An Alaskan Wedding

by Belle Calhoune

  “Cover yourself with this blanket. You’ll warm up in a few minutes.”

  “W-where are we going?” she asked as she gazed out the window. No doubt she’d realized they weren’t heading back in the direction of town.

  Boone cast a quick glance in Grace’s direction. Her lips were still a purplish hue, and she was shivering like crazy. He knew all too well that the frigid temperatures in Alaska could easily lead to hypothermia. He could head back to town and have Grace seen at the clinic, but he knew of a better, quicker solution.

  “I’m taking you to get checked out by a doctor. He lives a few miles from here.”

  Grace frowned. “Way out here, so far from town?”

  Boone nodded. “He’s had a rough time of it lately. His wife was killed in an accident. He’s raising his son all by himself and not practicing at the moment. But don’t worry...he’ll treat you.”

  “How can you be sure of that? It sounds like he wants to be left alone.”

  “He does want to be left alone, but I can’t stand by and let that happen. A long time ago I vowed to take care of all my siblings, no matter what. He may be Dr. Liam Prescott, but he’s still my little brother.”

  Chapter Six

  A long time ago I vowed to take care of all my siblings, no matter what.

  Just when she’d been about to write Boone off as a moody jerk, he went and said something that yanked at her heartstrings. This man was a protector, all the way down to his silver-tipped boots. What she wouldn’t give to have her own brother feel that strongly about her. There wasn’t a single memory she had of Brian protecting or caring for her. And she wasn’t exaggerating in her belief that he didn’t care whether she was in Alaska or Timbuktu or the Sahara.

  Grace turned toward Boone, studying his strong face in profile. His rugged features were tense. A tiny vein thrummed above his eye while his hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel.

  “Siblings? I assumed it was just you and Cameron. How many do you have?”

  “Three. Cameron. Liam. And my sister, Honor.” Boone kept his eyes focused on the road. The snow was coming down even faster now, and it seemed to be sticking.

  “Honor,” she said, wrapping the blanket ever tighter around her body. “That’s a pretty name.”

  His expression softened. “It suits her. She just graduated from college last spring. She’s working on her master’s now in wildlife biology.”

  “Are you close?” Although she’d always wanted to have a tight relationship with her older brother, it had never materialized. She envied siblings who actually had warm feelings for one another and strong ties that bound them together.

  A sigh slipped past his lips. “We used to be, before I sent her away to school in Minnesota. Now she’d rather eat glass than be in a room with me.”

  Boone’s tone hinted at a sorrow he most likely kept hidden away from the world. She recognized it instantly. It existed right under the surface where it couldn’t be seen. Seems they did have something in common after all.

  “This, too, shall pass. She can’t stay mad forever,” Grace said. The sudden urge to comfort him surprised her.

  Boone scoffed. “You don’t know my sister. She thinks I stood in the way of her one true love.” He made a clucking sound with his teeth. “That type of anger burns for a while.”

  The car slowed down as Boone turned into a private road lined on either side with huge spruce trees. Just as she was about to ask if they were close, a house appeared out of nowhere. The little log cabin nestled in the woods resembled something from a fairy tale. It looked tranquil and serene, as if nothing could touch it. Long icicles resembling daggers hung from the front porch. A soft light emanated from the window. There was no way of telling from the outside that tragedy had marred the lives of the occupants of this house. Everything looked so perfect.

  Once he stopped the car, Boone quickly made his way over to the passenger side and helped her out of the vehicle. Grace stood a few steps behind Boone as he rapped on the door. Kona sat next to Boone wagging his tail. When no one came, he knocked again, this time more insistently.

  The door opened with a flourish, providing a blast of warmth and light from inside the house. Instead of one Dr. Liam Prescott standing in the doorway, there was a young woman with long, chestnut-colored hair, gray-blue eyes and a sardonic expression on her face.

  “Well, I guess the gig is up. Aren’t you going to welcome me back to Alaska, big brother?”

  * * *

  Seeing his beautiful little sister positioned in the doorway of Liam’s house caused a myriad of emotions to swirl around inside him. Disbelief. Joy. Curiosity. Anger.

  “Honor?” Her name came out sounding like a question. Shock roared through him at the notion that his sister was actually here in Love. Why wasn’t she in Minnesota? Why hadn’t anyone told him she’d come home?

  She tipped her head in his direction by way of greeting, even though he would rather have hugged it out. “Hi, Boone.” Her eyes drifted toward Grace. “Why don’t you come in? Your girlfriend looks frozen.”

  “She’s not my girlfriend. Honor, this is Grace Corbett.” He placed his hand on the small of Grace’s back and gently guided her into the house. Kona followed dutifully behind him. There really wasn’t any time for pleasantries. He scanned the immediate area for his brother. “Where’s Liam? She needs to be checked for hypothermia.”

  Honor’s eyes widened. “He’s putting Aidan down for the night. I’ll go get him.” Honor hurried off down the corridor, stopping at the last door on the right. He watched as she gently turned the knob and entered.

  “Aidan is my nephew,” he explained. Just the thought of him caused his chest to tighten with emotion. His life had already been marred by loss at such a young age.

