Bearview Bride (BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (9 page)

Cade bit his lip as Tess explored the small room. Hopefully his parents wouldn’t find out about this any time soon. There were several reasons why Cade and his brothers were discouraged from “bothering” the hired help, as their mother so often put it. Most of the reasons had names, including Mandy, Ashley, Megan, and Riley. But he wasn’t as dumb as Sawyer. Cade would never hurt Tess.

“Would you like to see the rest of the lodge?” Cade asked.

“Definitely.”

He led her down the stairs and through the hallways, showing her the kitchen, dining room, family room, and laundry room. Once she’d gotten to know the basics, he took her out back.

“Are you going to show me the mountain, too?”

“You mean the part you haven’t fallen in?” he teased. “I can take you on some of my favorite hiking trails, but we should probably leave that for another day—it’s going to get dark soon.”

She seemed disappointed.

“I can show you the ceremony space we’ve built for the weddings, though. This way.” Without thinking, he took her hand. The same rush tingled through him once more. Tess blushed furiously, and looked firmly at the ground. Still, she didn’t release his hand. Cade’s heart thudded in his chest as he led her down the path.

Crickets quieted around them as they entered the little meadow he and Ethan had cleared. A more peaceful section of the stream babbled past the freshly painted gazebo. Cade didn’t think it looked half bad.

“This is great.” Stepping forward, Tess let go of his hand. Cade tried not to feel too disappointed. “There’s some tree cover, but it’s not too shaded. The stream will make it cooler for the guests, so even a midday ceremony would be bearable. And the lighting here is brilliant.”

“So would you say it’s perfect?”

“Not quite.” Retreating, Tess looked toward the gazebo through a square she’d formed with her hands. “It would be perfect if I had something to stand on right about here. Not too tall, but enough to give me a boost over any third uncle once-removed who thinks he needs to take pictures with his phone.”

“You don’t think third uncles would add character to your photos?”

Tess’s mouth quirked on one side. “Third uncles are fine. Third uncles once-removed is where I draw the line.”

Cade laughed. “All right, I’ll build you a platform. Overall, do you think the venue will do?”

She put her hands on her hips, taking in the scenery. “I’ll just say that I can see why you’d want to keep this all for yourself.”

“Well, not
all
to myself.” Cade closed the distance between them. As much as he wanted to slip an arm around her waist, he needed to restrain himself. He was trying to hire her to work for him, after all.

“I guess you would have to share with your family.”

“Right. Them.” Cade looked toward the gazebo. “I guess I couldn’t keep them away. My dad proposed to my mom here, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and then they got married here. My mom said that she wanted others to find the same happiness here that they did.”

“That’s sweet,” Tess said, though she didn’t sound entirely convinced.

Cade shook his head. “I still don’t know why my mom would ever want to share this place. But I don’t ask questions.” He grimaced. As much as he liked talking with Tess, they really needed to get down to business.

“I can’t tell you how many weddings you’ll photograph this summer, because we don’t know how many people will be booking here yet. The first couple decided to get married here on Monday, so that’s keeping us on our toes.”

“This Monday?” Tess asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. We’re really coming down to the wire. Not only do we have to make sure this space is ready, but my brother and I also need to prep the honeymoon suite.”

“I could help with that, if you’d like,” Tess said. “At least with the finishing touches, like throw pillows and molded soaps and high thread-count sheets.”

Cade stared at her. “Why would they need throw pillows?”

“Because they look nice.” Tess giggled. “The brides might appreciate them, anyway.”

“And what are molded soaps? Actually, I’m afraid to ask.”

“It’s just normal soap that’s in fancy shapes, like stars and shells. Maybe you could get some in the shape of bears, or trout, or whatever else lives up here.”

Cade rubbed his head. “Is the shape of the soap really important?”

“You’re in the wedding industry now, aren’t you?” Tess grinned. “It’s all about the little things. Anyway, I’d be happy to look the suite over if you’d like me to. Unless one of your brothers has a better eye for details.”

Cade felt a twinge of panic. Was he not putting enough effort into the suite? “You should probably look it over,” he said. “My brothers don’t know much about pillows, and they know even less about soap.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure we can get it looking fancy in no time. After Monday, when’s the next booking?”

