by Croix, J. H.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers for a lingering kiss.
Epilogue
Risa waited to turn onto the main road from the gallery parking lot. An eagle flying low along the shoreline caught her eye. She tracked the majestic bird until it came to a slow landing on a piece of driftwood. Distracted, she yelped when her car shifted with a loud thump. Swinging her head around, she looked into the wide eyes of a teenage boy with a mop of brown hair embellished with a purple streak in the bangs. A woman whom Risa presumed to be his mother was shaking her head in the passenger seat.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she said aloud to no one since she was in her car alone. She’d been on the way to meet Darren for dinner at the brewery. She quickly texted him, put her car in park and climbed out.
The young man scrambled out of his car, apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry! I’m learning how to drive stick shift, and I messed up and hit the clutch instead of the brakes.”
The woman came around from the passenger side. “Hi there, I’m Gail. Brandon’s been doing great with the stick shift, but obviously he’s not quite there yet,” she said with a wry smile. “Let me get our insurance information.” She started to turn away.
“Don’t worry about it,” Risa said quickly. She gestured to the side of her car. “There’s barely a dent. It’ll probably be best if I get an estimate and let you know. No need to turn it into more than that.”
Gail stopped on her walk back around the car. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t ask, but that would be great. I don’t know if you have teenage boy, but the insurance rates are insane.”
Before Risa could reply, Brandon groaned and hung his head. Risa followed where he’d been looking and saw Darren’s patrol car headed in their direction. She looked to Brandon. “Oh, he’s not here to give you a ticket. I promise I won’t let him give you a ticket, but you should probably be prepared to do some lawn mowing down at the police station for a little while.”
Brandon lifted his head, his shaggy brown bangs falling away from his eyes. “Really?” The hopefulness in his question was so endearing, Risa smiled.
“Really. He’s my husband. He’s pretty good at not making something out of nothing. As far as fender benders go, this is close to nothing. Nobody got hurt.”
Gail looked worried, but she walked back around the car and stood beside Brandon, threading her arm through his. Darren pulled into the parking lot. When he strolled in their direction, a frisson of awareness ran up her spine, heat suffusing her. It didn’t matter that she’d woken in his arms every day for the last year, the mere sight of him set her body alight. His eyes held a gleam. She knew he was amused she’d had another fender bender. Her last car mishap had been with him last year when her engine had overheated, a precursor to the ever-present heat between them.
Darren paused at her side and glanced down at her car, eying the small dent. His chocolate gaze caressed her briefly before he turned to Gail and Brandon. “Hey there Brandon, how’s it going?”
Brandon shrugged and shifted on his feet. He kept tossing his head to keep his hair out of his eyes, that streak of purple bouncing each time. “Okay, I guess. I messed up and hit the clutch instead of the brakes and bumped into…” He paused and gestured to Risa.
“Risa,” she offered.
“So I bumped into Risa. I’m really sorry.” Brandon’s face was beet red by the time he finished talking.
Gail jumped in. “Darren, he knows he messed up. Risa here seems to think you won’t give him a ticket, but I don’t want you to think we expect that from you.”
As usual, everyone knew Darren. Risa had grown quite accustomed to that over the year they’d been together. She watched him, warmth pulsing inside. Aside from the fact that he made her body hum, she loved how fair and kind he was. He proceeded to do exactly as she’d expected and offer to let Brandon mow the station lawn in lieu of a ticket. After Gail and Brandon went on their way, Risa turned to him with a grin.
“So do you ever pay someone other than kids to take care of the lawn at the station?”
Darren shook his head. “Of course not! Why would I when there’s a constant supply of teenagers making mistakes? I don’t let all kids off the hook, but for minor things where no one’s hurt and all’s well that ends well, I see no reason to be a stickler.”
Risa stepped to meet him and tugged him down for a quick kiss. “One of the many reasons I love you,” she said against his lips.
