by J. H. Croix
Ivy sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get pushy. I’d just love for you to meet someone. You’re an awesome guy, and you’d make a great boyfriend. I’m just glad you noticed someone.”
Cam chuckled. “Well, let’s call it good enough then. Okay?”
“Okay,” Ivy said with a laugh. He heard someone’s voice in the background. “Oh, crap! I have to go. I forgot I was driving my friend to pick up her car at the mechanic’s.”
“No worries. Call when you can.”
“Okay, I’ll check my schedule and text the dates I might be able to come up there. Bye!”
The line clicked dead in his ear before he had a chance to reply. Cam set his phone down on the counter and walked to the windows. He heard an eagle screech in the distance and scanned the trees to find it. He’d yet to get accustomed to the sight of eagles here. He saw one or more every day. Last week, Don had asked him to do the dump run, and he’d been floored when he got there and saw eagles everywhere. There were probably a hundred or more in the area. As he looked over the ski slope, a shadow on the snow alerted him to the eagle taking off from its perch in the trees. Its takeoff was slow, given the immense span of its wings. Once it was in the air, it swooped high and dipped down again before flying out of sight.
With Ivy’s question about staying past the season on his mind, he turned away from the window and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. It was on the early side for dinner, but Delia would have something for him to snack on. Gage was generous with staff and meals were part of the deal, so Cam didn’t have to worry about scrounging up his own meals. As such, he was probably eating healthier than he had in years because of Delia’s cooking.
***
Ginger kicked her feet on the front tire to knock the snow off her boots and climbed inside her car. She’d stopped to pick up the mail before heading home. When she turned the keys to start her car, the engine rumbled, but it didn’t catch. After several more tries, she leaned her head back with a sigh. Her mechanic had suggested she replace her battery before this winter, but she’d ignored him. She hadn’t wanted to bother with it and preferred to wait until she had to deal with it. It’s just that now she had to deal with it, and it was annoyingly inconvenient. It was after five in the evening and she just wanted to go home. The wind was whipping viciously off the water today and snow had started to fall within the last hour. Having grown up here, she had a good sense of when it felt like a big storm was brewing. This was one of those days. The air had felt heavy and scented with snow all day. The clouds were thick and foreboding, and the wind simply wouldn’t quit. With a sigh, she fumbled in her purse for her phone and quickly dialed her mother’s number. When she didn’t get an answer, she left a quick message and stared down at her phone. Usually, the next person she’d call would be Marley, but Marley was literally due to have her baby any day now. Ginger didn’t want to drag her all the way to town for a ride when the weather could get worse.
The sound of tires rolling across the snow-packed parking lot drew her attention. A black truck pulled up beside her. With the snow, she couldn’t quite see who it was, so she rolled down her window to find Cam waving to her. He rolled his window down as well. “Hey there, how’s it going?” he asked.
“Fine. You?” While she managed to speak to him, a hot flush washed through her at seeing him again and warmth curled around her heart at having him stop to say hello. That’s how silly she was over him—him simply greeting her fed straight into her annoyingly hopeful heart.
He shrugged. “Busy, but good. Thought I’d say hi when I saw your car.”
A blast of icy wind whipped through her car window and she flinched. Ginger pondered for a second. The smart thing would be to ask Cam for a ride, but her pride held her back, along with a prick of apprehension. She was betwixt and between about her stupid attraction to him. It annoyed her to keep hearing other women comment on how handsome he was and made her feel she was just like everyone else. Diamond Creek was a small world. Someone like Cam couldn’t breeze into town without being noticed. Another gust of icy air whooshed through her window, making the decision for her. She wasn’t going to sit here and wait to see if her mother called her back. She wanted to be home where it was warm, although her heart fluttered at the thought of asking him for help.
“Actually, my battery’s dead. Would you mind giving me a ride home? I don’t live far from here and it’s the same direction as the lodge.”