“There’s nothing yet. Luckily, you get free room and board even if that’s the only wedding this entire season.”

“That would be a lot of downtime,” Tess said. “Still, with all that free time, think of all the streams I could find to fall into.”

“Yeah,” Cade said, “we’ll hope for more weddings.”

“I guess either one works for me.”

Cade swallowed. He had thought he’d come up with a reasonable compensation package, but now he wasn’t so sure. What if she wasn’t satisfied with the salary he’d set aside for this position? He couldn’t let her slip away. Still, there was only one way to find out.

“We can only offer a $5,000 stipend for the summer,” he heard himself saying. “It’s Bearview’s low season now, but if everything works out we can renegotiate arrangements for the winter. Does that sound fair to you?”

Tess put a hand on her chin. “If I get free room and board, I can put all that money toward my plane ticket fund. So yes.”

“Oh.” Cade frowned. “Where are you going?”

“To Africa. I haven’t decided exactly which countries yet, but I’m narrowing down my list. I want to go to some of the places my dad photographed.”

“That sounds great.” Cade tried to hide the pang of dread he felt. Africa was very far away. What if she fell in love with it and never came back? “Hopefully we can get you there sooner rather than later.”

She nodded. “Sooner would be best.”

Cade felt another pang. She had just gotten here. He didn’t want her to leave.

Somehow, he’d have to give her a reason to come back.

Chapter Eight

T
ESS STRETCHED, WORKING
out the kink in her back. She and Cade had used the morning to move Tess’s belongings out of her dingy apartment and into the lodge. It had only taken one trip—she didn’t have much stuff.

While in town, they had also swung by a couple of stores to buy a few things that Tess thought would look nice in the honeymoon cabin. Cade eyed some of her choices warily, but didn’t object to paying for anything. She hoped he wouldn’t regret her help.

“Does that look good to you?” Tess nudged one of the flower boxes on the cabin window, trying to align the edges perfectly.

Cade surveyed the rows of white and purple petunias. “I don’t know. I think it would look better if they weren’t crooked.”

“Cade! I’ve spent ten minutes on these. Don’t even joke about them being crooked.”

“All right, all right. They look spectacular. So spectacular, in fact, that anything you do at this point is just going to make them look worse.”

“Fine,” Tess said. “I guess we can take a break.” She had spent an inordinate amount of time on the tiny details, but those were the most important. Tess tried to treat the cabin like she would a photoshoot. The new pillows had to be plumped just so, the towels neatly folded. The silk curtains she’d picked out were long enough that they would be annoying if left to flutter in the breeze, so Tess had fastened them to the wall. They could still billow now, but never in anyone’s face.

Tess wasn’t sure why this honeymoon cabin was so important to her. Maybe it was just because it seemed important to Cade. She owed him a lot for hiring her to be Bearview’s photographer, and she wanted to pay back his kindness if she could.

“We definitely need a break,” Cade said. “And that’s coming from me. I don’t think this cabin is going to get any nicer, no matter how much time we spend on it.”

Reluctantly, Tess had to agree. “Do you want to look over the ceremony space again?”

Cade put a hand to his face. “All this work is going to your head. We need an actual break. Come on.”

He set off into the woods so fast that Tess had to run to catch up.

“We’re going now?” she panted. “Should I at least get my hiking boots? Or my waders?”

That earned her a stern glare. “No waders. That’s the last thing you need right now.”

“You’re right. What I need right now is for you to slow down, just a little. Your legs are twice as long as mine.”

“Sorry.” Cade slowed. “I’m not used to walking slower than that. Here, maybe this will help.” He twined his fingers through hers. “Now we have to go at the same pace. Is that better?”

“Much.” It felt like fireworks were going off inside her. How did it feel so right to have her hand in his?

When he’d taken her hand yesterday, Tess had almost been afraid that he’d been playing some kind of joke on her. But this morning, he’d taken one hand off the steering wheel and held her own for the entire trip down the mountain and into town. And the way he’d looked into her eyes when he’d opened the truck door for her and helped her step down certainly hadn’t been a joke.