He smiled, his eyes dark with heat. “Good thing because I have a long list of reasons why I love you.” He pulled back slightly. “So, you just had to go and get in a fender bender two days before our wedding?”
Risa giggled. “Kismet.”
***
Two days later, Risa stood inside the gallery, her heart so full, she though it might fly out of her chest. A mere hour earlier, she and Darren had been married on the beach. It was late summer. They’d held the ceremony as the sun began its slow descent down the sky, coloring the horizon with soft gold, pink and lavender hues. The mountains were silent witnesses as the waves lapped the shore. Ethan and Jack had organized the reception at the gallery. Food, wine and friends and family were in abundance.
Ethan came to her side, his blue eyes warm. He kissed her on the cheek and tucked his arm into her elbow. “Well dear, you did it. You found a good man and held on. I can’t tell you how good it is to see you this happy.”
When she looked to him, his eyes were bright with tears, mirroring her own. She swiped at hers. “Don’t make me ruin my make-up,” she said with a low laugh. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the room, her eyes eventually landing on Darren. He looked devastatingly handsome in the black suit he wore. He’d gamely allowed Ethan and Jack to help him find the suit he wore. She couldn’t believe she’d ever thought she could have a fling with him and it would be even close to enough.
She turned back to Ethan. “I should thank you.”
Ethan arched a brow in question.
“Because you didn’t let me be stupid with him. I was all ready to stand in my own way. That would have made me screw up the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Ethan grinned and squeezed her arm. “You deserve nothing less than the best. I only get bossy sometimes, but it was worth it.” He loosened his arm from hers and gave her a gentle push. “Get over there. We’re about to wind this up. You two have the suite upstairs for the night before you take off tomorrow.”
Risa gave him a quick kiss and a whispered thanks before threading her way to Darren’s side. They were headed on their honeymoon to the Virgin Islands tomorrow. Ethan and Jack had transformed the upstairs apartment in the gallery into a luxurious suite they rented out for exorbitant rates throughout the summer. Tonight, it was for her and Darren.
Hours later, she leaned against the railing of the balcony overlooking Kachemak Bay. Moonlight shone on the water, rippling in the soft current. She felt Darren’s warmth before he slipped his arms around her waist. She wore a thin cotton robe. The heat of his body sifted through the fabric. Her skin prickled with awareness, desire shimmered around them. Stars winked bright in the dark sky.
Darren was quiet. He simply rested his chin on her shoulder, looking out over the water. Their breath rose and fell in unison. The surface of the water broke in the bay. A white gleam flashed in the moonlight, followed by another and another and another. The belugas were back. Risa’s heart flew inside. She turned her head, her lips wide with her smile. He met her smile with a soft kiss.
~The End~
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Please enjoy the following excerpt from Christmas on the Last Frontier, the first book in the Last Frontier Lodge Series!
(Excerpt from CHRISTMAS ON THE LAST FRONTIER by J.H. Croix; all rights reserved)
Chapter 1
Marley Adams walked up the old ski trail, taking in the view around her. The air held a bite of winter though fall had yet to entirely pass. Cresting the top of the trail where an abandoned ski lift sat, she turned and looked behind her. Her breath caught in her throat. Kachemak Bay lay sparkling in the sun. Mountains rose behind it on the far shore, snow-tipped and bright. She was home. Home was Diamond Creek, Alaska, a fishing village, and tourist mecca in Southcentral Alaska. Breathtaking views, wildlife galore, and a tight-knit community of independent, quirky souls comprised Diamond Creek. The place she thought she couldn’t wait to get away from once she graduated high school. Today, she let her heart soak it in, the one and only place that ever felt like home.
