by J. H. Croix
I shook my head. “I don’t know why Gabriel suddenly thinks he’s in love with me.”
“Because he’s had time to think. Sometimes we have to screw up before we realize what matters. That’s not exactly a problem specific to him.”
I swallowed through the thickness in my throat and rubbed my knuckles over my breastbone as if I could somehow smooth away the pain in my heart. It didn’t make a bit of difference.
“Maybe you could try to talk to him again,” Daphne said, her tone gentle.
“Are you going to nag me about this?” I jammed another bite of bagel in my mouth, annoyed she was ruining such a good breakfast.
“No. I mean, maybe. I care about you. I hate to see you throw a good thing away just because you’re angry.”
“I’m not angry,” I lied.
She pursed her lips, her eyes taking on a knowing glint as she looked at me across the table.
“Okay, maybe I’m still a little angry,” I fessed up.
“Ya think? Honey, you’ve managed not to speak to the guy for months. It’s remarkable, really. It’s been impressive.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. “Fine. I was going to anyway, even without the lecture.”
“Was that really a lecture?” Her tone was warm as she looked over at me.
“No, it wasn’t. Thanks for being a friend.” I offered a sheepish smile.
“Come up to the kitchen with me? I’d like some company, and all the guys are gone. Nobody’s gonna be back before tonight, so you’re in the clear. We can have a girls’ day.”
Chapter Six
Nora
Daphne and I ended up having a nice day, considering my unsettled mood from the morning. She let the topic of Gabriel go, and we finished watching a few episodes of a baking show together before we headed over to the resort kitchen.
My small house was a stone’s throw through the trees to the lodge. Whenever I was crossing the gravel parking area and looked ahead to the resort, a sense of pride rolled through me. Flynn had returned home to Alaska to finish this half-built resort when he left the Air Force to take care of my younger sister and me. I was sixteen at the time and deep into being a moody teenager.
Our brother Grant had just started college when our mother died. Our father had passed away a few years before her, and Flynn’s father had never been around. Our mother’s track record with men held strong. She had children with two different men who didn’t want much of anything to do with her or their kids. While Flynn’s father had never been around, ours had bounced in and out of our lives like a ping pong ball.
As soon as Flynn landed in Alaska, he dived into a whirlwind of work. He’d turned what my mother and father had begun in fits and starts into a busy expedition resort. The three-story octagonal structure was a modern timber-frame building. The main floor had ample open space with several areas for guests.
Through an archway off the main area was the large kitchen with a view of the mountains and the ocean bay in the distance. The kitchen was open to guests as well. Daphne worked her magic there, cooking meals for the staff and up to thirty guests on any given day. All the guest rooms occupied the upper floors, and Flynn and Daphne, along with my youngest sister, Cat, stayed in a private apartment on the main floor.
For the past few summers, we’d spent time constructing a house where the rest of the staff stayed except me. As the only girl, I’d wanted my own space, and the house felt too much like living in a giant bachelor pad.
After Daphne and I returned to the resort, we got to work. I was a not-so-great cook, but I was an excellent assistant. Daphne worked her magic while I chopped vegetables and basically did whatever she said. Once we finished later that afternoon, we sat relaxing at the long table situated in front of the windows in the dining area.
I snagged one of the fresh sweet potato fries Daphne had made, letting out a moan as the flavor of lightly seasoned chipotle fries crossed my tongue. “Oh, my God, these are good. Why can’t I cook like you?”
My question was rhetorical, but I knew the answer. Sometimes just getting food on the table was a miracle, given how little money my mother had at times when we were growing up. I was an expert at heating up soup in cans and making meals out of boxes. That was the extent of my cooking repertoire.
“I keep telling you I’ll teach you,” Daphne offered.
“I know, but I feel so ridiculous. I should know how to cook by now.”
“It doesn’t matter when you learn. Not everybody loves to cook, but it’s nice to be able to handle the basics yourself.”
At that moment, the door from the back hallway swung open, and Cat came through.
“Hey,” she said, lifting her hand in a wave as she walked immediately into the pantry, returning with a box of crackers.
“We have sweet potato fries,” Daphne called over when Cat stopped by the sink to fill a glass with water.
“Oh, good,” Cat replied. “Those are better than crackers.” She returned the crackers to the pantry before joining us at the table.
“What’s up?” I asked.
My little sister was seventeen years old now, and I still couldn’t quite believe it. Cat and my two brothers shared my mother’s dark blond hair and slate-blue eyes, while I’d inherited my father’s coloring. Cat’s hair was pulled back in a lopsided ponytail. A quick glance at her puffy eyes and flushed cheeks, and I guessed she’d been crying. The corners of her lips were pinched tight and her shoulders hunched as she leaned back in her chair and folded a foot under her knee.
“I just got home from school,” she replied.
“Thanks for the detail. I wouldn’t have guessed,” I replied dryly.
When Cat didn’t smile, I knew for sure she was upset. “You okay?” I asked gently.
She took a shuddery breath. “No.” Her glum tone matched her downcast eyes as she stretched her arm across the table to grab a few sweet potato fries.
“What happened?” Daphne asked.
