by J. H. Croix
Marley squealed. “I think it’s perfect! You’ve always blown me away with what a badass you are, but sometimes I worry about you. I know Mom and Dad will be relieved you don’t plan to keep guiding in the winter.”
Lacey grinned and rolled her eyes. “I know they worry. I’ll always do some because I can’t stand not being outside for most of the summer.” She paused, her usually confident gaze looking uncertain. “Do you think maybe you could help me come up with a website and stuff like that? With your business and tech experience, you know what you’re doing. I definitely don’t.”
“Of course! Whatever I can do to help, I’ll be glad to do. When are you thinking of getting this up and running?”
“I was thinking if I did some planning this winter, I could maybe start next summer. Do you think I have enough time?”
Marley was so unaccustomed to seeing Lacey uncertain about anything, it was endearing. She grinned. “Sis, you’re already doing all of it. You’re just talking about being the one to make it happen. You can pull it off.”
Lacey’s eyes flashed with her grin. “If you say so. So, what’s up at Last Frontier Lodge? Mom said she’s been up for every local’s dinner that Delia’s hosted, and they’re amazing.”
“Delia’s doing a great job. The lodge is on track to open the day after Christmas. We have reservations almost completely booked from then all the way to the middle of January.” Marley couldn’t help the thrill of pride she felt. Gage was making his childhood dream a reality.
“We?” Lacey asked with a gleam in her eyes.
Marley flushed straight through. Their waiter arrived in time for her to gather herself. After they ordered, Lacey eyed her. “Don’t think you’re getting off the hook. Give me the goods on what’s going on with you and Gage.”
Marley sighed, fighting the blush that raced up her neck and face again. “Things are…going.”
Lacey rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t tell me anything.”
“Okay, okay. I don’t know. I guess we’re together. I just wish I knew what that meant. I’m horrible at the relationship thing. I mean, I see him every night and I need to figure out how to ask him what he thinks of us, but I don’t know how.”
Lacey’s teasing gaze sobered. “Well, how serious are you about him?”
Marley’s heart gave a hard thump. She’d been trying so hard not to think about how she felt deep down, but she was starting to worry that might be a bad plan. Beyond mind-blowing sex, Gage had crawled through the cracks of her defenses with his protectiveness, his warmth, and his kindness to everyone around him.
Marley met Lacey’s eyes and sighed. “I guess it’s pretty serious. Gage is…well, you’d have to be around him a bit to see it, but he’s a really good guy.” As Marley expounded, she eventually got to the part about his help with the issues around the emails and the investigation into the robbery in Seattle, completely forgetting she hadn’t told Lacey about it.
Lacey’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? How come you haven’t mentioned this to me? Mom and Dad are going to want to know too.”
Marley silently swore. She’d purposefully not been talking about it with her family so they wouldn’t worry. They’d already been through enough worry over her the last few months. “Lacey, I don’t want Mom and Dad to worry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but please don’t tell them. I’m fine. Gage is with me every night. His friend works in security in Seattle and is coordinating with the police on it.”
Their conversation paused when their pizza arrived. After the waiter moved on, Lacey eyed her, her expression hurt. “I understand why you don’t want Mom and Dad to worry, but maybe you could’ve let me know what’s going on.”
Marley felt a wash of guilt. She hadn’t purposefully been keeping this from Lacey, but she’d grown so accustomed to handling things on her own, she hadn’t reached out to her. “I didn’t mean to make it seem like I didn’t want your help. It’s just…the whole thing is weird. I promise I’ll let you know what’s going on. Right now, there’s not much to tell. It’s those stupid emails and a weird phone call. If it weren’t for the robbery, I probably wouldn’t think of it at all. I’ve been so on edge ever since that happened.” Marley fiddled with her fork absently.
Lacey set her pizza down and grabbed Marley’s hand. “Of course you’re on edge! It would be weird if you weren’t. And don’t think I’m mad. I’m just worried. If you ask me though, Gage must like you a whole lot. Guys don’t just do things like that unless they really care. When can I stop by and meet him?” she asked slyly.
