Read Falling Fast, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 4) for Free Online Page B

want,” he said with a wave as he skied away.
    Cam watched him go while he waited behind in the snowy forest. After the sound of Gage’s skis faded, the only sound was the breeze blowing through the trees. Cam took a slow breath of air, savoring the hint of spruce and the subtle scent of the ocean in the distance. He pushed off on his skis and set out on a small loop he’d marked the other day. The rhythmic sound of his skis swishing across the snow settled him. Skiing was both painful and soothing these days. Too much of his time had been spent skiing with Eric, which meant now he had to adjust to Eric’s absence. Years past, Eric would have been at his side on these trails. It was gradual, but the sharpness of the pain was dulling. He turned onto a long straight stretch and picked up his pace, pushing himself to go fast and hard over the snow. When he reached the end of the straight stretch, the trail dipped and curved down a hill. He flew over it, his skis flexing with his landing as he cut down the swerve and swirled to a stop at the bottom of the short hill. He’d pushed himself hard enough to savor the breath heaving in and out of his lungs. When he pushed himself physically, he forgot everything and only focused on the moment in time.
    He held still at the bottom of the hill and looked out over the small field beside him. Snow blanketed everything. An eagle screeched loudly and flew out of the trees. His eyes tracked the majestic bird as it angled sideways, its wings casting a wide shadow on the snow below. As it flew above the trees, he looked past it to the mountain peaks on the far side of the bay. So regal and immense, they stood quietly, their shadows cast across the water. With a last look, he pushed off his skis and headed back to the lodge.
    As he skied back, Ginger sauntered through his thoughts, which she’d been doing fairly frequently since their kiss last night. He had absolutely no idea what he’d been thinking. But once his lips touched hers, thought wasn’t an option. Somehow, he’d fumbled his way through dinner afterwards. She’d set him afire and sent his heart into a tailspin, unsettling him in a way he hadn’t expected. He was generally pretty quiet, so no one seemed to notice he had a hard time talking around her after that. She’d joined him with Gage and Marley for dinner. Don had spent a while with them, along with a few other friends and family. Cam had been at so many ski lodges, many of them were interchangeable. Last Frontier Lodge stood out for the sheer beauty of its location and its warm, friendly vibe. Gage and Marley had a standing dinner in the restaurant with any variety of family and friends joining them on different evenings. They’d easily welcomed Cam into their circle and went out of their way to make sure he felt comfortable.
    He didn’t want to mess up his welcome by stumbling over whatever this thing was with him and Ginger. All he’d known last night was he wanted to kiss her so badly he could hardly see straight. He’d like to think he had more control over himself. He could barely remember the last time he even noticed a woman. Before Eric died, his life was traveling and skiing. They bounced from race to race and were leaders in backcountry skiing all over the world. He had flings here and there, but he was so focused on staying in peak condition, even those weren’t much of a part of his life. He hadn’t thought about it much, but he always figured he’d find someone when his life slowed down. His parents had a good marriage, and he hoped to have the same someday. Then, Eric died and his life skidded sideways. Romance, casual or otherwise, hadn’t even crossed his mind.
    Until he laid eyes on Ginger. At first, he’d figured it was just an attraction and would fade. Yet, every time he saw her, the air snapped and crackled between them. Then, he’d gone and kissed her and all but lost his mind.

    ***
    Ginger waited while Charlie Harris sounded out his