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“Which one was that?” I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee.
“When I was here for my trip, I went for that hike down by the beach that Nora told me about. When I returned, there was a moose on the path near the parking area. It didn't do anything, but I had to take a detour. That’s when I fell into that devil's club. That stuff is mean, and I never thought I’d describe a plant as mean.” She sighed, and her cheeks went a little pink when she glanced at Flynn.
That trip was when Flynn and Daphne fell in love. Thank God for that. My older brother waswayless grumpy than he used to be with her around. She took the edge off him.
“Well, now you know to avoid devil’s club,” I offered.
Daphne rolled her eyes as she got busy at the stove. I took a swallow of my coffee and glanced toward the windows. We were in the kitchen at the main lodge of Walker Adventures. I remembered this place before Flynn returned from the Air Force to take care of Nora and Cat. And me, I suppose. I'd started college at the time. I'd mostly been partying, relieved to be away from my dad. I'd missed my mom, but she'd only been able to provide a small haven away from the chaos my father created from bouncing in and out of our lives at his leisure. He and my mom had started this place, but we'd come a long way from those days.
My dad had been a pilot, and he'd had this idea that he would do this guiding business with my mom. This kitchen had been under construction, and we didn't even have any guest rooms. My dad had passed away, and then my mom barely held it together before passing away from an undiagnosed genetic heart problem. Nora had been in high school, and Cat had just started middle school.
Thank God for Flynn. He'd been in the Air Force and had left to come home as soon as he could. I'd immediately returned from college to try to hold the threads of our family together until he could get here.
At the time, the court had been concerned that nineteen was too young for me to be my sisters’ guardian. I could do the basics for them, but I sure as hell couldn't have done what Flynn did. When he returned, he’d assumed the role of father figure to all of us. He had a different father than the rest of us, one he’d never known. He’d worked night and day to turn this half-assed idea into a full-fledged outdoor resort and flight business catering to Alaskan tourists.
I let my eyes scan the space. This kitchen was nice with a beautiful view. A long table was situated in front of the windows for the guests and us. A fancy-looking industrial-style kitchen sat at the back of the large room with a counter encircling the working space. I rounded the counter, slipping my hips onto a stool, and watched as Daphne got started.
She made breakfast for the staff and guests every day. We had seven pilots now. Flynn, me, Nora, and Flynn's friends from the Air Force, who were all like family—Elias, Gabriel, Diego, and Tucker. We also had a little help from a local pilot who took the evening flights one day a week for us and pitched in with a little extra help here and there if somebody was sick or out of town. This lodge had transformed from a half-completed single story into three stories with guest rooms occupying the top two floors. There was also the staff house, which was just me, Cat, and Harley these days. Harley was Diego's younger sister. Everybody else had gradually moved out of the staff house one by one as they fell in love.
My mind spun back to last night. I was an early riser either way, but I'd woken up earlier than usual because my shoulder hurt like hell. Stiff and sore, I'd knocked down some ibuprofen and taken a quick shower before bolting from the house. I’d still dreamed about Harley last night after finding a quick release in the shower. Fuck me.
We'd never laid a finger on each other until last night when she cleaned up my shoulder. I gave my head a shake, turning my attention to Daphne. “What's for breakfast?”
“Egg casserole with ham and cheese. It'll be delicious. That's already baking. I’m also making waffles for anyone who wants them.” She adjusted the heat on something she was stirring on the stove.
“What's that?”
“I’m making syrup.”
I smiled over at her. “Thank God you're here.”
Her hazel eyes twinkled as she smiled back at me. “Yeah?”
“Uh, yeah. We get the best food ever because you're a kick-ass chef.”
Daphne was the real deal when it came to being a chef. She’d signed up for a month here. She was originally from Atlanta and came out to Alaska after a personal tragedy when her young son died from some kind of brain cancer. She stayed because our cook at the time quit. Flynn wasn't the best boss, but it was no big loss.
With Daphne here, she offered to help, and then she stayed. By that point, she and Flynn were half in love, if not entirely in love.
“Aside from the best food ever, you make life better for Flynn and all of us,” I added emphatically.
Flynn grinned over at me and winked. “Damn straight.” He lifted a hand, resting it on her shoulder as he leaned over to press a quick kiss on her cheek. He knew not to interrupt her too much when she was cooking. She smiled up at him. The sunlight angling through the windows cast a gold shimmer on her auburn hair, which was twisted in a braid and pinned on top of her head.
“I love it here,” she said simply. “Now, do you want waffles along with the egg casserole?”
“Hell, fucking yes,” Flynn said.
“What kind of syrup are you making there?” I asked.
“Blueberry. These are from the wild blueberries on the property.”
“Seriously?”
Daphne grinned. “Cat and I have fallen into the habit of grabbing a quart jar whenever we go out. There are tons of wild raspberries too, so I’m going to make raspberry vinegar.”
“What are you gonna do with that?” Flynn asked.
“Oh, that is delicious on pancakes.”
