smiled again, this time slyly. “Can you tell?”
“Um, can I tell what?” Violet countered, mystified by Ginger’s question.
Ginger looked down at her stomach and back up. Violet was still confused. “Um, I’m lost here.”
Ginger sighed dramatically. “I’m pregnant! You probably can’t tell because of all that padding we just discussed.”
Violet couldn’t help but laugh. Ginger was plain funny. When she managed to stop, she looked more closely at Ginger, noticing the slightest curve in her belly. “Congratulations! When’s your due date?”
“Forever it seems, but it’s really only six more months. Baby’s due in January, and we’ve agreed to not find out whether it’s a girl or boy. I told Cam I need something to surprise me after all that work. Well, that and the morning sickness.”
Violet laughed at Ginger’s burdened expression, if only because Ginger was laughing herself. Violet had spent a few months in therapy after she learned about her infertility and watched her fiancée walk away without a backward glance. For the most part, she’d made peace. Funny how you made peace with circumstances because you had no choice otherwise. She might’ve come to terms with the reality she had to face, yet she hated that it was impossible not to think for a second about what she couldn’t have at moments like this. For a flash, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss and then it passed. She looked over at Ginger’s twinkling blue eyes and took a deep breath.
“Still have morning sickness, huh?” Violet asked.
Ginger nodded emphatically. “Yes! Oh my God, it sucks. Dr. Marshall keeps telling me it should get better. But I’m officially past my first trimester, so I’m ready for it to end. Anyway, so that’s my big news. Onto you. What’s this I hear about you and Sawyer Hamilton?”
Violet’s mouth fell open and her cheeks got hot instantly. How in the world Ginger knew she’d been on a date with Sawyer was beyond her. “What…how…?” she sputtered.
Ginger’s sly grin was almost too much. “Okay, I know you’ve only known me a few months, but someone should’ve told you I usually find out everything about everyone.”
Violet rested her elbows on her grocery cart and shook her head slowly. “How would I know that? I’ve only lived here like a year. People are really friendly, but it was pretty clear I had to prove I was sticking around before anyone started treating me like I was local. So, no. I didn’t know you were gossip central,” she said with a sigh.
Ginger’s smile shifted from sly to warm. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed. I’m not really gossip central. It’s just I like to know things and people tend to tell me stuff. It helps that I’ve lived here most of my life. The reason I knew about Sawyer wasn’t actually gossip, although trust me it will be if he sticks around town. You’ve met Marley, right?” she asked.
Violet knew Marley was married to Gage Hamilton and another long-time Diamond Creek resident. She knew her more because her mother, Holly, was a nurse at the hospital. “Oh yeah. Her mom works with me, so I’ve seen her a few times when she stops by.”
“Oh right. Anyway, Gage asked Marley to ask me to find out about you.” Ginger paused, arching a brow, her grin returning to sly. “Because he thinks Sawyer really likes you.”
Violet’s mouth fell open, and her cheeks got a little hotter. Questions swirled through her mind. Rising through the swirl in neon: Sawyer really likes you! Meanwhile, all she could do was stare at Ginger.
Ginger’s gaze shifted to curious. “Well, I guess the feeling’s reciprocated then. You know, Sawyer’s got that whole tall, dark and dangerous look down to a science. He’s not my cup of tea, but no one’s been since I met Cam, so it’s not his fault.” Her eyes narrowed. “Okay, you have an assignment.”
Violet’s mind was still spinning over Ginger’s comment that Gage thought Sawyer really liked her. “An assignment?”
Ginger nodded firmly. “Gage is worried about Sawyer and wants him to stay. If he’s into you, maybe he’ll stay. That’s your assignment. Make Sawyer stay in Diamond Creek.”
Violet’s mouth fell open for the second time inside of a few minutes. This time she snapped it shut. “Are you crazy?” she finally asked.
Ginger, whom Violet had previously considered sane, shook her head. “Don’t think so.” She looked completely serious, as if her request was perfectly normal.
Violet tried to make sense of this ‘assignment’ and finally just laughed. “Look, Sawyer and I had dinner. Once. I don’t know what Gage thinks, but Sawyer and I don’t really know each other all that well.” Her mind flicked to the feel of his fingers buried inside her while she came. She batted that thought away. So, they had amazing chemistry. That didn’t mean she needed to hop onto this absolutely crazy idea of Ginger’s. That part of her that dove right into relationships, or used to, was all but dancing around. Sanity, she needed sanity.
“Ginger, I know you don’t know me all that well yet…”
Ginger cut in. “Maybe, but I know you’re awesome.”
“Really?” Violet said with a laugh.
