In the Shadow of Denali

by Tracie Peterson

  Thomas didn’t understand. He blinked several times as his eyes felt dry and then he thought he might burst into tears at any moment. “Are you saying that you don’t like me in that way, Miss Cassidy?”

  She bit her lip for a moment and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Thomas. I never meant to lead you astray. I do like you very much . . . as my friend. And I hope we will remain friends for the rest of our lives.”

  He looked down at his lap. “Is this because I’m an orphan? Am I not good enough? Too clumsy?”

  “Heavens, no! You’re wonderful just the way you are. It isn’t like you have a sign hanging over your head that you’re a bad person because you’re an orphan. That’s never mattered to me. I grew up without a mother and my grandparents wanted nothing to do with me. People can’t help what happens to their folks.”

  “I didn’t know your grandparents didn’t want you.”

  Cassidy nodded. “Sometimes it really bothers me. My mother had no choice, but they did and it hurts to know they walked away.” She squared her shoulders. “But enough about that. I just want to assure you that your being an orphan has nothing to do with my feelings for you. As for your abilities, you must remember, I was much clumsier than you at one point.”

  “I don’t think you’ve ever been clumsy, Miss Cassidy.” He felt a growing sadness wash over him. It was like he was all alone again.

  “Thomas, I will still be here for you, and there are a great many people here who truly like you.” It was as if she’d read his mind. “One day you are going to find the perfect young woman to fall in love with.”

  But I already love you. He left the words unspoken.

  “And when you find her, then you’ll realize what I’m talking about when I say that our kind of love is more like that of a brother and sister.” She squeezed his arm. “Thomas, you are the last person in the world I wanted to hurt. If I was untoward, then please forgive me. I truly do think you are an incredible young man and I am blessed to have you as my friend.”

  “I’m blessed too, Miss Cassidy. And I don’t think you have been untoward. You’ve been my friend. And I really appreciate that.” He stood up. “I need to go now.”

  He hurried from the room fighting back tears. There wasn’t any way to explain the emotions that surged through him. But he did understand that Cassidy Ivanoff didn’t love him like he loved her.

  Cassidy fanned herself on the train platform. She’d agreed to wait with Allan and her dad to greet his father’s partner, Frank Irving. But tensions were high. And it wasn’t just the heat that seemed to strain everyone’s nerves. She didn’t know the full extent of problems that existed with Mr. Irving, but it was evident that both Allan and her father were less than pleased to have the man coming to Curry.

  The whistle sounded in the distance, which meant the train was almost there. She turned to Allan. “Are you all right?”

  “Yep.” His lips were a thin line.

  “You don’t look all right.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to expect.”

  Dad placed a hand on Allan’s shoulder. “I’ve been praying for you.”

  Allan’s brows knit together. For a moment Cassidy thought he might protest, but then he gave a curt nod. “Thank you, sir.” His eyes remained on the tracks.

  Dad leaned back behind Allan and caught Cassidy’s eyes. His look covered a gamut of thoughts. Allan wasn’t ready for this. And he was obviously still angry at God, or at least dismissive of prayer, even with all the healing he’d come through the past few weeks. The arrival of Frank Irving could be disastrous to his tenuous thread of hope.

  She took a deep breath and watched the steam engine ease toward them as it came to a stop. No sense worrying about what was about to happen. She had a front row seat to watch it unfold whether she liked it or not.

  The seconds ticked by as if they were minutes. Passengers disembarked. Luggage was gathered.

  Then an elegantly dressed man with silver hair showing around his ears descended the steps.

  Cassidy felt Allan tense next to her.

  The man headed straight for their group. He looked into her eyes, and even though his were a brilliant blue, they made her feel cold even in the insufferable summer heat.

  All of a sudden the man smiled. “Allan, my boy! So good to see you.” He clapped a hand on his shoulder. Before Allan could reply, he dropped his hold and turned.

