Nerd Gone Wild

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  She’d expected this moment, although she hadn’t thought he’d leave quite so abruptly. Maybe abrupt was better, but it sure was hitting her hard. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “Um, yeah. I need to visit my contact in Anchorage, Pete Showalter. I went downstairs a few minutes ago and called Rudy to give me a ride to the Fairbanks airport.”

  “I must have been out. I didn’t even hear you get up.”

  “You had a rough time yesterday.”

  “So… this is it?”

  “No, no. I’m planning to stop by tomorrow. Rudy’s going to drive me to the airport and check on Lurleen. He called her and the boyfriend’s gone. If all works out well, he’ll stay overnight and pick me up again tomorrow, so I can come back and tell everybody a proper goodbye. So this isn’t goodbye for us, either.”

  “It feels like it.”

  His gaze was troubled. “I know. Ally, I can’t figure out how to make this easier on us. Would you rather I didn’t come back tomorrow? I could fly out of Anchorage.”

  “No! Please come back again before you leave for good. Please.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure. That will give me twenty-four hours to get used to the idea that you’ll be gone,”

  He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “It won’t be easy for either of us. I suppose last night didn’t help.”

  “I suppose it didn’t, but I don’t care. I wouldn’t trade last night for anything.”

  “Me, either.” He crossed to her and cradled her in his arms. “You have big things ahead of you, Ally. You have plenty of good people around to help, too. The lawyers and tax people your grandmother hired are excellent. And Porcupine is the right spot to launch your career. You chose well.”

  She tried to imagine Porcupine without Mitch. As much as he’d complained about being here, he’d become an integral part of her image of the town. But he didn’t want to stay, and she wouldn’t try to keep him.

  “And you’ll go on to bigger and better things in L.A.” She rubbed her hands along the arms of his ugly jacket. “Any more nerd assignments?”

  “Nope. I’ll burn this jacket when I get back. For now, it’s all I have to wear. Pete should get a kick out of it.”

  Outside the window, a horn beeped.

  “That’s Rudy and Slewfoot Sue.” Mitch gazed into her eyes. “Remember, I’m coming back.”

  “I know.” She blinked, determined not to cry. He was coming back, but not to stay. He wouldn’t be spending the night. They wouldn’t make love. For the first time she admitted they’d been making love, not just having sex.

  “See you.” He kissed her.

  She wrapped her arms around him and hung on, and dammit, the tears managed to sneak out and dribble down to her mouth. He’d be able to taste them. He’d know she was losing it.

  The horn beeped again, and he released her.

  She stepped back, wanting to give him the space he needed to leave.

  He gave her a lopsided smile. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Sure.”

  He gestured toward a bubble-wrapped object standing over in the corner. “Take care of Quillamina. I’ll get her when I come back.” Then he went out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

  She used the sheet to mop her face. She would make it through this. After all, yesterday she’d almost died. So why did this feel so much worse?

  * * *

  Tanya Mandell hadn’t wanted to see Mitch, but he’d persisted, desperate to give Ally something to feel joyful about after all her disappointments. Tanya had started out the dinner jet-lagged and grouchy, but once Mitch had begun telling the story of someone impersonating her in order to kill an heiress and gain a fortune, Tanya had hung on his words until he’d finished.

  “Amazing.” She sipped her wine. The real Tanya Mandell was in her mid-fifties and a blonde like Vivian, but much stockier in build. She wore soft earth tones and native jewelry. But the biggest contrast was Tanya’s manner. She was quiet and dignified, with a very perceptive gaze that seemed to miss nothing.

  “Ally’s uncle chose to have his girlfriend impersonate you because he knew Ally thinks you hung the moon,” Mitch said.

  Tanya smiled. “Nope, not me. She’ll have to blame that moon placement on someone else.”

  “She was so excited when she thought that you would be her mentor.”

  “Mm.” Tanya’s expression grew cautious.

