A Surprising Fact About Love: Small Town Romance (Silver Ridge Series Book 4), Page 2

  Jerry’s eyes turned serpentine, and Ashley’s stomach roiled over. “No problem at all. Just trying to get this beautiful lady up to my room, if you know what I mean.”

  Nervous male laughter rolled through the crowd, and Ashley took a sip of her drink, unable to take her gaze off the sexy stranger.

  “It didn’t sound like she wanted to take you up on your offer,” the man continued.

  “She just needs a little warming up. That’s all.” Jerry ran his finger along Ashley’s jaw, and she clenched, feeling a tingle run through her knuckles. She knew how to throw a mean right hook, but this wasn’t the time or place.

  Yet.

  The crowd parted, and the man charged through, his eyes darting to Ashley’s nametag, and all she wanted to do was crawl under a rock somewhere.

  “Ashley?” the good-looking stranger asked.

  “Yes?”

  “Is this man bothering you?”

  “He’s—”

  “Who do you think you are to get in my way of getting a little something?” Jerry interrupted Ashley, and the stranger cocked his head slightly.

  It was apparent that he wasn’t used to being spoken to with so little respect, which only made Ashley more curious.

  “I think it’s time we escorted you off the property.” The man gestured at two large men standing by the door.

  “What? You think you can kick me out? Who do you think you are? It’s not like you own this joint.” Jerry threw his beer bottle on the ground, and Ashley noticed the man who came to her rescue clenched his jaw and stood straighter as the two men from the door came upon Jerry with powerful ease.

  The moment the men started escorting Jerry out, the crowd began cheering and clapping, but when Ashley turned to thank the stranger, he had disappeared.

  Ashley’s pulse was still racing as she took another sip of her drink. This certainly wasn’t how she’d planned the evening to go, and she had no idea what she was going to tell the Finns about their Christmas present.

  “You okay?” the bartender asked quietly.

  “Yeah.” Ashley nodded and set her drink down. “It’s just a good reminder as to why I’m single.”

  “Tell me about it.” The bartender grinned as Ashley took a seat on one of the stools. “I’m Erika Larson.”

  “Ashley.” She pointed at her own nametag. “Ashley Malone. So, who was that guy who kicked Jerry out?”

  Erika’s brows shot up in surprise. “You don’t know?”

  “Should I?” Ashley squirmed on the stool.

  “He’s a North brother.”

  “North brother?” Ashley shook her head, not knowing the significance.

  “Austin North. He’s the oldest brother of four, and the North brothers own Silver Ridge Resort.” She licked her bottom lip and glanced across the room. “And most of the town too.”

  “Huh. Never heard of them.” Ashley’s heart rate quickened as she thought about the gorgeous Austin North.

  His blue eyes sparkled like the Caspian Sea, and his dark hair was perfectly mussed, which naturally led her to wonder what it would be like to have her fingers running through the dark strands.

  But that was what Ashley loved about daydreaming. Nobody knew the random thoughts that ran through her mind and kept her happily single. She was more of the look but don’t touch kind of person. It was less messy and time-consuming, and while she couldn’t wait to get back home to the Finns’ residence tonight, she had to wonder why of all the men who could have made her daydream, it had to be the least attainable man in the area?

  Chapter Two

  Every single thing about the woman screamed at Austin North to run the other way. She was perfectly, completely, certainly not his type. Her golden blonde hair was chopped off just above her shoulders, and if she could get any more covered up, he’d be surprised.

  Besides her head, the only other part of skin he saw was the woman’s hands, and really, it was more her fingers than anything else. Her sweater had been yanked over most of her palms, and she kept pulling on the scarf she had draped around her shoulders. She certainly didn’t dress like any of the other women at the speed dating event, and he kind of liked it.

  Not that it really mattered. He wasn’t participating, only hosting the event at his resort. Austin chuckled and glanced out the window to see the swirls of snowflakes leaving a mark. It would be another good ski day tomorrow, but suddenly, all he could think about was the sparkle in this woman’s eyes, which made Austin wonder what she was thinking about. He glanced at her briefly and saw a glint of annoyance dash across her delicate features, which made him laugh and shake his head.

  From the moment he spotted her across the room, she looked as if she wanted to climb up the walls and escape from the prison she apparently felt she was in, and that made him wonder why in the world she’d signed up for a dating event.

  Austin shrugged off the thought and the woman, turning his attention back to the bartender, Erika.

  “Looks like the event is a success.” Austin leaned over the bar and took a sip of water with lemon as he glanced at Erika’s friendly face. She was an attractive woman, but he and his brothers had long ago made it a policy not to date people they worked with.

  Sometimes, the rule had been bent, but never by Austin.

  Most of the time.

  But Erika Larsen was different. She had a young son, who was an amazing little boy, and she had been through more bad luck than most could even fathom. Silver Ridge was lucky to have her working for them.

  There was something else about Erika. Austin wasn’t over the hill by any means, but he somehow felt protective of her in an almost fatherly way, which just creeped him out because it meant he was maturing.