  “And my, my, if it isn’t John Ivanoff?” Frank nodded toward Dad. “How long has it been, John?”

  “Six years.” Dad took Frank’s proffered hand and shook it. “Welcome to Curry.”

  The man removed his hat and fanned himself. “Thank you. I didn’t remember the heat being so intense.” He looked at Cassidy. “And you must be Miss Cassidy Ivanoff, of Cassidy Lane fame.” The man bowed a bit, took her hand, and kissed it.

  “Um, yes. I guess I am.” She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this man. But he seemed . . . oily, and she immediately wanted to wash her hand.

  “Why don’t we get you settled in a room, Frank?” Allan extended an arm toward the hotel’s entrance.

  Dad took that opportunity to take her elbow and lead her toward the door, but she realized she wanted to hear what Frank would say next and so she kept her steps slower than usual and her ear attuned to the men behind her.

  “It’s so good to see you, son.” Frank’s voice seemed smooth as cream. “I have to admit that one of the reasons I wanted to come all this way in person is to make sure you—my partner—were all right. That everything is well between us. Especially after that terrible disaster with Louis.” The man tsked several times. “After all, one can’t choose who their family members are, but you can choose who to trust. Business partners need to have the utmost trust, don’t you agree?”

  “I do.” Allan cleared his throat. “Quite adamantly, I must say.”

  “I also came to tell you that while your family has hurt me deeply, I am a changed man from the Frank Irving of the past. I’m hoping we can move forward into the future with no regrets.”

  Mr. Bradley allowed for some of the staff to eat with John, Cassidy, Allan, and Frank Irving in the main dining room after the rest of the guests had been served. It had been a lovely dinner Cassidy was quite proud of, but now that she sat down for a few moments, her feet ached, and her head wanted nothing more than to hit her pillow for the night.

  But the men continued talking. Hiking, climbing, and the latest gear seemed to be the topics of the evening.

  “It appears, Miss Ivanoff, that we have lost your attention.” Mr. Irving’s comment brought her head back to the conversation at hand.

  “I apologize, Mr. Irving. Did I miss something important?”

  “We were just discussing your father’s plans to find other suitable approaches to climb Mount McKinley.” Those cold blue eyes drilled into hers in an almost accusing manner, even though a smile seemed plastered to his lips in contradiction. Something about it made her uncomfortable.

  “Well, he is an expert in that area, Mr. Irving.” She brought her water glass to her mouth and took a drink.

  “That he is. That he is.” Frank tapped the table. He leaned back in the chair as if he owned the place. “I say, why don’t we put a climbing expedition together while I’m here?”

  Cassidy sputtered on her water. Quickly grabbing a napkin, she dabbed her mouth.

  The man turned to Allan and patted his back. “The idea has been on my mind the entire trip north. I suppose because the last time I made this journey, that was the excitement and motivation. As I get older, however, I find it important to act quickly on our desires. None of us knows how much time we have on this earth.” He looked around the table. “Not only that, but I’ve been wanting some good exercise and fresh air. It’s been some time since I’ve gone mountain climbing.”

  Allan looked to Cassidy, his jaw clenching. “It’s a little more than just good exercise. I don’t know if that’s a very good idea, Frank. It’s late in the season an
d we’d have a lot to do to prepare.”

  “Seems to me the weather is just fine. The heat today could have melted my hat.”

  Allan shook his head. “That’s all well and good, but it takes a lot of time to plan . . .”

  “And my father . . .” Cassidy hated to interrupt, but she had to. “It’s only been a few weeks since his accident.”

  “An accident, you say?” Frank’s attention shot to Dad. “John, you look healthy as a horse. What happened, man?”

  Her father picked up his own water goblet and swirled the contents. “Nothing too major. Just had a run-in with a moose.” His pointed glance at her made her insides jumble. She knew better than to contradict him.

  What was going on?

