Wild Cat
Alaska Wild Nights Book 2
Tiffinie Helmer
Copyright © 2018 by Tiffinie Helmer
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Edited by Adam McLain of amclain.com
Cover design by Kelli Ann Morgan of Inspire Creative Services
Created with Vellum
For Kathy Evans, friend, sarcastic queen, and fellow adventurer. Thanks for everything.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Preview of Wild Fire (Alaska Wild Nights Book 3)
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Tiffinie Helmer
Prologue
Jack Wilde looked up from the blue-print-covered desk, the size of a dining room table, when Colette knocked on his open door.
“Hank Dawson would like a word if you have a minute.”
“You bet. Show him in.” Jack tossed down the pencil he’d been jotting notes down with and rose from the desk. He met Hank with a firm handshake. “It’s good to see you.”
“How’s the family?”
“Did you hear, Sorene and Ash Bleu are getting married.” Jack couldn’t help the grin that split his face from ear to ear.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Hank gestured to the double door left wide open. “Mind?”
“Not at all.” Curious, he offered Hank a drink. “Want some coffee?”
“I’d prefer something stronger for this conversation.”
Hmm…sounds serious. Without saying a word, Jack walked around to his office desk, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.
“Now you’re talkin’.” Hank hitched up his Dockers and took a seat across from the desk.
Jack grabbed a pair of aluminum tumblers and poured them each two fingers.
“Sorry to bother you at work, but I couldn’t meet you at the Pump House, not with Avery there all the time.”
Jack swallowed down the whiskey. “How is your boy? Seems like he’s established himself a world class brewery. Up for an award now with his new beer.”
At his words, pride reflected on Hank’s lined and leather face, the result of weather and working most his life outdoors. Jack was impressed how Hank still held his own with the younger guys he hired to work the development side of Dawson Realty and Development, even though he worked more in the office these days.
“Avery does have a way with hops and fermentation. I have to tell you, I was mighty upset he refused to follow in my footsteps, but I have Drew who will take over if I ever agree to retire. At least, I hope he will.”
Hank swallowed the rest of his whiskey, and Jack held up the bottle, which he waved off. “Let me get to the point. I heard about the ruse you and Quinn pulled to get Sorene and Ash to finally get their heads out of their asses and realized they were meant for each other. I need your help with Avery and Catriona.”
Jack leaned back in his chair. “Catriona? My Wild Cat? Now that’s a tall order. Have you met my daughter?”
Hank choked out a laugh. “That I have and she’s a fine stubborn woman. One that Avery won’t be able to walk all over. Which is why I think they broke up in the first place. Avery realized that a relationship with Cat would require work. He wouldn’t be able to skate like he has with all the other women he’s dated. He doesn’t know it, but he needs the challenge.”
“Cat is a challenge all right. She’s been serial dating since she went out with your boy. Are you sure they’re good for each other?” Since she ended dating Avery Dawson, she was running through men like a box of chocolate creams, taking a bite out of each one and putting them back in the box. Maybe she still cared for Avery? Another daughter married increased his chances of becoming a grandfather sooner rather than later. Lord knew, his offspring weren’t taking getting married and settling down seriously. And his and Quinn Bleu’s success with Sorene and Ash had him willing and eager to try matchmaking again. “I thought she only went out with him the few times.”
“Enough times to have Avery running for the hills. I never thought one of my boys would turn coward with a woman. It’s downright not natural. Avery hasn’t been the same since they dated. But he’s apprehensive when it comes to serious relationships. Lord knows, I haven’t been the best of role models. He still holds it against me that I couldn’t make it work with his mother. I know you and Nicola were soul mates, and rightly so, but Janine and I were never meant for long term. We were great for kindling, but for a long-lasting burn, not so much.”
“Are you sure he wants Cat?” Jack frowned. Then again, who wouldn’t want one of his comely daughters?
“You can’t even bring up her name in his presence. A few weeks ago, I was in the Pump House when Catriona was dancing with that man who owns Heart Springs Enteral Spa and Resort, and I thought Avery might explode. He couldn’t take his eyes off her and nearly bit my head off when I mentioned it.”
“All right, I’m willing to look into this. I need to see them together first.” He wasn’t going to play matchmaker unless he knew Catriona had feelings for Avery. “If we decide to do this, I see a major problem. How are we going to get them together? They don’t run in the same circles.”
It had been easy to throw Sorene and Ash together because they both worked in construction. Seeing them together, so happy and in love, made him want to see all his children that way. And if they needed some parental matchmaking so be it.