Cam’s brows hitched. “Of course not. It’s too damn cold for you to sit around in this. You want me to try to jump the battery?”
“Not now. My mechanic told me months ago this battery was on its last legs. It’s freezing out, and I don’t know if it will work. I’d rather just hitch a ride and figure it out tomorrow before the snow gets too heavy.”
He nodded. “Okay then. Come on over.”
She grabbed her purse and phone, and made sure her car was locked before she scurried around to the passenger side of his truck. He swung the door open from the inside when she reached it. In the brief moment from her car to his truck, she was shivering from the cold and her cheeks stung from the wind driven snow.
She climbed in swiftly and closed the door. In seconds, the warmth of his truck sifted around her. She rubbed her arms and glanced over. “Thank you. It’s freezing out there. I just wasn’t up for trying to do the whole jump start thing.”
He grinned. “Me neither. I would’ve done it if you wanted, but it’s brutal out there. So where to?”
She quickly gave him directions. As he drove along, the snow picked up pace, flying fast and furious against his windshield.
“Damn, looks like we’re in for a hell of a storm tonight. I said as much to Gage this morning. I don’t know how to explain it, but the air smells a certain way when snow’s coming.”
She glanced to him with a grin, almost giddy to find this detail in common. “I said the same thing! It’s hard to describe unless you know what it’s like.” On the heels of her words, the defensive part of herself reared up, reminding her not to be ridiculous. So they both happened to notice how the air smelled before it snowed? Following that, her heart, which was getting rather chatty lately, pointed out it wasn’t so bad to enjoy a small connection.
Cam chuckled. “Snow is snow. I might not have lived in Alaska before, but I’ve spent most of my life in places where it snows a lot.” He slowed as he approached one of the few stoplights in Diamond Creek.
Ginger could feel the wheels go into a brief skid as he came to a stop. He appeared unruffled by the slick road. While they waited for the light to change, a few cars passed through the intersection without incident before a truck came through and started to turn. The driver lost control and the truck spun out and bumped the curb. The truck came to a bouncing stop. The driver waited a moment and carefully maneuvered off the curb before driving away.
Cam shook his head, but didn’t say anything. The snow pelted against the windshield. In the few minutes since they’d left the post office, the snow had steadily gotten heavier and picked up the pace. By this point, visibility was only a few feet ahead. When the light changed, he started driving slowly through the intersection.
“I’m taking it slow, so I hope you’re not in a hurry,” he said.
“Seeing as I’d still be sitting in my car at the post office if it weren’t for you giving me a ride, you definitely don’t need to worry about me complaining about how slow you’re driving. Taking it slow is the smart thing right now. It’s getting bad pretty fast.” No matter how many years she’d driven in rough weather, it always made her a little anxious. Cam’s steady presence soothed her, which also flustered her because she didn’t like how much she enjoyed his confident, calm manner.
The rest of the drive was quiet, save the wind howling outside and the incessant sound of snow drumming against the windshield. He eventually made it to her house, following her earlier directions precisely. He carefully turned into her driveway. The
snow was piling up, so she guided him to where to park. She looked his way and wondered what to say. The words that came out surprised her. She most certainly wasn’t thinking, yet she couldn’t help but want to hunker down with him to wait the storm out.
“Want to come in? You might be better off waiting the storm out here for a bit before you head up the hill to the lodge.”
Uh, what the hell are you thinking? I’m thinking the weather’s awful and I don’t want to see him drive away in this. I’ll be worried until I know he makes it back to the lodge. Oh right, you’re worried about him. Maybe so, but it’s more than that and you know it.
Ginger sighed internally. Cam had this amazing ability to turn off the sensible part of her brain. She could tell herself she was worried about the weather, and she legitimately was, but the part of her that got bold and invited him to come in was the part that wanted Cam like she’d never wanted any man.
