Christmas on the Last Frontier (Last Frontier Lodge #1) Read online

“I was finishing up the advanced portion of my internship, so I can officially call myself a speech therapist. I’m so relieved to finally have it done!”

  “I thought you were already a speech therapist. Isn’t that your job, or am I confused?”

  Ginger giggled. “Yes and no. I had the degree and one of my two internships done, but to practice independently, I had to finish this. Technically, I have the same job, but now I’ll get paid more.”

  Marley grinned and lifted her water in a toast. “Awesome! I’m glad you’re back now. It’s been nice to be home, but it felt funny without you around.”

  Ginger rolled her eyes and brushed her hair behind her shoulders. Ginger’s hair was a glossy, rich brown that swung around her shoulders when she moved. With a huff, Ginger eyed Marley. “Try being me without you here for over a decade! You’re my bestie, and I only got to see you a few times a year. Go ahead and give me grief for being gone when you finally decided to move back, but you won’t get any guilt out of me.”

  Marley shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty. I just missed you.”

  Ginger’s eyes sobered. “No worries. I’m so happy you’re here. Are you doing okay?” Her voice softened as she looked at Marley.

  Marley had called Ginger the night of the robbery after the police left. Ginger was the friend she called when she needed to talk. With a breath, Marley met Ginger’s eyes. “I’m okay, just okay. I’m more glad than I can say to finally be home. I’d rather I finally decided to come home for different reasons, but I’m so relieved to be here.”

  Ginger’s eyes coasted over her before she nodded firmly. “Okay then. I was all worried I’d need to be ready to convince you to stay here, but I’m not getting that vibe.”

  Marley shook her head. “Nope. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I spent the time I did in Seattle. I made tons of connections and learned a lot. But I’m not a city girl. I don’t want to run a big tech company anymore. Trust me, I got a serious reality check on that. I just want to do some programming, keep up my work on app development and hopefully make enough with freelance work. You’re stuck with me now.”

  Ginger’s eyes flashed when she grinned, quickly sobering again. “Because you know I’m not one to avoid things, how are you sleeping? Or better yet, are you sleeping?”

  Marley had talked to her several times after the robbery, so Ginger knew she’d barely slept for days afterwards. “Much better. It helped a lot just to get the hell out of my old apartment. I also did what you suggested and saw a therapist for a few weeks before I moved. The police gave me a few names. I didn’t know if it would help for such a short time, but she gave me some things to do when my mind starts going in circles. Being back in Diamond Creek at the old cabin has also done wonders for my sleep.”

  Ginger chuckled. A waitress approached and took their order. When she left, Ginger absently twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Okay, so we got that out of the way. What’s this I hear about Last Frontier Lodge reopening? Rumor has it that’s actually happening. Rumor also has it that you’ve been seen on the premises with the new owner who is alleged to be all kinds of sexy.” Ginger tilted her head and arched a brow.

  Marley fought her blush and completely failed, which led to Ginger’s mouth dropping open.

  “Spill it,” Ginger ordered.

  Marley wrestled with her thoughts for a moment and tidied the condiments. Ginger cleared her throat. Marley glanced up to find Ginger’s blue eyes pinned on her, her brow arching even higher.

  “Well, I can confirm the rumors. Last Frontier Lodge is reopening, and I’ve been on the premises. The new owner is Gage Hamilton, and he might be pretty damn sexy.”

  Ginger squealed. “Awesome! I can’t wait for the lodge to open. Do you remember how much fun we had there when we were kids?”

  Marley nodded and started to speak, but Ginger kept going. “Who is Gage Hamilton and how did you meet him? You’re blushing like crazy, so you’d better fill me in on anything else.”

  Marley provided a quick summary on Gage’s plans to reopen the lodge. When it came to filling Ginger in on exactly what transpired between her and Gage, she hesitated. She wasn’t purposefully trying to hide anything, but it felt so fresh, so new, and such uncharted territory for her, she wasn’t sure how to talk about it. But she desperately needed someone to talk to.

  “Okay, you’re getting weird. What happened?” Ginger asked.

