Match Made In Paradise

by Barbara Dunlop

  Danny and a couple of other staffers helped him fit the torn-down generator into the plane, and Cornelia offered a final apology to Mia.

  Mia was gracious about it, but Silas could tell she didn’t want to belabor the point. So, they headed to the plane and took off for the real world.

  He waited until they were thirty minutes out, dreading the conversation he knew they had to have. But as they crossed the Yukon River and picked up the Chain Lakes, he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer.

  “Mia?” he said over the intercom.

  “Something down there?” She perked up and looked out the windows, scanning the ground.

  “When we get back,” he continued.

  She turned to look at him.

  “What do you want to do?” He paused, switching his fingertip back and forth between them. “With this? With us?”

  “What do you want to do?” she asked him back.

  He didn’t have an answer. What he wanted to do and what he ought to do were two completely different things.

  “I get it,” she said.

  He didn’t know how she could get it when he didn’t get it himself. He opened his mouth to say so.

  “What happened at Wildflower Lake stays at Wildflower Lake,” she finished.

  He took in the play of emotions on her face, trying to gauge her thoughts. “Is that what you want?”

  “How about last night keeps the best night title, and we leave it at that?”

  “That’s not an answer, it’s a question.”

  “I don’t see that we have another choice. I’m leaving, and your boss is still . . . your boss.”

  “I can handle Brodie.”

  “I don’t want to leave a mess behind.”

  There’d be a problem before she left too. Paradise was an incredibly small town.

  “I don’t want people gossiping about you,” he said, reluctantly coming around to her way of thinking. “You’ve had enough of that in your life lately.”

  “And since this has to be temporary anyway . . .” She picked up the thread.

  “It is a given,” he said, hating that they were making the responsible choice. He’d love to take advantage of every single second of her visit, but that wouldn’t be fair to her.

  “It’s fine.” She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s honestly fine, Silas. I mean, you and me?” This time it was her who pointed back and forth between them. “Are you kidding? No way it would have worked.”

  He tried to ignore the stab in his chest at her words. “You have your life,” he said, instead of begging her to spend more time with him.

  “And you have yours.” She gave a nod that said the matter was settled.

  Paradise came into view on the horizon, and he knew it had to stay settled. One night with Mia was all he was ever going to get. One single night.

  * * *

  * * *

  Only two days later and Mia missed Silas. She felt like a chocoholic craving that next Belgian truffle or praline ganache. But it wasn’t illicit cacao and sugar she wanted, it was Silas—the taste of his skin, the scent of his hair and the feel of his hands on her body.

  She couldn’t talk to Raven about Silas, but she desperately needed some girlfriend chat. Over the lunch break at Galina, she took her salad and iced tea onto Bear and Bar’s deck for some privacy and a data connection.

  She dialed Marnie.

  “Hey, you,” came Marnie’s cheerful voice. It sounded like she was out on a busy street. The background traffic noise made Mia think of home.

  “Hi, yourself,” Mia said back with a smile.

  “What’s going on up there in the wild north?”

  “Is this a bad time?”

  “It’s fine. I’m on my way back to the office. I couldn’t move up the court date, so we’re still nearly three weeks out on the docket.”

  Mia couldn’t help but be disappointed. Not that she’d held out any real hope that things would suddenly turn her way.

  “Everything okay with you?” Marnie asked.

  “Mostly. Well, not exactly.”

  “Nobody found you up there, did they?” The background turned quieter, and Mia pictured Marnie entering the lobby of her office building.

  “No, nothing like that.” The woman at Wildflower Lake wasn’t a stalker. And she wouldn’t know Mia was in Paradise.

  “Please don’t tell me you wandered onto social media. You know you have to stay off there. It’s only going to upset you, and those yahoos don’t make any difference at all to your case.”

  “I haven’t been on social media.” That was one good thing about Paradise, it made staying unplugged a whole lot easier.

  “Good. One little bright spot here, the crowd is much smaller at the end of your driveway. Just the diehards left since you’re not giving them any fodder.”

  “That’s good.” Mia was encouraged to hear that, hopeful that she wouldn’t be dodging stalkers for the rest of her life.

  “So, what’s the deal? What’s going on up there?”

  “There’s a guy.”

  Marnie’s voice perked up. “Hello? You buried the lede? What guy? Who is he? Tell me everything.”

  “He’s a pilot,” Mia said, feeling a huge sense of relief to finally share with someone. “He’s sexy—like, off the charts sexy. Capable, I guess, is the best word for him. He’s smart, kind of funny, nicer than he seems at first.”

  “And . . .” Marnie prompted.

  “And, we went to this resort a couple of days ago, a five-star place out in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. You’d love it.”

  “Paint me a picture.”

  “A fancy villa overlooking this stunning green-blue lake, with huge-view windows, high ceilings, a stone fireplace, three bedrooms.”

  “Please tell me you only used one.”

  Mia grinned. “We only used one. Oversized tiled steam shower too.”