“Catriona contacted me about finding a commercial spot for her new business venture,” Hank said.
Jack nodded, pride puffing his chest out. “That girl is going to be a huge success.”
“What if the only property available is right across the street from the Pump House and Avery?”
Jack shared a crafty smile with Hank. “They’d see each other every day, and that property would be a good location for what Catriona has in store.”
“It will drive Avery crazy to have her across the street. He won’t be able to ignore how he feels about her. Come out to the Pump House tonight. Catriona usually shows up there on Friday nights and you can see for yourself the sparks that flare between those two.”
“It’s a date.”
Hank reached out a hand and they shook on it.
Chapter 1
Catriona Wilde regarded Avery Dawson with a mix of longing and a need to bash his head in. The man drove her crazy, and not the fun kind of crazy. More like the kind of crazy that might get her arrested.
How dare he judge her? He was the one, who after getting her mostly naked, never called her again. He’d gone out of his way to pretend there was nothing between them when the heat had been nuclear.
No man treated her like that.
She was a damn goddess, for heaven’s sake. She was named after her great grandmother, and she’d been a hell of a woman. Great g
randma and the man she chose for a mate had homesteaded twelve hundred acres of Alaskan wilderness back when Alaska had still been a territory. She’d carved out an existence when women in the bush were scarce, and the men who mined and hunted here were more dangerous than the bears and wolves.
Catriona sighed. Why did she feel the need to parade her dates in front of Avery every chance she got? At some point her I-don’t-give-a-shit needed to kick in.
Todd Ellis leaned over and suggested, “Are you sure I can’t talk you into going back to my place?” The words had been said low enough that Avery shouldn’t have heard from where he mixed drinks from the other side of the bar, but by the tightening of his shoulders, she knew he had.
Did she agree to return to Todd’s place just to get back at Avery? But then who was she really getting back at? Besides, Todd was her boss and sleeping with one’s boss was never a good idea, and it certainly wasn’t right to sleep with someone out of revenge.
“I’m sorry, Todd, I need to make an early night of it. I have yoga class at five-thirty in the morning.”
“You should talk to your boss about those ungodly hours he makes you work,” he teased.
“Maybe I’ll do that,” she murmured. This was getting old. While she enjoyed Todd’s company, he wanted to move their relationship a lot faster than she did. To be honest, she wanted to end this relationship and planned to quit her job. She’d already made strides on the latter and knew she was dragging her feet on the former because she enjoyed needling Avery.
How childish was that?
“We need to talk,” she began, picking up her club soda and lime. “Looks like a booth just opened up.”
The Pump House was packed this Friday night just like every Friday night. Avery did a fair amount of business in Heartbreak, Alaska. Heartbreakers made the Pump House their spot, and since the only other bar in town was the Ticker Tavern—offering their clientele a seedier menu with a side of strippers—the Pump House was more pub house friendly and the patrons didn’t have to worry about added creepy-crawlies in their food.
Todd picked up his microbrew and followed her to the booth. When they sat down, he asked, “Is there something going on between you and Dawson?”
She almost spilled her drink. “No,” she blurted out too loudly. “Why would you ask that?”
“Just the thick tension whenever the two of you are breathing the same air space.”
“We went out a few times a couple of years ago. He’s still not over me,” she lied. She was the one who couldn’t seem to move on.
Todd gave her that shimmering smile that had all the customers of Heart Springs Eternal Spa and Resort signing up for whatever treatment he suggested. He ran a finger down the side of her face. “Now that I completely believe.”
Sucker, she wanted to say, but sipped her club soda instead. “I need to talk to you.”
Todd sat back against the padded booth. “This sounds serious.” Slowly he drank from his glass, wiping his mouth of foam when he set the beer back on the table.
“I’ve decided to open my own business, which means I’m leaving Heart Springs, but I’ll help out until you find a replacement for me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “What kind of business?”
“A new age shop where I’ll sell natural remedies, healing crystals and stones, homemade items, that sort of thing. I’m calling it the Mystic Heart.”
“A place you’ll also teach yoga?”
“Uh, yes.” Why had his eyes hardened at her answer?
“You can’t do that. You signed a contract with a noncompete clause when you were hired at Heart Springs Eternal.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Read your contract.” He sipped his beer again. “Starting a business like that in a town of less than four thousand is financial suicide. You need to rethink it.”
Wow, way to dash my dreams. “I’ve done the research and Heartbreak is prime for a business like mine. Most Heartbreakers prefer natural remedies and locally homemade items. Plus, this town has an artistic, hippie vibe the tourists love and my shop will fit right in. This isn’t a spur of the moment decision.”
