“Hi, it’s me,” she said. “Yes, I’m fine. No, I’m not. Yes, it’s beautiful. Just tell my parents I’m safe.”
A long pause.
She shook her head. “Listen, I’ve got to go, but if you want to stay at the hotel we had booked you’re welcome to it, just put it on Kyle’s tab. Bill the room to the credit card on file. If they give you any trouble, call Kyle and tell him he owes me this.” Another pause. “I’ll talk to you later. Thanks, Mel.” She nodded. “Bye.”
He noted how she scrolled through some of the messages then heaved a sigh before tucking the phone back in her leather handbag.
“Please don’t go,” she said. “If I’m alone, I’ll start thinking too much.”
“About things like purple plates?”
She nodded.
Her eyes showed a vulnerability Zak was drawn to. Something in her life was hurting her, and as much as he didn’t want to care, he did. Not to mention her feminine curves were affecting his baser impulses, too.
She ate in silence for a moment. Finally she said, “Thank you for the sandwich. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
All was quiet, except for the occasional snap of the fire. She’d quit shivering, but her long blonde hair stuck in uneven mats to her head. However, she was still very beautiful. She stared at the orange flames, but he sensed that the wheels of her mind were turning.
Abruptly, she folded her hands in her lap and stared at Zak. “My bridesmaid’s colors were purple.”
Ah, hell. He’d opened a can of fat ugly worms all because of a purple plate. Bridesmaids? The white fabric in her bag was a wedding gown. Now her distress was making more sense, because she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. He nodded and waited for her to say more. Yes, he cared, but he wasn’t capable of the kind of consoling she required. He didn’t plan on being a one-man support group. She should pick up the phone again and call her friend back.
She stared down at her folded hands. Her voice just above a whisper, she said, “I was supposed to get married this morning.”
He wasn’t sure what to say, or how to get out of this conversation. “You were supposed to get married this morning?”
“Yes. My fiancé sent me a letter right before I walked down the aisle. A Dear John letter.” She licked her lips before laughter bubbled out of her mouth. “Yep. Me. Jilted. Left at the altar.”
Even by Alaskan standards, this woman was a bit nutty and unorthodox, but certainly she didn’t deserve to be stood up by the groom on her wedding day.
She abruptly stopped laughing. “You look angry.”
“People shouldn’t make commitments to others they don’t intend to keep,” he said.
“I think Kyle intended to marry me, but he understood the mistake it would have been.” Her blue eyes stared at him with such intensity he felt his pulse jump. “I should probably be thanking him. Are you married?” she asked.
“No.” So here they were, two single, unattached people…alone.
“I wasn’t meant to marry him.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “We didn’t love each other. Not the way we should have, but I wanted so much to please my parents.”
She was trying to let the guy off the hook. No one should leave a woman standing at the altar. No one. “A man shouldn’t propose unless he intends to follow through on the commitment,” Zak said.
“Perhaps.” She nodded in a slow and deliberate manner. “But Kyle isn’t a bad person. He got caught up in things, just like me. His note said…nevermind, just know that I’ve quit all that.”
Quit what exactly? And again, why did he care?
She explained: “Starting today, I’ve quit doing things because I think other people want me to do them. I’m not going to live like that anymore.”
She gazed up toward the top of the river rock fireplace. Her eyes peered intently, as if she were studying every stone. “There’s something about this place. It’s magical. I can’t describe it. The huge wooden rafters, the smell of pine, the view of the mountains, the fresh air—I feel like I can be a completely new person here.”
Her voice wavered on the side of confidence. She sat up straighter.
‘Magical’ sounded kind of pansy-assed, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “It’s actually spruce, not pine, you smell in the wood,” he said.
“Oh, okay, well, this place…it’s the perfect escape. An adventure waiting to happen.” Her eyes practically sparkled.
“Yup. This is a great area of the state.” That was why he and his brothers had chosen Gold Creek to build their dream lodge. The hot springs, the mountains, the lake. This place was special. And although access could be difficult, once you got here, the journey was worth it. Now if he could find a way to convince more people to visit, he’d get his loan paid off. There was certainly no magic happening here, but this lodge made a man comfortable.
“So tell me more about Gold Creek. There must be exceptional hiking around here. Although, well, like you said, I could use better footwear.”
“We keep extras around here in case people come ill-prepared,” he said. He resisted the urge to scowl at her. The woman had had a bad enough day without a lecture from him.
“People like me?”
“Seems so.” Thunder boomed in the distance. The rain fell in swollen sheets. “Listen, you can’t be walking around the area on your own. It’s hunting season and it can be dangerous.”
“I did walk here from the runway.” She smiled. “And I didn’t get shot.”
Hunting season was nothing to joke about. “As long as you stay within town, you’ll be fine, but its pouring rain. You’re stuck inside for now.”
“But didn’t I read in the magazine that you have a hot springs?”
“I can show you where it is. It’s a short walk from here, but it’s dark and it’s raining.” He pointed to the windows to emphasize the obvious.
“What will we do here?” she asked.
“We?” There is no we.
“Even in the rain, couldn’t we go to the hot springs?”
