On a Snowy Night: The Christmas Basket\The Snow Bride (29 page)

“How long was it before you realized you were in love with Jim?”

Lucy blushed. “A month. I knew from the beginning that I could fall in love with him, but after one month together, I was sure of my feelings for him. Very sure.”

“You left everything familiar and moved to a town where you'd be the only woman.”

“Yes. At first, after Jim and I decided to marry, I didn't think about anything except being with him, but closer to the wedding I felt terrified. It isn't like I can call and get an appointment for a haircut up here. Or run to the library.” They both smiled. “The most mundane activities often require weeks of planning. Then there's the fact that I live twenty-four/seven with a group of burly men who don't have much appreciation for the niceties of life.”

That would give Jenna pause, too. “But in the end you decided marrying Jim was worth it.”

“Yes, and it has been. I got over my resentment—and my fear—about living so far from anywhere and now I absolutely love it. Snowbound's my home.”

“Don't you get lonely?”

“Dreadfully. I miss my friends, but we made certain agreements before the wedding.”

Addy and Palmer had explained that to Jenna. “Once a month you visit civilization.”

“Yes, and I return a happy woman. Now that I'm expecting a baby, I'll probably make the trip every two weeks or so.”

It was difficult to tell that Lucy was pregnant except for the happiness she sensed in the other woman. Given the opportunity, Jenna knew she could be good friends with Lucy. Unfortunately she was about to leave.

“Will you keep in touch?” Lucy asked. “No matter what happens with Dalton—or Reid?”

“Of course.”

“If you need anything or just want to talk, you know where to find me.”

“Oh, Lucy, what a warm, generous soul you are.”

The other woman sighed. “I wish we had an entire day together. Are you sure you want to go? You'd be welcome
to stay with Jim and me if you wanted. I'd love it, and it might give you time to clear your head.”

Jenna was tempted, but she declined. Clearing her head was important, but she couldn't do that unless she got away from Reid.

“Do you want my advice?”

Jenna grinned. “You've already given me good advice—by example.”

“What?”

“I'm going to take a hands-off approach the way you did.”

“This could be very interesting,” Lucy said, obviously satisfied at the prospect. “Very interesting indeed.”

“I've decided that whatever
should
happen
will
happen,” Jenna told her. “Just like it did for you.”

C
hloe stepped out of the jetway and into the interior of the Fairbanks airport. The trip had been long and gruelling, and she was badly in need of sleep and something edible, since airline food wasn't. She could only hope that Jenna appreciated the sacrifice she was making on her behalf.

The information she'd gotten from Brad Fulton's secretary assured Chloe that she could reach Jenna before Brad did, but she'd had to catch the red-eye out of LAX. It was imperative that she talk to her daughter before Jenna's former boss arrived.

Jenna needed motherly advice, and after five failed marriages, no one was better qualified to advise her than Chloe.

Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she looked around. She hadn't spoken directly to Dalton Gray, but his partner, Larry Forsyth, had promised her Dalton would be at the airport to pick her up. Since he'd already abandoned Jenna, Chloe didn't hold out much hope of Dalton's showing up.

“Are you Jenna's mother?” A tall, lean man with bloodshot, blue eyes approached her.

Well, speak of the devil. He must be over forty. This man would never do for her daughter; Chloe recognized that in a flash. “Chloe Lyman,” she said sweetly, extending her hand, “and you must be Dalton Gray.”

Dalton seized her fingers and raised them to his lips. “At your service.”

“Exactly where is this place called Snowbound?” Chloe demanded, unimpressed by his hokey charm and fake gentility.

“About a ninety-minute flight from here.”

“I need sustenance. Maybe, oh, a yogurt or a chai tea or something.”

“I thought you wanted me to fly you into Snowbound?” Dalton said testily.

“I do, but first I
must
have food. They don't serve anything decent on planes these days.”

“Okay, fine,” Dalton agreed, muttering.

“Where's the closest restaurant?”

“Restaurant? You're joking, right? All we have open at this time of the morning is the cafeteria.”

“A cafeteria?” Chloe shuddered at the thought

“That's the only place available, but from what I hear, the food's edible.”

“You don't eat there yourself?”

“Not if I can help it,” he said.

Chloe sighed. He led her to the baggage claim area, and she stood back and let him collect her five bags.

