Chapter Six
Six
SWEAT DRIPPED DOWN THE BASE of Gray’s neck to his back.
Running uphill was stupid but effective for clearing his head.
Pulling his shirt off, he used it to wipe his face.
Despite feeling overheated, goose bumps covered his skin.
The sun was just starting to peek through the morning fog, like a timid animal, unsure if it wanted to greet the day.
He could relate. He’d given Charlie—and himself—a couple days of space, keeping his distance and busying himself with a ten-mile-long to-do list.
After another night of tossing and turning, he’d decided sleep wasn’t happening.
Maybe starting earlier, before the crack of dawn, would help make a dent in that list. And if getting shit done pushed Charlie out of his brain, even better.
He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had consumed his thoughts and he wasn’t particularly sure why this one did.
Taking in the sight of birds chasing each other through the breeze as the sun continued to inch its way upward, he pulled in a deep breath, let it out, and then turned to walk back to the lodge.
He’d given up his own place in Smile about six months earlier, choosing to live in the family wing of the lodge.
It seemed frivolous to waste money on rent for an apartment he rarely used.
Plus, he liked waking up here. It felt like home.
Something he never could have imagined. In Smile, yes, but not at the lodge.
The gravel crunched under his running sneakers as he went through today’s must-dos in his head.
They had a full house with all ten of the lodge rooms full.
They had two check-outs today, with a quick turnover as a couple of guys were checking in tomorrow.
Jillian was hosting a group of kids tomorrow afternoon for a day camp.
Last summer, his sister had spent a lot of time and energy finding ways for the lodge to be profitable in the downtime.
Between that, Presley’s marketing, and Beckett offering deals at his bike shop for tourists, his family was making the lodge thrive.
This year, before officially opening for the season, they’d run three corporate weekend retreats, hosted one spring wedding, and offered a weekend-long writing retreat.
They were excellent income generators and they had a few more scheduled before the end of the season and a few during the off-season.
Grayson had come out of his divorce living one second to the next, and now, the future was as bright as the fucking sun. Thanks to his family. He’d never be able to repay them, but the real kicker was they seemed just as happy as he was here.
A branch cracked in the bushes ahead of him.
Gray froze, listening to the shuffling sounds, like something was being dragged.
Fuck. He knew better than to run alone without telling someone where he was.
There weren’t many bears on the island, but there were some.
Tucking his shirt into the waistband of his shorts, he looked around.
The cell phone reception up here was limited at best. Another shuffle, this one louder, followed by a low …
moan? What the…? Maybe an injured animal?
Grabbing a large stick, Gray started smacking trees with it, making as much noise as possible.
When he stopped to listen, he heard nothing. An almost eerie silence.
And a delicate sneeze. His brows lifted in surprise, but he charged through the trees and came face-to-face with Charlie, who screamed at the sight of him.
She was partially hidden by a large boulder but easy enough to spot. Despite the situation, when their gazes locked, attraction sparkled like sunlight on the water in the space between them.
“Jesus. I thought you were a bear,” she said on a shaky breath.
He tossed the stick, a smile breaking free. “I thought the same of you.” He walked over to where she was huddled and put his hands on his hips. “You know you’re not invisible, right? If I can see you, so could an animal.”
Was it wrong that he found her eye roll both cute and funny? Probably. He reached a hand toward her to help her out.
Instead of taking it, she lifted herself, keeping her weight off her left foot.
“I’m aware. But I figured if I was hidden, whatever it was would walk on by. Feel free to do that,” she said, with just a hint of a bite in her tone.
He would have laughed if he wasn’t paying attention to the way she leaned her weight against the rock. He walked around to stand in front of her and crouched down to take a closer look. There was some mild swelling and a couple of angry red scratches on her pale skin.
Charlie startled when he reached out, stopping him in his movements. “What are you doing?”
He glanced up at her, squinting because of the sun. “You’re favoring your ankle. Did you hurt it?”
She nodded, hissing out a breath when his fingers touched it gently. At least she’d worn sturdy shoes. Hiking boots would have been more appropriate, but since he’d seen guests try to tackle the trails in flip-flops, he’d gladly take this.
