Alaska Twilight

by Colleen Coble

Kind of the way Tank felt. He reminded himself he had his daughter and sister. They were a definite blessing from God, and nothing was going to disrupt their lives—not even Marley’s machinations. Someday Brooke and Libby would be gone too. The thought surprised him. If someone had asked him if he was happy, he would have said yes. He pushed the thought away. There was plenty of time to worry about that. Brooke would be around for another thirteen years at least.

  He reached his cabin and realized Chet’s truck was gone. He must have gotten a call to head back to town, twenty miles to the north. Though Stalwart was a tiny blip on the north side of Cook Inlet, the town always seemed to be hopping with transients, fishermen, and trappers passing through. Occasionally, cruise ships even stopped and sampled the town’s wares.

  He started toward the door and heard someone call his name. Turning, he saw Kipp and the older woman coming toward him. “Great,” he muttered. He was in no mood to make small talk and pretend he wasn’t irritated by the way the animal activist had finagled his way into the area.

  Kipp’s pale gray eyes were as cool as a winter sky, and his smile was no more warm. He introduced the woman as Augusta Walsh, Haley’s grandmother. “Glad I caught you, Tank. I want to get started right away on the documentary. The bears should be coming out to feed later in the day. Where would you suggest we set up camp?”

  “Don’t you want to rest the first day?”

  “Don’t try to put us off. I’m ready to get started.”

  Tank wished he could walk away without another word. “I wasn’t expecting you. I have some things to take care of today. I’ll be over in the morning.”

  Kipp’s eyes grew colder. “How far is this place you have in mind?”

  “About a two-hour walk, though it may take longer than two hours with cheechakos along.” Augusta looked blank at the word. “Greenhorns,” he said. “We have some pretty challenging terrain to travel.” But not nearly as challenging as working with this group. Tank realized he was taking a perverse pleasure in waiting for their reaction. It was hardly Christian, and he should be ashamed. The guy riled him, big-time. “We’ll camp out a day or two at a time, then come back to our cabins for a day or two and go back.”

  Augusta grimaced and looked down at her mudcovered boots. “My feet already hurt.”

  “We saw a couple of bears earlier,” Kipp said.

  Tank saw the suspicion in Kipp’s narrowed gaze. “You can find bears just about anywhere in Alaska. But if you want large numbers, we need to go deeper into the bush. I’ll be over at six.”

  Four

  Janine Walker’s office was a no-frills cubicle lined with books that made it smell like a library. The window behind the desk looked out on the Chugach Mountains. Tenacious had been used to describe the thirty-five-year-old female attorney, but Marley would have called Janine Walker tough. She was tough in high school, but college and experience had honed that quality to a barbed edge. Just what she needed. Her brother-in-law would be a formidable foe.

  Marley Gillespie eyed her lawyer. “So the papers have been served?”

  Janine nodded. “Your father took them out himself. Tank wasn’t happy. He wants to talk to you. Can you handle him?”

  “Of course.” Marley wished she could get her hands on Janine to do something with that freckled, blotchy skin. And that black suit did nothing for her. She should be wearing khaki or army green. Marley folded her hands in her lap and studied her nails. It was time for a manicure. She would have one before she went back to the wilds of Stalwart. And a facial too. She’d need all her strength to withstand Tank Lassiter. “What’s our next step?”

  “The judge has ordered a home study. We can hope it will show Tank is gone too much to be a good father.”

  “How long before I can get Brooke and get out of there?”

  Janine frowned. “I’ve told you this is a long shot, Marley. Most judges are reluctant to strip custody from a biological father.”

  Marley’s temperature spiked, and she jerked her head up to stare at her attorney. “He killed my sister,” she said fiercely. “I won’t let him destroy Brooke’s life too. Leigh wants me to do this.”

  Janine’s long face softened. “Leigh is dead, Marley. You have to accept it.”

  This woman understands nothing about love and commitment, Marley thought. Janine was an only child. What did she know of sharing soft giggles in the night with a twin sister, of pacts to support one another forever? Leigh still came in the night, her soft voice begging Marley to save Brooke from Tank. And Marley intended to do just that—even if she had to break the law.

