Match Made In Paradise

by Barbara Dunlop

  The question caught her off balance. “Fun?”

  “Yes.”

  “What?” she asked, growing suspicious when a twinkle came into his eye.

  But instead of suggesting something sexy, he nodded at a spot behind her. “Look.”

  She twisted her head. There was nothing behind her except the forest and a massive loader sitting twenty feet away.

  “It’s the six one five,” he said. “Want to take it for a spin?”

  “Very funny.”

  “I’m serious.” He took her hand. “It’ll be a confidence builder.”

  “You know my record with loaders.”

  He started forward, drawing her along. “Once you try this, the mini loader will feel like a toy. Plus, there’s nothing to hit out here, and I’ll be right beside you. Nothing can go wrong.”

  She craned her neck to look up at it, oddly warming to the idea. A distraction was exactly what she needed right now, something to take her mind completely off the problems at Lafayette. If she went back to Raven’s, she was only going to sit and stew.

  “There’s no way I can drive this,” she said, being realistic.

  “I’ll drive. You assist.” He braced his hand on the ladder.

  “It’s sort of intimidating.”

  “That’s the point.” He cocked his head to the doorway above, giving her an encouraging waggle of his eyebrows.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She reached up and grasped the cool metal, pulling herself onto the first rung.

  “I’m right behind you,” he said.

  The door to the cab was wide open, and she climbed carefully inside. The square space was dusty and worn, and the floor scattered with grit, but she was a lot less sensitive to cleanliness these days. It had a single seat for the driver.

  “Where do you want me?” she asked as he climbed in and hunched over behind her.

  “Sit down for a minute.”

  “I told you, I’m not driving.”

  He chuckled. “I need to get the door shut.”

  She sat down on the bouncy seat. “It has joysticks,” she said. “I’ve had bad experiences with joysticks.”

  “Those are levers,” he said, securing the glass door. “Totally different thing.”

  “Very funny.”

  “Stand back up,” he said, drawing back into the corner to give her room.

  She rose and he slid past her into the seat. Then he patted his lap.

  “I won’t be in the way?”

  “No. You’re going to help me.”

  Feeling doubtful, she perched on his thigh. “Taking your life in my hands here, Captain Burke.”

  He reached around her to the ignition key. “You don’t scare me, princess. First, we start it up. It’s a diesel, so one click, then you wait about fifteen seconds for the glow plugs.”

  “Glow plugs?”

  “The ignition system.”

  “Sure.” She didn’t have the slightest idea what he was talking about, but there wouldn’t be a quiz on this at the end.

  He started the engine, and it rumbled loudly beneath them, vibrating the cab.

  “Pull the steering wheel down into place.” He demonstrated, and she scooted back against his chest to get out of the way. “The levers are boom up and down and bucket tip up and down. Easy.”

  “That’s what they said about the mini loader.”

  “Try it,” he said. “Pull for up.” He took her hand and placed it on the smooth black lever, covering it with his own and pulling.

  The boom groaned in front of them, the bucket rising up in the air. After a minute, they pushed the level to move the bucket partway down.

  “Dual brakes on the floor.” Silas showed her the pedals. “And this takes it into forward.”

  The machine lurched, startling her, and she grabbed onto him. They trundled ahead toward the access road to the strip.

  “Where are we going?”

  “There’s a pile of gravel at the end of the strip. We can take a few scoops.”

  “Are there planes up there?” She leaned forward to peer out, remembering what he’d told her at the Wildflower strip.

  “Good question,” he said. “We’re staying off to the side, but you should always check anyway. Want to steer?”

  “I’m not ready to—”

  He put her hands on the wheel before she could protest. “Just like a car.”

  “A really big car.”

  “Try turning.”

  She did, carefully easing the wheel one way and then the other as they made their way up the access road.

  They turned onto the runway, and she started to relax and take in the view.

  “We’re really high up in this.”

  “We are.”

  “I can see so much. Is that the river?”

  “Falls Creek,” he said. “It parallels the road then runs into the river. Water’s really high now with all the rain and the runoff. Look up the mountain to the left there. In a minute, you’ll see the falls in the distance.”

  The falls came into view, wide and frothy white, looking like they were falling twenty stories down the mountain. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Isn’t it? There’s a trail up if you ever want to hike it. It’s steep, great exercise.”

  “Bear spray required,” she guessed, thinking a hill climb would be a great workout.

  “And a group of three or more.”

  She watched the falls as they drove farther along.

  Silas’s arm was loosely looped around her waist. His hand moved, brushing her thigh, and she was suddenly aware of everything—the warmth of his chest; the strength of his thighs; his musky, familiar scent.

  She was on Silas’s lap, and she was pressed tight up against him, like she’d hoped to be so many nights since Wildflower Lake. Since this was for a legitimate purpose, she didn’t have to feel guilty; she could just enjoy the sensations.

  “Stay at least twenty feet from the edge,” he said, his voice a very sexy rumble in her ear.

  He was controlling the accelerator, and he upped the speed, making her bounce a little.

