Men of Alaska 2: Sterling Sunshine

by Cheryl Dragon

  “I decided to fly some tours around here for a bit. I always do okay.” Matt ate and tried to ignore the tension. He only had himself to take care of for now. Tony and Ross were grown men who had jobs and were doing fine. Still, the idea of making as much as he could for the future was instilled in him deeply. Life was uncertain, and he was working to save as much as he could so they’d be secure.

  “You don’t want a woman in the mix?” Ross asked.

  “I like women as much as you guys. Nothing but dick isn’t what any of us want long-term,” Matt said.

  “We’re not just talking about sex. We want a settled group. A family.” Tony straightened things in the kitchen.

  The chill made Matt feel bad. “Plenty of guys go away for work around here. That doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of the group. Unless you want me gone.”

  “No one wants that,” Ross replied.

  “As long as you don’t scare away Gretchen.” Tony grabbed his own beer.

  Matt finished off his salmon filet. “Fine. I’ll help you win her over. Might make for a better show.”

  “Show?” Ross and Tony asked at the same time.

  “I’ve been talking to a guy in Anchorage. All these reality shows up here. They want one about a small town. I said I’d ask around Sterling.” Matt watched Ross and Tony’s faces. The reception wasn’t quite warm yet.

  “Why a small town? Most of those shows either focus on bopping around the whole state or one little business. Do they want to follow you around?” Tony asked.

  “No not me. I don’t want to be the sole focus. And I don’t belong to any group of pilots. They might do the Medvac fliers, but I prefer tourists and cargo.” Matt put his plate in the dishwasher. “Sterling is a great town.”

  “I don’t want a reality show focused here,” Ross said.

  “Who was bitching about lack of tourism?” Matt asked.

  Ross downed half his beer.

  “They can make us look any way they want with edits. It’s not like a real documentary.” Tony shook his head.

  “Fine. Don’t say I’m not trying to help you. That show would mean a tourism boost and money for the town.” Matt opened the freezer and grabbed a treat.

  “People would have to sign releases,” Ross said.

  “Right. Half the people in town won’t. Old-timers don’t like outsiders exploiting Alaska.” Tony nodded.

  Ross rubbed his forehead. “It’d be political suicide.”

  “Okay. I didn’t promise the guy anything. I don’t make commitments lightly. Just a thought to get more money and tourists. If you leave here, you make connections.” Matt shrugged.

  “You’d have to stay in one spot for the show. Maybe we should sign up for a few years,” Tony said.

  “Ha ha. So tell me about Gretchen,” Matt said.

  “Don’t screw this up,” Tony said.

  “If you don’t want me there, tell me. If you want me to leave, I’ll go.” Matt gestured toward the front door.

  “Relax, both of you. There’s always a little readjustment.” Ross finished off his beer. “Matt, if you don’t want to give it a real try for a permanent relationship, then maybe you don’t need to come to dinner tomorrow?”

  “But you told her I was coming, right?” he asked.

  “We know her already. You’re new. We stay here year-round. You hop around on your own schedule. What’s fair to her?” Tony asked.

  “A choice. Meeting me. If she’s going to live here, she’ll get to know me eventually. Just because I take jobs that make me travel, doesn’t mean I’m not worth spending time with,” Matt said.

  Matt hid the lonely little boy well but Ross saw through it. Growing up with sisters and a mom in the tiny town of Nome was hard for Tony and Ross to understand—but Matt had been a part of Ross’s life for a long time.

  Sterling was more than double the size of Nome and Homer was right there. Seward wasn’t far either. Driving up to Anchorage for supplies was a monthly trek most Sterling residents made. They had no idea what it was like to be cut off. Being told he was the man of the house while his father was trucking the ice roads was hard enough on a kid. When Matt’s dad came back, he worked the summers away on the boats and Matt got little father/son time.

  Part of Matt wanted to settle down in Sterling and snuggle up with a family. Then guilt got to him. Sitting around or doing something that was too convenient when he could be off making triple the money made Matt restless. He’d explained it before but it didn’t help Tony deal with it.

