Page 17

Finn

I don’t have a clue where Wyatt is, and I really need to talk to him.

The financial situation is beginning to wear on me, and I figure there’s no time like the present to let him in on the terrible secret.

Doris mentioned she thought Wyatt went out to winterize the outbuilding.

Since I got back from the airport and there are no other guests staying with us for the next few weeks, I didn’t expect him to be waiting for me to get back.

Especially since we haven't spoken since the incident in his room a few days earlier.

What am I thinking? Allowing myself to act on these feelings I’ve been having for him? Sure, the wine didn’t help, but he is so damn cute. I can’t resist my own urges. Stupid. I know that now.

Anyway, I take my time walking out to the building in case he is still working on it.

As I approach, I’m a bit surprised that none of the windows are covered in plastic, which is what I’ve been told is how they winterize buildings up here in the great state of Alaska.

The closer I get, a terrible smell catches my attention.

What the hell is that? And that’s when it all starts coming together.

The outbuilding has what looks like scratch marks on the front door, and the quad Wyatt must have taken here is turned over on its side. And that smell.

Bears.

I stop dead in my tracks and hold my breath, listening for any sign of danger.

My heartbeat threatens to deafen me as there are no other sounds of nature—the forest has gone quiet.

Is that a bad sign? Then, a sudden gust of wind seems to break the forest from its trance, ushering in the sounds of creaking boughs, rustling leaves, and a few birds squawking in the distance.

Letting out my breath, I take a quick glance around me. The coast is clear. No predators, at least nothing visible. I rush the last few yards to the door and reach for the handle. As I pull the door open, it comes free easier than expected. I step back, startled.

Standing in the doorway is Wyatt. He has a weird expression on his face.

I must have startled him as much as he had me.

There is something else though, but I can’t put my finger on it.

All I know is he is gorgeous and all my trepidation about our near miss the other night goes straight out the window.

I would do it all over again to feel him pressed up against me. Naked. Hot. Sweaty.

“Oh, shit,” I say. “You scared me.” I laugh, and he does too.

“What’s up, Finn? Everything alright?”

I nod. “Absolutely. Doris mentioned that you were out here winterizing the building. I figured I could come and help.” I am lying through my teeth, but being a complete wimp, I’ve chickened out and am not prepared to tell him the truth about The Wildwood’s financial state.

Wyatt’s face lights up and, if I didn’t know better, eye-fucks me. Immediately, I feel a stir in my pants. This guy could tell me to come inside and close the door and I’d be on my knees before he could unzip his pants. He glances over my shoulder and his eyes go wide.

“Oh, shit.” He steps around me and hurries to the overturned quad. “Give me a hand with this?”

I hurry over to help.

“On the count of three, we push up and rotate it back onto its tires.”

Squatting, I nod.

“One… two… three,” he says with a grunt as we push the heavy quad back upright.

Wyatt runs his hand along the side of it, pulling off bits of sod that stick to the edges.

There are scratches along the back and the seat is torn.

“Damn that bear. He really did a number on it.” He turns and faces me, hands on his hips.

A little bit of hair peeks out the front of his shirt where the collar opens in the front.

I can’t help myself, thinking back to the other night, wanting to taste his skin, lick his pink nipples as I unbutton his jeans.

“You okay, Finn?” he asks, pulling me from my reverie.

Pushing all the naughty thoughts back where they belong, I smile. “I’m totally fine. I guess I’m just a bit freaked out about the bear being so close to the lodge.”

“Better get used to it, I’m afraid. When spring gets here and the rest of them start waking up, we will have more than our fair share of run-ins.”

There is a moment or two of silence that falls between us, and I can’t stand it. Awkward quiet always forces me to speak, even when there isn’t anything important to say. Come on, don’t do it , I think to myself. Let him come up with something first.

“Why didn’t you winterize the building?” I blurt out, sounding way more accusatory than I intended.

Thankfully, Wyatt is a good guy and doesn’t seem to take offense to my question. “The bear. Didn’t feel like making noise and enticing him into breaking into the building to eat me.”

