“It never does,” Grant replied. “I’ve been here my whole life, and I still love it.”
We fell quiet after that. One of the things I liked about hanging out with Grant was he didn’t mind silence. I was feeling relaxed and loose and soaked in the view on the stunning drive home. Living in Alaska sometimes felt like living in a postcard.
Walker Adventures, the resort Flynn owned with his brother and sisters was roughly twenty minutes outside of Diamond Creek, down a long gravel road. It was far enough out that if you didn’t know Diamond Creek was nearby, you could imagine you were completely isolated. As the crow flew, you were. The little town gave us an outlet, and also made this resort’s booming business possible. People could come for the wilderness expeditions and go to town for shopping, food, and the summer crowds.
“Wonder what Daphne’s got lined up for dinner,” Grant commented as I rolled to a stop in the parking lot outside the main resort.
“No matter what it is, it’ll be delicious,” I replied as we climbed out together and crossed the parking lot.
Grant chuckled. “That’s a guarantee.”
We climbed the stairs to the large building. The resort was a three-story octagonal shape. The main guest area was spacious and offered several areas for gathering. One area had a fireplace with seating around it, another had a large flatscreen television mounted on the wall with more seating, and yet another area had bookshelves and seating.
There was only one guest room on the main floor, in addition to the living room area, the kitchen and dining area, and the family’s private apartment. The upper floors were all guest rooms. Winter was a little quieter, but once we hit spring, it was like horses taking off for a race. We were full speed ahead with guests flowing in and out every week. In addition to leading hikes and other outdoor activities, the resort offered private sightseeing flights daily from spring through early winter. We continued flying during winter, but the pace was much slower.
With Flynn leading the group, there were currently seven pilots. Flynn, Grant, Elias, Gabriel, Tucker, Nora, and me. Tucker’s sister, Aubrey, had her pilot’s license and would be joining us at some point. Flynn had recently bought another plane and absorbed the operations from a local pilot, giving us even more customers. We rotated between taking guests out for scenic flights, which were pricey, and also providing transport for goods and mail amongst several communities in the area.
As a pilot, it was pure heaven—amazing views and never boring. I loved it. Coming out of the Air Force, I couldn’t have imagined landing a job like this. It turned out that being one of Flynn’s closest friends was a blessing in more ways than one.
It wasn’t always easy though. Flying in Alaska was definitely high on the risk quotient between the weather and small planes. Just last autumn, Flynn and Elias had been in a small plane crash. They’d come out okay, although Elias had broken his ankle badly and been on crutches for a bit. I would take the risk, just for the peace of mind it gave me to be doing what I loved in such an incredible place.
Once we were inside the resort, we encountered guests milling about in the common area. Grant and I cut straight through into the kitchen. The dining here had gone from decent to fantastic over the last year. Daphne had come out for a stay at the resort last fall. She was a true chef, like big-time back in Atlanta. Flynn could be a hell of a boss with the chefs, and she’d stepped in to help after another one quit. Conveniently, she and Flynn fell in love and she stayed in Alaska. He had enough sense to give her full rein of the kitchen, so we all benefitted.
Cat, the youngest of the Walker siblings at seventeen, was hard at work at the stove when we entered the kitchen. I stopped beside her, peering down. “Oh, that smells freaking great. Do you need some help?”
Cat quickly stirred some vegetables with strips of beef in the pan as she glanced to me. “Do you want to check the rice? Daphne’s got something going in the oven too.”
Crossing over, I checked the rice steamer. The rice was done, so I set to work seasoning it. Daphne came hurrying out of the pantry with her auburn hair up in a bun. She smiled over at me. “Thank you! You’re a godsend, Diego.”
I’d always loved to cook. Daphne trusted me enough to help out now that she’d learned I had a clue in the kitchen. Not much later, I was sitting with the staff at the island counter, while Daphne served the guests at the massive dining table by the windows. When the crowd was thinner, staff would sometimes sit over there. When Daphne didn’t serve dinner for the guests, staff lounged at the table for dinner, drinks and lazy chatter.
I leaned back in my stool and let out a sigh. “Damn, that was good.”
Cat smiled over at me. She shared the same coloring as Flynn and Grant, gray eyes with dark blond hair.
“That stir fry is good stuff. I taste ginger in there,” I added.
Cat’s ponytail bounced as she nodded. “Good guess.”
Nora smiled at her. “You’re a blessing for Daphne. Flynn and I can’t cook.” Of the Walker siblings, Nora was the only one with brown hair and brown eyes.
Grant cast a sheepish smile. “Me neither.”
Cat ducked her head, her cheeks flushing with her smile. “I love cooking, and Daphne’s the best teacher.”
“What’s the schedule tomorrow?” I asked Nora.
She’d been working on it earlier. She pulled her laptop closer on the counter and opened it, tapping a key and bringing the screen to life. “We’ve got two delivery trips for mail and groceries, and we’ve got four scenic flights scheduled for guests.” She glanced to me, her eyes taking on a gleam. “You should take that group of women. One of them has her eyes on you.”
“I’ll pass then,” I replied quickly.
Nora’s brows hitched up. “You’re a professional flirt.”
I shrugged. “Not in the mood for flirting right now,” I said lightly.
Tucker caught my eyes from where he sat across from me. “Dude, what gives?”
“Nothing, how about I take one of the deliveries?”
“One of them includes a rescue dog being adopted, so we’ll be transporting it over,” Nora offered.
“I’ll take that one. The dog can ride in the front with me,” I offered.
Nora tapped it into the schedule. Conversation carried on, and conveniently, no one teased me about my choice not to take the flight with a group of women guests here. I wouldn’t call myself a player, but I was definitely a flirt. Yet, at the moment I only had one girl in mind: Gemma.
I wasn’t prone to focusing on one woman like that, and I had my reasons for it. I didn’t want to question it right now though. I was impatient to see Gemma at the grand opening for Cammi’s new café tomorrow night. Lately, those of us out here were getting rounded up time and again for the needs of our friends’ newest loves. Cammi had the best damned coffee in Alaska, so I was going to support her no matter what.
Of course, the coffee wasn’t what had me wound tight with anticipation. That was all Gemma.
Chapter Five
Gemma
I crossed the parking lot in front of Misty Mountain Café, pausing to spin and look behind me. I was still soaking in every view to be found here. This little coffee shop was situated on a slight hill off of Main Street in Diamond Creek with enough elevation to offer a view of the mountains and a slice of the bay in the distance.