Marley’s heart lifted. She took a bite of pizza before responding. “How about you stop by the lodge tonight? Delia’s having another one of her local’s dinners. I was thinking of going.”
***
Gage stood at the doorway that led from the kitchen into the restaurant. He couldn’t quite believe what Delia had done, but it was amazing. Christmas was two weeks away, and her local’s nights were a rousing success. His hazy childhood memories of a busy restaurant and delicious food couldn’t compete with the reality of now. The lodge restaurant was packed. Marley had told him she’d be here for dinner tonight, and he was strangely nervous. Though they’d been spending every night together, she usually worked until he showed up at her place or vice versa. He wanted her to see how well things were progressing at the lodge and felt a thrill of pride when he thought about it.
Aidan had few updates for him the last few days, which irked Gage. He wanted movement on the investigation. He was reconsidering whether he’d head to Seattle next week to see if he could jumpstart things around Kent. According to Aidan, ever since Kent made the call to Marley, his emails and other online activity had gone quiet. The only thing holding Gage back was that he didn’t want to leave Marley’s side. The way he felt about her was starting to make him uncomfortable—not because he wanted it to go away, but because he’d never experienced anything like it. He was used to being in control in all situations. He’d considered himself immune to this kind of thing. He’d watched a few of his fellow Navy SEALs get tossed around in the storm of relationships and considered it a weakness.
Now, he realized he’d had absolutely no clue what they’d been going through. Marley had breezed her way into his heart, body and soul, and he couldn’t imagine how to manage how he felt. Every so often, the word love traveled through his brain and he swatted it away. Love meant commitment. Commitment was something he understood very well since he’d committed his life to the SEAL’s for years. But the kind of emotional commitment involved in relationships was something he’d purposefully steered away from because it conflicted with the commitment to his career before. With that part of his life in the rear view mirror, he felt unsteady and uncertain about how to handle the feelings Marley elicited. They were entirely beyond his experience and bumped against his desire to plan and stay in control. He didn’t know how she fit inside his life. And yet, he couldn’t imagine life without Marley. The idea of her not being a part of his life, even worse being with someone else, nearly unhinged him. His carefully controlled and planned life hadn’t prepared him for her.
His sisters, Jessa and Becca, would be up tomorrow. Which had him thinking a lot about Marley and how to introduce her to them. He’d never introduced any woman to his family. Jessa and Becca would be the warm up for the rest of his family who were arriving on staggered dates leading up to Christmas. He didn’t think of himself as sentimental, but as the reality of Last Frontier Lodge firmed in front of his eyes, he’d become determined his family would be here for the holiday as they used to do for so many years before the lodge closed. Gage was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud crash in the kitchen.
He turned and saw one of the kitchen staff had dropped a large glass jar of olives on the floor. Broken glass and olives dotted the floor. Delia was shaking her head and laughing. “It wouldn’t be right if something didn’t break on our first full night.” She stepped over to help, but Gage beat
her to it.
“I got this,” he said, waving her away. “You’ve got food to serve.”
The young woman who’d dropped the jar was flushed red. ‘I’m so sorry…”
Gage glanced up and shook his head. “You heard Delia, nothing to worry about. Go do what you need to do, and I’ll get this.” She nodded with alacrity and turned away.
After he swept of the mess and mopped the area, Gage raced upstairs to change when he noticed he still wore the clothes he’d had on when he helped Don outside. When he returned to the restaurant, he saw Marley walking in with a woman who had to be related to her. She shared Marley’s hair though it had less red to it. He made his way across the room to Marley’s side.
“Hey, there,” he said.
Marley glanced up, her forest green eyes landing on his, and his pulse quickened. She affected him as no one ever had. All she had to do was be there, and it was as if she flicked a switch. He talked his body down. The last thing he wanted was to meet anyone related to Marley with an obvious hard on.
The woman at Marley’s side glanced up, her eyes similar to Marley’s. She held her hand out. When he took it, her grip was firm, her handshake confident. “I’m Lacey, Marley’s little sister,” she offered brightly. Her eyes held his in an assessing look.
