When We Fall, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 6)

by J. H. Croix

  Can’t tell you that bc I’d be lying. Take it easy tonight and go see your doctor tomorrow. No joke.

  He started his car and flicked the heat on since the evening autumn air was as chilly as it could get without being below freezing. Her reply was swift.

  I might have preferred you lie. Promise I’m taking it easy. I’ll think about going to the doctor. When did you say you’d be here?

  He grinned, sensing she was plenty annoyed, but not being stupid just yet. At the thought of seeing her again, a jolt of electricity rushed through him, making him forget his worry. He wasn’t quite sure how to handle his long-buried attraction to Lacey coming to life like a brush fire after she’d kissed him. He mentally shook himself.

  I’ll hold you to that promise. Not sure when I’ll be there. Depends on when I hear back. I’ll let you know.

  K. Resting right now.

  He grinned again and slipped his phone back in his pocket. When he walked back into the hotel suite, his eyes landed on the couch and he remembered the feel of Lacey straddling him.

  Chapter 4

  “Hey! Give me that,” Lacey demanded as she carefully tried to free the chunk of her hair held tightly in her niece’s fist.

  Holly giggled and yanked a little harder. At the sound of a muffled laugh, Lacey glanced over her shoulder to see her sister Marley laughing where she stood by the kitchen counter. “I’m sure she does this all day to you, so feel free to laugh,” Lacey replied wryly as she gently wiggled her finger into Holly’s hand. Holly slowly released her hair and clutched the collar of her jacket instead. At ten months old, Holly was a bundle of motion and curiosity. Lacey had spent most of her life convinced children weren’t for her and then along came her absolutely adorable niece. Lacey reached above her head and slowly lifted Holly off of her shoulders to bring her to her lap. Holly’s grinned at her with her soft green eyes. “Mwah!” Lacey dropped a noisy kiss on her cheek and handed Holly a brightly colored fabric parrot, which Holly immediately stuffed in her mouth.

  Lacey had stopped by for a visit with her older sister and some Holly time. She’d been out of sorts since her trip and was hoping her sister could help her settle inside. At thirty-two, Marley was two years older than her and the smartest person Lacey knew. Lacey couldn’t have been happier when Marley moved back to Diamond Creek two years ago and fell head over heels in love with Gage Hamilton. Aside from being generally awesome because he loved Marley, Gage had also reopened Last Frontier Lodge, which endeared him even more to Lacey because she loved to ski and now she had free family passes to ski to her heart’s content all winter long. Marley ran the website for the lodge, along with her own tech applications business. Growing up together, they’d always called themselves Brains and Brawn with Marley being the Brains and Lacey the Brawn.

  Lacey was trying to work up to telling someone besides Quinn about her episodes, but she wasn’t sure she was up for it yet. She liked being Brawn and thinking about falling on her face twice didn’t exactly live up to the image. She glanced over her shoulder to Marley. “Need some help?”

  Marley turned, holding up two mugs as she did. “Coffee on the way!” Marley walked across the room and set the mugs down on the coffee table. “I got a new one shot espresso maker while you were gone, and I still haven’t quite mastered it. Tell me what you think.”

  Lacey leaned over, holding Holly in place with one hand, and curled her other hand around the mug. Once she was upright again, she took a slow sip. “Ooh! It’s yummy. Maybe you don’t think you’ve mastered it, but it’s delicious.”

  Marley grinned. “Oh good! It seems to tolerate my fiddling, but half the time I don’t know what I’m doing. Delia insisted I needed something other than the drip coffee maker we had, but this thing has dials and adjustments, and I have no idea what to do with all of them.”

  Lacey shook her head and grinned. “Delia likes the best of everything. I gotta say, this is definitely better than what your old coffee maker produced.”

  Marley sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. “Enough about the coffee, how was Katmai?”

  Lacey instantly felt hot and rattled inside. Katmai brought two things to mind: Quinn and her churning, burning attraction to him, and the disquieting episodes she’d experienced. Holly wiggled on Lacey’s lap, distracting her. Lacey eased her onto the couch where Holly promptly crawled over to her mother, dragging her parrot with her. Lacey laughed softly as Holly wiggled up against Marley’ leg.

