North Country Mom

by Lois Richer

  Jack blinked. “But you just got the concession for the land for this house from them.”

  “I know.” She flashed her gorgeous smile at him. “Strike while the iron is hot, right?” She laughed at his surprise. “If you don’t push a little, you’ll never get ahead.” She pointed to a line on the paper. “Need a pen?”

  “No. I brought my own.” He pulled his pen from his shirt pocket and signed his name where she indicated. When he looked up, her dark eyes met his. He thought he saw something sparkling in their depths. “I hope you get your wish. You’re quite a lady, Alicia.”

  “Thank you for saying that,” she said quietly, in a somber tone. “Not everyone thinks so.” She glanced over one shoulder to where the obnoxious man had earlier been standing.

  “You have your work cut out for you educating those who don’t appreciate what your people bring to the table,” Jack said, needing to show his support.

  Alicia’s eyes widened. “Thank you for saying that.” She looked at him until a smile tinged with relief lit her eyes. After half a second Jack returned that smile, thinking that Alicia seemed able to impact everyone she came in contact with. Especially him.

  Suddenly she jumped up and strode toward a tall, dark-haired man who was climbing up the smooth boulders toward them, her smile blazing.

  “Rick! I’m glad you came. We’re just having lunch. Want some?”

  When Alicia introduced Jack to Churchill’s youngest minister, she went on endlessly about Rick’s wonderful qualities. It seemed forever until she finally sat down. And then she offered Rick half her lunch. Something inside Jack grew so irritated by her obvious admiration of the guy that he got up and asked Laurel to find another lunch, which he then gave to Rick.

  Only when Jack sat back down did it occur to him that he was acting like a jealous man. But that was foolish. Rick was married. Besides, Alicia was nothing to Jack.

  Except a friend.

  Was that why he felt so protective of her? Did friendship account for the steady stream of details he noticed, like the strong, confident way she moved, the gentle touch she showered on the boys and the sweetness of her smile whenever she spoke to Giselle? Was friendship why he longed to run his fingers through her glossy hair?

  When Rick and Alicia became involved in a conversation about talking to God, Jack listened in. Questions began to roll through his brain. How was it that Alicia seemed to have the whole God thing sorted and he felt as if he was walking blindfolded through his faith?

  Jack moved closer, sipped his water and really listened to their conversation. Perhaps it could help him figure out what he truly believed about God. Maybe, if he was going to have faith, he had to trust when miracles like Giselle happened, and when they didn’t—like Simone’s death.

  As Jack realized he was thinking about his faith again, he also realized this was just one more area where Alicia had impacted his world.

  It was getting much harder to keep his distance, because his heart wanted to get involved with this wonderful vibrant woman, to share the highs and lows of each day with her, to look forward with her instead of looking back.

  Unfortunately his head wasn’t willing to take the risk.

  Chapter Nine

  Alicia finished the last few details of her display for the Canada Day parade. She was proud of her country and she wanted other Canadians to appreciate their land, as well. So each year she made a special effort to enter a unique float for the July First parade, hoping to interest others to learn more about their heritage.

  When she’d tweaked everything to her satisfaction, Hector drove the borrowed flat wagon to the start of the parade route. Alicia hurried inside her store to change. Then she’d follow him. Judging by the people she’d seen gathered along the street, a number of tourists were present for the festivities. That would be good for business.

  Now dressed in her costume, she hurried to the counter to pick up the basket of beaded bracelets she intended to toss to the kids.

  “Alicia, you look amazing.” Giselle stood in the doorway, brown eyes gaping from the white circles of her clown face.

  “I’ll second that. Incredible even.” Jack stood behind his daughter. The admiration blazing from his blue eyes made Alicia’s heart pound.

  “Thank you.” The bells on her ankles tinkled as she bowed. The feathers on her headpiece shivered when she looked up. “But neither of you is supposed to see me until I appear in the parade,” she chided with a smile.

  “We just wanted to ask if we could help you with anything,” Giselle murmured.

