by J. H. Croix
“Don, you don’t need to get up just for me,” Ginger said, gesturing for Don to sit back down.
Don grinned and shook his head. “I’m heading home. I’ve got an early start tomorrow.” He gave a general wave to the table and made his way out of the restaurant.
Ginger hung her jacket on the corner of the booth and slid in beside Cam. The moment she sat down, his body went taut. He had to force himself to stay focused on the fact they were surrounded by friends and family to keep from giving in to the pounding desire to kiss her again.
“We were just wondering when you’d be by,” Marley commented.
Ginger shrugged, her eyes catching his before quickly moving on. “I always show up every few days.”
A waitress approached their table and quickly served a glass of wine to Ginger, appearing to know what she wanted without any discussion of the matter. “Do you want to go with the buffet or order something tonight?” the young woman asked.
“I’ll take a salmon burger with sweet potato fries,” Ginger replied.
“You got it,” the waitress said as she quickly filled waters and checked if anyone else needed anything.
After she walked away, conversation turned to the latest local political issue. “I can’t believe they’re thinking of closing the access to the Flats Beach. Have you heard anything else about it?” Delia asked, directing her question to Ginger.
Ginger rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat as she took a sip of wine. The subtle motion brushed her thigh against his, sending a bolt of electricity through him. Holy hell. You need to get a hold of yourself, man. All she’s doing is sitting beside you. But Ginger sitting beside him was like nothing he’d ever experienced. His entire body prickled with awareness from her presence. He could feel the heat of her, smell the subtle scent of strawberries and vanilla—she smelled so good he wanted to taste her. He tried to remember if he’d ever noticed how a woman smelled before, and he was fairly certain he hadn’t. His attention kicked in somewhere along the way while Ginger was talking.
“I’m not sure what to think. I understand why they’re worried about the beach though. Last time I was down there, there were tracks all over the place. I ran into Hannah Winters at Misty Mountain the other day, and she was telling me there’ve been problems with disrupting the nesting sites for the shorebirds that come through in the summer.”
Marley shook her head. “We might not like it, but I don’t want to see the beach torn up. I hate that a few assholes ruin things for everyone else.”
Conversation moved on to another topic. Cam was only half-paying attention when he felt Ginger glance to him. He turned to her, his eyes colliding with her translucent blue gaze. The murmur of conversation carried on, while the air around them heated. His heart hammered against his ribs, and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath. She looked startled and uncertain for a flicker and then she tore her eyes away.
The ebb and flow of conversation continued while Ginger’s food arrived. Somewhere along the way, the topic turned to Cam’s career in backcountry skiing. He’d only been half-paying attention because of the sheer distraction of Ginger, or he’d have headed the topic off, but he was too late.
“That’s why I was so stoked Cam came up here. He’s won races all over the world in backcountry skiing, and he’s got experience with ski instruction. He’s just what we need to get classes going and raise our profile a bit,” Gage said with a nod in Cam’s direction.
Garrett nudged him. “Yeah, rumor has it you’re a bit of a badass on the wild slopes.”
Cam shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of experience, but the backcountry skiing world is pretty small. It’s not a main event like in the Olympics, so we don’t get as much notice.”
Gage grinned. “Cam likes to pretend like it’s nothing, but Don knew who he was right away when I mentioned he’d responded to our ad for the job.”
Cam prayed too many more questions didn’t come up. He’d only spoken with Gage about his brother, so he wasn’t sure who else would know. He figured Gage probably mentioned it to Marley. Any conversation about his skiing career was hard to keep Eric removed from. A familiar cold knot of grief tightened in his stomach, and he shifted in his seat.
Garrett caught his eyes again. “A buddy of mine in Seattle is nuts about those backcountry races. He jabbers on about how much harder they are than traditional downhill skiing. I heard about you and your brother from him. He said you two were some of the best around. Is your brother still competing?”
