Home Sweet Alaska

by Beth Carpenter

  “You’re lucky, too. You get to live at our house, and sometimes at Grandma and Grandpa’s, and sometimes with Leith.”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. Uncle Leith said Sabrina wants to take me to that new movie. With the princesses.”

  “That will be fun.”

  “The bake sale at school is tomorrow.” A gust of wind rattled the window and sent ash swirling.

  “I know,” Volta whispered, “but don’t tell Grandma because she’ll want to make cookies.”

  “Grandma’s cookies are awful,” Emma whispered.

  “Grandma says they might not have school tomorrow, so I’m not sure whether they’ll have the bake sale. I’ll call Sabrina and ask if she’ll make a batch of cookies. If school is open, she can drop them off and if not, she can freeze them until they reschedule.”

  “Sabrina makes excellent cookies.”

  “She does.” Volta looked over at Scott, still standing at the window. “I need to go. Be good for Grandma, okay?”

  “Okay. I love you to infinity.”

  Volta smiled. “I love you to infinity plus one. Bye, Emma.”

  “Bye.”

  Volta put the phone in the pocket of her flight suit and pulled a mask from the supply cabinet. “Are you ready to brave the ash?”

  Scott turned toward her. “Sure. Everything okay at home?”

  Volta nodded. “It’s all under control.”

  “Who’s Emma?”

  She felt an odd reluctance to share her personal life with Scott, although there was no reason for him not to know about Emma. Besides, Libby was sure to ask about her. “Emma is my daughter. She’s seven.”

  “A daughter. Somehow I didn’t imagine you with a child.”

  She wouldn’t have thought he’d imagined her at all. She’d always assumed once he broke up with her, he’d gone on single-mindedly with his life plan. Volta stuck her head into the exam room. “Dr. Willingham and I are going to Libby’s for lunch. Can we bring you something back?”

  “A sandwich?” Paul requested.

  “Sure. Lori, are you feeling up to eating yet? Maybe some soup?”

  Lori dragged her eyes away from the baby snuggled up against her chest. “Okay.”

  “Bridget?”

  “I’ll wait until you get back and take a turn. Did I hear something about akutaq?”

  “That’s the rumor.”

  “Tell Libby to save me some.”

  Volta grinned. “Okay. See you in a little while.”

  She returned to the reception room, where Scott was staring out the window. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” He turned toward her. “And I’ve seen a lot.”

  “I’ll bet you have. You were in the Philippines after that earthquake. Was it as bad as it looked in the photos?”

  “It was. Conditions made it difficult to get clean water and supplies to the people who needed them. I lost some patients there.” He let out a breath. “I don’t like losing patients.”

  “It never gets easier.”

  “No, it doesn’t. But we didn’t lose anyone today.” He grinned. “Volcano or no, today is a good day.”

  “Absolutely. Let’s go get some lunch.”

  They both pulled on masks, and Scott followed Volta next door. They slipped inside the store and quickly shut the door to seal out the swirling ash, jangling a strip of sleigh bells.

  The usually bustling building appeared to be deserted. They were wiping their feet on the rug when Libby appeared from the door leading to the mailboxes.

  “Where is everyone?” Volta asked her.

  “I sent them all home before the ash got here. Did Lori deliver?”

  “A boy and a girl,” Volta reported. “Both healthy.”

  “That’s wonderful. And how is Lori?” Libby looked at Scott.

  He hesitated, probably weighing how much information he should be sharing, but he must have decided Libby counted as family. “Tired, but happy. She’s going to be fine.”

  “That’s good news. You know, Dr. Willingham, it’s funny. You told me yesterday that you hadn’t planned to visit Sparks until next week.”

  “That’s right. I finished with personal business more quickly than I expected, so I decided to get a head start on this assignment.”

  “It’s no accident you were here when Lori needed you. I’m convinced there is an unseen hand that guides us to the places we need to be.” Libby included Volta in her smile. “And it brought you both here today. Even with the volcano.”

