“Never,” she said as she watched the passing scenery drift by.
Gage carefully maneuvered the floatplane up alongside the dock. “And here we are.”
“You’re really good at this,” Aurora said with a sweet smile.
“Years of practice,” he told her as he cut the engine. “My dad began flying long before Reed and Julia and I came along. So I began learning at an early age.”
He pointed past her out the passenger window to the two figures moving in hurried strides toward the dock. Reed and Hank, a longtime employee at Living the Good Life FishingRetreat, moved to secure the floatplane to the extended dock. Gage reached down to unfasten his seatbelt while Aurora did the same.
“The one in the red stocking cap is my brother, Reed,” he told her. “The older gentleman behind him is Hank. He’s been working here since my dad first opened the lodge.”
“You didn’t even have to point your brother out,” Aurora told him as she watched the two men work to secure the plane to the dock. “He looks just like a younger version of you, minus the incredibly perfect beard shadow.”
“He takes more time than me to shave.” As her words sank in, he looked at Aurora, dark brows lifting. “Perfect, huh?”
She glanced his way. “As if you don’t know that it’s the slightly unshaven, five o’clock shadow kind of beard that heroes have on the covers of romance novels.”
“Can’t say that I do know that. The only reading material you’ll find on the coffee table in the great room at the lodge are fishing magazines and outdoorsy books,” he replied. Truth was, he wasn’t looking to grow a beard, but shaving every day proved to be an annoyance. So he’d shave and then wait a few days to do so again. He had more important things to do than stand in front of the bathroom mirror every morning, working at a clean-shaven face.Perfect, huh?Maybe he’d wait untilafterhe’d taken Aurora back to Juneau to rid himself of his apparently book-cover-worthy whiskers.
The door next to Gage swung open, and Reed’s face appeared. “Just making sure everything’s alright,” he said. “You never take this long to leave the plane.” His gaze drifted past Gage to Aurora, and his lips lifted into a welcoming smile. “Well, hello.”
“Hello,” she replied, returning his smile.
“Reed,” Gage said, “this is Aurora Daniels. She’ll be staying as a guest in one of the cabins tonight. Aurora, mybabybrother,Reed.” He wasn’t certain why he’d felt the need to addbabyto his introduction of his brother, but that’s how it came out.
“Who is only two years younger than Gage’s ancient old age of thirty-two,” his brother promptly pointed out.
“Thirty-two?” she said with a glance in Gage’s direction. “That is getting up there a bit.”
His brother chuckled, focusing on Aurora. “You and I are going to get along just fine. With that being said, I’d like to be the first to welcome you to Living the Good Life Fishing Retreat.”
Gage didn’t miss the fact that his brother had greeted their guest with far more enthusiasm than he normally met visitors with.
“Thank you,” Aurora replied. “I look forward to my stay here. Even if only for a night.”
Reed looked at Gage. “You never mentioned we were expecting another guest, or I would have dressed for the occasion.”
Gage looked at Aurora. “Meaning his favorite red flannel shirt instead of the REEL MEN FISH sweatshirt he’s wearing. Which, I might add, happens to be one of our bestsellers at the lodge’s gift shop.”
“Catchy,” Aurora replied with a giggle.
“She’s good,” Reed acknowledged with a responding chuckle.
“And in your brother’s defense,” she said, “he didn’t know he would be bringing another guest back with him. I missed my flight out of Juneau, and your brother came to my rescue.” She looked at Gage with a grateful smile.
“A regular hero, that brother of mine,” Reed remarked, his grin widening.
With a perfect beard, Gage mentally tossed out with an inner smirk. Then he shook the silly thought away. “Would you mind opening the rear passenger door and helping Aurora down? I’m going to grab her things, and I’ll meet you on the dock.”
“Of course,” Reed said and backed down the ladder, closing Gage’s door.
“After you,” Gage said, motioning toward the rear section of the plane.
She stood and slipped between the two front seats to the back where his brother had just opened the larger door. Then she grabbed for her camera bag and her backpack, slinging them on before exiting the plane.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Gage told her as Reed helped her down the steps. Turning, he reached for the duck poncho, folding it up. Then he grabbed for her carry-on and the bag of purchases she’d made back in Juneau and made his way out of the plane.
Aurora and Reed were waiting for him at the edge of the dock where she’d disembarked from the floatplane.
