by Stewart, Anna J. ; Sasson, Sophia; Carpenter, Beth; Jensen, Muriel
Sam set what was left of his sandwich on his plate and grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth. You’d think after all these years he would have learned not to gobble. He no longer had to worry that he wouldn’t get enough food, that the other kids at the shelter would take his if he didn’t eat fast. Ursula’s efforts to civilize him had been met with mixed results.
He tried for a carefree smile. “One is plenty.” He tasted the chowder and laid down his spoon. “This is excellent. You’re a good cook.”
“Thanks.” She smiled back and came to sit beside him. “So, you said you’d been traveling. Did you have a nice vacation?”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t vacation. I’m working a twenty-eight-day rotation in Siberia.”
“Siberia?” She stared at him as if he’d said Mars.
“Yeah. We’re doing some infill drilling.”
“What does a rotation mean?”
“I work for four weeks straight, and then my alternate takes over and I have the next four weeks off. Unfortunately, it takes about three days to get from there to here, which eats into my time off.”
“I guess it would.” She took a bite of her sandwich and continued to watch him as if she were observing an exotic animal in the zoo. He took the opportunity to wolf down a few spoonfuls of the rich chowder.
She took a sip of coffee. “How long have you known Chris?”
He swallowed. “Let’s see. I was in my senior year at the University of Alaska Fairbanks when we met, so seventeen years. I had a part-time job at a pizza restaurant, and he started working there as a cook. We’ve been friends ever since.”
“And he never mentioned he had a sister?”
“No.” He watched her face, looking for signs of distress, but she seemed more puzzled than anything. “Chris doesn’t talk about his family.”
“Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“Not especially. Sometimes people come to Alaska to get away from something or someone. If people don’t volunteer information, you learn not to ask.”
“Oh.” She bit into her sandwich.
“So, I gather this is your first time in Alaska?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful. I love the mountains.”
“What brings you here after all this time?”
She didn’t meet his eyes. “My father died. He and Chris had some sort of falling out. I don’t know what it was all about, but Chris left when I was sixteen. I needed to find him and let him know Dad left him something in his will.”
“Good for Chris. Did you get a chance to tell him before he left?”
“Yes.” She bit her lip. “But he didn’t seem too happy about it.”
Sam swallowed a spoonful of soup. “I can understand that.”
“Really? Because I don’t.” Dana leaned a little closer. “Obviously, Dad left him the money to try to make it up to him. Why won’t Chris accept it?”
Sam shrugged. “Maybe he doesn’t want to make up. Maybe it’s too little, too late. You don’t know what was said.”
“I know my father was a good man. How bad could it have been?”
Sam considered while he chewed another bite of sandwich. “Bad enough to make your brother leave home and never go back. If Chris takes the money, it gives your father all the power. Maybe Chris doesn’t want to be beholden to the man who kicked him out.”
“How do you know he kicked him out?”
“I don’t. But I know Chris. He’s not the type to hold a grudge over something minor. Besides, if he doesn’t want the money, why should it matter to you?”
“Because, well, it’s my responsibility.” Her cheeks were growing pinker. “Chris is my brother. My dad left it to me to set things right.”
That seemed like a pretty big burden for one person. Sam’s jaw clenched, but he reminded himself Dana’s family dynamics were none of his business. Still, his sympathies were with Chris. “Why you? If he really wanted to patch up things with Chris, he could have come himself, not sent you after he died. It seems to me he took the coward’s way out.”
She narrowed her eyes and sat up straighter. “You didn’t even know him.”
“You’re right.” Sam held up his hand. “I’m sorry. I mean no disrespect. I’m sure your father was a fine man.”
She raised her chin. “He was.”
“I believe you. He raised my best friend, so he can’t be all bad.”
The corners of her bow-shaped mouth quirked upward. “Your best friend, huh?”
“Absolutely. Chris is the closest thing I have to a brother.”
She gave a little laugh. “So, if my brother is like your brother, does that make me your sister?”
The idea of Dana as a sister didn’t appeal to Sam. Maybe it was because of the way her eyes softened when she talked about Alaska. Or because of that cute mouth of hers that seemed to naturally curve into the shape of a kiss. Not that he had any intention of following through on any impulse to kiss Chris’s sister. That would be a bad idea for so many reasons. Although he couldn’t think of any at that precise moment.
Instead of answering, he rose and carried his dishes to the sink. “That was a wonderful meal, Dana. Since you cooked, I’ll clean up.” He glanced out the living room window at the mountains. “Then what do you say we get outside? It’s an exceptionally beautiful day. Would you like to go kayaking?”
“Kayaking?”
“You can use Chris’s boat. He won’t mind.”
“I’ve never been kayaking.” Her voice sounded doubtful, but her eyes sparkled.
“They’re small lake kayaks. It’s easy. Go change into some pants or shorts while I take care of the dishes and then we’ll go.”
She caught the edge of her lip between her teeth. “You don’t have to entertain me. I don’t want to be any trouble.”