  She rose and drew out her car keys. “Just take care of it, Janine. There’ll be a bonus if you can get it done quickly.”

  “I may not be able to get it done at all,” Janine said quietly.

  Marley didn’t answer. She stalked to the door and let herself out into a day overcast with dark clouds that matched her mood. If the law failed her, she’d take it into her own hands.

  Haley followed the path beyond the charred cabin to the present dig. Out in the open field, she felt safer. In fact, some of her most pleasant memories were of digging in the dirt with her parents. She stopped and snapped a few pictures of the meadow where she and Chloe used to build snow forts. She found the fishing spot she and Chloe loved and took photos of that as well. The memorial scrapbook she planned was shaping up nicely. And so far, there had been no nightmares. Maybe her shrink was right.

  A small cabin stood at the edge of the site. It hadn’t been there when she was here last. A man shoveled dirt into a handmade sieve of wired screen in a wood frame, her father’s favorite tool for finding small artifacts. She stood and watched him a few minutes. About forty, he had black hair that gleamed in the sun as much as the tanned and perspiring skin of his bare back.

  He turned and saw her. His eyes widened, and he raised a hand in greeting. “Howdy. It’s not often I get such lovely company out here.” He grabbed a denim shirt that lay across the wheelbarrow and pulled it on. Still buttoning it up, he approached her. He wiped his hand on his jeans, then thrust it out. “Ned Bundle,” he said.

  She shook it. “Haley Walsh.”

  His brown eyes studied her. “Walsh. You must be Grady and Maggie’s daughter. You look too much like Maggie not to be related.”

  “That’s right.” Haley felt tongue-tied at the appreciation in his glance. She suppressed a nervous giggle.

  “So sorry about your parents. It was a tragedy. They were brilliant. Thanks to their vision and insight, we know so much more about the first entries of humans into the Americas.” He waved his hand over the site. “They are associated with one of the greatest migratory events of human history—the peopling of the New World. The first Alaskans who created these sites went on to spread across North and South America. As far as Native Americans are concerned, all roads seem to lead back to Alaska. It was the original homeland in the New World.”

  Haley blinked, and he laughed. “Sorry, I’m getting carried away,” he said. “You can tell it’s my passion. What are you doing here? Come to take your parents’ place on the dig?” He gave a crooked smile full of hope.

  “Hardly. I’m a city girl myself. I’m here for the summer to photograph a bear activist. I just wandered over to see where I lived when I was a child.” He didn’t need to know more than that. She was quickly discovering her parents hadn’t talked about her much. It wasn’t likely she’d encounter anyone who knew much about her past.

  “Too bad. It gets quite lonely out here. Can I show you around?”

  She glanced at her watch. “Maybe later. The team is likely looking for me. I’d better get back. Nice to meet you.” She could almost hear her father’s voice behind Ned’s passion for his work. She barely touched her fingers to his, then beat a hasty retreat.

  She wandered down to the lake and walked out onto the rickety pier. She sat down to watch a family of loons paddle nearby. She and Chloe used to feed the loons here. She snapped some pictures. The m
emory sharpened as the smell of spruce mixed with the fresh scent of the lake. Oscar crouched nearby like a cat ready to pounce if the loons got close enough.

  She curled her legs under her so they wouldn’t touch the water. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the discovery that she had a half sister. Mostly, she felt numb. At least she’d found out something about her family. Maybe this Joy would be able to tell her more. The next time she saw Tank, she would ask him how to find the girl. She heard a child’s voice and turned her head. Oscar left the loons and ran to meet the woman and small girl who approached along the path that skirted the lake. Haley stood as well and dusted off her jeans.

  The young woman was near Haley’s age and had a friendly, open face. Her dark-brown eyes widened when she saw Haley. “Hello,” she said. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. Are you fishing?”

  The little girl bent over and tried to pick up Oscar. “What a cute little dog,” she said. Oscar’s tail was wagging hard enough to fall off. He licked the child’s face, and she giggled.