  And he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He quite enjoyed his days and nights as a bachelor who threw caution to the wind. Now at any hint of a windstorm, he worried a little about throwing his back out or busting up a knee, which puzzled him.

  After all, he was barely over forty.

  By just a few years.

  Which was probably why Erika looked more like a daughter than anything else.

  She was only twenty-four, and he literally could be her dad.

  And while the age difference and meaning shook Austin’s world, it did absolutely nothing to Erika, because—unlike most women at the resort—she had absolutely no interest in him, which made it easy.

  He heard a woman’s laughter, and the sound made him smile. It had to be coming from the mysterious woman who dressed like a mummy. Austin glanced in her direction, and sure enough, she was chatting with a man who made Austin look like a teenager.

  Not that it mattered. Older men went out with younger women all the time, and vice versa, but unless both partners were aligned on the same wishes and hopes, it would make for a tricky relationship.

  Although, he supposed that would be the case for any relationship, in spite of age.

  He drew a breath, surprised that the word relationship even popped in his head, and leaned against the bar.

  “Do you think I ought to give this a shot, Erika?” He glanced at the redhead, waving his hands at all the guests, and she smiled before letting out a boisterous laugh.

  “You? At one of these?” She rolled her eyes. “I pity the woman.”

  “What have I ever done?” Austin laughed, playfully swatting at the stack of napkins.

  “This event is meant for people who want to settle down. Not play around.”

  Austin thought he’d done an excellent job the last few years of hiding his life as a bachelor from the resort employees.

  She laughed a little louder. “What? Do you think you actually want to settle down someday?”

  Austin grinned. “Well, of course. Someday.”

  What she and most people didn’t know was that he’d had that vision of love once. The feeling of wanting to settle down and build a family and life together with someone he thought he’d grow old with had been at the top of every thought all throug
h college.

  When he’d fallen in love with her, his world stopped spinning in a frantic race. He’d found happiness. He’d established his dreams and known what he wanted. He wanted her.

  Then he’d lost it all.

  And in order to survive, he focused on fun encounters that didn’t have much of a shot.

  But he was young, and at the time, it seemed like a good idea.

  “The first step is to get that twinkle out of your eyes when you spot fresh meat,” Erika chided.

  “Fresh meat?” So much for Austin thinking he’d taken on the fatherly role around Erika.

  “Well, maybe not fresh meat, but I see you eyeing that blonde over there, and I’m pretty sure I know the thoughts that are running through your head.”

  “So very inappropriate.” Austin scratched his chin and took another sip of his water.

  “You said it. I didn’t.” She wiped down the bar with a towel. “But you just proved my point.”

  “And what was that?” His brow arched.

  “That the thoughts running through your head weren’t about picking daisies.”

  Austin got a kick out of Erika and spun around, resting his weight on both hands. “For your information, when I looked at the blonde that you mentioned, I was wondering why she was so bundled up with only her head popping out of her outfit.”

  Erika scanned the room before bringing her gaze back to Austin’s. “Have you taken a look around at these men? Most want to eat her alive. She intuitively knew what she would be up against and buttoned up for a blizzard of eager males.”

  Austin let out a deep sigh. “I suppose you’re right.” He lowered his voice. “You know, it kind of makes me sad.”

  “What does?”

  “All these people in search of love and putting themselves out there to be rejected in one-minute increments.”

  Erika poured a drink for a waiting customer before responding. “At least they’re putting themselves out there.” She shrugged. “I’m not brave enough to venture into that world.”

  “Is it bravery, though?” He felt a gaze on him and glanced toward the woman who’d caught his eye, and she quickly looked away. Heat ran up his thighs when he saw her blush, and he shook his head.

  This was ridiculous. He needed to grab a burger, maybe a beer, and head for home, which wasn’t difficult, considering he had a condo at the resort.

  “At least in part.” Erika looked over the event and let out a wistful sigh. “If only it were as easy as showing up to one of these things.”

  “True.” He glanced at the clock.

  The event would be wrapping up in an hour, and by the looks of it, there were only a few rounds left before the social hour. Whenever there were functions held at the bar, he liked to be around until they finished up in case something happened or he was needed.

  The one time he left an event early several years ago, all of his brothers were off-site, and he decided to head home. Once he’d stepped into his condo, his cellphone began blowing up because there’d been a kitchen fire.

  It wasn’t that he thought he could have prevented the kitchen fire, but he would have been there to calm the guests and get the food rolling from one of the other restaurants at the resort.

  The timer went off, and Austin glanced over his shoulder to see the woman he couldn’t keep his gaze away from wandering toward a guy who looked extremely fidgety.

  And extremely drunk.

  “Hey, Erika?”

  “Yeah?” She poured herself a diet soda.

  “How many drinks have you served that guy over there?”

  She followed Austin’s finger and pushed her mouth into a frown. “Just one beer.”

  “Just one, and he’s already falling over himself like that?”

  “Appears that way.” She nodded. “I won’t serve him anymore.”

  “Definitely hand him a glass of water.” He sighed and shook his head. “Looks like he had his fun before he got here.”

  “There’s always one,” she hummed under her breath.