“You’ve traveled a long way. You’ve had a trying day. You said you were tired. I—”
“Tonight was supposed to be my wedding night.”
Gulp. And so it was. Regardless, what did that have to do with him?
She raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes. “Can I at least take a quick swim in the hot springs? I have so much on my mind. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep.”
Another gulp. He imagined her in a swimsuit and couldn’t think straight. Blood pounded through his veins, and he tried to logically decide the best course of action. He should tell her to stay in the lodge, but then she’d be inside with him. Then what were they supposed to do? “I doubt anyone will be in the hot springs. In fact, I’m sure you’d have privacy. It’s pretty dark, but the floodlights from the lodge should give you enough light.”
“Will you go with me?”
“I’ve got things to do around here.” He stood up and made a beeline to the laundry room. He called over his shoulder, “But it’s probably fine to go in for a quick dip. Let me get you a towel.”
Zak worked at composing himself. She disrupted his logical thinking processes. He should be more of a gentleman and accompany her. He shouldn’t allow her to go into the hot springs at night and in the rain by herself, but she’d probably go regardless of what he said.
He grabbed a towel and returned to her. She stepped out of the bathroom and her intense blue eyes peered at him, pulling at his consciousness. “I’ll walk you there.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you bring a swimsuit?”
Taking the towel from him, her fingers brushed his. “Yep. Just put it on.”
Figured. He tried thinking casual thoughts, but all he could envision was her in a string bikini and how much flesh it covered—or didn’t.”
Rain pounded down on them, and Zak imagined water cascading over the curve of her bare belly. Floodlights illuminated the pebbled path to the edge of the
hot springs. He needed to get the hell out of here before he did something unreasonable, like stick around to see her in said bikini. “I’ll be up at the lodge. Actually, your towel won’t even stay dry in this rain. I’ll come back in ten minutes or so and bring you a dry towel.”
“Sounds perfect. Thank you, Zak.”
The melodious sound of her voice set his pulse on fire. What was it about her? He turned to leave.
“Zak,” she said and stepped closer to him.
He whirled around to face her again. The floodlights illuminated part of the shoreline and misty air surrounded them. He licked the rainwater off his lips. “Yes?”
She visibly swallowed. “Sure you don’t want to join me?”
Nothing but pelting rain on water sounded between them.
Zak ground his teeth together. He struggled with the right and the wrong of this situation. Would they only swim? Not if he had anything to do with it. Sabrina Tate was distraught by the events of the day. She was vulnerable. He couldn’t be party to something he knew she’d regret in the morning. He couldn’t take advantage of her. She was supposed to be with another man tonight—her husband—not him.
“I’m sure.” He took a step backward, but wanted to run. “I’ll be back to check on you soon.”
CHAPTER 3
Zak marched back up the path to the lodge. What was he thinking, turning down an evening in the hot springs with a beautiful woman like Sabrina Tate? Did she imply something more than swimming? Or had he lost his mind? He must have misunderstood her, or read more into the invitation to stay.
When he was almost to the lodge, he glanced back down the path to the hot springs. Sabrina glided across the water like a freaking siren. “Shit,” he muttered to himself. Her head and bare shoulders nudged out of the water and he cursed himself again. “Why do you have to be so goddamn noble, Forrester?”
He kicked the gravel with his boot, spraying it across the lawn. As much as he wanted to join Sabrina, he knew he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t let the desire to meet up with an attractive woman cloud his judgment. He’d done that once before, and it had cost him dearly.
He’d spent much of his teen years goofing off and having fun, like a typical teen, but all that changed his senior year, when his father died of a heart attack. The memory hit him with stunning force. Almost to the lodge, he stumbled on the path near the front porch. He grabbed the railing to steady himself. Looking upward, he let the rain pelt him in the face.
Zak should have helped his father that morning. They’d had over eight inches of snow during the night. Vehicles had to be started and swept off. If his mother’s two-wheel drive sedan was going to make it out, the driveway needed to be plowed. Zak had complained that he had to take a shower or he’d be late for school. Besides, one of his other brothers could do it—he was meeting up with his girlfriend for coffee before school.
He’d never helped his father that morning. Instead, they’d argued, and Zak had driven off to leave the plowing and shoveling to his father. His father had collapsed in a snowbank shortly thereafter, and no one went outside to check on him. While Zak sat drinking coffee with the girlfriend whose name he could barely recall, precious time had ticked by when an ambulance could have been called.
It was Zak’s fault his dad had died that day. Well, not completely his fault, but he would never know what might have happened if his father had had immediate medical attention. The guilt and shame still crushed him eleven years later.
Work was his penance. A successful business would take care of his family, the family he had let down because of his selfishness. Zak became the head of the family the day his father had died, easing their pain whenever he could, and supporting them was his life’s goal.
Once inside the lodge, he went straight to the refrigerator in search of a beer. He popped a can open and took a long swig. Glancing at his wristwatch, he decided to give her no more than fifteen minutes. She could slip on the rocks and hurt herself. After all, the woman was exhausted and wasn’t in her normal state of mind. Whatever state that was. Certainly a woman who had been left at the altar wasn’t thinking like she normally would. But how would he know of such things? He sauntered into his apartment and flipped on the television, which only reminded him of her asking if they had one. The woman was nuttier than peanut brittle.
