by Candy Halliday - Alaska Bound 01 - Dad's E-Mail Order Bride
“That’s why I called Graham out,” Gil said. “I should have kicked his ass before. Now I can do it in front of the whole town.”
“So? Does that mean you’re going to ask me to go out with you again?”
Gil grinned. “Absolutely. Will you please go out with me, Courtney?”
“Not in a million years.”
His eyes turned cold. “Bitch.”
Courtney walked away before she slapped him. She also felt like slapping Graham.
She couldn’t believe Graham had let Gil goad him into entering some macho nonsense contest. But the fact that Graham had told her to leave it alone made Courtney realize there was more to the story than she knew.
If Graham wouldn’t tell her, Courtney knew someone who would. And as soon as she got the opportunity, she would ask Yanoo.
Courtney had just walked back to the grill when Gil marched out the door with his cooler under his arm. She guessed this would be Gil’s last Friday night visit, and for that, Courtney was thankful.
She looked around for Graham.
Now he, too, was headed for the door, although he did wave before he left.
Courtney didn’t even try to stop him. Instead she tracked down Yanoo where he was propped up against the wall, drinking a beer and watching while two of the other locals played pool. When he saw Courtney walking toward him, he met her halfway.
“Are you willing to tell me what’s going on?”
“You need to hear that from Graham,” he said.
“And you just heard Graham tell me to leave it alone. Please, Yanoo. I’m completely baffled why Graham would let Gil goad him into some stupid contest that could get him hurt.”
“It’s a matter of honor,” Yanoo said. “Gil called Graham out in front of the whole town. He can’t let Gil shame him like that.”
“Well, that’s plain stupid,” Courtney said. “Everyone in town knows what an ass Gil is. And bringing himself down to Gil’s level only makes Graham look like an ass, too. And I intend to tell Graham that.”
Courtney started to walk away.
“No,” Yanoo said and grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“It’s deeper than that for Graham,” Yanoo said. “He lost his self-respect over Julia’s death. Let him get it back. Even if Gil is the way he has to do that. Do what Graham told you, Courtney. Leave it alone.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SINCE THE STANDOFF between Graham and Gil, Courtney hadn’t seen Graham at all. He’d had a fishing party at the lodge.
That meant Courtney also hadn’t seen much of Rachel. But the lodge guests were gone now, and Rachel was spending the entire day at the store as well as spending the night with Courtney tonight.The first week in August was already here. Three more weeks and Courtney would be making plans to leave for New York. She and Rachel didn’t have much more time to spend together.
After the store closed, Tiki and Hanya were coming over for a girls’ night in to help put finishing touches on the jewelry for their wish baskets.
It had been Rachel’s idea to use glass beads and tiny pearls for their bracelets and their hair combs. According to Rachel it wouldn’t have seemed right unless they decorated their jewelry with the same type of gems their own ancestors had worn.
Courtney had ordered a ton of beads and pearls and jewelry-making supplies from an online craft store, and she hadn’t spared any expense. She hoped Rachel really would wear the jewelry they were making together on her wedding day. And if Courtney had anything to do with it, she would be there, carefully placing those combs in Rachel’s beautiful black hair.
She glanced at Rachel, envisioning what a beautiful bride Rachel would make someday. At the moment, they were busy slicing tomatoes and getting ready for the daily lunch rush that would descend upon them within the hour.
“You know the whole town’s talking about the big fight Dad and Gil had over you, right?”
“Who told you that?”
“Tiki.” Rachel reached across Courtney for another tomato. “Tiki said Gil’s been telling everyone that Dad threatened him over you, telling him to back off and leave you alone. And Gil is saying he hopes he and Dad will be the last men standing when they reach the final round.”
Courtney grimaced.
“Gil’s bragging he’s going to show Dad why an old man shouldn’t let his mouth override his ass.”
“Rachel!” Courtney scolded.
“What? I’m just repeating what Gil said.”
Rachel waited for Courtney to argue.
When Courtney didn’t, Rachel said, “You realize what all of this means, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Courtney said and sighed. “It means someone is going to get hurt.”
“Forget the stupid Woodsman contest, Courtney. It means if Dad won’t even let you have a boyfriend, I don’t need a freaking wish basket. The chance of a guy even getting near me is zero.”
Courtney had to laugh. “Don’t ever say you aren’t a normal teenager again, Rachel Morrison. Only normal teenagers have the ability to make everything going on around them all about them.”
Rachel rolled her eyes.
Graham chose that moment to walk into the store.
“Too early to get a burger around here?” he asked as he sat down at the counter.
“Never too early for you, Graham,” Courtney said.
“Courtney’s only saying that because she’s afraid it might be your last burger,” Rachel said.
“Rachel!” Courtney scolded.
“I think I’ll go take Broadway out,” Rachel said.
“I think that’s your best idea today,” Courtney told her.
Rachel walked around the counter, but she frowned at her dad as she walked by him. Graham sent Courtney a puzzled look after his daughter left.
“What was that all about?”
Courtney ignored the question. “You like your burgers well-done, right?” She turned around and took a patty from the freezer and put it on the grill.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I could always tell you to leave it alone.”