  “If you want to come along, fine. Just don’t be too pushy,” Tony said.

  Matt set the treat aside and kissed Tony possessively. “Your job is just as dangerous as mine. You could be hurt helping someone from a fire or car crash. You could be going to a call, sirens blaring, and be killed in an accident.”

  “What’s your point?” Tony didn’t pull away.

  The closeness always made Matt want to stay forever. “I know every time I go up in the air, I might die. That’s the thrill. When you start believing you can always count on someone coming back and hold on too tight, that’s when fate reminds you it has the power. Or I should say, Mother Nature will teach you a lesson.”

  “Well only two of us have dangerous professions. It could be worse.” Ross tossed the empty beer bottles. “Let’s go upstairs and stop talking so much.”

  Matt grinned and pulled Tony by the hand. Sex generally solved the tension. Gretchen was a new twist but Matt had seen the wedding pictures online. They didn’t realize how in touch you could be even hopping around a state as big as Alaska. She looked familiar, but he didn’t know her well enough yet. Tony and Ross had both been talking about her.

  * * * *

  That night, Gretchen’s dreams bounced around as she tossed and turned. From having an old mountain man pull a shotgun on her to being naked in a tent with Ross and Tony. The dream grew hot until someone opened the tent flaps and interrupted. The big silhouette had no face but it woke her up. As she sat up in bed and caught her breath, she knew it had to be Matt. Maybe it was just her fantasy, but she imagined him rather like a cowboy who felt the pull of a job. He had to feel left out or free to come and go as he wanted. Somehow she’d figure him out.

  She took a long drink of water from the glass she kept on the nightstand. There was a buzzing in her head. Leftover angst from the dream? She rubbed her temples. Relationship drama wasn’t something she wanted but the sparks when she was around Ross and Tony couldn’t be denied.

  Maybe Matt could be like a surprise bit of fun, in bed and in life. Could she be that open? Two men or three, she wasn’t one to have a lot of casual sex or random hookups. She’d gotten a bit adventurous with one boyfriend but the safety of a relationship let her feel comfortable. This was all new. The idea of watching them together made her body tingle as well.

  The buzz in her head wasn’t going away. She slipped out of bed and stretched. As she woke up more, she realized the buzzing was coming from outside. Peeking out of the blackout shades, she squinted against the sun. Four in the morning, and someone across the street was mowing their lawn.

  Alaska was weird but she’d take this small town quirkiness over mountain men pulling guns on her. She headed back to bed and snuggled with a pillow. Three hot men in bed? Her dreams could get even more interesting but would it actually ever happen? Matt might be gone again before they got that far. Not that two men wouldn’t be enough.

  But if they were a trio, she needed to learn about them all and figure out how their little group worked before she could even contemplate if she’d fit in. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. There was a big date after a meeting tomorrow.

  * * * *

  Gretchen waited in an office that looked like it was decorated in the seventies. An oddly green carpet rested under her pumps, and a weird print wallpaper almost gave her a headache if she looked at it too long. The owners of the Sterling Inn were in their seventies, and it’d taken three weeks to get a meetin
g.

  A redheaded woman in her thirties entered. “Hi, Gretchen. I’m Dana Andrews. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “No problem. I thought I was meeting with the owners?” Gretchen asked.

  “I understand and I’m sorry. My parents aren’t quite up to taking all the meetings anymore. They heard it was to do with weddings, and that’s generally my area. I helped plan Isa’s event here with the inn and I’d love to help.” She sat behind the desk and opened a calendar.

  “I’m not getting married. Isa’s wedding was lovely. I had a great time. I stayed at the inn while I was here then and it was wonderful. I’m actually here about a more long-term promotional opportunity,” Gretchen said.

  “We advertise a bit in tourism information. We’re really the only place to stay in Sterling that isn’t a rented cabin or the lodge, which caters more to hunting parties.” She sat back with pride.

