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  “Thanks,” he said, looking around the area.

  I left Leo with the man and walked the rest of the way to the parking area. I knew it wasn’t necessarily convenient, but I didn’t want cars in the area with the cabins. Not only was it a risk for the guests staying in the cabins, but it scared the birds and other wildlife. We had wagons for those who couldn’t manage their luggage. Wagons and my own manpower.

  It wasn’t hard to figure out who Joe was. I had talked to him on the phone a few times and realized early on he was one of those cheerleader types. I waved my hand. “Joe!”

  He turned to look at me, his bald head catching the glint from the sun. His face nearly split in two with his wide smile. I had the sudden realization that his head reminded me of a basketball. He practically bounced toward me.

  “You must be Gabriel!” he exclaimed.

  I offered him a friendly smile. “I am,” I said, shaking his hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you in person.”

  I nodded. “My partner is going to be here in a few minutes. He’ll be handing out cabin assignments.”

  “Great! Excellent! My team is excited to be here!”

  His enthusiasm was a little too much to handle, but I reminded myself I needed the money. I could tolerate the annoying man for three days. “I need you to make sure everyone is in the dining hall at one. There are some important safety rules that I need to cover, and I would prefer to do it all at once.”

  He was bobbing his head up and down. “Absolutely! You got it! We’ll be there!”

  I smiled again. “Great.” Leo came up at just the right time. I quickly made the introductions and then fled. Leo would kill me later for leaving him alone with our very exuberant guest. I went to the dining hall and pulled out the snack trays we had put together earlier that morning.

  An hour later, Leo came in. “That was ridiculous.”

  I grinned. “Which part?”

  “Seriously, add a hostess to the list of staff you have to hire. I don’t think half of them have ever seen a tree. They wanted to know where the indoor pool was and if the hot tub was inside or outside. One lady wanted to know if the room service menus were in the cabins!”

  I laughed. “I think we can blame good ol’ Joe for that one. Our website is very clear about our accommodations. People don’t come here expecting five-star service.”

  “Joe failed to mention that to a few of them,” he mumbled. “Anyway, Joe made a big announcement about being here for the safety orientation and I reminded everyone as well. We’ll see who shows up.”

  “They better all show up,” I growled. “I’m not responsible for anyone else sleeping off a rough night in the bushes.”

  Leo and I split up, roaming around the cabins and making sure everyone was finding their way. Ten minutes before my safety speech, I went by my cabin and grabbed a light jacket. Back in the dining hall, I stoked the fire in the back of the large, rectangular cabin. We had several couches and easy chairs positioned around the large fireplace. That was on my wish list as well. I wanted a clubhouse with games and seating areas for my guests.

  “All in due time,” I said aloud. I had spent the last several days putting together a list of things I wanted and what the costs would be in preparation for the presentation to the board. It was a long list and I was trying to make it less about what I wanted and more about what would benefit the wildlife in the area.

  I smiled, saying hello to the people filing in and taking seats at the table. The group numbered around thirty people with a handful of kids. They were all the business type, and most had that look of office dweller about them. Their skin was pale, their weekend clothes looked new, and they all had that bright-eyed look.

  “Good afternoon, everyone!” I said loud enough to get the attention of the room. Silence fell over the room, giving me the floor. “I’m glad to see you all and hope you will all have a great weekend. I want to go over a few things before I turn things over to Joe.”

  Joe was standing near the front of the room, not far from me. I could practically feel his fake enthusiasm slamming into me. It annoyed the hell out of me. I hated people that tried too hard and Joe tried way too hard to be excited.

  I started my safety spiel, reminding everyone to stay on the trails and not be wandering about alone at night. I could see my warning alarmed a few of the people sitting around the hall. Good. I wanted them afraid. There was nothing more dangerous than a fearless fool.

  “Are there any questions?” I asked once I had covered the basics.

  The door opened to my right, cold air blasting inside. A woman and two young girls walked in. I looked over at Joe, making sure he knew the people. I could see his irritation about the latecomer, but he hid it well.

  My eyes went back to the woman who was busy ushering the little girls to seats near the back. Her light brown hair, which I was going to guess was naturally curly, reached halfway down her back. The bouncy curls looked soft and natural with no hairspray or other product weighing them down. She had a trim figure, her hips slightly flared. She turned to look at me and I was blown away by the beauty I saw. She didn’t look like a CPA. She looked like a movie star.

  I couldn’t get an exact read on the shade of her eyes, but I knew they were light. She wore little makeup on her alabaster skin. I guessed she didn’t spend a lot of time outdoors. Her skin looked flawless with a healthy glow.

  I realized I was staring when her eyes narrowed at me. I quickly looked away, trying to remember what I had been saying before I had been interrupted by the beautiful woman coming in late. I looked at the faces around the room, trying to get my bearings.

  “Questions?” I asked, hoping that was where I was at in my usual speech.

  “Will there be free alcohol?” someone asked.

  “We have a small bar service, with limited liquor. We do ask that you be sensible.”

  “I brought a few bottles, Gail,” a man replied.

  I inwardly groaned. I didn’t understand the need to drink to the point of being shitfaced while enjoying a weekend in the woods. It made no sense to me.

