Northern Rebel: Daring in the Dark

by Jennifer Labrecque

  “Tansy’s been incredibly patient. My leave’s been jerked around a couple of times,” he said. It was really silly that hearing him talk about his wedding to the unknown Tansy should make her feel kind of queasy. So, he was yet another man who wanted to flirt with her while his woman waited in the wings. They all made her sick.

  “So actually, planning the wedding has been a nightmare. But I’m here now. And the ball and chain ceremony is tomorrow. I’m kind of surprised she didn’t decide to have it at the airstrip when the plane lands.”

  Ball and chain ceremony? She felt a load of sympathy for the unknown Tansy if that was how he felt about marrying her.

  “My brother’s been trying to get married for almost a year now,” he said to Delphi in explanation.

  An inexplicable sense of relief trickled through her. Ah, okay, the ball and chain comment wasn’t quite as offensive and the bride-to-be was no longer a woman to be pitied, at least not based on Delphi’s current knowledge.

  “We’re twins and I’m the best man but the military kept deciding otherwise,” he continued with a grin, which caused Delphi’s toes to tingle. “I think his fiancée will actually believe the wedding’s on when she sees me step off the plane.”

  “She knows you’re on board,” Juliette said, saving Delphi from answering. So, he was coming for his brother’s wedding. Okay.

  Delphi looked out the window. Even though it was mid-May, snow still capped the mountains. The view was fantastic at this altitude. Still, she hadn’t come for the scenery. What she’d craved was some solitude to get her life together and a job in her chosen profession. When Merrilee Swenson contacted her with the travel arrangements, Delphi had noticed the town tagline on the correspondence—Good Riddance, where you get to leave behind what ails you. That sounded very good to her.

  “I brought your mother in yesterday,” Juliette offered, still obviously interested in the wedding details.

  “I’m sorry,” Lars said, and if Delphi wasn’t so determined to be engaged by the soldier, she might’ve smiled. Once upon a time, she would’ve laughed outright. However, she simply looked out the window.

  “Hey, how’d you like to be my date for the wedding?” Was there no end to what would come out of the man’s mouth? Now he was hitting on the pilot, knowing full well Delphi was listening in. Oh, brother.

  “Hey, Blondie, I’m talking to you.”

  Delphi was so startled she whipped her head around. Surely, Blondie? What the...? “Are you talking to me?”

  A snort of laughter, which Juliette quickly tried to mask with a manufactured cough, resounded through the headset.

  “Of course I’m talking to you. Juliette and her husband might object. You’re the only blonde on board and I forgot your name so... What do you say? Wanna be my date? It’s a great way to meet everyone in town and besides, you’re the only woman I’ve ever met who’s prickly enough to deal with my mother. She scares most women to death. Hell, she scares me to death.” He eyed her appraisingly across the aisle. “But you know, I think you could hold your own with Janie. So, what do you say?”

  For one second she thought her head might explode. He’d answered her unspoken question. Apparently there was no limit to what he would say. She was momentarily rendered speechless. Her mind, however, raced. She was prickly enough to deal with his mother? It was small wonder the man was reduced to asking a total stranger to accompany him. She wouldn’t go with him to, well, anywhere.

  She glanced over at him. If she hadn’t been so annoyed with him—and under different circumstances—she might have found his brash approach charming in a humorous sort of way. But it would be a tremendous mistake to give this man even a toehold because he’d just steamroller on through and that wasn’t part of her plan. She decided instead on consistency and merely uttered, “No, thanks.”

  Juliette suffered another “coughing” paroxysm.

  Delphi turned her head once again to look out the window, ready for this endless plane ride to end. And saying no was much easier when she wasn’t looking into his brown eyes alight with devilishness. It was nearly impossible to maintain a vestige of gloom, much less wallow in it, in the company of such an outrageous man.

  He was altogether too much.

  * * *

  SHE’D ALMOST DETONATED. He’d almost set her off. He had to admit that Delphi Reynolds—of course he remembered her name—had livened up the last leg of his seemingly endless journey immeasurably. Calling her Blondie had been a stroke of genius.

