Read Online Christmas on the Last Frontier (Last Frontier Lodge #1) by J.H. Croix - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.H. Croix
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cancer. I’m just glad she didn’t have a lot of pain.” Don paused. “I miss her every day,” he said plainly. “She’d have been beside herself to know you were opening this place again. Had to come see for myself.”
Gage’s heart tightened, a flash of sadness piercing him. Though Sandy was but a memory for him, she was a part of what he’d loved at the lodge—she’d made everyone feel welcome. He met Don’s eyes and wanted to turn back time. Time was both a blessing and a curse. Time passed and pain eased. But one could never go back, so when you lost someone you loved, you had to accept the finality of it. He was pleased to know Sandy would have been happy about the lodge opening again. He only hoped he could do it justice. He took a breath. “I’m so sorry to hear about your wife. I, uh, wish I’d had a chance to see her again. I may have been away for a long time, but I remember her well. She was funny and nice and always took care of us kids.”
Don nodded slowly, his smile soft and worn. “Sandy was that kind of woman. If you spent much time with her, she was hard to forget, so thank you for that. But I’m okay. I miss her, but she’d give me all kinds of hell if I moped around too much, so I try to live the way she’d want me to. That’s what got me up here today. Boy, if she were still with us, she’d have been pounding down your door. So what’s the plan?”
“Well, I had a great plan and I thought it was really simple. When Gram died, I inherited this place with my brothers and sisters. I’ve got the largest share and seem to be the only one who missed this place like crazy. So, I came up here to reopen it. I thought all I’d need to do was take care of a few repairs and off we’d go.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I forgot the hard part—like running the restaurant, finding staff to help out on the slopes, that kind of thing. I found a little help for the website though. Marley Adams offered to help with that, which is a damn good thing because I have no clue about that. My sisters keep saying I had to get a website, but without Marley, I don’t think it would happen.”
Saying Marley’s name conjured her in Gage’s mind. His body instantly tightened. He had to force his thoughts off of her and back to Don.
Don grinned. “Marley Adams, huh? She’s a good kid. Her parents are good friends of ours. I mean, mine. She just moved back to town after that scare in Seattle. Her parents are tickled pink, and I’m glad to hear she’s helping you out. She needs something to do. That brain of hers never stops.”
Gage couldn’t help it. His mind got hung up on the “scare in Seattle” that Don mentioned. It brought back a memory from the other night when he asked her why she moved back to Diamond Creek. She’d answered, but her answer had been vague and her eyes had been guarded. “I ran into her when she was hiking up here. I gathered she only moved back recently, but what happened?”
Don didn’t seem to mind Gage’s question and appeared oblivious to the depth of Gage’s curiosity. “She walked into her apartment being robbed in Seattle. Her father told me she got lucky to come away with only a few bruises. Guy whipped her good with his gun and then stripped her place. Her parents have wanted her back home for years. She’s smart as a whip and could probably run circles around those city tech guys, but she’s a Diamond Creek girl through and through. I’m glad to know you met her. Though I haven’t seen you in years, you were always a good boy. She could use a friend,” Don said gruffly.
Gage barely heard a word Don said past the details of the robbery. Fury rushed through him so fast he had to force himself to breath slowly. Fortunately, he was an expert at staying stone cold on the outside no matter how he felt inside. Knowing that someone hurt Marley like that just to steal from her made him sick with anger. His mind locked on the wish to
Gage’s heart tightened, a flash of sadness piercing him. Though Sandy was but a memory for him, she was a part of what he’d loved at the lodge—she’d made everyone feel welcome. He met Don’s eyes and wanted to turn back time. Time was both a blessing and a curse. Time passed and pain eased. But one could never go back, so when you lost someone you loved, you had to accept the finality of it. He was pleased to know Sandy would have been happy about the lodge opening again. He only hoped he could do it justice. He took a breath. “I’m so sorry to hear about your wife. I, uh, wish I’d had a chance to see her again. I may have been away for a long time, but I remember her well. She was funny and nice and always took care of us kids.”
Don nodded slowly, his smile soft and worn. “Sandy was that kind of woman. If you spent much time with her, she was hard to forget, so thank you for that. But I’m okay. I miss her, but she’d give me all kinds of hell if I moped around too much, so I try to live the way she’d want me to. That’s what got me up here today. Boy, if she were still with us, she’d have been pounding down your door. So what’s the plan?”
“Well, I had a great plan and I thought it was really simple. When Gram died, I inherited this place with my brothers and sisters. I’ve got the largest share and seem to be the only one who missed this place like crazy. So, I came up here to reopen it. I thought all I’d need to do was take care of a few repairs and off we’d go.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I forgot the hard part—like running the restaurant, finding staff to help out on the slopes, that kind of thing. I found a little help for the website though. Marley Adams offered to help with that, which is a damn good thing because I have no clue about that. My sisters keep saying I had to get a website, but without Marley, I don’t think it would happen.”
Saying Marley’s name conjured her in Gage’s mind. His body instantly tightened. He had to force his thoughts off of her and back to Don.
Don grinned. “Marley Adams, huh? She’s a good kid. Her parents are good friends of ours. I mean, mine. She just moved back to town after that scare in Seattle. Her parents are tickled pink, and I’m glad to hear she’s helping you out. She needs something to do. That brain of hers never stops.”
Gage couldn’t help it. His mind got hung up on the “scare in Seattle” that Don mentioned. It brought back a memory from the other night when he asked her why she moved back to Diamond Creek. She’d answered, but her answer had been vague and her eyes had been guarded. “I ran into her when she was hiking up here. I gathered she only moved back recently, but what happened?”
Don didn’t seem to mind Gage’s question and appeared oblivious to the depth of Gage’s curiosity. “She walked into her apartment being robbed in Seattle. Her father told me she got lucky to come away with only a few bruises. Guy whipped her good with his gun and then stripped her place. Her parents have wanted her back home for years. She’s smart as a whip and could probably run circles around those city tech guys, but she’s a Diamond Creek girl through and through. I’m glad to know you met her. Though I haven’t seen you in years, you were always a good boy. She could use a friend,” Don said gruffly.
Gage barely heard a word Don said past the details of the robbery. Fury rushed through him so fast he had to force himself to breath slowly. Fortunately, he was an expert at staying stone cold on the outside no matter how he felt inside. Knowing that someone hurt Marley like that just to steal from her made him sick with anger. His mind locked on the wish to
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