  “Okay, I’m getting hot just hearing about this.”

  “Thing is,” Mia said, faltering.

  “There’s a thing? What thing? I don’t want there to be a thing. He’s not married, is he?”

  “No, he’s not married. He’s got this boss who isn’t my biggest fan, and I don’t want to leave problems behind for him when I go. Plus, there’s the whole temporary thing. I’m coming home soon, and he’s staying here. And we couldn’t be more opposite.”

  “But no harm, no foul in a great one-night stand,” Marnie said.

  “That’s the problem.”

  “You feel guilty? There’s nothing at all to feel guilty about.”

  “I really want to do it again.”

  Marnie took a beat to respond. “Oh. So, does hunky pilot man know this?”

  “No, he doesn’t. I haven’t even seen him since—” Mia stopped speaking as Silas appeared in the doorway. She went hot with mortification thinking he might have overheard. “Gotta go.”

  “Why? What happened? I want to keep talking about your sex life.”

  “Can’t.”

  “You sound funny. Wait, is it him?”

  “Yes, gotta go.”

  “Call me later.”

  “Will do.” Mia ended the call.

  Silas crossed the deck, pulling back the chair across from Mia and sitting down at the table.

  “Hi,” she said, surprised he’d walk right up like this as if they were just two ordinary people at the Bear and Bar who hadn’t slept together and agreed to leave it at that.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he said, drumming his fingertips rhythmically on the tabletop.

  A surge of hope rose within her.

  Did he feel like she did—that this was torture, that anything was better than suffering with this intense desire and longing? Was he going to ask her on a date or go on a tryst or to have a secret f
ling?

  Her throat went dry and she swallowed. “About?”

  “You working at Galina.”

  It took her a second to process his words, and she had to swiftly backpedal on her longing.

  “It’s dangerous,” he said, his expression frank and no-nonsense.

  Disappointment rose inside her, regret sharpening her tone. “I’ve taken all the safety training.”

  “A training course doesn’t replace real experience.”

  “I’ve memorized the manuals.”

  “That’s only the theoretical stuff, not the real-world stuff. And they don’t need you; not really.”

  Well, there was a hit to her ego.

  He wasn’t here to pledge his undying passion. He was here to let her know she was useless.

  “Who told you they didn’t need me?”

  “No one. This is me, Mia. I’m worried about you.”

  “Oh no, you don’t.” She leaned back and wagged her finger at him. “One night with me doesn’t give you the right to—”

  “This isn’t about that.”

  “Then what’s it about?”

  “What’s best for you.”

  To think, only moments ago she had been pining away for him, singing his praises to Marnie, wishing they could be together again.

  She rose. “You don’t get a say in what’s best for me.”

  “Mia.”

  “No,” she said sharply, turning to walk away.

  “What if there was something else?” Silas called after her.

  She kept walking.

  “Mia, hear me out.”

  She slowed, curious despite herself.

  “I came up with an idea,” he said.

  She stopped.

  In a few strides he was next to her. “You don’t have brute strength.”

  She cocked her head to look up at him. “This is your idea of a pep talk.”

  “But you’re smart and articulate. You’re a quick thinker. You’re analytical.”

  She was clearly desperate for a compliment because she wanted to hear more.

  “I was thinking I could teach you to operate the WSA radio,” he said. “It’s an important skill, a useful skill. WSA doesn’t have a backup since Carol Sandor left town, and I’m sure you could learn quickly.”

  Mia had met Shannon Menzies a few times. She was clearly smart and held in high esteem by the pilots.

  “What’s Brodie going to think of that?” Mia couldn’t help but ask.

  “Don’t worry about Brodie.”

  “But—”

  “It’s not like you’ll be live on the air while you’re learning. We can go in when the office is empty. You can practice and surprise everyone with your proficiency.”

  “Another secret?” she asked, not sure how she felt about that.

  His expression changed, and his look jump-started her pulse. It was clear they were both remembering their first big secret.

  “Yes,” Silas said on a husky note. “Another secret.”

  * * *

  * * *

  Mia watched Raven’s expression closely as she announced she was quitting Galina. Her cousin tried to cover it up, but she couldn’t completely hide her relief, and Mia’s heart sank a little bit further. Obviously, Silas had done her a favor by nudging her to leave.

  She told herself to blow past the humbling experience. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a plan. She was going to take Silas up on his offer. She was going to dust herself off and learn something that was useful to Paradise. Quitting Galina didn’t mean she would sit around while everyone else kept working.

  She swallowed her pride and pretended she believed Raven when she said they’d miss her. But she couldn’t quite let it go. “I’m really sorry I didn’t do better.”

  “You did fine,” Raven said heartily.

  “You’re relieved.”

  “I’m not relieved—”

  Mia frowned. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  Raven perched herself on the arm of Mia’s chair. “Okay, but you were dropped into a pretty well-oiled machine.”

