by J. H. Croix
The pace of the day picked up with her father catching the first halibut of the day, Jordan following with another catch and finally her brother. With Nathan’s help, Tess got a line in and felt a tug on the line within minutes. Luke was nearby with Nathan, both helping get fish situated in the cooler. Luke looked over when Tess exclaimed, “That was fast!”
“Sometimes it’s all timing—seems to be on your side. Hold steady and reel in at a slow, even speed,” Luke said.
Before she knew it, Tess was looking at the flat eye on one side of the halibut. A few fish later, Jared had turned the boat towards Otter Cove, the boat harbor for Diamond Creek. Tess sat on a bench at the back of the boat. The salty wind blew through her curls as the boat bounced in a rocking rhythm on the waves. Turning back towards the ocean, she took a long look at Mount Augustine. The cushion shifted under her legs. She turned forward again to find Nathan sitting down beside her.
“So how was your first day on the water here? In love with Alaska yet?” he asked.
Despite her usual reserve, Tess felt herself smiling without thinking. She was disconcerted by how easily charmed she was by Nathan. His nearness flushed her, just melted her reserve. Nathan waited patiently for her to respond. Little did he know she was just trying to get her bearings. His presence was potent, her body humming while her mind reminded her not to be silly.
“My first day on the water here was pretty good. Dad has wanted to fish in Alaska forever. I’m glad he’s finally here,” Tess said politely.
Nathan’s eyes took on a mischievous glimmer. “Your dad was an easy mark to love it. But…I meant how was your day?” Nathan asked.
Tess looked back at Nathan, his dark blue eyes crinkled at the corners, his shaggy curls in disarray. Paired with those amazing eyes, Nathan had chiseled features with a perfectly proportioned nose sitting between sculpted cheekbones and a strong chin. Much as she resisted it, just looking at him raised the heat inside her. She looked away, not comfortable with how much she wanted to keep looking into the deep blue of his eyes. That inconvenient melting sensation flared.
“Didn’t realize you’d need to think so hard to answer,” Nathan commented wryly, his words bringing her attention back.
Tess looked back into his eyes for just a moment, giving in to the temptation to tumble into that mesmerizing blue. Since the way her last relationship had splintered about a year ago, she rarely let herself think much about how she felt. It was easier. But she was in Alaska for a three-week stay. Allowing herself to indulge the intense yearning Nathan elicited wouldn’t matter in the long run. After they left, she’d likely never see or hear from Nathan or anyone in Alaska again.
“Okay, how was my day? My day was good. It’s beautiful here, no doubt about that. I love being on the ocean anywhere and Alaska’s no different. Except for getting a view of mountains, glaciers and a volcano. That’s an amazing sight to witness. Plus, catching a halibut in under fifteen minutes was fun,” she finally said.
Nathan’s quick grin only raised the heat inside. “I’d like to take the credit for how fast you hooked that halibut, but it’s clear you’ve had some experience with fishing. And the view here is pretty phenomenal. We love it. That’s one of the reasons we moved here.”
Her heart racing—dear god she practically needed to fan herself—Tess found herself asking a question before she had a chance to stop herself. “Where did you move from?”
“Seattle. Like your dad, our dad loves to fish, so we grew up fishing in Washington waters. We decided to start a commercial fishing business down there together and eventually came up here to fish a few times. Liked it so much that we relocated the business and ourselves up here. Can’t imagine living anywhere else now.”
“Diamond Creek is a bit of a change from Seattle,” she said.
“Up here, we live somewhere we love instead of planning to travel here. Kind of like your dad really. Sounds like he spends a lot of time visiting places he might rather live.”
“You can say that,” Tess said, relieved that polite conversation seemed to slow her heart rate. “Where he lives in North Carolina, he’s right on a river, so he gets to fish pretty often. But he likes to try different places. Alaska’s been on his fishing bucket list for years.”
The wind had started to pick up. The boat rode into a large swell, followed by a smaller choppy wave that threw Tess against Nathan’s side. He reflexively put his arm around her waist. Just when Tess thought she’d gotten a hold of herself, her heart was off to the races, her stomach fluttering. His arm was warm and strong against her back. She wanted to lean into him and stay that way. She glanced up at Nathan and found him looking down toward her intently. Her heart gave a quiver and the simmering heat in her center turned up a notch. Nathan’s hand rested just against her hip. He flexed against the soft curve, a subtle caress. She gasped and tore her eyes away, the water a blur of whitecaps in her muddled gaze. Nathan’s loosened his grip and let go, his hand curling the bottom of the bench again. Her body immediately missed his touch, sighing at its absence.
Whether he meant it or not, Tess wondered if he was reacting to her confusion. His gaze had been direct…ardent. Yet she’d looked away…the moment passed. Relief and disappointment tinged with sadness clashed. If she imagined herself to be someone else, someone that could just let go and enjoy this attraction, it would be so much simpler.
