Page 30 of Fake-Off with Fate (Love in Maple Falls #1)

JAMIE

I realize I’ve hit a new low point in life as I hurry to the front door to make sure it’s locked.

Once that task is accomplished, I make my way around the cabin and check the latches on all the windows.

I am literally surrounded by bears. Luckily, no one seems aggressive, but that doesn’t mean the threat isn’t there.

All it will take is for one to attack to encourage them all.

My next course of action—if you can call it action being that I’m trapped indoors—is to pull all the food out of the kitchen cabinets.

I’ll have to do something to placate my visitors should it take Ashlyn awhile to get here.

Unfortunately, all I have is a handful of energy bars, a sack of bagels, and a bag of chips.

Beads of sweat pop up along my hairline as I imagine the headline that might run with this story.

“Pro Hockey Player Killed for Cereal!” Or how about, “Hungry Bears Turn Rogue and Eat Captain of the Ice Breakers.” How is this my life?

While I’d like nothing more than to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head, I’m afraid if I don’t keep a close eye on my visitors, they’ll combine their efforts and break in.

Which is why I keep walking from room to room assessing the situation.

After twenty minutes, I realize they’re slowly moving closer to the cabin .

Ashlyn arrives with a toot of her horn which causes the bears to turn around and look her way. Nobody runs, so I figure the whole loud noise thing isn’t going to work on them anymore. Looks like all the screaming I’ll be doing will be for naught. But don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be doing it.

I watch Ashlyn open her car door and get out.

I want to call to her and tell her it’s not worth the risk, and that she should run, but at the same time, I’m totally mesmerized by the sight of her.

She’s wearing the most amazingly sexy dress I have ever seen.

It’s almost enough to get me to run out of this house and go to the ball with her.

I would surely be the envy of all to have her on my arm.

Opening the door a crack, I hear Ashlyn tell the local bear community, “So you decided to have a party and not invite me, huh?” Her accompanying giggle sounds like wind chimes tinkling in the distance.

Obviously, the bears don’t answer her, but they all appear to be as captivated by her presence as I am.

Ashlyn goes around her car and opens the back door. She removes several grocery bags which she drapes over her arms. Then she walks away from the house toward the woods. What is she doing?

I’m about to ask her when she stops and empties one of the bags on the ground.

Three cereal boxes hit the dirt. Ashlyn puts her other bags down before opening the three and meticulously scatters them around.

Several bears start to make their way in her direction.

Picking up the rest of the groceries, she walks to the other side of the woods where she repeats the process.

She zigzags three more times, all the while gently talking to the curious onlookers.

Then she heads toward the porch. On her way, she runs into my biggest op. The OG papa bear.

Old papa stands on his hind legs and roars so loud I’m about to run out and sacrifice myself for Ashlyn’s safety. She must sense this because she looks up at me and says, “Slow your roll, Jamie. I’ve got this. ”

She dumps her last bag of cereal boxes out before picking them up and chucking the whole lot of them into the woods. My nemesis immediately turns and follows the trajectory of his supper.

Once the path is clear, Ashlyn hurries to the door, pushing me aside to gain entrance. “You weren’t kidding when you said you’d been invaded! I counted sixteen.”

“You were amazing,” I tell her. “You didn’t seem afraid at all.”

She looks up at me with a spooked expression. “I was terrified.”

“You didn’t look it.”

“I made a huge mistake,” she says while pushing past me and flopping onto the couch. She creates enough wind that the slit in her skirt blows open and gives me an unhindered view of her toned legs. Wow!

“What mistake?” I ask. “Because from where I was standing, it looked like you totally had the situation under control.”

Her head shakes slowly from side to side, causing her hair to move like a silk curtain dancing in the breeze. “I gave them all the food. I was planning to hold some back for when we left but I panicked and gave them everything.”

“Even our supper?” As she came in empty-handed, I’m guessing that’s the case.

“Yup. You got anything left in here?”

“A couple protein bars, some bagels, and a bag of chips.”

She throws her head back against the pillows. “This is why you don’t feed bears, Jamie.”

“I see that now,” I tell her humbly. “We should probably call the cops, huh? Or animal control? Maybe the Navy?”

She releases an exasperated groan. Let’s give them time to fill their bellies. They’ll have to go to sleep at some point and that will be our best opportunity to escape.”

“When do they usually sleep?” I ask.