  Alicia raised an eyebrow. We? As far as she knew, Jack had refused to get involved in the Canada Day celebrations beyond allowing Giselle to walk as a clown and hand out leaflets about the hotel. He hadn’t mentioned the kite flying.

  “I thought you weren’t interested,” she said to Jack.

  “The boys couldn’t find enough wood for the fire you need this afternoon, for your ‘Making of the Bannock’ so I asked Dad to help us.” Giselle grinned at Jack.

  “Nagged is more like it. And she doesn’t even know what bannock is, Alicia,” Jack teased. When he smiled, it did funny things to her composure.

  “Do so.” Giselle shot an exaggerated glare at her father. “It’s a kind of flat bread indigenous North Americans made with flour, baking powder, sugar, lard and water or milk. It’s baked in an oven or cooked on a stick.”

  “That’s right,” Alicia said. “First Nations people didn’t always have those ingredients though, so they used whatever resources were available. Flour from trees, sap for sugar and whatever leavening agents they could find.”

  “You are incredible,” Jack murmured. “All this history, this information—it’s an amazing gift you give to people.”

  “Thanks.” Alicia blushed at his effusive praise, wondering for just a moment what it would be like to have someone on your side all the time, to praise you when things got tough, to cheer you when you didn’t think you could handle something, to defend you when trouble loomed. A loud whine broke through her musing. “There’s the horn for the parade lineup. I need to go.”

  The peal of the phone stopped her.

  But when she picked it up, that hateful voice demanded, “Where’s your kid?”

  Jack’s eyes were on her, noticing every detail. Alicia couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell her caller to leave her alone. So she did the only thing she could. She hung up. Then she unplugged the phone.

  “Is something wrong?” Jack asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “No. But I can’t take any more calls now,” she said, coming up with the excuse quickly. “I have to leave or Hector will be driving an empty float.”

  “I need to go, too. See you later.” Giselle scurried out the door.

  “This clown thing—you don’t think it will be too much for her?” Jack asked. “I mean, it’s hot today and she’s wearing that huge suit.”

  “The parade route is short, Jack. She’ll be fine. As long as she has enough candy to pass out. The kids here love candy.”

  “I think kids everywhere love candy,” he said in a dry tone. “Since Giselle is pulling a wagon full of it she should be okay.” He stood back to study her and shook his head. “I can’t get over how you look.” He indicated the basket she held. “Can I carry that for you?”

  “Thanks. It’s heavy,” she warned. “I made a lot of these bracelets. I didn’t want to run out.” She had been following him to the door but when he abruptly stopped, Alicia bumped into him. “Sorry,” she apologized, drawing away from the contact as quickly as she could.

  It should have made her nervous that she’d brushed against him. It always had before. Yet all Alicia could think about now was the smooth softness of his chambray shirt grazing her skin. Her nostrils filled with the citrusy scent of his aftershave.

  Jack was focused on something else.

  “Are you telling me that you handmade each of these bracelets?” He gaped at her.

  “Yes, of course.” Alici
a looked down, suddenly self-conscious.

  “But that’s an incredible amount of effort!”

  “I usually do them during the winter when it’s too cold to go outside or I have nothing to do in the evenings,” she explained. “It keeps me busy. I like that.”

  “You’re always busy.” He scrutinized her face. “Too busy.”

  “For what?” Why would he care that she kept busy? Was Jack concerned about her?

  “I don’t know. Something fun. I thought after you got the land for the sod house you’d celebrate with a spa day or something,” he muttered.

  “Good idea. Except there is no spa in Churchill, Jack.” And she’d never had a spa day in her life. Hiding her smile, Alicia tilted her head to one side to look at him. “I went for a walk. Does that count?”

  “I guess. You’re alone a lot, aren’t you?” His voice was soft, thoughtful.

  “Hardly. I’m in the store every day.” What was Jack getting at?

  “Yes.” He kept looking at her, his blue eyes searching hers. “That’s not exactly what I meant. Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” Alicia checked the clock. Hector would be wondering where she was.

