Because you loved me, p.1
Because You Loved Me, page 1
BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
Trickle Creek
Book 4
ELENA AITKEN
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Bonus Scene
About the Author
Chapter One
Controlled chaos.
There was no other way to describe the steady stream of people coming in and out of the lodge. Some guests were checking in, while others were already headed out to the ski hill for a day on the slopes. The bellboys in their red and black flannels were shuttling carts full of bags to rooms, while in the lounge the servers were loaded down with trays of drinks. Children hopped up on the complimentary s’more station in the courtyard darted around, only narrowly avoiding crashing into the giant Christmas trees that were set up throughout the lobby.
Forget controlled. It was straight-up chaos.
But Asher Carlson loved every minute of it. As the CEO of the Carlson Corporation, there were many aspects of the business he had to oversee, but the main lodge at the base of the ski hill was always his home base. Especially during the busy winter ski season.
His siblings would all tell him he worked too much, but they didn’t understand that he thrived on the busyness of it all. Just the way his father and founder of the business, Michael, had, Asher preferred a hands-on approach, and he was tired of trying to explain it to them.
“Penny.” Asher pulled out the barstool next to him as his general manager, Penny Daniels, walked into the Black Diamond Lounge, where he’d been working from the far end of the bar. “Sit.”
She glanced up from her ever-present clipboard and met his gaze with glazed-over eyes. The worry lines on her forehead were deeper than normal, and Asher knew, without looking, that her fingernails would be broken and bitten way too short. She thought she was so sneaky, hiding her nervous tic from him, but Asher didn’t miss a thing.
“You look far too stressed out,” he said as soon as she sat and Brian, the bartender on duty, slid her a cup of black coffee.
Penny glanced at the coffee. “Is it too early for tequila?” She shook her head and sipped at the hot liquid. “Did you know we’re completely booked?” It was a rhetorical question. Of course Asher knew. “The restaurant is already taking two sittings for dinner every night, and don’t even mention the room service orders.” She shook her head and took another gulp of coffee. “And now, the banquet staff…” She stared into space for a moment before turning to face him. “Whose idea was it to host a wedding over Christmas?”
Asher lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head. It took a gargantuan effort on his part to keep his mouth closed, because pointing out the obvious to his number-one employee wouldn’t help the situation.
A moment later, Penny groaned and dropped her head onto her clipboard. “I know, I know. I thought it was a good idea at the time, and really, it’s going to be fine. I’m just—”
“You just need to breathe.” Asher reached over and rubbed Penny’s shoulder. “You are ridiculously tense. You should see if Claude has any openings for a massage.” Judging by the look she shot him, there were no bookings available in the spa either. “You know I’d volunteer for the job,” he added with a chuckle. “But we probably shouldn’t go there.” Again.
Penny laughed and slapped his hand away. “Don’t tempt me, Asher. I just might take you up on that offer one day.”
They both knew she wouldn’t. A few years earlier, before Asher had taken over as CEO and she’d been promoted to the general manager position, they’d hooked up a few times. It hadn’t been serious. None of Asher’s relationships ever were.
That hadn’t changed, only now he kept his hookups far away from anything to do with Carlson Corp, which was not always easy in a small town like Trickle Creek. Still, complicated was the last thing he needed.
Fortunately, there had never been any weirdness between him and Penny. They worked well together, which definitely wouldn’t have been the case with all the women he’d dated over the years. He’d always been upfront with what he wanted, and more specifically, what he did not want. Still, it never failed that, every once in a while, a woman would be convinced that she could change him and make him fall in love with her.
She couldn’t. He wouldn’t. End of story.
“What can I do to help, Penny?” He refocused on the problem at hand. “Where are you at with the wedding? I couldn’t help but notice the sign.” He used his head to gesture toward the lobby where a massive red and gold sign announcing “Alessandra & Ryan Forever” had been positioned next to the huge river rock fireplace.
“They really have taken over,” Penny said with a laugh. “But I kind of love it. It’s cute to see how excited the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom are.”
Asher didn’t bother mentioning that it should be the bride and groom who were excited because truthfully, he had no idea. He’d never paid much attention to weddings beyond the ones that were hosted at either the Trickle Creek Lodge in the winter, or the club house in the summer, and even then, he had Penny to handle the details.
“As long as everyone’s happy, that’s all that matters.” Asher gestured to Brian for a refill on Penny’s coffee, but she shook her head.
“If I have any more, I’m afraid I’ll start to vibrate. It’s not a good look.”
“You always look good, Penny.” He winked and turned in his stool to see his big sister Charli walk into the lounge, his brand-new niece in her arms.