“I’m Gage, I’m, uh…” He realized he’d just been wondering how to introduce Marley to his family and he didn’t know how Marley wanted him known to hers.
Lacey interjected. “Boyfriend?” she asked, her tone helpful.
Gage glanced to Marley who nodded.
“That would be me,” Gage said with more confidence than he felt. He was on such foreign terrain with his feelings for Marley, he felt adrift. But he didn’t want to be anywhere other than right by her side, so he was partially relieved to have Lacey label him.
Lacey smiled widely. “It’s great to meet you. Marley’s told me all about you and what you’ve been doing here at the lodge. You have no idea how excited I am that Last Frontier Lodge will be up and running again! It’s my favorite place to ski.”
Marley grinned at Lacey and turned to him. “Like I told you, Lacey and I used to ski here all the time when we were kids. She’s hardcore though, so you’d better make sure Don gets the advanced trails ready.”
Conversation moved on as Marley shared what Lacey did as a guide, pride evident in her tone. Lacey wandered off to greet some friends when it occurred to Gage they’d better grab a table. He spied an open one and took Marley’s hand, leading her over to it. “Is your mother here again?” he asked as they sat down.
Marley glanced around the room. “She’s not here yet, but I bet she’ll be here. She’s been coming every time Delia hosts these. Now that Delia’s done this, I think she’s going to have to keep it up even after you’re running at full speed. People are hooked on the idea that you have special prices for locals only.”
“I suggested the same thing to her this morning. She did it to get the staff ready for running when the restaurant was busy, but it’s been great.” He paused to look around again. The room had a hum of conversation and staff bustled among the tables, taking orders, serving drinks and more. This was the second evening when Delia had the bar fully stocked and staffed. They’d had to wait for the liquor license to be approved. Gage had quickly discovered a liquor license was worth far more than its weight in gold. The one night they’d been able to serve from the bar had brought in the first day of profit for the lodge.
When his gaze made its way back to Marley, his heart tightened. Her auburn curls fell loosely around her shoulders, the lights catching in her hair. Her green eyes were bright. She fiddled with a silver chain around her neck. She met his eyes and smiled. “Have you checked the reservations today?”
He shook his head, and she rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Gage? I showed you how to do it. You’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “Maybe so, but I’d rather have you do it.” His answer was entirely true, but he also wanted any reason to keep Marley involved in the lodge. Aside from the logistical help she’d provided, he appreciated her opinion and didn’t want her to back off from her involvement. And he just plain wanted her around.
“At some point, you’ll have to figure it out.”
“That’s what I’m paying you to do,” he countered.
Marley shook her head. “Fair enough.”
She started to say something else when Lacey pulled the chair out beside Marley and sat down with a sigh. Lacey glanced between Marley and Gage. “Am I interrupting a romantic interlude?” she asked with a sly grin.
Marley flushed, and Gage felt his heart clench again. He didn’t mind Lacey joining them for dinner, in fact he welcomed it because a chance to get to know anyone close to Marley was a good thing, but any moment he didn’t have alone with Marley was a missed opportunity. Man, you have it bad. As if I didn’t know.
Gage met Lacey’s eyes. “Even if you were, I hope you’re planning to join us for dinner.”
Lacey’s grin widened. “Oh, you’re good.”
Their conversation paused when a waitress arrived to take their orders. As soon as she stepped away, Lacey turned back to him, her expression serious. “Marley told me how you’re helping out with the investigation. I wanted to thank you. She hates asking for help, so I can’t tell you how relieved I am to know that you’re stepping up anyway.”
Gage nodded and shifted his shoulders. He glanced to Marley. Her cheeks were bright, and she fiddled with the silverware. He sensed her discomfort and the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide. He glanced back to Lacey. “Glad to help.”
Lacey held his gaze for a moment, her eyes bouncing to Marley and back again. She appeared to be considering her words. “Would you mind letting me know when you have any updates?”