  Tiny goose bumps rose on Volta’s arms. Unlike Libby, Volta was not the sort to go looking for signs and omens, but here she was, in a village in the Alaskan bush, in the same room as a man she used to love. Was it fate?

  No. They’d burned their bridges long ago. Their lifestyles were never compatible, and now Volta was rooted here in Alaska, raising her daughter, which meant they were further apart than ever.

  And yet being in the same room with Scott was dredging up memories. Memories of laughter and fun. Of swimming in the ocean and building castles on the beach. Of feeling his arms around her when he kissed her good-night under swaying palm trees.

  “Volta, aren’t you hungry?” Libby was ladling something from the slow cooker she always had going beside the microwave.

  Volta jumped. “I’m sorry, Libby. What’s in the pot today?”

  “Salmon chowder. And those little crackers you like.”

  No wonder everyone in Sparks loved Libby. Two months ago, when Volta was in town to help with an immunization drive, she’d mentioned in passing she liked oyster crackers. Libby never seemed to forget anything. “Chowder sounds fabulous, thank you. But let me take something for Paul and Lori first. He said he wanted a sandwich.” She crossed to the cold foods case.

  Libby joined her and reached for a sandwich. “Paul will want ham and cheese, barbecue potato chips and baby carrots.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “The doctor seems to know what he’s doing.”

  “Yeah, Scott’s great.”

  “Scott?” Libby looked at her speculatively.

  “Dr. Willingham,” Volta amended quickly. “I’ll take a bowl of chowder for Lori.” Volta ladled the soup into a paper bowl and snapped on the lid. “Please put them on the tab with mine.”

  “Nobody’s paying today. We’re celebrating.” Libby looked toward Scott, who was pouring a cup of coffee. “So, you and the doctor—”

  “I’d better take this to Lori before it gets cold. I’ll come back for mine in a little while. Thanks, Libby.” Volta grabbed the food and headed toward the door.

  “Don’t forget your mask,” Scott called.

  “Right.” Volta stopped to juggle the food items. Scott set down his coffee and came to hold them while she pulled up her mask. “Thanks.”

  “Hurry back. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  That was exactly what Volta was afraid of.

  CHAPTER THREE

  SCOTT WATCHED VOLTA practically sprint out the door and across to the clinic. Something Libby said seemed to have spooked her. Or maybe it was him.

  He wasn’t sure where he stood with Volta. She’d looked stunned to see him in the delivery room, but who wouldn’t given the same circumstances? Afterward, she hadn’t hesitated to come into his arms for a hug. But then she’d drawn away, and an invisible curtain of awkwardness seemed to fall between them.

  She looked good in her snug flight suit, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Not much different than she’d looked when she was in college. A beautiful woman.

  A beautiful woman with a daughter. Why was that such a surprise? Did he think nothing would have changed in Volta’s life in the last eleven years?

  “Doctor, come eat your chowder before it gets cold,” Libby said. “I’m sure Volta will be back soon, and you can have a second
bowl with her.”

  He sat down across the table from Libby and tried the chowder, made with sockeye salmon, savory vegetables and evaporated milk, of course. Over dinner last evening, Libby had explained that—because of transportation costs—fresh milk in the villages ran four times the price of milk in Anchorage. They’d discussed alternative ways for pregnant and nursing women to get calcium and vitamin D. Libby was a font of knowledge about the challenges of health care in remote villages. They really should have hired her for this study.

  “Good soup,” he told Libby.

  “Wait until you taste my akutaq. I had to fight off my grandkids to save you some.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Libby took a drink from her coffee. “I thought last night you said this was your first time in Alaska.”

  “It is.”

  “Then how do you know our Volta?”

  He took his time with another spoonful of soup before answering. “I knew her in Hawaii.”

  “Volta was in Hawaii? I thought she grew up in Alaska.”

  “She did, but she was in college in Hawaii while I was doing my residency at Royal Honolulu Hospital.”

  “Hmm.” Libby was clearly not satisfied with that answer. “And you were friends, in Hawaii.”