  Marley shifted in her seat and fiddled with her fork, rocking it between her fingers. Their waitress arrived with their pizza, offering a brief distraction. After a few bites, Marley looked up to find Ginger waiting expectantly. Ginger knew her so well. They’d watched each other make it through high school crushes and been each other’s long-distance support for any and all relationship matters. Ginger had managed to get married and divorced already, keeping Marley busier on the side of emotional support. Marley, on the other hand, had all but ceased activity on the dating and relationship front once she finished college. She’d buckled down and worked crazy long hours. She’d never felt particularly comfortable in the dating scene, usually feeling awkward and out of place.

  If anyone could give her advice, it would be Ginger. Marley took a breath and filled her in. By the time she finished, Ginger’s jaw hung open. Marley crossed and uncrossed her legs and took a bite of pizza to give her something to do.

  “You’re telling me you had this crazy, hot night of sex and you only saw him once since then to take pictures of the lodge?” Ginger didn’t even try to keep the incredulity out of her tone.

  Marley nodded, her blush returning in force. “I mean, I don’t know if it was crazy…” She couldn’t quite bring herself to say aloud that she was practically salivating to see him again. She’d never been like this about a man.

  “For you, that’s crazy. I’d started to wonder if you’d ever date again. The last thing I expected was for you to come home, meet a super hot guy, and go wild for a night. So what now?”

  Marley brushed her hair away from her face when she leaned forward for a sip of water. “I don’t know what now. I had no idea any of this was going to happen. I don’t know what to think, or do. I’m supposed to go over tomorrow to review some of the stuff I’ve done on the website.” She sighed and pushed her plate away. “This is why I didn’t date for so long. I’m terrible at this. I don’t know if all he wants is a one-night stand or just a short, meaningless fling, or something else. I’m all tied up and don’t know how to be casual. It’s awful.”

  Just talking about it sent her heart racing and her stomach twirling with flutters. Gage was…everything she wasn’t. She didn’t doubt that he had gobs more sexual experience than she did, and with his looks, he could have his pick of women. Why he’d want to be with her, she didn’t know. And she’d gone and given in the other night, potentially ruining a chance at a good friendship with him. She envisioned endless awkward moments ahead.

  Ginger sighed. “Marley, snap out of it. You’re getting all worked up before you know if you need to be worked up. Didn’t you say he asked if you were avoiding him?”

  At Marley’s nod, Ginger continued. “Some guy who’s only after a quick night of fun does not ask that. If that were the case, he’d be happy you were avoiding him.”

  “But I’m working on the website for him…”

  Ginger waved at her, cutting her off. “He could easily get out of that. Stop it. You’re totally cute, you always have been. You just had your brain buried in computers and books so much, you never even noticed the guys checking you out. The fact that Gage has enough sense to do something about it gives him points as far as I’m concerned. How about I come up with you tomorrow? I can meet him and let you know what I think.”

  “Won’t that be weird to randomly bring you up there?” Marley could seriously use Ginger’s opinion, but she didn’t want to make Gage think she was sending scouts in to check him out.

  “Hon, people are going to be
randomly dropping by there every day now. I ran into Don Peters at the gas station this morning, and he was on his way to work there. That’s another mark in Gage’s favor if you ask me. Don said he offered him his old job back the first time he stopped by. Smart business move, but also a nice guy move. Don’s all sentimental about it.”

  Marley’s heart clenched at that small bit of news. Don had been doing okay in the years since Sandy died, but her parents had worried about him, saying he was at loose ends. If anyone loved Last Frontier Lodge, it was Don and Sandy. The only downside to Gage’s kindness in offering Don his old job was it made Marley like Gage even more. Considering that she could hardly stop thinking about him, it didn’t help for her to start fawning over him on another level. She was turning into a full-blown fool over him. With a sigh, she met Ginger’s eyes. “Okay then. How about you meet me at my place tomorrow morning? We can go over together. I can use all the advice I can get.”