Marley’s head whipped up. “Lacey…” her tone held an edge of exasperation.
Lacey shrugged. “I’m asking him because I know you. You won’t say anything until way after the fact. You’re my sister, and I want to make sure you’re okay. If Gage will keep me up to date, then you don’t have to worry about it.”
Marley bit her lip and sighed. “Fine.” She glanced up at Gage. “She’s cranky because I only just mentioned the emails to her today.”
Gage wasn’t certain what the correct answer was here, so he opted for nodding. Lacey grinned and let the topic go, moving on to quiz Gage on his entire life story. He found himself oddly pleased at her many questions, as she unabashedly made it clear she was making sure he was good enough for Marley. He’d have expected this to make him uncomfortable, but it didn’t. He only hoped he was good enough for Marley because whether he knew how to deal with his feelings or not, he damn sure couldn’t fathom stepping aside. As Lacey’s quiz continued, he had to do his usual dodge and offer vague answers about his work as a SEAL.
Lacey hitched a brow up. “Are you being vague because you can’t tell me, or are you being annoying?” she asked archly.
Marley giggled and shook her head. “I should have warned you Lacey can be pushy.”
Gage chuckled. “No problem. I’m being vague because Navy SEAL assignments are almost always classified. Force of habit.”
Marley tilted her head, her green eyes slanting to him. “I’m usually not as nosy as Lacey, but now that she’s on a roll, how long ago did you retire from the military?”
Gage’s chest tightened slightly. “Just last year. I hadn’t been on any assignments for a while and had been doing administrative stuff on base. It wasn’t the best fit for me, and I was ready to retire, so I did. Not much later, Gram passed away and I knew where I needed to go.” He glossed over the details with such broad strokes it made the situation sound simple. In reality, he’d been tossed asunder by Matt’s death. He’d gritted through it on the assignment, but Matt had been his best friend since high school. They’d enlisted in the Navy together after college. Matt had shared every step of his journey on the way to b
ecoming a Navy SEAL. That kind of work deepened bonds for all of the team members, but the bond between him and Matt had begun long before that. Even now, Gage felt a lingering guilt that Matt had been the one to die rather than him. Matt had a wife and child while Gage had no one…until now.
He met Marley’s eyes, and his heart clenched painfully. If he had died, he would have missed the chance to meet Marley. Now that she’d waltzed her way effortlessly into his life and heart, the thought that he could have missed the chance to be with her made his stomach feel hollow. He didn’t know what it meant, but if he could do anything to honor Matt’s memory, it would be to be as good to the people he loved as Matt had been. Love. The word he’d been avoiding. He slipped his hand across Marley’s shoulders and laced his fingers in her hair. Without a thought of where they were, he captured her luscious lips in a kiss. In seconds, lust was pounding through him.
Lacey’s voice broke into the moment. “Well, hot damn! Geez, I’m not sure what I said to make that happen.”
Gage pulled away, his eyes snagging on Marley’s. Sweet electricity sizzled in her gaze. With a shake of her head, she broke away and looked around. Gage turned to Lacey and shrugged. “Sorry. Got a little carried away there.”
Lacey grinned. “You just made my day. Marley’s the best sister in the world, and she deserves an awesome guy. For the moment, you’re passing the test.”
Gage chuckled and glanced at Marley. She was flushed, her lips swollen from his kiss. He was thankful for the table, as his cock had some pretty strong and hard opinions about what he should be doing with Marley right about now. He took a breath, his pulse racing when she turned his way again and smiled softly.
Chapter 16
Marley walked downstairs in her cabin and paused to look out the front windows. Snow had fallen during the night, blanketing the field in fluffy white. A pair of moose stood at the edge of the field, nibbling on alders. Their breath billowed in mist around them. Snow sparkled where the sun struck it, glistening under its warmth. A stellar jay squawked and burst out of the trees, landing with such force on a bird feeder by the deck railing that the feeder swung wildly. The sky was clear, and the wind stirred the surface of the bay. The mountains across stood quiet and majestic, their peaks stark white against the bright blue sky.