Falling Fast, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 4) (8 page)

He nodded, and she forgot what she’d last said.

“If you don’t mind, it’s probably better if I wait a bit to see if this slows down. I’d rather not drive at a crawl in this snow. The visibility’s close to none.”

Oh yeah. She’d invited him to come in and stay until the snow slowed down. It occurred to her this storm didn’t appear to have any plans for slowing down. If her guess was right, they were only at the beginning. Her mind dodged away from what that could mean as far as Cam waiting it out.

“Let’s get inside then,” she said quickly. She tugged her gloves on and threw her hood up before climbing out.

They trudged through the snow to her front door. Her porch light had come on automatically since it was set on a timer. The soft glow of the light was a beacon in the falling darkness and driving snow. She pointlessly tried to kick the snow off her boots before she stepped inside, but she immediately picked up more snow the moment she set her foot down again.

After they got inside, she put her boots by the heater to dry off and hung her coat up, insisting he do the same. She flicked the lights on in the living room and kitchen and turned on an outside light. It illuminated the snow on the other side of the windows, lighting it up like falling glitter.

She went straight to the kitchen and gestured for Cam to sit at the small round table in the corner. “Coffee? Tea? Or maybe you’d rather have a beer.”

“Got any of Delia’s hard cider?” he countered with a grin.

She burst out laughing. “She’s got you hooked too, huh?”

He nodded emphatically.

She turned and walked into the small pantry off to the side of the kitchen. “Hang on, let me see. Delia gave me a few quarts of it a while ago. I’m not sure if I have any left.”

After rearranging a messy shelf, she found two quarts of Delia’s beloved hard cider behind some flour and a bag of tortilla chips. She snagged both jugs and the chips on her way out. As she came out of the pantry, she heard the distinct sound of George bounding across the floor and into the kitchen. He paused once he came through the archway and rested on his haunches. His wide blue eyes landed on Cam. Cam’s legs were stretched out in front of him with one foot resting atop the other. George sniffed the air and then took several hops to land beside Cam’s feet. He immediately set to sniffing them curiously. After several seconds, he looked up and leapt straight onto Cam’s lap.

Cam chuckled and glanced to Ginger.

“That’s George. He’s my house rabbit. He’s super friendly. He’s kind of like a cat, house trained and all.”

Cam looked down and stroked his hand across George’s back. George immediately leaned into his touch and rubbed his head against Cam’s chest.

“I found some cider,” Ginger offered, holding the two jugs aloft. “Let me heat it up though. Delia swears we can’t use the microwave for that, so it’ll take a few minutes on the stove.”

Cam grinned, still petting George. “Awesome. Until I started at Last Frontier Lodge, I couldn’t even tell you if I’d had hard cider before. I must have because it’s the kind of thing they serve at ski lodges, but hers is out of this world. Do you know what she does to make it so amazing?”

She shook her head. “Nope. It’s her mother’s recipe. She won’t give it to anyone. That’s fine with me because she gives it out left and right. You must be enjoying the food there. That’s part of the deal for staff, right?”

“Yup. Gage is the most generous lodge manager I’ve ever known. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff and makes sure we get the benefits of living at the lodge. I’ve been all over and some places can be downright stingy. It’s nice to be at Last Frontier. Gage makes it easy. Delia’s food might be the best side benefit I’ve ever had.”

“It’s not like you have to wonder why so many locals are up there all the time,” Ginger said with a wry grin as she poured the cider into a stainless steel pot and turned on the propane burner. She adjusted the heat to low, per Delia’s instructions, and sat down across from Cam at the table. George lifted his head from where he’d been rubbing it against Cam’s chest and eyed her. He appeared to be considering whether to remain on Cam’s lap or come greet her. He finally leapt down and immediately bounced up onto her lap.

“Hey George.” She petted him and allowed him to nuzzle her cheeks. He settled on her lap and rested while she stroked his back. She looked over at Cam. “I’d always wanted a rabbit when I was little, so I finally got one after my divorce.” Oops. She hadn’t meant to go there. The explanation was entirely true, but she didn’t really want to open any doors to questions about her short-lived joke of a marriage.

“Oh.” There was a long pause. “How long have you had him?”