“I broke up with Tanner.”
“Oh, sweetie, what happened?” I scooted my chair closer to hers and slipped my arm across her back, rubbing my palm in a light circle between her shoulder blades.
“He cheated on me. I really liked him too,” Cat said morosely.
“He did not!” Daphne said fiercely, her eyes practically blazing.
“Well, he’s an idiot,” I added.
“That’s what I told him,” Cat muttered.
“How did you find out?” Daphne asked.
Cat took a swallow of her water and fetched two more sweet potato fries, chewing one before she replied. “Shannon told me. She saw a text message he sent the other girl. I don’t even like that girl, and I’m glad she’s not my friend. I don’t need someone like him either.”
“Obviously, she’s not your friend. You’re a good friend,” I said.
My sister cast me a swift little smile. “I know. I’m upset, but I’ll be fine. I am worth more than having someone treat me like that.” She lifted her chin.
“Absolutely,” I commented.
Cat’s eyes slid to mine. “I’m fine, you know. I was sad and angry, and I cried, but I’m fine.”
“We know you’ll be fine,” Daphne interjected. “But we want to be there for you. Should we go kick his ass?”
Cat giggled. “You two could totally kick his ass. Oh my God, he would freak out.”
“Flynn’s going to ask about him. I was supposed to take him on that day fishing trip next weekend.” Cat sighed heavily. “Will you make sure Flynn doesn’t tell the rest of the guys?” Her eyes bounced between Daphne and me.
“Of course. It’s your privacy. You don’t even have to tell Flynn everything,” I suggested. “You can just say you broke up if that’s all you want to mention.”
Cat rolled her eyes. “One of you will end up telling him by accident, so I’d rather it be me. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just, well, you’re in love with him.” She gave Daphne a pointed look
before her eyes swung to me. “And sometimes you just let things slip when you’re not thinking.”
I gave her a sheepish smile. “I know. Downside of being an older sister. I only let them slip with Flynn, though.”
Cat grinned. “I think Tanner was surprised, and I told him off right in the cafeteria. I don’t care if I embarrassed him. I always promised myself I was never gonna be like our mom. She was literally a freaking doormat for our dad. Fuck that.”
Daphne and I opened our mouths simultaneously before our gazes collided. I thought Daphne had been about to correct Cat’s use of language, just like me. I shrugged. Sometimes the occasion called for it.
“Can I have some wine?” Cat asked next.
“No!” Daphne and I exclaimed in unison.
Cat burst out laughing. “I thought I’d try. When you dump a guy, it’s good to have a drink and feel better, or something like that.”
My hand slid off her back as I chuckled. “Sure, a glass of wine can help you relax here and there, but it’s definitely not necessary. I’d rather have a friend be there for me than that.”
Cat rolled her eyes. “Sure. Says you, who pours extra wine whenever Gabriel spends too much time around you.”
Daphne bit her bottom lip, standing quickly and striding into the kitchen. Her shoulders were shaking, and I knew she was laughing. Of course, my very perceptive younger sister would’ve noticed a detail like that.
I decided it wasn’t worth engaging in that dialogue and snagged another fry to pop into my mouth.
“I’m going to start teaching Nora how to cook. Want to help?” Daphne called over.
Cat brightened and straightened in her chair. “Yes. You can’t have my job, though.”
I laughed softly. “Sweetie, I don’t think I’ll ever get good enough at cooking to steal your kitchen job. I’m thrilled Flynn officially has you on the payroll.”
Cat stood and skipped over toward the kitchen counter when Daphne began pulling things out to finish prepping for dinner. Guests would be returning from wherever they’d spent their day over the next few hours, and she would have dinner ready. Meanwhile, I needed to decide if I wanted to deal with seeing Gabriel tonight. I was leaning toward not when Cat called, “Come help me now. I’m going to prep a few game hens for roasting.”
I was swept into being Cat’s assistant for the next hour or so. When Gabriel arrived, I purposely didn’t pour extra wine for myself. I could handle him, or so I told myself again and again. And again.
It didn’t help that I felt the heat of his gaze on me. It definitely didn’t help when he slipped onto a stool beside me at the counter surrounding the area where Daphne was working.
“Your plane’s good to go,” he said, his low, gravelly voice sending shivers chasing over my skin.
When I risked a glance at him and ran right into the intense beam of his gaze, butterflies took flight, spinning wildly in my belly while I tried to catch my breath.
I was so screwed.
Chapter Seven
Gabriel
“What?” Diego asked.
He leaned against the plane, crossing his arms over his bulky chest and lasering me with his way-too-perceptive gaze.
“I told her I loved her,” I said, practically itching all over with the discomfort at saying that word out loud. It had come easy when I said it to Nora, but it made me feel a little crazy with anyone else. All of my friends knew I’d never planned to get serious with anyone.
Diego pinched the bridge of his nose as his head dipped down, and he let out a sigh. “And then what?” His eyes lifted to mine again.
I closed the small storage compartment underneath the plane and turned the latch to lock it before straightening. “I told her I wanted us to try again, or something like that,” I mumbled.
