Falling into Love

Chapter 1 Liam “Ev. Get your gorgeous butt in here so we can start.” I snorted in amusement at Drew’s softly spoken command, lifted my coffee cup, and hid my smile behind it. Their antics always cracked me up. Everett poked his head in, gave us all a brilliant grin, then locked gazes with Drew. “My butt is fabulous, thank you for noticing. And I just need another minute or two. Have a cookie.” “There’re cookies?” Jackson asked, sitting a little straighter. He reached for the box I’d brought this morning, but a snuffling woof made him snap his gaze to his dog. A huge Bernese Mountain Dog, big even for her breed. She had a tendency not to be aware of her own size and strength, which explained why she had her muzzle in the fifty-gallon Rubbermaid container we’d set up as a terrarium. “Tinkerbell. Come.” The dog trotted over and sat obediently at her master’s side, and Everett finally joined us in our small conference room. He scowled at Jackson. “She was only checking on Cherry. You know she needs to. It’s what she does, check on everyone and everything under her protection to make sure we’re all okay.” Everett’s frown deepened. “I can’t believe some asshole just let our sweet Cherry-baby loose in the woods. Thank God we found her, or she would have died. She was already halfway there.” “We don’t know that’s what happened,” Drew soothed, pulling out the chair next to him. Everett gave him a scathing look as he plopped into the seat. “How else was a red-footed tortoise supposed to get out there in our forest? They aren’t native to the area.” From across the table, Wade finally chimed in by clearing his throat, all we needed to quiet down. I took another sip of coffee and sighed happily as the caffeine hit my system. I needed that boost in the morning, and sitting at this table with baked goods, coffee, and my closest friends was the best start to the day. I took a moment and looked at them, and my chest got a little tight. These men were my brothers in every way but blood, and I cherished the hell out of them. Going into business together three years ago had been the best decision we’d ever made. V Wilderness Adventures was a product of our passion and our friendship and I couldn’t be prouder of what we had accomplished. “Let’s get started,” Jackson requested. He shuffled his papers, then rested a hand on Tink’s big head. She closed her eyes and huffed a contented breath when he stroked one ear. Everett held up a hand, then looked straight at me. “Thank you for bringing breakfast, Li-li.” I gave him a mock scowl. I always brought goodies to our morning meetings since I lived over the bakery in town. “You know I hate that nickname.” Everett, who had just taken a huge bite of eclair, gave me a wide grin. A little bit of the chocolate and filling oozed onto his lip. “Gross.” I balled up a napkin and threw it at him. Everett just laughed. “You start, Liam,” Wade said, effectively cutting off any reply Everett would have made. I leaned forward and braced my forearms on the table, my hands cupped around my mug. The warmth seeped in. It wasn’t a particularly cold day, but it was autumn and the temperature had yet to hit forty. By the time the sun climbed higher, it’d be warm enough I probably wouldn’t need the fleece I was currently wearing. “Okay.” I cleared my throat, took another sip, then reached for the piece of paper Everett slid across the table to me. I gave him a smile in thanks and glanced at it. “I’ve got an easy hike this morning. It looks like ten people have prepaid. Starts at eight. I’m thinking I’ll take them up Fox Trail, since the rain two days ago washed out part of Hare Trail. That shouldn’t be too difficult.” “Good plan,” Jackson agreed. “Anything else?” I shrugged. “The Smiths stopped me on my way in, asking for a more difficult trail to hike, and I pointed them toward Whiteface.” “They took a transponder with them when they left,” Everett confirmed. That was a relief. We included safety equipment in our camping packages, but not everyone took advantage of it. The Adirondacks could be dangerous even at the best of times, and I was always pleased when those staying on our grounds chose safety over recklessness. I knew, maybe better than anyone, just how treacherous the terrain could be. “Wade? What ‘cha got?” Jackson asked, moving the conversation forward. “A few reservations for canoes. It’s pretty cold to be out on the lake. Neptune and I will be standing by.” I shot the big blond man a smirk. “And Greg will be in the water?” “Probably.” We all laughed. Neptune, a Newfoundland, was trained in water rescue and never left Wade’s side when he was “on duty.” Greg, on the other hand, was a tiny schipperke, and getting him out of the water was a challenge. He loved diving in. Just like his owner. Jackson turned his attention to the right. “Drew?” “Bob broke into the Dumpster again.” That made everyone groan. The black bear had a den about five miles into the McKenzie Wilderness Area, but he was fairly desensitized to people and liked coming onto our property and rummaging through the garbage. We always gave him a wide berth, but that didn’t mean Bob afforded us the same courtesy. “You’ll get a new lock?” Drew nodded, leaned back, and rested his arm on the back of Everett’s chair. “Yep. I’m heading into town when we’re done. I’ll get it fixed today.” “I’ll make sure to warn the campers that Bob’s about,” Everett chimed in. “Thanks. Anything else?” Drew chewed his lip for a minute, thinking. “One of the showers in the men’s bathroom is leaking. I’m going to try to fix it, but we might have to call a plumber.” We all looked at Everett, who swallowed the last of his eclair. He reached into the box for another pastry, pulled out a thick cinnamon roll, and set it on the plate in front of Drew. Sliding it a little closer to Drew, he nodded. “That should be fine. We’ve had a really good month, and still plenty in the emergency fund. Still solidly in the black.” I breathed a sigh of relief. We did a pretty good business—especially with the campgrounds—but money was always a bit of a worry. We were careful. With Everett at the helm of our finances, we had no choice. But his frugality had served us