The Lure of Love

by Mona Ingram

  The Lure of Love

  by

  Mona Ingram

  ©2012 Mona Ingram

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction.

  Names, characters, places, and

  incidents are either the product of

  the author’s imagination or are

  used fictitiously, and any resemblance

  to actual persons, living or dead,

  business establishments, events,

  or locales is entirely coincidental

  Chapter One

  “Wow, Goldie. Look at all those blueberries.” Jamie glanced over to the passenger seat. As usual, her dog had her head hanging out the window, breathing in the wonderful summertime scents. “They look ripe. One of these days we’ll have to come back and pick enough for a pie.”

  The golden retriever turned and looked at her with soulful eyes and then put her nose back out the window. Jamie loved her old Jeep YJ for this very reason; she could open it up in the heat of the summer and let the wind blow through her hair. Come to think of it, she and her dog had that in common.

  She was driving at her usual fast clip, but the gravel road was familiar and she was late for a meeting. There were some new arrivals at the Lodge today and she’d made a habit of getting together with her office manager and her chef to review the day’s check-ins, especially when important guests were due to arrive. It was more than half way through summer and Long Lake Fishing Lodge was almost full, but the new arrivals were important. She needed every booking she could get to keep the place open.

  Her favourite corner was coming up. She slowed down every time she reached it, so she could enjoy the first glimpse of Long Lake glittering through the trees. It was her home; she loved it and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  When she rounded the corner she was glad she’d developed the habit of slowing. Two vehicles sat alongside the road. A long sleek job that looked like it might be a Jaguar had pulled up behind a silver SUV. A man sat inside the Jaguar, but the driver’s door was open on the SUV and the driver was standing on the passenger side between the car and the shallow ditch, adjusting his camera.

  Her heart leaped into her throat. Browsing amongst the blueberry bushes were two grizzly cubs, but she didn’t have time to enjoy the rare sight. Their mother stood in a threatening stance, head lowered and the hackles on her back raised. Her fur was the colour of buckwheat honey in the late morning sun.

  Jamie pulled her vehicle up in front of the SUV, popped open the glove box and pulled out a canister of bear spray. Without taking her eyes off the mother bear she removed the black plastic safety lock. Goldie whined softly and hunkered down; she knew when to be afraid. Only her eyes and the top of her head showed above the passenger door.

  “Stay.” Jamie knew the command was unnecessary, but she was nervous. She opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped out. She had no idea how effective the bear spray would be against a charging mother grizzly. Not very, she thought.

  She decided to speak in a normal tone. If she didn’t shout, or show fear, perhaps the grizzly would see her as non-threatening. She couldn’t say as much for the man who now had his camera up, taking pictures. What was the matter with him...did he have a death wish?

  She held the gold canister loosely at her side, her finger through the loop and her thumb on the ‘trigger’.

  “Hi there,” she said with what she hoped was a smile in her voice. “How old are you?”

  “Huh? What?” He turned to look at her. A pale city type who hadn’t seen the sun in a long time, he was almost too good looking to be true. “I’m thirty-six.”

  “Well” she said, backing up a few steps, leaving room for him to retreat around the front of his vehicle, “if you want to make it to thirty-seven, you’d better get back in your vehicle.”

  He stared at her, uncomprehending.

  “Right now,” she said. “Unless you want to be lunch for that grizzly.”

  What little colour there was in his face drained away. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Then colour flooded back into his face as he realized his predicament.

  Jamie had to admire him as he walked slowly back to his side of the vehicle. Most people would have bolted, an action which would undoubtedly have caused the grizzly to chase. She waited until she was sure he was safe then went back to the Jeep and got in, but kept the bear spray at the ready. As she pulled out, she looked in the rear view mirror. The man was slumped back in the driver’s seat, head on the headrest, eyes closed.

  * * *

  Craig Hansen relaxed his grip on the canister of bear spray and realized he’d been holding his breath. He hadn’t been willing to embarrass the other man but had been sitting with one hand on the door handle and the other on the spray. He’d never needed it before, but it was rated at 30 feet. He fumbled for the safety clip and snapped it back on, then shoved the canister into his back pack.

  His thoughts went to the woman. She’d been magnificent the way she strode along the side of the road. At first he’d thought she too had stopped to take pictures and he was beginning to wonder if everybody around here was crazy. Then he’d spotted the dull gleam of the canister and it became clear what she was up to. He chuckled, recalling her words. Now that he thought about her a bit more he realized that she had to be local, driving a beat up old vehicle like that. There was something about the women up here in Northern British Columbia. They were nothing like the artsy types he worked with in Toronto, a fact which pleased him.

  He checked the time. It was too soon to check into Long Lake Lodge. The confirmation had made it clear that check-in was at 3 o’clock. He was sure they would have bent over backwards for him, but he didn’t like to ask for special favours. He’d taken the time to study the map when he picked up the car at Prince George airport last night and had noticed a town nearby; might as well pass some time checking it out. You never knew where the next great idea might come from. He checked on the grizzly who was now shepherding her cubs back into the woods. He couldn’t blame the man for trying to take pictures. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but the danger had been all too real. He was still sitting there with his eyes closed when Craig pulled out.