Sam shrugged. “I’m going kayaking. You can come or not. It doesn’t matter to me.” But to his surprise, it did. He needed to get outside, to loosen up the kinks, but he didn’t want to just leave her alone. Besides, he wanted to show her his favorite lake, a jewel of nature tucked away in a city neighborhood.
Her face cleared. “Okay, if you’re sure. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Go get ready.” Sam smiled to himself as he loaded the bowls into the dishwasher. The sun was shining and he was going kayaking. It was good to be home.
* * *
SAM HAD PULLED his truck from the garage and loaded two plastic boats onto the roof rack by the time Dana got changed. She climbed into the truck, and he backed out of the driveway. When they reached the speed bump, Sam slowed but still had to grab his coffee cup before it spilled. He muttered something under his breath that sounded like “Reynolds.”
“Who’s Reynolds?”
Sam grimaced. “Martin Reynolds. City assemblyman. He lives at the back of this neighborhood.” They reached the corner of the cul-de-sac and Sam stopped, waiting for a car to pass. “The couple in that house—” he nodded toward the corner lot “—were concerned that people drove too fast through the neighborhood, so they complained to Reynolds. He got a speed bump installed, but instead of putting it on the main street, where there’s actually a problem, he put it in the middle of our cul-de-sac. That way he wouldn’t have to go over it on his way home.”
Dana laughed. “Your government in action.”
“Exactly.”
He drove from the neighborhood and down a couple of main streets before turning into another neighborhood and pulling into a parking lot near a playground. Only then did Dana notice the small lake behind a row of town houses. Still water reflected the mixed greens of spruce and birch around most of the perimeter, except for a grassy area at one end with a dock.
It only took seconds before Sam was out of the truck, reaching up to remove a kayak from the roof ra
ck. Dana tried to help, but she couldn’t reach that high. Sam lifted the second one down and then effortlessly picked up a boat in each hand and started toward the dock.
Dana followed. “I can carry one.”
“I’ve got them. If you want to grab the paddles and the PFDs from the back, that would help.”
“PFD?”
“Personal Flotation Device. Life jackets.”
“Oh.” She gathered the equipment and hurried after him. Before they got to the dock, they reached a low, muddy spot. Sam walked through it without hesitation, but Dana carefully picked her way around.
Sam dropped the boats on the dock and looked back to see her circling. Laugh lines gathered at the corners of his eyes. “A little mud won’t hurt you.”
Dana shrugged. “I should have worn my other sneakers.”
“I thought Kansas was farm country. Aren’t you used to mud?”
“I live in town. Streets, sidewalks, grass. Minimal mud.”
When they reached the dock, a group of mallards followed by rows of ducklings cut vees through the water, racing each other toward the dock.
Dana smiled at the fuzzy babies. “Cute. But they’re not very wild, are they?”
“No. City ducks. They’re used to people.” He dropped a boat into the water next to the dock with a splash. The ducks quacked in protest and swam farther away. Sam tied a rope from the boat to a post on the dock. “Put your life jacket on and I’ll help you in.”
Dana buckled the jacket in place, but it hung loose around her body. Sam shook his head. “You need to adjust the size. Unbuckle and turn around.” He tugged on something on the back of the life jacket and then reached around her to snap the buckles closed. His breath stirred the hair on top of her head.
He was close enough for her to detect the scent of his bodywash, mingling pleasantly with the underlying scent of man. She closed her eyes for a moment before she realized what she was doing and stepped away. “I can get it now. Thanks.”
He nodded, pulled on his own PFD and stepped closer to the edge of the dock. “Ready?”
“Sure.” The small boat didn’t look too intimidating. She put one foot into the well in the center and the kayak rocked. She would have fallen if Sam hadn’t grasped her arm.
“Easy.” He squatted down to hold the boat with his free hand without letting go. She managed to slide her legs forward into the boat until she settled in and he released her.
He handed her a two-bladed paddle, untied the boat from the dock and gave it a shove. She went scooting across the water, sending the ducks that had congregated in all directions. A breeze caught her and pushed her farther into the lake. “Wait. What do I do now?”
“Paddle.”
She dipped the end of the paddle into the water and her boat curved toward it, slowing her and eventually bringing her around so she was facing the dock just in time to watch Sam slide into his kayak in one easy motion.
As he pushed off from the dock and dipped his paddle into the water, his face changed. Happy lines formed at the corners of his dark eyes. He seemed relaxed, at home on the water. He worked the double-ended paddle with practiced ease.
He paddled closer and rotated his boat so he was next to her and facing the same direction. Once he showed her a couple of basic strokes, she found handling the kayak surprisingly simple. In no time, they were circling the lake, easing into the scalloped edges.
Sam pointed toward a tiny island across the water, covered with grass and a patch of purple irises. “There’s a loon’s nest. Don’t get too close.”
Dana stopped and held up her hand to shade her eyes. Sure enough, she could make out a black-headed bird, with an intricate pattern of black and white across its body and wings, nestled among the grass on the very edge of the island. “How did you spot it?”
“I saw the nest last year, so I was looking for it. Loons like to use the same nest again. Look. Here comes the male. Must be time for shift change.”