  He had, however, kind of meant it when he’d invited her along to the wedding. He’d figured there was a fifty-fifty chance. She’d either accept as a means of calling his bluff or she’d tell him to stuff it. Her “no, thanks” had been the abbreviated version of shove-it-where-the-sun-don’t-shine-buddy.

  What he should want was a soft warm woman with a ready welcoming smile to take the edge off. He’d been deployed the past several months and his upcoming assignment, which was still up in the air, was sure to include hot sun and desert sand, as that was the hotbed region now. But, in keeping with his contrary nature, he’d taken one look at the blonde with the spiked hair, cool demeanor and even colder dismissal...and he’d wanted her. She was a challenge. She was the undetonated device who silently dared him to approach at his own risk.

  His mother, however... He knew some shit would go down at the wedding. Seeing as how the nuptials were scheduled to commence less than twenty-four hours after they were all reunited in one spot, Lars supposed there was a fighting chance the caca wouldn’t hit the fan until after the newlyweds rode off into the honeymoon sunset. However, the odds were against it. His mother had to be the center of attention—all day, every day—so he really didn’t see her making it all the way through a wedding and reception where Liam and Tansy were the focal point. At least his younger brother, Jack, wouldn’t be here to witness any “incidents.” And he was sure there would be several.

  His mother would either wig out and stomp off in a snit or suffer some medical malady. Given the number of people around, he’d lay money on the illness. That was usually her M.O., not that he could do anything about it. He’d learned evasive maneuvers a long time ago. It all just worked out best to avoid any kind of skirmish with Janie Reinhardt.

  The sound of the engines, more of a drone with the headset on, were soothing. Blondie was hell-bent on staring out the window. The dog was snoozing—definitely the right idea. He might as well catch a few winks before they landed.

  Settling his head against the window, he drifted off to the engine’s lullaby.

  He awoke instantly, courtesy of years of training, when the pilot spoke. “We’ll be landing in five minutes.”

  His forty-five-minute catnap had literally flown by. Righting himself, he looked outside.

  Evergreens rushed by in slow motion against a backdrop of blue sky and mountains. Lars glanced across the aisle. Delphi Reynolds maintained her position, her shoulders stiff, her eyes trained on the scenery outside.

  His eyes were drawn to the expanse of her neck, the graceful curve of her shoulder. When, not if but when, he got her alone, he would trace those lines with his finger and then tease his lips along the same path. Something about her struck a chord in him, resonated, drew him in. He would have her. But since he was here only for a week, sooner rather than later would be better.

  Within minutes they were on the ground. “Nice landing,” he said to Juliette.

  “Thanks.” After the plane had rolled to a stop, they all unbuckled and stood up in the cramped quarters, stretching their legs. Even though he was closest to the door, Lars hung back. He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Ladies first.”

  “Thanks.” Delphi squeezed past him in the tight quarters. She smelled good. Her arm and shoulder brushed against his chest and her hip jostled his. “Sorry. Excuse me.”

  The effect of her touch was like being zapped with a low-voltage stun gun.

  “Tomorrow,” he said. “Eleven a.m. See you t
hen.”

  She tossed him a glance over her shoulder. “Good-bye, Sergeant. Good riddance.”

  “We are indeed here,” he said, deliberately misunderstanding her. She turned her back to him again. “And, Blondie—” she didn’t turn around, but paused momentarily on the plane’s threshold “—it’s not goodbye—it’s au revoir.”

  3

  DELPHI SIDESTEPPED THE GROUP of people hotfooting it toward the plane, smiling and waving at the man behind her. She would forget about him, or at the least, ignore him, his twinkling brown eyes and charming prattle, as well as the zing of sexual awareness that had arrowed through her when she touched him. Now that they were out of the airplane’s close confines, she’d go her way and he could go his.

  She looked around as she walked across the expanse separating the landing strip from the office, soaking in her surroundings. She’d been so intent on getting away from where she was that she hadn’t thought too hard about where she was going.

  There was a freshness here that seemed more marked than Atlanta. The sky appeared bluer, the clouds punctuating it whiter. The air was cleaner. She swatted at her arm. And holy hell, the mosquitoes were bigger—much bigger.

