Her Alaskan Pilot: An Alaskan Hero Novel

by Rebecca Thomas

  Her heart swelled with pride.

  Travis moved closer to her. He spoke in a soft tone. “They are beautiful.”

  Her breath hitched in her throat at the warm compliment. “Thank you, but they aren’t for sale. Well, not right now. I’m saving them for my showing I’m hoping to have once I get to Phoenix. Someday.” She winked. “You’re welcome to order prints though when I do actually become famous.”

  His expression turned serious. “I’ll have to do that.”

  “I’m joking,” she said. “I’ll make sure you have as many prints as you’d like.”

  “I’ll gladly pay you just like any customer. But I thought you were guaranteed a showing by taking the position in Phoenix. Did I misunderstand?”

  She lifted her gaze. He stood close and his height made her feel small.

  “No, I don’t have a showing yet, but by being at the gallery and making contacts there, I’m convinced that I will soon. Mrs. Cumberlidge has said as much.”

  His dark brows turned inward. “You’re uprooting your life for just the chance of your work being seen?”

  “When you say it like that, then yes, but I don’t look at it as a negative thing. It was time for me to leave Fairbanks anyway.” It wasn’t as if she’d say the other reason she was leaving—to get away from him. “I need to take the risk. It’s a calculated risk, but as I said just the fact that there’s a larger population of people living in the area, I increase my chances.”

  “So essentially Alaska doesn’t have enough people?”

  She shook her head. “No, not really.”

  “What about Anchorage? There’s almost 300,000 people living there. Isn’t that big enough?”

  “Probably, but I don’t have contacts there.”

  “Don’t Alaskans want to support local artists?”

  “Probably, but it doesn’t matter. Why all the questions? I have a very good chance of getting my own showing because I’m taking the position of manager at a very large, well-respected gallery in Phoenix. There’s no comparison here in Alaska.”

  “I see,” Travis said simply.

  CHAPTER 11

  Fishing and fireweed, his faithful dog Duke, the lodge, Tundra Air, his family… Travis had everything he could ever want. At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

  Confused over what he thought he felt toward Chryssa, Travis was in a bit of a daze. They sat across from each other in a booth at Lenny’s 50’s style café. The café consisted of a checkered black and white floor with red vinyl seating at each table. If she seemed surprised that Gold Creek didn’t have anything more upscale than this, she didn’t show it.

  Travis scanned the menu in an effort to quit staring at Chryssa. He didn’t need to read it; he already knew what to order. “May I make a suggestion?”

  She looked up from the laminated one page menu. “Yes, please.”

  “I know you like fish, so I’d suggest the Copper River Red Salmon. It’s excellent.”

  “That’s what I’ll have then.” She set her menu down and clasped her hands together on top of the table.

  Travis placed their orders. “Tell me more about your paintings and how you got started.”

  Chryssa blew out a deep breath. “It’s kind of a long story.”

  “We’ve got time.” Travis leaned his chest into the table’s edge. “I don’t know why I’ve never asked you before.”

  “Well, I used to sell my paintings at the farmer’s market. We get a large influx of tourists in the summer and there was a woman who wanted to buy all my inventory. That’s Maggie Cumberlidge. As it turned out, she was dating a hospital administrator who was in the market for new paintings at his hospital. I sold all my inventory to her and I was thrilled to be earning real money for my work.” She absently fiddled with one of her rings.

  “I sense there’s more to the story. Go on.”

  “Yes, this was about six years ago. I thought things would take off from there, but they didn’t.”

  “I see.”

  “I finished college with a minor in art because, let’s face it, there aren’t many jobs out there that require an art degree.”

  “What happened to Maggie?” Travis interjected.

  “She married the hospital administrator. They actually bought an art gallery in Phoenix. She ran it for five years, but now she wants to semi-retire. I’ve kept in touch with her. She is and has been my best customer. She also knows about my experience at Tundra Air, so I seemed like a good fit for her. She wants me to help run the gallery. I will eventually take over as the manager. At least that’s the plan. She’ll keep working too. I’m sure she’ll want to make sure I’m the right fit.”

  Travis leaned back. “It makes sense that she would want you to take over eventually.”

  “Yes, I have an artist’s experience, and now that I’ve worked for you for the past three years, I also have the business experience.” She glanced behind him. “Our food is here.”

  The waiter set down their plates of salmon, rice pilaf, and asparagus.

  Chryssa’s eyes widened. “Look at that salmon. Wow.”

  “I’m sure you’ll love it.” He watched her take her first bite.

  “Look at the color of the meat. It’s pink, but almost red.” Filling her fork, she took a bite and chewed. “This is so good.”

  “I knew you’d love it.” He cut into his asparagus.

  “Managing an art gallery, well, it’s actually a lot of pressure,” Chryssa said. “Arizona has a different style of mostly southwestern art. I’m not that familiar with it, but I’m sure I’ll learn.”

  Travis had no doubt about her abilities. “You’ll do fantastic, I know you will.”

  “A gallery manager’s job goes beyond selecting artwork—they advertise and make connections with other galleries—which could be a huge benefit for me. I’ll arrange showings. There’s a lot to it.”

