Mountain Angel (Northstar Angels, Book One)

by Suzie O'Connell

He turned right on the road to Aeli’s grandparents’. Parking the Bronco beside the post office, he entered through the back door to say hi to Marge. Aelissm’s grandmother looked up from her work at the desk and smiled.

  “Good afternoon, Pat,” Marge said. “How’d everything go?”

  “Fine,” he replied. “Somewhat boring, but otherwise fine.”

  “You remembered to pick up the hot dogs, right?”

  Pat nodded. “Everything’s set?”

  “I just need to finish up here and turn the Crockpot on for Roger and I’ll be ready.”

  “Thanks, Marge. I appreciate it,” he said. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I saw Roger out working on his shed. I’ll go help him while I wait.”

  “Call June and make sure she’s got everything packed first. With Aeli’s mood, you’re not going to want any delays,” she called as he left.

  He highly doubted he needed to call June because she’d had almost everything packed this morning before he’d left for Devyn. But he would anyhow, to let her know he had remembered the hot dogs.

  “Afternoon, Pat,” Roger greeted from the door of his shed.

  “Afternoon, Roger,” Pat replied. “I’ll be out to help as soon as I call June.”

  “Sure thing. I could use an extra pair of hands.”

  A quick phone call and five minutes later, Pat was holding a plank up while Roger nailed it in place. It was warm out and Pat was glad to be in the shade rather than perched on the roof nailing shingles while the sun beat down. Still, the work was pleasant and Roger told great stories. At the moment, it was one he’d heard from Aeli and June about the hike up to the Hall and Hopkins lakes.

  “There used to be a trail up there,” Roger said. “I guess no one bothered to maintain it after the rock slide. But I didn’t know that. And, let me tell you, they still won’t let me forget.”

  “Oh, don’t let them fool you,” Pat laughed. “They enjoy that story. June won’t let Aeli forget the cookie story either and, I assure you, they both tell that one with equal pride in their adventures.”

  Roger chuckled. “They’re good girls. Been friends most of their lives. I’m glad June’s here for Aeli.”

  “Me, too. Not many people are lucky enough to have a friendship like that. No secrets, no shame and absolute trust and loyalty and love.”

  Roger grunted in agreement.

  “All right, Roger, let the poor boy go,” Marge said as she walked up the driveway.

  “He’s free to leave whenever he wants. He volunteered.”

  “I know he did. Both of you, come inside and get cleaned up and I’ll fix you some lunch.”

  They nailed one last plank up before obeying. Once they’d washed up, Marge promptly put Pat back to work. Chuckling, he gladly reached into the upper cupboard and took down a couple of dishes for her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Now, go sit. Oh, what do you want on your sandwich? Lettuce, mustard, mayo?”

  “All of the above.”

  Pat joined Roger in the living room, but rather than sit down, he perused the bulletin board full of photos in the hallway. There were pictures of kids, grandkids, pets, cousins, parents, siblings and landscapes from around Montana and beyond. The only pattern Pat could discern was age. The older photos were mostly on the top, the newer ones toward the bottom. There was one he particularly liked of Aelissm, June and Luke, taken not long ago at a little celebration Marge and Roger had given Luke in honor of his official entry into the family. Aelissm was ruffling the boy’s hair, Luke was trying to duck away and June was holding her fingers like rabbit ears behind Aelissm’s head. All three were obviously laughing and the pure affection in the shot included those viewing it. There was one up that he hadn’t seen yet, of him and Roger sitting on the roof of the shed, their legs hanging over the edge. It was a great shot, worthy of a Western-style or cowboy magazine and he admitted with an uncharacteristic vanity that he looked damn good in it.

  The phone rang, distracting him.

  “Hello?” Roger asked. “Hi, June. Yes, he’s still here. Well, Marge is fixing us lunch and then they’ll go surprise Aeli. Okay, I’ll tell him. Uh-huh. Bye.”

  “Let me guess,” Pat said before Roger could relay the message. “What’s taking me so long and… everything’s ready and daylight’s burning.”