“Yeah. The first time I met you, your legs were sticking out from under Mrs. Stevens’ car. It was almost zero out and there was snow everywhere. Only super nice people help cranky old women change tires and crawl under their car to find the keys they dropped on the ground.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that,” Violet replied with a shrug. “Anyway, back to your point. There’s all kinds of reasons it’s not a good idea for me to be in charge of convincing Sawyer to stay here, not the least of which is the fact one date doesn’t mean a whole lot.” As she tried to sound casual, her pulse accelerated and heat slid through her veins. She could tell herself all kinds of things, but those few moments with Sawyer had just about melted her inside and out. It was one hell of a date, and she couldn’t stop thinking about when she might see him again. Problem, this was a problem.
“Oh fine,” Ginger said with an elaborate sigh. “How about you join me at Sally’s for dinner with Marley and Delia instead?”
Violet experienced a moment’s hesitation. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”
Ginger rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m sure! I’ve been meaning to ask you to get together, but you know how life is. I get busy and forget. You’re standing in front of me now and I’m headed over to Sally’s right after this. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Violet smiled from the inside out. She’d been dipping her toes in the social world here, but it was slow going. “Okay. What time should I meet you there?”
“How about you follow me now?” Ginger asked.
Sawyer idly spun his keys on his index finger as he walked alongside Gage into Sally’s, a local bar and restaurant. He’d been here a few times before when he was visiting. They were meeting Garrett for burgers and beer. The parking area was crowded even though it was still fairly early. They pushed through the double-swi
nging doors into the restaurant. The building had once been a barn and retained the feel of one. The inside was spacious with its high ceiling. The rough wood of the old barn had been finished to a gleam throughout. One side held the bar with small tables and a stage for music, while the other side held the restaurant. There was a cluster of people waiting in front, but Gage threaded his way through, glancing to Sawyer as he did. “Garrett texted that he snagged a booth already.”
Garrett gave a wave from where he was seated on the far side of the restaurant, and they quickly made their way to him. Sawyer slid into the booth across from Garrett who grinned and winked. “Hey guys! Damn lucky I got here a few minutes ago. As soon as I sat down, a line showed up. Place is nuts this time of year.”
“Is there anywhere that isn’t this busy in the summer?” Sawyer asked.
Gage and Garrett glanced at each other and then him. “Nope,” Gage said.
Sawyer glanced around. The crowd was a mix of tourists and locals. The tourists tended to stand out, mostly because they were usually burdened with shopping bags and cameras. Random wildlife sightings were so common in Alaska, it was best to have a camera handy at all times if you were visiting. Sally’s had a warm, inviting feeling. Booths circled the room on the outer wall with a cluster of tables in the middle. The décor was simple with polished wood everywhere and basic white linens. He leaned back and took a breath, letting it out slowly. He could get used to more days like today. He enjoyed working on projects around the lodge and could see they were endless. He liked something to focus on, but the best part was being with his family. Gage was an easy brother to be around. Sawyer had looked up to him when they were growing up and followed him into the Navy and then into SEAL training. It was nice to be on the other side of that life and just relax with his brothers.
Garrett waved their waitress over who quickly took their drink order, left menus behind, and turned to the next table. Sawyer flipped the menu open and then glanced between Gage and Garrett. “Just tell me what’s good.”
“Salmon burger,” Garrett said firmly.
“Ditto,” Gage added.
“Okay, salmon burger it is,” Sawyer said, promptly closing his menu and sliding it to the end of the booth.
“So what’d you guys do today?” Garrett asked as he folded the table napkin into a perfect paper airplane.
“Fixed that beam on the back deck and took care of some minor repairs. Any chance you can stop by this weekend to help us replace some of the decking?” Gage asked.
“You’re doing that now?” Sawyer asked. Gage had mentioned this afternoon that he wanted to, but Sawyer hadn’t realized he meant now.
Gage nodded and leaned back as their waitress arrived with their beers. “You guys ready to order?”
“Three salmon burgers and an order of artichoke crab dip,” Garrett said.
The waitress grinned. “Easy enough. Anything else?” she asked, her eyes bouncing between Sawyer and Gage.
When they shook their heads in unison, she spun away. Sawyer glanced to Gage again. “So the decking?”
Gage shrugged. “Sure. After we finished up today, I looked up the price for the composite decking. It’s on sale right now, so I ordered enough to replace all the decks. You know me. I like to get stuff done.”
Garrett laughed and arched a brow. “I think it’s a family trait. The getting things done, that is. As for this weekend, I can come up tomorrow. You hankering to get this done before gimpy’s surgery,” he said with a wink in Sawyer’s direction.
“Seriously, dude? I’m not that gimpy. I’m happy to help with the deck. About all I can’t do is run right now. Once they take care of my leg, give me a few weeks, and I’ll beat you in a race,” Sawyer said with a roll of his eyes.
Garrett winked again. “Course you will.”
Conversation moved on to other matters with their food arriving somewhere along the way. While Gage and Garrett were discussed the merits of updating the legal setup for the lodge business, Sawyer leaned back and idly twirled his beer bottle between his fingers as he looked around the restaurant. Marley walked in, followed by Delia and Ginger. Just as Sawyer was about to ask Gage and Garrett if they’d planned to meet them here, Violet walked through the arched entrance into the restaurant section right behind them. Awareness sliced through him, and his eyes moved over her hungrily. To say he’d had a few too many replays of their heated encounter the other evening was an understatement. He’d been impatient for tomorrow to arrive so he could see her again, and here she was. Marley paused and looked around. The booths were all at capacity. After a moment, she said something to Ginger who snagged the waitress, while Marley walked over to where they were sitting.