  “So I was hoping—”

  “Mitch, you’ve told a fascinating story. And I’m glad to hear it from you first, because once it hits the papers, I’ll have reporters at my door wanting a reaction. Thanks for the heads-up, so I know it’s time to leave town again. I’m not a publicity hound, as you may have heard.”

  “You could hide out in Porcupine.”

  “With the woman whom my double almost wasted? Not a good strategy. Look, I know what you’re about to ask, and I just can’t. I realize she can pay, but I don’t need the money. What I need is time to relax and rejuvenate after my last trip.”

  Mitch refused to give up that fast. “I brought some of her work.”

  “I’m sure it’s good. And I can tell you care very deeply about her. But I just can’t—” She paused as Mitch laid out the pictures Ally had brought from L.A.

  Then he added the wolf shot and the ptarmigan pictures he’d had printed late this afternoon. He was counting on Ally not missing her photos. While she’d slept, he’d changed the memory card in her camera and hoped she would think all the abuse it had taken yesterday had somehow erased her shots.

  Tanya leaned forward and spent a fair amount of time looking at the pictures. “Good eye.”

  “She has an incredible eye. She did all that with her digital. If she could get a little bit of instruction, she’d be fantastic. And she’s easy to get along with. I know you may worry that she’s a spoiled rich brat, but she’s the exact opposite. She’s warm, and funny and full of life.”

  Tanya glanced up. “You’re in love with her.”

  He was shocked into silence. Of course he was. He just hadn’t had the guts to say it, even silently in his mind. This woman had blurted it right out, as if those words didn’t have the power to make his life miserable forever. “That’s not important.”

  “I’m sorry you don’t think so. I happen to think it’s the most important thing in the world.”

  This was not the direction Mitch wanted the conversation to take. “What I meant was, I’m not prejudiced. Anyone can see she has talent.”

  “Oh, you’re prejudiced, all right, but she has talent. I wish her well.”

  “Tanya, please. Please consider going up there, even if it’s only for a few days. Porcupine’s a great place. The people are terrific. There are wolves in the woods. You’d love it. Besides, you can show them what the real Tanya Mandell is like. They have a pretty skewed picture right now.”

  “Does Ally know you’re in love with her?”

  He paused. “I don’t know. Maybe. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that she get the best start she can, and—”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “You will?” He felt like leaping across the table and kissing her. But she probably wouldn’t care for that. And they were in one of the finest restaurants in Anchorage, so the management probably wouldn’t care for that, either. “Thank you. I appreciate this more than I can say.”

  “You’re welcome. Did you see our waiter anywhere?”

  “No, but if you’re ready to go, I’ll get him. I’m sure you’re tired.”

  “Tired doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. But I want to finish my wine before we leave. Oh, there he is.” Tanya waved and the waiter hurried over. “Can you scare up a piece of paper and an envelope for me?” she asked.

  Moments later the waiter returned with some restaurant stationery.

  “Excellent. Thank you.” Tanya pulled a pen out of her satchel and began to write. “Just finish your meal, Mitch. I need to write a note
to Ally.” Then she blocked what she was writing with her arm.

  Okay, so she didn’t want him to see what she was saying to Ally. That made him a little nervous, but the main thing was that she’d agreed to go up there. Ally would have her mentor, the very same one she’d dreamed of. This time it would be real.

  Tanya finished writing, folded the paper, and tucked it in the envelope. Then she sealed it and wrote Ally’s name on the outside. “Give this to her when you go back tomorrow. I’ll be up this weekend. I’ll plan to stay for a week. Then we’ll reevaluate. I assume you’ll be there?”

  “Uh, no. I’m heading back to L.A.”

  “Mm.” Tanya picked up her wine glass. “To dreams.”

  Mitch toasted Ally’s dream. He didn’t really have a dream, just a fantasy. Dreams were based in reality, but fantasies were wisps of smoke, imaginary visions, impossible ideas. He’d work on getting rid of his once he was back in L.A. Maybe it would dry up and blow away in the Southern California sun.