  “Careful if you pick him up,” Haley warned. “A dachshund has a weak back. You don’t want to drop him.”

  “I know,” the girl said. “I like wiener dogs.”

  She talked older than the five- or six-year-old she appeared to be. “Yes, he is,” Haley said. “His name is Oscar.”

  “Just pet him,” the woman told the child. She turned a friendly smile on Haley. “I’m Libby Lassiter.”

  Lassiter. She must be Tank’s wife. Haley thought he’d have some Amazon woman to match his size, someone who could chop wood. This woman had curly brown hair that stuck out in all directions. Dressed in jeans, she was tall and slim, and her matching dark eyes looked Haley over with eager friendliness.

  Though she wanted to be alone, she mustered a smile. “I’m Haley Walsh. I’m the photographer for the bear project.”

  “Oh, you’re the ones who are putting that scowl on my brother’s face.” Libby smiled and held out her hand. “I’m glad to see another woman though.”

  Haley shook her hand and mentally catalogued her. Sister, not wife. “Your little girl is darling.”

  “She’s my niece, not my daughter. Tank is her daddy.”

  So he was married. The little girl’s shiny curls hung down her back almost like a raven Shirley Temple. She crouched beside the child. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  “Brooke.” The little girl touched Haley’s hair. “Your hair is like a penny. Coppery. You’re very pretty.”

  “So are you.” Haley smiled at her. “You look a lot like your dad.”

  The little girl’s brow furrowed. “I want blond hair like my mom.”

  Oops, she’d transgressed. “Maybe it will change.”

  Brooke’s smile came out again. “I made cookies. You can come back to our cabin and have some. They’re a little burned though. Me and Aunt Libby were making music.”

  “That’s a great idea, Brooke.”

  “I couldn’t.” Haley stood. “I couldn’t impose.”

  “Not at all. I’ve been craving having another woman to talk to. It’s not like you have anything else to do, right? The bear project can’t go on until you have some bears to take pictures of.”

  “I already saw one, thank you very much.” Haley laughed. “You probably know this one. Miki wanted to eat me.”

  Brooke’s eyes brightened. “Miki is good, but he’s not safe.”

  Libby smiled. “She’s been obsessed with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe since Tank took her to see the movie in Anchorage in January.”

  Haley dimly remembered reading the book. “I haven’t seen the movie, but I read the book a long time ago. I wish I had it here, and I’d read it again.”

  “You can read my dad’s. Daddy is going to read it to me when I’m six.” She ran ahead along the path. Oscar barked and chased after her. Libby followed.

  Plunging her walking stick into the ground, Haley glanced at Libby from the corner of her eyes. What could it hurt? Maybe she could learn something about her newly discovered half sister. “Have you lived out here long?”

  “About a year. Ever since Tank’s wife drowned. I came out to take care of Brooke.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Hearing the big man had suffered a tragedy raised Haley’s level of compassion for him. “It seems lonely.”

  “It is. Sometimes I talk just to hear a voice. Tank is out in the bush quite a lot, and it’s just me and Brooke. I worry about her growing up with no friends or siblings. Tank needs to remarry and give her some playmates that way, but he’s too consumed by his work. Besides, he rarely goes to town.”

  “How far is Stalwart?” Haley had been wondering how long it would take to get to town if she really needed to go.

  “Twenty miles or so. But the roads aren’t good. When it’s muddy, he tends to get stuck. During the winter he uses the snowmobile if the temperature isn’t too low.”

  So a trip to town wouldn’t be an easy jaunt. Haley felt even more isolated. She’d hoped Kipp might eventually establish a base in town. At least they were close to the beautiful Cook Inlet. If Phoenix were on the ocean, it would be perfect in all ways. “Are you ever scared out here?”

  Libby smiled. “No, just hungry for girl talk.”

  They reached a clearing. Haley was getting pretty good at identifying vegetation. She examined the wildflowers. Banks of lupine, black lily, and deer cabbage created a pretty backdrop for the log home, though they weren’t in bloom yet. Gingham curtains hung in the windows but did little to soften the harsh reality of the stark dwelling. There was no porch, just a bare door in front. Haley couldn’t imagine living here.

