by Kathi Daley
“I need two prime rib specials, two cheeseburgers, and a baked halibut with mashed potatoes,” I said to Sarge, who was manning the kitchen as he did every night the bar was open.
“I’ve got your salmon burger and halibut sandwich ready. Did they want potato salad or coleslaw?”
“Both want slaw and beans. It’s busy tonight. Wyatt has the bar covered and you seem to be holding your own in the kitchen, but I could use some help on the floor. Do you know if Jake has anyone else coming in?” I asked.
“Jake went to Fairbanks with Jordan, but he said he’d be back before things got too crazy.” Sarge frowned as he set two plates piled high with food on the counter. “I’m kind of surprised he isn’t here by now. I hope there wasn’t an accident on the road.”
“I’ll call him when I get a minute. The couple who’s splitting the chef salad would also like garlic bread. Do you have any made tonight?”
“I just need to heat it up. We’re running low on ribs, so don’t push them. We have plenty of pot roast, so mention that instead in your spiel.”
I smiled at the grizzly man behind the kitchen window. Sarge was ex-military, tattooed and worn, with a balding head and leathery skin from long days under the desert sun, yet beneath his rough exterior was the sweetest man you were ever likely to meet. “I’ll deliver these, then come back for the salads for table ten. The four top in the corner is ready for dessert. Is there any chocolate cake left?”
“Two slices,” Sarge responded. “I have a nice cherry cobbler.”
“Okay, I’ll see if they want something.” I grabbed the plates Sarge had ready and headed out to deliver them.
The next three hours were crazy busy, but then, just as quickly as the place filled up, it emptied out. I never had gotten around to calling Jake, so I did so now. My call went to voicemail, so I went to the bar for a much-needed diet cola.
“Weird that Jake didn’t show,” Wyatt commented as he slid my glass across the bar.
“Yeah.” I frowned. “It’s not like him not to call. I hope everything’s okay. It’s been clear all day, so the weather shouldn’t have been a problem.”
“I’m sure everything is fine. Seems like things are steaming up a bit between him and Jordan. My guess would be that they decided to get a room in Fairbanks for the night.”
I tilted my head. “I kind of doubt that. And if they did decide to stay, why wouldn’t Jake call?”
“You did hear me say extra steamy?” Wyatt chucked.
I rolled my eyes. I was happy Jake and Jordan seemed to be taking their relationship to the next level. Val had been gone a long time, and I wanted Jake to be happy. But if Wyatt was right and Jake had decided to take an unscheduled night off on the same night pretty much everyone in town came in for dinner, I wasn’t going to be happy. Though if he had an excuse like having been in an accident, that wouldn’t make me happy either.
There were just two tables who were still eating when Officer Houston wandered in. “I was just about to give up on you,” I teased as I showed him to one of our nicest tables, next to a window overlooking the lake.
“I intended to come in earlier, but there was an accident on the highway.”
“Jake?” I gasped.
“Jake was there. So was Jordan. In fact, it was Jordan’s timely response that saved the woman’s life. But don’t worry; neither of them was involved in the accident. They just happened to come upon it shortly after it occurred.”
I let out a long breath. “I’m glad they weren’t involved. Jake was supposed to come in to help this evening, and when he didn’t show, I started to worry. I’m glad he’s okay.”
“Jordan went with the female victim to the hospital and Jake followed with the truck they’d been traveling in. I’m sure he’ll check in with you the minute he has the opportunity.”
“I’m sure he will. So, what can I get you to drink?”
“Coffee would be great.”
“Okay, I’ll get that while you look at the menu. I’ll check with Sarge to see what he has left in terms of tonight’s specials.”
I shared with Wyatt what Officer Houston had told me about Jake and Jordan and asked him to deliver a pot of coffee to his table, then went to the kitchen to talk to Sarge. “We have a new customer tonight: Officer Houston. He asked about Italian food earlier in the day, although I’m not sure that’s still what he has in mind. What do you have left of the specials?”