  “True but Homer has plenty of places. Your inn is lovely and very large. It’s so well maintained and convenient that I thought it could be part of a package I’m trying to put together for destination weddings. Get more business into Sterling. The interest in Alaska now is very high.” Gretchen felt like her pitch wasn’t hitting the right mark.

  “If you have a wedding coming in, we’re more than happy to book a block of rooms and set aside the starlight ballroom if it’s available. Rooms for showers and other parties are always available. Is that all?” Dana tilted her head.

  “I’m not booking anything today. I’m talking about offering a consolidated package. A discount on the rooms if people buy the whole deal. We’d pool advertising money and have a campaign to draw in tourists,” Gretchen said.

  “That’s a big commitment. You just moved here, right?” Dana closed the calendar and pulled out a legal pad.

  “Yes, I’m doing advertising for Melody’s dress design business and the boat repair place as well. Her specialty is wedding dresses, so I’m trying to boost overall tourism and weddings to help everyone. The mayor is very enthusiastic.” Gretchen smiled but sensed it wasn’t going as well as she’d hoped.

  Dana scribbled some notes. “That’s very nice, but you’re fairly new in town. You might not stay. I’m sure the mayor will encourage any local companies to advertise and promote tourism, but we have to be careful with our budget. I’ll run it by my parents, but honestly they probably won’t go for it.”

  “Because I’m new in town?” she asked.

  “Because the Sterling Inn has remained open and in the black for two generations before them. Good years and bad, they kept it a family business on their terms. They don’t trust new people easily and certainly not with their money. If you have a more detailed proposal of costs and what you were offering, then it might be a better sell.” Dana smiled slightly.

  Gretchen got the impression that Dana might be more willing to risk things, but her parents were still holding the reins tight on the business. To begin new, also, would hurt Gretchen’s efforts but she wasn’t giving up.

  “Then maybe you should hold off on running it by your folks. I’m really just feeling out who is interested. Once I have all the input, I can do a more formal proposal. The mayor and I aren’t starting this up tomorrow so no rush. Can I count you as interested?” Gretchen asked.

  “I can’t commit to anything until we see a more structured proposal but interested, yes.” Dana nodded.

  “Thank you.” Gretchen stood up and shook Dana’s hand. “I’ll be in touch when I have more.”

  “I’ll show you out,” Dana said.

  As she headed back out to the lobby, Gretchen saw a familiar man putting up a little poster and a stack of cards on the rack with attractions. He was the real attraction, but without seeing his face she couldn’t be sure it was Matt.

  “Air tours?” she asked.

  “Yep, are you interested?” The tall handsome man turned. It was Matt.

  “I get a lot of motion sickness so probably not but I’m Gretchen. I think you’ll be seeing more of me tonight.” She extended her hand.

  He shook it with a big grin on his face. “I hope so. If you want me along. Matt Becker.”

  “I think we met briefly at the boat launch, but I was meeting so many people being new in town that it’s a blur.” She checked out his business cards and poster. “Do you have a website?”

  “No. I bounce around Alaska. I’m sure Tony told you that. So I don’t do too much to lock myself down. You’re not impressed?” He shrugged.

  “Advertising is my area. If you’re not committed to aerial tours, then there’s no reason to invest money in promotional materials. A blog or website could advertise wherever you are and to your contact information. But you know your business,” she said.

  “Ross said you were big on bringing more tourism here,” Matt said.

  “I am. But if the service isn’t available consistently, then you will have disappointed customers. I’m focused on Sterling.” She smiled.

  “Sure you don’t want a free ride? Those patches usually work for motion sickness, and I’m a steady flier. You’ll be stuck with me later tonight at the dinner anyway and the other guys will keep saying they know you better. Give me a chance to even the score.”

  “They do,” she said. His flirting was good, but his ego wasn’t small.

  “So give me a chance to catch up. Do you know where the airfield is?” he asked.