  * * *

  Ally spent her first day without Mitch trying to ignore the huge gap he’d left. She wandered through Serena’s store and ended up buying herself some jewelry made from porcupine quills. Then she finally broke down and bought one of Dave’s chain-saw nudes and carried it over to the Top Hat.

  After ten minutes in the rowdy bar, her nude was christened Porcupiana Sharp, Quillamina’s twin sister. But when some of the lumberjacks wanted to dress her up, Ally refused to let them, in case Dave came in later. She hung out at the Top Hat with Betsy and Clyde and retold the story of yesterday’s drama whenever anyone asked, which was often.

  Word seemed to have leaked out that Ally was worth a lot of money. To her surprise, nobody seemed to care. Everyone treated her the same as they had before. But she was still glad that they’d come to know her before the information became public.

  When people asked about Mitch, and most did, she told them he’d had to fly to Anchorage on business. She didn’t tell them that he’d only be dropping by tomorrow for a couple of hours, and then he’d be off to L.A. That would raise too many questions, now that the town saw her and Mitch as a couple. Only Betsy and Clyde knew that Mitch wouldn’t be staying.

  Finally, after an early dinner, she announced that she was exhausted and walked back to the lodge. She and Mitch had missed the northern lights the night before because they’d been so eager to hop into bed. She’d miss them again tonight because she couldn’t bear to see them without Mitch.

  She’d have to get over that kind of thing. And she would. But not tonight. Tonight she would crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head and hope that she could sleep, and if she slept, that she could handle her dreams.

  Fortunately, she really was exhausted. And she didn’t dream. But she woke up the next morning with a feeling of excitement. Mitch would be coming back. She tried to tamp down her feeling of anticipation. Getting high now would only mean sinking lower after he left.

  But logical as that sounded, she couldn’t control the bubble of joy that she carried around with her all morning. He was due back sometime during the lunch hour. Logically, he and Rudy would show up at the Top Hat. Betsy had speculated whether they might be bringing Lurleen with them.

  Ally sat at a table where she could see the door and tried to eat her ptarmigan sandwich and drink her coffee. Betsy sat with her and made small talk that didn’t seem to require much in the way of answers, as if she knew that Ally was on edge. Every time the door opened, Ally’s heart started to pound.

  After the third time the door opened and somebody other than Mitch came through, Betsy pushed back her chair. “I’m getting you a beer.”

  “Thanks, but I already have coffee.”

  “You’re jumpy enough without drinking more of that stuff. You need to wind down. I’m getting you a beer. And one for me, too. I’m getting nervous just watching you.”

  Ally glanced up at her. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Girl, every time the door opens, you act like your butt’s on a hot burner. I want you to be cool when that boy comes through the door. Make him think you’re doing just fine without him.”

  “But I’m not.”

  “I know that, and you know that, but he doesn’t have to know that.” Then she patted Ally’s shoulder. “Love’s hard. I’m the one who can tell you that.” Then she walked over to the bar and ordered two beers.

  Love. Ally hadn’t want to say the word out loud, hadn’t even wanted to think it. But if love didn’t describe this incredible ache she was battling, nothing else did. Well, sometimes love didn’t work out. This looked to be one of those times.

  Then the door opened, and Mitch walked in. Ally tried to follow Betsy’s advice and block her feelings, but once his gaze locked with hers, she knew that yearning was written all over her face.

  Betsy set the beer down in front of her with a sigh. “I can see I’m about thirty seconds too late with this beer.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  All the way back to Porcupine, Mitch fought the idea that he was coming home. Yet one look at Ally sitting there having her lunch, and he felt more at home than he ever had in his life. The airplane ticket in his pocket taunted him, letting him know that home was hundreds of miles away. He had to use that ticket. He would only be an anchor around her neck if he stayed.

  Behind him, Rudy came in with Lurleen, and suddenly the place was buzzing. Betsy hurried over to hug Lurleen, and even Clyde came out from behind the bar to shake her hand. Several others got up to welcome her, too. Apparently Rudy hadn’t been the only person in town who’d missed Lurleen.