“Five suitcases,” he whined. “Just how long were you intending to visit?” He tucked the smallest of the cases beneath his arm.

“Be careful with that,” she snapped, “I've got my yoga tapes in there.” In an effort to be helpful, she took her cosmetics bag.

“You aren't going to find a yoga class in Snowbound,” he muttered.

“Don't talk down to me. I'm sure they have a VCR. After the trip I've had, I need peace and serenity.”

He started to mutter something else, but Chloe wasn't interested. She was hungry, had gone without her morning chai and had taken an instant dislike to the man her daughter hoped to marry.

While Dalton took care of her luggage, Chloe followed the signs directing her to the cafeteria. It went without saying they wouldn't have soy milk, and, she soon discovered, no chai or yogurt either.

She slid the orange plastic tray along the steel bars and looked through the pitiful display, choosing a brownish banana, decaffeinated coffee and a bran muffin. The cashier added up her total, which came to a ridiculous amount, although Chloe didn't bother to complain. It wouldn't do any good.

“Have a nice day,” the gentleman said pleasantly.

“Thank you.” This was the first cordial greeting she'd received in Alaska.

She sat close to the entry, so Dalton would see her when he returned. No sooner had she found a table and added skim milk to her coffee than he was back.

“Dalton Gray,” the cashier called. “Did you ever find your friend?”

Dalton turned to the other man. “How'd you know I was looking for someone?”

“Because she was in here asking about you.”

“You spoke with my daughter?” Chloe was instantly on her feet. “When was that?”

The older man contemplated the question. “Oh, it must've been three or four days ago now. I hooked her up with Reid Jamison, who agreed to fly her into Beesley.”

“My poor baby.” Chloe scowled at Dalton. She felt like
hitting that…that low-rent Romeo over the head with her purse. He had some nerve luring Jenna to Alaska and then abandoning her.

“You sure about this, Billy?” Dalton demanded.

“Positive. She came in here looking lost and asked me if I knew you. I told her I did, but that I hadn't seen you around in a while. I suggested she get a hotel room for the night and search for you in the morning, but she didn't want to do that.”

“Why not?” Dalton cried. “It would've saved me a lot of grief if she had.”

“Well, she was afraid she wouldn't know where to look, which is true. She had your address in Beesley and said if she could find a way north, you'd eventually show up there.”

“Jenna is too smart for her own good,” Chloe muttered. “That sounds just like her. My daughter wouldn't rest until she achieved her goal.”

“So you're the one who hooked her up with Reid Jamison,” Dalton said in a low growl. “Thanks a lot.”

“Yes,” the other man returned. “She seemed a little hesitant about going with him, but I convinced her she didn't have anything to worry about. Reid's a good guy.”

“And I'm not?” Dalton protested.

“I wouldn't know about that,” Billy fired back, “but I've heard plenty.”

“Lies,” Dalton insisted. “Are you ready, Ms. Lyman? I don't think we should delay. Jenna needs us.”

“Jenna can take care of herself,” Chloe assured him. “At least until I've finished my coffee.” She could see this didn't please Dalton, but she really didn't care.

Fifteen minutes later, Dalton escorted Chloe to the tarmac where his plane was parked. Never in all her years would Chloe have believed she'd voluntarily fly in such a contraption. Somehow she managed to climb onto the wing
and into the seat. This feat, she was convinced, could only be attributed to practicing yoga.

Once she was belted into place, she waited for Dalton to finish loading her suitcases. Chloe couldn't imagine what Jenna had been thinking when she flew up to meet this dreadful man.

As soon as Dalton was inside the plane, he put on a headset and handed her one, then began talking to the control tower.

Chloe waited until he was finished. “Can I speak to my daughter through this?” she asked him.

“No.”

Well, fine.

“Not to worry, Ms. Lyman, we're going to rescue Jenna. If Reid Jamison has so much as touched a hair on her head, I'll personally beat the hell out of him.”

It wasn't what Reid Jamison had done to Jenna that he needed to worry about, Chloe mused. It was what
she
intended to do to
him
—after he'd safely delivered her to her daughter, of course. She didn't know yet what punishment she could bestow but she'd think of something. One thing was certain; he had a snowball's chance in hell of getting within thirty feet of Jenna.