He plopped on his sofa, propped his wet boots on the coffee table, and proceeded to flip through the ESPN channels with the remote. Maybe he’d see some news about his brother Dane’s NHL team, the Alaska Fury. They’d picked up a couple rookies who showed promise. Maybe the Fury stood a chance to compete for the Cup this year.
Though he tried his best to focus on what the commentators were saying, he failed miserably. His mind was only on Sabrina, soaking in the mist and steam of the hot springs.
Flipping off the television, he strode to the window. His apartment was built to overlook the hot springs. Silent and still, he followed Sabrina’s movements in the water. Floodlights glinted off the shimmery surface, reflecting her curvy silhouette as she swam, waded, and swam some more. Her hips, her breasts, her soaking wet hair…the sight of her was straight out of any man’s fantasy playbook.
He wasn’t that noble. Nosiree. He’d be forever branded the rebound guy, but did he care? He took several more gulps of his beer. He could step up to the plate and be the rebound guy, couldn’t he? She was leaving tomorrow anyway.
The lodge phone rang. Since he had let the staff go for the week, he was the only one available to answer. The numbers on the display told him it was Ethan’s satellite phone. Zak picked up and asked, “Is everything all right?”
Ethan answered, “Yeah, everything’s fine, just checking in. The weather has us stuck in the cabin. The guys are running out of money for poker games.”
Zak swallowed more beer. “I bet.”
“Everything quiet there?”
He set the partially empty beer can on the ledge by the window. “Actually, no. We have an unexpected guest. A woman.”
“Is that right?” Zak could hear the smile on Ethan’s face.
“She’s had a rough day. Do you mind if she takes your room tonight?”
“Why doesn’t she stay in your room?”
“Because I’m staying in my room, smartass.”
Ethan laughed. “Yeah, yeah, sure, I don’t care. I take it Betsy is full, too?”
“Probably. I’m not sure. I’m not going to send her away if I don’t have to.”
“Sounds like she’s gotten under your skin.”
“No, she hasn’t. Like I said…she deserves a break, is all.”
“Where’s she from?”
“California.”
“Good god—bet she’s a tree hugger.”
“Probably. I don’t really know.”
“Bet she’s pretty, too.”
Zak was getting tired of the inquisition. “Listen, I’m sure you’ve got lots to do. See ya—”
“Where is she now?” Ethan interrupted.
“What is this, twenty questions? Are you still planning to be back at the end of the week?” Zak replied.
“All depends on the moose.”
“All right…check-in in a day or so, okay?”
“Will do. And you take good care of our guest.”
Zak hung up the phone and looked at his wristwatch. Fifteen minutes had passed; he had better bring Sabrina a towel.
He needed to keep his relationship with Sabrina Tate strictly business. Period. She didn’t belong here. He didn’t have time for consoling jilted brides or purchasing fat-free mayo or doing anything to make her visit more enjoyable.
When a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, Zak hurried to gather up a towel, a guest bathrobe, and an umbrella.
He approached the edge of the hot springs. Steam lifted off the water. Lights from the lodge cast a halo of radiance over the miniature pond. Sabrina stood thirty feet away in the thigh-deep water. Her silhouette showed her arms in front of her face, crossed together
like a pretzel.
Over the pounding rain, he raised his voice, “Can I ask what you’re doing?”
Sabrina unhooked her arms, sank deep in the water and slithered toward him like a mermaid. “Oh, there you are. I didn’t see you.”
Only her head and shoulders crested the water as she swam toward him. Her long hair splayed out around her floating on the surface. He stood clutching the robe and towel under his umbrella. The sight of her dripping wet, engulfed in the rising stem, undid him.
“I was doing a yoga pose. It’s called eagle. Have you ever done yoga?” She stayed ten feet away from him, in a deeper part of the water.
“No,” he shook his head. “I’ve never done yoga.” His brother was right. She probably was a tree-hugger. He’d bet she stood for peace, love, and lived in a van, too.
Then he noticed her shoulders had no straps covering them. Her crumpled red swimsuit sat near the edge of the water. Damn, of course she had a red bikini.
“You aren’t wearing your swimsuit.”
She shrugged. “Decided to go commando.”
“Men go commando. Women go naked. There are other people in Gold Creek who come out here. Even though we own the springs, we have an open door policy for the residents.”
“You said only crazy people would want to be out in this rain.”
And so he did. “I’ll turn around if you want to come get this towel and robe.”
She started moving toward him to the shallower part of the water. First the swell of her breasts showed, then the tip of her nipples. Aw hell, was that a tattoo?
Zak quickly turned around. He held the umbrella in one hand and the towel and robe behind his back.He heard the splashing of the water with each of her footsteps and imagined what her slick body looked like. She brushed his hand when she took the robe and towel. His heart pounded in his chest. Warm water dripped on his thumb. He couldn’t decide if the touch was purposeful on her part or not.
“I was hoping you’d change your mind about joining me. Are you sure I can’t convince you?” Her voice purred in his ears and he longed to turn around.
Her Alaskan Hero Page 3
