Stay With Me, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 5) (9 page)

Exactly why Jessa just might be the best thing that ever happened to you.
A previously quiet voice in his head interjected. He didn’t know what the hell was going on with him, but when it came to Jessa, he thought the damnedest things. Between her and Ryan, his life was heading down a track he’d never contemplated—one that involved relationships he’d thought he was long past wanting. Before he realized what was happening, Garrett grinned and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Awesome! Delia’s cooking and she’s the best!”

Eli realized he was nodding his head. He’d just agreed to go have dinner at the lodge where he was guaranteed to see Jessa. The second that idea flashed through his mind, he couldn’t even contemplate backing out. Yet, there was the rather awkward situation that he’d be surrounded by her family and friends, all of whom might pick up on the fact he could barely keep his eyes off of her. He managed a polite smile, which stretched when he saw the pride gleaming in Garrett’s eyes. Garrett clearly adored Delia.

Oh right. Garrett just said Delia’s cooking was the best.
Focus, man. Focus.
“I know when I’ve had dinner up at the lodge, the food was amazing.”

Garrett’s grin widened. “I don’t know what magic Delia plans to do with the halibut, but we can always have extras from the dinner buffet. Ryan’ll get a chance to see the lodge too.”

Ryan turned away from the window, tuning into their conversation. “What’s the lodge?”

Garrett launched into a brief description, while Eli’s mind immediately swung back to Jessa and her smoky silver eyes.

“
W
atch out
!”

Jessa glanced behind her just as a badminton birdie bounced off her shoulder. Marley held her badminton racquet aloft and shrugged. “Sorry!” she called out, her auburn ponytail swinging as she jogged over to Jessa’s side and picked up the birdie.

“No problem,” Jessa replied with a chuckle.

Marley paused beside Jessa, tossing the birdie up and down in her palm. “Don’t suppose you want to play some more? Or perhaps kicking the boys’ butts once was enough?” Marley asked with a grin.

Jessa had joined in with Marley, her friend Ginger, and Marley’s sister Lacey in a game earlier. They’d handily defeated Gage and the teammates he’d rounded up. Jessa returned Marley’s grin. “Exactly. I like to quit when I’m ahead.”

Marley shrugged. “I think we’re about done now anyway. I need to go inside and check on Holly. My mom’s with her, but she’s due for a nap, so she’s probably getting fussy.”

At that, Marley jogged the short distance to the badminton net and stopped by Gage’s side. Jessa watched while her oldest brother leaned down, his brown hair catching the faint rays from the sun. She smiled softly to witness the love in his eyes whenever he looked at Marley. Eli immediately flashed to mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if he could look at her like that.

With a mental shake, Jessa turned and continued walking across the back lawn behind the lodge and up the steps onto the sprawling deck. Harry, Delia’s ever-present manager and family friend, was arranging platters of food on a table. He glanced up. “How about a drink?” he asked, nudging his chin in the direction of the small bar he’d set up on the deck.

Jessa meandered over to the bar. “Do we have any of the gooseberry wine?”

Harry came to her side. “Sure do.” Reaching past her, he snagged a bottle. He smoothly uncorked it and filled a glass. “Here you go,” he said, handing it to her with flourish. Harry did everything with a touch of flourish.

Jessa was coming to enjoy working with Harry. She found keeping busy helped her stay grounded. Her mind flicked to Eli again. Her one and only outing outside of her family’s orbit had been fishing with him. Oh and then the part where he blew her mind and sent her body into a tailspin of pleasure so intense, she flushed even now thinking about it. She was a bit embarrassed at how carried away she’d gotten, and yet she also couldn’t stop wondering when she’d see Eli again.

She took a gulp of the gooseberry wine in an effort to distract herself. “I still can’t believe how good this wine is,” she commented to Harry. “Who knew gooseberry wine would be so delicious?”

Harry grinned and set the bottle of wine back on the bar. At that moment, the door into the back hallway opened and Garrett stepped through.

“Hey sis!” Garrett threw an arm over her shoulders and hugged her close for a moment. “So good to have you here.” His eyes landed on the bar. “Awesome! Can I grab a beer?” he asked, glancing to Harry.

“Thanks for asking, but you know the answer,” Harry answered with a smile.

Garrett grabbed a beer and opened it, taking a look swallow. He glanced around when he set the beer on the edge of the bar. “Sorry I missed the badminton. I tried to get here sooner, but I got tied up at the office.”

Gage clapped Garrett on the shoulder as he walked by them with Marley. “Yeah, I needed you. The girls kicked our ass. Be back in a few.”