She breathed in the bracing autumn air, scented with spruce and the hint of snow to come. The ground danced with color. Most of fall in Alaska happened underfoot as the landscape was heavily forested with evergreens. She turned around and eyed the ski lift. The lift swayed and creaked in the breeze. It felt like a lifetime ago when her parents had brought her up here with her sister to ski when they were little girls. The exhilaration of rushing down the bunny slope and tumbling into the soft net at the bottom was vivid in her memory. Sometime during her childhood, the ski lodge had closed and stayed empty all the years since. When she was younger, she’d wander through the woods onto the old trails, always wishing it was still open. A place that had been filled with activity all winter long lay quiet and still for many long years.
Curiosity drew her to walk up to the tiny building by the lift. She wiped her arm over the smudged window and peered inside. A woodstove sat in the corner and a bench along one wall. A first aid kit was on the floor and a discarded jacket on the bench.
“Excuse me, are you aware you’re trespassing?”
Marley leapt away from the window with a squeak, whirling around to find a man leaning against the corner of the building. The man in question had short brown hair, gray eyes, sharp features, and a body that looked as if it had been sculpted in stone. Even though it was chilly enough for her to wear a lightweight jacket, he wore nothing over the t-shirt that hugged his muscled chest and arms. His legs were rock-hard and encased in sleek running pants. He looked as if he was out for a run. His gray eyes held hers. They were bright gray as if they held lightning inside. His energy was potent masculinity. He didn’t seem unfriendly, but neither did he appear welcoming. Against all reason, her body hummed at the sight of him. He was just…pure man.
“You startled me,” she finally replied.
The man arched a brow and remained silent.
“Um, I hiked up the old ski trail. I didn’t know that was a problem. We used to do it all the time when I was growing up.”
The man nodded slowly. His gray eyes left her and traveled around the view, landing back on the small building he leaned against. “Right. Should have guessed that,” he finally said, bringing his eyes to hers again.
Marley had never seen this man and though she’d lived away from Diamond Creek for over a decade, she came home for visits every year and knew most of the locals. If she didn’t know them, her parents did. As far as she knew, no one had lived at Last Frontier Lodge for years. Residents still lamented its closure.
“Are you from around here?” she finally asked.
The man’s mouth tightened. If she’d known him, she might have thought sadness flashed through his eyes.
“Depends on how you define that.”
“I grew up in Diamond Creek. I used to ski here when I was a little girl. I haven’t lived in town for a while, but last I heard, this place was closed and empty.” She took a breath, gathering her courage. Whoever this man was, he had a hell of an effect on her. She couldn’t even think clearly enough to introduce herself. “I’m Marley Adams. I live down the road from here.” She gestured vaguely in the direction of the little cabin on her parents’ property where she’d recently moved.
Those gray eyes landed on her again. For a minute, she thought he wasn’t going to respond. He cleared his throat. “I’m Gage Hamilton. My grandparents used to own this place. I was born in Diamond Creek, but my parents moved away when I was little. My, uh…” He paused and closed his eyes, grimacing slightly. When he opened his eyes again, she knew what she saw was sadness. “…grandmother died recently and left the lodge to me and my siblings. I always loved it here when we came to visit, so I moved here. I’m planning to fix the place up and reopen, hopefully this winter.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry about your grandmother,” Marley said, uncertain what else to offer.
Gage nodded tightly. “Thanks. I was pretty close to her. Still getting used to the fact that she’s gone.”
Marley nodded, curiosity swirling inside, but she sensed now wasn’t the time to ask the many questions as she had. “It’s great you’re planning to reopen the ski lodge. People still talk about it back when it was open. Aside from staying busy with locals, this place was hopping all winter long with tourists.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” He paused and glanced at her again, his eyes softer. “I didn’t mean to sound harsh when I asked about the trespassing thing. I came up for a run and didn’t know who you were, so…”
“Oh, it’s okay. You should know plenty of locals hike up here and use the old trails for cross-country skiing. It’s not like people don’t know someone else owns it, it’s just no one’s been here for so long, people forget.”
Gage nodded slowly. “I was thinking maybe I should make some kind of announcement, but I haven’t quite sorted out the details yet.”
