Goodbye Gifts: (The Steamy Version) (A 'HOT' Castle Mountain Lodge Romance Book 5) (17 page)

She swallowed hard, remembering the way he’d lectured her on trying to run a business in a small town and how the Grizzly Paw was going to be at risk of going under if something didn’t give. Sam kicked at a stone on the sidewalk. She knew exactly what it was, too. The stupid resort that was going in up the road. It was changing the fabric of her town. People were scared, nervous about how the Springs opening would change the dynamic of their town. They were staying home, not eating out at the Paw anymore.

She took a minute to look around the main street of her beloved small town. In the green at the end of the street, kids played while their mothers chatted over coffee at one of the picnic tables. Sam could walk down to the lake, and on her way she’d be greeted by name by everyone she passed. The people of Cedar Springs were close. They looked out for one another and they cared about their picturesque mountain town. Outsiders weren’t going to care. They were going to travel into town and destroy the peace and quiet, not to mention the extra cars, noise, and garbage they were likely to bring with them.

She sighed and laughed at herself a little because she knew if anyone could hear her thoughts, she’d be accused of being a crotchety old woman. And it wasn’t that; she just wanted what was best. And as far as she could tell, it wasn’t the Springs hotel.

With a shake of her head, she squeezed her files tight to her chest and walked back to the bar at the end of the road.

“Excuse me?” A deep male voice stopped her. “Can I ask you a question?”

Sam turned slowly, cautious of the strange voice and when she saw the owner of the voice, her heart did one of those stupid schoolgirl fluttery things. He was tall; his strong shoulders looked broader, encased the way they were in a well-cut suit. He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair that immediately flopped down over his forehead again. His hair was a juxtaposition to the clean-cut look he was trying to portray, but it was intriguing, and very sexy.

“Yes?” Sam drew out the word. She was pretty sure he could ask her anything and she’d be happy to answer it.

“I’m looking for a barber shop,” he said. “I’m new to town.”

Ah. Of course. The suit. Locals didn’t walk around dressed like that. He was likely with the hotel.

She stiffened, quashing any attraction she felt for the man. “You’re with the hotel.” It wasn’t a question.

“I am.” He held out his hand. “My name is—”

“I don’t care.”

“Pardon?”

“Sorry,” Embarrassed by her rudeness, her face reddened. “I’m just not really excited about the resort. It’s not necessary.”

“I don’t understand. I think the resort would be bringing a lot of jobs to the town.” He crossed his arms, and tilted his head, obviously amused by her. “Not to mention the tourism.”

“We don’t need it.”

“Is that right?”

Anger and annoyance boiled through her. And something else. Something she didn’t want to identify. “That’s right. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Okay.” He spoke slowly. His eyes filled with puzzlement. “But, the barber shop…”

Sam stopped herself before turning around. “It’s across the street, next to the cafe. But if you ask me…”

“Yes?”

“It’s fine the way it is.”

She spun quickly and bit her bottom lip. What on earth made her say that? Oh, she knew exactly what made her say that. The man’s eyes, his cocky smile, and his sexy shaggy hair had made her stomach flip. But it didn’t matter—the man represented the enemy. She probably should have recommended Betsy at Hair Affair; she would have dyed it blue and permed it. And maybe that would be a good thing. Especially if it stopped the insane urge Sam had to run her hands through his hair.

She’d walked for five minutes, so lost in thought and chastising herself for even entertaining thoughts about a man who was in any way connected with the Springs that she didn’t even realize she’d gone in the opposite direction of the Grizzly Paw. She circled back and shook her head clear of the thoughts and it wasn’t until she finally set foot in her bar, after going the long way around, that she realized as annoying as the man was, he’d succeeded in distracting her from her financial troubles. At least for a few minutes.

She greeted the regulars sitting in their usual booth as she walked through her pub and back to her office where she dropped the files and sank into her chair. It had been three years since Sam Burke had given herself a migraine just by staring at the financial records for the Grizzly Paw. The difference between then and now was that three years ago, she'd just taken over operations from her father, who'd let the popular local pub fall into ruin because he was too busy drinking away his profits and chasing after any woman who'd spare his drunken ass a glance.

Three years ago, the Grizzly Paw had been in a very different situation. One that despite the roadblocks in front of her, Sam could see a way out of. She released a sigh and pulled the papers toward her again, determined to find somewhere, anywhere, she could cut back. Or even cut out. She'd already had Archer slash their food costs and despite the fact that she wouldn't know gourmet burger from a fast-food offering, she did know she liked to have a little beef between the bun. And Archer had already warned her that if she cut his budget any further, he couldn't be held responsible for what he fed the guests. Knowing him, it would probably be something he pulled out of the forest.

As if her thoughts had conjured him, there was a knock on the door and Archer blew into the room, the scent of something delicious wafting in with him.

“Sammie.” He folded his large frame into the chair in front of her desk. “We need to talk.”

She pushed the papers aside and tugged her long dark hair back into a ponytail in an effort to tame her unruly locks. “What can I do for you? And by the way, what’s the special today? It smells delicious.”