She picks up her phone to look up the answer to my question. “Looks like they knock off an hour or two after sunset. But hopefully, they’ll be so stuffed they’ll get drowsy sooner.”

Walking into the kitchen, I grab two energy bars before joining her in the living room. I hand her one and say, “I don’t know about you, but even if we get out of here in decent time, I don’t think I’m up to making an appearance at the ball.”

“Fine by me,” she replies with relief in her voice. “I probably sweated right through my dress anyway.”

Sitting down next to her, I tell her, “You look beautiful.”

A soft smile forms on her mouth. “Thank you. You look pretty nice yourself.” She adds, “I’m surprised you have a tux.”

Instead of playing it off like I’m as cool as 007, I confess, “It’s a rental.”

“A very nice one.”

Neither one of us speaks for several moments and the silence becomes thick. “Thank you again for saving me,” I finally say.

Her head bobs briefly in recognition of my compliment. Then she announces, “My house in LA might be about to burn down.”

“Excuse me?”

She takes a small bite of her energy bar and chews it thoughtfully before answering. “My landlord texted me. I didn’t even know my area was in danger.”

“Southern California is as close to the Book of Revelations as anywhere on the planet. I mean earthquakes, fires, floods … it’s a lot.”

“It’s so beautiful though,” she says. “It rarely gets below fifty degrees and the sun shines ninety percent of the time …”

“Which is why you’re in a drought,” I interrupt.

“Yeah. But after growing up in Washington, I’ve found that I really love the sun.”

“You don’t have much humidity in LA, either.” It sounds like I’m changing camps.

“And the food is out of this world,” she adds.

“You’ve got great beaches.”

“Lots of good hiking. ”

“You don’t ever think you’ll leave, huh?” In the back of my mind, I suppose I was hoping that Ashlyn would move back to Maple Falls, and we could give our budding interest in each other a chance to grow. It looks like I’ll have to accept that isn’t going to happen.

“I’ve made a nice life for myself,” she says. “I have a great business, and a stellar reputation. Which of course keeps my business growing.”

“But the dating is abysmal,” I remind her.

“True. But there’s always Utah,” she jokes. “And there are no bears in my neighborhood. Coyotes are my biggest wildlife concern.”

“Are they dangerous?” I want to know.

“Not unless you’re a small child or dog,” she says. My eyes must bug out because she assures me, “People there know not to leave either unattended.”

I love how comfortably Ashlyn and I banter back and forth. There’s an ease with her that I’ve only felt with my really good friends. I guess that’s exactly what we’re becoming to one another—good friends.

“We have rats the size of house cats in New York City,” I tell her. “And roaches the size of rats.”

Her face contorts in horror. “I would drop dead on the spot if I saw either.”

“I guess it’s a matter of the devil you know,” I tell her. Standing up, I ask, “Want a fire?”

“That would be nice.” She lowers her eyes as though she’s having thoughts she doesn’t want me to see.

Walking over to the fireplace, I lay down new logs and kindling. Then I crumple up a newspaper and add it to the pile. After igniting the flame, I stand back and watch as it crackles to life. “How do you feel about dancing?” I ask her.

“What kind?” she wants to know. “Ballet? Hip Hop? Hula?”

I turn toward her while taking my phone out of my pocket. Then I connect to Spotify and start my Frank Sinatra playlist before answering, “I suppose you could hula, but I was hoping you might like to dance with me.” I reach a hand toward her hopefully.

A million thoughts seem to flash across Ashlyn’s face before she tentatively reaches out and takes my hand. “I do like to dance.”

After helping her up, I gently pull her toward me. Once she’s in my arms, I tell her, “We haven’t known each other for a long time, but we sure have been through a lot together.”

Snorting softly, she itemizes, “The potential downfall of Maple Falls, my parents getting caught in a hurricane, my house being in the line of fire …”

I add my own drama to the list. “The return of my ex and averting a bear attack. At least for now ...”

While Frank’s dulcet tones fill the air around us, Ashlyn gently lays her head on my shoulder. I can’t help myself; I lean down and inhale the fragrance emanating from her hair. The light floral scent is intoxicating. “What do you say we forget about everything for now and try to enjoy ourselves?”

She releases a low groan of contentment. “That sounds nice.”

I know I signed a contract with the Ice Breakers, and I’m legally bound to play with them, but I can’t help but wonder if they might trade me to Los Angeles. I have a sneaking feeling my future happiness might all be resting on the shoulders of the woman I’m dancing with.