Sky High (Alaskan Frontier Romance Book 2)

by Jennifer McArdle

  “You’ll never see Lily again,” he added, making sure Mason understood.

  They had him backed up against a wall. Helplessly, Mason glanced over at Samuel, not knowing what he expected to find. Sympathy, maybe.

  Samuel looked shocked. Even though he was opposed to his daughter getting engaged at a young age, he never would have considered taking such drastic measures to keep them apart. He found it a bit disturbing that Mason’s parents would go to those extreme lengths, but he didn’t say anything to try and persuade them otherwise.

  That’s when Mason realized he had no choice. They’d worn him down.

  Mason was more than an hour late when he reached the cove. He approached from the south, positioning himself so the moonlight illuminated only the right side of his face. He didn’t want Lily to see the red welt his pop had left on his left cheek. He was grateful the punch had landed on his gut, where he didn’t have to worry about hiding it.

  Like a vision, she stood there in the soft moonlight by the edge of the water, so pretty against the reflection of the rippling waves. She didn’t hear him approaching. Even though the hour was late, she had patiently waited for him, never doubting that he would come.

  In that moment, Mason had second thoughts about breaking it off. He couldn’t lie to her. He couldn’t tell her he didn’t love her.

  But he had no choice. If he didn’t, his parents had threatened to take him away from Heron, away from her. He couldn’t bear the thought of that. At least, if he did what they asked, he’d still be able to see her every day at school. He wouldn’t be able to kiss her or touch her, but he’d see her smiling face and that would get him through each day. Then, when they were out of high school, they could pick up where they’d left off. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was the only way to stay near her.

  Determined to make it work one way or another, Mason stepped out of the shadows. Lily turned and saw him. Her face lit up, as it always did when they were together.

  Steeling himself against the pain, Mason took in a deep breath and tried to remember the words he’d rehearsed on the slow walk from Samuel’s house to the cove. He’d planned to let her down easy, to offer words of comfort. But, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how to do it.

  “It’s over.” Much more harshly than he’d intended, the words came out of his mouth. He regretted them instantly, but forced himself to say the rest. “I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

  It had to be done, Mason reminded himself, trying to stand firm even as the tears filled Lily’s eyes. It was the only way to stay near her.

  Except, it didn’t work out that way. His parents uprooted him anyway, took him away from the only girl he ever loved. For that, he would never forgive them.

  Chapter 15

  Frustrated. That’s how Mason felt after Lily left. Frustrated and alone.

  He’d done it for her. For them. So they could still be together. Sure, it hadn’t worked out that way, but that was his intention. Besides, it was ten years ago. It had no bearing on their relationship now, did it? They’d started over, picked up right where they left off. At least, that’s what he thought. But obviously, Lily still harbored some resentment about it.

  The half-finished flight plan still sat on the desk. Mason grabbed the paper and tore it in half, then tossed it in the trash can. Slamming the door behind him, he closed up the office and turned toward home. He wasn’t in the mood for a mail run.

  Bernie greeted him at the door, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Mason ignored her and went straight for the couch, letting himself fall onto the soft cushions. He stretched out across the old sofa, not caring if his boots smeared dirt and mud all over the fabric.

  He was only being honest when he told Lily it would have been a mistake for him to propose. And if they’d gotten married so young, it probably would have been a disaster. Maybe he shouldn’t have used those words, specifically, but it was how he felt. Didn’t she always tell him she wanted him to be open and honest with her?

  Not willing to be ignored, Bernie followed Mason to the couch and then jumped up on top of him. When he still ignored her, Bernie rested her head on his chest, demanding attention. Mason sighed and placed his hand on her head, half-heartedly rubbing behind one of her ears. It was only a small gesture, but it was enough to satisfy the dog. A large, wet tongue lashed out and caught him on the chin. After all, Bernie wasn’t one to let her appreciation go unnoticed.

  “You understand, don’t you?” he asked the dog. “I did what I had to do. Besides, it’s not like I can go back in time and change things.”

  If he could, he honestly didn’t know if he would have done anything differently, except for one thing. He would have tried to let her down more easily. It hurt him to see Lily in so much pain, especially to know that he was the cause of it. But she was naïve to think they could have gotten married and lived happily ever after. Back then, Lily had still wanted to move to New York City. He would have tried to get her there, but he would have failed. And she would have blamed him for destroying her dream.

  It was better now that they were older. They each knew what they wanted out of life. Lily would see that once she stepped back from the situation and really thought about it.

  Unfortunately, judging by the way she’d stormed out of his office, Lily wasn’t ready to admit he was right. Not yet, anyway.

  And so, Mason would have to be patient.

  Even after all these years, he knew one thing about Lily was still the same. She never held a grudge. Lily would cool off and then things would get back to normal. He would leave her alone for a couple days and wait for her to come back. It was as simple as that. He had to wait. If he went to her now, she would only push him away.

  * * *

  It seemed unreal. Only a week had passed since Mason had flown her to Hoonah for the drama workshop. So much had happened in such a short time. She’d started taking flying lessons. She realized she still had feelings for Mason, fell head over heels in love with him again, and faced his rejection for the second time in her life.

  For now, though, Lily pushed those thoughts out of her head. She had an out-of-town guest to greet and a drama workshop to attend.

  “Stanton. It’s good to see you again.”

