by Croix, J. H.
He took a long look at the setting sun and turned to walk inside. Though a good baseball game was on, Jared had his laptop out and was poring over a spreadsheet. Nathan shook his head.
“Do you ever take a break?”
Jared looked up quickly. “I’ll put this away when the pizza gets here. Just want to enter a few things.”
Nathan held his gaze. “Yeah, I’m sure that couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning. You work too hard. Maybe you want to blow me off because I’m your baby brother, but cut yourself some slack.”
He flopped down on the couch near Jared and grabbed the remote only to have the doorbell ring.
“There’s the pizza. You…” he paused with a deliberate look at Jared, “…put away your computer and take a break.”
Jared rolled his eyes, but complied. With a few clicks, he shut the computer and carried it downstairs while Nathan paid the delivery guy. When Jared returned, they carted the pizza into the living room and ate while watching the game.
“Another good trip with the Stanton family today,” Jared commented. “Nice group. Michael sure loves to fish. Between him and the rest of them, they have enough experience that it’s easier for us.”
There was a long pause and Nathan turned toward Jared, tearing off a bite of pizza. Jared watched him with a gleam in his eyes. “What’s that look for?” Nathan asked, the words coming out in a mumble as he chewed.
“You seem to find Tess a little more interesting than our usual customers,” Jared said with a sly smile.
Nathan paused, mid bite and glared at Jared. He swallowed before speaking. “Seriously dude? I’m friendly to her just like I am to all of our customers.”
He didn’t know why, but he was uncomfortable that Jared had noticed anything. Although he should have known better. Jared was quiet and observant and only occasionally let on to what he noticed. He wasn’t ready to tell Jared that he’d asked Tess out to dinner, or to admit that he found her intriguing and wanted to get to know her better. Not to mention that he found himself thinking about her golden brown eyes and lush curves quite a bit.
“Look, she’s nice and cute as hell. But other than that, it’s just me being me. You know I like to flirt,” he explained, falling back on the hope that his reputation for being a flirt would throw Jared off the scent.
Jared quirked one of his dark brows. “You explaining yourself tells me a lot more than anything else would.”
Nathan rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine, think what you want. Just being nice. Is it okay to be nice to our customers or is that now a problem for you?”
Jared returned his eye roll. “Uh…no, being nice to our customers is not a problem. But if you’re gonna flirt, be careful. Tess seems nice and probably not your usual type. Don’t think she came to Alaska for a fling. Not to mention that having the hots for our customer’s daughter isn’t so good for business,” he said, his eyes getting serious.
Nathan took Jared’s words in with another bite of pizza and a sip of beer. “Agree with you there. I wouldn’t try to have a fling with her. And give me some credit, I’m not a jerk. I’ve just had a few years of fun.”
“I know you’re not a jerk, which is why I said something. You sell yourself short, by the way. More to you than just flirting. I get to say things like that because I’m your oldest brother,” Jared replied.
Nathan wouldn’t admit it, but he appreciated what Jared said. With a nod, he turned the tables. “Since you’re busy telling me to give myself more credit, do I get to point out that your plan to keep all relationships off the table is dumb? Not to mention that it breaks mom’s heart.” When he saw that Jared hadn’t blown up yet, he took it further. “Plus, you need to lighten up and a little fun just might do the trick,” he said with a wink.
Jared gave him a light punch on the arm. The moment passed and they moved on to eating through most of both pizzas and arguing over whether the Red Sox or Yankees would win the season series.
***
The next day, Nathan drove to town in the late morning. The air was cool with the sun shrouded behind clouds. Without the sun, summer days in Alaska didn’t feel much like summer. Nathan had thrown on a fleece jacket with his jeans to knock the chill off. He was going to town to meet a family friend, Travis Wilkes, to help him clean the bottom of his boat. Travis had fished with them a few times over the years and was a solid guy. He often helped them out when needed, so Nathan was glad to return the favor.