  “You’ve done similar work for Tundra Air. You’ve especially done well with advertising.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I certainly wouldn’t have qualified for this job without working for Tundra Air first.” She took several more forkfuls of the salmon. “This is so delicious.”

  He smiled. “My mom gave Lenny the recipe. It’s all in the marinade; olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and bay leaves. Then it’s cooked on the grill.”

  “Your mom gave the café owner the recipe. It’s not a family secret?”

  “No, it’s not. Wait till you taste the Wild Alaska Blueberry pie.”

  She laughed. “With all the physical activity I’ve experienced today, my appetite might be up for some pie. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so physically exhausted and rejuvenated all at once.” Her face grew serious. She set down her fork. “How can I ever thank you?”

  “Don’t. We aren’t done yet. I still have to take you four-wheeling tomorrow.”

  She smiled. “And so you do.”

  Travis couldn’t imagine his world without Chryssa in it. Now that he’d had this time with her away from work, he was even more convinced. Was it too late?

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Chryssa woke early and got straight to work painting and sketching. Despite tossing and turning with dreams about Travis filling her head, although tired, she was on fire where her art was concerned. She would focus on that.

  Travis was up early as well. He cut two by fours and pounded new steps into place. Flower boxes filled with petunias and pansies sat along the edges of the deck. A homey and comfortable lodge, she could see herself spending an entire summer here instead of just a weekend.

  She set her paints and easel on her second story private deck. Travis worked below her on the main level. He wore a tool belt around his waist and hammered nails with precision. Even while hammering, the guy was a natural athlete.

  “Quit gawking,” she told herself and picked up her paint brush. Even she had to admit her landscapes looked magnificent. The lake, the Brooks Range, and the fireweed field
made an amazing scene. She gained more confidence in herself with each stroke of her brush.

  Her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Maggie Cumberlidge. “Hello, Maggie. It’s great to hear from you.”

  “Hello, Chryssa. I’m counting down the days before you arrive. We’re going to be partners in business soon.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Chryssa replied.

  “Have you added more to your portfolio recently?” Maggie asked.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I have. I’m working on new pieces as we speak.” This was an odd question. Maggie had been primarily speaking with her about the business side of the gallery for quite some time. “Is everything still set for me to meet with you next week?”

  “Yes, and in fact,” Maggie said, “I have great news to share with you.”

  “Really?” Chryssa asked. “And what’s that?”

  “As a celebration of your arrival in Arizona, I’ve arranged for you to have your very own showing. It’s all set for next week. I know it will be a huge success. Can’t wait to see the additions you’ll add to the mix.”

  Chryssa nearly dropped the phone. “W-what?”

  “Be ready for your own showing the week following your arrival. I wanted to wait and tell you in person, but I figured it was more beneficial if you were given notice, so you could add additional pieces if time allows.”

  “If I have time?” She practically yelled into the phone. “I’ll make the time. Don’t you worry about that. I think you’ll be very pleased with the new pieces I’m working on.”

  Chryssa glanced down at Travis. He had his tape measure out, marking where to cut the next two by four. He stopped to look up at her. Her exuberance had to be radiating beyond her small deck.

  “I’m so glad,” Maggie said. “I look forward to meeting with you again in person.”

  “I’m looking forward to it too.” Her heart warmed toward the older woman who had become so special to her. “I can’t wait.”

  “All right then. I’ll see you next week.”

  An invisible force squeezed her heart. She’d been so blessed to have someone like Maggie in her life. Someone who believed in her work and in her. “Thank you. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye.”

  Chryssa clutched the phone, then looked down on the lower deck where Travis was looking at her with questions in his eyes.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  She felt like she would burst, she was so happy.

  “Tell me.” He tucked his tape measure into his tool box, then glanced at her again. “Are you going to make me come up there, or are you coming down here?”

  She couldn’t pull her eyes away from him. She couldn’t wait to share her wonderful news. “I’m coming down. Don’t move!”

  CHAPTER 12

  Travis couldn’t imagine what got Chryssa so excited except, somehow, inherently, he knew to brace for impact. She ran toward him, across the deck, and jumped into his arms.

  He wrapped his arms around her, lifted, and spun her around. Whatever it was that made her happy, he was thrilled for her. Her body pressed against his and delight gleamed from her eyes. A deep yearning expanded in his chest.

  A second later, he kissed her. He didn’t know what possessed him, all he knew was her softness, her smell, and the sensual energy ricocheting between them had intoxicated him. He was drunk with the feel of her body pressed to his.

  She kissed him back with a fervor and hunger he’d never experienced. Her warm mouth tasted like honey mixed with vanilla. He wanted to swallow her up whole.

  It was all he could do to set her back on her feet and break the kiss.

  Their gazes entwined, but neither of them spoke. He wanted to be the one to say something first, but he didn’t know what to say. All he wanted was to kiss her again.

  “Travis,” she spoke first. “Did I do that?”

  “I think we both did that.”

  Breathless, she said, “I—I was so caught up in the moment, I wanted to tell you—tell you the news.”

  He loosened his hold on her waist. “I know, I interrupted you. What happened? What was the phone call about?”