  Ginger squealed while Marley shook her head. After they left the restaurant, Marley headed to one of her favorite beaches for a short walk. The tourists had mostly left town, and the beach was empty of people. Marley walked along the damp sand where the tide had rolled out. Gulls circled and called above. A pair of eagles sat side by side on a piece of driftwood, both staring out over the water. They didn’t move as she approached, accustomed to people walking on the shore. They sat tall and majestic, their piecing yellow eyes tracking her as she passed in front of them. A loon floated on the water, rocking gently in the waves. The salty breeze was cold, chilling her through. With a last look at the mountains, their peaks bright white against the sky and the snow almost to the foothills now, Marley turned and walked back to her car.

  When she got home, she checked her email and had a cryptic and confusing message asking her what she’d done with the data from human resources at her last job. Marley quickly closed her laptop, unclear who sent the message since it showed up under a general mailbox address for human resources. A prickle snaked under her skin. She’d never had anything to do with data from human resources. The email had to be a mistake. Something told her not to respond, so she didn’t.

  Chapter 9

  Gage stepped around a boulder on the trail as he walked alongside Don. Gage had finished painting this morning and headed up the ski trails to see how Don was faring. Don had shown up at first light with fresh coffee from Misty Mountain Café, which Gage had come to learn was a local favorite for coffee and baked goods. Gage was beyond relieved to have Don’s expertise on handling the trailside of running a ski lodge. Don had spent the morning checking the condition of the trails and ski lifts.

  The air held a bite with sharp gusts of wind cutting through the trees. When they reached an area where the trails intersected, they finally paused. Gage turned and looked down the trail. The sun was high, wispy clouds moved quickly across the sky. The mountain range across the bay was taller than those surrounding Diamond Creek. Gage measured the approach of winter by the pace at which snow covered the mountains on the other side. He expected snow to fly at the lodge any day now. A pair of magpies burst out of the spruce trees, chattering loudly. They swooped to a landing on the small building beside the ski lift, winks of iridescent blue and green flashing as they settled in place.

  Don walked over to the lift, checking it over. “Your best bet is going to be to replace all the lifts. Their condition is poor, seeing as they’ve sat through roughly twenty winters with no maintenance. As far as the trails go, I can clear the areas where debris has built up by the end of the week.” He stepped to Gage’s side and leaned against the building. “I see you’ve already taken care of the paint on all of these.”

  Gage nodded. “Yup. I’m trying to get the exterior work done by next week. Aside from paint and some roof repairs, things were okay. There are a few aesthetics I could address, but I’ll probably wait until next summer for that.” He considered what Don had said. He knew he needed to sink some money into the lodge. He hoped he had enough with what Gram had left him and his own savings though he wasn’t particularly worried. His years as a SEAL involved all work and no play. Without a family to support, he’d socked away any extra money into his savings, so he had a cushion.

  Don nodded approvingly. “You’ve done a lot. If you keep it up, you’ll have the paint done by next week. As for the lifts…”

  “Let’s replace them. Any suggestions on where we’d go to take care of that?”

  Don chuckled. “We’ll use the same place your grandparents used to order that type of equipment. If you’ll let me, I’ll take a look at your Gram’s old files. I handled all that stuff back in the day. Happy to do it now.”

  Gage experienced a wave of relief, followed immediately with a mix of euphoria and anxiety. He’d dreamed of being back in Diamond Creek since the day they moved away. Visits during his childhood had only stoked his dreams. He hadn’t realized it, but somewhere along the way, after he went from boy to man and faced the devastating realities of war and paid the price of grief, he’d lost hope of ever returning to Diamond Creek. When Gram had died, he’d thought he had to do what adults did and absorb another loss in his heart. He missed her terribly because she’d been the kind of grandmother any child would be lucky to have—a warm, kind, ever-supportive cheerleader who offered blunt advice usually when it was most needed. The surprise inheritance of Last Frontier Lodge, which he’d thought long ago sold, had opened up the portal to his forgotten dream. Don’s entrance into his world here made the logistical realities of his dream seem possible. Yet, Gage couldn’t quite believe it would all be possible.

  Without a word, Don pushed away from the building and began to walk back down the trail. He glanced over his shoulder. “Let’s head back down, so I can take a look at the old orders. I’d like to have those lifts on the way as soon as we can.”

