Page 26 of Under the Northern Lights

“I wasn’t being serious about your carrying me to the lodge,” Aurora said with a giggle from beneath the drooping hood of her raincoat as the water poured down around them.

“Looks like you’re not as good at the guessing game as you think you are,” Gage said as he moved hurriedly along the trail, Aurora held securely in his arms.

“Gage, it’s raining harder. You’re going to slip. Put me down. I can walk the rest of the way.”

“Me fall? Ha!” he scoffed. “I’m as sure-footed as a mountain goat. Besides, the lodge’s front porch is in view.”

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the toe of Gage’s boot caught a root protruding from the rain-washed earth.

Aurora shrieked, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as he struggled for balance.

There was no stopping it. His hurried pace when his boot slipped on the slick ground left him struggling to remain upright. The effort was futile. Though Gage managed to turn them so he landed on the ground backside first, skidding across the wet trail. Mud and water sprayed everywhere.

“Hold on,” he told Aurora, who had ended up seated safely on his lap.

When they came to a stop, Aurora lifted her head from where she’d buried it against his neck. “Gage,” she said worriedly. “Are you okay?”

“Other than being completely and utterly embarrassed,” he replied, his own hood having fallen off his head when he went down. Rain ran down his hair and face, even finding its way inside his jacket. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she assured him.

He looked her over and groaned. “But you’re a muddy mess.”

“Seems to be my thing in Alaska,” she said with a grin as rain ran down her face too. “I hate to break it to you, but you fared no better.”

Of that, he had no doubt. Gage felt awful. He’d acted on a momentary lapse of judgment because it had felt like a good idea at the time. He’d wanted to make Aurora laugh, and he had. And now they sat, wallowing together in the mud.

The lodge’s main entrance door flew open, and his entire family spilled out onto the porch, looking around.

“I know I heard a scream,” Julia said worriedly.

“Aurora?” his mother called out.

“We’re over here,” Aurora replied as she and Gage scrambled to their feet.

Gage’s mother squinted to see them through the coursing rain. “Is Gage with you?”

“I am,” he answered with a frown. Reed was going to have a field day with this.

They started toward the porch. Gage wrapped an arm around Aurora’s waist as she struggled to move in the too-high boots he’d brought her to wear, which was why he’d been carrying her in the first place.

“Son?” his father said hoarsely when they reached the porch and started up the front steps.

“It’s a little slick out there,” Gage replied.

“Oh my goodness,” his mother said, moving to meet them at the edge of the porch. “Are you two alright?”

“We’re fine,” Aurora hurried to assure her. “Just a little wet.”

“And muddy,” Julia noted.

“How on earth d-did that happen?” his father inquired as he looked them both over.

“Caught a root with the toe of my boot on the way here,” Gage explained.

“And you pulled Aurora down with you?” Reed said, clicking his tongue. “Not very gallant of you.”

Gage shook his head. “I didn’t pull her down. I was carrying her when I fell.”

“He didn’t want me to trip in these big boots on our way to the lodge, so he very thoughtfully offered to carry me,” Aurora said, meeting Reed’s skeptical gaze. “And he sacrificed himself in the fall to keep me from hitting the ground.”

“That was pretty thoughtful,” Julia agreed with a nod.

“Can we discuss this inside where it’s warm and dry?” Gage said in frustration. Mostly at himself for being overly confident of his mountain goat nimbleness during an outright downpour.

“Of course. Jim, honey, get the door,” his mother directed. “Reed, go on inside and add some wood to the fire. These two are going to need to warm up. Julia, sweetie, go to the kitchen and heat up some water for hot chocolate.”

They all moved to do his mother’s bidding, his father’s off gait a little more noticeable that evening as it was at times.

She looked at him and Aurora. “Hang your coats out here and leave your boots on the porch below. Gage can rinse them off in the morning.” She frowned as she eyed their wet hair and jeans.

“Honey, no sense trying to get back to your cabin in this rain. We’ll find you something dry to change into.

You can wash up in one of the empty guest bathrooms. There will be a basket of toiletries on the vanity counter. The hair dryer is under the sink.”

“Thank you,” Aurora said as she peeled her wet raincoat off.

Gage grimaced as he took in the long, wet, slightly muddied hair hanging down over Aurora’s shoulders.

“I’ll see you two inside,” his mother said.