well. The business had been breaking even at least since our sixth month in operation, and our profits had gone up in the past year. The idea for the business had been Jackson’s, and he’d brought us here to his hometown of Okwaho Lake. The winters were brutal, and the summers hot and humid. But we were together, all five of us, working to make something great. I’d never regretted our decision for a minute. Being with these guys, and getting to do what I loved, was a dream come true. “And I’ve got some work to do around here, since we have the Carter family reunion booked for this weekend. We’ve got enough spaces for their tents, right?” Jackson glanced at Everett, and the man once again nodded in confirmation. “All right, I think that’s about it. Unless anyone has something else to add.” Jackson shuffled his papers together, then looked each one of us in the eye. He liked to check, to make sure we were all doing okay. I swore sometimes he could read minds with that dark, penetrating stare of his. When no one had anything else to say, I stood and stretched. I’d slept like crap the night before—I really needed a new bed—but it was nothing that another cup of coffee and a good hike couldn’t cure. I was looking forward to getting out there. It had been a couple of days since I’d really stretched my legs. We hadn’t had any groups or individuals looking for a guided hike, and when I didn’t have one to lead, I stuck close to the office, messing with Everett and helping out where I could. “Liam?” I turned to Jackson, then scowled at his smirk. “What?” “Make sure you take the big first aid kit.” “Ha-ha.” Jackson shook his head. “I’m serious.” I sighed. “Yeah. I know. But I haven’t had a…mishap in weeks.” I thought for a moment. “It’s been at least three months.” Everett gasped and whirled around. “Knock on wood. Do it right now!” I immediately complied, rapping my knuckles on the oak table at which we’d just been sitting. Everett still frowned at me, and I tried hard not to smile back. His superstitions were funny. “You jinxed yourself, you know that?” “It’ll be fine, Evie. I promise.” I reached to ruffle his hair, but he swatted away my hand as he ducked. He pointed an accusatory finger at me. “Do not touch the hair.” I held up my hands in surrender. “Sorry, princess. I know better.” He sniffed and turned up his nose. “I really should have a tiara.” Then he put on a show, prancing out of the room. I laughed at his retreating back. I adored him, and I loved teasing him. Fortunately, he never took it seriously, and gave as good as he got. “He’s probably going to punch you in the face one day,” Drew said. I nodded. “Well, if he does, I probably deserve it.” I clapped Drew on the shoulder, then headed to the storeroom where we kept the supplies. After pulling my favorite pack off the shelf, I added water, granola and trail mix, and the big first aid kit. The route I planned would take only about two hours, but I had to be prepared. Low blood sugar and dehydration could happen quickly, even on a less-than-strenuous hike. I tested the weight, rearranged the contents, then tried again. With everything finally well balanced, I carried it into the front room. Everett was waiting and out the emergency beacon without a word. I added it to the outside pocket of the pack. I didn’t bother to test it, knowing Everett already would have. He was nothing if not efficient. “You have the releases and waivers ready?” I asked. He gave me a pointed look, then slowly swung his gaze to the counter. It took me only a second to spot the neatly stacked and stapled paperwork. The hold-harmless releases were vital to covering our asses, and no one could participate in activities without signing one. If they chose to hike on their own, that was one thing. But we needed legal documents that showed everyone hiking or boating with us knew the risks. “Thanks.” I took in Everett’s shawl-collared cardigan and dark blue jeans. I squinted, then pointed at him and motioned up and down. “That’s all new.” The grin that blossomed lit up his face. “I went shopping. I have a lunch date.” “Oh, yeah?” Drew clomped past us, his boots echoing on the hardwood floor. “I’ll be back.” I watched him go, wondering what his rush was all about. But he was probably just anxious to get working. I was, too, so I waved to Everett, told him to have fun on his date, and headed for the door. Once outside, I stopped and took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air. I caught the faint scent of wood smoke from a recent fire and the slight sweetness of decaying leaves. The trees were still in full leaf, but everything was blazing colors of reds and oranges. It wouldn’t be long before the trees were bare. But for now, I could enjoy the gorgeous sight for what it was, fixing it in my mind to get me through the long winter. Next to the door was our sign, the same stylized V—bold and sweeping—we all had tattooed on our bodies as well as a trout jumping into a rainbow. I touched it and smiled. The door creaked open and Tinkerbell pushed outside, huffing a breath and sitting right next to me. After a second, she leaned her weight against my leg. I ruffled the thick fur at her neck. “You going with me?” Her only answer was to shuffle around to sit on my foot. I was glad I’d already put on my heavy-duty hiking boots. Otherwise, she probably would have broken a bone. A hundred and ten pounds of solid dog was a lot to have on one appendage. I grinned, then leaned back far enough to open the door a crack. “Jackson! I’m taking your dog with me.” “Good!” I heard the satisfaction in his tone. He thought Tink would keep me out of trouble. He was probably right. She knew these trails and our property better than we did. And she had all that training as a search dog. Tink was keenly tuned in to trouble. She was an asset. Plus, if she was with me, she wouldn’t be underfoot while Jackson cleaned up and prepared the campground. A crow cawed just as the wind picked up, and rustling leaves joined the symphony. Peace settled into my bones, and the tension I’d been carrying from a bad night’s sleep melted away. I was doing what I loved in the company of men I loved. It couldn’t get any better than this.