  Lacey aimed to keep her response casual. “The trip was great. We couldn’t have asked for better weather—cool and dry during the day. On the chilly side at night, but it wasn’t anything worse than what I expected.”

  “How’s Quinn? This is the first year he’s been back since he was away, right?”

  “He’s great. He landed back in Alaska only a few weeks before we left for Katmai. You might see him soon actually. He’s expecting to hear back about an interview with the medical clinic here.”

  “Oh that would be great! With Dr. Daniels retiring, rumor for a while was they might close Coastal Medical Clinic, but then I heard he decided to try to find someone to replace him. Quinn would be perfect. Do you know when that might happen?”

  “He told me he was waiting for another call to schedule a meeting. I’m guessing sometime soon.”

  Marley turned her head, purposefully swinging her auburn ponytail out of Holly’s reach. “I keep thinking I should chop my hair off, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it. I figure she has to grow out of this hair grabbing thing someday, right?” Marley asked with a laugh.

  Lacey shrugged. “Maybe so. Your ponytail trick seems to work.” She glanced over at Marley’s hair, held high in a ponytail atop her head. She and Marley shared the same coloring, although her hair was slightly darker than Marley’s. Otherwise, they had the same green eyes and lightly freckled skin.

  Marley’s cell phone buzzed, and she fumbled it out of her pocket while playing a gentle tug of war with Holly and her parrot. She glanced at the screen. “Have to grab this. It’s the guy from the internet company who’s upgrading our wireless.”

  Lacey nodded and took another swallow of coffee while she looked out over the view. Marley and Gage lived at the ski lodge in a private apartment above the restaurant. They had a view for the ages with the mountains rising behind the lodge and Kachemak Bay glinting under the sun in the corner. The ski slopes were void of snow for now, although that could change any day now. It was mid-October and winter was chasing on the heels of autumn. A few hikers were visible along the trails in the trees between the ski slopes. Gage had opened up the lodge property year-round to hikers, bikers and more, so when the snow wasn’t flying, there were plenty of other ways for locals and tourists to enjoy the area.

  Lacey scanned the view, reflexively looking toward her parents’ property nearby. The small cabin where she was staying was visible through the spruce forest, its bright red roof making it easy to find. She and Marley had grown up beside Last Frontier Lodge and skied here when they were little. She mentally flinched when the recollections of her collapse to the ground and again in Quinn’s arms flashed through her mind. She did not want to have to worry about her health. She thrived on being strong and living on the edge. It just wouldn’t work for her to have to be anything else. She was determined those episodes would be just that—a few odd episodes that would never repeat themselves.

  After Marley finished her call, she glanced over to Lacey. “Are you okay?” Marley asked.

  Lacey snapped back to the moment, kicking her worries about what the doctor said to the curb. “Where’d that question come from?” she asked, feeling snippy Marley might have noticed something amiss.

  In the few minutes Marley had been on the phone, Holly had instantly fallen asleep and was slumped against Marley’s leg, her stuffed parrot finally free from her clutching hand. Marley carefully lifted Holly and set her inside a cushioned seat between them on the couch. Holly promptly settled in, never even open
ing her eyes.

  Marley reached for her mug of coffee and eyed Lacey. “Because you just look, I don’t know, like something’s bothering you. Really bothering you.”

  Lacey shrugged and did her damnedest to keep her expression neutral, annoyed as she was at her sister’s perceptiveness. “Nah. I’m fine. Just a little tired. Those trips are a blast, but it usually takes me a few days to get my groove back.”

  Marley took a sip of coffee and nodded slowly. She didn’t look convinced, but she let the topic drop. “Any more trips for you before the snow flies?”

  “Nope. I promised myself I’d stop the winter trips and I’m holding to it. It’s too damn cold. I’ve got some booked through the company, but I won’t be the guide. A few of the guys Quinn and I used to work with are leading all three I’ve booked so far. They seem to like freezing their tails off, so I’ll do the bookings and handle all the prep, but the rest is up to them.”