  She slid her hands from his shoulders and down to her sides. She stepped back, but only a small distance separated them. “That was Maggie. She’s arranged for me to have my own showing at the gallery in Phoenix.”

  The joy emanating from her was something he never wanted to miss, or take away. She looked more beautiful than she ever had before. “That’s terrific. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted. You’re going to be a huge success.”

  Appearing as flustered as he felt, she also took a step back. “Thank you. I’m overwhelmed. I thought I would have to work there for a while first.”

  “Well, clearly she sees your talent and wants to reward you.” He glanced at his toolbox. “I have one more step to nail into place, then put on a coat of paint, then we’ll go to the cabin I told you about. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds great. I can help you paint.”

  “No, these steps can suffer through my lack of talent. You keep sketching. You have a showing to prepare for.”

  Her smile lit up her entire face. “Yes! Yes, I do.”

  She retreated back to her room. For the first time, he realized how special Chryssa was, but it was too late. She was leaving the state and by default leaving him.

  He pounded the last nail into the last stair, then took a broom and swept away all the sawdust he’d accumulated by cutting boards.

  If he laid himself bare to Chryssa and shared with her this incredible feeling he had in his chest when he kissed her, what would it accomplish? He’d had years to kiss her, hadn’t he? And he’d chosen to wait until now to do it. He hadn’t noticed her until another opportunity stole her away from him.

  He put the broom and toolbox away. He gathered the stain, popped off the lid and stirred it. Movement caught the corner of his eye.

  Sabrina approached him. “The stairs look great. I can help you paint.”

  “There’s no need. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other things to do. Doesn’t that family of six check out today?”

  “Yes, they already did.” She crouched down beside him and took one of the paintbrushes.

  “Makes sense. It’s Sunday and time for people to get back to work and their regular lives.”

  “Where do you want me to start?” Sabrina asked.

  “We’ll start on the top and work our way down. Although we need to put a fence at both ends so the dogs don’t track through it.”

  “Oh, yes, good idea.”

  “You don’t need to help. I’ve got this.” Travis dipped his brush into the can of stain.

  “I want to. Besides, then you’ll be able to leave sooner if we get done quickly. You’re taking Chryssa to the hunting cabin, right?” Sabrina settled in beside him on one step below deck level.

  “Yes, then we leave tonight, back to Fairbanks.” He brushed the brown-tinted stain in even strokes with the grain of the wood. “Why do I sense an ulterior motive going on here?”

  Sabrina sat back on her heels, looking aghast. “What kind of ulterior motive would I have other than helping my favorite brother-in-law?”

  “Uh-huh.” Travis rolled back his eyes before putting more stain on his brush. “Ethan’s your favorite.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that. It could be Dane.”

  Travis gave her a sidelong glance. “Dane is nobody’s favorite except the public and they don’t know any better.”

  They both laughed.

  “So true. Alaska’s sacred hockey son has more admirers than probably you or I will ever know.” Sabrina followed Travis’ lead. They moved to the next step lower. “Speaking of Dane, he’s bringing a couple of his hockey pals out to the lodge this week. You should come too.” She dipped her brush in the can again before moving down to the next step. “Or do you have plans? With Chryssa maybe?”

  “She’s moving. By the end of next we
ek, she’ll be long gone and living in Arizona.”

  “I saw you kiss her.”

  He moved the paint can down two steps. “That…was a mistake.”

  “The two of you are such a cute couple. How can kissing her be a mistake?”

  “I wasn’t open to the possibility of kissing her before now because she was my employee. Now she’s not, but now she’s moving.”

  Sabrina moved down to the next step. “Well, if you’ll recall, I was going to live in California too. And you see how that worked out.”

  “That’s different,” Travis replied.

  “How’s it different?”

  “She has her first showing in Arizona. She gets to work at a huge art gallery where millions of people will see her art. Alaska isn’t the place for someone who wants to make it in the art world.”

  “Since when do you know much about the art world? People can make it in that world no matter where they live.” She stopped painting. “Now granted, you would need to have showings occasionally in more populated areas, like New York, for example, but still, you don’t need to permanently live in that populated area.”

  Sabrina sounded like she knew what she was talking about and it served only to annoy Travis. True, he didn’t know one thing about art. Heck, he hadn’t even known Chryssa wanted to pursue an art career until last week.

  He wouldn’t know a Picasso from a painting a three-year-old child had done. Well, unless Picasso did landscapes, as he imagined a three-year-old wouldn’t be very good at that. He only knew that Chryssa had a wonderful talent and people should get to see that talent. Others deserved to enjoy her work, as much as he did.

  They moved to the last step and applied the stain. He’d cover the natural wood, just like he’d cover any feelings he might have for Chryssa. There was no point. She was moving and there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he should do about it.

  * * *

  IN THE KITCHEN, Travis grabbed a couple of sandwiches and drinks and loaded them into a cooler. The entire time he’d stained the deck, he thought about their kiss, but he reminded himself that the kiss didn’t matter. Not really. It had been a celebration, like a high five. Except she was a hugger. He’d concentrate on showing Chryssa more areas around the town of Gold Creek. It would be a great way to spend their last day here together.