After his mother and the rest of his family had gone, Gage turned to Aurora. “I’m so sorry.”

“Accidents happen,” she said with a sweet smile.

“I’m beginning to see why Jess couldn’t imagine spending her life here with me on the island.”

Aurora hung her raincoat and then turned. Reaching out, she placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “I’m beginning to wonder how she couldn’t imagine spending her life here with you. You’re fun and adventurous. You’re sweet and caring. You’re—” Her words fell off as Gage drew her to him.

“Finding it very hard not to kiss you right now.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I think I’d like that,” she replied, looking up into his searching gaze.

Gage lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, closing his eyes as he lost himself in the moment. The kiss was sweet and tender. It felt like he’d been waiting his whole life for this. Suddenly, it was like fireworks were going off all around him.

“Umm, Gage,” Aurora mumbled against his mouth before pushing away.

Opening his eyes, Gage looked to find Reed flicking the porch light on and off as he stood in the open doorway. He asked with a frown, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Trying to get your attention,” his brother replied. “Mom said whenever Aurora is ready, she and Julia will take her upstairs to the Bear’s Den.”

Gage grumbled, “We’ll be in as soon as we get our boots off.”

The door closed, leaving Gage to focus on the woman standing next to him and the unplanned kiss that left his heart thudding hard inside his chest.

Aurora looked up at him, cheeks flushed. “Well, that was poor timing.”

He nodded with a slow grin. “The worst.”

“Actually,” she said, “it was probably for the best.”

His dark brow lifted as he looked down at Aurora’s pretty face.

“I like you, Gage,” she admitted. “But we can’t allow ourselves to get swept away by a vacation romance. I need to focus on the assignment I was sent to Alaska to do, because the work I do here could land me my dream job. And you need to focus on the retreat.”

He gave a reluctant nod. “I like you too. But you’re right. We both have obligations we can’t afford to get distracted from.” Gage caught the regret in her eyes before it gave way to acceptance.

Aurora offered up a soft smile. “The Bear’s Den, huh?”

“Julia named all the guest rooms here as well,” Gage explained. “There’s the Bear’s Den, the Bee’s Hive, and the Eagle’s Nest.

“How cute!”

“That’s my sister for you.”

“She’s very creative.”

He nodded. “She should be. That’s what she got her degree in.” He hesitated for a long moment before saying, “I’m not sure whether I need to apologize for that kiss or not.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” she said, pulling a boot off.

“Not that bad?” he repeated, pretty sure that wasn’t a compliment.

Aurora burst into giggles. “You should have seen your face, mud and all. And to address your concerns, in all seriousness, there’s no need to apologize. Truth is, that kiss is one I will remember long after I go home. And not because it was bad.”

“Same.” Grinning, Gage inclined his head toward the door. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

As soon as they stepped inside, his mother and Julia were waiting to whisk Aurora away. Gage stood, watching them go.

“There are easier ways to get a guest to leave than dragging them through the mud or kissing them.”

Gage looked away from the door that had closed behind the departing women to see his brother grinning at him from over the back of one of the dark brown leather recliners by the hearth.

“First of all, I didn’t drag her,” Gage said as he walked over to where Reed and his father sat. “I slipped while I was carrying her, which you already know.”

“You kissed her?” his father said, eyes widening.

“It just sort of happened,” Gage replied with a frown, because he wouldn’t mind it happening again.

“Don’t read anything into it. We both have other commitments we have to focus on right now.

” He looked at his brother. “And I wasn’t trying to get Aurora to leave.

I was trying to make her laugh, because she’s going through something right now that’s been emotionally hard for her. ”

Reed’s expression sobered. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll try and remember to back off the teasing comments whenever she’s around.”

“As if you can help it,” their father chimed in.

“True,” Gage agreed. “I don’t think you need to be anything other than yourself. Aurora actually finds your snarky comments quite amusing.”

His brother perked up, a gratified smile etching its way across his cheeks.

Gage shook his head. “I probably should have kept that tidbit of information to myself. You’re bad enough as it is, without feeding your comedic ego.”

That made Reed chuckle. Then he glanced across the room in the direction Aurora had gone. Shifting his gaze back to Gage, he said with a concerned expression, “Having been around Aurora this past week, I would never have known there was anything weighing on her. She always seems so happy.”