He swallowed down a lump in his throat. Poppy was only a few weeks old. There was only one reason his sister would make the effort to visit him at work.
“You know how to find me if you need anything,” he said to Penny as he excused himself and made his way through the busy lounge to Charli, who had already been surrounded by staff and visitors, all clamoring to get a peek at the newborn.
“Hey, sis.” He squeezed through the small crowd and led her gently to a quiet corner of the busy lobby and a free seat. “It’s always good to see you.” He looked down at the sleeping bundle. “Both of you. She’s sweet.”
“Do you want to hold her?”
Instinctively, Asher took a step back. “Hold her?” He looked in horror from his big sister to his baby niece. “Char, she’s brand new.”
She laughed. “I’m well aware of how old she is. I was there for it, remember?”
He remembered. He’d been on a date and had just gotten back to his suite in the lodge when their little sister Kat called him to let him know that Charli and Symon were rushing to the hospital. Poppy Angela Scott was born only three hours later.
“She won’t break, Asher.”
He wasn’t convinced. “Next time.” He jammed his hands into his pockets. “I haven’t washed my hands.”
Charli shook her head but thankfully didn’t push. “It looks amazing in here, Asher. You’ve done a great job.”
“I have a great staff.” He brushed off the compliment, but it always meant a lot more than he let on when one of his siblings praised his work for the family company. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Not that it’s not great to see you both, but…”
He already knew what Charli was going to say. He’d been expecting it ever since Poppy was born. William Evans, the family’s lawyer, had given them all a reprieve while they were waiting for the baby to be born, but he wasn’t surprised that their little break was now over.
“It’s time, Asher,” Charli confirmed. “The family meeting was called for tonight.”
“Tonight?”
She nodded.
“That’s kind of fast.”
“Is it?”
It wasn’t. It had already been almost two years since their father had passed away and left them all with their very own tasks to carry out as stipulations to his last will and testament. His older stepbrother and sister had taken their turns first, and in a twist, Craig, his younger brother, had recently had his turn. It was only himself and his baby sister Kat left.
“I suppose I’ll finally find out my fate.” To his surprise, Asher didn’t feel any particular way about it. Not that it would matter if he did, because there was nothing to be done about it except doing whatever his father had dreamed up for him. It was either that or his family lost everything. And that would never be an option.
“You don’t know it’s your turn.”
He raised his eyebrow, and Charli shrugged. They both knew that Michael Carlson would keep his baby girl for last. Kat was the youngest and although they’d all had their own special relationships with their father, the connection between their father and his youngest child had been extra special.
“Seven?”
Charli nodded. “At the big house. We’ll have dinner first if you can make it.”
“I’ll do my best.” He kissed his sister on the cheek and gazed down at the still-sleeping bundle in her arms. “She really is beautiful, sis.”
There was no other word to describe being twisted and turned around and around while cousins and family members you didn’t even know existed wrapped you up in toilet paper, of all things.
As far as traditions went, Noa Briggs was pretty sure this was the stupidest one there was.
“Turn!”
Noa turned.
“Not that way.” Her cousin Sarah’s hand reached out and spun her around. “This way. Hurry,” she hollered. “They’re beating us.”
Noa forced herself to feign interest in the activity. “I didn’t realize it was a race.”
Sarah froze, a roll in her hands, and stared at her. “Noa. Everything is a race.”
She laughed, but quickly swallowed it when she realized Sarah was completely serious. Her elder cousin had always been hyper-competitive when it came to games growing up. Still. It was a ridiculous bridal shower game.
She tipped her head back and gazed up at the ceiling of the meeting room that all the female wedding guests had been stuffed into for the last few hours for the traditionally themed bridal shower. Noa was very quickly hitting her limit with the festivities.
“Five more minutes!” Jeannie, the mother of the groom, yelled out from somewhere across the room. “Make your brides beautiful.”
With the time ticking down, Sarah kicked things into overdrive and soon, Noa was not only wrapped in something that was supposed to resemble a gown made of toilet paper, but also had an elaborate headpiece attached to her head and woven through her blonde strands.
“Okay, time!” Jeannie called.
“No!” Sarah immediately began to protest, but Noa saw her chance to escape.
She shimmied away from her cousin with the roll of toilet paper trailing after her.
“Noa!” Sarah called after her. “Where are you going?”
“I have to pee.” She clenched her teeth together and shrugged apologetically.
“Now? We still have the judging and I know—”
“When you have to go, you have to go.” She twirled dramatically. “But great job, cuz! Best dress here.” She blew Sarah a kiss and slipped out the door into the hallway.
Noa leaned against the door and huffed out a breath.
“Don’t tell me you’re a runaway bride?”