Harry followed Gage and Marley into the hallway leading to the lodge kitchen, and Garrett glanced to Jessa. “So, I met with your new friend Eli this afternoon.”

The mere mention of Eli sent a wash of heat through her.
Seriously, Jessa. You can’t be this idiotic over him.
The problem was…she was downright idiotic. She’d spent most of the night and today thinking about him in any spare moment. All through high school, she remembered watching her friends take turns going gaga over different guys. She seemed to have missed that phase of life. She dated here and there, but she’d never been infatuated with anyone. She’d chalked it up to never meeting the right guy. Until Eli. The part she hadn’t contemplated was what it might mean to meet the right guy.

Garrett arched a brow, at which point Jessa realized she’d lost track of the fact she was in a conversation. Eli had hijacked her brain. “Oh, right. He mentioned he needed an attorney, so I gave him your number. What did he need?”

“Well, not sure how much he told you, but he’s filing for guardianship of his little brother. He brought Ryan with him. Seems like a good kid.”

Jessa’s curiosity shot through the roof. Eli had casually mentioned yesterday during the fishing trip that he was hoping Ryan would be able to stay in Diamond Creek, but he’d been vague about any problems at home for Ryan. She wanted to grill Garrett, but that would make her interest in Eli more than obvious. Much as she loved Garrett, he loved to tease. It was hard enough to manage her responses to Eli without being teased about them.

“Oh. He mentioned hoping Ryan would stay here, but that’s all I knew. Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine for now, but it sounds like home might not be the greatest place for Ryan to be. He wants to stay with Eli, and Eli’s determined to make sure he can.” Garrett paused, his gaze somber. “Eli’s a good guy. He’s stepping up for his brother without hesitation.”

Jessa took in Garrett’s words, her heart tightening. On top of everything else, Eli was going above and beyond for Ryan. At that moment, the door to the back hallway opened. Eli stepped through with Ryan and Cliff following him. He held a small cooler in his hand. Garrett immediately turned to Eli. “Hey! Glad you guys could make it.” Garrett glanced to Jessa. “I invited them up this evening. Figured the more the merrier.” His easy grin encompassed all of them when he gestured a hand toward the table laden with food and the bar. “Grab a bite and a drink. Only soda for you though,” he said with a wink in Ryan’s direction.

Eli caught Jessa eyes. “Hey there. How’s it going?”

Flutters spun in her belly and heat slid through her veins. Her breath went shallow. She took a gulp of wine and managed a smile. “Pretty good. How about you? Did you guys go fishing again today?”

Eli held up the small cooler in his hand. “We didn’t run a charter, but we stopped by the harbor after we finished up at your office,” he paused with a nod in Garrett’s direction. “I showed Ryan the best spot to fish from the beach there, and he pulled in two silvers. Thought you guys might want to grill them up with the halibut.”

“Most definitely! Let me take those inside to Delia.”

Eli handed over the cooler. Garrett started to walk off, but turned back. “You guys can meander around if you’d like. If you can rustle up enough people, there’s badminton. There’s also horseshoes set up on the far side of the lawn there,” he said, gesturing vaguely toward the corner of the lodge.

Ryan glanced to Eli, a question in his eyes.

“You heard him. Do what you want, just let me know if you’re doing anything other than hanging around here.”

Ryan and Cliff headed off the deck. While Gage and Marley hosted casual gatherings for family and friends almost nightly, there were also always lodge customers around. At the moment, a group of kids of mixed ages were clustered near the badminton net. Jessa watched Ryan walk alongside Cliff. “Cliff seems like a good guy,” she commented.

Eli looked out beyond the deck, his eyes following Ryan and Eli as they walked. “He is. I’m glad he’s around right now. Well, I’m always glad he’s around because he’s a damn hard worker, but he’s good for Ryan. He’s mature, but he’s nice enough to not mind Ryan tagging along. He’s also got twin brothers who are close to Ryan’s age. They’ll be up tonight, so I figured it was good to bring Ryan. He could use the chance to hang with somebody other than me.”

“Garrett mentioned you’re filing for guardianship. I hope it works out. I don’t know all the details, but Ryan’s lucky to have you.”

Eli’s shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. He leaned an elbow against the bar beside them and hooked a hand in his jeans pockets. “Maybe. I, uh, don’t talk about it much, but my childhood wasn’t exactly great. My dad’s, well, he’s a jerk with an alcohol problem and a tendency to make life miserable for whoever happens to be around. I tried to make sure he stayed away from my mom and Ryan, but he showed back up a while ago. I don’t want to hurt my mom, but I’ll be damned if I let Ryan go through what I did.”