Their house was situated on the top of one side of a hill that ran behind the town section of Diamond Creek. The bay was slate gray under the clouds, the mountaintops just visible above some of the clouds. Mount Augustine was shrouded. A hint of coming rain hung in the air. It wasn’t the best day to scrape barnacles off the bottom of a boat, but then planning around the weather in Alaska didn’t offer too many options. Most residents just worked through whatever came along.
Tess passed through Nathan’s mind. He wondered what she and her family were doing today. He moved on to wondering about Jared’s comment that there was more to him than flirting. He wouldn’t admit it to Jared, but much as he wanted to flirt with Tess, the spark between them burned much brighter and with an indefinable quality that alternately drew him towards her and, if he could admit it for even a second, scared him a little.
With a hard shake of his head, he downshifted his truck and slowed as he approached the bottom of the hill. He tried to consciously think about something other than Tess. The effort was a spectacular failure, as he promptly moved on to picturing her ginger eyes, tousled honey curls and that lush little body. He swung the truck onto the highway into town and laughed to himself. He wished she’d call soon. He’d managed to get her cell number from her the other day, but sensed that he should let her take the initiative to call about dinner. He’d done the asking and she’d said she would find out when would be a good time and call. Her family had two more trips scheduled with them but not until next week. He gave himself two more days before he would consider calling her.
The old square red truck that housed Red Truck Coffee came into view. Nathan swung into the small parking lot. As usual, cars were spilling out of the lot and parked along the road. Cammi, the woman who owned Red Truck Coffee and a friend of theirs, ran a brisk business all summer. He stepped out of his truck and walked to wait in the line filled with the usual mix of tourists and locals. Cammi was fast and kept the line moving. Her friend, Dara, was there with her this morning.
“Nathan! So good to see you,” she said with a smile when he reached the front of the line. Cammi radiated warmth and an earnest sweetness. She wore her light brown hair in a pixie cut, her soft blue eyes tilted up at the corners whenever she smiled, which was most of the time.
“Hey Cammi, always good to see you. Can’t tell you how awesome it is that your truck is right here where I need it on my way to the harbor.”
“Of course it’s right where you need it,” she replied. “That’s why I picked this spot. Have to admit though—when I started this business that first summer after high school, I had no idea when I asked for the permit to park here that it would take off as well as it did.”
“You’re smarter than you let on is what I think,” Nathan said with a wink.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said, her smile widening. “Saw your buddy Travis on his way out this morning too. I used to see Luke more often, but ever since he married Hannah…” her words trailed off.
“Oh no need to point that out. Trust me, I know how often Luke used to come by because he always got my coffee for me. But…the coffee’s better when I get it for myself.”
Cammi giggled as she handed him his coffee. “I can’t pretend I do anything differently, but I’m glad you like it.”
Holding his cup aloft, he waved as he left. A few sips of coffee and the morning looked brighter. Travis saw him once he stepped onto the dock and waved. Nathan paused for a moment at the top of the dock and looked across the harbor. Iris, t
heir commercial boat, and their guiding boat sat quietly in their slips. Pride filled him whenever he saw Iris. He and his brothers had borrowed money from their father to purchase that boat to start their commercial fishing business. Within two seasons in Seattle, fishing from there up into Alaska, they’d been able to repay their father and start making a solid living. He couldn’t have done it without his brothers, but he was damn proud of being a part of their small business. He loved the fishing and being outdoors. He’d had many odd jobs over the years, but he enjoyed being able to call his own shots, not because he wanted to be in charge, but because he enjoyed the independence.
He took a long sip of coffee and a deep breath of ocean air before walking towards Travis. When he reached the boat, he found Travis getting the boat ready to drive over the ramp and pull out of the water.
“So do you want to be the boat driver or the truck driver today?” Travis asked by way of greeting.
“My choice, huh? I’ll take the boat. Not used to how your truck handles with a boat trailer on it.”
Travis nodded. “Good enough. Already have the trailer hitched on. How about I head on up and meet you at the ramp in a few minutes?”