  * * *

  “Sorry I’m late but you won’t believe what happened on the way back from town.” Jamie grabbed a bottle of water and unscrewed the top. Brooke and Leeza were seated at the usual table; the one in the corner that had the advantage of glass on two sides. The view out over the lake was spectacular, plus they could keep a casual eye on the children playing by the water’s edge.

  Jamie took a long drink and set the water bottle down forcefully. A few drops of water splashed out the top and she wiped them off the table with her arm. “Some guy with a death wish had gotten out of his SUV, walked around to the passenger side and was taking pictures of a mother grizzly and two cubs.” As she spoke she walked her fingers around the water bottle, her movements stiff and angry. “Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous?”

  Leeza laughed but Brooke’s eyes widened. “What happened? Was he hurt?”

  “I set him straight and he got back into his vehicle.” The fingers marched back to the driver’s side of the bottle. “That’s all we need is some tourist getting mauled by a bear. Or worse.” She took another slug of water. “I think he was pretty shook up when I told him it was a grizzly, though.” She gave a little shudder. “There’s something about the word grizzly that frightens everyone.”

  Leeza checked her watch. “Shall we get on with it? We have a full house and we’re busy doing prep work for lunch and dinner.” She pointed to the printout Brooke had placed on the table. “Three VIPs in one day. That’s quite something.”

  Jamie stu
died the sheet as if she hadn’t seen it before, but she knew exactly who was arriving.

  She looked across the table at her chef. If Leeza hadn’t been wearing a white chef’s jacket, no one would have suspected that she worked in a kitchen, or for that matter that she was in charge. With her diminutive stature, pale skin and black spiky hair she looked like an escapee from a punk rock band. In spite of Leeza’s unconventional appearance, Jamie was confident in her chef and knew that she was as dependable as she was skilled.

  “Brooke says none of them have indicated any special dietary needs.” Leeza nodded to herself. “Can’t say I mind that.” She tapped the list with a finger. “I see Slick Billy is coming back again.”

  “Slick Billy?” Brooke looked down at the list and a slight frown marred her brow. “You must mean William Talbot.”

  Jamie grinned in spite of herself. “Oh, yeah. Billy Talbot is slick all right, but of course we only call him that behind his back.”

  “Why do I know that name?” Brooke had assumed the duties of office manager at the beginning of the season and wasn’t yet familiar with their return customers. “I feel as though I should know who he is.”

  Jamie paused to think for a moment. “I suppose if you don’t follow sports you may not have heard of him. Remember how the Blue Jays were doing so well about six or eight years ago?”

  Brooke shook her head. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay. He played for the Blue Jays and was a terrific pitcher. He blew out his arm and had to retire but he’s still famous. The press gave him the nickname of Slick Billy because he was a real ladies’ man but he always managed to escape before he got seriously involved. A love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy.”

  “Oh.” Brooke looked disappointed. “I’ve met enough of those to last a lifetime.”

  “You?” Jamie pulled back and looked at her Office Manager. “With your looks you could have any man that walks through that door groveling at your feet. You must know that.”

  Brooke didn’t try to deny that she was beautiful. Jamie liked that about her. “Not interested,” she said simply. “I swear, at my last job I was hit on by almost every man who checked in. Didn’t matter who they were with.”

  Jamie and Leeza looked at each other. “Billy will try anyway,” said Leeza. “If he doesn’t come on to you, take his pulse; he’s probably dead.”

  “He’s not that bad, surely.” Brooke looked from one to the other.

  “Trouble is, he’s so charming.” Jamie looked at her new Office Manager with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve watched him over the years and I think he actually falls in love. But you could give him a taste of his own medicine.”

  Leeza sat up straighter, suddenly animated. Her dark eyes sparkled with interest. “You could do it, you know. Hook him then let him go, same as he’s been doing ever since he got famous.”

  “Ladies! This is one of our guests you’re talking about.” Brooke pretended to be shocked and they all laughed.

  “You’re right.” Jamie sobered. “I don’t need any negative publicity right now. Besides, Billy is more like family. He’s been coming here for quite a few years now.”

  Brooke looked down at the list. “I see that. This is his fifth visit.” Her finger trailed down the list of names. “Here’s another one. Matthew Weber. Must be a hot shot real estate agent. He’s won a prize as Salesman of the Year, and his stay was paid for by the Valley Real Estate Board.”

  Jamie raked her fingers through her hair. “Sometimes I wish companies would find some other destination for their prize winners.” She massaged her temples. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the booking, and the Lodge gets a lot of extra exposure, but these people get here and don’t know anything about fishing. Within a couple of days they’re bored.” She glanced over at the list. “He’s alone, isn’t he? Same as Billy?”

  Brooke nodded. “Let’s just see how it goes. Maybe he’ll surprise us.”

  “I hope so.” Jamie motioned impatiently. “And the last of the VIPs was that documentary film maker, right?”

