Her Alaskan Hero

by Rebecca Thomas

  “Would you teach us tomorrow, too?” Betsy asked. “That was so much fun. I never knew my body could stretch that much. And I feel so refreshed.”

  “I would love to,” Sabrina said, “But I think the hunters will be back soon, and honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’d like to stay longer, but—”

  “You can stay with me!” Betsy practically squealed. “I have a room for you.”

  Sabrina had forgotten all about Betsy’s B&B, but she’d rather stay with Zak. “That’s so kind of you. Let me check with Zak, but regardless…” Sabrina peered at Vince and the ladies in the café. “If you’d like to meet tomorrow at the same time, I’d love to teach you some more poses and stretches.”

  “We’d like that,” Robin, Harold’s wife, said.

  “Great. See you then.” She glanced at Vince. “Is it still okay for you to take me back to the lodge?”

  “Sure. Do you want to stop to visit the puppies first?” Vince asked.

  “Could we? I would love that,” Sabrina exclaimed as she scooped up Bunny.

  Before leaving the lodge, she’d grabbed her cell phone, and now it felt like a ten-pound weight in her pocket, reminding her of the fundraising event she had back home. There were many last-minute preparations that she didn’t trust anyone else to do. From umpires to advertising, she wanted to make sure the event was successful. She’d purposefully powered down her cell phone and had kept it that way. But her life, like the cell phone, couldn’t be ignored forever.

  She turned the power on and listened to the beeps of at least two dozen text messages.

  She didn’t read any of them, but instead dialed Melody’s number. She answered on the first ring. “Why in the hell haven’t you called? Did you get all my messages?”

  “No. I haven’t read or listened to any of them.”

  “The reporters are about to close in on you,” Melody said. “I wanted to warn you. Your Dad even came to my house! Can you freaking believe that? Of course I didn’t answer the door, but damn, when Senator Tate rings your doorbell, believe me, it’s not easy to ignore.”

  Sabrina’s body tensed and Bunny’s eyes immediately opened. “I’m sorry, Mel,” she said.

  “It’s okay, but here’s the deal. Susan told me they’ve honed in on Fairbanks, and they’ll figure out which commuter flight you took from there. Those reporters have a way of getting manifests.”

  “I know. They’ll find me.” Sabrina sighed. Bunny squirmed in her lap, as though feeling the stress radiating from her body. “My pretend life will be over soon.”

  “So tell me what’s going on. I want all the details,” Melody said. “Did you find a man up there? You can tell me. I know you did. You being silent for so many days says a lot. Plus with the man-to-woman ratio being what it is up there, how can you not find a man?”

  “I haven’t said anything, because you haven’t let me get a word in edgewise,” Sabrina teased.

  “Okay, okay, but why are you whispering?”

  “Bunny is asleep in my lap. I didn’t want to wake her.”

  “Bunny? You’re holding a rabbit?”

  “No,” Sabrina let out another sigh. “She’s a puppy. I named her Bunny.”

  “Oh, okay, well go ahead. Tell me everything.”

  “I have met someone.” The words slipped past her lips before she had time to think about what she should confess to Melody. Did she and Zak have something more than just a fling?

  “I knew it. Didn’t I tell you? Alaska is the place to find men.” Melody’s enthusiasm burst through the cell phone.

  Despite the anxiety this conversation was causing Sabrina, Melody never failed to make her smile. Every woman should have a best friend like her. “How long do I have before reporters show up?”

  “I have no idea, but you know they’ll find you. But forget about that right now, tell me about the guy.”

  “I will. I promise, but right now I’ve got to warn Zak and the residents of Gold Creek they’re about to be descended upon,” Sabrina said. “They aren’t the type of people who will appreciate reporters from trashy magazines asking questions. I promise I’ll call you later.”

  Sabrina clicked the phone off and powered it down.

  Bunny sat up, placed her paws on Sabrina’s chest, and licked her cheek.

  Guilt surged through every bone in her body, guilt for hanging up on Melody, but also guilt for not warning Zak that reporters were bound to find her. And, by association, him. He was a private person. He wouldn’t appreciate this intrusion into his life, and she couldn’t keep hiding from hers.

  Vince drove Sabrina to the lodge in his pickup truck. When they pulled up, Zak stood on the second-story deck and looked down on them like a king might look upon his subjects.

  Bunny hopped up and down in the seat, just like her namesake. Sabrina gave her a hug goodbye. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.

  “See you then,” Vince replied as he held Bunny by the collar.

  Vince put the truck in reverse. Bunny stuck her head out the half-rolled down window.

  Sabrina waved goodbye. Bunny barked. Sabrina’s heart cracked a little.

  She’d be leaving all this soon.

  Her stomach hurt.

  She’d probably leave either tomorrow or the next day. She’d make a deal with the reporters to give them their interview as long as they didn’t question the residents of Gold Creek.

  Zak’s voice sounded from above her. “You’re getting awfully attached to that dog, aren’t you?” he asked.

  The crack in her heart morphed into a crevasse.

  He didn’t know the half of it.