  “Who is the person you’re searching for? The adopted person,” Jack clarified.

  “Why do you ask?” Her breath stopped in her throat. Tension whipped a line across her shoulders. Only by sheer force did Alicia retain control.

  “You seem desperate to find them.” Jack shrugged. “Maybe I could help.”

  “Maybe you could,” she agreed. “Thank you for offering. But right now I have to get to the float. Could you please give me a ride?”

  Alicia didn’t need a ride. She walked everywhere and loved it. But Jack was getting too close. She had to keep him busy until she could think of an excuse not to tell him her secrets.

  “Sure.” He jerked a thumb toward the back door. “If we go out that way, my truck’s around the corner.”

  “Thank you.” Relief filled Alicia as she snapped the lock on the front door then hurried to his truck.

  Once there, she had to remove her headdress and set it on the seat between them. She appreciated Jack’s helping hand as she climbed inside and his respect of her outfit when he shifted her white buckskin skirt so it wouldn’t catch in the door.

  One thought sang through her brain as they drove to the parade organizing point. Not yet. She didn’t want to admit to him that she’d given away her baby yet. But Jack would keep asking unless she told him not to, and doing that would only make him more curious.

  Maybe the best thing would be to avoid him and Giselle altogether.

  But she liked working with Jack. Anyway, it would be impossible to avoid them when they were both working on the sod house. And now it seemed Giselle had involved him in her bannock making this afternoon. In fact, Jack was becoming a greater part of her life with every day that passed. So much so that Alicia could no longer imagine Churchill without him.

  Was that a good thing?

  By the time Jack found her float, Hector had already pulled into the lineup. Obviously relieved, he held out a hand to help her climb onto the deck, but in that second Alicia couldn’t move. Her heart surged into her throat because she finally realized why Jack always made her so nervous.

  She was starting to care for him.

  *

  Jack couldn’t take his eyes off Alicia. She looked stunning and graceful and utterly compelling as she stood in the sunlight. From the rich black of the eagle feathers on her head, to the brilliant red beads holding it in place like a frame around her face, to the flow of the milky-white garments she wore, even right down to the leather moccasins on her feet, Alicia Featherstone looked every inch a beautiful Indian maiden.

  When she gathered her skirts around her to climb onto the float with Hector’s help, Jack stepped in front of the other man. Ignoring the questioning look on Alicia’s face, he spanned his hands around her waist and lifted her up so she sat on the side of the flat deck.

  “Thank you, Jack.” Her voice was as lovely as the rest of her, sweet and melodic on the shimmering breeze off the bay. There were a thousand things he wanted to say and none that seemed important enough to break the current that locked their gazes.

  Alicia rose in one fluid motion. She stared at him with an intensity that echoed and brought light to a dark place inside him. Then she smiled said, “See you later,” and took her place beside the teepee.

  Moments later the parade line started to move. Jack drove his truck into the parking space behind his hotel. Then he went to stand on Kelsey, the main street through the town, and watch with the rest of the community. For such a small place, there were a lot of floats and everyone had something to toss to the kids. Giselle appeared about halfway through, running, but most of all smiling. A burst of pride spilled inside him. She was his daughter. No matter who had given her life.

  To Jack’s surprise, an acrobat accompanied Giselle, a lithe and tall boy who excelled at handstands and flips. He was pretty sure it was Eli and that made his mouth tighten, but since the boy was helping Giselle hand out flyers and candy from his hotel, he could hardly begrudge the two of them the time together. He stayed where he was. He didn’t want to miss the first glimpse of Alicia’s float.

  He caught his breath when he saw her. She looked so lovely, sitting next to her stone-rimmed campfire with a mounted fox and deer watching. He joined in the burst of applause that welcomed her float, insanely proud that he knew this talented woman. In fact, Jack was so focused on Alicia, he didn’t see anything that followed. It was only when one of his patrons spoke to him that he realized the parade was over.

