A Mother's Wedding Day

by Rebecca Winters; Dominique Burton

  Just then a bald eagle flew overhead, back to its nest. Sammi followed its progress, noticing that it landed close to the cabin. She had heard their nests were the largest in the world. Wanting a peek at this natural marvel, she ventured into the woods.

  “Where are you going, Sam?” Jake’s surly tone brought her back to reality, making her flinch.

  Rats! The last thing she’d wanted to do was make him mad. She whirled around and saw him standing just a few feet from her in his waders. How he moved so quickly in those things was a mystery. “You got here fast.”

  In the minute it took him to find his voice, his face took on a myriad of expressions. The longer he didn’t say anything, the worse Sammi felt. She hated silence, but for some reason, she knew she shouldn’t say a word.

  He was upset, and after everything she’d put him through, she thought it better not to open her mouth.

  “We need to set up a few rules for safety.” His jaw was so taut she thought it might crack.

  “Okay.”

  “Come down to the shore with me while I finish up.”

  “But there’s this amazing bald eagle with a nest just a little way behind the cabin. How about I go take the picture and we’ll talk after you do your fishing?”

  “No!”

  “No? You’re not my boss, Jake. I’ve always wanted to see a bald eagle’s nest. They’re supposed to be huge.”

  His face was implacable. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Ouch. She just kept ruining everything. Better to humor him until she flew out of here. Then she could leave him alone and somehow put her life back together. Not tempting fate again, she walked toward the calm waters.

  “I tend to get carried away, taking pictures,” she explained. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Jake didn’t say a word. He just moved ahead of her at a clipped pace.

  Stupid, hot ranger.

  Why did she have to fall for a guy like him? She stopped halfway down to the shore, pretending to take a picture of the scenery while she struggled to get her feelings in check.

  Could Jake have kissed her like that in the cabin and not care for her? Last July he’d told her he did. Maybe he’d met someone else since then. Her heart lurched at the thought of him being with another woman.

  Sammi sat down on the rocky ground, not able to breathe. Pain constricted her chest. What if he didn’t love her? She’d always heard of unrequited love. How did you get over someone like Jake Powell?

  Her body was still weak. She knew she was pathetic, but she was so in love, she had to find out how he felt.

  Jake was packing up, putting most of his fishing gear in the plane. As she questioned his actions, it dawned on her. Bears. He had a pot in his hand probably full of fish he’d prepped out here, away from the cabin.

  “Sam? Are you okay?” His voice sounded worried. Good. It should sound worried. He couldn’t kiss her, be mean to her, then walk outside and do what he wanted without some explanation.

  His hard expression had softened. “What happened? Did you hurt yourself, or are you feeling sick again? I can get us loaded up and fly you to a hospital within the hour, now that you’re walking.”

  It wasn’t fair that a man could look so incredible; he matched the perfection of nature. Pain made her cry out, “Is that what you want, to get rid of me? I’m sorry I sneaked onto your plane and ruined your trip. Chalk it up to a girl who fell in love with a dream. Please take me back to Craig.”

  Sammi stood up and turned back to the cabin.

  “Oh, no, you don’t—” Jake put the pot down and grasped her hand, drawing her toward him. “Don’t I get to say anything?” When he gazed down at her, his expression had changed again. There was a new light in his eyes.

  “What is it?” She’d lost hope for salvaging anything between them.

  “You don’t say something like that and walk away, Samantha Danbury. At least not to me.”

  He pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head. His hold on her was so tender, it gave her an inkling of hope. Those hands slowly began to massage her back, and she couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around him.

  There’d been a magnetic pull between them since she’d first laid eyes on the man. When their bodies were this close, the sensation had a way of washing away reason. All she could do was react, savoring the power of his touch.

  Jake’s fingers caressed her neck and played with her hair. She could feel his heart race as he placed kisses in the hollow of her throat. His lips brushed her ear, and Sammi felt her knees go weak. “I’m in love with you, Sam.”

  She lifted her head so she could look him in the eye. As their gazes met, she could see he wasn’t lying. In his was desire, but also affection. She’d seen it before, when she’d awakened from her fever this afternoon.

  “You haven’t answered me,” he muttered. “How do you feel?” Jake was getting ready to pull away from her. Sammi wasn’t going to have that.

  She found her first real smile since leaving for Africa. “I’m in love with you, too.”

  Jake didn’t need to hear anything else. He supported the back of her head and kissed her so intimately, all she could do was respond. It was all she wanted to do.

  She had no idea long they stood out there, but when he lowered her feet to the ground, she didn’t think she could walk back to the cabin. Her lips were swollen and she was a little dizzy from his kisses. “How come you never kissed me like that before?”

  “Are you asking for more?” He winked, then picked up the pot of fish.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Later. Right now you’re still recovering from being sick, and I’ve got to get this fish cooking before I draw every bear in the area to our cabin.”