She looked out the window into the swirl of blinding snow. The wind was flying in hard off the water and blowing the snow sideways. With her house situated on the bluff overlooking the bay, when storms came in, the house tended to bear the brunt of the wind with little to offer protection. When she turned back to Cam, he was staring out at the snow as well. His profile was silhouetted in the shadowed car. The strong, clean lines of his face held her gaze. When he glanced her way, a bolt of need shot through her and butterflies amassed in her belly.
He nodded, and she forgot what she’d last said.
“If you don’t mind, it’s probably better if I wait a bit to see if this slows down. I’d rather not drive at a crawl in this snow. The visibility’s close to none.”
Oh yeah. She’d invited him to come in and stay until the snow slowed down. It occurred to her this storm didn’t appear to have any plans for slowing down. If her guess was right, they were only at the beginning. Her mind dodged away from what that could mean as far as Cam waiting it out.
“Let’s get inside then,” she said quickly. She tugged her gloves on and threw her hood up before climbing out.
They trudged through the snow to her front door. Her porch light had come on automatically since it was set on a timer. The soft glow of the light was a beacon in the falling darkness and driving snow. She pointlessly tried to kick the snow off her boots before she stepped inside, but she immediately picked up more snow the moment she set her foot down again.
After they got inside, she put her boots by the heater to dry off and hung her coat up, insisting he do the same. She flicked the lights on in the living room and kitchen and turned on an outside light. It illuminated the snow on the other side of the windows, lighting it up like falling glitter.
She went straight to the kitchen and gestured for Cam to sit at the small round table in the corner. “Coffee? Tea? Or maybe you’d rather have a beer.”
“Got any of Delia’s hard cider?” he countered with a grin.
She burst out laughing. “She’s got you hooked too, huh?”
He nodded emphatically.
She turned and walked into the small pantry off to the side of the kitchen. “Hang on, let me see. Delia gave me a few quarts of it a while ago. I’m not sure if I have any left.”
After rearranging a messy shelf, she found two quarts of Delia’s beloved hard cider behind some flour and a bag of tortilla chips. She snagged both jugs and the chips on her way out. As she came out of the pantry, she heard the distinct sound of George bounding across the floor and into the kitchen. He paused once he came through the archway and rested on his haunches. His wide blue eyes landed on Cam. Cam’s legs were stretched out in front of him with one foot resting atop the other. George sniffed the air and then took several hops to land beside Cam’s feet. He immediately set to sniffing them curiously. After several seconds, he looked up and leapt straight onto Cam’s lap.
Cam chuckled and glanced to Ginger.
“That’s George. He’s my house rabbit. He’s super friendly. He’s kind of like a cat, house trained and all.”
Cam looked down and stroked his hand across George’s back. George immediately leaned into his touch and rubbed his head against Cam’s chest.
“I found some cider,” Ginger offered, holding the two jugs aloft. “Let me heat it up though. Delia swears we can’t use the microwave for that, so it’ll take a few minutes on the stove.”
Cam grinned, still petting George. “Awesome. Until I started at Last Frontier Lodge, I couldn’t even tell you if I’d had hard cider before. I must have because it’s the kind of thing they serve at ski lodges, but hers is out of this world. Do you know what she does to make it so amazing?”
She shook her head. “Nope. It’s her mother’s recipe. She won’t give it to anyone. That’s fine with me because she gives it out left and right. You must be enjoying the food there. That’s part of the deal for staff, right?”
“Yup. Gage is the most generous lodge manager I’ve ever known. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff and makes sure we get the benefits of living at the lodge. I’ve been all over and some places can be downright stingy. It’s nice to be at Last Frontier. Gage makes it easy. Delia’s food might be the best side benefit I’ve ever had.”
“It’s not like you have to wonder why so many locals are up there all the time,” Ginger said with a wry grin as she poured the cider into a stainless steel pot and turned on the propane burner. She adjusted the heat to low, per Delia’s instructions, and sat down across from Cam at the table. George lifted his head from where he’d been rubbing it against Cam’s chest and eyed her. He appeared to be considering whether to remain on Cam’s lap or come greet her. He finally leapt down and immediately bounced up onto her lap.
