by J. H. Croix
Although Flynn had addled my thoughts and stolen all of my breath, it seemed I hadn’t completely lost my mind. “It’s okay,” I said, breathlessly enough that I was embarrassed. “I can take care of it.”
His eyes lifted to mine. Sweet Jesus. His gaze was intense. “Did you bump into some devil’s club?”
“Huh?” I asked brilliantly.
He gestured toward the punctures in the side of my jeans where I’d landed on that mean bush.
“Oh, is that what that awful bush is called? Devil’s club?”
Flynn’s lips kicked up slightly at one corner. “Yeah, princess. If it was a low bush with thick stalks and nasty thorns, it was devil’s club.”
“Well, it certainly hurt. If you don’t mind, I’ll clean my knee up and meet you outside. Or I can just take some of the first-aid stuff and take care of it in my room.” I needed to get myself out of Flynn’s close presence before I did something stupid.
For a moment, he stood right where he was, and I sensed his indecision. He said nothing, though, and stepped back. The sound of the door shutting behind him was a loud click in the tiled bathroom.
Relieved to be alone again, because I could barely stand to be that close to Flynn, I took a moment to orient myself. This bathroom had a large oval-shaped tub in one corner and a really sweet shower with a rain shower faucet and other fixtures on the walls. Right about now, I could’ve seriously used a shower, so I imagined it would be heaven.
With a mental shake, I shimmied out of my jeans and cleaned up my knee. I hadn’t even broken the skin where I’d landed. It was just red and irritated. I inspected the marks from the devil’s club. There were only three, and they looked innocuous enough, but they ached.
After slipping my jeans back on, I returned everything to the first-aid kit and stepped out of the bathroom. Flynn was waiting by the windows, looking out over the mountains. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked pensive.
I cleared my throat. He turned quickly, his eyes sweeping over me. Having Flynn’s focus on me was unsettling. His gaze felt like a beam of fire on my body. I didn’t think that was what he intended, but my body definitely had a mind of its own when it came to Flynn.
“You okay?”
“Of course. Thank you for the first aid.” Uncertain what to do, I twisted my fingers together. “Um, I’ll go then.”
Flynn continued as if I hadn’t said anything. “Where the devil’s club got you will be sore, but that’s it. Ibuprofen helps. If you don’t have any, we have some.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
At that, Flynn strode across the room, swiftly closing the distance between us. “Are you planning to take any flightseeing trips?”
He kept walking past me, so I simply turned and followed him. “I’d like to. I just, well, I’ve never been on a plane that small.”
Flynn was opening the door, and he stopped to look back at me. His gaze was inscrutable, but then it almost always was. “You’ll like it. It’s the best way to get a good view. The family that arrived today scheduled one soon. There should be an extra seat if you want to tag along.”
“Geez, Flynn, I’d almost think you were trying to be nice.”
Chapter Six
Flynn
I almost laughed at that. Every now and then, I saw sparks of the woman I sensed was behind the smoke screen Daphne created. She was so buttoned-up that it was obvious she was carrying something inside. I had no idea what and reminded myself almost daily that it was none of my damn business.
I bit back my smile. “I can be nice, princess. Now come on, you don’t want to miss dinner.”
Daphne lifted her chin a little as she walked past me, and I resisted the urge to reach out and tap her cute ass. I was startled at how much I had to clench my hands. Daphne was going to drive me insane before the end of her trip. I couldn’t help but wonder where she got the money to spend a month in Alaska. And by herself, no less.
The questions just kept coming for me with Daphne. As it was, I didn’t dare ask a single one. My curiosity about Daphne was entirely out of the ordinary. I didn’t have time for a woman, much less one who brought out every crazy instinct in me. Someone, or something, had hurt her badly. I wanted to know who or what.
I knew pain when I saw it because I knew it far too well myself. Every now and then, I saw the shadows in her eyes, and I saw how she clamped her guard down. I physically shook my head to chase my curiosity away.