  Roger laughed. “Almost to the word.”

  They hurried through lunch and Roger offered to do the dishes so Pat and Marge could head up to the Bedspread. After pulling the Bronco into the cluttered driveway and carefully maneuvering his own truck out, Pat followed Marge as she drove her maroon car. Roger was going to take the Bronco back up to their cabin as some point today and Pat smilingly shook his head at the shuffling of vehicles. Besides the older Bronco and the car, Marge and Roger also had a newer white Bronco, a truck they used for firewood, a nineteen-seventy-something Oldsmobile, the Model-T and another, classic Bronco Aelissm’s uncle drove when he came out from Ohio.

  “And let’s not forget the old tractor and the grader parked up at their cabin,” Pat added aloud. “And the snowmobiles, dirt bikes and four-wheelers.”

  Aeli had remarked once that all those vehicles—not one of which was less than five years old—was Roger’s way of coping with retirement. Between the occasional odd mechanical job he still did and all the vehicles he had to tinker on, Aelissm’s grandfather always had something to do.

  “And if he has someone to talk to while he’s at it, he’s as happy as a dog with a bone,” she’d said.

  She hadn’t said much to him over the last two weeks beyond what was necessary, which was the reason for his surprise and why Marge was going to be working at the Bedspread tonight, for the first time since Aelissm’s second month back in Northstar. Pat was going to get Aelissm to warm up again if it took him another two weeks to do it. He sincerely hoped it wouldn’t take that long because, as much as he loved Aelissm’s sass, she had been downright cold and nasty. And, he truly missed that spark of love and desire that had been steadily building between them. Without it, he felt as if he’d been plunged back into the bitter heart of winter.

  “What are you going to do when it’s time to go back to Washington?” Pat asked himself. It was hard to think of Kitsap County as home anymore.

  His unpleasant musings kept him occupied all the way to the inn. A warm welcome was too much to expect, so he didn’t look for one. As he followed Marge into the dining room, Aelissm eyed them suspiciously.

  “What are you doing here, Grandma?”

  “We thought it was time you started acting like yourself again and stopped being so surly,” Marge replied. “So, we’re going to do something about it.”

  Pat winced when Aelissm planted her feet stubbornly, crossed her arms and turned accusing green eyes on him.

  “Who’s ‘we’?”

  “All of us. Your grandfather and I, your workers, June, Pat and even Luke. He said you snapped at him yesterday.”

  Guilt flickered momentarily across her face. No matter how angry she might be, her respect of her grandmother and her fondness for June’s adopted son could still sway her. Pat could let those emotions do his work for him, but steadfastly refused to rely on anyone else to solve his problems. He’d caused this moodiness of Aeli’s and he would fix it.

  “We thought it would be nice if you, June, Luke and I took a camping trip up to Sawtooth Lake,” he said. “Right now. Everything’s ready and your grandmother has volunteered to close the Bedspread tonight so you can go.”

  “No. Even if I was inclined to let her work for me, I have a million other things to do. My summer class at the college starts in two weeks and I have finals next week—”

  Pat closed the distance in one long stride and kissed her. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed. Hard. His eyes narrowed, matching the fury of Aelissm’s gaze. Hate and resentment flared, laced with the acidic rejection and it was difficult to swallow that vicious meal. No matter how bad-tempered and vengeful Aelissm may be feeli
ng, she could never be Sara. That he was remotely reminded of his ex was one more reason why he needed to get Aelissm to relax again. Self-preservation. Among a myriad of other reasons.

  “There are a few things I could say right now,” Pat said, willing his voice to be level. “But I won’t because I really don’t mean them. So, I will tell you right now, Aelissm. We’ve all had it with your attitude. I don’t care if it’s warranted. It ends now. You’re going to come home with me, Marge is going to cover the rest of your shift, and we are going to hike up to Sawtooth and spend the night. And you’re going to enjoy it, one way or another.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “Make me.”

  “All right.” Before she could escape, Pat grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder.