“But?”
“Rachel’s been hearing the rumors going around town about you and Gil.”
“Gil has a big mouth,” Graham said. “But Rachel doesn’t have to worry about me.”
Courtney laughed. “Rachel isn’t worried about you. She’s afraid if you won’t let me have a boyfriend, she’s doomed for life.”
“Is that what you think? That I told Gil to back off because I didn’t want you to have a boyfriend?”
“Did you tell Gil to back off?
“Yes, I did.”
“Then maybe I should ask why you would care if I had a boyfriend.” She tried to sound calm even though her heart was pounding. His response shouldn’t mean this much, but it did.
“I didn’t want Gil trying to become your boyfriend. That was the problem.”
“You can’t possibly think I would ever be interested in Gil, Graham. If you do, you don’t even know who I am.”
“Of course, I didn’t think you would be interested in Gil. But he isn’t used to women turning him down.”
Courtney blinked. “You mean you think Gil—”
“I don’t know what Gil would have done if you’d turned him down when you were alone. That’s why I told him to back off.”
Courtney thought about what Graham said as she finished assembling his burger. She’d seen Gil’s face when he called her a bitch. And she remembered briefly thinking she was glad the store was filled with people.
“You should be prepared for the rumors to get worse as the week goes on. That’s Gil’s trademark. He likes to talk about women. And none of it is ever flattering.”
Courtney walked to the cooler, grabbed a drink for both of them then sat beside him at the counter. “If that’s true, and you think Gil will spread lies about me, what are we going to do about Rachel?”
Graham put his burger down and looked at her. “I hadn’t thought
about that. Maybe you should warn her that might happen.”
Courtney nodded in agreement. She was pleased that Graham trusted her enough to have such a talk with Rachel. She’d given Rachel a lot of advice over the summer. But she was no longer giving Rachel advice she didn’t take herself.
Since the night she’d had her breakdown on Beth and called her mother, she’d been talking with her mother on a regular basis. And although they were only taking baby steps, each step they took brought them closer to having a good mother-daughter relationship instead of having no relationship at all.
That’s what she wanted for Graham and Rachel—a good father-daughter relationship. And if she left with nothing more than knowing she’d had a part in helping them achieve that, it would be enough.
Comforted somewhat by that lie, Courtney got through the lunch hour. After cleaning up she walked to where Rachel was restocking the canned vegetables shelf. “I think we need to talk about these rumors you’ve been hearing about your dad and Gil.”
“What about them?” Rachel bent and picked up two more cans of peas from the box sitting on the floor beside her.
“I just wanted to make sure you knew that your dad isn’t the bad guy in this situation.”
Rachel looked surprised. “But I thought you liked Gil. He’s always flirting with you.”
“I thought I did, too,” Courtney said. “But I was never interested in sleeping with him. And Gil didn’t like being turned down.”
“Wow,” Rachel said. “I can’t believe you said that. We’ve never talked about sex before.”
“Maybe it’s time we did,” Courtney said.
“And that’s all Gil wanted? Sex?”
“That’s the only thing guys like Gil ever want, Rachel.”
“And my dad’s the good guy because…?”
“Because your dad knows who Gil is, and he was trying to protect me.”
Rachel grinned. “And what if my dad wanted to have sex with you? Would that make him the bad guy?”
No, that would be a miracle.
“Sex isn’t the issue, Rachel. A person’s integrity is the issue. Men like Gil have no scruples when it comes to women. They pretend to be interested until they get what they want, then they move on. And sometimes when they don’t get what they want, they lie and say they did. So it’s possible you might hear some other rumors, and they might be ugly. But you have my word right now that none of them will be true. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“And that’s the difference between guys like Gil and guys like your dad. Sex only enters into the situation for a guy like your dad when they are interested in a woman.”
“Then I guess that means my dad will never have sex again. He isn’t interested in anyone but himself.”
“Now, see, that’s where you’re wrong,” Courtney said. “Your dad told Gil to back off because he was interested in protecting me. Your dad is an honorable man. There are a lot worse things than having an honorable man in your life, Rachel. I promise you that.”
Rachel frowned. “Why are you always taking up for my dad?”
“Because I want you to see him for who he really is. He loves you. And even though you think his rules are stupid and his decision to live here is only to punish you, you’re wrong. When you have children of your own one day, you’ll understand why he did a lot of the things he did. He has your best interest at heart.”
“Forget children,” Rachel said. “I’m still waiting for my first boyfriend.”
Me, too.
YANOO WAS SITTING ON his porch when Graham pulled the skiff up to the dock. With the girls all gathered at the store for their girls’ night in, sitting outside on the porch with Yanoo was the closest Graham could come to a boys’ night out.
He grabbed the six-pack of beer and headed for the porch. Thirty minutes later neither he nor Yanoo had said a word. Graham had sat sipping his beer. Yanoo had continued carving the whalebone that was beginning to resemble the head of a raven.“Am I doing the right thing?” Graham finally asked.
“About Gil or about Courtney?”