“Ribs.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I thought we were out of ribs.”
“I said we were low so not to push them. You didn’t push them, so now we have ribs. I can make him a scampi with saffron, asparagus, and angel hair if he’s still craving something with an Italian flair. If he wants to give me some notice, I’ll bake a lasagna later in the week.”
“Okay. I’ll let him know. By the way, he also told me that Jake’s late because he and Jordan stopped to help a woman who’d been injured in an accident. I doubt he’ll be in tonight, but the rush seems to be over, so I should be fine.”
After I shared the specials with Officer Houston, as well as Sarge’s offer to make the scampi, he chose the latter. By the time I’d placed Houston’s order, the two tables who had been finishing up were ready for checks. I cashed them out, then wandered over to Houston’s table with a basket of bread and a fresh green salad with Sarge’s homemade dressing.
“Sarge said to tell you that if you give him a bit of notice, he can bake a lasagna for you later in the week.”
“I love lasagna. Tell him to let me know what day he wants to make it and I’ll be here. In fact, I’ll probably start coming in on a regular basis, now that I know you serve real food, not just bar food.”
“I’m sure the two of you will get along just fine.”
“Join me,” Houston offered as he started in on his salad.
“Join you?”
“The place has cleared out. At least for now. And I’d welcome someone to chat with while I eat. You can tell me about the S-and-R team. Besides, eating alone is the worst thing about being new to town and not knowing anyone.”
I glanced at Wyatt. He’d turned the TV on to ESPN. “Okay. But just until someone comes in. Let me grab a soda.”
After I poured myself another diet cola, I sat down across from Houston. If he wanted someone to talk to, I’d take advantage of the opportunity to get some information out of him as well. “So, Officer Houston, other than that you aren’t a fan of eating alone, how are you liking our little town?”
“Hank.”
I lifted a brow.
“When I’m not acting in an official capacity, I prefer it if people call me Hank.”
“I think I’ll stick to Houston for the time being.”
He shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat. And I’m enjoying my time here more than I thought I would.”
I leaned back and crossed my arms over my stomach. “You took a job in Rescue, but you didn’t think you’d enjoy living here?”
Houston chuckled again. “I guess that is the way it sounded. It isn’t that I didn’t expect to like it here exactly. I needed a change and this job came up, so I applied. I guess I didn’t stop to think about how I’d like living way out here in the middle of nowhere. When I first arrived and had a look around, I was certain I wouldn’t last a month, but it’s been a month and I’ve settled in and I can actually see myself living here.”
“I see.” I figured a man doesn’t move from Boston to a tiny town in northern Alaska without a better reason than needing a change. I knew there was a story there, but I’d let it go for now. “Rescue’s a pretty big change from Boston.”
“I’d say that’s an understatement. But I’ve found the people to be warm and welcoming, and up until the past couple of days, the toughest case I’ve had to deal with was breaking up a drunken brawl between the Baxter twins.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Tank and Tanner Baxter certainly are an interesting pair. They fight more than any two peopl
e I’ve ever known, but when push comes to shove, they have each other’s back.”
“I could see that when I tossed them in my one and only jail cell until they sobered up. One minute they wanted to kill each other, the next they were teaming up to kill me instead. If I hadn’t had my gun on me, I think I might have been in real trouble.”
“They might have punched you a few times, but they wouldn’t have actually killed you. In the future, if you need a way to break them up without having to arrest them, call their mama. They do what she says whether they’re drunk or not.”
“And does this mama have a name?”
“Trudy. Trudy Baxter. She owns the only tow truck in town.”
“Are you talking about that tiny little thing who changed my carburetor when I first came to town?”
“That’d be her. She can’t weigh more than ninety pounds soaking wet, but don’t let her size fool you. She’s as tough as they come. Strong too.”
“How did such a tiny woman have two such huge sons?” Houston wondered.
