Chapter 1
Jace Carter crested the top of the ridge and then eased on the brakes. The valley stretched out before him, a mix of late-spring green and shimmering-lake blue. A quick pause was all he wanted, to reminisce and get his head on straight before doing the next thing.
Thumbing its nose at the sentimentality of the moment, the engine of his borrowed truck rumbled unevenly, coughed twice, and stalled out.
He mumbled a curse, crawling from the cab to get a better view of the reason he was outside Jasper, Alberta.
Timberwolf Lodge. Memories rushed in—
Summer vacations with his extended family. Lazy days floating on the lake with his cousins, his childless Auntie Rachel and Uncle Jim acting as pack parents for whoever came out that year.
Jace’s last summer there had been after college. The six years that had passed could have been sixty judging by the obvious neglect that greeted his gaze.
A kilometer below at the base of the hill, the lodge and cabins dotted the lawn between the edge of the lake and the tree line that was the wilderness. The entrance of the main building still oozed grandeur. Enormous wooden beams stretched skyward over the double-sized front door, creating an A-framed central staging area that could have challenged a castle for imposing first impressions. The three wings of the lodge radiated out like spokes, with guest quarters and the living room/kitchen windows facing the lake.
But the wood siding was faded, the roof had seen better days, and weeds had taken control of the outdoor living spaces.
And Jace had all but been summoned here.
“What are you up to, Auntie Rachel?” He breathed in slowly, allowing the aromas of the area to fill his senses.
Huh. Someone was in the woods to his right. A second later, a branch broke, and Jace resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
An audible sigh hung on the air for a second before his cousin sheepishly stepped into view.
“Hey, Blue. Tie one on last night?” Jace asked. Should be the only good, or not-so-good, reason for the man’s serious lack of stealth.
“I didn’t want to surprise you.” Somehow Blue kept from smiling. “Not everyone can handle being suddenly confronted by the wonder that is me.” He drew a hand down his chest like a game show host displaying priceless jewels.
The dramatic effect showcased his tattered Hawaiian shirt and board shorts. The shirt, lime green. The shorts, pink with red-checked highlights.
Jace winced. “Shock is a better word for it. Staring at you is like looking at the sun. I’m going blind here, cuz.”
“I have a matching outfit to this one if you’d like to borrow it.”
Jace pretended to consider the offer seriously. “Generous, but let’s not traumatize the locals more than you already do.”
He extended his hand, clasped Blue’s tightly, and pulled the other man into a warm embrace.
Blue sighed contentedly even as he pounded on Jace’s back. “You’ve been gone a long time. Too long.” He stepped back and glared. “I’m kind of pissed it took someone giving you property to get you to come home.”
Jace shook his head. “Wildest thing ever. How was Auntie Rachel doing the last time you saw her? The only thing I heard was she’d mentioned wanting to travel.”
Blue shrugged. “She lost interest in the lodge when Uncle Jim died.”
Four years ago. How had things gone to hell so quickly? Jace’s gaze landed pointedly on the neglected building.
His cousin raised his hands in protest. “Hey, I tried. I kept up with the maintenance she allowed, but even I couldn’t sweet-talk her into letting me outright manage things for her. When she said no, she meant it.”
True, there was no convincing a wolf who didn’t want to change. Not while she was in her own territory.
Blue continued. “When she got all excited about the idea of traveling, I was happy to see it. She stopped by my workshop, nearly vibrating, about two months ago. ‘So many plans,’ she said. ‘It was all coming together,’ she said.”
Jace dragged a hand through his hair. He’d gotten a call from the lawyers only four weeks earlier. “Two months ago?”
Blue considered. “Pretty certain. Oh, wait.” His cousin dug into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Yup, see? She dated it and told me to give it to you when you arrived. First thing.”
Auntie’s neat-as-a-pin handwriting shone up at Jace. Dated April 1, the envelope bore his name and Auntie’s bold signature.
Jace opened it quickly then lifted the page so Blue could read it by his side.
Jace,
After Jim passed, I struggled to know what to do. Now inspiration has hit, and I know exactly what’s needed. For me, for you, and your generation and more. Jim always wanted to make an impact in our community with Timberwolf Lodge. And now it will.
While I’m not dead, I don’t expect to be back. Timberwolf needs to go on, and with no kids of my own, you won the lucky toss.
Congratulations. You’ll thank me someday.
There are one or two small details to add. You own the property. You’re the caretaker, so to speak. But the main house itself needs a woman’s touch.
So I set up an online lottery and gave it away.
Jace pulled the letter a little closer and reread the last line. What?
She gave what away?
“She—” Was he confused and misunderstanding? “Did I read that right?” He stabbed a finger at the line where he’d stopped reading, because it had to be impossible.
“If you read that she gave you the property but gave the house to some random woman she found on the internet?” Blue made a quick huh noise. “Yeah, you read it right.”
It was probably illegal on a dozen levels, but it was also the kind of family-jerking-family-around behaviour that, in most wolf packs, got cut a lot of slack.
They both leaned in closer to finish reading.
That’s when the screams rang out. First a woman, followed by a deep, almost growling cry that echoed off the nearby mountains.
Jace ran, Blue hard on his heels. Down the path toward the weatherworn Timberwolf Lodge.