  Stepping into the airstrip office, the scent of wood, coffee and cookies greeted her even before the person at the desk did. The woman stood, a welcoming smile wreathing her face and lighting her eyes. Medium-length blondish-gray hair, blue eyes, mid-to-late fifties, pressed jeans and a flannel shirt trimmed in lace, she had to be Merrilee Swenson, the founder and town mayor. Skye had told Delphi all about Merrilee.

  She took Delphi’s hand in hers. “Welcome to Good Riddance, Delphi, where you get to leave behind what ails you. I’m Merrilee.” Yep, she’d known it. “Skye is swamped so she couldn’t be here to meet you. But we’re going to get you over to the clinic right after we get you settled.”

  It was impossible not to smile back at this warm woman. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Now, honey, I don’t want you to worry, but there’s been a little snag in getting your cabin ready.” When they’d spoken earlier, she had told her they’d house her in a little cabin near the clinic. “You’ll find that happens here and we just have to go with it. But we should have you in there by next week. In the meantime, you’ll be in one of the rooms upstairs.” At this point, it didn’t matter to Delphi where she stayed. As long as she had a bed and could close the door on the world for a while, she’d be happy. “Right next door, through that door in fact—” she gestured to a door on the right-hand wall “—is Gus’s Restaurant and Bar. We’ll comp your meals until you’re in your own place. We really appreciate you coming here to help us out.”

  Merrilee Swenson finally paused to take a breath and Delphi chuckled—really chuckled for what felt like the first time in months. “That all sounds good. I’m glad to be here.” She hadn’t realized just how ready she had been for a change.

  Before Merrilee could respond, the back door opened and the group she’d passed on her way out piled into the room, Lars in tow.

  Merrilee beamed at him. “Lars, it’s so good to see you again.” She closed the gap and they exchanged a hug.

  Merrilee turned to Delphi. “Let’s get you introduced around.”

  “Everyone, this is Delphi Reynolds. Delphi’s helping us out for a couple of months while we find a replacement for Nelson’s replacement. And as for this motley crew...” She turned to Delphi. “Of course you’ve met Lars.”

  Delphi smiled and nodded but avoided eye contact with the disconcerting man. “Well, this is Liam, his twin.” She touched the shoulder of a man who bore a striking resemblance to Lars, but wasn’t as big and broad. “Liam runs a survival training camp north of here.”

  “I’m the older brother by five minutes,” he said with a slight smile and a firm handshake.

  Delphi laughed. “I see.” Liam was nice but he wasn’t as handsome—or sexy—as his younger-by-five-minutes brother.

  Merrilee indicated the woman at Liam’s side. “And this is Tansy Wellington, the bride-to-be. Tansy’s a love guru.”

  Tansy was a petite, curvy brunette with happy eyes behind black-rimmed specs.

  “Love guru?” Delphi said, intrigued.

  “I write a column, a blog, and my first book just came out. I give relationship advice.”

  A day late and a dollar short—she could’ve used some of that half a year ago. Dear Tansy, My boss is obsessed with me. Please advise. Delphi kept her smile firmly affixed. “Wow, impressive.”

  “I don’t know about that, but it’s fun. Nice to meet you.” She also had a nice, firm handshake. Handshakes said something about people, at least in Delphi’s book they did.

  Merrilee nodded toward a woman with shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair and glasses. She was even shorter than Tansy. “This is the mother of the groom and my sister-in-law, Janie Reinhardt.”

  “It’s actually Dr. Reinhardt. I’m a professor of sociology.” She shook Delphi’s hand as if it was a chore to make contact. “And I prefer Jane.”

  “Sorry,” Merrilee said, “I’m just used to—”

  “I know my brother insists on using that childish name.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Delphi said. So, maybe Lars wasn’t too far wrong about his mother. She certainly wasn’t warm and fuzzy.