Nathan nodded. “Keys in the boat?”
At Travis’s nod, he grabbed one of the boat lines and tugged the boat close enough to step in. Travis started the engine just as Nathan stepped onto the boat.
“So how about you untie her and toss me the lines?” Nathan asked, setting his coffee in a cup holder by the steering wheel.
“Yup. I’ll meet you at the ramp in a few,” came Travis’s quick response.
Travis hopped out of the boat and moved quickly around, untying the four lines that held the boat in its slip. Nathan neatly coiled the lines as Travis tossed them over. Nathan took the wheel and put the boat in gear to slowly move forward. He kept the boat speed slow, obeying the ‘No wake’ signs posted throughout the harbor. Even at the slow speed, he beat Travis to the ramp area. He idled the boat and sipped his coffee until he saw Travis’s truck reach the top of the ramp. In minutes, they had the boat on the trailer and in place. He hopped in the truck with Travis.
“You can drop me off at my truck now, or you can bring me back later. Up to you,” Nathan said.
Travis shrugged. “How about I bring you back when we’re done?”
“Didn’t I just say it was up to you?” Nathan asked wryly.
Travis rolled his eyes in return. “Just being polite, man.” He put the truck in gear and drove slowly towards the road that led away from the harbor.
“So how’ve you been lately?” Travis asked. “Haven’t had more than a few minutes to chat these past few weeks.”
“Summer busy is what we’ve been. When we’re not guiding, we’ve got something going on. How about you?”
“Same here,” Travis responded. “The usual busy in summer. Headed up to dipnet in Kenai next week. They open the river for dipnetting next Sunday at midnight. You guys do that every year, right?”
Nathan nodded vigorously as he swallowed a gulp of coffee. “Hell yeah! Wouldn’t miss it.”
Dipnetting for wild salmon was a summer ritual in Alaska. It involved catching salmon by dipping a net in the water and scooping them out. There were a number of areas in Alaska where residents were permitted to dipnet. On the Kenai Peninsula, this included the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, both north of Diamond Creek. At the rivers, some people stood in the water that surged from the ocean into the mouths of the rivers while others rode in the rivers by boat, nets hanging over the sides. Nathan and his brothers had tried the options when they became Alaskan residents and tended to head to the Kenai River and stand in the water’s edge.
“When do you plan to head to Kenai?” he asked Travis. “We usually keep an eye on the fish count from Fish & Game and head up when it starts to spike.”
“Same here. I like to go the first week it’s open just to see how I do. If I catch my limit, then I’m done. If not, I’ve got three more weeks to try again.”
“Well, let me know when you decide to go. We have a few trips scheduled next week, but I might join you if I can.”
Travis nodded. “Of course.”
Once at boat storage yard, they spent the next few hours scraping barnacles off the bottom of Travis’s boat. Nathan didn’t know why, but it was the type of work that he found satisfying despite its tedium. He loved a good clean boat. While they worked, Tess crossed his mind again. He kept thinking about showing her all the different aspects of Diamond Creek and…that lush mouth of hers and those curves that made him itch to touch her.
When Travis was driving back to the harbor to drop him off, Nathan saw a small cluster of tourists stopped near the road, some tourists milling outside of their cars. In the field adjacent to the road, a mother moose and two calves were nibbling on alders. His stomach coiled in tension because tourists and moose could be a dangerous mix. Moose were frequently in town and could give the impression they were quite tame. Problem was, they were nearsighted and by the time someone was close enough for them to see, the person in question was dangerously close. Moose were deceptively quick. Their legs were so long, they tended to look as if they moved slowly. In reality, the length of their stride covered a lot of ground. At a slow jog, a moose could be on top of a person in seconds. A mother moose protective of her calves was particularly dangerous.
As he scanned the small group of people, he thought one of the cars was familiar and realized it looked like the rental car Tess and her family were using. He hoped they had enough sense to stay in the car.
“Hey Travis, you mind pulling over? Worried we might have a problem if we don’t let these tourist know they need to keep their distance.”