“I tripped,” she said, pulling his gaze up to hers again. She sounded breathy. Not out of breath, but like maybe the feel of his fingers on her bare skin was affecting her in the way it affected him that he was trying very hard not to think about.
“You shouldn’t be hiking alone,” he said, slowly standing.
“I wasn’t hiking. I was walking. I went for a walk because I couldn’t sleep.”
One side of his mouth tipped up. “Thinking about hot dogs?” Shit. He was really bad at this. Was that his attempt at flirting? Now he wished he was invisible.
Charlie’s laughter floated along the early morning breeze. “Among other things.” A soft smile curved her lips. “I’ve spent two days expecting to have them at lunch.”
Grayson’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter. “I know a guy. I’ll make sure they are on the menu tomorrow. But still, you shouldn’t head out into the wilderness alone.”
Charlie, now sitting on the rock, shifted her body to peek behind him. Grayson turned abruptly, thinking she might have seen something. When he saw nothing, he looked back at her.
“What?”
“Just wondering where your outdoor buddy is.” Her gaze moved from his eyes to his chest and because he was staring at her, he saw the way her eyes heated.
When was the last time he’d recognized that specific kind of appreciation in a woman’s gaze?
The kind that made it clear she liked what she saw.
Yeah. He did, too. Charlie was a hell of a view.
Yanking his shirt from his waistband, he pulled it over his head. “I know these trails. I was running and I do it almost every morning. You’ve never been here.”
“I’ve never been a lot of places,” she said. “Doesn’t mean I’m helpless.” She sat up straighter.
He liked her attitude, the way her tone went a little haughty at the suggestion she couldn’t or shouldn’t do something. Grayson had no doubt she was capable of many things.
“I wouldn’t ever peg you as helpless, but you may need some assistance getting down. Can you put any weight on your ankle?”
Charlie reached up to her hair, tugged it out of a tight ponytail, then reworked it into a softer, looser bun on the top of her head.
Little wisps of hair fell in her face and she blew at them only to have them land again in the same spots.
Grayson didn’t think before moving. His hand reached out on its own and tucked one of those strands behind her ear. Pure silk.
When her mouth formed a little O at the contact, he knew he wasn’t the only one feeling the connection between them. While that sent a thrill through him, he knew he shouldn’t act on it. She was staying at the lodge and she was Bernie’s niece. He didn’t need awkward or complicated in his life.
“I can try,” she said.
He readied both of his hands in front of her, just in case. When she set her foot down, she winced, gritting her teeth, but didn’t waver. She took a step on it and he heard her bite back a quiet groan.
“Let me help you,” he said, moving closer even as he reached for her.
“I just tweaked it. It’s not a big deal. I’ll just be slow getting down the hill, and I’m sure you have things to do.”
Tipping his chin down, he gave her a stern look. “Charlie, even if I wasn’t the owner of the property and, in a roundabout way, responsible for your safety, I wouldn’t walk away and leave you here. Anyone who did or would is an asshole.”
For some reason, this made her smile. “I’ve met a few of those.”
He slipped his arm around her waist, trying not to think about how good she smelled even after hiking.
Or how he must smell after running. He was just helping her.
How they smelled was of no consequence. Except, she smelled really fucking good.
Like flowers or berries or something else that elicited a hunger inside of him. One he barely recognized.
“Well, I’m not one. Put your arm around me.”
She did and they took careful, slow steps out of the trees, heading back to the trail. Her fingers dug into his skin, making him all too aware of how close they were and how she felt tucked up against him.
He needed to distract himself from thoughts like that so he could focus on getting her back to the lodge safely.
“Bernie is really happy you’re here,” he said. Talking about an old man who fished better than he did and usually beat him at cards was a surefire way to not think about how attracted he was to Charlie.
“I’m happy to be here, too,” she said, her voice soft and, if he was reading her right, not entirely sure.
“How’d the interview go?” The sun was starting to make itself known now.
“It was just routine. I’d already agreed to the job before I came. The dean just wanted to meet me. Still felt like an interview, but it was fine.”
“I haven’t interviewed for a job in a really long time,” he said, trying to think of the last time he had.