Jolted, her eyes flew open to stare directly at her grandma. “What? I…”
“It’s a very pretty dress.” Her grandma winked, and Noa shook her head.
“Sarah is…”
“Say no more.” Her grandma squeezed her arm. “Your cousin always did love everything to do with weddings. She used to beg me to wear my veil around the house when she came to visit.”
“I remember.” Noa laughed, but it was followed quickly by a groan. “If she likes all of this so much,” she waved her arm around, “maybe she should be the one getting married.”
Noa regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth. Her cousin might drive her crazy but she loved her. And even though she was pushy and competitive to the point of totally overbearing, she was still a good person. And it wasn’t a secret that Sarah was dying to be the one who was the center of attention this week.
She’d been dating her boyfriend Brent for over two years and he’d yet to pop the question. It couldn’t be easy for her to bear witness to a huge family wedding that she herself wanted so badly.
“I didn’t mean that.” Noa shook her head and bit her lip.
Grandma Rose patted her cheek and smiled. “I know you didn’t, dear. Not everyone loves this kind of thing.”
That was an understatement.
“Your mother, on the other hand…she’s in her element.”
Noa groaned. “Is it awful of me that I don’t want anything to do with all of this silliness?”
Grandma Rose shook her head. “Not at all.” At barely five feet, she was a bundle of sweetness. She always smelled of baby powder and had a kind smile and even kinder word for everyone, especially her favorite grandchild. It was a private joke between the two of them that Noa would tease that she was the favorite, but secretly Noa knew it to be true.
Through the door, Noa heard Sarah calling her name. “I promise I’ll be back,” she told Grandma Rose. “But I just really need a few minutes. Don’t tell Sarah.”
Grandma Rose giggled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
From inside the room, Noa heard her cousin getting closer.
“Go.” Her grandma urged. “I’ll hold her off.”
Noa kissed her soft cheek. “You’re the best.”
Without a moment to spare, she took off down the hallway, no doubt leaving a trail of tissue in her wake. She heard the door to the meeting room open behind her, followed by her cousin’s high-pitched voice, as she only barely managed to slip around the corner before getting spotted.
Safe from view, at least for the minute, she took a moment to catch her breath, squeezed her eyes shut, leaned up against the wall and listened as her grandma steered Sarah back to the party.
Grandma had bought her a few minutes, but Sarah was nothing if not committed and she hated to lose. Even if it was a ridiculous bridal shower game. Noa didn’t have much time before her cousin would be looking for her.
She took a breath, turned, and ran—straight into a hard chest.
“Whoa. Careful.”
Two big hands clamped onto her arms, steadying Noa before she tripped over the long toilet paper dangling all around her feet.
“Sorry,” she muttered as she looked up into the eyes so blue, they reminded her of a clear glacier lake. “I was…just…”
“Let me guess.” The man’s eyes sparkled with mischief, but he didn’t move his hands. “You’re either on your way to a very formal event, or…” He pretended to think. “The bathroom.”
An unexpected laugh burst out of her and echoed through the empty hallway. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as she glanced behind her.
“Wait,” the man said. “You’ve been attacked by a rogue toilet paper assailant and they’re after you.”
Again, she laughed. “Yes,” she said as seriously as she could. “You’re actually pretty spot-on with that one.” Behind her, she was sure she heard the door to the meeting room open. “I need to hide.”
Blue eyes winked. “Come with me.”
Without waiting for a response, he released her, grabbing her right hand as he spun around and pulled her down the hall to a steel door with a No Entry sticker on it. “In here.”
Chapter Two
Asher wasn’t in the habit of rescuing women dressed in toilet paper gowns, but there was something about the way she looked at him with those big brown eyes, and when she laughed, he knew instantly that he’d do whatever it took to hear that sound again.
He turned quickly and moved for the first door he saw. “In here.” He quickly punched his master code into the keypad and pushed through the door into the banquet prep area of the main lodge kitchen.
“What? Where?”
Once the door clicked shut behind them, Asher released the woman’s hand, although somewhat reluctantly. “Whoever the lunatic toilet paper bandit chasing you is, he won’t find you in here.”
“She,” the woman corrected him. “My cousin. She takes her bridal shower games very seriously.”
The cute blonde held out her arms and spun in a slow circle, causing the layers of toilet paper to billow up around her legs.
Asher let out a low whistle. “I can see that.” He shook his head. “It’s very impressive.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I guess impressive is one word for it.”
“I take it you’re not a big fan of these games?”
She laughed again. He really was starting to love that sound. There was something completely unguarded about the way she laughed. Deep, throaty, and real. It was refreshing.
“I’m not a fan of weddings at all.”