Dread rolled through Cam, immediately followed by a bolt of grief, the pain so acute that he balled his hand in a fist to clench through it. After a breath, he schooled his expression to neutral and shook his head. “Eric died in a car accident last year, but he competed right up until then,” he said as calmly as he could.
Quiet fell over the table. Cam didn’t dare look around because he didn’t think he could stand what he might see reflected in everyone’s gazes. He took a slow breath and a gulp of his beer.
Garrett’s almost ever-present half-grin had faded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about that,” he said, his words steady.
Cam nodded. “It’s okay. You couldn’t have known. I’ve had some time to get used to it.”
He took another breath and allowed his eyes to lift. Gage’s gray eyes were warm across the table. He nodded imperceptibly, and Cam knew Gage understood this kind of loss. He couldn’t say how or why, but he just knew. A few others made comments similar to Garrett’s and somehow conversation made its way past the moment. Cam took another swallow of beer and tried to will away the hollow, tight feeling in his chest. He wondered if he’d ever figure out how to answer innocent questions about Eric without it hurting like hell. One of his hands rested on thigh, and he felt Ginger’s hand curl over his. She hooked her thumb in his and squeezed.
He turned his palm, and she laced her fingers in his. The small gesture soothed the ache around his heart. He focused on the warmth of her hand twined with his. The restless, achy feeling inside slowly abated with her touch. He stroked his thumb across the back of her palm. He breathed in and out, absorbing the strength she was imparting. He felt as if she was offering to help carry the burden of his grief and to ease its sharp pain.
***
Ginger walked into the break room at the school and ducked into the staff bathroom. While she was drying her hands, she could hear the conversation in the break room.
“I signed Justin up for those new ski lessons up at the lodge. The ski instructor is to die for! Have you seen him?”
Ginger recognized Becky Wright’s voice. Becky was a third grade teacher at the school. Ginger stepped out of the bathroom and found herself walking to join the three women sitting at the table. Part of her wanted to avoid any gossip about Cam, but she couldn’t avoid her curiosity. Becky was seated at the table with Lindsey Holt who taught fourth grade, and Janie Stevens who was probably the most beloved teacher in Diamond Creek. She taught first grade and had a warmth and practicality that endeared her to students and parents alike.
Janie glanced up at Ginger and winked as she sat down beside her. Janie turned to Becky. “Haven’t seen him myself, but you’re not the first person to mention him to me. Rumor has it he’s all kinds of sexy. Diamond Creek’s so small, if anyone new shows up like him, he’s bound to get attention.”
Lindsey chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Becky keeps track for me.” She looked over to Ginger. “You must have met him. You’re up at the lodge all the time. What’s the scoop?”
Ginger felt heat wash through her and willed herself not to blush. She aimed for nonchalant in her reply. “It’s Cam Nash. I’ve met him a few times. He’s damn easy on the eyes, but he’s also a nice guy. Marley told me the lessons he’s set up have been going great.” Her mind spun back to last night when she’d learned about his brother. The pain in his eyes had been so sharp, her heart had clenched. She hadn’t thought about it when she reached for his hand, but she couldn’t have
stopped herself. The look in his eyes had reached in and grabbed ahold of her. All she’d wanted was to somehow let him know he wasn’t alone. She mentally shook her head. She didn’t want to go into that about him, so she kept her comments superficial. “I guess he’s a big deal competitor in backcountry ski racing. Gage is stoked to have him here.”
Becky grinned. “I might be married, but I like to look. Do you know if he plans to stay around long?”
Ginger schooled her expression to stay neutral. She was still floundering in current of her near overpowering attraction for him and didn’t want it to be obvious to others. Becky’s question kept dancing through her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder. “How would I know?” she asked with a shrug. “I know Gage hopes he does, but I have no idea.”
“You never know with people who come here. Either they fall in love with Diamond Creek and want to stay, or they think it’s too remote,” Janie commented. “If he loves to ski though, it’s hard to beat Last Frontier Lodge.”