  Boone turned toward Grace, eager to make her comfortable. “Grace, let me take your coat off.” He unzipped her coat, noticing that her lips looked slightly less purple. She was still shivering.

  “Come sit by the fire, and I’ll get your boots off.”

  Grace sank down into an oversize love seat right next to the fire. He immediately began to take off her boots and socks. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see a roaring fire.” He watched as her lids began to get droopy. She could barely hold her head up.

  “You can’t go to sleep, Grace. That could be a sign of hypothermia,” Boone warned her. Grace’s lids flew open, and once again he found himself basking in the brilliance of her blue eyes.

  He felt a sudden wave of anger toward his grandfather. What in the world had gotten into Jasper? This was all his fault. How could he have sent Grace to get help in a remote, wooded area she wasn’t even familiar with? The whole situation had been a recipe for disaster! Things could have gotten much worse if Grace had wandered farther into the woods and toward the mountain.

  Liam walked into the room, his stride full of purpose and a sense of urgency. He was in doctor mode at the moment. It would have made Boone smile, but for the fact he was still worried about Grace.

  “Boone. What’s going on? Honor said it was a medical emergency.” His eyes swung over toward Grace.

  “Liam, this is Grace Corbett. Grace here got lost in the woods this afternoon when she went spelunking with Jasper. She was out there for almost two hours before we were able to rescue her. I’m a little worried about how long she was exposed to the elements.”

  Liam walked over and crouched down so that he was on his haunches. He gave Grace one of his most endearing smiles. “Hi, Grace. I’m Liam. I’m going to check out your hands and toes for hypothermia, okay?”

  Grace bobbed her head up and down. “Sounds good, Dr. Prescott.”

  “You can call me Liam,” he said, peeling back Grace’s sock to reveal toes that looked a bit gray. He began examining her feet and fingers, earning himself
a few cries of pain from the patient.

  He glanced back at Boone. “We’re going to warm up her toes first. Go get a tub of warm water for me. There’s a basin under the kitchen sink.”

  Boone did as Liam instructed and filled the basin almost to the top. When he returned to the living room, Grace was wrapped up in another blanket. He set the basin down in front of her, anxiously watching as she slipped her feet in the water. Grace let out a contented sigh as she did so.

  “How’s it looking?” he asked Liam.

  “Pretty good considering the weather. I’d say she was very fortunate to have those boots, a heavily insulated coat and two layers of mittens. As it is, she probably has frostbite, but nothing that requires further medical attention. I’m going to continue to warm her body up slowly and put some bandages on her toes and fingers. She’s got a few blisters that might be uncomfortable for a few weeks.”

  “Are you sure?” Boone asked. “She was out there for a long time.”

  Liam narrowed his eyes at him. He studied him for a moment before he answered. “Of course I’m sure, unless you know something I don’t.”

  Sensing the tension, Grace looked back and forth between the two of them.

  Liam sighed, his broad shoulders heaving. “Is there something else you want to ask me?”

  “How long has she been back?” Boone spit the question out, his voice bristling with anger.

  Liam looked up at him, his blue eyes weary. “Two days ago she showed up at my front door saying she completed her master’s degree early. Begged me not to call you.”

  Boone chewed the inside of his cheek. “Did Declan fly her in?”

  The thought of his best friend being involved in this conspiracy unsettled him. He’d been tight with Declan since they were little kids, and if he’d done this behind his back, it would feel like a betrayal. That possibility hurt him more than he could ever put in to words.

  “Stop grilling Liam. If you want to know the answers to any questions about me, then you can go straight to the source.” Honor was standing at the threshold of the living room, her hands perched on her hips. A very familiar, defiant expression was etched on her face. “And for your information, it wasn’t Declan who flew me into Love.” She frowned. “He’s not the only pilot in Alaska.”

  Relief flooded him. In the worst of times, he could always rely on Declan. When the Prescott family issues got too tangled, his best friend served as an excellent sounding board. He prayed it would never change.

  “How long?” he spit out, his gaze focused on Honor.

  “How long what?” Honor asked, her voice full of attitude.

  “How long are you going to stay mad at me, ’cause this silent routine is getting really old.”

  Although her fingers, face and toes were coming back to life, Grace was beginning to think she should run and take cover. Boone versus Honor was proving to be an epic showdown. Liam just looked worn-out, as if he’d heard this same argument too many times to count. Although she’d been curious about Boone and his siblings, she now felt that she knew way more about their relationships than she wanted to know.

  She wasn’t taking sides, but she couldn’t help but feel badly for Boone. All he wanted to do was keep watch over his three siblings. From where she was standing, he seemed mighty heroic.

  “You’ve never once apologized for sandbagging my life,” Honor shouted.

  Boone’s arms were folded across his chest. “I won’t apologize for watching out for you.”

  Honor fisted her hands at her side and let out a little scream. “Watching out for me? Is that what you call it? You ruined my life.”

  Boone rolled his eyes. “That is so dramatic. I saved you from making the biggest mistake of your life.” He scoffed. “Married at eighteen to an unemployed troublemaker? Not on my watch.”

  Liam shut his eyes and put his head in his hands. He muttered something unintelligible.

