Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
ADELE
Just a flirt
I want to kiss you.
Cole’s loaded statement followed with my brilliant reply of “huh” and my rushing into the resort without a backward glance played on repeat in my thoughts.
“Oh my God.” I splashed cold water on my face in the bathroom over at the main resort. “What was I thinking?” I murmured to myself, shaking my head.
Well, I suppose that was the issue. I wasn’t thinking.
Cole had this unique ability to simply stroll into my space and instantly, all rational thought vanished. Poof. Gone. Fled the building laughing, probably with an empty wineglass and a teasing grin.
I didn’t know what to do about my reaction to Cole. I was starting to think maybe I had made a huge mistake taking this job here. Epic, probably.
My panicky train of thought was interrupted by a light knock on the door.
“Shit,” I whispered to myself. I snatched the hand towel beside the sink, dabbing the water off my face. “Coming,” I said as I quickly opened the door.
One of the guests was waiting in the hallway. She smiled apologetically. “Sorry to rush you.”
“Oh, no worry. It’s a public bathroom,” I said, as if I needed to explain myself. “I was using the bathroom.” Good grief, I was officially the queen of obvious.
“Ready?” Chloe’s voice reached me as I began walking down the hallway.
I glanced over my shoulder to see her hurrying to catch up. “Yes. That’s why I came over. I wasn’t sure about the ride thing. We need to exchange numbers, or I’d have texted you to check.”
“Ask and you shall receive.” She grinned as she slipped her phone out of her purse.
In a second, I felt my phone vibrate. “You have my number?”
“Well, when I entered all your data for HR, I put your number on my phone. Not to be weird, but, you know, I knew I’d be needing to text you about something. I’m not being creepy.”
I chuckled. “I didn’t think you were being creepy, Chloe.”
Just then, Elsa came through the doorway that led into the kitchen. “Are we ready to go?”
“We are ready!” Chloe announced with gusto. “Who’s driving?”
“I’ll drive,” Elsa offered with a quick smile.
As I walked outside with them and glanced around, my heart felt a little happy.
I’d always wanted girlfriends, and it had never really worked out that way.
Not because I didn’t want them. It’s just my life felt like it had stuttered throughout most of my childhood.
Even though we weren’t that far from what my sister and I used to jokingly call “civilization,” we didn’t have a lot of social opportunities.
With me missing chunks of school, it was even more challenging to make friends.
This experience of going together to card night with Chloe and Elsa, joking and chatting, made me happy in a way I hadn’t expected. Elsa insisted I ride in the front, with Chloe riding in the middle seat in the back.
“So what do you think about Alaska?” Chloe asked.
I glanced toward her over my shoulder. “I grew up here, so I love Alaska.”
“Oh, right,” she said slowly, her Southern twang lilting every word.
“What do you think of Alaska?” I asked.
“I love it!” she exclaimed.
“Well, that’s awesome. What brought you here?”
“My dad. He loves fishing, and before we came here, he had fished almost everywhere he wanted, except Alaska. I promised him, before he got too old, we’d come here. So here we are.”
“And you love it?”
“I love it.” Her tone was definitive. “It’s totally different from where I last lived, which was hot and flat.”
I sputtered a laugh. “Okay. Alaska is not hot, and it’s definitely not flat.”
“It’s for sure not. My dad is retired military, so I was a military brat and lived all over the place. Every place has its charms, but Alaska is so beautiful. It kind of blows my mind,” Chloe added.
“Where were you living before?
“Coastal North Carolina. Love it, but…” She shrugged. “I was ready for a change.”
“I think it’s so awesome that you and your dad came here. So, do you live with your dad?” I asked.
Chloe wiggled her hand back and forth. “Not really. He has his own place, and I stop by to help out and make sure he’s doing okay. That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to get this job. I have a place to stay here, and I love it.”
I contemplated the apartment above the garage and wondered why she wasn’t out there.
As if she read my mind, Elsa slid her gaze to mine and chimed in, “We offered her the barn apartment, but she didn’t want it.”
Chloe blushed a little and gave me a sheepish smile. I angled myself more in the seat so I could see both of them, my brows arching in question.
“Much as I love Alaska, I was worried I might get eaten by a bear walking from there,” she admitted. “So I wanted to be in the main resort.” She caught me biting my lip. “Go ahead and laugh.”
I giggled. “Okay, I get it. Bears are big and scary.”
“What about you?” Elsa prompted. “I mean, we know you grew up in Alaska, but give us your whole story.”
I quickly summarized, glossing over my medical stuff because that bored even me. By the time I finished explaining, both Chloe and Elsa were staring at me wide-eyed. “Wow. So even with your heart issues, you’ve hiked all over Alaska?” Chloe asked.
“I’m fine now,” I said quickly. “And I love being in the outdoors. It’s my favorite place to be.”
“Well, Maggie is so excited to have you there,” Elsa said, casting a sideways smile my way. “I think it’s a great idea to have a female guide too.” With a gleam in her gaze, she added, “Cole totally has a crush on you. If you haven’t figured that out yet.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, heat spinning through me. The kiss and his comment instantly replayed in my mind.
Even though he had kissed me and even though he said he wanted to kiss me again, the idea that anyone—much less a man like Cole, who was way too handsome for me and way out of my league—would have a crush on me? Impossible.
“I don’t think so. Cole’s a flirt, and he’s just flirting with me.” My heart felt stung by my own comment, but I also knew it was important for me to keep this in mind. Not to get silly, wishful ideas about something ridiculous. I didn’t need a relationship. I hated relying on anyone in any way.
Elsa didn’t even respond to my comment. “I don’t think he’s just flirting with you, even though he is a flirt. I’ve known Cole my whole life, except for the time I was away.”
“You have?”
Elsa nodded again. “The property where Haven and I just finished building our house is where I grew up. The house burned down in the same fire that destroyed Heartfire Falls years ago. My mom and I moved away when I was in high school after my dad died.” Elsa’s tone was matter-of-fact.
“Maggie told me about that. I’m so sorry.” Chloe’s voice was soft.
“I am too. That sounds like a lot to deal with,” I offered.
“I appreciate it, but it’s been a while.
That’s not my point, though.” She shook her head, as if shaking the heaviness away.
“Anyway, the Silvers were our closest neighbors. Cole is—” While I was all but salivating for more intel on Cole, Elsa turned onto a side road, shifting topics. “Almost there.”
Even though I wanted all the details about Cole, relief all but whooshed out of me at the subject change. Inside, my heart was doing a little tap dance of excitement, and my curiosity about Cole was annoying me.