They walked downhill, shaded by the wispy pines. Tess could still hardly believe how drastically her life had changed in one day. She lived in Bearview Lodge now, and could say that she was a professional photographer. The man who had rescued her, and who she had been nursing a crush on, was now her boss. Strangest of all, he seemed to like her back.

Tess smiled. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake from it.

“Are you ready for this?” Cade asked. “It’s one of my favorite places on Mount Bliss. Of course, it might still be a bit cold, but it’ll warm up in a month or two.”

She was about to ask what would warm up when they rounded a bend in the path. Tess gasped. Spread before them was an alpine lake, its water clear and deep. The bottom was covered in flat, smooth stones that gave everything a sense of serenity. Tall pines ringed the perimeter. Though Tess knew they weren’t the only people on the mountain, somehow this place felt private.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said.

“Well, don’t just stand there admiring it.” In what seemed like a well-practiced motion, Cade shucked his clothes. “Come on!” Running out onto a wooden dock, he launched himself off. He hung in the air for a few seconds, then came down with a tremendous splash.

Tess laughed as ripples spread through the lake.

Surfacing, Cade shook water from his hair. “Aren’t you coming in?” he called.

“I don’t have a bathing suit.”

He gestured to the shielding pines. “Who says you need one?”

Shaking her head, Tess kicked off her shoes and walked onto the sun-warmed dock. She sat at the edge of it, gingerly putting her toes into the water.

“It’s freezing!” She pulled her toes out, crossing her legs beneath her for warmth.

“Of course it’s freezing. We’re halfway up a mountain. But aren’t you hot from working all morning?”

Tess shuddered. “Not that hot. How can you stand it?”

“It’s not that bad once you go under. Come on, try it.”

She crossed her arms. “No way. I’m not getting hypothermia in June.”

He swam up to her, putting one sopping arm on the dock. “I won’t let you get cold. I promise.”

Tess felt her resolve falter. It was something about those big brown eyes.

“Come in,” he said, “just for five minutes.” He laid a hand on her knee. She expected his skin to at least be chilled, but it actually felt a little hot. Maybe he would be able to keep her warm.

Tess looked over the crystal water, which was looking more enticing by the second. “I don’t know. I don’t want anyone to see me naked.”

“None of the guests know about this place. No one will see you.”

“
You’ll
see me!”

Cade grinned. “Yes, but I don’t mind.”

Tess scowled. Now he had to be lying. Who would want to see her huge thighs and wide hips?

“I’ll come in,” she said, “but you have to close your eyes.”

“For the whole time?” Cade sounded disappointed, but he put his head in the crook of his elbow.

“Let me get in, then we’ll see how it goes.” Peeling off her shirt, Tess let it fall to the dock. She gazed at the water. It was so incredibly clear. It wouldn’t leave anything to the imagination. Sighing, she shed her shorts and undergarments, adding them to the pile.

At least Cade didn’t seem to be trying to peek.

Taking a breath, Tess put a foot into the water. Her skin broke out in goose bumps almost immediately.

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Me neither,” Cade said. “Do you know how tempting it is to take a single look?”

Tess folded her arms. “You can’t see this, but I’m glaring at you right now.”

“Come on, Tess. Don’t think about anything. Just jump in. The first few seconds are the worst.”

Taking several deep breaths, Tess tried to gather her courage. She backed up on the dock, all the way to the far edge.

She looked over her shoulder. The woods were close. She could just grab her clothes, and run back to Bearview. But then she would have to pass up jumping into the same water that held a huge, naked man. Beads of water were dripping down Cade’s chest and abs. It would be a shame to run away from him.

So she ran forward. At the end of the dock, she leapt. The water rushed to meet her.

Tess heard the splash she made, but she felt nothing but cold. Her nerves burned with it. It felt like she’d stepped into the Arctic.

She broke the surface, her mouth wide with shock. “Cade! It’s so cold!” Her arms flailed in the water, her muscles too frigid to function.

Cade scooped her up, holding her against his chest. “Better?”

She relaxed as the heat of him warmed her skin. Gradually, her teeth stopped chattering. “Much better. How are you so warm?”