  “Oh,” she said in surprise.

  He tightened his hold, and desire soared to life, starting at the back of her thighs, sending the tingling warmth coursing upward.

  “You’re getting too close,” he said, his breath tickling her neck. His hand covered hers on the steering wheel and he corrected the direction. “Perfect now. You’re doing great.”

  Her muscles relaxed as they bounced along, and she felt like she was melting back into him. Her cheek came up against his chin, and she gasped in a breath, her heart thudding in time to the throb of the engine.

  His hand flexed against her waist. Then his thumb moved in circles, higher and higher from her ribs to her breast.

  Her eyes fluttered closed, and she tipped her head back.

  He kissed her neck, his hand framing her cheek, easing her head around to give him access to her lips.

  He swore then, and the loader took a sudden turn. He jammed his feet on the brakes and put it in park—whether for safety or from desire, she wasn’t sure. But when he kissed her harder, swiftly turning her in his lap for a better angle and wrapping his arms tight around her, she knew it was desire.

  “I’ve missed you so damn much,” he said.

  She nodded against his lips. She’d missed him too. She’d missed his lips, his touch, his scent, his taste, even the sound of his voice so close up and sexy.

  “Say something,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Anything. I don’t care. I love the sound of your voice, especially when you’re talking to me like that.”

  “It’s been torture,” he said between kisses. “I see you. I talk to you, and I want you in my arms. I
think about you all the time. I think about this all the time.”

  Her skin came up in goose bumps, and passion throbbed deep in her core. She needed to feel more of him. She reached for the hem of her sweater and peeled it off, unhooking her bra and dropping it to the floor.

  Silas’s hand covered her bare breast.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, his lips following in the wake of his fingertips.

  She tipped her head back. “Don’t stop.”

  “I’m not stopping.” He peeled off his own shirt then released the snap of her jeans.

  It took some fumbling, but soon they were naked, and she was facing him and kissing him, and their bodies finally meshed together.

  She couldn’t believe they’d held out this long.

  With the diesel engine throbbing beneath them, and the wilds of Alaska all around them, currents of pleasure lifted them once more to unbelievable heights.

  * * *

  * * *

  Mia couldn’t keep her secret any longer. It felt like a constant lie to sit here on the screen porch with Raven drinking wine when there was such a huge thing just hanging out there like a deadweight on her conscience.

  “I slept with Silas,” she blurted out, damn the torpedoes.

  Raven stilled and then blinked. “I kissed Brodie.”

  “You what?” That news was even more earthshaking. Mia sat forward in her chair, all ears for the details. “When, where, how did it happen?”

  Raven looked unhappy about it, but a little voice inside Mia couldn’t help congratulating herself on orchestrating such a successful makeover. Plus, her sixth sense for relationships had been vindicated, and that boded well for their new matchmaking venture.

  “In Anchorage,” Raven said. “On an elevator. On the lips.”

  “It’s not a kiss if it’s not on the lips. At least, not one that counts.”

  “Well, this one didn’t count anyway. We agreed on that.” Raven’s head began to nod as she seemed to warm up to the explanation. “It would totally have messed with our professionalism. We’ve built up a rhythm, Brodie and me; a rapport. It’s important to both companies that nothing mess with that. So, we agreed. Nothing happened. It was a congratulatory gesture, and it doesn’t count.”

  Mia watched her cousin’s mental contortions with fascination. “I don’t think it works that way. How long did it last?”

  “About five floors, I think.”

  “That’s a long congratulatory gesture.”

  “I know.”

  “And you’re still thinking about it.”

  “I can’t stop.” Raven took a hefty swig of her wine. It was glass number three—probably why she was dishing so freely.

  “Was it a good congratulatory gesture?” Mia asked.

  “The best.” Raven flopped back in her chair. “Ever.” Then she abruptly sat up straight. “Hang on. Back the truck up. You slept with Silas?”

  Mia was surprised it had taken her this long. “Twice.”

  “When? Where?” Raven made a rolling motion with her finger. “You know, all those questions.”

  “At Wildflower Lake.”

  Raven thought about it for a second. “So, Brodie was right.”

  “Brodie?”

  “He thought you two were acting weird. But Silas told him it was the radio thing.”

  “The radio thing?”

  “The lessons.”

  Mia was stunned to hear Silas had told Brodie. She was even more shocked he hadn’t told her Brodie knew.

  “You didn’t have to keep it a secret,” Raven said. “I think it’s great.”

  “You know how Brodie is.”

  Raven looked puzzled. “How do you mean?”

  “You saw his expression when I flattened the truck tire.”

  “He can be impatient,” Raven allowed. “It can be hard to prove yourself to him.”

  “Was he mad about the radio lessons?” Mia asked, thinking that might be why Silas had kept quiet.

  “He was mad,” Raven said with a wry laugh. “But then Silas told him it was just for fun, something easier for you to learn.”

  Mia didn’t understand. “For fun?”