Roughly an hour later, I was relieved that we were busy with guests. The resort could host up to thirty people at a time, and we were completely booked. We’d been completely booked all of this season and the one prior. The flight business had taken off sooner. Now that this place was getting busier, my schedule was more insane than it had ever been.
I was accustomed to being busy. When I was in the Air Force, my entire days were mapped out. I was busy from sun-up to sundown there and even during the night sometimes, but my schedule ran like a clock. Everything had a system and a structure, even emergencies.
Flying in Alaska is considered one of the riskiest occupations because the weather is unpredictable, as is the landscape. There are too many contingencies to plan around. I’d figured the flying would be my challenge, and it was. It kept me on my toes all the time.
Yet what I’d thought would be the easier part of running this fledgling expedition resort wasn’t turning out to be easier. Guests were unpredictable, and managing the staff I needed to make it work was even more challenging.
Striding into the kitchen, I looked around for the woman I’d just hired last week, but Tonya was nowhere to be found. Crossing the room, I poked my head into the large pantry, and I found her there, texting on her phone.
“Tonya?” I called from the doorway.
She looked up, appearing entirely unconcerned that I just discovered her wasting time in the pantry. “Yeah?”
“What’s the status of dinner?”
Annoyance flashed in her eyes. Her shoulder was resting against the pantry shelves, and she didn’t even move.
I was so fucking done with this. I wanted to fire her on the spot, but for now, she was my help. “Ever hear of cooking?” I pressed.
Oh, great. Now she looked hurt.
“I’ll be right there, Flynn,” she muttered. “I just came in here to get some ingredients.”
On my way out of the pantry, my eyes immediately landed on Daphne. She was at the long table in the front area of this room, talking with Cat.
When I saw the curve of her smile and the dimple in her cheek peek out, I felt a tug low in my gut. In response, I immediately stalked out of the kitchen.
Just as I was pushing through the doors into the main room, Gabriel and Diego almost collided with me as they came through in the opposite direction. Diego hitched his brows. “Where are you running off to?”
“Just grabbing something from my truck,” I practically barked in return.
Anger and annoyance seemed to be the flipside to my desire for Daphne. She had me unsettled, shaking the grip I had on my life. I had priorities, and a sexy, out of place princess torturing me just for existing wasn’t one of them.
She’s not as much princess as you think, a voice taunted in my thoughts.
Shut the fuck up.
She wasn’t, though. Oh, she definitely had that princess vibe. Even when she was dressed down, she was perfectly put together. But she was pretty down to earth. She didn’t expect anyone to wait on her. If anything, she resisted asking for help. When I’d offered to look at the electrical problem on her rental, she chewed on her bottom lip—driving me wild in the process for a solid minute—before she finally said yes.
And here I was, thinking about Daphne. Again. I pointlessly walked out to my truck and pretended I was looking for something in the glove compartment. I was behaving like an idiot just so I could make it seem like I’d actually left the kitchen for some reason other than avoiding Daphne.
Returning, I was relieved to find Gabri
el and Diego seated at the island in the kitchen. Nora had joined Cat and Daphne, along with a few of the other guests at the table. Tonya was blessedly working.
Passing the guys, I asked, “Beer? I have some fresh brew from Diamond Creek Brewery.”
“Always,” Diego replied with a quick grin while Gabriel nodded.
After I fetched the growler I’d gotten from the local brewery, I snagged three pint glasses and tugged a stool to the corner of the island. I told myself it wasn’t because I could surreptitiously take peeks at Daphne.
She was so fucking sexy, though. She had changed after cleaning up the scrape on her knee into a fitted cotton T-shirt with a scoop neck that made me want to trace my tongue over the curve of her breasts that barely rose above the top. She’d paired that with jeans.
Daphne was not my type. She was always put together, even in just jeans and a T-shirt. She was petite and tidy with her luscious breasts and beyond tempting if only because the rest of her was slim.