It occurred to her that by answering his question, she’d be sort of telling him how long ago her divorce was. She hated the whole divorce thing because no matter what anyone said, there was this weird social thing around divorces. They represented this massive mistake. What she wished was to be able to go back in time and figure out that Tony wasn’t worth her youthful love
before
she married him. She mentally shook her head and tried to focus on the moment. She had tons of baggage around her marriage and divorce. She didn’t need to go thinking Cam was reading into anything. All he’d asked was how long she’d had George.

“I’ve had him for two years. Rabbits make great pets. He bounces around the house and eats vegetables. In the summer, I let him outside when I’m home. He’s on the small side for a lop-eared rabbit—he’d be lunch for an eagle, so it’s not good to let him out unless I’m home. I try to get him to go out in the winter, but he’s kind of a prima donna. He’s not a fan of the cold and he hates snow.”

George lifted his head and eyed her as if he knew she was talking about him. A gust of wind blew outside, sending snow pelting against the windows. George turned toward the sound and bounced off of her lap. He hopped over for a drink from his water bowl and then leapt up onto the windowsill to stare outside at the swirling snow. The wind had picked up its pace since they came in, the snow following suit. Cam likely wouldn’t be heading to the lodge anytime soon. Ginger found it hard not to stare at him. Just being here in a room with him and the air felt alive, snapping with the electric current buzzing between them.

Restless, she stood up and walked to the refrigerator to look inside. “How about I make some dinner? I’m not a phenomenal cook like Delia, but I’ve been told I’m halfway decent.”

She let the refrigerator door fall closed and leaned against the counter. Her kitchen was small, but the archway lent it a more open feel. The round table sat by the windows. Cobalt blue tiled counters lined two walls with a doorway sized opening into the pantry. A porcelain sink sat in the center of one counter while a stainless steel oven and stove were on the other wall. She looked to Cam. “Any preferences for dinner?”

He shrugged. “You don’t have to cook just because I’m here.”

“I’m cooking for myself because I’m starving. Consider it a selfish act. Plus, let’s be real,” she nudged her chin toward the window and the snow pinging against it “…you’re not going anywhere anytime soon. You might as well eat. I can’t let you starve.”

His amber eyes held hers for a few beats. All he had to do was look at her and heat unfurled inside, spiraling outward from her center. Her breath hitched and she tried not to notice how handsome he was. Between those eyes, which were hot enough to melt her, and his insanely hot body, it was no wonder his mere presence in Diamond Creek stirred up gossip. She’d like to think she’d be immune, but she was far from it. She was practically a puddle around him.

“I’ll eat whatever you want to cook. I’m easy that way,” he finally replied.

She pushed away from the counter with her hips and opened the refrigerator again. She spied a few tomatoes and some fresh Parmesan cheese she’d picked up the other day. “How about pasta with fresh marinara sauce?”

“Sounds good. Can I help with anything?”

She grabbed the tomatoes and set them on the counter. “Nope. I got it. Let’s check the cider though. It should be warming up.”

She quickly lifted the lid on it and steam rose from the pot, along with the scent of cider and spices. She lifted two mugs off the hooks that hung from under one of the cabinets and ladled them full of hard cider. She handed one over to Cam who took a gulp and sighed with pleasure. “Damn, this is the best.”

Ginger took a swallow and nodded. “This is Delia’s magic. You should hear Garrett go on about it. Delia swears he only wanted to marry her for this,” she said with a soft laugh.

Cam shook his head. “Nah. Garrett might love her cider, but that man is crazy in love with her.”

“I know. It’s so obvious when you see them together.” She experienced a twinge of sadness. Not because she wasn’t happy for Delia and Garrett. She was ecstatic for them, especially knowing Delia had all but written off love. Life as a single mother didn’t leave much room for men, but Garrett had found a way straight to Delia’s heart. Ginger’s sadness came from that place within her that had been so stupidly blind about her former husband. She loved seeing her friends find love, but sometimes she had to remind herself she was better off on her own.

Ginger set her cider down and pulled out a pot for the pasta and another for the sauce. She quickly got water boiling and stepped into the pantry for some tomato paste. In just a few minutes, she had added enough water to the tomato paste for sauce and set it on low heat while she chopped tomatoes and added spices to it.