He seemed to realize he’d misstepped and changed tactics. “Catriona, you’re a smart woman. I have no doubt that you’ve done your homework. But I’ve been in business a long time and the risks of going out on your own are many. Some hardships you won’t even see coming.”
Like her current date stomping all over her dreams. Her instincts of not seeing him anymore were right on target.
“Those are my risks to make, aren’t they?”
“I hoped we could move our relationship into something more permanent.”
He wasn’t suggesting marriage, was he? Good God, she hoped not.
“What kind of permeance?”
“Moving in together.”
“We haven’t even slept together yet and you want me to move in?”
“I’d hoped the sleeping together would be rectified tonight.” He gave her that boyish grin, which teased her into agreeing to going out with him in the first place. It lost all its effect on her now.
“Yeah, that won’t be happening. And I won’t be moving in with you either. We aren’t right for each other, Todd.”
“Why? Because I pointed out some hard truths about your ridiculous idea of opening this Magic Heart crap?”
“Mystic Heart.” You son of a bitch. “And no, that’s not the whole reason, but it definitely plays a part. I think you want a woman you can mold. That isn’t me.”
“You’re making a mistake, Catriona.” Todd drained his beer and stood. “I’ll take you home.”
“No need. I know the way.”
“Fine, and I won’t require a two-week notice from you. Clear out your things tomorrow.” He grabbed his coat and stomped off.
She watched him plow through the crowd.
Wow, had she dodged a bullet.
Avery showed up from out of nowhere, slinging a white bar cloth over his shoulder. “Broken another heart, Cat?” Avery asked.
“They’re dropping like flies at my feet,” she murmured into her club soda.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you gave him the boot.”
“I didn’t know you cared,” she responded syrupy.
“I care.” He turned away, and she thought she heard him say, “Too much,” under his breath, but she had to be mistaken. A man didn’t treat her like he had and confess to caring. She watched him walk away from her, hating that she still had feelings for him.
She needed to swear off men. Lord knew, mass dating them hadn’t worked to forget about the one who had gotten away, or given her away. She still didn’t know what she’d done to scare him off. She thought they had something special. That he was the one.
Just went to show she sure could pick them. It was time to concentrate on her future. Men just mucked up the works. Opening her own business was where she needed to put her passions.
Chapter 2
Avery Dawson watched Catriona out of the corner of his eye. Why she continued to frequent the Pump House, torturing them both, he couldn’t fathom.
“I take it Catriona Wilde is back on the market,” Hank Dawson said from the corner of the bar.
“Leave it alone, Dad.” Avery grabbed another glass and drew a draft.
“If I were twenty years younger, I wouldn’t have been so foolish as to let her get away.”
That’s just it, he was the one who’d gotten away and just by the skin of his teeth. What did that even mean? Who had skin over their teeth?
Knowing he’d escaped Cat’s kitten claws didn’t make him want her any less. He’d hoped time and distance would cure him of his fascination with her. It hadn’t. If anything, he found himself searching her out, in the pub, at the grocery store, along the Main Artery of town, his ears attuned to any gossip concerning her and who she was currently dating now.
Pathetic.
He’d been the one to call a halt to their
explosive love affair. Thank God he hadn’t slept with her—and hadn’t that been a close call. Their last night together, when they’d almost gone all the way still woke him in the middle of the night hard as granite and sweating like he’d played a championship hockey game.
“You’re going to wake up one day and kick yourself for letting her get away,” his dad continued.
“Drop it, Dad.”
“It’s my job as a parent to point out when their child is being a dumbass.”
Dumbass or not, at least he wouldn’t be paying alimony to three different women like his dad.
Nope, marriage wasn’t for him, and Catriona Wilde had marriage written all over her. He wouldn’t mind children, but if they came with marriage, he’d have to pass. He’d continue volunteering to coach hockey and get his kid fix that way. Besides, those kids needed him—a steady role model who didn’t switch out their moms like new snow machines every couple of years.
He’d made the right decision, but watching Catriona walk out of his bar when he wanted her in his bed didn’t make the ache low in his belly lessen any.
Hank slid into the seat across from Jack where he sat in a darkened, corner booth that gave him a wide view of the pub. “What did I tell ya? Those two are meant for each other.”
Jack nodded. How hadn’t he seen it before. His poor girl was suffering, and from what he saw of Dawson, the boy was equally heartsick. “Let’s do this.”
He held up his beer and they clinked glasses and shared conspiring grins.
Chapter 3
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