“Didn’t you ever sneak a drink during a school dance?” he asked when she slipped back into his embrace.
“Of course I did. Jessica and Toni and I tucked little airplane-size bottles of vodka in our bras for prom. Chrissie too—you don’t know her, she moved away. But we got busted when one of Jessica’s bottles broke and the school nurse had to pick glass out of her cleavage.”
He cracked up just picturing it. “That sounds like Jessica.”
“Yeah.” The affection in her voice fit with everything he knew about their friendship. “She’s a goofball, but you gotta love her. I don’t see her as much now that she’s with Ethan. It’s the end of an era.”
“End of an era?”
“Our little friend group is pairing up. Kate and Darius, now Jessica and Ethan.”
If you asked him, Maya and Rune had a certain ring to it. But he kept that to himself. He was just the fake holiday boyfriend who was going to be leaving in the near future.
“I’ve been thinking about you not having a boyfriend.”
She snorted softly. “Can’t wait to hear this.”
“After Jerome, maybe you’re done with all that.”
“All that? You mean, men?” Her wry tone made him smile. They danced past the cardboard Eiffel Tower, which was leaning precariously to one side. He paused to straighten it, then waltzed onward.
“Men. Romance. Sex. That sort of thing. It’s the ‘I don’t need a man I have a vibrator’ vibe.”
She smacked him on the shoulder as she laughed, the sound buried against his chest. “You did not just say something about my vibrator.”
“There you go. I knew you had one.”
“Of course I have one. But it’s none of your business. We’re not talking about my vibrator at a freaking high school dance.”
“Good point. So when can we talk about it? Because I feel it’s something we should discuss.”
She was still laughing, probably from sheer embarrassment, but he’d take it. “Why do we need to talk about that?”
“Because it’s interesting. You’re interesting. Your love life is really interesting, especially now that I’m sort of part of it, in a fake-holiday-boyfriend kind of way. I mean, if a vibrator could do everything a man can, you wouldn’t need me. You could dress it up in a tux and have it play chaperone with you.”
She let out such a burst of laughter that two nearby couples actually noticed them. They looked away immediately, as if they were afraid to catch the eye of the mighty police chief.
“Obviously, a vibrator can’t do it all. Just the most important stuff.”
Oh sweet lord, hearing her talk about her vibrator was giving him a serious stiffie.
“And it can’t break your heart,” she added softly. “So there is that.”
“That’s a good point. But not every man is going to break your heart.”
“You know that’s right. No man is going to break my heart. They won’t get the chance.”
Right. Of course. She’d built up that wall so thick it would take a battering ram to get through.
Or someone sneaking through a back door disguised as an old friend.
Except that he couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair because he couldn’t stick around to follow up. If there was one woman in this world he refused to hurt in any way, it was Maya.
So he went along with her declaration of independence. “Looks like you have the perfect setup. Fake holiday boyfriend plus,” they were veering close to a group of girls, so he quickly censored himself, “your other best buddy. You have all the bases covered.”
“That’s right, baby. Bases one hundred percent covered.”
But even as she said that, she pressed her hips against him. His erection surged in response. He gritted his teeth, trying to make it go back down. It didn’t work.
God, she was making this hard. If they kept going like this, he wouldn’t be able to keep things on an old-friend level.
He’d devote himself full time to becoming the “best buddy” who got to go to bed with her.
Chapter 14
About a month before Christmas…
* * *
Every holiday party they spent together, Maya had a harder time resisting the fierce pull of her attraction to Rune. Unbelievably, she actually looked forward to all the holiday parties. At each one, they went a little further and got a little bit closer.
She loved every minute of it. Fake or not.
The first real snowfall—in which the snow accumulated more than two inches—came a week before Thanksgiving. As always, the combination of freeze-up and the first layer of snow led to an unfortunate number of car accidents. Maya was kept busy with those, along with the two-day search for a missing toddler who’d wandered into the snow and the rescue of a skier who got stuck in a Port-a-Potty.
She couldn’t wait to hear Rune’s recitation of the blotter write-up on that one.
At Seafarers Beach a few days before Thanksgiving, as she was overseeing the removal of a sea otter that had washed ashore, her phone rang. She stepped aside, dodging a pile of frozen kelp, her boots gripping the icy pebbles
Special Agent Clement was calling from Anchorage. Finally. She’d sent him the photos she and Rune had taken at Far Point, but hadn’t heard anything back.
“Got news for you, Badger,” he said. “We’re closing the books on this one.”
“What? But what about the drop-off? The photos I took?”
“Dead end.”
“Dead end? Two men and a boat in a remote cove in twenty-degree temps can’t possibly be a dead end.”
“We identified them as Russian nationals, but they disappeared before we could question them.”
Disappeared? Sounded like a screwup to her.
“Listen, as the police chief of the closest harbor town, I strongly urge you to keep investigating.”
“Badger, you’re way out over your skis on this one. We’re done.” The frustration in the man’s voice echoed her own. “Working out there is impossible. It’s too big an area, too fucking rugged. No leads. No evidence of any crime. Frankly, it’s making you look bad.”
“Me?” Her stomach dropped.