“About Gil,” Graham said, bringing his bottle to his lips again. “I’m not ready to hear your latest opinion about Courtney.”
“Gil has a loud mouth,” Yanoo said. “It’s time someone shut it for him.”
“He’s also ten years younger than I am.”
“Any contest is a mind-over-matter challenge. You aren’t insecure. Gil is.”
Graham looked over at him. “Why do you say Gil’s insecure?”
“The Woodsman title. The women. The bragging. Gil’s still trying to prove he’s a man. You have nothing to prove.”
They sat in silence until the beer was gone and Yanoo had finished the carving. Graham made no move to get up. Yanoo made no mention that Graham should leave. They were both waiting for the question that still remained.
“So…Courtney?”
“Look deep inside your heart for that answer.”
“And if I’m afraid of what I find?”
“Look deeper,” Yanoo said, “until you find the strength to accept what you know is true.”
“Tell me something. Do you love Hanya as much as you did when you married her?”
“No. I love her more.”
Graham sighed. “It didn’t work that way for me.”
“But Courtney isn’t Julia.”
“And you don’t think I know that?”
Yanoo shrugged. “Then why compare the relationship you had in the past to the one you’re still trying to avoid now?”
Graham picked up his carton of empty bottles and headed for the skiff. He didn’t have to look behind him to know Yanoo would watch from the porch until he was safely on his way.
His boys’ night out was over.
But his dilemma over Courtney wasn’t.
He didn’t care what Yanoo said, he’d been married. And when the honeymoon was over, people changed. Courtney had proved she could live in Port Protection. She even seemed happy here, but she also knew she was only staying for the summer. A nagging thought wouldn’t leave Graham alone. How long would Courtney stay happy in Port Protection if he admitted he loved her and asked her to stay forever?
As for looking deep inside his heart?
He didn’t have to look deep to know he loved her.
Every time he breathed he knew he loved Courtney.
It was the strength to accept what he knew was true that Graham was still searching for.
CHAPTER TWENTY
IF GRAHAM HAD ANY doubts about staying in the Woodsman contest, those doubts were gone by the time the competition arrived. As he’d predicted, new rumors were flying fast and furious.
And none of them were good.But human nature was human nature, even on secluded Prince of Wales Island. So the contest that usually drew only a small number of onlookers with nothing more exciting to do on a Saturday afternoon had turned into a record-breaking crowd with people coming from every direction.
Graham headed for the store as soon as he reached town to see how Courtney was holding up. She’d had enough class not to dignify Gil’s lies by bothering to deny them, but he knew she was embarrassed nonetheless.
People who knew Courtney knew they were lies. People who didn’t know her didn’t matter. He’d reminded her of that, and hoped she’d listened.
When Graham walked through the door at three o’clock, the store was packed. People were everywhere, filling up their coolers, picking out their snacks, all getting ready for the start at four.
Courtney looked up and saw him. Graham ignored the stares and the whispers and headed straight for the lunch counter where she worked. He nodded toward the back of the store when he reached the counter. Courtney finished what she was doing and followed.
“Are you okay?”
Courtney sighed and said, “Aside from the snide glances and strangers filing in and out to get a good look at me, yes. I’m okay. Are you?”
“We’ll both be better at the
end of the day,” Graham said, nodding toward Rachel, who was still working behind the lunch counter and not looking one bit happy about it. “And Rachel?”
“She’s still angry that I’m making her work instead of going to the contest, but she’ll get over it.”
“I owe you for keeping Rachel here.”
“Then return the favor by coming back to get your daughter in one piece.”
“That’s a promise.”
He left and walked toward the town square to sign in and pick up his contest number. Yanoo was right. This was a mind-over-matter challenge. When it came down to who won and who lost any competition, it wasn’t only skill that prevailed. It was the winner’s ability to keep a cool head.
Graham knew he had that ability.
He was counting on the fact that Gil didn’t.
THE BARLOW TWINS walked into the store each holding a handle of the large cooler positioned between them. Courtney hurried in their direction and pulled the twins aside. “Are you going to the contest?”
They looked at each other, then back at Courtney.“You’re kidding, right?” they said in unison.
“Oh, stop being smart-asses,” Courtney told them. “I have a proposition for you. You can fill your cooler with anything you want free of charge, as long as one of you will come back during the competition with updates.”
“Deal,” they both said, and hurried off.
That problem solved, Courtney walked to the cash register and took money from two older men she’d never seen before. They stepped away from the counter and opened the cold drinks they’d just purchased.
“It might be a toss-up in the wood splitting competition,” the shorter man said. “I hear Morrison is favored to win that event.”
Courtney’s heart sank. As much as she wanted Graham to earn back his self-respect, she couldn’t help but secretly wish he wouldn’t make it through to the second round. And she’d already decided if Graham did lose his thousand-dollar bet to Gil, she would be the one paying the money, and she wasn’t going to argue about it. Besides the fact that Graham was in this contest because of her, he also had credited her debit card when she tried to pay him for the plane ticket and staying at the lodge. She wouldn’t let him get away with turning her money down a second time.