  “Yes.” Much more than friends, but that was between him and Volta.

  “I never heard about that. You kept in touch?”

  “No.”

  “But you came to Alaska to reconnect with her.”

  “I came to Alaska on the assignment we talked about yesterday.” And maybe partially to find Volta. Maybe mostly to find Volta. But officially, he was here on assignment.

  “Hmm.” Libby clearly wasn’t buying it.

  Scott felt as if he’d already said too much, so he asked, “How long have you known Volta?”

  “For about three years. Daniel does a health fair and a vaccination clinic every year, and Volta has helped with two of them. She stays overnight with me when she does. We’ve become friends.”

  It sounded like they’d only spent a handful of days together, but some people didn’t take long to get to the heart of a person. Libby seemed like one of those people. “You know her daughter?”

  “Emma?” Libby smiled. “We’ve never met, but I’ve heard so many stories, I feel as if I know her. Volta has her hands full with that one.”

  “Oh?” Scott started to ask more, but Volta chose that moment to return from the clinic.

  “Susie and Sadie have arrived, and they’re giving Lori and Paul child-rearing advice.”

  Libby shook her head. “Those sisters of mine are so excited about another pair of twins in the village, Lori will never get rid of them.”

  “I suspect she’ll be glad for the help over the next few weeks. She’s breastfeeding, and preemies are notorious for not sleeping more than two hours at a time.” Volta sat down at the table next to Scott. “Her BP is down another five points.”

  “Excellent. Here, let me get you a bowl of Libby’s chowder.” He was determined to keep Volta in place long enough for at least one conversation. He would have preferred a private conversation, but he’d take what he could get.

  “We were just talking about Emma,” Libby said. “Show him a picture.”

  “Nah, I don’t want to be one of those parents always shoving photos in people’s faces.” Volta dipped her spoon in the chowder.

  “I’d love to see a picture of your daughter,” Scott insisted.

  Volta ate another spoonful of chowder. Libby and Scott watched her and waited. She shrugged, pulled up something on her phone and passed it to Scott. “This is Emma.”

  He studied the photo of a dark-haired little girl hugging a German shepherd with one arm and holding a little terrier with the other. Her eyes were brown, not blue like her mother’s, but her pointed chin and the arch of her eyebrows were all Volta. So was her gleeful smile. The same smile that used to make his heart feel lighter.

  “She’s cute. Are those your dogs?”

  “No, Tal is my brother Leith’s dog, and the little dog belongs to his girlfriend, Sabrina. If Emma had her way, our house would be overflowing with animals, but my job doesn’t lend itself to taking proper care of pets.”

  “I sympathize with Emma,” Scott said. “I’d love to have a dog, but I never know where I’m going to be from week to week.”

  Volta gave him a little smile. “You’ve never had a dog, have you?”

  “No. The closest was my neighbor’s dog when I was a kid. I spent a lot of time over at their house, playing with their animals.”

  Libby looked at the photo and chuckled. “I had a brother, three sisters and all sorts of cousins. When we played outside in the summer, our neighbor’s dog used to climb over his fence to join us and our dogs. When the neighbor would discover him missing, he’d take him home, but the next day the dog would be back. Finally, he gave us the dog and got one of those wienie dogs that couldn’t jump the fence.”

  Volta laughed. “Your parents didn’t mind taking in an extra dog?”

  “They hardly noticed,” Libby replied. “Cousins and friends and dogs were always coming and going. At supper time, they counted heads and fed whoever was there.”

  “Don’t tell Emma,” Volta told her. “She’s lobbying for a horse now, and if she heard your story she’d probably try to sneak one into our garage and hope I didn’t notice.”

  The pilot who had flown Scott into the village yesterday stepped into the store and pulled a bandanna down from his face.

  “Hi, Mike. What’s the word?” Volta asked.