  Marley laughed softly. “I wondered if you’d be able to stick to that. Mom and Dad’ll be thrilled. They did their best not to worry, but I know they didn’t love it when you were out in the middle of nowhere in the winter.”

  “I know they worried. I get my fill of winter skiing right here, and that’s enough these days.” Lacey’s mind spun to how much their parents would worry if they knew she’d collapsed twice during her last trip and Quinn had dragged her to the hospital when they landed in Anchorage. She hated when people fussed over her. Those episodes were over and she’d be fine.

  Quinn crested the hill and guided his truck into the viewing area beside the highway. Diamond Creek lay at the bottom of this hill, spread out against the backdrop of Kachemak Bay. Many a postcard of this exact view had been mailed from Diamond Creek all over the world simply because it captured the spectacular beauty of the area. Diamond Creek was renowned for its beauty due to its stunning location on sparkling Kachemak Bay with the mountains rising up behind it and circling the bay on all sides. Glaciers winked under the sun where they slipped between mountain peaks and dipped into the ocean. Quinn had always loved this part of Alaska. The weather was a tad less harsh in the Southcentral area, and it contained the best of both worlds with the mountains and the ocean beside each other. When he was growing up, his mother used to bring him and Amelia down for long weekends here.

  It was quite true that he was interested in the job here because he loved the area, but ever since his mind-blowing kiss with Lacey, he was wondering what else Diamond Creek might hold for him. He leaned against the railing and looked out over the water. Yellowed birch leaves blew loose in front of him. Autumn was blowing away with the brisk wind, a bite of winter held within. He scanned the view, savoring the sense of being back in Alaska in a place he loved. In all his travels, he never captured the feeling of being in Alaska—on the edge of the wild with the comfort of being home. He turned away from the view and climbed back in his car. He’d texted Lacey yesterday to let her know he’d be here today. He’d planned to stay in one of the local hotels downtown, but Lacey insisted he stay at Last Frontier Lodge, courtesy of her sister. In days gone by, he’d have thought nothing of it, but between his lingering concern over her health scare and his muddled feelings over his long-dormant desire for her coming to life like a flash fire, he wasn’t sure how to interpret anything with her.

  He figured he’d raise more questions if he demurred and didn’t stay at the lodge, so he followed the winding road up the mountainside once he reached Diamond Creek. Within a few minutes of arriving at the lodge, Lacey’s sister met him at the reception desk. Marley looked remarkably like Lacey with a softer edge to her, but the same auburn hair, green eyes and fit and curvy figure. Quinn didn’t feel the slightest twinge of attraction to her. Only Lacey had that effect on him.

  “Quinn! It’s good to see you,” Marley said, pulling him into a quick hug.

  “The same for you,” Quinn said as he stepped back. “Thanks for offering to let me stay here.”

  “Of course! You’re welcome anytime. You’ve been overseas since we reopened, so it’ll be a good chance for you to see the place. You like skiing as much as Lacey, so once the snow flies, I’m betting you’ll be here plenty,” Marley said with a grin just as a tall man came through the door behind the reception desk and stepped around it to Marley’s side.

  Quinn figured this must be Marley’s husband and the man responsible for resurrecting Last Frontier Lodge. He knew from Lacey that Gage was a former Navy SEAL and he certainly looked the part. He was in prime physical condition and carried himself with a quiet alertness. His dark hair and gray eyes only emphasized the sense of power and perception emanating from him. He slipped an arm around Marley’s shoulders and nodded in Quinn’s direction.

  “Gage Hamilton,” he offered, holding his hand out for a shake.

  Quinn shook his hand and returned the nod. “Quinn Haynes. I was just thanking Marley for letting me stay here, so let me thank you as well. I told Lacey this wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. I haven’t had a chance to look around, but I can tell you’ve done an amazing job getting this place back up to speed. Last time I was here, the whole place was boarded up and looked a little worse for wear.”

  Gage flashed a grin. “Thanks. I couldn’t have pulled it off without Marley’s help and Don and Delia. Marley took care of everything I didn’t know how to handle, and Don and Delia made sure I didn’t mess up too much.”