“Stew.” He crossed one long leg over the other and sat back.

“Beef stew?” Her stomach rumbled with the promise of a warm meal.

“Let's just say it’s stew.” He raised his eyebrow and all Sam could do was shake her head and look away.

“I don't think I want to know.”

“I don't think you do.”

They stared at each other in a challenge for a few moments before Sam looked away. Archer was the best chef in Cedar Springs. Not only that, he was her self-proclaimed big brother and would go to the ends of the earth for her. Which is what it might come to if things didn’t pick up. And when the Springs did open, with their fancy new restaurant, it was Archer’s amazing food that would save them. They just needed to ride it out.

“Hello.” Archer waved a hand in front of her face. “Earth to Sammie. Are you in there?”

She shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “Of course I'm in here. I was just thinking about something for a minute.”

“You're going to get yourself in trouble, filling that pretty little head with thoughts.” Sam sharpened her tongue, ready to spit back a sharp retort, but the smile on her friend’s face gave him away. She tossed a pencil at him instead.

“Assault with a deadly weapon.” He caught it deftly and tucked it behind his ear. “Well, a weapon anyway. But I’m serious—you shouldn’t worry so much. You’re going to get those lines on your face.”

“Worry lines? They’re given that name for a reason.”

“Whatever. They’re not hot.”

Sam laughed. She had to. There was no one quite like Archer. With his big burly appearance, and his penchant for hanging out in the forest to shoot things, most people assumed he was a tough guy. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The shell might be hard, but on the inside, Archer was one of the sweetest, most sensitive men she knew. She also knew from firsthand experience, he was also fiercely protective of those he cared about. And once Archer declared him her unofficial big brother when her own brother died along with their mother when they were teenagers, and her father had become more or less useless, she’d had a protector for life. Which had proved to come in handy once or twice.

“One day you’re going to make some girl very lucky,” she said. “Imagine, a man who’s worried about wrinkles. So selfless.”

Archer held up a hand in protest. “Wait a minute. I never said anything about selfless. If you get all wrinkly, I’m going to have to look at that all day.” He shuddered and Sam wished he was closer so she could smack him.

“What’s up, Arch?” As much as she was enjoying the break from her stress, she still had to figure out a way to cut costs. Again. And that wasn’t going to happen if she was sitting here chatting.

“I need more money.”

Sam resisted the urge to hit her head against the table.

“There is no—”

“There must be. You’re the only pub in town. This place is packed every night.”

“If what you mean by ‘packed’ is a handful of tables, yes. We’re packed every night.”

“That’s packed for Cedar Springs.”

“It’s not enough.”

Archer tilted his head and gave Sam a look that told her he knew there was more to her stress than she was letting on. As awesome as it was to have someone who knew her so well, it was also a royal pain in the ass at times.

“Sammie.” He used her nickname. “What’s going on? We’ve pinched pennies before, but our regulars have always been enough to keep the doors open.”

She tapped her pen on the notebook in front of her. “Shouldn’t you go stir that stew or something?”

He tilted his head and waited.

Sam stared at the ceiling. There wasn’t any point fighting him. Archer was a lot of things, and stubborn definitely topped that list. “We need a new roof.” She sat straight and stared at him. “And the furnace probably isn’t going to make it through another winter. Don’t even get me started on the air conditioner. We better hope for a mild summer, or the few customers we have are going to be eating outside.”

“They’d like that,” Archer mused. “It could be a selling feature. We have the best views in town.”

“Not funny.”

He reached for her hand. “It’ll be fine.” His voice turning serious. “It always is. You’ve done wonders with this place and this will work out, too. You’ll see. What’s the most crucial thing?”

“The roof.”

“Then get it done. I’ll call in some favors with my buddy Bruce. He’ll give you a good deal. You have enough money for that, right?”

She did. But that’s all she had, which would be fine if it wasn’t for the Equinox festival that was less than a month away. Although it was the town that put on the festival, traditionally the Grizzly Paw was the headline sponsor, providing all the food, the entertainment, and of course, the venue. If she got the much-needed roof, there’d be nothing left to put on the party that the people of Cedar Springs deserved.

Sam nodded. “You’re right,” she said after a moment. “If Bruce can give me a deal, that would really help.” There was no point telling him about the festival—he’d only worry, and both of them stressing about something there was absolutely no help for didn’t seem like a good use of energy.

“So it’s settled then?”

Sam looked up into Archer’s smiling face. That was the thing about her long-time friend, and one of the many reasons she loved having him around. He balanced her. Sam managed a smile. “It’s settled.” She nodded. Logically, she knew she needed the roof. It was the right choice. She’d just have to figure everything else out later.

Read the rest of Summer of Change, now!

Residing in the Alberta Foothills with her husband and twins, Elena escapes to the mountains as often as possible and can often be found sitting by the lake plotting her next story.

Besides her fiction projects, Elena has been published in multiple Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, as well as the Seal Press anthology, How to Put a Car Seat on a Camel-and other misadventures traveling with children.

To learn more about Elena Aitken and her other books, please visit
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