I’m an idiot. “Of course,” I say. “You’re absolutely right. I wasn’t even thinking about that. Surely, there’s still time to get it done before winter comes or the first big snowfall.” Stop talking, you sound like a crazy person .

“Definitely,” he says. “If you want, you can help me put up the plastic now and I can give you a ride back to the lodge. Only problem is we don’t have much light left.”

I look at the horizon and the sun has already gone down below the trees and it will be getting dark very soon, not to mention cold. “Maybe tomorrow?”

“Sounds good to me.” Wyatt pats the seat with his hand. “Hop on, I’ll give you a ride.”

I’d take a ride from him any day… or night.

Wyatt gets on and scoots up on the seat, allowing me to sit directly behind him.

This is one of the single-seater quads, so we actually have to share the one seat.

We are butt to front and I am so worried that I won’t be able to control myself and get an embarrassing boner.

Sitting with my legs around him, my crotch pressed hard against his ass, there is very little I can do to keep it a secret.

He turns on the engine and revs it, the vibrations surging through my body. “Hold on tight, there are a few bumpy spots along the trail back.”

Wyatt takes off with a burnout, bits of dirt and sod kicked up behind us as we fishtail toward the lodge—home.

I tighten my hold on him, partially out of fear, but mostly because it feels right.

My cheek presses against his back, my hands against his muscular belly and chest. I force myself to recite the National Anthem over and over again to keep myself from getting turned on.

It takes far less time than I’d hoped for to reach the lodge.

I hop off the back and wait for Wyatt to park and meet me on the front porch before going inside.

Watching him work, the way his trained movements secure the tarp he puts over the quad, his hands tying and tightening the knots, is both impressive and intoxicating to watch. He is all man.

Wyatt looks up at me and smiles. He then takes the steps two-by-two and meets me on the porch. “Shall we go inside? Unless there’s something else we need to get done tonight?” I ask.

He glances around the wrap-around porch and shrugs. “I think it can all wait until tomorrow.”

“Thanks for the ride back. Honestly, I would have been scared to make that hike back in the dark. I hadn’t even thought about bringing a flashlight with me when I came looking for you.”

“Always be prepared, my father used to say. Your dad would have given you a lecture if he was still around.” His eyes search mine for a moment. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring him up so soon. I know you two didn’t have the closest relationship.”

“We didn’t,” I admit. “But I have been wanting to learn what I can about him, ever since moving here. Never worry about giving me an insight into his personality. I’m starting to realize there are parts of him that I now see in myself.”

There is a twinkle in Wyatt’s eyes. “I can see it too.” He holds my gaze for longer than two friends would have and my heart leaps in my chest.

Wyatt , I want to say. About the other night. I find you extremely handsome. If I could have explored your body with my hands, made you feel the way I felt, I would have. I don’t know if it’s me being horny, or if I’m actually developing feelings for you, but I want to find out. I need to find out.

Instead, I arch my back and stretch my arms over my head, faking a yawn. “I’d better turn in. I didn’t sleep well last night and I’m beat.”

Wyatt’s expression droops a touch. Is that disappointment I see in his eyes? Had he wanted to stay up and share some wine again? “If you want to meet me in the dining room for breakfast and coffee in the morning, then we can get to work on the outbuilding tomorrow?”

“Sounds great, I’ll see you in the morning, if I wake up in time to meet you.

You’re a much more early-riser than I am.

” I open the door and go inside. I glance back over my shoulder, but Wyatt isn’t coming in yet.

Although, he is watching me go. I don’t make it obvious I see him looking and keep going, letting the door close softly behind me.

I sigh when I think about my time in town the other day at the Angel Falls Bank.

My heart aches with the idea we are going to lose everything our little group and our fathers have worked so hard for over the years. How will I ever be able to tell them?

As I walk back to my room, a plan starts forming in my mind.

While I know we won’t be able to raise enough money by the end of the month to pay off the debt, I’m not ready to give up quite yet.

I’ll make a call to my mom in the morning and ask her if she knows of any other family that might be interested in helping keep this lodge going.

In the meantime, I’ll settle in for the night and check out my father’s journal again. Maybe he’s written something in there that can help the situation.