  Jack went into the lodge to make lunch, but he’d barely taken out the bread for sandwiches when Giselle came rushing in and told him that everyone was gathering in an open space behind Kelsey Street.

  “There are food booths there, Dad,” she called from her bedroom. “Laurel has the boys cooking burgers on grills. I’m going to help them. Want to come? I think Alicia will be there after she changes.”

  The mention of Alicia settled it. Jack put the bread away. “Sure.” He smiled when she returned, divested of the clown costume. “Aren’t you tired?”

  “No. Like Alicia says, the more you do, the more you want to do. Didn’t you think Eli was great?” she enthused.

  “Yes, he was.” But it was Alicia on whom he fixated. She was changing Giselle’s world, too. It seemed to Jack that no one could avoid being impacted by her.

  As he and Giselle walked to the celebration area, Jack realized that he liked being part of the changes Alicia wrought. The lethargy he’d brought to Churchill had dissipated. He hadn’t felt so alive in years. And that was Alicia’s doing.

  The open area was teeming with kids of all ages. He wondered what they seemed to be waiting for, and was about to find Laurel and ask when the volunteer firemen turned their hoses on. In seconds the huge area was covered with billowing piles of foam. Screaming with delight, the kids dashed into it until they were covered. Then they tossed the foam around, filling the square with laughter.

  “It’s not toxic,” Alicia said in his ear. “They take special precautions about that. Want to try?”

  Her grin dared him, so Jack grabbed a handful and plopped it on her head. Laughing and trying to dodge his outstretched hand, she darted into the foam and emerged covered from jeans to T-shirt in white fluffy globs. Her hands were full of the stuff and she proceeded to dab it all over his chin.

  It might seem somewhat juvenile to someone who wasn’t familiar with Churchill, Jack thought as he glanced around, but it seemed that everyone in town was joining in the fun. Casting off his inhibitions, he joined her, scooping a handful of foam and placing a perfect peak of white on her nose. Alicia ducked away, laughing as she moved forward again and piled foam on his head.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” Jack grabbed her arm to stop her.

  Instantly Alicia froze. For a second her eyes showed pure terror. With a fierce
intensity she said, “No!” Then she jerked away.

  Something was definitely wrong. Jack dropped his hand and stood still, waiting till she fought off whatever it was. It was clear to him that something had happened to her. He’d seen that look before—the look of abject terror that victims wore.

  “It’s okay,” he said, choosing his words with care. “I was only teasing, Alicia.”

  To her credit she snapped back immediately.

  “I know that.” She forced a smile to her lips, but her face was pale. Too pale. “Sorry. Something happened to me once, a while ago and—”

  “I understand,” Jack interrupted. He didn’t want her to say more, didn’t want her to have to rehash it all when the effect was so obviously negative. “Would you like to get some lunch?”

  A hamburger was the last thing Jack wanted right now. What he did want shocked him. He wanted to enfold Alicia in his arms, to protect her and reassure her that nothing would ever hurt her again.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. He could see her visibly withdrawing, pulling that mantle of protection around her.

  So she wouldn’t need anyone?

  Or so she wouldn’t need him?

  “I am hungry,” she murmured, and mustered a smile. “I missed breakfast. A hamburger sounds good.”

  “Okay. I’m buying. Let’s support the Lives’ barbecue.” He walked with her to the stand where Rod took their order. By mutual unspoken agreement, they carried their food to the cliffs. Once there Alicia chose a sunny spot on a huge boulder and sank down cross-legged.

  “I wish I could do that,” he murmured. “You’re very agile.”

  “It’s in my blood, I guess. My people have been sitting like this for years.” Normally when Alicia spoke about her heritage there was a thread of pride underlying them. But these words came out flat.

  “Someone hurt you badly, didn’t they?” Jack asked, risking a rebuff because somehow he needed to help her.

  “Yes.” That, too, sounded flat, devoid of feeling.

  “I won’t ever do that, Alicia.” He waited a long time for her to look at him.