“You’re the one pushing this. No one else. Some small-town police chief has a hair up her ass. That’s what it looks like from here.”
She swallowed hard. The idea that she was ruining her reputation stung worse than a…jellyfish. “What about the Aurora Lodge? Have you talked to the manager there? She knows something.”
“Kelsey Lewis? Not saying a damn word. We have nothing on her. No leverage. Believe me, I wish we had something concrete. Until we do, my advice to you is to drop this before you make a fool of yourself. If it’s not too late.”
She chewed at her lower lip and looked across the water at the bulky silhouette of Lost Souls Wilderness. Something was going on out there. She knew it. But was it worth turning into the girl who cried wolf?
“I understand. Thanks, for the update.”
“You take care. Keep your head down and this too shall pass.”
She ended the call with a savage punch of her finger. Of course the Feds wanted to drop this. She couldn’t really blame it on their dismissive attitude toward a “small-town police chief.” She needed some damn evidence.
Across the frozen beach, Nate Prudhoe approached, brushing ice crystals off the sleeves of his parka. She took a step back. He’d been right up in that sea otter operation.
Nate was one of Maya’s closest friends, and had been for years. In fact, in many ways, he’d always reminded her of Jay-Jay. They had a similar openhearted, playful manner.
At one point Nate, who was a firefighter, had hinted that he wouldn’t mind a romantic relationship, but she’d still been recovering from Jerome at that point. And besides, she’d never want to jeopardize their friendship. Who else would she play golf with?
Besides that…she’d just never had those kinds of feelings for him. She’d never felt her pulse race the way i
t did around Rune, or that weird sudden feeling of happiness that sometimes came over her when she thought about him.
Now Nate was married to Dr. Bethany Morrison and had never been happier.
But currently his face wore a grave expression. “I have to get back to the station, but I wanted to warn you about something.”
“If it’s about ruining my reputation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, forget it. Too late.”
“What? No. Way off.”
“Okay, shoot. It’s not getting any warmer out here.” She stomped her feet to keep blood flowing to her toes.
“It’s Jerome. He’s coming back to town for Thanksgiving with the McGees.”
“Shit.” The sound of his name gave her a kick in the stomach. She drew in a breath of frosty air. “When?”
“He might even be here by now. I didn’t want you to run into him unprepared.” His gray eyes—usually so playful— watched her with concern.
She straightened her spine. “I’m fine. That was five years ago. I’m over Jerome, which is why I never talk about him, and in fact I don’t want to talk about him now. But thanks,” she added. “It was nice of you to warn me.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Really? Completely over him? When did this happen? Recently, like in the past, oh, two months or so? Since Rune Larsen showed up?”
Even though she felt her face warm, she shrugged. “Worry about your own life. I got this.”
“But my life’s perfect now,” he complained. “I have to find something to worry about.”
“Way to rub it in.”
Still teasing each other, they made their way to the parking lot. As soon as she’d escaped into her car, she let her bravado collapse.
She wasn’t ready for a Jerome sighting yet. How would it happen? In a small town like Lost Harbor, there would be no chance of avoiding him. She’d run into him at Eller’s Drug Store or at Sweet Harbor Bakery buying pies. Or maybe someone would inadvertently invite both of them to the same party.
Which meant—Rune would be there too.
A rush of relief came over her. Relief and a sense of security. Rune would be with her, by her side, and everything would be okay.
For weeks, everyone in Lost Harbor had been placing bets on when the first snowfall would come. Rune chose Thanksgiving, and missed by a week. It cost him fifty dollars. But the joy of waking up and seeing soft flakes drifting past the little window of his loft made up for it.
He called down to Cara, who ran shrieking into the yard in her bare feet. When he went outside, taking the time to put on boots like a proper elder brother, he spotted her at the end of the dock with her face lifted to the sky. Snowflakes swirled around her, landing on her shoulder and hair like curious tiny butterflies.
“This is amazing!” she called to him. “So much better than Mauna Kea. Can we have a snowball fight?”
“Way ahead of you,” Rune called just as his first snowball landed on her back.
Hey, he wasn’t always the proper elder brother. He still had a lot of Jay-Jay in him.
The snow had another benefit: it would be hard to hide footprints in a fresh snowfall. It would form one more layer of protection from the stalker. However, with each day that passed, he relaxed just a little bit more. Three months after their arrival in Lost Harbor and there was no sign that the stalker knew where they were. Maybe he couldn’t travel that far. Maybe they’d managed to cover their trail enough this time. Maybe he’d found another fixation.
Maybe Rune could get his life back.
What would he do if Cara was no longer his responsibility? Sometimes he allowed himself to dream about that. He’d probably go back to being an EMT. Not that he didn’t enjoy the home nursing, but he did best in emergency situations. The volunteer shifts he took on at the fire station were the highlights of his week.
But most importantly, he’d allow himself to form a real relationship. He was ready. He wanted to settle down. Taking care of Cara had shown him that he’d be a good parent. And reuniting with Maya had reminded him what a solid connection felt like. That was what he wanted, even if Maya wasn’t interested in anything like that with him.