Nathan called out to Jared. “Looks like the wind is kicking in. Want me to take over steering for a bit? You’ve been at it all day.”
Jared called back without turning. “No worry. Be to the harbor inside of a half hour.”
Nathan shook his head. “That’s Jared. Can hardly stand it if we offer to help for something he thinks is his job.”
Curiosity rose in Tess. She wanted to know more about his family. While Nathan could have sounded critical, his comment had a loving tone to it.
“So I guess he usually drives?” she asked.
“Almost always. But it’s okay. We may be brothers, but we get along better than most. Luke and I take care of whatever Jared doesn’t,” he said. ‘Speaking of that, nice chatting for a few, but I have to take care of a few things before we get to the harbor.” He stood from the bench and looked down at her, another easy grin gracing his face. “Don’t suppose I could persuade you to go to dinner with me sometime in the few weeks you’re here?”
Tess flushed head to toe, her heart danced and those magnetic eyes of his stoked the smoldering heat in her center. She wanted to jump up and say yes, and that annoyed the hell out of her. Her cautious side was dominant, oh-so-practical. She could recite by heart all the reasons any romantic entanglement wasn’t worth it. Though practical and safe, it was a lonely place to be. A tattered corner of her heart wanted more. Before she knew it, she was answering honestly. “I’m not sure. I don’t know what our plans are for the next few days.”
His grin didn’t waver. “Think about it. Diamond Creek may seem like it’s the middle of nowhere, but we have some good restaurants here. You’ll be seeing me again either way. Your dad booked us for four more trips.”
Tess nodded. “Okay, maybe. I’ll think about it.” As soon as the words slipped out, Tess couldn’t believe she’d said them. The last thing she needed was this way too handsome Alaskan fishing guide to take her on a date.
Nathan winked and turned away, striding to the boat’s small cabin. His back muscles flexed as his arms swung. She could only imagine what kind of shape he was in, given the active life he and his brothers led. He was tall, easily over six feet, with broad, strong shoulders and a rangy build. He seemed far too handsome to consider her worthy of a date. While Tess didn’t consider herself unattractive, her last boyfriend had often made passive comments about her being a little too curvy. Her breasts were prone to spilling out of blouses. She was on the short side and could rarely find tops that fit right as they seemed to be designed for thinner women. She absentmindedly tucked her hair behind her ears, her honey-colored curls getting wild in the wind.
She spent the remainder of the ride watching the shore get closer, trying and failing to keep her mind and eyes off of Nathan. The shoreline here was nothing like the ocean shore in North Carolina, which was bright sand, patches of tall grass and swaths of flat beaches with the occasional sand dune. In Alaska, the ocean splashed against glaciers, mountainsides and rocky beaches. The shore in Diamond Creek included steep cliffs, leveling off into lush green spruce forests, and beaches of gray sand covered in colorful rocks. Otter Cove was the name of the tiny cove in which the boat harbor was tucked, protected somewhat from winds and cold. Jared deftly steered the boat into its slip at the harbor docks. Nathan and Luke were ready the minute they pulled in, tossing lines over the dock pilings. Tess’s eyes were glued to Nathan. He was tall and lanky, his sinewy muscles rippling under his cotton shirt. Jared cut the engine and quickly went into motion, getting the two full coolers ready to pass over to Nathan and Luke on the docks.
After stepping off the boat, Tess, her father, brother and nephew entered a whirl of activity. Within an hour, she was waving goodbye to Nathan and his brothers as Simon drove their car rental way from the Fish Factory, the local business that would be flash freezing and mailing their halibut back to North Carolina on overnight delivery. A friend of her father’s would be picking up the packages and depositing them in the chest freezer in her parents’ garage.
Tess looked out the car window and saw Nathan give a wave. Her hand lifted in return. He flashed a wide grin. She couldn’t believe he had her even considering a date with him. Just as she started to turn away, Nathan turned to look towards Jared and stepped into one of the small boulders lining the parking lot. He stumbled into Luke who was beside him and then onto the ground. Before she looked away, she saw him look in their direction again and couldn’t help but laugh. As handsome as he was, he seemed to have a knack for falling, at least today.
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To check out my next series, please enjoy the following excerpt from Christmas on the Last Frontier, the first book in the Last Frontier Lodge Series!
Sneak Peek: Christmas on the Last Frontier
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, hardy souls. The place 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.
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.
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 knew, this place was closed and empty.” She took a breath, gathering her courage. Her heart raced wildly, and she struggled to keep her composure. 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 finally said, gesturing 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 for sure what she saw was sadness. “…grandmother died recently and left the lodge to me and my younger 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 figure it’s okay.”
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, he had a dangerous smile. When he wasn’t smiling, he had that who
le, smoldering sexy and kind of intimidating vibe—just 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. Though if she touched him, she’d likely melt on the spot.
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. So you needn’t worry. You might want to notify the town hall and maybe put a notice up in the paper. Otherwise, someone being helpful 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. 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.
