A cute, friendly kid, but still. I had better things to focus on than a woman who’d dismissed me with a glance and then couldn’t return a smile, right?
CHAPTER TWO
CAITLYN
Every moment of my encounter with Lars and the unknown man replayed in my mind. Sawdust had flown, and the air had carried the whine of metal as the shirtless male had run a length of wood through the enormous saw.
All my attention had been focused on the muscle play beneath his glistening skin as he lifted the piece of lumber and set it aside, then grabbed another sheet of wood. Placing a long, L-shaped metal ruler on top of it, he’d taken a pencil from behind his ear and made quick strokes along its length.
Whew, how was it I found the whole thing more than slightly erotic? Before he could make the next cut, I’d dragged my gaze off him, easing my car to a stop next to the bearded man who, thankfully, had his shirt on. Not sure I could have handled two shirtless, attractive men.
But then the strangest thing happened. My gaze was drawn back to the younger man, and our eyes met. For a moment all my senses went numb, and I released a sigh. His eyes were a startling blue, and the dark brows shading them had almost disappeared into his hairline, as if he was as surprised as I was by the connection.
I watched in fascination as he put his tools down while all the while smiling at me. Luna had been chattering away in the backseat, but I hadn’t been able to make out a word.
Mesmerized, I managed to pull my attention from him as the other man spoke to me through the open window. It was harder than it should have been to look away, but I kept him in my peripheral vision. He’d walked, no strutted with that loose-hipped swagger that all attractive men seemed to possess, and joined who I’d realized was Lars, one of the lodge’s owners. My sister had given me a loose description of everyone living here, and he fit the “mountain of a man” perfectly. I thanked him for the directions to Kane and Chassie’s place, just a quarter mile up the road, and continued on without looking again at the still shirtless man.
Don’t let the hot guy distract you, Caitlyn.I pasted a bland look on my face and dealt with my body’s intense reaction and racing heartbeat later. Right now, the last thing I needed was a complication. And the Chris Evans look-alike would be exactly that.
I shook my head in hopes it would banish the dream-like scene from my brain and focused my thoughts back onto why we were here. My sister Chassie had been after me to visit her and her new husband, Kane, for months. Well, now they were getting both me and my daughter indefinitely.
And really, it was her fault. She and Sami, our brother Finn’s wife, had worn me down with their endless encouraging texts and pictures showing what the tight-knit group of former Rangers had built in the last few years and the incredible beauty of Pineville Mountain. A mountain my siblings and I had only seen from afar while growing up in the city below.
So, here I was, back in Idaho with my four-year-old daughter, Luna, after leaving my dead-end relationship and Luna’s father. He hadn’t been cut out for fatherhood, but I wouldn’t have traded the heartache for all the money in the world. He had given me my beautiful, smart, and funny daughter. It was his loss.
She’d been wide-eyed and happily counting trees since we crossed the state line. I’d put the windows down to let in the crisp, pine-scented mountain air. The abrupt change in landscape from west Texas, where she’d been born, and we’d…well, I’d said good riddance to four days ago, had prompted her to ask if Santa lived here and where the snow was.
“It’s still Springtime sweetie pie. But there’ll be plenty of white stuff when it’s wintertime again.” She nodded, accepting my words as fact. Much like she’d done when I’d explained in four-year-old terms why she wouldn’t be seeing her dad again for a long time. She’d taken it pretty well, not that my ex had ever been consistent in seeing his daughter, even living in the same city. But she was excited about seeing my family. Family that she’d never met and who were just as excited to meet her.
This included cousins, thanks to Finn and Sami, and an extended network of friends. According to Sami and Chassie, it had done as much good for their husbands as it was doing for their client-guests that spent time on the mountain learning new skills or just taking a break and benefiting from private or group therapy sessions. And the best part was the cost was nothing to them as the retreat was funded through grants and private donations.
My sister and her husband were waiting for us on their porch as I pulled up. I teared up, then dashed away the few that had escaped. It was good to be home.
“Luna, sweetie, come here and meet Aunt Chassie. Do you remember talking to her on FaceTime? And this is Uncle Kane.” My daughter launched herself into my sister’s open arms. She then shyly nodded at Kane as he said hello. The entire interaction made me weepy again, yet settled me in a way I hadn’t dared hoped for.
We’d be going over to our brother West’s place later for dinner, but right now being welcomed without hesitation or experiencing any underlying judgement for taking so damn long to come back to Idaho was an enormous relief.
“Do you want to see where you and Mommy will sleep?” Chassie tweaked Luna’s nose, earning her a giggle and an excited nod. Turning to me, she said, “I hope you don’t feel too crowded in there. The apartment attached to the main lodge is still being used by Lars' brother, Vic. I think I told you about him?”
I vaguely remembered the name, but was still having trouble focusing on anything just now as the image of the shirtless man standing behind Lars wouldn’t leave me. That couldn’t have been him. The younger man, with his broad smile and even broader shoulders, looked nothing like Lars. Perhaps he’s a day worker or even a guest?
“Hey, Cait, you okay?”
“Um, yeah, of course, just been up since six. You were saying?” The last leg of the drive had been the longest. Determined to make it here as soon as I could meant little sleep the last couple of nights to get an early start each day.
“Victor Olsen. He recently joined the men and now gives guitar lessons to the guests. They’ve been working on a new cabin for him, and it’s supposed to be ready soon, like any day. And when that happens, then you and Luna are free to use the apartment for as long as you need to.”
Chassie led the way to their spare bedroom. I’d thought about turning down her offer to stay here. They were still newlyweds, and I didn’t want to impose, but it would save me from tapping into the small amount of cash I’d been able to hold on to after the sale of my house and paying off all the debt my ex had racked up.
“I appreciate everything. The room, the apartment, all of it. I plan on looking for a job tomorrow, then I’ll go grocery shopping and--”
Chassie placed a hand on my arm. “Hey, no rush. It’s okay. You’re my sister. I’m here for you. Kane is on board with all of it. I don’t expect you to get a job less than a day after getting here.” She tugged me into a hug. It was so hard not to cry as she gave me a hard squeeze.
It had been so long since we’d seen each other, and I’d been so stubborn about sharing a lot of details about my relationship with Luna’s father until everything blew up last year. The big sister from years ago still had my back, and it was humbling.
Pulling back, I sighed. “I know. I’m just still struggling with some guilt over uprooting Luna. Believe me, it has nothing to do with her deadbeat dad, although I’m not sure I’m going to trust my instincts with men ever again. Maybe I’ll let Luna pick out the next guy for me.” Laughing for the first time since I decided to move, I allowed the stress it released to flow through me.
My daughter was bouncing around the room, checking everything out and playing with the new teddy bear her aunt and uncle had bought for her as a welcome present. She’d been excited for both of us the past couple of months in anticipation of the move. It was nice to finally join in with her.