  “Yup.” Brooke didn’t have to look at the name. “Craig Hansen. I’ve seen his work and he’s good.” She slid a sideways glance at Jamie. “This is a big deal, him coming here. Right?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah. It’s a preliminary trip, but if he decides to do a documentary on fly fishing in the area, it could put us back in the money.” Jamie shared everything with her two key employees. It was no secret that the Lodge had been struggling since the economic downturn in the States and she was worried that she might not be able to open next year. “I’m almost afraid to hope for too much.”

  Brooke spoke thoughtfully. “Well then, let’s just treat him like we treat all the guests. He’s probably used to people falling all over him.”

  Jamie nodded. “You’re right. His representative asked me to meet with him while he’s here. Apparently he has the final say on locations.”

  Brooke looked out over the lake. “What more could he ask for? This is so beautiful.”

  “Let’s hope he agrees.” Jamie turned to Leeza. “Any problems in the kitchen I should know about?”

  Leeza shook her head. “Just the usual. College kids that come for the summer and are shocked when they find out they actually have to work.” She shrugged. “Nothing new. But I’d better get back there now.” She rose and stretched. “See you guys later.” She walked briskly in the direction of the kitchen.

  Jamie looked at her watch and stood up as well. “Time I put on my taxi driver hat. I hope those two men I dropped off this morning have had some luck. They had enough gear to catch every rainbow in the lake.”

  Brooke stood and walked over to the window. Not for the first time Jamie wondered why the other woman hadn’t taken a more high profile job. With her experience, looks and innate grace, she could work anywhere she chose. “Aren’t you afraid, flying all over the north in that thing?” She was looking toward the special dock a hundred yards away where Jamie’s favourite form of transportation rocked gently in the wake of a passing boat.

  “Not in the least. What frightens me is driving on the highway.” Jamie motioned toward the Beaver. “When I’m flying, I don’t have to deal with kamikaze drivers.”

  Brooke looked at the sky to the north. “I suppose so. By the way, I checked the weather earlier and we’re supposed to have a storm later on.”

  People had started to wander toward the dining room for lunch and Brooke looked at her boss. “Have you eaten anything today?”

  Jamie thought for a moment. “I had a piece of toast this morning.” She headed for the door.

  Brooke shook her head, walked to the reception desk and grabbed an apple from the basket. “Here, take this with you at least.” She tossed it to Jamie.

  “Thanks.” Jamie caught it and ran down the steps. Goldie scrambled to her feet and followed, tail wagging in anticipation of the flight to come. Brooke sighed and returned to her office.

  Chapter Two

  Craig Hansen left the town behind and drove back toward Long Lake. He’d had a pleasant lunch on the outside terrace of a small restaurant and spent some time in the town’s museum, but he was ready to get settled in and relax. He chuckled at the direction of his thoughts. When compared with his usual schedule, this entire day so far had been one big relax.

  He turned in at the sign pointing to Long Lake Fishing Resort. A simple name, and he liked it. Many of these places spent too much time focusing on new age names, and not enough on their primary purpose...a comfortable bed, a good meal and some great fishing. He’d heard good things about Long Lake and hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed.

  His car rumbled over a cattle guard and he paused to get a sense of where he was.

  By his estimate, the main road was offset from the lake by about a quarter of a mile, perhaps a bit more. He’d checked it out on Google Earth and had noticed the irregular shoreline as well as several streams leading into the lake from the east. He’d also noted that development was
sparse along the shore; clusters of buildings separated by stretches of unoccupied land.

  From here the land sloped gently toward the lake. This particular area was sparsely treed and offered enticing glimpses of the lake in the distance. He turned the key in the ignition and drove slowly. Grasshoppers jumped out of the way as he passed, and in the heat of the afternoon the pungent scent of fir trees filled the air like sweet perfume.

  He inhaled deeply and relaxed for the first time in days. He’d been working almost non-stop for the last two years and he needed this break. He also needed a break from his publicist. Dating her a few months ago had been a huge mistake. He couldn’t seem to make her understand that there was never going to be anything between them; the woman was becoming a real problem.

  The Lodge buildings came into view and he slowed again, looking them over. The main building was large and could only be described as rambling. It looked as though it had been a large country home at one time but the original outlines of the building were hard to discern among all of the add-ons over the years. The irregular additions gave it a casual, comfortable feel, like an older woman surrounded by her grandchildren.

  In front of the main building, a broad lawn sloped gently down toward the water. Behind the lodge, tucked in among some fir trees, three small cottages occupied higher ground. There was a permanent air about them and he wondered if the owner lived in one of them. Directly to his left were two newer buildings. Two story units, they were situated close enough to the main Lodge to be easily accessible. Guests in these accommodations could enjoy the view out over the lake and he noted that both buildings offered wide balconies with comfortable chairs. Were there actually people who came here to look at the lake? He supposed it was possible.

  The Lodge obviously encouraged children. A small playground was set up off to the left, in sight of the two-story units. A string of floats marked off an area of the beach where children could play safely away from boat traffic. Directly in front of the lodge, a dock stretched out into the water, with several smaller docks shooting off to the sides like branches of a tree. About a dozen boats were tied up snugly, out of use in the heat of the afternoon when few fish would take a fly, or any bait for that matter.