3. Grant
Chapter Three
GRANT
“What the hell happened to your face?” Flynn asked. My older brother took a swallow of his coffee, arching a brow in question.
“A moose happened to his face is what I heard,” Daphne, his wife, offered.
“A moose charged me in the dark when I was walking back to the house last night. He kicked me and knocked me to the ground. My face looks worse, but my shoulder hurts.” I rolled it carefully. “Ouch.”
“What happened to your shoulder?”
“That I don't know. When the moose charged and kicked, I fell. I’m not sure if it was the moose or the ground that got it. Harley cleaned it up and bandaged it last night.”
Daphne clucked as she approached me, her eyes skating over my face. “Are you okay to fly?”
“Of course,” Flynn replied in unison with me.
Flynn chuckled. “It’s a good story for the tourists.”
Daphne put her hands on her hips. “Why would you say that?” she demanded, spinning to face him. Flynn's grin stretched, his blue eyes twinkling with a sly gleam.
“Because they love that shit. Bear and moose encounters are great stories.”
Daphne huffed. “My one moose encounter up close and personal was enough.”
“Which one was that?” I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee.
“When I was here for my trip, I went for that hike down by the beach that Nora told me about. When I returned, there was a moose on the path near the parking area. It didn't do anything, but I had to take a detour. That’s when I fell into that devil's club. That stuff is mean, and I never thought I’d describe a plant as mean.” She sighed, and her cheeks went a little pink when she glanced at Flynn.
That trip was when Flynn and Daphne fell in love. Thank God for that. My older brother was way less grumpy than he used to be with her around. She took the edge off him.
“Well, now you know to avoid devil’s club,” I offered.
Daphne rolled her eyes as she got busy at the stove.
I took a swallow of my coffee and glanced toward the windows.
We were in the kitchen at the main lodge of Walker Adventures.
I remembered this place before Flynn returned from the Air Force to take care of Nora and Cat.
And me, I suppose. I'd started college at the time.
I'd mostly been partying, relieved to be away from my dad.
I'd missed my mom, but she'd only been able to provide a small haven away from the chaos my father created from bouncing in and out of our lives at his leisure.
He and my mom had started this place, but we'd come a long way from those days.
My dad had been a pilot, and he'd had this idea that he would do this guiding business with my mom.
This kitchen had been under construction, and we didn't even have any guest rooms. My dad had passed away, and then my mom barely held it together before passing away from an undiagnosed genetic heart problem.
Nora had been in high school, and Cat had just started middle school.
Thank God for Flynn. He'd been in the Air Force and had left to come home as soon as he could. I'd immediately returned from college to try to hold the threads of our family together until he could get here.
At the time, the court had been concerned that nineteen was too young for me to be my sisters’ guardian.
I could do the basics for them, but I sure as hell couldn't have done what Flynn did. When he returned, he’d assumed the role of father figure to all of us.
He had a different father than the rest of us, one he’d never known.
He’d worked night and day to turn this half-assed idea into a full-fledged outdoor resort and flight business catering to Alaskan tourists.
I let my eyes scan the space. This kitchen was nice with a beautiful view.
A long table was situated in front of the windows for the guests and us.
A fancy-looking industrial-style kitchen sat at the back of the large room with a counter encircling the working space.
I rounded the counter, slipping my hips onto a stool, and watched as Daphne got started.
She made breakfast for the staff and guests every day.
We had seven pilots now. Flynn, me, Nora, and Flynn's friends from the Air Force, who were all like family—Elias, Gabriel, Diego, and Tucker.
We also had a little help from a local pilot who took the evening flights one day a week for us and pitched in with a little extra help here and there if somebody was sick or out of town.
This lodge had transformed from a half-completed single story into three stories with guest rooms occupying the top two floors.
There was also the staff house, which was just me, Cat, and Harley these days.
Harley was Diego's younger sister. Everybody else had gradually moved out of the staff house one by one as they fell in love.
My mind spun back to last night. I was an early riser either way, but I'd woken up earlier than usual because my shoulder hurt like hell.
Stiff and sore, I'd knocked down some ibuprofen and taken a quick shower before bolting from the house. I’d still dreamed about Harley last night after finding a quick release in the shower. Fuck me.