“Yeah, I know,” Gabriel’s voice reached my ears.
Looking his way, I asked, “You know what?”
“You’re staring at Daphne again,” Diego offered with a sly grin.
“No, I’m not,” I lied.
“Okay, you’re not,” Gabriel said affably.
With his auburn hair and bright blue eyes, Gabriel tended to be a draw for single women who were visiting the resort and those crowding Diamond Creek, when he went to town for a little night fun.
Gabriel was one of my closest friends, and I trusted him with my life. It was a fact he’d actually saved mine once. I’d returned the favor another time in a dicey rescue mission. When it came to women, Gabriel liked playing the field and had probably never spent more than one night with any particular woman.
His eyes narrowed in calculation after my comment. “Well, if you’re not chasing after her, maybe I will.”
Over my dead body. I took a gulp of my beer and leveled him with a look. “Don’t you dare. Maybe she’s not for me, but she’s definitely not here for your fun.”
“All right, you owe me a hundred bucks,” Diego said.
“I do?” I countered.
“No, Gabriel. He bet me that if he said that to you, you’d tell him he couldn’t. I didn’t think you had the nerve. Guess I was wrong.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Don’t worry, man. None of us here would hit on Daphne. It’s obvious you’ve got a thing for her.”
I rolled my eyes and took another swallow of my beer. “Fuck off.”
“This is not specific to Daphne, although she does have the honor of being the first woman I’ve seen you even kind of interested in, but you could loosen up. Life doesn’t have to be all work and so freaking serious,” Diego offered.
“You guys know I’ve still got to scrounge up the money to put Cat through college. That means work and a lot of it.” I shifted my shoulders, annoyed at how defensive I felt.
“And you’re making plenty,” Gabriel said. “Ran into Trey Holden, by the way. He mentioned he’s giving you first dibs when he puts his business up for sale after the end of the season. Think you’d be smart to take him up on it.”
“Agreed. I’m gonna talk to the bank when I find the time. I don’t have the cash myself. I put too much toward expanding the resort and the flight schedule as we have it.”
“You’ve done a damn good job,” Diego said with a firm nod.
At that moment, Cat, sixteen years old and with enough attitude to drive me insane, stopped beside us. “Can I go out with Jonathon tomorrow in his boat?” she said, referring to her new boyfriend. I didn’t even know if he was actually her boyfriend, but I didn’t know what else to call him in my mind.
“No, just no.” Cat opened her mouth to argue, but I shook my head again. “I’m not saying yes to you going out on the bay with anyone who isn’t an adult.”
“He’s been out in boats a lot,” Cat muttered.
“He’s sixteen. He can only have so much experience. The weather can turn on a dime out there. I’m just not comfortable with it.”
“What if I took someone with me?” she countered.
I shook my head again. “Not unless it’s an adult I can talk with.”
“Flynn, you say no to everything.”
I took a gulp of my beer for some fortitude. “Cat, I definitely don’t say no to everything. Please don’t argue like this. I’m not going to change my mind.”
Cat sighed, sounding all put upon. “I don’t see why it’s a big deal. It’s not like we’re going to make out on the boat.”
“I was a teenage guy once. Trust me, Jonathon is hoping otherwise,” I muttered.
Cat glared at me. Diego was biting the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing. Gabriel had turned away, although I could see his shoulders shaking.
“Fine. Can I go with Daphne to Diamond Creek tomorrow?” Cat asked.
“Is all your homework done?”
Tomorrow was Saturday, but Cat was freaking smart as hell and taking college courses now through a high school program to get ahead for when she eventually started college.
Cat nodded quickly. “Of course.” Although she may try to push my limits on just about everything else, I never doubted her when she answered on her school status. She took school seriously and busted her butt.
“Then, yes. But I need to check with Daphne first.”
Cat rolled her eyes but then dipped her chin in acknowledgment. “Fine.” She spun away, skipping out of the dining area.
