Only Her Blue-Collar Billionaire (Mystical Lake Resort #4) - Cami Checketts

Chapter One

Chelsea Panther, formerly Chelsea Darrough Gambino, in hiding because of her terrifying excuse of an ex-husband, sang in who-knew-what-key along with Journey as she scrubbed the master shower of this enormous three-story home. The gorgeous monstrosity rested on the southern shore of Mystical Lake, almost straight across from the beautiful resort where Chelsea worked at the front desk from nine to five. She’d started the side job of cleaning cabins early in the morning only a few months ago. Her angelic elderly next door neighbor knew Chelsea wanted to put money aside for a small cabin of her own. Elsie claimed she could read books and doze on Chelsea’s couch and listen for Dax while he slept as easily as she could on her own. The extra money was a blessing.

She’d been polishing this beauty since four a.m. It was so different from the dark, formal mansion that became her prison while married to Ramon. This house was full of light from the huge windows and gorgeous details with the woodwork, furnishings and decorations.

It was almost seven now and the sun was just turning the mountain pink on this September morning. Because of the higher elevation the trees in Mystical Lake had already begun changing colors and the red, orange, and yellows interspersed with the true green of the pines was glorious. Having grown up in Colorado, Chelsea appreciated Mystical Lake’s beauty and friendly crew. It felt almost like home, better than home actually with no Ramon around to find her. She missed her parents and wished they could see Dax growing up, but she hadn’t seen them in years and only prayed Ramon hadn’t tortured them to try to find out where she was.

Chelsea thought of her adorable little squirt, Dax as she turned the shower on to rinse it and belted out gleefully in no tune whatsoever, “I’m forever your-ours … faithfully.” Dax was three, and half of what he said made Chelsea belly laugh, the other half made her check over her shoulder to make sure Pastor Brent wasn’t around. The little man had lip on him. Luckily nothing worse than poopy head so far but she needed to curb the bad habit.

Chelsea was happier than she’d been in years. She and Dax had luckily taken a wrong turn in the dark on their way to the Canada border to escape Ramon, driven through the canyon, and landed in Mystical Lake. Too tired to keep driving when she realized her mistake, she and Dax had slept in the car. When the sun had risen that morning the lake had sparkled, a low mist had interspersed with the green of the mountain slope, and Mystical Lake Resort looked like a palace. It could’ve been the set of a Disney movie. Somehow she knew this magical place was where she should be.

She enjoyed her job at the resort, her bosses were amazing, she was making extra money cleaning and would soon be able to put a down payment on a cabin of her own. Best of all, Ramon had no clue where they were. She prayed none of the ugliness of Ramon’s abuse, lies, and iron control could find and hurt her or Dax in this fairy-tale spot of earth.

“You’re forever mi-ine?” a deep voice said from behind her.

Chelsea whirled and her mouth fell open. A tall, well-built man with startlingly blue eyes and dark hair that swooped over his forehead leaned casually against the marble sink. His arms were folded across his chest and the white t-shirt and jeans he wore highlighted his strength. She backed away, shocked at his sudden appearance. He was smiling easily and didn’t appear to have malicious intent, but she’d trusted a handsome, smiling man before and look where that had landed her. She was forever nobody’s but Dax’s. She backed up again, and stepped under the stream coming from the shower head, crying out in surprise.

The man straightened and held out a hand as if to help her, but she’d already jumped forward out of the pounding stream and shoved the knob in, turning off the water.

Water dripped down her face and back. She wiped off her face, squeezed the water from her hair, pulled out her earbuds and demanded, “What gives you the right to interrupt my singing?”

He chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. You have a great singing voice.”

She stuck out her tongue at him and he laughed harder. She had a horrible singing voice and only sang when