  Gage began walking down the trail behind Don. He enjoyed what little time he’d had to work with Don. Don was comfortable with quiet and tended to only speak when necessary. He worked steadily and with clear focus. His style meshed well with Gage’s. As they moved down the trail, Gage thought of Marley. He’d resisted the urge to ask Don more questions about her. He was more than a little curious to know more about her, and it was clear Don knew her and her family well. He also couldn’t think of her without considering the robbery Don had told him about. He sensed Don had told him all he knew about that, so he avoided further questions. He’d reached out to a former SEAL team member, Aidan McNamara, who worked in private security in Seattle now. Gage hoped Aidan could use his contacts with the local police to ascertain the status of Marley’s robbery and assault. With Marley moving out of state, Gage knew the pressure on the authorities to investigate would ease. Aidan had assured him he’d look into it and get back to him.

  In the meantime, Gage was battling the fury he felt every moment he considered it. This feeling rode alongside his confusion about how Marley had shimmied her way past his defenses without the slightest effort. Her utter lack of artifice drew him like a moth to a flame. He couldn’t conceive of trying to put some distance between them, but it went against all of his well-established boundaries around relationships, namely that he didn’t have them. When she’d called to say she’d be out of town for two days, he’d been startled at the lurch in his heart. Unbeknownst to him on a conscious level, he’d been counting on seeing her. Since she returned, she’d stopped by briefly to take some pictures of the lodge for the website. Her brief visit had stoked his wish to see her more. Though he wouldn’t deny she drew him like a magnet physically, it was more than that. He craved simply being near her and was bound and determined he’d see her tonight.

  Don turned the corner around the side of the lodge to head for the front entrance when Gage heard him exclaim. “Marley girl!” Don’s hearty greeting was followed by the softer sound of Marley’s voice and another female voice. All he was focused on was the knowledge that Marley was here. His heart thumped—hard—and his body tightened.
r />   He jogged around the building to find Marley wrapped in a bear hug from Don. When Don set her down, Marley’s eyes met his. Gage felt the instant pull of his attraction to her. Her auburn hair was tousled from the wind, her cheeks bright. He reined in the urge to walk to her and kiss her plump mouth. With the knowledge of the most amazing night he’d ever experienced and what Don had told him, he couldn’t think clearly. She smiled in his direction and gestured to the woman with her whom he hadn’t even bothered to glance at yet.

  “Gage, this is Ginger. We grew up in Diamond Creek together. She heard you were opening the lodge again and wanted to stop by.”

  Gage nodded and forced his eyes away from Marley. Ginger was gorgeous with shiny brown hair that swung around her shoulders, wide blue eyes, and a broad smile. Gage had absolutely zero interest in her and had to work to keep his gaze from traveling back to Marley. She was like a magnet. He drew upon his ingrained manners and smiled politely. “Nice to meet you.”

  Ginger’s smile widened. “When I heard you were opening the lodge again, I didn’t believe it, but Marley says it’s true. I’m so excited! You have no idea how happy this is going to make the town. We’ve all missed the lodge.” Ginger bounced on her feet.

  “I’m definitely getting the idea that it’s news for me to re-open the lodge. With Marley’s help on the website and Don’s help around here, I’m hoping I can pull it off.” Gage was conflicted at the excitement around town about the lodge. On the one hand, it fed his efforts. On the other, he worried he couldn’t meet the high expectations.

  “You’d better have it ready before Christmas because you’ve already got a few online reservations,” Marley said with a grin.

  Gage swung his gaze back to her. “Seriously?”

  Marley nodded, her mossy green eyes sparkling. Gage had to tamp down the urge to swing her into his arms. Don chuckled. “Told you hiring her was a smart move. But we’ve got work to do. Show me where the files are and I’ll get those lifts ordered.” Don paused and glanced between Marley and Ginger. “You two know anyone who might want a job handling the reception and housekeeping end of things here? Gage is about ten steps ahead of himself in his brain, and we need some staff lined up yesterday.”