  “Pat! Put me down!”

  “Nope.” He turned around. “Got it covered, Marge?”

  “I’ve got it covered.”

  “Grandma!” Aelissm pleaded. “Tell him to put me down.”

  “Sorry, honey, but I agree with him.”

  Aelissm growled and struggled to free herself for a moment, then gave up when her attempts gained her a tighter grip. Pat waved his free hand at Marge and headed outside. Aeli braced her forearms on his back and settled in for the ride. He didn’t doubt that if he loosened his hold on her for even a second that she would try to thrash herself free. Given the proximity of her knees to his belly, he wasn’t about to give her the opportunity.

  “Good luck with her!” Marge called.

  “I sincerely hope I won’t need it,” he replied, more to himself than either Aelissm or her grandmother.

  “Oh, you’ll need it,” Aelissm sneered.

  “So might you. I’m not going to give in.”

  “Great way to get me to warm up to your scheme, Pat.”

  “I’d sugar-coat if for you, but you’d only throw it back in my face, so I’m not going to waste my energy.”

  Pat opened the driver-side door of his truck and dumped her inside. He was mildly surprised that she didn’t scoot across the seat and make a go of escaping out the other side. It seemed, he thought as he slid in behind the wheel, that staying angry was using more energy than Aelissm wanted to expend. Or it could be she was only waiting to unleash her aggression when there’d be no witnesses. He shrugged.

  “You’re too proud to ask what I’ve been doing in Devyn,” Pat said, driving down Elkhorn Road. “So, I’ll tell you. I’ve been tracking Winters.”

  She waited a few moments before impatience and curiosity won out. “And?”

  “He’s been working at the Paradise Motel, in the kitchen, but that part you know from Amber.”

  When she opened her mouth and snapped it closed, he realized that she hadn’t yet combined the pieces of information into the conclusion he’d reached. Blush brightened her cheeks and he ignored a jesting remark that came to mind. It was a bit more difficult not to accuse her of hypocrisy for doing nothing to help herself while snapping at him about not doing enough.

  “Jessie said…. God, I’m an idiot.”

  Pat ignored the comment. “Anyhow… I don’t know how long he’s been working there. Probably a couple of months, judging by the reactions of everyone else he works with. They greet him easily enough, but not yet like he’s part of their crew. I also know that he drives a very plain white Ford pick-up.”

  “Marvelous. Only about one of every five people here own one,” Aeli muttered. “License plate number?”

  “I have it. I’ll give it to you when we get to the cabin.”

  “What about where he lives? Is he staying with Amber?”

  Pat shrugged noncommittally. He wasn’t about to share that information with her because she’d likely do something to get herself in trouble. Adam’s license plate number was probably too much for her to know just yet, but he wanted her aware and able to spot the truck for her safety. And he wanted to reassure her that he was doing his job.

  “Well, I suppose that’s something,” Aeli muttered after a moment.

  “Something’s better than nothing.”

  Grudgingly, she replied, “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  Pat wanted to smile, but didn’t dare, feeling she would take exception. He’d prepped her for a return to civility and a pleasant evening beside a quiet, alpine lake after a long hike should have her back to her beautiful, laughing self. He couldn’t wait. Neither could he deny that he wanted to kiss her and be kissed in return. Her rejection at the Bedspread hurt more than he would have thought.

  Aelissm seemed content with the information he’d given her and the ride up to the cabin was silent. They had the windows down and even though it was only just a bit past noon, the air was thick with summer warmth. He’d been here long enough to know, however, that the silky touch of air on the bare skin of his forearm was no promise of a balmy night up by the lake.

  “How cold do you think it’ll be tonight?” he asked when Aelissm climbed back in from opening the gate.

  “I don’t know. A few degrees above freezing. We might wake up to a little frost. And the ice might not be completely off the lake yet.”

  “You and June have subzero sleeping bags, though, right?”

  “Of course.”

  There was a note of anticipation in her voice that made Pat smile.