  CHAPTER 11

  Zak’s earlier jealousy over Vince diminished, and in its place was envy of a puppy. Sabrina’s expression looked hopelessly forlorn as Vince drove away and the puppy she’d named Bunny hung her gray and white fluffy head out the window.

  His brother Travis had a dog, but Zak had never felt the need for one. He was too busy for a dog, anyway. He couldn’t possibly give one the time and attention they required, plus all the training. He’d learned the drawbacks of owning a dog from keeping track of Shadow.

  He propped his forearms on the deck’s railing and resolved to enjoy Sabrina’s last days with him before the hunters got back. “Are you going to come up here or are you going to keep staring down the road?” he asked.

  She shook her head, but wouldn’t look up at him.

  “How did the yoga class go?” he prodded.

  Still there was no reaction from her.

  “Are you mad at me for nixing your idea of a yoga class at the lodge?”

  She stared at the ground. “No, I’m not mad at you.” Slowly, she craned her neck to gaze up at him. “They asked me to teach tomorrow though, so I’ll give a class at the café again.”

  Her eyes were watery. Damn. Was this all because of a dog or was she really angry at him? His resolve to keep Sabrina at an emotionally appropriate distance wavered like snow melting in the afternoon sun.

  Did women emit pheromones with their tears that brought men to their knees? He didn’t doubt it. A sharp ache stabbed his chest. If she taught the class at the café, she’d be away from him for a few hours longer. He didn’t want that. He wanted her near him for as long as it lasted. “You can have your class at the lodge if you want.”

  “Are you serious?” She stared up at him. “If you’re joking, Zak Forrester, I’ll come up there and…”

  “And what?” He grinned so hard, his cheeks hurt.

  “I’ll have to hurt you.” A crooked smile drew across her beautiful face and she ran around the side of the lodge.

  He met her at the front door. A whoosh of air burst from his lungs when she leaped in his arms. Embracing her, he sniffed the flowery scent of her. He wanted to memorize every detail of her, including her smell.

  Her legs wrapped around his waist. He clasped onto her so hard he was afraid he might crush her. “Is this when you’re going to
hurt me?”

  He meant the words in jest, but inside he knew she would hurt him where it mattered most—in his heart. He knew better than to fall for her, but fall for her he had.

  She leaned back and ran her fingers through his hair. “I won’t hurt you.”

  If only that were true.

  She gave him a quick kiss. “But I do need to talk to you about something though.”

  “I’m not sure I’m interested in talking right now.” He kissed her full on the mouth. Their tongues touched and he wrapped his arms around her tighter. She was going to leave him. But for now, she was still here, and he wanted to enjoy every second of their time together.

  He stared into the depths of her blue eyes, willing himself to keep his distance, but he was so tired of fighting his inner demons. He’d thrown out any kind of hope for happiness when his father died. He’d promised to put the care of his family above anything else, including his love life. But now those sounded like empty vows.

  Sabrina tipped her forehead against his. “What is it?” she asked.

  “My brother called.”

  She leaned back. He easily held her piggyback-style in front, but the heat of her inner thighs pressing into his waist was damned distracting.

  “What did he say?” she asked.

  “They’ll all be back tomorrow,” he said solemnly.

  “Then I’ll have to leave.”

  “No,” Zak said quickly. “You can stay with me, in my apartment.” As soon as he said the words, he knew he shouldn’t have. He knew she wouldn’t stay. From the very beginning…he knew she was going to leave.

  Running her hands through his hair, she said, “I’ve got things to take care of at home. Unfinished business, you might say. I have to face my problems. I can’t run away from them.”

  This was what he’d been waiting for, for her to open up about everything that led to her cancelled wedding. “I’m happy to listen, if you want to talk about it.”

  “Right now…” She placed both hands on each side of his face and pressed her breasts against his chest. “I don’t want to talk.”

  His hands slipped over her hips and cupped her bottom. He was going to miss the feel of her in his arms. Walking to the sofa in front of the fireplace, he sat her down and stripped off her tank top, followed quickly by her yoga pants. “Going commando again, I see,” he said.

  Devouring her with his eyes, he memorized every square inch of her; the curls between her legs, the pert pink nipples, the curve of her hips, the heart-shaped freckle on her stomach. But most importantly, the desire in her deep blue eyes.

  If this was going to be their last night together, he wasn’t going to waste a second of it.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Zak woke in his bed alone. “You better get used to it, buddy,” he mumbled to himself. He threw his legs over the side, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the clock: 6:42 a.m. She was up early.

  He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and started to make the bed, but he stopped himself. Sabrina was right, he decided. They were just going to mess it up again.

  Sliding on a tee shirt, he noticed a strange smell. No, not strange, but a smell like something was burning. Bare-footed, he raced out his apartment. Smoke swirled out from beneath the kitchen door.

  Panic pummeled his chest. “Sabrina!” he yelled and shoved the kitchen door open.

  All the windows in the kitchen were open. Smoke billowed out into the cool morning air. Sabrina stood slumped over the kitchen sink with a pan in her hands, steam rising all around her.

  Panic turned to terror. Zak rushed to her side. “Are you hurt? Is everything okay?”