“Oh. Well, as soon as word travels that you’re here and plan to reopen, you might want to be ready for lots of people showing up to say hi,” she said wryly. “Diamond Creek’s a small town. This is big news.”
Gage smiled, and Marley thought she might swoon. Dear God, it was dangerous for him to smile. When he wasn’t smiling, he had that whole, smoldering sexy and kind of intimidating vibe—just intimidating enough to keep her body in check. When he smiled, her body spun like a top inside—heat and electricity swirling. His eyes crinkled at the corners, the gray brightening and his mouth softening.
Get a grip, Marley. You’ve known this man for less than five minutes. If she let her body talk, all she could think about was what it would feel like to run her hands over his body, which was nothing short of a miracle.
Gage cleared his throat. “So how far away do you live from here?”
“About a quarter mile down the road from the entrance to the lodge. My parents own about ten acres adjacent to the lodge. Their house is further down the road. I moved into a small cabin they used to rent out to tourists in the summer. It’s tiny, but it’s got everything I need.”
Gage nodded. “Well, feel free to walk around here as much as you want. I suppose I’d better come up with some kind of plan to handle the locals hikers, huh?”
Marley shrugged. “People won’t expect to be able to do whatever they want. Once you get this place up and running, you won’t need to worry. You might want to notify the town hall and maybe put a notice up in the paper. Otherwise, someone might call the police if they don’t know who you are and see you around the property.”
Gage threw his head back with a laugh. Her stomach burst full of butterflies. She shook her head and forced herself to look away.
“I’ll take it as a good sign that I have to worry about that.” Gage followed her gaze out over the bay. “Well, I’m gonna keep running. Sounds like I’ll see you around.”
She nodded. “I’m sure you will. If you need anything, just stop by. You can see my place from the entrance to the lodge. It’s the little cabin with a red roof sitting on the hill nearby.”
/> Gage grinned. “I’ve seen it. Good to know. Well, I’m off. Enjoy your walk,” he said with a quick wave before he took off running. He went around the ski lift and turned up onto the next trail nearby—a much steeper and more advanced trail—and proceeded to run up at a steady pace. Marley had never run up that trail, but she knew without a doubt, it would be grueling. He ran without his pace changing. No wonder he was in such good shape. She finally turned away and began her descent, the view stretching before her.
For the first time in months, she obsessed about something other than the crash and burn of her grand plans to make something of herself. Gage filled her mind—his rock hard body, his sensual mouth…and whoever he was behind his guarded nature.
***
Gage pushed himself up the trail, his legs finally beginning to tire when he reached the top and paused beside another ski lift. He turned and looked behind him. He could see Marley walking down the trail below. He’d seen her long before she paused at the small building between trails. He’d only been at the ski lodge for a week, but he’d already memorized the pattern of trails and had been cutting across between two trails when he heard her walking. He’d paused in the edge of the woods and watched her. Her auburn hair glinted in the sun. Curiosity drew him to approach her. Why he felt the need to start off by confronting her about trespassing was beyond him. He shook his head.
From a distance, he’d thought she was beautiful. Up close, she took his breath away. Her wavy auburn hair was paired with forest green eyes, a pert nose, and a sensual mobile mouth—so kissable he’d had to restrain himself. To make his body tread the edge of embarrassing himself, her body was flat out beautiful—curvy and athletic at once. She’d worn a green fleece jacket zipped halfway, which revealed a thin cotton shirt pulled tight across her breasts, her nipples peaked in the chilly air. From there, her waist dipped then curved into lush hips and strong legs hugged by her fitted leggings. She’d seemed entirely oblivious to the effect she had on him. Wearing his form-fitting running clothes had forced him to rein his body in and required so much discipline, he knew he’d come across as abrupt at points. As he watched her walk down the trail, her auburn hair caught in the wind, flying wild behind her.