  She started back, but wobbled and tripped, finding she had little strength left. Jake came up from behind and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. Normally she would hate being carried around, but today she was exhausted, and if she was honest, she loved being close to him for any reason. “I love you, Jake.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Sammi rested her head against his shoulder, feeling utterly whole, peaceful, happy and loved.

  Chapter Ten

  “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  Sammi sat up in her cot and rubbed her eyes. “What happened?”

  “You fell asleep.”

  “How long this time?”

  “Just an hour.”

  “Oh.” She looked around the room. “What are you cooking? It smells delicious.”

  “We’re having sockeye salmon steaks. They come from a big boy I tagged two years ago. He’s grown even bigger since the last time I saw him.”

  “Did you name him, too?”

  That’s when Sammi noticed the makeshift table he’d prepared. Touched by his thoughtfulness, she felt bad for teasing him.

  “It looks fabulous,” she added. He gave her an infectious smile before gathering her in his arms to claim another kiss. “What I meant to say was, how did you know you tagged him?”

  “Sit down and I’ll tell you.” He pulled out one of the camping chairs for her and put her metal plate on the box he’d used for their table. Water bottles were the drink of choice, placed to the right, with plastic utensils adding the finishing touch.

  He took a seat across from her. It was the most perfect dinner she could ever have imagined. A romantic glow filled the room from the front of the wood-burning stove. Sammi was starving and the meal looked divine. He’d made rice to go with the salmon. Delicious. She took a couple of bites before she realized she was being rude.

  “This meal is incredible. Thank you.”

  “Glad you like it.”

  They ate in a comfortable silence. That was something Sammi was getting used to with Jake. She didn’t always have to fill in gaps or make small talk. Sometimes silence said more than words. Every time Jake looked at her, she felt her heart leap a little. She was positive the air was alive with the electricity
between them.

  Once finished with her food, she said, “You never told me how you knew about this salmon. What did you call him? Oh, yeah—big boy.”

  Jake grabbed his water bottle and sat back in his chair. “Sam, what I’m going to tell you is off the record.”

  She didn’t understand. “In what way?”

  “I didn’t mean to sound cryptic. Come over here.” He crooked his finger at her.

  Sammi shook her head.

  “I’ll come and get you.”

  “I’d like to see that.”

  “Sam…”

  She got up and stood in front of him. “What do you want me to do?”

  He toppled her into his arms. “I can’t seem to get enough of you tonight.”

  “Just tonight?” she teased.

  “No.” A sound of exasperation escaped his chest. “Will you stop dissecting all my words and just let me talk?” He gave her a kiss that made them both forget what they were discussing.

  She snuggled against his chest. “I love how fast your heart beats when we kiss.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re so much bigger than I am. It’s fun to know I have some kind of power over you.”

  Jake cupped her face. “You have more than that—you have my heart.”

  “And you have mine.”

  He held her so tight she thought she wasn’t going to be able to breathe.

  “When I was working on my doctorate, I figured out a way to tag fish in a safe and cost-effective way, and have been doing it ever since. When I caught this fish this evening, I ran a scanner over it, and sure enough, it had the Powell tag.”

  She sat up. “It’s something special, right?”

  Jake lips twitched. “Yeah.”

  “Do a lot of reserves and scientists use it?”

  “Yes.”

  Sammi cocked her head. “I remember the plaque for your patent hanging in your dad’s den. Is that why you have such a nice house on the mountain for a ranger?”

  “You noticed?”

  “I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t there that long, and then you hurt my feelings and I tried not to like you.”

  “Tried not to like me?” He smiled and started kissing her jawline. “What about loving me?” His hands moved over her back again, driving her to distraction.

  “I couldn’t help that,” she confessed.

  “Me, either.”

  Sammi slid her arms around his neck. “So out of curiosity, why are you a ranger? If you have money and are brilliant, you could obviously do a lot more academically.”

  “I have all a man could ever want right here. I get to use my invention and live in nature doing what I love, with the added benefit of not having to worry about money.”

  “You’re a fortunate man.”

  He stared at her. “I am now. When I get you back home, there’s something we have to do together. Consider it a special gift from me.”

  “I can’t wait! How soon are we leaving?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  SAMMI CLUNG TO JAKE. “How did you know we would fit in a one-man kayak?”

  “It’s my kayak. It’s not like we’re going paddling for miles and miles.”

  In reality she barely fit in front of him, but Jake didn’t mind. He loved having an excuse to hold her close.

  “Can I take my blindfold off yet?”

  “In a minute.”

  Jake couldn’t believe their luck. It was rare to have a clear sky in the fjords. The aurora borealis was in full swing tonight, lighting up the sky in all its brilliance. One of the magical elements of living in Alaska—the sky was always alive. Now that it was September, the sky would be colorful for months, enchanting visitors and locals at night. He turned the kayak around and set down his paddle. Then he leaned back and nestled Sam closer to him.

  “All right. Let’s get this thing off.”

  He couldn’t wait to hear her reaction. As a photographer, she would be in awe. The sight inspired him every time he came out here and saw it like this.