Becky stood from the table and returned a few items to the refrigerator. “Well, aside from the fact he’s hot as hell, Justin loved his ski lessons, so I hope he sticks around.” At that, she gave a quick wave and headed out of the break room.
Conversation moved on. Ginger checked in with Janie about a student Janie had referred to her while she scarfed down a quick lunch. Lindsey left while they were talking. As they stood up to go, Janie caught her eyes. “You know it’s okay to notice a guy, right?”
Ginger prayed she wasn’t giving her attraction to Cam away that easily. It was these little moments that scratched at her vulnerability, the vulnerability she thought she’d shielded herself from until Cam crossed her path. She tried to play dumb to dissuade Janie. “Huh?”
Janie was one of her closer friends at work. She put a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. “You covered it pretty well, but it’s obvious to me you think Cam Nash is just as hot as Becky does.”
Ginger’s cheeks heated. She looked over at Janie with a rueful grin, giving up her efforts at nonchalance about Cam. “Maybe so. He’s hard not to notice.”
Janie grinned. “Well then, notice away!”
As Ginger followed Janie out of the break room and headed back to her office, she wondered if Cam planned to stay in Diamond Creek, or if he was only here for this season. Ski lodges were often filled with temporary, seasonal staff. She got the sense Cam probably didn’t know. All the more reason she should steer clear of him. It was bad enough she was trying to accept her attraction to him. She didn’t need to worry about the potential messy complications of being into a guy who may or may not be around for very long.
Chapter 7
Cam’s phone rang as he walked out of the bathroom in his suite. He snagged his phone off the small counter in the kitchen and saw his sister’s name flash on the screen.
“Hey Ivy. What’s up?”
“Hey Cam! I got your message. Sorry it took a few days for me to call back. I’ve been so busy with classes and work, I kept forgetting to call until it was too late.”
“No worries. I know you’re busy. How’s school going anyway?”
“It’s great, but my schedule’s crazy busy. Only one more semester, and I’ll be done though.”
Cam was so damn proud of Ivy. Ten years younger than him, she’d been a surprise for his parents, a surprise that enriched their world. Ivy was crazy smart and had a giant heart. Even though they were a decade apart, he and Ivy were close. She’d tagged along with him and Eric when they were younger, always full of life, always asking a million questions and up for anything. She was in a graduate program for mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley. Her dream was to design and build entirely self-sustaining energy systems to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. Well, that and building rockets. His sister was a rocket scientist. He loved throwing that detail around. Ivy had held him up in the brutal weeks after Eric died in the accident. She’d been grieving too, but she somehow knew Cam needed her, so she was there one hundred percent. She’d taken a semester off to be with him and their parents.
“That’s the end of this semester, right?” Cam asked.
“That’s the one! We’re not quite to the end of January though, so I’ve just barely gotten started,” Ivy replied with a laugh. “So tell me about Last Frontier Lodge. Mom says you want them to go up for a visit.”
“It’s great. Seriously. I know you’re busy with school, but I hope you can get up here too.”
“Maybe I can come during my break in March? Will there still be snow then?”
“Oh yeah. At this elevation, the snow won’t even start to melt until later in March. According to Gage, we’ll be skiing into April.”
“Who’s Gage?”
“The guy who owns the lodge. He’s a great guy. Honestly, I’d love for you to come so you can see Alaska, but I also think you’d love the people here. Of all the ski lodges I’ve been to over the years, this one wins for the people.”
He could feel Ivy’s grin through the phone. “That’s awesome, Cam! I don’t care how busy I am, I’ll get up there.”
They chatted causally about a few other topics before Ivy made a comment that made his chest clench. “You know if it’s so great there, why don’t you think about staying past the season? It could be a good thing for you.” Ivy’s voice softened. Cam could picture her concerned amber eyes.