  Honor pointed her finger at Boone. “You’re just bitter because the woman you loved cheated on you! Don’t take it out on me.”

  A shocked silence filled the air. Grace watched Boone’s entire body go slack. He winced and shut his eyes for a brief moment. Grace looked down at her hands, swallowing past the hurt and embarrassment she felt on his behalf.

  “Honor! That’s enough,” Liam said in a warning tone. He looked as if he might snap in two. From the first moment she’d seen Liam, there had been an air of sadness hovering over him like a shroud. Although he was cut from the same tall, dark and handsome mold as his brothers, there were dark shadows under his eyes and a look of utter defeat. He didn’t need a battle breaking out in his own home while his child was sleeping nearby.

  “The two of you might want to quiet down to a dull roar. There’s a child sleeping down the hall.” Grace’s words drew both their attention. Honor frowned at her. Boone opened his mouth to say something but then shut it.

  Liam shot her a grateful look. “Thanks, Grace. It’s nice to know there’s at least one other adult in the room.”

  A rustling noise drew all their attention to the doorway where a little boy with chubby cheeks stood, his thumb firmly rooted in his mouth as he looked around the room. He was wearing a pair of footed pajamas with a fire truck on it. His hair was disheveled. He seemed to be about three or four years old.

  “Uncle Boone.” Aidan padded his way over to Boone and held his hands straight up in the air.

  Grace couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen such an adorable child. With his curly dark hair and big eyes, Aidan was the spitting image of his father.

  “Hey, buddy. How are you doing?” Boone asked as he scooped up Aidan in his arms and rocked him side to side.

  Grace felt a little short of breath as she watched Boone nuzzle his face into his nephew’s neck. Aidan’s tinkling laughter rang out in the room. Leave it to the kid to lighten the mood. His joy served to diffuse the anger and acrimony that had bubbled over like an overfilled pot.

  Aidan tugged on Boone’s chin. “I love you, Uncle Boone.”

  Grace felt a well of emotion building up inside her. This little boy had lost his mother not that long ago, and the thought of this sweet munchkin not having a mother to tuck him in at night brought tears to her eyes.

  “I love you, too, Aidan,” Boone said in a voice laden with emotion.

  “It’s night-night time, A-man,” Liam said, his voice tender and paternal.

  “I’ll put him down,” Honor said. She quickly moved toward Boone, who smoothly transferred Aidan into her arms. Something unspoken happened between the siblings. Their eyes met and there seemed to be some recognition that they’d both crossed a line. Boone reached out and ruffled Honor’s hair. She smiled at him, tears and regret shining in her eyes.

  Grace didn’t know if it was because her feet were resting in tepid water, the blazingfire in the hearth or the wool blanket wrapped around her body, but she suddenly felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

  Despite the conflict between Boone and his sister, it was obvious that there was a lot of love in this room. It practically bounced off the walls. It hummed and buzzed in the moments of silence. It radiated in a child’s unbridled laughter. From what she’d learned so far about the Prescott family, there were fissures and cracks in its foundation. But, unlike her own family, they were still connected, still invested in one another. Still fighting the good fight. At the end of the day, that’s what it was all about.

  * * *

  It was almost ten o’clock by the time Boone got on the road with Grace to head back to town. Liam had bandaged Grace’s fingers and toes. The four of them had sat down together to a dinner of Liam’s chili and corn bread. It had been nice to sit down as a family and show Grace that they weren’t just bickering fools. He wasn’t sure why, but he cared deeply about how she viewed the Prescott family.

&nb
sp; The snow had been steadily falling for the past few hours. The road was slick and packed with snow. The trek back to town would be slow going, but he was used to driving in blizzard-like conditions. A little snow didn’t scare him. He wasn’t so sure about Grace. She was unusually quiet, and she kept peering out the window at the snowflakes whirling.

  “I owe you an apology.” He let out a sigh. Those words had been sitting on his chest for the past few hours. He figured he might as well get them out of the way.

  Grace wrinkled her nose. “An apology? For what? If it hadn’t been for you, I might be a frozen Popsicle by now.”

  He felt his lips twitching. Leave it to Grace to make him want to laugh in the midst of a serious apology.

  “First, I want to apologize for being abrupt with you earlier in the woods. I was upset with my grandfather, and I took it out on you. On so many levels, he should have known better than to take you out in those woods without the proper gear or alerting anyone to where you were going. When I see him, I’m going to read him the riot act.”

  “No!” Grace cried out. “Please don’t do that. Jasper didn’t mean any harm. I wanted to see the cave, and I was the one who volunteered to go get help. If I wasn’t so directionally challenged, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of control.”

  Boone frowned at her. “Grace, you shouldn’t be taking the blame for this.”

  “Why does there have to be blame? Can’t we just chalk this up to an unfortunate incident?”

  It was sweet of her to try to protect Jasper. Truthfully, that was normally his job. Protecting the ones he loved was an exhausting, often thankless endeavor. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. Ever since his parents divorced and went their own ways—his mother had left Alaska for San Diego while his father had chosen to explore the world after nearly losing his life in an accident—he’d felt the gravity of being the head of the family.