“Her ex was a big man. I guess the boys take after him in terms of size, but there’s no doubt they’re Trudy’s boys if you’re taking in to account orneriness and determination.”
“Are you trying to say that sweet little Trudy has a dark side?”
“And how. She can be sweet as pie, but if you end up on her wrong side, she’ll tear you a new one before you even know what’s happened. She won’t tolerate any nonsense, but as long as she’s on your side, she can be a real asset.”
Houston pushed his empty salad plate to the side. “Good to know. I guess I should have had dinner with you sooner. It’s helpful to get the lay of the land, so to speak.”
“I’ve lived here all my life. Anything you want to know, just ask.”
“You married?” Houston asked.
I was surprised by the question but recovered quickly enough not to let it show. “I am most definitely not married.”
Houston raised a brow. “Seems there’s more going on in that statement than one could decipher from words alone.”
“You’ll just need to get to know me better and decide for yourself. How about you? I haven’t seen a wife in tow since you’ve arrived in town, so I’m going to assume you aren’t currently married. Ever been?”
“Once, but I quickly learned that being a cop who’s often forced into dangerous situations and having a wife who tends to stress out about them aren’t a good mix. She wanted me to give up the job, but I decided it would be easier to give up the wife.”
“Any kids?”
“No. It was just the two of us.”
“Then it seems you made the right choice. There are worse things than being alone. Not that I really know what that’s like, given the menagerie I live with. Do you have any pets?”
Houston shook his head. “No. It’s just me.”
“Seems like the chief of police should have a dog.” I paused to give it some thought. “There’s a shepherd at the shelter with a lot of possibilities. He’s young, energetic, and smart. If you’re interested, I’d be willing to throw in some specialized training as part of the deal.”
“Do you normally pawn off strays on people you’ve just met?”
“Absolutely. If I come across someone who’s a good fit for one of my strays, I can be pushy as all get out. And honestly, I think you and Kojak will get on fine.”
Houston hesitated, but he didn’t say no right away, so I figured he might be intrigued by the idea.
“Come by the shelter tomorrow morning and I’ll introduce you,” I added. “If you and Kojak get along as well as I think you will, we can discuss the specifics.”
“Okay.”
Wow. That was easier than I thought.
“On one condition.”
“Which is?”
“If we do like each other and I do decide to adopt him, you have to be the one to see to his training. I’ve never had a dog before and, quite frankly, I wouldn’t know what to do with an intelligent, energetic shepherd.”
I held out my hand. “It’s a deal. Kojak is smart. Once you establish yourself as the alpha, the rest will come easily.” I glanced toward the kitchen. “It looks like your meal is up. Do you need anything else to drink?”
Houston glanced at the bar. “I suppose I’m off duty, and I am having Italian. Perhaps a glass of cabernet?”
“One glass of house cab coming right up.”
After I delivered the wine to Houston’s table, several parties came in for drinks and appetizers. By the time I got them taken care of, Houston had finished his meal. He seemed delighted with it, so I introduced him to Sarge, who doesn’t understand the art of a brief conversation, so I left them together while I finished my shift. I’d wanted to have the chance to talk to Jake about my dream, so I hoped he’d be in before I left at midnight. Houston must have snuck out when I was busy because I never actually saw him leave, but I did know he’d been chatting with Sarge for at least an hour by the time he finally made his excuses and took off.
“Looks like you found yourself a nice young man,” Sarge said as I delivered the last of the dishes to the kitchen.
“I didn’t find him because he wasn’t lost, he is in no way mine, and I don’t think he’s all that young.”
Sarge chuckled. “All the same, based on what I’ve learned, I like him, and you know I don’t usually warm up to strangers right away.”
I began to fill the sink with soap and water. “I’m well aware of your tendency to be discriminating, and I like him too. I have a feeling there’s more going on than meets the eye when it comes to his reason for being in Rescue, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Have you heard from Jake?”
