Page 5 of Under the Northern Lights
“Even the rain,” she answered with a nod.
“Despite it having been the sole cause of my not getting as many river shots today as I had hoped. As long as I managed to get even three or four good shots, it will have been worth it. Besides, I have other river pictures that I got before flying into Juneau.”
“You’re looking specifically for rivers to photograph?”
She met his questioning gaze. “Yes. They’re for a magazine I’ve been wanting to get my work into for what feels like forever. This is my big chance. All I have to do is stay focused and get those incredible shots.”
She’d definitely piqued his interest with this unexpected tidbit of information.
“So, you’re a professional photographer?”
“I am. A professional wildlife photographer, actually.”
“Most of our guests come to our resort with the intention of going out on one of the lodge’s fishing boats into deeper waters,” he explained. “But we do have a few guests who prefer to remain on land to fish as Conley Island boasts several rivers that are more than abundant with salmon and trout.”
“It does?” she said with unrestrained excitement as she moved to sit at his table in the chair opposite without prompting of any sort. “Tell me more about Conley Island.”
“It’s a little more rustic than what you’re probably used to,” he warned.
It was definitely a far cry from life in Seattle.
Not that his family didn’t do their best to see to their guests’ needs.
“The main lodge, where my family stays and guests eat and socialize, is skirted by a dozen studio and one-bedroom cabins. It’s fairly remote.
Guests can only get to the island by floatplane or by boat. ”
Why was she still smiling? Gage sighed as he went on.
“Living the Good Life Fishing Retreat is located in a fairly remote area. No stores for shopping or fancy restaurants for dining out. Just a small gift area at the lodge next to the front desk. Sit-down, family-style meals are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to any guests who choose to eat at the main lodge. Oh, and it can get black as pitch when night settles in.”
“That sounds perfectly wonderful,” she said with a soft sigh.
His dark brows lifted. “It does?”
“Very much so,” she replied. “Visiting your island will give me the chance, however briefly, to experience even more of what Alaska has to offer. I’m so excited to stay in one of your cabins with the wilderness wrapped around me.”
“That same wilderness will be ‘wrapped’ around you every time you walk from your cabin to the main lodge. It’s not unheard of to have a bear, or two, pass through.
Even elk, males in particular, tend to be more aggressive in the fall.
So if you’d prefer to stay at the main lodge, I’ll see if we have any rooms ready when we get to the island. ”
“I appreciate the offer and the warning, but I’m good with a cabin. Let me know what I’ll owe you for tonight.”
“No charge,” Gage heard himself say and immediately wanted to kick himself in the backside. Offering free lodging, even for one night, was no way to get his family’s business turned right-side up again.
“I insist,” she replied determinedly.
Take the offer , his head screamed. But compassion effectively shoved common sense aside. He was not about to take advantage of someone who was down on their luck. That would make him no better than Clive Wagner.
“Look,” Gage said with a sigh, “the cabin is sitting there empty, which means we weren’t going to make anything off of it tonight anyway.”
“If you’re sure,” she said hesitantly.
“I’m sure,” he replied.
Her gaze drifted down to the plate in front of him where a now-cold chunk of pot roast and a lump of cold mashed potatoes sat. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been sitting here talking away and keeping you from finishing up your meal.” She pushed away from the table.
“You don’t have to leave.”
“You might starve if I stay there asking you a million questions,” she told him as she returned to the other table.
Part of him wanted to insist she join him again and ask any questions she might have.
But he refrained. If he didn’t finish his now-cold meal, Glady would be wondering if her cooking that afternoon wasn’t up to par.
Besides, he needed a bit of space to let his head clear.
To process how it was he’d gotten so distracted from the reason he’d come to town in the first place.
“If it’s not raining tomorrow morning,” Gage told her as he picked up his fork, “and if your flight doesn’t go out early in the day, I’d be happy to take you to a couple of picturesque river spots on the island. That is, if you’re interested.”
“There’s no ‘if’ about it,” she replied, her eyes alight with excitement. “I would love that.”
You would have thought he’d just given her a rainbow, complete with a pot of gold beneath, from the way Aurora’s face lit up. Her reaction made him feel like the superhero Glady had tried to make him out to be. Almost ridiculously so. And he kind of liked it.