  She dropped the pan with a clunk. “No,” she cried. “I’m not hurt. I don’t know how to cook. I don’t know what I was thinking. I burned everything.” She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I found a cookbook. I was going to surprise you. Then I thought about searching for a YouTube video, but didn’t want to turn on my phone.”

  Zak took both her hands in his and peered down into her puffy red eyes. Happiness bubbled inside him. “I don’t care if you know how to cook. Come here.” He pulled on her hands. She shuffled behind him. Sitting down in the breakfast nook, he drew her into his lap. “I’m so grateful you’re okay. You had me worried.”

  “I burned everything,” she said.

  He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t care.”

  “You should care. There’s probably smoke damage in here. Do you have good insurance?”

  Zak’s heart swelled, threatening to burst in his chest. “There’s no smoke damage in here. You’re being ridiculous.” He snaked his arms around her waist. “How about I take you out to breakfast? We’ll go to the café.”

  She shrugged. “I guess that would be okay. I need to tell everyone we’ve moved the location of the yoga class today anyway.”

  “Well, there you go. It’s decided.”

  “I’m so sorry, Zak.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He shook his head and rubbed his hand up and down her back. “Although, I am curious why you’ve never learned to cook.”

  “Other people always did it for me.”

  “Other people?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m the youngest. They never let me do anything.” She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

  “Just for the record.” He tipped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I appreciate you giving it a try, but next time, just ask me. I can show you how.”

  “There’s more.”

  His heart pounded quickly. He knew this day was coming, when she said she was leaving. “I’m listening.”

  She squirmed in his lap. “I wanted this morning to be special, because I have to leave. I’ve got to go back home.”

  Zak squeezed her tighter. He whispered, “I know.”

  “But there’s more.”

  What more could there be? The thought of her leaving was surely going to break his heart, but it was no one’s fault but his own. “Okay.”

  “I need to tell you the reason I have to leave.”

  “I’m listening.” He flexed his jaw.

  “When I graduated with my master’s degree in business administration in the spring, I was very excited to take on a project—to prove myself,” she said. “I wanted to accomplish something besides being Kyle’s wife and planning my wedding. I happened to watch the news one night and they were interviewing a boy, a teenager, who’d just won a big tennis tournament. It was amazing to find out he’d won this tournament with little to no coaching. The news clip showed his home and how it was right across from a park, but the tennis courts were cracked, with grass starting to grow through the concrete. I decided at that moment to make it my mission to get those tennis courts resurfaced. It gave me purpose, but it proved more difficult than I’d thought. But with my family’s connections, I was able to set up a charity tennis match on the UCLA campus. I’ve got to get back for that. I’m the one who organized it.”

  She took a deep breath, and Zak took the opening in her story to ask, “What are your family connections?”

  “That’s the part I haven’t told you. When I told you my name, I was so glad you didn’t recognize it. Because my father is Reginald Tate. He’s a California state senator and my mother used to be an actress, so the press loves my family. And my friend Melody said they’ve figured out what flights I took. The press is coming here—to Gold Creek. I was going to tell you yesterday, but I didn’t. I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve got to leave.”

  “Why should the press care about you being here? It’s not like you’re the president’s daughter.”

  Sabrina scooted off his lap. She folded her arms and gazed out the windows. “Well, trust me, I’m a president’s daughter on a smaller scale in southern California. And being left at the altar is a good story for many trashy magazines. But I can’t hide anymore. I’ve got to face the reporters, give them their interview…or for a
ll I know it will affect the outcome of the Tennis Challenge I’ve arranged.”

  Zak could only imagine that Sabrina was embellishing a bit. “Is this tennis event that big of a deal?”

  Sabrina swung around and kept her arms tightly clutched around her waist. “I realize your world is completely removed from the rest of the United States, but surely even you have heard of Pete Sampras and the Bryan Brothers?”

  Zak held up his hands. “Sabrina, you don’t need to go on the attack. I’m not the enemy here.”

  She let her hands fall to her sides. “I’m sorry. I’m a little tense and I’m hungry.”

  Zak stood up and wrapped his arms around her small frame. “So people will pay to watch this tennis match between the Bryan Brothers and Pete Sampras, and you’ll use the money to resurface those tennis courts for that kid?”

  Her shoulders shook, then she gazed up at him. “Well, yes.” She laughed. “You say it like it’s so simple, but the money raised will do more than just re-surface one set of courts. Hopefully the event will raise enough money to build new tennis courts in the inner city, and possibly playground equipment, too.”

  “That’s terrific.” He had had no idea what this woman was capable of, but now he was beginning to understand. Pride, followed by admiration, swallowed him up whole.

  She laughed some more. “Don’t you even care that I’m Senator Tate’s daughter and that I wasn’t completely forthcoming about my identity?”

  Zak gripped her shoulders and held her at arm’s length to look into her eyes. “You told me your name. I’m sorry if I didn’t recognize it,” he said.

  “I’m not sorry,” she said.

  “But I am sorry that you have to leave.” Zak gathered her in his arms again. More sorry than he would say. More sorry than he would admit to her. “Let’s go to the café and get something to eat, because you’re a terrible cook.”