  “It’s sort of hard to miss. But I haven’t said yes yet.” She debated saying no because she could. He was a charmer, and she wanted to be sure he wanted her, not simply to one-up his boyfriends. However, then she’d look like she wasn’t interested. She wanted to go, but her constant battle with motion sickness was really why she hesitated. The dinner might be awkward, and the truth was she wanted to get to know him. The physical attraction was certainly there, but she’d spent more time around the other two men. If Matt was part of the deal, she wanted to be sure of him as well.

  “You want to say yes. Let me prove my piloting skills. We’ll have something to talk about tonight, and the other guys won’t make me look bad.” He stepped closer.

  “Is it a competition?” she asked.

  “No, but with those two around—I’ll never get to know you really well,” he said.

  “Never?” She frowned. “Really?”

  “Not in time. It’s my schedule. My fault. I know it. I’ll take the jabs from the guys and you about not being around before. I love what I do, and it’s not always local. Now the relationship can move full speed ahead. Tony hates that I travel. If I’m not going to look like a total jerk, you need to see things my way for just a little bit, and let me find out about you. Quick flight?”

  She sighed. “You think I think you’re a jerk?”

  “If those two have been talking about me, you probably do.” He looked around. “Don’t you?”

  “I think they love you or they wouldn’t put up with your comings and goings.” She checked her watch. “Okay. I’ll meet you on the airstrip in half an hour. I don’t have any other meetings today, but I do have to get ready for the date tonight. One hour in the air is all you get.”

  “Done.” He nodded and slid a hand in his jeans pocket.

  She turned to leave, proud that she hadn’t seemed too eager. Nor had she called him a jerk or judged him based on what others had told her about the air pirate who loved scoring big paydays.

  “Wait,” he called.

  She stopped. He moved in close and pressed something behind her ear. The warmth of his breath on her neck sent a ripple of desire down her body. “That should help so you don’t get sick. The wind is pretty calm today so I’ll give you a good ride.”

  “Thanks. See you in half an hour.” She forced herself to leave the building and not imagine any naked sort of riding he might have been hinting at. The man was a flirt. Sexy and he knew it. Gretchen wondered what she’d just gotten herself into.

  * * * *

  Seated in a little Cessna plane, she fastened her belt and loo
ked around.

  “Don’t touch anything, just enjoy,” he said.

  She ignored all the chatter from the radio. When the plane began to move, it was nothing like a big jet. She saw everything as she felt it. Somehow it helped her not feel so queasy to see what was happening. Sort of like sitting in the front seat felt better in the car, it made sense. This was a good idea for her promotional work if nothing else. People could get married in the air if they wanted—taking in this gorgeous view.

  They flew out over the peninsula and it felt like they were on the edge of the world. So many boats were out with nets in the water, but there was plenty of ocean out there He was a steady pilot, so good in fact that she forgot about the plane and focused on the gorgeous coast.

  Homer was a little town and then there were plenty of rugged places to hike. The real wilderness was never far away. As he turned the plane, she got a great view of Kodiak Island from the air, then he returned over land.

  “Like it?” he asked.

  “It’s beautiful. I’m never coming up here in a blizzard.” She looked over at Matt. The plane was small.

  “Don’t panic on me now. You’re safe with me. I’ve been flying for almost twenty years.”

  “How old are you?” she asked.

  “Thirty-five. You?” He smiled.

  “Thirty. I thought the guys would’ve let you in on all my details.” She shrugged.

  “Some. They’re smitten but I saw the pictures of Isa’s wedding. You were hot in that dress.”

  Gretchen nodded. “Thanks but Melody’s work is fabulous. That’s why we need more weddings here. The bridal show in Anchorage will help too. Lots of potential brides.”

  “You really have drive,” he said.

  Frowning, she sat back. “Did Tony tell you I got a pity job?”

  “No, but you’re new here. Sterling isn’t that big. You’re taking Alaska by storm, but don’t be too pushy as the new girl.” He nodded. “I like that pushy side, but some people don’t enjoy those from outside telling us how to do it in forty-nine.”