  “Well, then?” Frank smiled around the table. “Shall we give it a go? If the weather did turn bad, we could turn back. It’s not like we’d have to climb to the top. I’ve already done that, as have you, John, and Allan . . . well, he’d have plenty of opportunities in the future. No, I think we should just strike out and do as much as the weather and our energy allows.”

  When no one said anything in response, Frank continued. “Not only that, but such an endeavor would allow me time to make plans. It would give Allan and me time together to discuss business. I could get some good ideas for equipment to supply, and we’d get to build trust together as we planned it.”

  Murmurs around the table did nothing but encourage Frank. The idea seemed to excite the other staff.

  But Cassidy felt a knot growing in her stomach.

  Thomas entered the dining room with a tray. “They’re already planning a trip. You should see the maps—whooo-eee.”

  Frank pointed to Thomas. “See? It’s meant to be.” He slapped Allan on the back. “I’ve never seen you decline such a wonderful challenge.”

  “Well, it’s just that . . .”

  “And it would give us a chance to bond. I know you always wanted to climb it with your father. I could help you accomplish that dream.” Frank put a hand over his heart. “And we could talk about what God has done in my life.”

  Why did he sound so fake? The men weren’t buying this man’s story, were they?

  Her dad looked toward Allan. “We have done a lot of the legwork and planning already. If we took a couple weeks to finalize the details, we could leave after the last booked fishing trip. Mr. Bradley has already voiced his support. He won’t mind us moving up the timeline, since it will probably help with advertising for next year, and that means next year we’ll be available for more trips.”

  What was her dad saying? He actually agreed with Mr. Irving?

  “I don’t know . . .” Finally, Allan was being a voice of reason.

  Cassidy sat back and crossed her arms. She knew she liked him.

  “I agree the time is too short . . .” Allan leaned forward. “But it’s even more important to stay ahead of the weather. I think we should do it.”

  She took it back. They were all a bunch of harebrained, ridiculous men. And she didn’t want anything to do with them.

  22

  Whatever had possessed him to volunteer to climb that stupid mountain again? Frank paced his room, smoking a cigar.

  There wasn’t any real logical explanation other than the fact that as soon as Allan and John shared their excitement about their future plans, Frank saw it as a way to get rid of them both. He’d killed Henry that way, hadn’t he? It seemed ironic that he should eliminate his other problems the same way.

  But he had no desire to go trekking up a mountain again. Sleeping in tents. Eating food that was only worthy for dogs and gutter rats. There had been nothing about that trip six years ago that had been worth the time and money. With exception to Henry’s death, of course, and even that didn’t satisfy as much as Frank had hoped it would.

  As the night escalated with the men’s plans, Cassidy left, citing a headache. He was just as glad to see her go. The young woman was rather unnerving. She seemed to gauge that something wasn’t quite on the up and up, and Frank didn’t need to have to worry about her interference. Especially when there were details to iron out and plans to be made. Way too many plans.

  In the end it was concluded that John’s Ahtna-Athabaskan tribal people would help. Frank was less than excited when he heard this. The fewer people around the better. It would force Frank to wait on his plans until they were able to leave them all behind at the lower camp. He sighed at the thought of the work that would have to be done. They’d have to do a lot of snowshoeing and use dogsleds again. There would be that ever annoying need to walk hunched over, poking a stick into the ground to make sure that the trail wouldn’t give way to some endless glacial hole. And then there was the cold.

  Frank shook his head.

  He really should stop complaining. He’d provided the perfect scheme. He wouldn’t have to climb all the way up. Just once they left base camp with the helpers and dogs behind, he’d have to look for his opportunity.

  He walked over to his bag. This time, he’d come even better prepared. Unwrapping a brown paper package, he pulled out a thirty-eight revolver and a brand-spanking-new hunting knife he’d taken from The Brennan/Irving Company. It didn’t have to look like an accident, because there wouldn’t be any witnesses. And because of the very accommodating nature of the glacier, he’d have no trouble ridding himself of the bodies.

  He’d be the only one to come back alive. And of course—he’d be grief stricken.