Eli stared out to the mountains rising up behind the lodge. A raven called nearby, taking flight from the spruce trees near the bottom of the slope. Jessa’s heart gave a hard thump. Even though she hadn’t known Eli long, mere days, she knew without doubt he was a good man. It hurt her to realize what he’d experienced, although the details were sketchy to her. If there was one thing she’d always been able to count on, it was her family. Even when they drove her nuts, they were there. A flash of anger ran through her. Eli didn’t deserve the childhood he described, no more than Ryan. Ryan was a sweet kid, a hard worker and eager to please. Jessa now realized what she saw in his eyes when Ryan looked to Eli—so much hope. He looked up to the brother who’d managed to rise above what his childhood had offered, and Ryan wanted that same chance.

Without thinking, she stepped closer to Eli and slipped her hand around his elbow, giving it a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry. You’re doing the right thing for Ryan.” When she glanced up, Eli’s eyes were there waiting. He looked slightly uncertain. He gave his head a little shake, a subtle flush cresting across his cheekbones. “I’m only doing what anyone would do in my position.”

Jessa shook her head. “Some people would, but not everyone. Give yourself a little credit.”

Eli chuckled softly. “Okay. Point taken.”

He was quiet, his eyes locked to hers. The air hummed to life around them. Her body literally ached to feel him close against her again. His eyes darkened, and her breath caught in her throat. Eli tore his eyes away and cleared his throat. She suddenly remembered where they were and slowly slid her hand out from the crook of his elbow, forcing herself to take a step back.

* * *

T
he sun had finally fallen
behind the mountains, leaving streaks of lavender and pink in the sky. Eli glanced around the deck at the lodge, wrestling with the strange sense of comfort he felt. Jessa’s family was nothing other than warm and welcoming. They shared a lighthearted humor and easiness Eli wasn’t accustomed to, at least not in any family setting he’d experienced. They’d had a slow dinner that unfolded amidst conversation. At the moment, Eli was seated with Gage, Garrett and Cam Nash after they persuaded him they needed a fourth for a game of rummy. They clearly played often and had a rather heated, but playful, competition. Cam’s reputation as an elite backcountry skier had preceded him before he landed at Last Frontier Lodge. Eli was glad to learn Cam was nothing more than a laidback guy who happened to love the wilderness and skiing. At the moment, Cam caught Eli’s eyes and shrugged. “This is what it’s like with these guys,” he said with a chuckle. “We’re just props for their competition.”

Eli grinned. “I noticed.”

Gage said something to Cam, which drew his attention away. Eli glanced over to Jessa who sat at an adjacent table with Marley, Marley’s sister Lacey, and Ginger who was both an old friend of Marley’s and Cam’s new wife. Delia had returned to the lodge kitchen, insisting she needed to help out before closing. The lodge deck had lights strung above, creating a festive atmosphere.

Jessa turned her head, her eyes colliding with his across the distance. It was as if a flame licked through the air between them and curled around him. The lust holding him in its grip twisted a little tighter.
What the hell are you thinking? Uh, that Jessa’s the sexiest damn woman you’ve ever met and you like her, you really like her.
His mind had been lobbing points back and forth throughout the evening. He couldn’t deny his draw to her, yet he wasn’t accustomed to its depth. Jessa turned away to reply to something Marley said, the lights glinting off the gold streaks on her hair. He couldn’t help but follow the slender line of her neck, his eyes trekking down to savor the generous curve of her breasts. He tore his eyes away and forced himself to focus on the card game. He was relieved the others were in the midst of debating the merits of silver salmon versus red salmon and didn’t appear to have noticed Eli had been ogling Jessa.

Ryan had departed a little while ago with Cliff and his twin brothers. Eli wasn’t the least bit accustomed to being asked permission for anything. When Ryan had come to ask if he could go spend the night with Cliff’s brothers, Cliff had given him a funny look when Eli just stared at Ryan. Cliff had leaned close to explain they would be at his parents’ house and assured him he would bring Ryan to the scheduled charter trip in the morning. Eli wanted Ryan to make friends, but found himself feeling oddly protective. Given that Cliff’s parents were completely trustworthy, Eli had no reason to say no, but he’d had to remind himself of that.

Ryan’s unexpected departure had sent Eli’s mind and body into a reckless place. When Garrett had invited them up for dinner tonight, Eli had reasoned it would be no big deal to keep from entangling himself further with Jessa because Ryan would be with him, and he’d need to get him home at a reasonable hour. Instead, Eli was now free to do as he pleased and all he could think about was Jessa. As unsettled as he was by his intense attraction to her that went beyond physical and into a curiosity and interest he’d never entertained with any woman, he couldn’t seem to talk himself out of it.