Diego regarded me with that quiet intensity he always carried. “Dude, I love you like a brother, but that was stupid.”
“How was that stupid? I was telling her how I felt.” Defensiveness flared inside.
“It’s not a magic word. The last time you two had a serious conversation about the state of your relationship, you told her you could never be serious with anyone, especially not her because she’s Flynn’s sister,” my friend pointed out. “So you open with, ‘I love you,’ and assume that’s just gonna solve it all.” He snapped his fingers in the air for emphasis.
“Dude, I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never been serious with anyone. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. Because that definitely didn’t work,” I said flatly.
Diego chuckled, running a hand through his rumpled dark hair. “I don’t have all the answers.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been in a serious relationship more than once. You and Gemma are doing great, and you were engaged before.” I held up two fingers. “That’s way more experience than me.”
He leaned his head against the plane and groaned. “I was too young to understand love when I was engaged before, and Gemma and I are pretty fresh. That said, I’m not afraid of commitment, not the way you are. My parents had a rock-solid marriage, so I had something to learn from. I think maybe take it a little slower with Nora. I do think it’s good you told her how you felt.”
I must’ve looked as flummoxed as I felt because he pressed on. “She needs to know how you feel, but after what you told her before, you can’t assume she’ll believe it’s that easy. She was pretty hurt. It’s been months since she actually spoke to you. I guess you can take it as a win that she replied with words.” He cast me a wry smile at that.
I took a few strides, sitting down on an overturned crate and resting my elbows on my knees. I stared at the floor, my eyes landing on an oil stain. Repairing my relationship with Nora, if I could even pull it off, was way harder than getting that oil stain out of the floor, and that was basically impossible with concrete.
“I’m glad you figured out how you felt,” Diego offered, his tone encouraging.
Lifting my head, I shrugged. “It’s not really gonna matter if she won’t give us a chance.”
Diego arched a brow. “Let’s go grab some pizza. Elias texted me and was wondering if we could meet him. Maybe he can give you some advice.”
“Jesus, just what I need. Advice about my love life.”
“Not about your love life, your lack of a love life,” Diego teased, clapping my shoulder lightly as I stood from the crate.
We locked up the plane hangar and headed over to Glacier Pizza.
A short while later, I leaned back in the booth, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Man, they have the best pizza.”
Elias grinned from across the table as he finished off the last slice from the large pizza we’d gotten for the three of us. “Damn straight.”
Diego returned from the restroom, slipping into the booth beside me. “What did I miss?”
“Absolutely nothing,” I offered with a chuckle.
“I have some news, actually,” Elias commented.
“Lay it on us.” Diego leaned his elbows on the table.
“Cammi’s pregnant.” Elias’s brown eyes lit up when he smiled, shaking his head in wonderment.
Diego thumped his fist over his heart as he leaned back. “Congratulations. I know y’all wanted this.”
I dipped my head, leaning over across the table to clasp my friend’s shoulder and squeeze it lightly. “Congratulations. How are you feeling about it?”
“I can’t fucking believe it. I’m equal parts terrified and excited.”
“How far along is she?” Diego asked.
“Three months. Apparently, that’s the magic number when you’re allowed to start telling people,” Elias offered with a grin. “Also, we’re getting married soon.”
“Wow,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “You’ve gone from committed to being single to about to be a father. I can’t believe it.”
Diego grinned. “I can believe it. He found the right woman.”
“Does that mean you and Gemma are thinking kids already?
” I teased.
Diego shrugged. “When the time is right, I’m ready. I love kids.”
Our waiter stopped by the table, effectively interrupting the conversation. I was relieved to have a moment to gather myself. I was kind of stunned by how easily Elias had accepted the shift in his life.
Elias and I had been tight for years, just as all of us working at Walker Adventures were. Yet Elias and I shared a common grievance. Both of us had been betrayed by another friend, Greg. Greg had died, but he’d been a core part of our group in the Air Force. That group had parlayed me into this job when Flynn called me about it. I loved being here and crisscrossing the skies in Alaska. Greg had screwed around with Elias’s girlfriend and even gotten her pregnant before he died. Before that, he’d also screwed around with a girl I’d been seeing. Maybe I hadn’t been serious, but it still wasn’t cool. Not even a little.
She had even approached me a few times after the fact with apologies, wishing we could try again. Fat fucking chance of that. I had enough issues with commitment. I didn’t need to try it with someone I couldn’t trust.
After we left the pizza place, I ended up driving Elias back to the place he now shared with Cammi. Apparently, he needed some new tires, and he’d dropped his truck off. We were in silence for most of the short drive, but just as I was turning down the road that led to their house, Elias said, “You know, it feels good to move on.”
I slid my gaze sideways, but he was looking forward. “What do you mean?”
“Cynicism is cold comfort in the long run,” he offered cryptically. “How are things with you and Nora?”
I let out a sigh. “Not great. She finally spoke to me for the first time in months when I went to pick her up the other day.”
Elias chuckled. “Ah. So it was worth asking me to rearrange my whole schedule.”
I laughed, although I felt a little hollow, and my heart ached. “I suppose. I need to do more than get her talking.”