  “Come on in, I’ll start the teakettle.” Libby held the door open for her.

  Haley shut it behind her as Libby went to the stove in the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook, but I can at least make tea.” Haley’s gaze wandered the room. The walls were painted a soft yellow, a color she loved. The blue-and-white gingham curtains added a cheery touch to the kitchen. Haley knew Libby would need all the cheer she could get through the long, dark winter months.

  The kitchen and living room were one, an area about twenty feet square. A blue sofa and two yellow chairs sat on a rag rug on one end of the room. A set of weights occupied the far corner. A rough wooden table and chairs sat under one window with four open cabinets on one side. The bare necessities and not much else, though it felt homey and welcoming. A box of toys had been pushed against a wall by the couch. Three doors led to bedrooms. Maybe by cabin standards it was spacious, but it wasn’t much by Haley’s standards. She was used to carefully chosen pieces that reflected style.

  Her gaze caught a cello in one corner. A miniature cello sat beside it. “You’re a musician?”

  Libby’s face brightened. “I played with the Philly Orchestra. I’m teaching Brooke to play as well, and she has a natural aptitude. I’m afraid my poor brother has come home more than once to burned meals because of our passion for music and has had to make do with peanut-butter sandwiches.”

  Brooke went to a small bookshelf and brought a dog-eared copy of a book. “Here’s my book.”

  “Thanks.” Haley took the small volume. “I’ll read it and get it right back to you.”

  Brooke smiled, then went to the toy box and began to root through her toys. She came up with a Frisbee. “Can I throw it to Oscar?”

  “As long as you stay where we can see you.”

  “I will.” She called to the dog, and they ran outside to the yard.

  Once the tea was ready, Libby joined Haley at the table and sat where she could watch her niece through the window. She pushed a plate of cookies toward Haley. “I’m sorry these are a little burned. Brooke and I were playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.”

  Haley smiled and selected a cookie. “Thanks. So how long do you expect to stay out here?”

  Libby shrugged. “As long as Tank needs me.”

  She nibbled on the cookie. It tasted a bit charred. “Don’t you resent g
iving up your career for him?”

  Libby was silent for a moment. “I couldn’t do anything less. He and Brooke needed me. There was no one else to care for Brooke. Marley, Leigh’s sister, would never live here.”

  “Tank could move to the city.”

  “It would kill him. He couldn’t study his bears in the city. At least I can still play my music here. And seeing Brooke’s natural talent has been amazing.”

  “Is Tank his real name?” Haley shocked herself by asking the question she’d been wondering.

  Libby giggled. “If I tell you the truth, I’ll have to kill you.”

  Haley began to smile. “He’s sworn you to that much secrecy?”

  “I can’t say I blame him.”

  The big man intrigued Haley. “You say his wife drowned? I don’t imagine that’s difficult in the lake. It’s huge and looks bottomless. And cold.” She shivered.

  Libby stirred honey into her tea. “No one knows how it happened. Tank found Leigh floating facedown in the lake just after dawn. She’d been dead several hours. She always wore a wetsuit, but she didn’t that night. It might have been hypothermia.”

  “She was swimming in the middle of the night?”

  “She loved to swim. Everyone said she could have made the Olympics if she hadn’t married Tank. She’d been acting weird for a couple of days before, though. Ever since the Walsh cabin burned. Knowing she could do nothing to help them really upset her.”

  “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”

  Libby smiled and patted Haley’s hand. “Forgive me. It’s been so long since I had someone to talk to, I’m running off at the mouth.”

  Haley pulled her hand away. “I’m glad to give you an afternoon of diversion.” She studied Libby’s face. Maybe Libby would know something about Joy. “I saw the burned cabin. Did you know the family that lived there?”

  “I sure did. The Walshes.” Her eyes widened. “Your family?”

  Haley nodded. “My parents.” She had to force the words out.

  Libby looked stricken. “I’m so sorry. Here I am babbling on. Is that the real reason you’ve come? No wonder you were upset when I found you at the pier.”