While she cooked, they somehow managed to casually talk. Cam asked her questions about Diamond Creek, and she asked about places he’d traveled. She tried to be careful and avoid asking about his brother. It was so clear the other night that his grief over his brother’s death was still fresh. After talking a bit about his travels, he looped back to her.

“So you grew up here?” he asked.

“Born and raised in Diamond Creek. Alaska’s full of transplants, so you won’t find too many people who’ve been here most of their lives. I moved away for college and grad school, but I came home after that. It might be small, but Diamond Creek’s an amazing place. We have some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. With the tourists that flow through here, we have great restaurants and shopping. When I was away, I missed being in a small town. Sometimes it feels like everybody knows your business, but they care. I’ll admit when I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to move away. You know? The whole grass is always greener thing. After over six years away, I was more than ready to come back.”

Cam nodded. “I can see that. It’s nice you have a place that means something to you. Pretty much since I graduated high school, I’ve been traveling every few months and more. When I was in college, I was already competing, so I’d take weekends and travel to races. Once I graduated, that was my life. Sponsorships and prize money supported me.” His eyes clouded, but he took a breath and continued. “Eric took it more seriously than me, so he was almost always on the road. Before he died, I kept thinking I’d plan to back down from racing full-time and figure it out. I see someone like you and I kinda wish I had a place like Diamond Creek to anchor me.”
“Where’s your family?”

“Utah. Small town outside of Salt Lake City. My dad runs a gear shop, and my mom’s a librarian at the local library. I’ve been skiing as long as I can remember. I didn’t set out to compete, but I followed my brother into it. Next thing I knew, it was my whole life. We used to live in Salt Lake City before that, so I didn’t have my whole childhood in one place like you. Makes it harder to feel too attached to a place.”

She gave the sauce a stir and added the garlic she’d crushed. “Be careful. Diamond Creek has this bizarre effect on people where they come to visit and end up staying forever.”

He chuckled and took another gulp of cider. “That might not be all bad.”

Her heart did a funny little flip flop in her chest. The mere idea Cam might be here more than temporarily sent hope tap-dancing in her mind, trying to convince her it might not be too crazy to think she could try a relationship again. There was a gigantic maybe attached to that idea.
Maybe? Have you completely lost it? I thought you weren’t going to worry about this attraction, like Marley said. Cam’s sexy as all hell, but it doesn’t mean you have to turn it into more than it is. Yeah, but it feels like there’s more.
That last thought was the barely audible voice of her heart. It was hard to hear over the rather loud and authoritative voice of her rational brain, the part of her that held her together and got her through the humiliating months after her marriage was revealed for what it was. After years of being shouted over, her heart was trying to make its voice heard. She mentally batted the thoughts away and got busy checking the pasta.

A while later, she stood from the table and carried her plate to the dishwasher. Cam leaned back in his chair and set his fork down. “Wow. That was really good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” He lifted his mug as if to take a sip and looked inside before glancing up with a rueful grin. “Empty.” He pushed his chair back and stood, carting his plate to the dishwasher as well.

A gust of wind rattled the windows. George bounced off the windowsill in response and hopped past them into the living room and up the stairs. Cam watched him go with a grin. “He just hops around, huh?”

“Oh yeah. That’s pretty much what he does. He has a few places he likes to nap and some toys he plays with here and there.”

Ginger closed the dishwasher. “More cider?”

“Definitely.” He handed over his mug.

She filled his and then another for herself. Another gust of wind blasted against the house. Snow pinged rapidly on the windows.

“I’ll be surprised if we keep power the way it’s blowing out there,” she said, realizing she’d better accept the fact Cam was likely here for the night. In good conscience, she couldn’t expect him to drive anywhere in this. A part of her went taut with anticipation, her heart practically cheering. Yet another part of her was plain terrified. She was torn by the depth of her attraction to him and so unsettled by how easily her emotions had become tangled in her desire. Her chest tightened with anxiety. She wanted him so much, it shook her to her core. After sitting through a dinner with him, it was all she could do to breathe. Her pulse raced, her low belly fluttered every time his amber gaze landed on her, and heat suffused her. She prayed she wasn’t too flushed.