Hidden Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) Read Online Free PDF

her. “Here you go,” he said.  
    She frowned at him but took the drink. “Thank you.”
    They stared at each other for a few moments before Morgan broke the standoff by taking a sip of her beer. She didn’t normally drink much and the few she’d already drunk had made her bolder than she might normally be.  
    “So,” she said, keeping her voice as cool as she could, “I trust that you were able to figure out whatever situation you had earlier.”
    Something flashed across his face, causing him to lose his air of control for a split second. “I did,” he said. His voice was softer than it had been. Bo gave his head a quick shake, making one unruly dark lock to flop over his eye. Morgan squeezed her bottle to keep from reaching out and brushing it off his forehead.  
    What was wrong with her? He may be handsome, but this man was not only infuriating, but he was a man. He would only lead to heartache and frustration. Which meant she needed to steer clear of him if she were hoping to find a fresh start.
    “That’s good,” she said, her voice much weaker than she wanted it to be. Morgan cleared her throat. “It seemed rather important.”  
    “It was,” Bo said.
    “Morgan.” Astrid came to stand next to Morgan and wrapped her arm around her. “I see you’ve met Bo, our resident Casanova.” She flashed a wicked smile at Bo before releasing Morgan to give him a friendly hug.  
    “It’s good to see you, Astrid.” Bo grabbed a handful of Astrid’s tiny braids in his hand and let them fall to her back. “New look?”  
    “Always,” Astrid said and stepped out of his embrace. “I see you’ve met my roommate.”
    “Roommate?” Bo’s eyes flashed with something. Humor, maybe? “We have become acquainted, yes.”  
    Astrid laughed. “Don’t worry—I’ll fill her in on all the stories later.”  
    Attention piqued, Morgan lifted an eyebrow in question.  
    “Don’t believe all of them,” Bo said. “Only some are true.”   He winked at Morgan and turned his focus back to Astrid. “How’ve you been? What did you do with the off-season?” She couldn’t help the irrational and totally annoying flare of jealousy she felt at his attention on her friend.
    The two launched into a conversation about their winter months and what staff had returned for the summer, but Morgan only half listened. She kept her eyes on Bo. Morgan knew his type. Over-confidant, arrogant, and very aware of what type of effect he had on women. He was everything she didn’t need in her life right when she was trying to start over.  
    “Excuse me,” Morgan said. She lifted her hand in a slight wave and backed away from the pair, leaving Astrid and Bo to catch up. They were deep in conversation, but Morgan didn’t miss the smile Bo gave her and the way his eyes seemed to see right through her.  
    Morgan tried to put him out of her mind as she picked her way through the crowd, nodding at people and smiling. Most of the group seemed to know one another already, probably from previous seasons, but it didn’t bother her because the vibe was warm and welcoming, and she didn’t feel as if she were on the outside of anything. Passing the bonfire, Morgan stopped and watched a small blond child roasting a marshmallow. Her dad, one of the over-muscled men she’d seen earlier, smiled and laughed when the little girl withdrew her stick and revealed her flaming treat. She watched, frozen in place as he blew it out and offered the child his own perfectly roasted marshmallow.  
    The sweet scene had tears pricking at Morgan’s eyes. She blinked hard and forced herself to move away so she wouldn’t have to watch. She walked fast, trying not to run, until she got to the edge of the clearing and was alone. She looked up to the darkening sky and towering mountain peaks that were casting mysterious shadows in the early evening light and forced herself to gain some control. When would it get easier? When would the pain of seeing a