“He’s on his way in. He was going to drop Jordan at her place and then come to the bar to help with the cleanup.”
“Did he say how things went with the woman Jordan helped at the scene of the accident?”
“He said she’s going to be all right. I can do those dishes if you want to head home. You look exhausted.”
I dipped my hands into the hot, sudsy water. There was something almost calming about scrubbing pans after a long, stressful day. “Thanks, but I really want to talk to Jake. Wyatt is closing out the cash register, but I think he plans to split when he’s done. I never did have dinner. What do you have left that’s cooked and ready to eat?”
“I have ribs in the warmer and baked beans in the pan.”
“Perfect. Make me up a plate. I’ll eat it after I finish these pans.”
Jake had arrived by the time I’d finished the dishes and settled in at the bar to eat my dinner. He hadn’t had a chance to eat either, so he grabbed a plate of food and joined me. We invited Sarge to join us, but he said he was exhausted and went up to his room above the bar.
“Sarge said the woman you stopped to help is going to be okay. I’m glad to hear it,” I said as I sucked BBQ sauce from my fingers.
“Thanks to Jordan. She’s really amazing. If she hadn’t been there, that woman would have died. It was touch-and-go there for a while.”
I tried licking the BBQ sauce from my chin, but my tongue wouldn’t reach, so I just kept eating. “Jordan is amazing. In fact, she’s one of my very favorite people. I’m glad the two of you are allowing your relationship to evolve. You’re good together.”
Jake paused to look at me. “I know you’ve said you’re fine with me and Jordan, but are you really?”
I shrugged. “Of course. She’s great. Why wouldn’t I be anything other than happy for both of you?”
“I was married to your sister. I just thought it might be weird for you to see me getting serious with someone else.”
I set down my rib and used my napkin to wipe my face. “Val loved you, and I know you loved her, but she’s dead. She’d want you to be happy. I want you to be happy.”
Jake nodded. “Okay. As long as you’re sure. Jordan and I have been friends for a long time, and I really do think there could be something
more between us, but it’s important to me that you and I are okay.”
“We’re fine. I promise.” I started on my baked beans while Jake told me about the climbing gear he and Jordan had been looking at for the S-and-R team. A lot of our rescues during the summer were of climbers who didn’t have the experience they should have before tackling our mountains. Wyatt was the best climber on the team, followed by Jake and Dani. Austin was getting pretty good as well, and while Landon was the brains of the operation, he had recently taken up climbing and, like me, could hold his own. The only S-and-R team member who refused to even try was Jordan, but her job was to patch up those we rescued, so it all worked out in the end.
I still intended to talk to Jake about my dreams, but I wanted to wait until he’d had a chance to eat before bringing up such a disturbing subject. He’d stopped talking to finish up his last couple of bites, so I jumped in. “I’ve had nightmares the last two nights in a row.”
Jake paused. “Nightmares? About Val?”
“No, not about Val. I’m not sure who they’re about, to be honest. There’s a woman who seems to be trapped in a dark space. Completely dark. It’s cold and damp, so I’m thinking she might be being held in a mine or cave, or maybe even an underground cellar. The woman is terrified. The air is stale and the scents around her are overwhelming.”
“You sound like you’re describing a vision, not a dream.”
“It feels like a vision, although I’m asleep. The dreams are so real, I wake up screaming, as if I’m the one trapped in this dark, airless space.”
Jake pushed his plate to the side. “You said the dreams started two nights ago?”
I nodded. “On Monday. At first, I figured the dream could have been brought on by Pastor Brown’s death. Looking back now, that doesn’t really make sense. The pastor was murdered, but there was nothing to indicate he’d been held in a place like the dream at any point. Then, last night, I had the dream again, only this time instead of observing the woman in the dark room, I felt like I was her.”
“We did find Silvia in a cave, and it was dark and cold,” Jake said gently.