  “I’m going to check with the front desk to see how the night’s shaping up, and I’ll be back.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” Erika grabbed an ale glass and began a pour as Austin walked out of the bar.

  The truth of it was that Austin loved working. He loved the resort and felt lucky to be part of something so many people could enjoy. Austin was proud of what his family had built and how his brothers worked to keep expanding it and keep it going.

  Which was why he rarely had time to date, let alone think of relationships like those poor fools in the bar. He spotted a family waiting to check in as a member of the concierge team was helping the wife arrange a spa day as the two young children hollered at one another and attempted to play hide-and-seek around the suitcases.

  Austin loved seeing the bustle of the resort at all hours. In fact, on the rare days when loneliness seeped in, Austin would make his way to the hotel to put in some more hours and visit with the employees. He liked to keep a pulse on the people and families his company helped employ.

  Austin watched the husband speak to the lobby staff while trying to wrangle his kids, and Austin’s heart went out to the man. The wife, seemingly oblivious, glanced around the hotel as her husband handed over his identification and credit cards.

  The Silver Ridge Resort would impress even the most finicky of guests. Between exposed timbers arching high above to the glass doors leading to the snow-covered grounds, and the exquisite log furniture inviting guests to stop and take a moment’s rest, the resort was flawless.

  Austin walked over to the wine bar located right off the lobby and snagged a bottle from a local winery before heading to the family finishing up their check-in.

  “We hope you enjoy your stay at Silver Ridge.” Austin delivered the bottle of wine to the man checking in right before the guest was about to turn around to yell at his kids. “A little something from the resort to make your evening a little smoother.”

  The man started laughing, and his wife gushed about the resort as Austin handed over the bottle of wine.

  Crisis diverted.

  They both thanked him for the gift, and he felt happy to do so. One act of kindness can go a long way, and he’d happily do anything to make the start of someone’s stay a little more relaxing.

  As he made his way back to the bar, he wondered if maybe some men just weren’t cut out for fatherhood and husbandry and all that. Sure, those ideas might work their way into his mind when he sees a woman like he did tonight at the bar, but he knew it was probably nothing more than lust.

  Once Austin got to the bar, he saw the event had turned to the social hour, and his eyes immediately found the woman he seemed unable to shake. She was standing at the bar, talking to Erika, when a drunk wandered up behind her.

  He watched the woman shake the man’s hands off her, turn away from him, and then tell him to go away, yet the man stayed. There was one thing that Austin absolutely hated, and that was lecherous men bothering females, especially drunk ones.

  Ever since college, it had bothered him.

  Sure, Austin might not have settled down and may never, but he respected women, and if on the rare occasion he was in a relationship, he was always faithful.

  He watched the guy try to grab at the woman again, and anger pulsed through him as Austin stepped in and commandeered the situation. Everything turned to a blur, except the way the woman looked at him.

  Her gorgeous blue eyes steadied on him, but a mix of apprehension and embarrassment filled her gaze, which only made Austin angrier at the man harassing her. But then a hint of humored softness ran through her eyes, and he wanted to know so much more about her. When she smiled in his direction, his heart literally jumped a mile.

  Something he hadn’t experienced for decades.

  But the next thing he knew, his men were escorting the drunk out, and Austin had to turn and walk away to keep his cool. After all, he liked his life exactly the way it was, and h
e had a feeling if he hung around the bar a second longer, everything about it would change.

  Chapter Three

  “You’re telling me that you got a man thrown out of the bar at a singles’ event?” Sylia Finn’s green eyes twinkled with glee.

  “I didn’t get anyone thrown out.” Ashley shook her head feverishly and collapsed on the couch. “He got himself thrown out.”

  Peter Finn strolled into the living room with three wine glasses and a bottle of Merlot. Amusement ran through his gaze as he sat next to his wife and poured a glass for all three of them. The kids had long been asleep, and now Ashley had the task of filling in her employers.

  Ashley reached across the coffee table and took a glass as she tried not to chuckle from the night’s events. After all, the Finns spent good money on the gift and had angelic intentions even though Ashley would rather be single forever than date any man she’d met tonight.

  Except possibly one, but he wasn’t even looking, which figured.

  “Ashley Malone,” Peter began. “You’re telling me that you couldn’t find one person to even consider?”

  Sylia patted her husband’s knee.

  “Not one.” Ashley pressed her lips together so she didn’t blurt anything out that she’d regret.

  “Then why are you blushing?” Sylia grinned and traded a glance with her husband.

  “I’m not blushing.” Ashley took a gulp of wine.

  “You are.” Sylia nodded. “Although, it’s a bit hard to see when you’re wearing a turtleneck up to your eyebrows, but the redness is definitely there.”

  Peter turned to his wife. “You think she met someone and doesn’t want to spill the beans to her employer? The nerve.”

  Sylia laughed. “I don’t think we have to worry about any secret elopement, dear. Our mission failed.”

  Ashley tipped her head slightly and watched the Finns together. Their relationship was so smooth and seamless. They loved spending time with each other and their children. There weren’t fights or games being played with one another. They truly enjoyed married life.