  “I will remind everyone this is a family affair and to please drink responsibly,” I said, feeling the need to state the obvious. “You are in the forest and there are some dangers you need to be aware of. Please, I am asking you, do not go into the forest at night. I cannot be responsible for injuries that might happen. The trails to your cabins are all clearly marked and well lit. Save the exploring for the daylight hours. With that said, have fun and enjoy the peace and quiet we offer here. I’ll be around if there are any questions.”

  “You heard him, everyone!” Joe said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s meet back here at five o’clock for a great dinner and some excellent conversation!”

  The group got to their feet, mingling and chatting with each other. I stepped away from the front of the room and went to talk with Leo about dinner preparations. We worked with a local catering service. Leo and I were not great cooks. We could knock out some grilled steaks and both of us could make a mean pot of chili over a campfire, but for a group this large, we needed something a little more cost-friendly.

  “What time will the food be here?” I asked Leo, who was in charge of the dinner service.

  “Four. That’ll give us time to get everything set up. I ordered an extra case of wine for this group. I took them to be wine drinkers.”

  I laughed. “I think you have that right.”

  I was about to say something insulting when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find the beautiful woman that had come in late standing directly behind me. Green. That was my first thought. She had pale green eyes that were eerie and sexy at the same time. They made her look mysterious and ethereal. Up close, I could see a smattering of pale freckles across her nose and cheeks. I was convinced she had no makeup on. The woman was one of the rare natural beauties I had encountered in my lifetime.

  Dangerous? Staring into those eyes set off my internal
warning system that I was in danger. She was five-five tops and weighed maybe one-thirty. I was not afraid of her in the physical sense, but something was telling me the woman was about to eat me alive—and not in a good way.

  I knew pissed when I saw pissed. Those beautiful eyes were not happy. Maybe she was angry with herself, I thought hopefully. She’d come in late and was probably one of those uptight sorts that held herself to a very high standard.

  “Hi,” I greeted her. “Do you need something?”

  Her scowl was directed at me. She was pissed. How could I have possibly pissed off a woman I had literally said five words to? That had to be some kind of record.

  “Yes, actually, I do,” she said it in a way that made me a little worried for my health.

  I took a step back. “What’s going on?”

  “Are you the proprietor?”

  I looked at Leo, then back at her. Her word choice said it all. I was in trouble. I immediately started running through a checklist in my head. The rooms were clean, and they all had fresh linens. I couldn’t understand what the problem was. “I am,” I said hesitantly.

  She turned to the little girls behind her. “Hazel, take your sister and go grab a snack. I’ll be there in just a minute.”

  Oh shit. She was sending the witnesses away. It was not going to end well for me.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked her, genuinely concerned.

  “No, actually, it isn’t. I’d like to talk to you about my room, unless you have someone else in charge of assigning cabins.”

  I shook my head. “That’s me. What’s going on?”

  Chapter 8

  Cadence

  I was pissed when I walked out of our cabin, but then, when I walked in and saw the man who was the owner or manager, I got even more pissed. No one should be that good looking. I had decided attractive men were likely handsome to make up for a character flaw. God wasn’t so generous to give out good looks and good character in one individual.

  The man staring at me with the look of a deer caught in the headlights was too damn sexy for his own good. I wondered how tall he was. I had to actually tilt my head back to look into his eyes. Hazel eyes with gold flecks. The short jet-black hair was perfect for his masculine bone structure with a perfect square jaw. He was clean-shaven, something that surprised me. I thought mountain men were hairy beasts with little concern for their personal hygiene.

  The man standing in front of me smelled delicious. I couldn’t help but inhale, trying to place the scents. I got a whiff of cedar and vanilla with a hint of pine tree? That didn’t make sense, but it was a perfect combination on him.

  “Your cabin?” he asked in a deep voice that felt like he’d stroked his fingertips over my skin.

  I licked my lips, pulled up that pissed-off feeling I had when I approached him, and glared at him. “My cabin has a single twin bed in it.”

  He looked to his friend who was openly staring at me. I shot him a look that told him to keep his eyeballs to himself. The guy had the audacity to smile at me. I looked away, focusing on the hazel eyes of the man that was pissing me off with his good looks.

  “We don’t offer queen or king beds,” he said in that smooth voice that made me think of warm honey.

  “That’s fine, but do you expect me and both my girls to crowd into that one bed? They’re small, but I don’t know if you’ve ever slept with a child, but they grow eight legs when they fall asleep. I will be black and blue and suffering from a lack of sleep if we have to try and sleep in that bed together. Trust me. You do not want me crankier than I already am.”

  His black, bushy brows shot up. “No, definitely not.”

  “Do you have cots? Rollaways? I don’t know how this happened.”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for the mix-up. All our cabins are booked with your work party.”

  I put a hand on my hip. “I hope you’re not telling me to suck it up.”

  He smiled and I nearly creamed my panties. Good god! It was like being face to face with a Hollywood hunk. Either I was horny due to the lack of sex in my life and turned on by the slightest thing or he was really that hot. I was going with the latter.