“Already trying to find a spot. We’re on the same wavelength.”
Travis parked just beyond the cluster of cars. They both stepped out and began to walk towards the small group. Nathan hoped they could just let people know they should keep their distance and that would be enough. As they approached, Nathan saw a small form dart out. His stomach fell when he realized it was Tess’s nephew, Jordan. He quickly judged the distance between Jordan and the mother moose and her calves. If Jordan kept moving in her direction, he was likely to prompt her to charge. Nathan glanced back towards the car where Jordan had been and saw Simon stepping out to call to Jordan with Tess following and moving in Jordan’s direction.
Nathan waved in their direction, but neither noticed, both had their eyes on Jordan who kept moving towards the moose. Nathan started to jog over, hoping to intercept Jordan. In what seemed to be no time, he saw the mother moose turn away from the alder, noticing Jordan.
“Jordan,” he called. “Stop!”
Between his call and Simon’s, Jordan finally stopped walking although he didn’t turn back. In the meantime, the mother moose went from ignoring the small cluster of people to snorting and turning in their direction. All but Jordan were close enough to hop in their cars and most had the sense to do so. Tess, on the other hand, was focused on getting Jordan to safety. Nathan went from a jog to a run, going against his instincts to head in the direction of the moose. In a flash, the moose was charging directly at Jordan. Nathan got to Jordan seconds before Tess, grabbing Jordan by the edge of his shirt and firmly tugging him back into his grasp. Tess collided with them just as the moose stopped within a few strides of them. Nathan grabbed Tess by the arm and swung her behind him. Dust kicked up where the moose pawed the ground. Nathan kept moving quickly in the opposite direction of the moose, pulling Jordan and Tess along with him.
“If we keep moving away, she’ll stop. Moose aren’t predatory, but as you just found out, a mama moose will charge if you get too close to her calves,” he said, trying to catch his breath.
He had Jordan by one hand now and Tess by the arm. She didn’t question him. Her breath came in short gasps. Nathan glanced back as they continued moving away and saw that the moose had stopped in place. She snorted again, but remained s
till. Nathan’s breath slowed, but he kept a rapid pace as they approached the cars. When they finally got to the car, he saw Simon, along with Michael, and a woman he assumed to be Tess’s mother. All three had climbed out of the car.
Travis was waiting with them and caught Nathan’s eye. “Since it was clear you had that in hand, I stayed here to make sure everyone else stayed put. Mama there seems to have decided it’s okay now,” Travis said with a nod in the direction of the moose.
Nathan looked back to see the moose had headed back toward the alder and her two calves, both of whom had watched and waited by the trees. As the mother moose reached them, she nuzzled them each and kept ambling, moving further into the field.
“Jordan, what were you thinking?! We told you it wasn’t good to get too close,” Tess said, her voice at high pitch.
Her eyes were dark with fear and adrenaline. Her chest rose and fell as her breath came in shallow gasps. Without realizing it, his arm went around her shoulders, unconsciously wanting to offer comfort. Tess didn’t appear to notice, focused as she was on Jordan. Just as he became aware of what he did, she stepped away and knelt in front of Jordan whose eyes were welling with tears, overwhelmed with the cluster of adults exclaiming their worry.
Tess gave Jordan a quick hug and stood up. Nathan wanted to comfort her again, which startled him more than his attraction to her did. He felt out of sorts, still running on his own shot of adrenaline. Moose encounters were common, but they could occasionally cause true harm. He was beyond relieved that the moose had backed off and none of them were hurt.
Travis was talking calmly with Michael, assuring him that Jordan’s impulsive action was not that unusual given how tame moose could appear. Simon had stepped over to Tess and Jordan, calmly tugging Jordan to his side for a quick hug and defusing the tension radiating from Tess. The other people lingering to watch the moose remained in their cars, some finally driving away. Nathan stepped over to Michael who surprised Nathan by clapping him on the shoulder and pulling him in for a quick hug. Releasing him, Michael held his gaze.