  “And this is Dirk Swenson, the boys’ cousin,” Merrilee said, continuing the introductions. Delphi shot a quick glance at the arrogant Lars, smirking at Merrilee’s designation of him as a boy. He grinned and winked at her. Really, that man... “Dirk is also Liam’s second-in-command at the training camp.”

  While Lars and Liam weren’t small by any means, Dirk stood a good two inches taller and probably outweighed Lars by thirty pounds. “Pleased to meet you.”

  She was beginning to sound like a parrot. There was no way she’d ever remember all of these names.

  Dirk’s hand engulfed Delphi’s, but she noticed he was careful not to exert too much pressure. She pegged him as a gentle giant kind of guy.

  “Pleased to meet you, as well,” she said.

  “And last, but definitely not least, is my better half, Janie...I mean, Jane’s brother, and the guys’ uncle, Bull Swenson.”

  Bull bore a striking resemblance to Jane and, to a lesser extent, Dirk. Although he stood a full head shorter than the other men in the group, it didn’t matter. Bull Swenson had a presence about him. The medical professional in Delphi immediately noted the scars on his neck. They looked old and painfully gained. There was a story there.

  “Hello.”

  Before she wrapped up the introductions, Merrilee motioned to the two older gentlemen who sat in rocking chairs across the room. They flanked a chess set. “That’s Dwight Simmons on your left and Jefferson Monroe to your right.”

  Both men nodded in her direction. In the midst of the meet-and-greet, Delphi couldn’t shake her awareness of Lars Reinhardt. It was as if a part of her attention was stuck on him. She’d done her damnedest to ignore him on the plane and now when she had all of these people tugging at her attention, a part of her was still caught up in him. He was a man who simply couldn’t be ignored.

  “Don’t worry, honey, we’re not going to quiz you on names anytime soon,” Merrilee said and then chuckled. “Now let’s get y’all settled upstairs. Lars is in room three and, Delphi, you’re in four.” Merrilee patted her hand. “You’re closest to the bathroom.”

  “Thank you.” Delphi spoke automatically but her brain remained stuck on the idea of having him in the room next to her. A shiver raced through her.

  “And of course you’re invited to the wedding,” Tansy said, beaming. “The whole town will be there. Now that you’re a part of Good Riddance, of course we want you to come, as well.”

  “Absolutely,” Merrilee chimed in. “It’s a great way for you to meet everyone. And it’ll just plain out be fun.”

  Delphi didn’t dare look at Lars. She didn’t have to. She could feel his smirk. It was one thing to turn
him down, but how did you tell a bride-to-be you didn’t want to have anything to do with her big day?

  She frantically searched for an excuse. It wasn’t as if she could say she had another commitment. There was nothing to do here and no one to do it with, not with everyone planning to attend the nuptials.

  She grabbed on to the universal female out. Smiling weakly she demurred, “I didn’t pack anything suitable—”

  “Pshaw.” Merrilee cut her off, waving her hand as if brushing aside the matter. “You’ll see a little bit of everything there. There’ll be plenty of blue jeans, shorts and everything in between.”

  Lars spoke up. “I already invited her.”

  Merrilee gave a little clap. “Perfect. Now you both have an escort.”

  Just shoot her.

  It looked as if she was going to a wedding—with Lars Reinhardt—unless she developed a headache. Although the very thought of sharing a room next to him already gave her a headache.

  And, unfortunately, a bit of a thrill.

  * * *

  LARS CLIMBED THE STAIRS leading to the rooms above the airstrip, bringing up the rear behind Merrilee and Delphi. Blondie had a cute little butt. He’d noticed when she deplaned ahead of him and it was impossible not to notice now. Her tush was trim and cute, just like the rest of her.

  She brought home to him just how long it had been since he’d enjoyed the company of a woman. Of course, it had been a damn long time since he’d been on leave, too. But it wasn’t as if Delphi was simply handy and convenient. She’d tripped his trigger switch the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Instant attraction was a potent thing.

  She’d pulled out the “nothing to wear” excuse but if she really hadn’t wanted to go with him, she’d have invented some fictitious boyfriend back home or some other chick excuse. He’d been around enough women to know the fairer gender didn’t go anywhere with a man if they really didn’t want to.