  Mitch was happy for Rudy. Lurleen was perfect for him, a big girl with red hair almost the same color as his. She had a hearty laugh and a no-nonsense attitude. After they’d picked Mitch up at the airport, she’d taken him aside and thanked him for teaching Rudy the facts of life, both concerning chickens and women’s sexual needs.

  But Lurleen and Rudy’s future wasn’t the main item on his mind at the moment. As Mitch gazed at Ally, the hubbub in the tavern faded into background noise. He walked over and sat down across from her, a goofy smile on his face. He was so glad to see her it was ridiculous. And he’d only been gone for a day.

  “Hey, Mitch.” She looked just as happy to see him. “Did you take care of your business?”

  “Yes, I did.” He took off his nerdy orange parka. Betsy had tried to get him to take the other, nicer one, but he’d thought it was a complete waste, so he’d worn the godawful orange coat, much to Pete’s amusement.

  After hanging the parka over the back of his chair, he reached into the inside vest pocket for the envelope he’d carefully tacked there. He handed it to Ally. “I brought you this.”

  She took the envelope with a puzzled frown and looked at her name written on it. “That’s not your handwriting.”

  “No.”

  She opened the letter and glanced at the signature at the bottom. Then she laughed. “Tell me this isn’t from Vivian.”

  “It isn’t from Vivian.”

  Ally looked at the signature again. Then she lifted her head and stared at him, her eyes wide.

  “Yeah, it’s from the real Tanya Mandell.” He was so excited he could barely sit still. “Read it. Read it out loud.” He wanted to hear her saying the words Tanya had written, confirming that she was coming to Porcupine.

  “ ‘Dear Ally, Thanks to your friend Mitch, I’ve decided to come to Porcupine this weekend and meet you.’“ Ally met his gaze again. “Mitch? Is this for real?”

  He nodded, too pleased with himself for words.

  “Omigod!” She leaped up and came around the table to hug him. Then she stood there staring at the letter and quivering. “How did you do this? What did you say? What did she say? Is she really coming?”

  “She’s really coming.” Mitch had never been this thrilled about any present he’d given.

  “I have to sit down.” She put a hand to her chest and fumbled her way back to her seat, still starin
g at the letter. Then she began to smile. “Mitch, did you see this letter?”

  “Uh, no. She didn’t show it to me, although I watched her write it.” His elation faded some as he wondered what else Tanya had said. He hoped she hadn’t gotten him into hot water.

  Ally kept reading, and her smile wobbled and disappeared. Then she sniffed and wiped her eyes.

  This wasn’t the reaction Mitch was looking for. “What’s wrong? She didn’t say it was all a joke or anything, did she? She promised me she would come. She said this weekend, and she’d plan to stay a week and then see how it went. Ally? God, Ally, what’s wrong?”

  She looked up at him, her eyes swimming. “Nothing.” She sniffed again. “Mitch, will you marry me?”

  He nearly fell off his chair. “M-marry you?”

  “Yeah.” She took a long, shaky breath. “Because I love you, too. And I don’t know what to do about the fact you hate Alaska, but you seem to like it a little better than when you arrived, so maybe—”

  “Ally.” His brain was spinning. “What’s in that letter?”

  She shoved it across the table.

  He skipped over the first part, which she’d already read aloud. The next sentence was about the week Tanya planned to stay in Porcupine. Then she’d started a whole new paragraph.

  I don’t know how you feel about Mitch, but he’s madly in love with you. He admitted it, but said it wasn’t important. I disagree. Any man who would track me down and recruit me with the enthusiasm Mitch has shown is worth taking a look at, Ally. I know he dresses kind of like a nerd, but you could fix that. If I were you, I wouldn’t let this one get away.

  Sincerely,

  Tanya Mandell

  Mitch felt as if he’d been hit over the head with a brick. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Finally he cleared his throat a couple of times and managed one sentence. “Ally, I didn’t tell her to write this.”

  Her smile was watery. “I’m sure not.”

  “You don’t want to marry me. I don’t have any money and I’m out of a job.”