  Marley flushed and shook her head. “You never give yourself enough credit.” She caught Quinn’s eyes. “Does Lacey know you’re here yet?”

  “She knew I was coming today, but I came here first. She said she’s next door.”

  Marley nodded. “She’s staying at a little cabin on our parents’ property. It’s right through the trees,” she said, gesturing generally in the air.

  Gage stepped away. “Need help carrying anything in?”

  Quinn lifted the strap to his backpack. “I’ve got everything in here.”

  “Let me show you your room. Follow me,” Marley said, quickly turning to stride toward a staircase that curved along the wall in the circular reception area.

  “Nice to meet you,” Quinn said, catching Gage’s eyes.

  “Same. I’ll see you in a bit. We’re meeting for dinner later.”

  At that, Quinn turned and followed Marley upstairs. She led him down a long hallway to a corner suite. The room offered a stunning view of the mountains behind the lodge with a sliver of Kachemak Bay visible to the far side of the mountains. Quinn looked to Marley. “This is gorgeous, but it’s much more than I need,” he said, taking in the luxurious suite with its king bed, small seating area and kitchenette. “I hope you’re not giving up bookings for me.”

  Marley put her hands on her hips. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a family friend, so you get to stay. We always keep one empty suite for friends and family, so don’t even worry about it.”

  Quinn chuckled and let his backpack slide off his shoulder. “So we’re having dinner later?”

  “We are. It’s not set in stone, but we often meet with friends in the restaurant. Lacey made us promise we’d get together tonight, so you’d better be prepared for some socializing.” Marley paused and looked out over the view before turning back to him. Her expression sobered. She looked at him for a long moment, as if considering what she meant to say. “Did something happen on the trip to Katmai?” she finally asked.

  Quinn was startled and quickly schooled his expression to neutral. He’d have thought Lacey would have told her family about what happened and her subsequent visit to the hospital. As he stood there, his mind whirring through ways to respond to Marley’s question, he realized he shouldn’t be surprised. Lacey wouldn’t like talking about any problems with her health. He knew perfectly well that even if Lacey’s symptoms progressed and a formal MS diagnosis was made, she’d still be able to live the life she wanted, albeit with a few accommodations for treatment and planning if she was in an active period of symptoms. MS was a disease of waxing a
nd waning. Many people went years without a relapse of symptoms. Lacey might never have another episode, although her text about the ‘weird feeling in her legs’ didn’t indicate that. He mentally shook himself. He didn’t need to play doctor right now. It would piss Lacey off if he did. He needed to answer Marley’s question and figure out how the hell to do so while protecting Lacey’s privacy.

  “Uh, why do you ask?” he finally countered.

  Marley crossed her arms and all but glared at him. “Okay, what happened?”

  Quinn mentally sighed. “How about you tell me what you’re worried about? We had a fairly uneventful backcountry trip, all things considered.” His words were factually true, given that Lacey’s two episodes had been minor and the only thing out of the ordinary that happened. He didn’t know how to navigate this with Marley because he knew she and Lacey were close, and Marley was clearly just as perceptive as her sister.

  Marley let her arms fall and sighed. “I don’t know. It’s only been a few days since she’s been home, but she just seems a little off. Something’s bothering her, but when I ask, she gets all prickly. Other than that, it’s just a gut feeling, a sister thing.”

  Quinn leaned an elbow against the counter beside them and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, how about you ask Lacey instead of me?”

  “Because she won’t tell me anything!” Marley threw her hands up in exasperation.

  “Do me a favor and don’t put me in the middle. I promise you if I were seriously concerned about Lacey, I’d let you know. Trust your gut and make her talk to you. That’s all I can say.”

  Marley’s eyes softened. “Okay, okay. I get it. You don’t want her to get pissed at you. Well then, I guess I’ll have to make her tell me. She’s usually the bossy one, but I can be bossy too,” she said with a wry grin.

  She glanced to the clock above the windows. “Meet us in the restaurant downstairs at five-thirty. Otherwise, make yourself at home and wander around.”