  “It doesn’t matter if you’re never going to use it,” Raven carried on. “Expanding your skill set is admirable.”

  “Right,” Mia said slowly as a simmer of anger rose inside her.

  She’d worked her butt off learning the radio, learning about weather, terminology, air traffic control, flight tracking. She’d done it to help at WSA, not as an exercise in fun.

  Silas had sworn he had faith in her, and then he made love to her, and all the while he was patronizing her.

  “Silas says you’re really good at it.” Raven’s carefree voice was jarring as she stood. “You surprised him. More wine?”

  Mia’s anger turned to humiliation and a cold sense of betrayal. She swallowed hard and rose to her feet, cobbling together the scraps of her pride as she followed Raven into the kitchen.

  “It was a bit of a lark,” she managed, setting down her glass. She was desperate to move on from her embarrassment. “Let’s talk about the matchmaking project. That’s far more exciting. I thought I’d go see Breena tomorrow to do some more planning. And we should talk about a budget. I’m happy to underwrite the costs.”

  “You can’t spend your personal money on it,” Raven protested as she poured from a bottle of Bordeaux.

  Mia had taken over the wine buying, so it was in bottles now. “Sure, I can.”

  Raven handed her the refilled glass. “I thought we’d sell tickets or memberships or something.”

  “I think we have to make it free.” Mia focused her mind and tamped down her emotions.

  “Free? Are you kidding me?”

  “How much could we possibly charge?” Mia grasped onto the project like a lifeline, blocking everything Silas-related. “Fifty bucks? A hundred? We’re going to have to fly a couple dozen people to Alaska. There’s the food and the venue, and wherever we’re going to put them up. Hey, where can we put them up?”

  The question seemed to stump Raven. “Mrs. France has three B&B rooms above the Bear and Bar, but they’re pretty rustic. They share a bathroom.”

  Mia grimaced.

  “Camping?” Raven tentatively offered. “Glamping?”

  “We can’t put the women up in tents.”

  “It would weed out the weak ones.”

  “It would weed out all of them. Plumbing and walls have to be our baseline.”

  “The only place big enough for that many people together is the WSA staff housing. It’s very no-frills.”

  “Is there anything fancier? Another bed and breakfast? Or a big house we could rent?”

  “You’ve seen the whole town,” Raven said. “The only building of any size is the school.”

  “Cots on the gymnasium floor and communal showers? I don’t think so.”

  “Are you saying we’re dead in the water?”

  Mia mentally shuffled through their options. “Could we maybe put the WSA guys in tents or something? Temporarily, of course. And would Brodie agree to an upgrade to the housing units?”

  “You want Brodie to upgrade his staff residence for us while his guys are put in tents?”

  “I’d pay for it—new linens, paint, a little wainscoting. You can do a lot with throw rugs and art. And lamps. The right lighting is pivotal to the ambiance. They can totally keep all that once the event is over.”

  Raven laughed. “Are you that rich?”

  “I can swing this.” There were many degrees of wealth. Mia wasn’t even close to the top of the spectrum, but she wasn’t at the bottom either. She could afford a pet project.

  Raven sobered then. “I thought the kids were fighting you for the inheritance.”

  “Tha
t’s just the business.”

  “There’s money besides the business?”

  “Oh yeah. Alastair was a prudent investor. And I kept my salary all those years. I put most of it away.”

  Raven gestured around the cabin. “And you’re living here?”

  “Visiting. And you swore this was one of the best places in Paradise.”

  Raven peered at Mia over the rim of her wineglass. “I can ask Brodie.”

  “Like I said, he’s free to keep all the new stuff after we’re done. Though I’m not sure the guys would consider my paint color an upgrade.”

  “No promises,” Raven said.

  “But we’re not dead in the water.”

  “Not dead.” Raven raised her glass to toast.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Silas had never seen that particular expression on Brodie’s face—astonishment mixed with suspicion and a touch of revulsion.

  He was standing thirty yards away in the open bay doorway of the WSA hangar, where Raven was talking fast, Mia was nodding enthusiastically and Brodie was staring at them if they’d just walked off a spaceship from Mars.

  Curious, Silas picked up his pace.

  “It would only last a couple of days,” Raven said as Silas made it into hearing range.

  Tristen and Hailey had just taken off in the caravan, and the sound of the engine faded into the morning sky. Cobra was working inside the shop, his impact gun intermittently clacking and echoing off the walls.

  Brodie didn’t say a word.

  “Everything would be tasteful,” Mia put in. “You’d be welcome to keep the upgrades. But it’s all removable if somebody objected.”

  “Mrs. France is on board,” Raven said. “And you know it would be super popular with the guys.”

  Silas came to a halt.

  Mia fleetingly looked his way but didn’t smile or greet him.

  He wasn’t particularly shocked by that. They were still keeping a low profile. But he hoped he could get her alone for a few minutes before his flight. He was surprised she hadn’t told him she was coming out to the airstrip.

  “Late September,” Raven said.

  “We’re flexible on that,” Mia said.

  “As work winds down,” Raven said.