We'd never laid a finger on each other until last night when she cleaned up my shoulder. I gave my head a shake, turning my attention to Daphne. “What's for breakfast?”
“Egg casserole with ham and cheese. It'll be delicious. That's already baking. I’m also making waffles for anyone who wants them.” She adjusted the heat on something she was stirring on the stove.
“What's that?”
“I’m making syrup.”
I smiled over at her. “Thank God you're here.”
Her hazel eyes twinkled as she smiled back at me. “Yeah?”
“Uh, yeah. We get the best food ever because you're a kick-ass chef.”
Daphne was the real deal when it came to being a chef.
She’d signed up for a month here. She was originally from Atlanta and came out to Alaska after a personal tragedy when her young son died from some kind of brain cancer.
She stayed because our cook at the time quit.
Flynn wasn't the best boss, but it was no big loss.
With Daphne here, she offered to help, and then she stayed. By that point, she and Flynn were half in love, if not entirely in love.
“Aside from the best food ever, you make life better for Flynn and all of us,” I added emphatically.
Flynn grinned over at me and winked. “Damn straight.” He lifted a hand, resting it on her shoulder as he leaned over to press a quick kiss on her cheek.
He knew not to interrupt her too much when she was cooking.
She smiled up at him. The sunlight angling through the windows cast a gold shimmer on her auburn hair, which was twisted in a braid and pinned on top of her head.
“I love it here,” she said simply. “Now, do you want waffles along with the egg casserole?”
“Hell, fucking yes,” Flynn said.
“What kind of syrup are you making there?” I asked.
“Blueberry. These are from the wild blueberries on the property.”
“Seriously?”
Daphne grinned. “Cat and I have fallen into the habit of grabbing a quart jar whenever we go out. There are tons of wild raspberries too, so I’m going to make raspberry vinegar.”
“What are you gonna do with that?” Flynn asked.
“Oh, that is delicious on pancakes.”
“Really?”
Daphne nodded. “Yep.”
“Sign me up,” I said.
“How many waffles do you want?” she asked. She turned on the waffle maker.
A few minutes later, Flynn and I were eating at the counter when the back door into the kitchen opened. It led from the back hallway where most of the staff came in. Harley appeared with her brother, Diego, right behind her.
“Hey, man, what are you doing out here?” I called.
“I came for breakfast. Gemma's doing her early morning yoga classes now, so I get up early.”
“You just want Daphne's food,” Harley said as she grinned up at him.
Diego shrugged. “Always good to see you, sis.”
My body tightened when she stopped at the corner of the counter. Diego glanced over.
“What the hell happened to your face? Did you punch him?” he asked, glancing at Harley.
She grinned. “No. I would not punch him. He encountered a moose.”
“Ah.” Diego nodded. “That’ll make a good story for the customers.”
Daphne rested a hand on her hip, pointing the spatula at Diego. “Seriously? You guys are using his injuries for business.”
Diego shrugged. “Whatever. People love that shit about Alaska—moose, bears, sea lions, all fodder for stories.”
“I'll take the moose over the bear,” Gabriel said as he came in, hearing the tail end of the conversation. “Ooh, you tangled with a moose,” he added as soon as his eyes landed on my face.
“Yeah. Took me off guard last night. I think my face hit a rock, but my shoulder’s worse.”
“His shoulder looks like hell,” Harley offered as she slipped her hips on a stool toward the end of the counter and sipped her coffee. “I had to bandage it, butterfly bandages and everything. I still think you need stitches.”
I shook my head, and Daphne let out a huff. “Do I need to take you to the doctor?”
“No, I'm fine. I swear. I checked it this morning.”
Gabriel sipped the coffee he’d just poured and eyed me. “Gonna be sore. You flying today?”
“Of course. It’s Saturday. We're booked solid,” I pointed out.
“We're booked solid every day. It's freakin’ summer,” Diego retorted.
“What's for breakfast?” Gabriel asked.
“Egg casserole and waffles,” Daphne replied.
We fell into the easy banter characteristic of living and working here.
I loved my job. I loved that Flynn had hustled to finish building this place and made it something for all of us.