“Okay guys. I know you’re here for a little brother bonding, but we’re here for girls’ night and there’s nowhere to sit. How about you let us join you?” Marley asked with her eyes locked on Gage.
Sawyer was well aware Gage pretty much couldn’t say no to Marley for anything, so her question was rather pointless. He didn’t mind a bit because it looked like Violet was with them, which meant he’d get some bonus time with her. “Fine with me,” he said quickly.
Gage nodded. “Of course. There’s not enough room for everyone though.”
“Already thought of that. Ginger’s checking to see if we can push a table up at the end,” Marley replied. “Hang on.” She turned away and met Ginger halfway across the restaurant.
Gage looked to Sawyer. “Well, that was quick,” he said with a grin.
“Huh?”
“You jumped all over the chance to get crowded into a booth with Violet.”
Garrett burst out laughing. Before Sawyer had a chance to reply, Marley was returning to their booth with Ginger, Delia and Violet on her heels.
Chapter 8
Violet thought she might melt on the spot, which would be mortifying to say the least. Somehow, what was supposed to be dinner with Ginger and her friends had turned into dinner with the Hamilton men, all three of them. Gage and Sawyer looked so alike it was startling, both drop dead sexy with their chocolate brown hair, steel gray eyes and bodies carved from stone and honed in the military. Garrett had a slightly more polished look and darker, sharper edges to him. Collectively, they epitomized dark and sexy. Funny thing was, Violet could objectively see those qualities in Gage and Garrett, yet there was no zing with them. It was more of a simple appreciation.
With Sawyer, there was serious zing. It wasn’t just zing, it was hot, sizzling madness in her body was what it was. Somehow she’d ended up crowded between Sawyer and Ginger in the booth, which meant she could feel Sawyer’s hard muscled thigh against hers. Who’d have thought she could get turned on by nothing more than the feel of a guy’s leg? It was ridiculous. She was suffused with heat and got all hot and melty inside every time Sawyer locked eyes with her.
Somehow she was managing to follow along with conversation, although she was distracted beyond belief. Ginger elbowed her in the side. “What do you mean baseball is boring?” Ginger demanded, pinning Violet with her sharp gaze.
Violet had completely lost track of the conversation and had absolutely no idea why they were talking about baseball. “I’m sorry. You lost me. What about baseball?”
She heard a low chuckle from Sawyer, which sent a prickle up her spine. His hand slid onto her leg and gave a squeeze. She thought she might just die of mortification. Her panties were damp, and her pulse was all over the place. Dammit! She needed to focus, not act like a flaky idiot.
Ginger’s eyes flicked from Violet to Sawyer and back again, a subtle gleam entering her gaze. Violet didn’t dare look his way. Ginger cleared her throat. “Sawyer said you said baseball is boring,” she said slowly. “Have you ever played baseball?”
Violet vaguely remembered that she’d complained about how boring it was to watch baseball the other night during dinner with Sawyer. Like now, she’d been so internally overwhelmed, she hadn’t thought much of anything she said. Yet, she really did find
baseball boring. She met Ginger’s gaze and did her damnedest to ignore the feel of Sawyer’s palm curled over her thigh. “Actually I haven’t. Since I had leukemia when I was little, I couldn’t play at first. After that, well, I love my parents to pieces, but they’d have wrapped me in bubble wrap if they could’ve. So no baseball for me. Watching it is a bit boring if you ask me.”
Ginger nodded along, her eyes considering. “Okay, I’ll admit watching it on TV is pretty slow, but now that I know you missed out on playing, you have to play. It’s a little late this year, but our local league plays all the way into the fall. We take our good weather seriously. I help manage one of the teams, so you should play. We’ll let you join late,” she said with a firm nod as if it had already been decided.
Before Violet had a chance to respond, Sawyer spoke up. “How many teams are in the local league here?”
Ginger arched a brow and lifted her chin. “Three. We play each other and sometimes go to Kenai and Homer. Don’t make fun just because Diamond Creek is small. We know how to have a good time and kick ass while we’re at it.”
Violet glanced in Sawyer’s direction when he chuckled. Serious mistake. Her eyes collided with his, her belly somersaulted, and raw need jolted her. She looked away so fast, she was surprised she didn’t get whiplash.
“Wasn’t making fun. Just curious. You guys play?” Sawyer asked, looking to his brothers. If he was as rattled as she was, it sure didn’t show. He managed to carry on an actual conversation and look like a normal person while he was at it.
“Of course,” Garrett said with a grin. “I think it’s mandatory, right?” he asked, his teasing gaze flicking to Ginger.