  “It’s looking better. The volcano has gone quiet. There’s still ash in the air, but unless Spurr puts out another plume, it should settle overnight. If it does, we’ll be clear to fly by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Good news,” Volta said, her voice relieved. Was it Scott’s imagination that at least some of that relief was to be able to get away from him?

  “Do you need a bed tonight?” Libby asked Mike.

  “Nah, I’ll camp out with Zeke. You’ve got a full house with Volta, Bridget and the doc.”

  Mike pulled the bandanna up and sauntered outside.

  “Now for the akutaq.” Libby scurried off to the cold foods case and returned with a bowl of purplish froth. She spooned a generous portion into a paper bowl and set it in front of Scott. “Volta?”

  “Just a taste. Save some for Bridget.”

  She gave Volta a small portion and turned inquisitive eyes toward Scott.

  He dipped in his spoon and tasted the concoction. “Mmm. Blueberries and raspberries?”

  “And a few salmonberries.” Libby smiled her approval at his culinary taste. “I use caribou fat.”

  Scott took another bite. “It’s good. It reminds me a little of kaymak with honey.”

  “What’s kaymak?”

  “It’s kind of a soft cheese made from water buffalo milk. Very rich, but not as rich as this.”

  “Water buffalo milk?” Libby blinked. “How unusual.”

  Volta looked down, but not before Scott caught a glimpse at her amused grin. “I’ll check on Lori and let Bridget have a lunch break,” she said, getting up from the table. “And maybe run the aunties out. Lori’s probably ready for a nap.”

  Scott spent the afternoon at the clinic. The twins were doing fine, nursing well and sleeping, and Lori’s blood pressure was slowly improving. The clinic didn’t have much lab testing, but Scott was used to working in less than optimal conditions and was confident Lori was on the mend. He and Daniel spent the afternoon brainstorming ways to improve prenatal care.

  Sadie and Susie had each claimed a baby to hold in the waiting room while their mother rested. Scott approved. Such tiny babies had little fat stored, and while the incubator would keep them warm, Scott preferred body heat and human c
ontact when possible. The aunties took turns crooning to the babies. Paul and Lori were going to have a fight on their hands to claim them back.

  Bridget had volunteered to spend tonight in the clinic, and so Volta had taken over Lori’s care for the afternoon. He could hear her in the exam room talking and laughing with Lori and Paul. Once or twice she darted in and out of the clinic, fetching items for her patients, but she never seemed to have time to stop and talk with him.

  By late afternoon the wind had died down, and while ash still blanketed every surface, it was no longer floating in the air. That seemed to be the signal for everyone in the village to stop by the clinic to bring gifts and admire the babies. Daniel moved the babies into the incubator partly to keep the crowds from breathing on them, but that didn’t slow down the party in the reception area.

  About five thirty, Libby came into the clinic. The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let her through. She took Scott’s elbow and said, “Show me these babies you delivered.” It was a royal command.

  Scott led her to the exam room, where Lori was nursing one of the babies. Volta was rearranging pillows to support her back and arms. Volta greeted Libby before stepping out into the lobby to make room. Libby laid her hand on Lori’s shoulder as she smiled down at the tiny baby in her arms. “Is this the girl?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look at those beautiful eyelashes. Let me see her brother.”

  Scott opened the portable incubator so that Libby could see the baby’s face. Libby ran a finger over his cheek. “He looks like his father.”

  “You think so?” Paul asked.

  “Oh, yes. He’ll play center on the basketball team one day.”

  Paul grinned. Libby passed her hand over the soft patch of hair on the other twin’s head. “This one will be a fine player, as well. A point guard, I think. Have you named them?”

  “Not yet, but we have some ideas.”

  Libby smiled and turned to Paul. “You’ll find stew and casseroles in your refrigerator when you’re ready to go home. I’ll have a talk with Susie and Sadie about boundaries. Is there anything else you need?”

  “Um, no. Thank you.”

  Libby smiled again and gestured for Scott to follow her out. On the way through the lobby, she summoned Volta, as well. Once they were outside away from the others, she whispered, “Are they really all right? They’re so tiny.”