  “Is that…Oh, my…Jake—” she cried. “I’ve never seen anything so gorgeous in my life! Thank you so much for this!”

  After she’d taken in the wonder for several minutes, he heard her remove the cap from her camera, make a few adjustments and start shooting.

  The sky was on fire, with reds, blues and whites all racing along in a miraculous dance. For the next hour or so he answered her questions about the northern lights and the fjords.

  “This is the perfect shoot for my launch article.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s the reason I came out here. Why I hid on your plane.”

  His spirits plummeted. “You came out here for an article?” Not for him? All along he’d known he couldn’t trust her, yet he’d still fallen for her. Her words crushed him.

  “Jake Powell—before you jump to conclusions and get mad again, just listen to me!” She tried to turn around in the kayak, but he was done listening. There was always something with her. He reached for his paddle.

  “Jake!” she suddenly cried out again. “What was that? Are there sharks up here?” Her body had started trembling.

  He hated it that this woman always tugged at his heart. She was probably trying to distract him, but when he turned his head, he could see they had company swimming next to the kayak.

  “It’s a pod of whales—orcas. You’ve probably heard them called killer whales. It’s actually a rare sight. The lights must be drawing them up.”

  “Really?” She looked over the side of the craft cautiously. “Will they tip us over?”

  “No.”

  “Why are you so mad at me?” Her voice sounded tremulous.

  “Because everything about you never seems to be what it is.”

  “Is that what you truly believe? When I told you I loved you, did you think that was a lie?”

  He took in a deep breath, not knowing what to say. Hell, he didn’t know what to believe. “I think you love me as much as you can. But I don’t think you know what you want.”

  Sam shuddered again.

  He felt like a cad, but he was hurting, too. Loving this woman had been a mistake from the beginning. She was a traveling photographer. “You’re an adventurer always looking for the next story. I’m a ranger who hopes never to leave America.”

  “What if I told you I’m not going anywhere? I got permission from my editor to work on a trial piece called ‘Undiscovered Alaska’ for four months. I hated the idea of being separated from you, so I’m staying in Alaska to see if our relationship can work.”

  Sam…

  Once again he’d jumped the gun, and been cruel to her in the process. But after that explanation, not anymore.

  “I have been suffering from the aftermath of the tsunami and the horrors it left behind. I can’t ever do that again. Do you have anything to say, Powell?”

  There were no words. He reached down and pulled her up onto his lap. She looked so fantastic out here in the Alaskan night, and she was going to be staying. For now all he could do was bend down and kiss her. The brilliance of the heavens couldn’t match the joy he felt with her in his arms.

  JAKE’S TRUCK WOUND DOWN the country road leading to the Engstrom house. The loud noise reminded Sammi they were back in civilization. Though she was thrilled to see Marta and Nels, she hated to be parted from Jake.

  All too soon they pulled up in the drive. “I’ll be by around seven to pick you up for dinner,” he said.

  “Can’t wait.”

  As Jake jumped out of the truck to help her down, Sammi saw her grandparents run out of the house. Until now she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed them. Her mom, too…She wished she was bringing Jake home to meet her mother. She would love him.

  Sammi’s heart continued to be torn in two. Now that her mom was married and pregnant, where would Sammi fit?

  When Jake opened the door, he saw her distress and leaned in. “What’s wrong?”

&nb
sp; “I just miss my mom and I’m happy to see Marta and Nels. I don’t know what brought it on.”

  Jake reached in and gave her a big kiss that took her mind off of everything. By the time he was through, she felt warm all over. “Don’t forget, seven.” He waved to her grandparents, who stood gaping at them, and then drove off.

  “EVENING, NELS. Is Sam ready?” Jake couldn’t wait to see her. The past five hours away from her had felt like an eternity.

  The older man’s face looked strained. “Give her another five minutes and she will be. Why don’t you come in, son? Sam is talking to someone who came up here to see her.”

  Jake followed him into the house, sensing something was wrong.

  “Nels?” Marta called from the kitchen.

  “Yes?”

  “When Sam comes in, will you tell her that her boss needs her to call him back? They’ve been trying to reach her. The two main sponsors at the magazine are considering pulling out if she isn’t the photographer on the Antarctica expedition.”

  What?

  Suddenly Jake could feel his whole world crashing down around him. Sam was going to Antarctica? And who in the hell was she talking to? He turned to Nels. “Where are they?”

  “Out in back, but take it easy, son. It’s not what you think. Jake—” He followed him. “Before you go out there, you need to listen to me.”

  Jake could hear him, but couldn’t stop. Deep down, he’d always known Sam was too good to be true. He headed around to the back of the house, where he spied an unfamiliar car. When he saw a tall, good-looking man dressed in an expensive suit speaking heatedly with the woman he loved, jealousy such as he’d never known raged through him.

  He could tell by their body language they weren’t getting along. A few steps closer and he heard Sam say, “It’s time for you to leave. Jake will be here soon and I don’t want him to meet you.”