**
Cassidy Rundle held a long broom in her hand, waving it as menacingly as possible at the Sasquatch-like figure standing three feet away. The man loomed over her, stark naked, in the middle of her new kitchen. He had an overabundance of hair covering him and a serious lack of anything else.
She poked the broom forward as if trying to brush him out the kitchen door. “Get out.”
He folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow. The way he stared down the line of his nose clearly said he didn’t consider her a threat. “No.”
Drat. There were times she wished she were a whole lot bigger or at least a whole lot more armed. What was she supposed to do with a trespasser when all she had was a broom? Reason with him?
“I’ve called the cops.” The warning rang out from behind Cassidy. “You should get out before they come.”
After they’d innocently marched into the lodge and discovered the intruder, Stephanie Nix—Cassidy’s best friend, had retreated from the kitchen to the living room—and now stood in the huge front foyer. Stephanie had the over-sized front door wide open, which was good on all sorts of levels, Cassidy decided. It meant if they had to sprint for safety, there was a clear path to the great outdoors.
Mr. Hairy snorted. A big and totally amused sound. “Bullshit on that. There’s no reception here.”
Drat again. From the soft curses Stephanie mumbled at her back, Cassidy figured he wasn’t pulling a fast one.
Cassidy tried again. “You need to not be here. You should probably put some clothes on as well. This is our house, but if you need help finding somewhere to relocate to, we would be happy to assist you with that.”
“Once you have clothes on,” Stephanie added.
The man yawned, stretching. Cassidy deliberately looked away from all things below his neckline, but it wasn’t easy. He was a…big man…so to speak.
He opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to share morphed into a grunt of pain as something blue flashed past Cassidy and slammed into her trespasser.
The next second, a smear of fluorescent colours joined the pile, and then there were three burly men on the floor of her kitchen. The naked one cursed creatively, his voice a deep rumble.
Stephanie caught Cassidy by the arm and tugged her back. “Maybe now is when we step outside and double-check the paperwork. Because I don’t remember this being part of the deal. The naked man and the wrestling.”
Cassidy stood her ground, broom still firmly held toward the now non-squirming pile. Their naked trespasser was on the floor—facedown, thank goodness. One arm was pinned behind his back by a dark-haired man dressed in crisp new jeans. Mr. Nudie’s legs were held down by a blond with surfer curls dressed in gaudy beach attire.
The dark-haired man swiveled his head toward her. “You okay?”
The jerk on the floor responded before Cassidy could. “She’s fine. And the other one’s got a set of lungs on her like an aspiring tuba player.”
“She wasn’t the only one we heard shouting,” surfer dude taunted before patting his blue-jeaned friend on the shoulder. “I know Marvin. You want me to take care of him while you talk to the ladies?”
“Good idea,” the man in blue said.
Cassidy didn’t think so. “While I’m very happy to not be facing a potential safety risk, not to mention how unsanitary it is having a naked man in my kitchen, nobody is solving anything without me knowing all the details. This is my place—”
“—and mine,” Stephanie inserted, attempting to suppress the quiver in her voice. “And I don’t like naked or unsanitary people in my kitchen, either.”
“Thank you, Stephanie. You’re completely correct. It’s your place too.” Cassidy turned back to the three men who lay motionless like some strange Greek tableau. “If you will please all leave through the kitchen door. Anyone who is naked and wants to be part of the conversation can put some clothes on. We’ll resume discussion by the firepit in five minutes.”
She caught Stephanie by the arm, and the two of them retreated to the safety of their car.
Only after the doors were locked did Cassidy allow herself to rest her forehead on the steering wheel and take a steadying breath.
Stephanie went the other direction, tilting the seat back as far as possible, which was not far considering the amount of stuff shoved in the back seat. She let her head fall against the headrest and sighed enormously. “Okay. That was unexpected.”
Silence fell. Cassidy glanced at Steph to discover her friend peeking over at the exact moment. Lips twitched, then they both burst into laughter.
Amusement faded quickly, though. Everything about this situation was unexpected. “I guess winning an eco-lodge in a lottery is not without a few quirks.”
Stephanie examined Cassidy, her bright blue eyes dulled with concern. “Is this going to work? Because this kind of has to work.”
“It’ll work,” Cassidy assured her.
“Stacy needs somewhere for the kids, and I’ve already put all my money toward setting up a new spa here.”
Cassidy laid a hand on her friend’s arm. “It’ll work. I promise.”
Even if Cassidy had to sell her soul to make that happen.
All three of them needed something new and positive in their lives. While the lottery to win the lodge had seemed too good to be true, actually winning was even stranger. For better or worse, they’d done the four-day drive, and now they were here in Jasper, and this was where they were staying.
Cassidy stiffened her spine and lifted her chin. “You okay to come talk to them, or do you want me to do it by myself?”
Steph shook her head. “I’m coming with you. I represent not only me but Stacy as well, so I’d better suck it up and do this thing.” She paused, opened the glove box, and pulled out a narrow metal tube she popped into her pocket. “Now I’m ready.”
Cassidy grinned. “Please don’t use that bear spray on anybody unless you absolutely need to.”
“Then they better not mess with us. Because I’m armed and not afraid to use it.” The evil glint in her friend’s eye said she wasn’t kidding.
To tell the truth, at this point, neither was Cassidy.
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