“Be right back,” I said as I stood and crossed the room to approach Daphne.
It didn’t help matters that every time I got near Daphne, my body revved its engine like the start of a race. Daphne had just turned away from whomever she was speaking with and was standing by the windows.
Stopping beside her, I looked out to see clouds burgeoning in the sky over the bay. They hadn’t blotted out the setting sun yet, but it was close. Taking a breath, I braced myself to look at Daphne. When I turned, she was still looking forward.
God, she was beautiful. Her auburn hair was down now, falling halfway down her back. It had gold highlights in it, almost as if she’d caught a little bit of sunshine in the locks. Her nose turned up at the end, and I wanted to kiss her pretty pink lips. Okay, I was definitely losing my mind.
“So, Cat asked me if she could go to Diamond Creek with you tomorrow. I’m assuming she asked you first,” I began.
Daphne turned toward me then. For a split second, the heat blasted me, sizzling up my spine. Her tongue darted out, and she licked her lips.
“She did. I’d love to take her since she knows her way around. I told her she had to ask you, though,” Daphne said.
“It’s fine. Fair warning, she’ll talk your head off.”
Daphne’s smile unfurled slowly, and it was like a punch to my gut. My balls tightened. “I can handle it. Cat’s delightful. If you didn’t know, she adores you. She brags about you almost every time I talk to her.”
I laughed softly. “Is that so? Well, good thing, because she’s stuck with me for a few more years.”
I saw the questions swirling in Daphne’s eyes. It’s just I didn’t feel like answering them. Instead, I was an ass. “Do me a favor, though, don’t get stuck on the side of the road.”
Chapter Seven
Daphne
My cell phone vibrated on the dresser in my room at the resort. It was only six a.m. here, but that meant it was noon back in Atlanta. I didn’t expect many calls, so I assumed it was someone from home.
Despite the location, there was good reception here because they had a cell tower on a ridge nearby. Lifting my phone from the dresser, I glanced at the screen and saw my mother’s name flash.
The phone vibrated in my hand two more times before I swiped my thumb across the screen and brought the phone to my ear. “Hey, Mom.”
“Daphne! How are you, dear?”
My mother sounded friendly and had injected an extra dose of cheer into her t
one. I knew better than to let my guard down. Tension coiled in my gut.
“I’m fine, Mom. How are you?”
“Well, I’ve been wondering when you were going to give up and come home. Alaska is not exactly your style.”
I gritted my teeth and curled my free arm around my waist as I strode to look out the windows. I didn’t really know what my style was.
“I’m enjoying it here.” My voice came out smoothly despite the tightness in my chest and the icy ball of dread in my stomach. “How are you?” I repeated.
“Not well. Not well at all. We need you here. Your father needs your help to smooth things over with some of our partnerships.”
“Mom, when I come home, I’m not re-opening the restaurant. And I’m definitely not working in the business anymore.”
“Daphne,” my mother began, her tone going exactly where I predicted it would go—sharp and judgmental. “I know you’re devastated about Brandon’s death.”
My breath seized in my lungs. My heart felt as if hundreds of tiny cracks were spreading, and it might shatter into pieces. I stayed silent, and after another moment, my breath came back. My mother’s voice picked back up over the rushing sound in my ears.
“I know what Pete did feels inexcusable, but nothing is unforgivable. We all make compromises every day of our lives. Chin up and come back home.”
“No,” I said flatly, my voice coming out stronger than I expected. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I absolutely refuse to help smooth over the situation. Pete cheated on me with someone I thought was my friend at an absolutely horrible time. This isn’t just about forgiveness. I’m working on forgiveness, but forgiveness doesn’t mean I have to be friends with anyone again. It certainly doesn’t mean I need to make nice and work with people I will never trust in my life. Forgiveness is just about finding peace for myself.”
“Daphne, your father needs you. Pete is indispensable in this business, but so are you. He needs you both, and he needs it to work.”