He took a slow breath and stared out the window. It was mid-afternoon and he’d come in from hours of grueling work on the trails with Gage. The slopes were dotted with the brightly colored jackets of skiers. He looked to the side where part of Kachemak Bay came into view. The sun glinted off the water and white caps ruffled the surface. The mountains across the bay rose up steeply from the water, their snow-covered flanks giving way to spruce forest dusted with snow. The beauty of this place was breathtaking. Nature had been so generous here with the glory of beautiful, wild coastlines and mountains in the same place. He took another breath and considered Ivy’s question. When he’d taken this job, he hadn’t thought too far ahead. Eric’s death had robbed him of the concept of planning. He was learning there were some upsides to that, namely that he tended to live in the moment and try to focus on that alone.
“Cam?”
Ivy’s soft voice nudged him out of his thoughts.
“I’m here,” he said, catching his sigh before it slipped out. “I haven’t really thought that far ahead,” he finally replied to her question about staying past the season. The second he spoke, Ginger danced through his thoughts. He didn’t know what to do with the feelings she elicited in him. That brief moment last night when she held his hand was so intimate, he felt strange thinking about it. He was startled by the intimacy and comfort he felt with her. Up to then, he’d been blinded by the blazing hot attraction between them. He mentally shook himself. “I don’t know. Maybe I will.”
“I just think if you like it that much, it might be worth trying. I worry about you bouncing from ski lodge to ski lodge. Even before Eric died, it was getting close to time for you to slow down and breathe.”
Ivy was so open and direct about Eric’s death that it hurt sometimes. Yet, it also helped. He thought back to those awkward moments at dinner last night. He could use some of Ivy’s matter-of-fact approach sometimes. “I’m not ready to make promises, but I get what you mean. I honestly don’t want to bounce around anymore, Ivy, so you don’t need to worry about that. I guess I just need a little time to figure things out. I won’t be going anywhere soon though, so get up here. Okay?”
Ivy laughed softly. “Well, alright then. I’m glad to hear you’re not planning to run all over the world anymore. Maybe I’ll see more of you now.”
“Hey, don’t blame me for that. You’re the one who’s had her nose buried in books for years. You could use a breather yourself.”
Ivy laughed. “Fair enough. So tell me something. I hear there’s all kinds of rugged, sexy men in Alaska—I mean, they even have a calendar
—but what about women? Met anyone lately?”
Ivy had been on him for years about finding someone. Funny, but she’d never really gotten on Eric’s case about it. Eric had been more committed to the lifestyle of a full-time professional skier, which came with endless travel and few commitments. Though Cam had been there with him for most of it, of the brothers, he was more easygoing and a tad less dedicated. To an outsider, it might not have been obvious, but to Ivy, it was. Eric didn’t even contemplate the idea of a relationship, while Cam had always figured life would slow down enough at some point for it to happen. Hence, Ivy’s occasional pressure on him to look beyond skiing. Her question conjured Ginger in his mind, more specifically the bone-shaking and body-melting kiss of the other night. He wasn’t about to tell Ivy about that, but he didn’t mind mentioning Ginger. Ivy was the one and only confidant he had in his life now. Even when Eric was alive, Cam wouldn’t have talked with him about something like this. That wasn’t the nature of their relationship.
“I might have,” he finally hedged. “But don’t get all crazy. I just met someone who’s, I don’t know, uh, interesting.”
“Interesting is a horrible word to use to describe someone. It’s basically useless. I mean, serial killers and librarians could both be described as interesting, but it doesn’t tell you a thing about them,” Ivy declared. “Tell me about her. What’s her name, what’s she like, that kind of thing?”
Cam was damn relieved Ivy wasn’t here because his face felt hot. Well, his whole body felt hot. Thinking of Ginger automatically did that. “Interesting is not a horrible word, but whatever. I get your point it’s not particularly specific. I meant it in the sense that she interests me. Her name is Ginger, and I don’t know her that well. She just seems…” Fucking hot as hell, beautiful, smart, and sweet. Oh and hot as hell. “…I don’t know. She’s a friend of Gage’s wife, well I guess she’s everyone’s friend. I don’t know her too well, so don’t get all crazy over this.”