 

Reid glanced toward the house, where Lucy and Jenna had been sequestered for the last hour.

“What could two women who'd never met before today have to talk about?” he asked Jim.

“Don't have any idea,” Jim muttered. He leaned back in his chair inside the park station office and Reid felt his friend's scrutiny. “So,” Jim said, “how'd it go?”

Reid lowered his eyes. “All right, I guess. We didn't murder each other.”

“No. In fact, since the last time I saw you, there seems to be a big change of attitude on both your parts.”

Reid didn't confirm or deny his friend's assessment.

“The two of you were holed up together for how long?”

“Long enough,” Reid said.

“Long enough for what? For you to start liking her—or more?”

Reid wasn't willing to discuss his feelings with Jim. The other man was a good friend, but Reid had yet to define what he felt for Jenna. That would take time he didn't have. In a little while, he was flying her back to Fairbanks, and what she did after that was none of his business. Or so he reminded himself.

“Addy said the two of you had the whole gang over for dinner.”

“We didn't actually have much of a choice,” Reid said with a grin.

“Invited themselves, did they?”

Reid nodded. “As I recall, you've had more than one of those impromptu parties yourself.” He looked out over the runway where his Cessna 182 sat, fueled and ready for takeoff.

“It seems to me you don't want her to go,” Jim said quietly.

Reid tensed. “Am I that transparent?”

“Not to everyone. I know because I felt the same way myself whenever I had to leave Lucy. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

Reid had spent most of the night reflecting on his situation. “What
can
I do?”

“You could ask her to stay.”

“Why would she stay?” Reid asked.

“Because of you,” Jim said. “Give her the option, at least.”

Slowly, Reid shook his head. “She came here to meet Dalton, and she's determined to do it.”

“Then let her. We both know what he's like. It won't take
Jenna long to get the lay of the land when it comes to Gray. You need to make sure you're around afterward, though.”

This was something else Reid had thought about during the night. “In other words, I'm supposed to hang around Fairbanks or Beesley, and hope she'll come to me once she's recognized Dalton for the rat he is?”

Jim considered that, then shrugged. “More or less.”

“But I work
here
.”

“You're saying she has to come to you?”

Reid didn't like it, but that was the truth.

“In that case, she might just go back to California.”

Reid didn't like that, either, but it could be the best solution all around. “She might.”

Jim shook his head. “That doesn't bother you?”

“She's better off in California.”

Jim's eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

“She'd be away from Dalton.”

“But she'd be away from you, too.”

It didn't help to have Jim point out the obvious. “Her boss is the reason she came to Alaska in the first place,” Reid muttered. “Now that she's gone, he might've had a sudden change of heart.” In fact, Reid had heard evidence of that very thing, during Jenna's phone call with her mother.

“He might,” Jim agreed. “But that doesn't answer my question.”

It was a question Reid didn't want to answer. “She's safer outside Alaska,” he finally said.

“Safer from whom? Dalton or you?”

Reid chuckled. “Both of us.”

“Let me offer a second scenario,” Jim said, leaning forward. “You fly Jenna back to Fairbanks and wait there until Dalton comes to get her.”

Reid frowned. He couldn't see handing Jenna over to
that bastard, but he was willing to listen to what Jim had to say, since he was completely out of ideas himself.

“You with me so far?” Jim asked.

“So far.”

“When Dalton arrives, you make it plain how you feel about him.”

Reid had every intention of doing that. “She already knows how I feel about Dalton.” He wasn't aware of clenching and unclenching his fists until Jim's gaze dropped to his hands.

“Then you tell Jenna you'll come back for her any time, day or night.”

He nodded.

“The hardest part will be walking away.”

Reid didn't know if he could. “What do I do after that? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs?”

“Give her time. A day, two at the most. If she's half as smart as you seem to believe, she'll contact you. Still, I expect she'll want to return to California.” There was a weighty pause. “For a while, anyhow.”

That was the way Reid figured it, too. “I should let her go, don't you think?”

“That's up to you. But whatever happens, you should give her a reason to come back.”

Reid sighed. This was harder than he'd realized. “How?”

Jim stood and slapped him on the back. “You'll know what to say.”

“I will?” Reid wasn't nearly as confident as his friend. Living way up here, he didn't have much experience with women.