  “And I screwed everything up.” Mia should have known better than to barge her way in like that. She’d been so determined to learn her way around.

  “The job is harder when you’re a woman,” Raven said.

  “Because men are stronger and more coordinated?”

  “No.” Raven paused. “Well, muscles are good in the warehouse, since it is heavy-labor work. But I meant the guys aren’t used to having pretty women around the place.”

  “They have you.”

  Raven rolled her eyes. “Glamorous, I am not. I’m also not so new and unique, so fresh and exciting.”

  Mia made a point of looking down at the work pants she still wore. “I was definitely not going for fresh and exciting.”

  “We don’t get many women through town.”

  “Maybe you need to get more. Maybe then I wouldn’t have caused such a stir and messed up your job.”

  “You didn’t mess up my job.”

  Mia lifted her brow.

  “Okay, maybe a little bit. But you tried. That shows character. And you’ve really stepped up around here. You baked chicken last night.”

  “I dehydrated chicken last night.”

  “My oven can be tricky. We’ll grill the leftovers into sandwiches tonight, spice it up, add some mayo for moistness. It’ll taste better.”

  “Alastair had a chef,” Mia said to explain her lack of cooking skills. “He was a French chef. I’m pretty sure Henri earned Michelin stars from somewhere.”

  “Hey, if I had a chef, I wouldn’t be cooking my own chicken either.”

  Mia cracked a grin, glancing pointedly around the least-likely house to employ a chef.

  “You should have brought him with you.”

  “He quit.”

  “The chef quit? Why?”

  Mia followed Raven into the kitchen, feeling slightly better as the conversation ranged on. “There was no prestige in working for me. I wasn’t going to host the same kinds of parties as Alastair. I don’t have his social and business circle, at least not yet.”

  “Plus, you’re not there.”

  “His assistant stayed on. I liked him better anyway.”

  “Any news on the court case?”

  “Nothing good. I talked to Marnie earlier. The court date hasn’t changed. But she did say the crowd is gone from my driveway. And last week she said negative social media is down twenty-five percent.”

  “At least that’s encouraging.”

  Mia had been hoping for more than just encouraging.

  Raven opened a bag of bread onto the wooden cutting board and located her slicing knife. “Has Marnie tried talking directly to Henry and Hannah? Maybe they’d negotiate out of court.”

  “Those two?” Mia almost laughed. “Not a chance. They want it all for themselves.”

  “Any chance they’ll win?”

  “Marnie says unlikely, but it’s hard to predict the judge. It’s crystal-clear from the wording of Alastair’s will that he wanted me to have the business. The only thing they have to stand on is whether I manipulated or coerced him.”

  “Because you’re young and pretty.”

  “Therefore, I can’t be trusted.”

  Raven sliced her way through the bread while Mia went to the fridge for the chicken. “It’s because you stand out.”

  “Stand out?” Mia opened the container.

  “Your situation is unusual, not unheard-of, but still unusual: a stunning classy woman marrying an older, rather plain-looking man. You stand out, and it draws attention to itself. People start speculating. Same basic problem in the Galina warehouse.”

  “You lost me.” Mia tore the chicken into strips.

/>   Raven smeared some mayonnaise on the bread slices. “If there were a dozen drop-dead glamorous women working in the warehouse, the guys wouldn’t look twice.”

  Washing her hands, Mia laughed, feeling lighter still. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “You should have brought along some friends.” Raven licked a dollop of mayo from her fingertip.

  “I should have. And then there wouldn’t have been a poker game. And Brodie wouldn’t resent me so much.”

  “Brodie doesn’t resent you.”

  “Please.”

  “He . . . okay, he notices you because you stand out.”

  “I’m cutting my hair,” Mia threatened, twisting her thick blond locks into her fist on top of her head.

  “Won’t work. It’s your cheekbones and your eyes and your nose and chin.”

  “I can’t exactly get rid of those. At least not without surgery.”

  “No respectable plastic surgeon anywhere is going to mess with your face.”

  “I wish there were a dozen city women here with me, so I wasn’t so alone in this.”

  Raven struck up the stove beneath a heavy cast-iron frying pan and tossed some butter in to melt. “So does Zeke. He’s bummed that he struck out with you.”

  Mia layered the chicken onto the bread slices, while Raven sliced up a tomato. “Zeke’s a nice guy.”

  “He asked me if I could ship in another woman for him.”

  Mia paused as she added cheese to the sandwiches. “Ship a woman in? Do people think you shipped me in?”

  “My own fault, really. I brag that I can find anything and ship it to anywhere. It’s mostly true. I’m pretty good at my job, but that was a joke.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound half creepy.”

  “He didn’t mean it to be creepy. He really is a nice guy.”

  Raven set the sandwiches into the sizzling butter, layered on the tomato and topped each with another slice of bread.

  “Celeste would like him,” Mia said, knowing it was true and thinking it would be a very fun match-up.

  “Who’s Celeste?”