Or was she? He honestly couldn’t tell. When they were alone together, she treated him like her old friend. In public, she acted like they were dating. She welcomed his kisses and responded with eager sensuality to his touch. It was confusing as hell.
Then again, a lot of things were confusing in Lost Harbor. He’d heard the saying, Strange things happen around Lost Souls Wilderness. He didn’t doubt it, especially the more he got to know Maggie, Cara’s new best friend.
Maggie was definitely a strange one. She was still learning about living in society as opposed to a cabin in the wilderness. With her welcoming personality, Cara was the perfect person to help her navigate high school. For her part, Maggie showed Cara all kinds of Alaska survival skills.
One day Rune came home from a volunteer shift to find Maggie showing Cara how to shoot a bow and arrow. He’d never forget the horrified expression on Cara’s face as she accidentally nicked a squirrel’s tail.
“He’s okay,” Maggie assured her after the squirrel raced up the corner post of the fish house, chattering madly.
“But how do you know?” cried Cara. “I didn’t meant to hit anything.”
“The squirrel said so. He’s very unhappy with you, but he’s uninjured. Don’t be surprised if he drops a spruce cone on your head.”
Rune rubbed at the back of his neck, hiding his amusement. Maggie claimed that she could understand the language of various animals. Not every animal—just the ones she’d grown up with in the wilderness.
Lost Souls Wilderness. Where strange things happened.
Cara tossed the bow to the ground beside her. “Forget teaching me how to shoot. I want to learn how to talk to animals. Can you teach me that?”
Rune covered his laugh with a cough. Trust his soft-hearted sister to reject survival skills for an opportunity to chat.
He left them to their fun, two teenagers in cozy hoodies, their cheeks reddened by the wind. He’d never expected Cara to adapt so well to the colder climate here in Alaska. But she’d embraced it completely so far.
Maybe a miracle would happen and they wouldn’t have to leave.
In the meantime, Thanksgiving was coming. Jessica was hosting a potluck Thanksgiving dinner at the Sweet Harbor Bakery. That meant the food would be out of this world. More importantly, another party meant another chance to make progress with Maya.
Chapter 15
Every Wednesday, Maya took a Hump Day yoga class. She looked forward to it all week. Not even the fact that Thanksgiving was the next day and she still didn’t know what she was bringing would make her skip the class.
She was just about to change into her yoga clothes when Maggie and Cara appeared at her office door.
She groaned. “Is this about Thanksgiving? I haven’t decided what to make yet.”
Jessica had enlisted the two teenagers to be her foot soldiers for the event.
“No, it’s not about Thanksgiving,” Cara said as she plopped herself into a chair. Maggie stayed standing, looking unusually nervous.
It occurred to Maya that they looked like sisters; both different shades of blond, both wearing Lost Harbor High hoodies, so comfortable with each other that they could be family.
An even more alarming thought struck Maya. “Is this about—”
“No, not that.” Cara spoke quickly before Maya could finish the sentence. Maya knew that she hated talking about the stalker. She just wanted to live her life, and who could blame her for that? “It’s about Maggie.”
“What’s up?” Maya directed her question to Maggie. “Is everything okay at home?”
“Yes, but—” Maggie looked to Cara, who urged her on. “When can I meet my mother?” she blurted. “I really want to see her.”
Maya’s heart sank. She saw the longing in the girl’s pale eyes, the frustration of finally knowing who her m
other was, but still being kept apart from her. “It’s not up to me, Maggie. Your mother doesn’t think it’s safe.”
“But why is she so afraid?” Maggie demanded. Her nervousness was gone now that she’d spoken up. “The evil man who kidnapped me is gone.”
“Yes, but we think he was working with someone, or being controlled by someone. Until we know who and why, it’s not safe for you.”
“So why can’t you find out!”
Maya jumped at the girl’s passionate outburst.
“Yeah, isn’t there an investigation or something?” Cara chimed in. “Isn’t someone doing something?”
“I’m sorry. They weren’t getting anywhere so they ended it.” Maya winced as she delivered that news, which was probably twice as frustrating for Maggie as it was for her.
“So…no one’s doing anything?” Two spots of color burned in Maggie’s cheeks. “Not even you?”
“It’s not my jurisdiction. I’m in charge of Lost Harbor, not the wilderness. That’s federal and state territory out there.” Even as she said it, she saw scorn flash in Maggie’s eyes. None of that meant anything to a girl who longed to meet her mother. “I’m sorry.”
God, that sounded pathetic.
Maggie dropped her head and stared at the floor, her shoulders slumping. Cara grabbed her friend’s hand and looked back and forth between the two of them. “I bet there’s something you can do, Maya.”
The faith that shone in the girl’s sea-green eyes, so much like Rune’s, made Maya feel even worse.
She didn’t answer. Agent Clement had warned her about torpedoing her career in Lost Souls, and she knew he was absolutely right. But where did that leave Maggie?
And what was the point of her career if she couldn’t help someone as vulnerable as Maggie?
She cleared her throat, but even so her voice came out huskier than usual. “Is there anything else, girls? I don’t want to miss my yoga class.”
Head over Heels for the Holidays Page 11