As they watched, another similar bird swam closer and rubbed bills with the bird on the nest. After a moment, the first bird wrenched herself off the nest and flopped awkwardly into the water. Once there, though, she was remarkably graceful. The other bird waddled onto the nest. He took a moment to arrange something with his long, pointed bill before settling down.
Sam resumed paddling and she followed him farther around the lake. On the shore, a fat robin watched them, a worm hanging from his mouth. He flew into a tree, greeted by a chorus of chirping from the baby birds in the nest. A sound carried across the water, a haunting three-note call. “What’s that? A coyote?”
Sam smiled and shook his head. “The loons. Look.” He pointed at a tall spruce with a dead top on the shore near the loon’s nest. A huge bird with a white head perched there.
“Is that an eagle?”
“Yes. The loon is calling her mate to warn him.”
A moment later, the eagle spread his wings and lifted off, soaring into the sky. Dana gasped at the sight. “Beautiful.”
“I know.”
She watched Sam’s face. “You love this, don’t you?”
“What?”
“This place. Alaska.”
A slow smile stretched across his face. “It’s home.”
“It must be hard to leave for so long at a time.”
He shrugged. “That’s my job.” He paddled forward. She watched him for a moment as he pulled away, how his arms flexed under his shirt, the confident way he handled the small boat.
What would drive someone to leave a home he loved for such long stretches? Did he have family? Dana had only been gone a day when her mother started calling. Didn’t Sam have anyone who counted on him?
Dana gave herself a little shake. Sam’s personal life wasn’t any of her business. She was here to follow up on Dad’s estate, not to make a friend. It was nice of Sam to include her on this outing, but she needed to focus on her goal and then get back to Kansas, to her life. She picked up her paddle and propelled herself across the sparkling water. Maybe Chris would be back from his fishing trip tonight.
Sam narrowed his eyes at something over at the shoreline. “Wait here a minute.”
Dana watched as he worked his kayak through a tangle of vegetation to a place where a spruce tree leaned over the water, casting a shadow. He eased up to the bank, his movements almost languid and yet precise. He parted some weeds and something flashed green. His hand reached in to extract a fishing lure attached to a snarl of line, which he tucked in his kayak before paddling back to her.
“How did you know that was there?”
He shrugged. “It caught the light. Wouldn’t want the ducks getting tangled up.”
They paddled around the lake for another half hour before Sam led her back to the dock. Her shoulders ached from the unaccustomed exercise, but the sense of peace she felt after her time on the lake made up for it.
Sam climbed up on the dock and tied his boat to a post. Dana paddled alongside and he reached for her hand. She felt a moment of panic as the boat rocked while she tried to climb out, but he just smiled and pulled her onto the dock.
He lifted her boat from the water. “You did well for your first time in a kayak. Did you have fun?”
“I loved it. I’ve never seen a loon or a bald eagle before.”
Sam removed the mess of tangled fishing line from his kayak and deposited it into a garbage receptacle near the dock. “Whenever I get back from a rotation, I come here. I like to see the ducks growing up, the seasons changing.”
“It’s a special place. Thanks for bringing me along today.”
He flashed her a smile. “Anytime.”
CHAPTER THREE
THE NEXT MORNING, Sam checked his watch as he hurried across the office parking lot. He was barely going to make the meeting
on time. Ordinarily he came in early to prepare, but Dana cooked him French toast for breakfast and it would have been rude not to eat it. Then he got caught up in a conversation advising her what sights she might want to see in Anchorage. Before he knew it, he’d lingered too long.
He smiled to himself. Having a houseguest wasn’t turning out to be nearly as much of a bother as he’d feared. On the contrary, he’d thoroughly enjoyed kayaking with Dana yesterday, watching those eyes of hers light up when she saw the loons and the eagle. And the fact that she kept cooking for him didn’t hurt. It was tempting to play hooky today and go be a tourist with her instead. But he resisted.
He pushed through the glass doors leading to the office atrium and started toward the secured area near the elevators. He’d sent in his reports, so technically he didn’t have to attend the meeting during his days off, but his boss, Ethan, liked to have him there for questions. Besides, face time with the bigwigs was always a good career move.
“Excuse me, sir. Do you have a badge?” An unfamiliar man stepped from behind the security desk and blocked his way. His short hair and determined stance marked him as ex-military. Must be a new guy.
“Yeah.” Sam reached for his shirt pocket, but the ID badge wasn’t clipped on as usual. He patted the pockets of his pants. “Darn. I must have left it in the car. I’ll go get it.”
“Sam, you’re here. Good.” Ethan slapped his shoulder. “On your way up?”
“Yes, I just need to go get my badge from the car.”
“No need for that. Jake, Sam is one of our best engineers. He works a rotation in Russia, so you might not have met him before. He’s with me.”
“Yes, sir.” The security guard almost saluted before returning to his desk. Ethan swiped his badge and Sam followed him to the elevators.
Ethan pushed the button for the top floor. “I hope you have good news for us.”
Sam nodded. “It’s coming along. Slowly.”
“But you’re making progress?”
“Yes. We got the number fourteen spudded, finally. It’s not like Prudhoe Bay. Everything takes at least twice as long.”