  Cassidy slammed the pie crust dough down on the worktable. All morning long, the staff had been abuzz about the team climbing Mount McKinley. After she’d snapped poor Marie’s head off with her words about the stupidity of the idea, the rest of the group left her alone. No one here had ever seen her in less than a positive spirit. And they definitely hadn’t seen her lose her temper. Well, they were getting an eyeful and an earful today.

  The wooden rolling pin sped across the dough. There wouldn’t be any issue getting the crust thin enough today. She was mad enough to roll it out as thin as paper.

  “Cassidy Faith.” The kitchen was hushed at Mrs. Johnson’s voice. “I’d like to see you in the dining room, please.”

  Cassidy nodded but kept rolling.

  “Now.” Mrs. Johnson’s voice was sharp.

  She blew the hair off her forehead, set the wooden pin down, and wiped her hands on her apron. “Yes, ma’am.”

  In the dining room, Cassidy crossed her arms. Deep down, she knew she was acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum, but her anger ruled out everything else.

  Her boss turned to look at her as soon as she shooed everyone else out of the room. “Let’s get one thing straight right now, missy. I will not abide you taking out your ill-mannered and uppity temper on the other staff in this hotel. You seem determined to prove to me that you aren’t all gumdrops and rainbows, but I assure you there is no need. Nor desire. No matter what, you will treat the others with respect.”

  “I didn’t—”

  Mrs. Johnson cut off her protest mid-sentence.

  She stepped closer to Cassidy and pointed her finger. “I don’t want excuses. For someone who I never thought could have a bad day, you sure do beat them all. Did you know that Mrs. McGovern just had to speak with me because you lit into one of the maids and she hasn’t stopped crying since?” The older woman began to pace. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but it needs to stop.”

  Cassidy bit her lip.

  “Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

  A few moments passed, but then Cassidy couldn’t take it any longer. “I don’t think they should go.”

  “You don’t think who should go where?”

  She rolled her eyes. Now she knew she was being impertinent. “The men. I don’t think they should go up the mountain.”

  “And they need your permission why exactly?”

  The woman knew how to stab her where it really hurt. “They don’t. But my father is just now healing and last time he went up there, he los
t a man coming down—”

  “But it’s not your decision.”

  “But neither one of them even thought about me and what I—”

  “Aha. So there it is.” Mrs. Johnson put her hands on her hips. “You’re offended that your dad and Allan didn’t consult you before making the decision.”

  Pretty much.

  All her life, her dad had talked things through with her. But now he didn’t need her. He talked to Allan instead. And Allan . . . well, he should know better. At least, if he cared about her, he should. Maybe that’s what really ate at her. Maybe Allan didn’t feel the same way she did.

  Mrs. Johnson’s arms came around Cassidy and pulled her in for a hug. “It’s hard being in love, isn’t it?”

  He hadn’t seen Cassidy all day, and when Allan asked Mrs. Johnson about her, she gave him a scolding glance and shooed him away.

  It didn’t seem right. Almost every day now, they walked in the evenings together, but Cassidy was nowhere to be found. And Allan couldn’t wait to share everything with her. He paced the spot where they usually met and considered all that was happening.

  It had all moved so fast. Once the decision had been made, momentum took off. Sure, their timeline wasn’t ideal, but all the pieces were fitting into place nicely. John dug out the equipment he’d had from the last expedition, and they’d spent the day trying on gear, patching the tents, and making lists. Frank wasn’t his ideal climbing partner—or business partner for that matter—but Allan was still excited. The man had several stories of how his life was now changed. He was even going to church. Could the conniving Frank of the past be gone? Maybe Louis and his family just didn’t know.

  Allan’s dream of climbing Mount McKinley would finally be realized. Not only that, but Allan had it in the back of his mind that once they were actually on the mountain away from everyone else, he could finally get Frank to tell the truth. The truth about the business and about his father. Especially if the man was being honest about God changing his life.