She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“I couldn’t very well leave you stranded here in Juneau. Just let me know your rescheduled flight time when you have one,” he said. “I’ll make sure to have you back to town in time to get to the airport.”
“As soon as I book it, I will. I have to admit that I’m tempted to stay longer. Juneau is amazing,” she said with an almost wistful smile. “I absolutely love the raw, untouched land that makes up so much of this area.”
She’s saying that now, Gage thought to himself, memories of his ex’s opinions of Alaska shoving their way to the surface. Tuck this newcomer away for a few days in the wilds of Alaska, and she’d be singing another tune. Just as Jess had done after she’d moved to Conley Island from Anchorage, where she’d lived the life of luxury beneath her wealthy parents’ roof, to be closer to Gage. She’d wanted to work at the lodge alongside him and his family.
The isolation Aurora Daniels found so alluring would no doubt become unbearable for her, too, were she to spend any real length of time there. It took a certain kind of woman to take on the harsher elements that were a part of his world.
“Oh, and did I mention how in awe I am of Alaska’s snow-covered mountain peaks? And the varied array of wildlife?”
“Don’t forget the rain,” he teased as his gaze took in the bits of mud clinging to the damp denim of her jeans from the knees down. At least she’d worn sensible hiking boots for that day’s outing.
“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’dprefer 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.”