  Less than thirty minutes later, Pat was glad he’d taken so many hiking trips into the Cascades with his parents and Sara. Aelissm was efficient and had her pack ready in an astonishingly short time. Though he’d already settled his own pack, it took Pat nearly as long to double check all the gear. He took both packs out to his truck while Aelissm did a final inspection of the cabin. When he came back, she was leaning against the snack bar with her ankles crossed, wistfully admiring his pan flute. She held it gently in her hands, as if it were made of delicate spun glass instead of wood. Apparently, he’d forgotten to put it away that morning before he’d left for Devyn.

  “Where’d you get this?” she asked. “And when?”

  “My Grandpa O’Neil made it for me when I was a little boy. We used to play together.”

  Her brows shot up. “You play this?”

  “Fairly well, once.”

  “Wow. You should bring it to the lake.”

  “I was thinking about it. But I don’t know.” He inhaled slowly. “I haven’t played since he died.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged and took it from her. “Not your fault. He wasn’t that old, but he went peacefully. I guess by the time I was able to deal with it, I was starting to really get into my work. And then I met Sara.”

  “She never heard it, then.”

  It was a statement, not a question. He shook his head and took the flute from her. Running his thumb over the smooth wood, he vaguely felt his face shift into a frown of longing. “No, I never played it for her.”

  “Good. She didn’t deserve it. Or you.”

  “Truce?” he asked.

  He was rewarded with the first real smile from her in two weeks. “Truce.”

  “Let’s get going, then, before June decides we’re not worth the wait.”

  She brushed past him and headed for the door.

  “Aelissm?”

  When she turned slowly to face him, the familiar concern for him furrowed her brows.

  “What is it?”

  His throat constricted around the request. Was it too soon to ask? But he needed her. He needed to hold her and be held.

  “Kiss me?” he asked, his voice barely a pleading whisper.

  For a moment, he thought she was going to turn back around, angry, and storm out the door. It was truly amazing how a handful of seconds could stretch into eternity, with only the deep thudding of his heart to count the time by. Then, she took a step toward him, and another, until she was standing barely a hand span away. Curling her hands around his neck, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his, gently. Wrapping his arms around her, he tucked her firmly against him.


  “Now that’s what I call a truce,” she murmured against his lips. “Does this mean we get to find out if make-up sex is really all it’s said to be?”

  Pat’s head fell back and he laughed long and hard. “God, Aelissm, I’ve missed you.”

  “I know. I’ve missed me, too.”

  She grabbed a handful of his shirt, playfully yanking his head down, and kissed him again. “For good measure. So, how ‘bout that hike?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  DEFINITELY WORTH IT, Aelissm thought as she turned her gaze from the recently erected tents to the glassy surface of Sawtooth Lake. They had set up camp at the edge of the meadow on the east end of the lake, across from where the official trail ended. The ground beneath the trees was worn smooth by the boots of hikers who had chosen this same spot to camp for years, but the lush meadow was as pristine as it had been since its formation. Aelissm traced the meandering path of the stream through the thick green grass and smiled. This was, by far, the most popular spot on the lake, but rarely were there multiple parties camped here. As late in the afternoon as it was, Aeli doubted her own little party of four would be disturbed tonight. That suited her just fine. She didn’t mind having June and Luke around, but when the campfire died down and the moon came out, she wanted the lake to herself. More to the point, she wanted Pat to herself.

  Kissing him this afternoon had re-ignited something in her that she truly had missed in the past two weeks. After the weeks of sensing the growing heat, she wanted to touch the fire. If Pat thought she wasn’t ready or he wasn’t, well, she’d have to convince him otherwise. It was time they both got over their fear and reluctance of being with someone else. She was done playing around, done being satisfied with a kiss here and there and the occasional chaste caress.

  “Aeli! You gonna help with dinner or what?” June called.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

  When she arrived at the tents, she scowled at her friend. “You know, June, you have a talent for interrupting my daydreams.”

  “Oh? And what were you daydreaming about?” June asked. Glancing in Pat’s direction, she smirked and added, “Or should I say whom?”