I loved flying planes, and I loved my family and friends.
I couldn't ask for anything better. The only thing that felt odd was realizing that everybody else was paired up except for me, Harley, and my youngest sister Cat.
I couldn't even distract myself anymore. I wasn't about to admit it to anyone, but I had it bad for Harley, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Speaking of Harley, her older brother Diego slipped his hips onto the stool beside me. He took a long swallow from his coffee before glancing at me. “How’ve you been? I haven't seen you in a week or so.”
“Nah, our schedules weren’t in sync, and you didn't come out for yoga class last week,” I pointed out.
Diego chuckled. “I know. Gemma gave me some hell for that. I landed late for my last flight because somebody was delayed for a doctor's appointment. I wasn't going to leave without them.”
“I’d have done the same thing,” I offered with a shrug.
Aside from flying tourists, we ferried local residents from the various villages nearby to and from Diamond Creek and sometimes farther distances. On occasion, the weather could throw a wrench into timing and plans.
“The staff house must feel pretty spacious these days,” Diego commented, glancing back and forth between Harley and me.
“It’s three of us with Cat there now,” I offered. “Don't even know what to do with all that space.”
“Well, I'm not going to suggest that Harley fall in love because she's my little sister, so I guess it's your turn next,” he teased.
I held a hand up. “I'm not falling in love.”
I might have a serious case of lust for Harley, but love with anyone was out of the question.
I couldn't imagine it for myself. My parents had been a terrible example of a relationship.
My father had been the human equivalent of a ping pong ball, bouncing in and out of our lives while having affairs, doing his own thing, and barely contributing financially to the family.
My mom had scraped by year after year. We'd all loved her.
She'd been solid as a rock emotionally in many ways, but she seemed to have made the choice to ignore our father’s treatment of her.
As a kid, I learned nobody was there for you when it came to relationships.
I figured I would just live the single life.
It was easier that way. I had a good place to live, a sweet job that I loved, and friends and family who mattered.
This lust for Harley would pass. It had to.
She had been here for over a year now. At first, I’d just thought she was cute.
Since then, the tension I felt trying to ignore my desire for her only ratcheted up.
I still wasn't sure what she thought of me, but I knew it was a bad plan for us to be involved.
Diego would probably kick my ass if he even knew my train of thought, so it was pointless to contemplate.
“We should turn the extra bedrooms into guest rooms,” Diego commented.
“Nah, man. I like having somewhere I can just relax,” I offered.
Harley shook her head. “No. We can use the extra bedrooms for family and friends who want to visit. Maybe we should move our weekly staff dinners out there.”
“I'm not cooking in that kitchen,” Daphne called over.
Flynn chuckled. “And we would never make you do that.”
“What's wrong with that kitchen?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“Nothing. I’m comfortable here, and I have all my things in this kitchen,” she explained.
“We have the basics,” I replied.
“Enough for you to handle basic meals,” she replied.
“Hey, I can do more than that,” I protested.
Just then, another voice called out, “No, you can't.”
I glanced over to see my youngest sister, Cat, coming into the kitchen.
I grinned. “Fair enough.”
Cat had moved into the staff house recently. Fortunately, she didn't drive me crazy anymore. We needled each other here and there because we were siblings, and that was what we did. Daphne had taught Cat how to cook, and now she was a seriously good cook.
“It’s actually kind of nice having Cat at the house,” I commented, glancing over at Flynn.
“Yeah?”
“She makes us extra snacks.”
He grinned. “Are you keeping an eye on her?”
“Oh my God,” Cat groaned. She narrowed her eyes at Flynn when she stopped beside Daphne as she tied an apron around her waist. “Waffles?” she asked.
Daphne nodded. “I'm cooking down the syrup.”
“I'll mix up some more batter,” Cat replied.
“Okay, so no staff dinner, but we could have card night out at the staff house,” I added.
Daphne rolled her eyes. “I think we should have card night over here. It used to be a guy thing.”
“Yeah, they stopped when I moved in,” Harley interjected. “Let's start hosting it once a week.”
“Works for me.” I glanced over at Harley. The second her eyes met mine, it felt as if a sizzle zipped through the air between us.