Free Hidden Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) by Elena Aitken Page A

men. I’m not into any men,” she said. “I told you before that I didn’t come here to meet anyone.”
    Astrid moved in front of her, so Morgan couldn’t look away. She held her hands up in a triangle. “Your aura is definitely giving off some strong vibes,” she said. “But I still don’t get you,” she said. Her voice was soft and her eyes were searching for something that Morgan wasn’t going to give up. “Half the men here are into you,” Astrid continued, “but you don’t even notice and then Bo asks you for dinner and you treat it like you’re headed to a jail sentence. Well, except for the dress,” she added with a wink. “And the heels.”
    For a second, Morgan considered telling her friend the truth. But when she couldn’t even sort out her feelings in her own head, it probably wasn’t a good idea to go around telling others about them. Instead, she tossed a throw pillow at her. “Whatever,” Morgan said, trying to keep her voice light. “I just thought the dress would be nice, but it’s not a date or anything. It’s for Ella. She wanted me to come, and I couldn’t say no to her.”
    “She is pretty sweet,” Astrid agreed. She put the pillow back on the couch and went to the fridge, grabbing herself a beer. “And she seems pretty attached to you. But I thought you didn’t like kids.”
    Morgan’s stomach knotted with the familiar ache. “I’m going to be late,” she said.  
    Before Morgan could reach for the door handle, Astrid’s voice stopped her. “Hey,” she said. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but whatever you’re running from … ” Morgan froze but didn’t turn around. “Well, sometimes those are the things we should be running towards.”  
    Morgan felt the prick of tears threatening in her eyes, but still she couldn’t turn around. She slung her purse over her shoulder. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said and, with a wave in Astrid’s direction, she left, closing the door behind her.  
    She’d become pretty good at pushing her feelings aside. Or at least she thought she had. But the truth was, spending her days surrounded by kids at the Cub’s Club wasn’t nearly as hard as she’d thought it would be. Because Astrid was right—Ella was attached to her. But what Astrid didn’t realize was that Morgan was becoming just as attached.  
    ~ ~
    It didn’t take long to find something for Ella to wear. In fact, as far as Morgan was concerned, it didn’t take nearly long enough. The child didn’t have much to wear, and what she did have was mostly dirty. Surely Bo must know that she needed more clothing? A little girl should have a closet full of dresses and pretty tops to choose from. Morgan adjusted Ella’s sweater to hide the stains on her t-shirt, and after locating a comb, started picking through the tangles on her head.  
    While she worked, Morgan chattered on about some of the other children that were scheduled to join the Cub’s Club in the coming days. “Maybe we can go on a nature hike,” she said. “That sounds fun, doesn’t it?”  
    Ella nodded.  
    Truthfully, the idea of a hike was more intimidating than appealing to Morgan. She hadn’t had a chance to get out and explore the trails at all. And even if she had, she likely would have gotten lost. The closest she’d ever been to a trail was a path through a city park. Morgan made a mental note to ask Bo about some appropriate paths. There must be something close to the Lodge that would give the children the idea of being out in the wilderness without really venturing too far.  
    “Maybe your dad can help?” Morgan voiced the question aloud.  
    Ella still didn’t say anything, but she never did when it came to Bo.  
    With most of the knots picked out, Morgan smoothed Ella’s blond locks with her hand. “How would you feel about a braid?” she asked.  
    Instead of answering her, Ella tipped her head down. Morgan waited for a beat and then, as gently as she could,