“Hey George.” She petted him and allowed him to nuzzle her cheeks. He settled on her lap and rested while she stroked his back. She looked over at Cam. “I’d always wanted a rabbit when I was little, so I finally got one after my divorce.” Oops. She hadn’t meant to go there. The explanation was entirely true, but she didn’t really want to open any doors to questions about her short-lived joke of a marriage.
“Oh.” There was a long pause. “How long have you had him?”
It occurred to her that by answering his question, she’d be sort of telling him how long ago her divorce was. She hated the whole divorce thing because no matter what anyone said, there was this weird social thing around divorces. They represented this massive mistake. What she wished was to be able to go back in time and figure out that Tony wasn’t worth her youthful love before she married him. She mentally shook her head and tried to focus on the moment. She had tons of baggage around her marriage and divorce. She didn’t need to go thinking Cam was reading into anything. All he’d asked was how long she’d had George.
“I’ve had him for two years. Rabbits make great pets. He bounces around the house and eats vegetables. In the summer, I let him outside when I’m home. He’s on the small side for a lop-eared rabbit—he’d be lunch for an eagle, so it’s not good to let him out unless I’m home. I try to get him to go out in the winter, but he’s kind of a prima donna. He’s not a fan of the cold and he hates snow.”
George lifted his head and eyed her as if he knew she was talking about him. A gust of wind blew outside, sending snow pelting against the windows. George turned toward the sound and bounced off of her lap. He hopped over for a drink from his water bowl and then leapt up onto the windowsill to stare outside at the swirling snow. The wind had picked up its pace since they came in, the snow following suit. Cam likely wouldn’t be heading to the lodge anytime soon. Ginger found it hard not to stare at him. Just being here in a room with him and the air felt alive, snapping with the electric current buzzing between them.
Restless, she stood up and walked to the refrigerator to look inside. “How about I make some dinner? I’m not a phenomenal cook like Delia, but I’ve been told I’m halfway decent.”
She let the refrigerator door fall closed and leaned against the counter. Her kitchen was small
, but the archway lent it a more open feel. The round table sat by the windows. Cobalt blue tiled counters lined two walls with a doorway sized opening into the pantry. A porcelain sink sat in the center of one counter while a stainless steel oven and stove were on the other wall. She looked to Cam. “Any preferences for dinner?”
He shrugged. “You don’t have to cook just because I’m here.”
“I’m cooking for myself because I’m starving. Consider it a selfish act. Plus, let’s be real,” she nudged her chin toward the window and the snow pinging against it “…you’re not going anywhere anytime soon. You might as well eat. I can’t let you starve.”
His amber eyes held hers for a few beats. All he had to do was look at her and heat unfurled inside, spiraling outward from her center. Her breath hitched and she tried not to notice how handsome he was. Between those eyes, which were hot enough to melt her, and his insanely hot body, it was no wonder his mere presence in Diamond Creek stirred up gossip. She’d like to think she’d be immune, but she was far from it. She was practically a puddle around him.
“I’ll eat whatever you want to cook. I’m easy that way,” he finally replied.
She pushed away from the counter with her hips and opened the refrigerator again. She spied a few tomatoes and some fresh Parmesan cheese she’d picked up the other day. “How about pasta with fresh marinara sauce?”
“Sounds good. Can I help with anything?”
She grabbed the tomatoes and set them on the counter. “Nope. I got it. Let’s check the cider though. It should be warming up.”
She quickly lifted the lid on it and steam rose from the pot, along with the scent of cider and spices. She lifted two mugs off the hooks that hung from under one of the cabinets and ladled them full of hard cider. She handed one over to Cam who took a gulp and sighed with pleasure. “Damn, this is the best.”