  “I would never tell anyone to suck it up,” he said, his eyes filled with concern. “I have a cabin with two beds, if that will work. Can the girls share a bed?”

  The way he said it just about made me melt. I slowly nodded. “Yes, that will work. Why did you say you were booked if you had a cabin available? Does it cost more?”

  He grinned. “Nope, doesn’t cost a penny more. It’s my personal cabin. I’ll take the one you’re in now. There’s just one of me.”

  The way he said that last sentence made my belly warm. Was he flirting? I didn’t think so. I had two kids with me. That was usually a pretty good deterrent. “You’re giving us your cabin?” I asked.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Yes. I’ll go with you and help you transfer things to my cabin.”

  “Thank you,” I said with real appreciation. “I really do appreciate it and I’m sorry I came off so strong. The girls saw the single bed and it immediately erupted into a war about who was sleeping where.”

  “I can get a cot if you need it,” he offered.

  I smiled. “Thank you, but they’ll be okay sleeping together. Don’t tell them I told you, but they often sleep together at home.”

  He chuckled. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Girls,” I hollered, waving my arm to get their attention.

  They got up and walked toward us. Autumn was staring up at the man. I realized only then I didn’t know his name. I turned to him. “I’m sorry. You probably introduced yourself to everyone at the beginning of that presentation. I’m Cadence Ruffin, and this is Hazel, and this is Autumn.”

  He smiled that same sexy smile that just put a person at ease. “Hi, Hazel and Autumn. I’m Gabriel Cole. It’s nice to meet all three of you. I’m sorry about the mix-up earlier. We’re going to get you ladies into a cabin that’s a little more accommodating.”

  “Do you live here?” Autumn asked him.

  He nodded. “I sure do.”

  “Even in the winter?” she pressed.

  “It is winter,” Hazel snapped.

  “I live here every day,” Gabriel answered before opening the door and gesturing for us to walk out.

  “Thank you,” I said as I brushed past him.

  “You’re very welcome,” he answered. “Where are you guys from?”

  “Portland,” I answered.

  “Do you live in a cabin?” Autumn cut in again.

  He chuckled. “I do. You guys are going to be staying in my cabin.”

  “We are?” she exclaimed, wide-eyed.

  He nodded. “Turns out the cabin you got was a little too small.”

  “It only had one bed,” Hazel told him. “We’re too big to fit in one bed.”

  “I want to live in the woods,” Autumn said, clearly wanting Gabriel’s attention.

  “Autumn,” I said, trying to get her to stop pestering the poor man.

  He looked at me and smiled. “It’s okay.”

  “She’s really excited to be here,” I told him.

  “Have you ever been camping, Autumn?” he asked.

  She slowly shook her head. “Mom doesn’t like to sleep on the ground.”

  “Autumn,” I warned.

  He laughed. “It isn’t for everybody.”

  “Do you go camping? Is this camping?”

  “I don’t think I would call staying in a cabin with lights and a toilet camping,” he answered. “But yes, I do go camping. Sometimes, I’ll take a sleeping bag and hike into the woods for a couple of days.”

  “Do you take a tent?” Hazel asked, clearly interested in what he was saying.

  He shrugged. “Sometimes, if it’s cold or raining.”

  Autumn and Hazel both looked very impressed.

  “This is our cabin,” I said, opening the door.

  We had left our suitcas
es packed and at the ready. He grabbed mine, the biggest one, while I picked up the smaller one the girls were sharing. They each grabbed their backpacks and winter coats and followed him out the door.

  “My cabin is just over here,” he said, walking along a path that led away from the grouping of other cabins.

  I was immediately impressed when his cabin came into view. There was a small covered porch with a single rocking chair on it. It looked very homey and inviting and exactly what I would expect a mountain retreat to look like.

  He opened the door, pushing it open and gesturing for us to go inside. His manners were impeccable. We walked inside the spacious cabin. It was neat and tidy and looked very cozy and comfortable. The cabin was big enough to house ten people.

  “This is nice,” I commented.

  “Thank you. There is a bedroom through there with a queen-sized bed. The couch pulls out for a second bed.”

  The thought of sleeping in his bed, in his bedroom, was a little overwhelming. “Are you sure you want to give up your home?” I asked, realizing it was his home. It wasn’t him switching rooms with us. We were actually in his house.

  He smiled. “It’s only a couple of days and I’ll be fine. I want you to enjoy your stay and you can’t do that if you’re working on no sleep.”

  “Look, Mom!” Autumn exclaimed. “He has a kitchen!”

  “Autumn, don’t touch anything,” I warned.

  “There’s cold water in the fridge. We provide meals in the dining hall. If you’ve brought your own snacks and stuff, feel free to put them in the cupboards. There are clean towels in the bathroom and the sheets on the bed are clean. The linen closet is in the bathroom and you’ll find more blankets and sheets for the sofa bed.”

  “Thank you,” I said, feeling very grateful to the man. “This is really a lot and I do appreciate it. I feel a little spoiled.”

  He winked. “A lady deserves to be spoiled from time to time. I’ll leave you alone to get settled. Dinner is at five. If you didn’t bring a flashlight, I keep one right by the door.”