  Lily stood on the dock, smiling pleasantly as the head of the Hoonah Drama Club climbed down from the cockpit and then stepped off the pontoon onto the dock. She held an umbrella over her head and carried a spare for Stanton, just in case he’d forgotten to bring one. There was only a 40 mile distance between the two towns, but the weather was often drastically different from one side of the island to the other. When Stanton gathered his things out of the cargo hold, Lily was glad she’d brought the extra umbrella.

  “Thanks,” Stanton said, taking the umbrella Lily offered. “I seem to have forgotten mine. Sun’s still shining in Hoonah.”

  “Sun’s shining here, too. Liquid sunshine, that is.”

  “The best kind,” Stanton said brightly. “There’s nothing like a good rain to bring things to life.”

  Lily smiled at that, surprised to realize Stanton was a bit like her. It was exactly what she always said.

  “Can I help you with any of this?” she asked.

  “No. I got it,” Stanton said, slinging a backpack over his shoulder and then picking up a cardboard box of supplies he’d brought with him. “Just lead the way. This is my first time in Heron, so I have no idea where the school is.”

  “Well, there’s no way you could get lost here,” Lily assured him. “The boardwalk connects everything and everybody.”

  With that, she led him away from the dock.

  “Careful,” she said as they stepped onto the boardwalk. “The boards can be pretty slick when it’s raining.”

  Almost simultaneously, Stanton’s foot slipped.

  “Thanks for the warning,” he said, catching hold of the railing and steadying himself.

  Lily instinctively reached out for his arm. Throug
h the Hoonah High School sweater, she felt the tightness of his biceps. Even though she couldn’t see the muscles beneath the clothing, she could tell the drama teacher was very well built.

  “Are… are you okay?” she stuttered, a little embarrassed she had noticed such a thing.

  When she glanced up at his face, she saw he was smiling. His brown eyes seemed to dance when he looked at her and his smile… well, just the sight of it was enough to knock most women off their feet. But Lily wasn’t like most women.

  “Maybe I should slip more often,” he said, his tone slightly suggestive.

  Lily noticed she was still holding his arm and she quickly let go.

  “Sorry,” she apologized, realizing that he looked at her with more than just friendly interest. The idea caught her off guard. Not that it would be a bad thing. Stanton was certainly handsome. With his tall build and those powerful brown eyes, he surely had plenty of women in Hoonah drooling over him. His smile was one of those make-you-weak-in-the-knees kind of smiles. And judging by the feel of those biceps, Lily could only imagine what else was hiding under those layers of clothing. He probably had the body of Adonis.

  Physical attraction aside, Lily imagined they would be compatible in other ways, as well. From what little she knew of him, they seemed to share the same interests. He liked flying and acting and the rain. She’d only met him once before and they’d shared a few phone calls over the past month to plan the drama workshops. He always seemed to have an upbeat attitude, which sure as heck beat the sullen moods Mason tended toward.

  Still, Lily had never been attracted to anyone other than Mason. It was a shame, really. Stanton looked like a fine catch. Quite possibly, the perfect match for Lily. Strong and attractive. An interesting combination of drama nerd and hot jock.

  In fact, the only thing Lily could find wrong with him was that he wasn’t Mason.

  “I didn’t realize you were a pilot,” Lily said in an attempt to shift her attention elsewhere. She was trying to make polite conversation as they resumed their walk toward the school, avoiding the way Stanton looked at her, ignoring the nagging thought at the back of her mind that Mason was not far away. “How long have you been flying?”

  “Just a couple years. Got my private pilot’s license after I moved to Hoonah. Found a great deal on the Super Cub, so I snapped her up before I even had my license. She only holds two people, but she gets me around.” Then, more excitedly, he added. “You wouldn’t believe some of the places I’ve landed her. She can get in and out of the tightest spots.”

  Stanton shifted the backpack strap on his shoulder and glanced over at Lily. “What about you?”

  “What about me?” she asked.

  “You seemed interested. Do you fly?”

  Lily wasn’t sure how to answer that question. She hadn’t seen Mason in two days and wasn’t sure if or when she would have another flying lesson.

  “I had a couple lessons, but I’m kind of taking a break from it for a while. Maybe permanently.”

  “Didn’t like it?”

  Lily smiled, trying to mask the disappointment she felt at the thought of not flying anymore.

  “No, that’s not it at all. I loved it, actually.”

  “So, what’s holding you back?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, reluctant to explain everything to him.

  “Well, I just got my instructor rating. If you need a teacher, I’m available,” Stanton volunteered. The hopeful look in his eyes indicated he was interested in much more than flying lessons.

  Lily smiled politely, determined not to encourage him. “Thank you. That’s a very generous offer.”

  “Is that a yes?” he asked as they reached the school. He shifted the box in his arms so he could open the door for her.

  “I’ll think about it,” Lily said before she stepped inside.

  When she flipped the light switch on, the sight of the set nearly took her breath away. It was completely finished. The lights were hung and positioned. The city skyline was painted. The furnishings were all in place.

  When she’d locked up the night before, there was still a lot that needed to be done. Now, the stage looked like it was ready for performance night, even though it was still a week away. Clearly, someone had worked through the night to finish it. If this was Mason’s way of saying he was sorry, Lily thought stubbornly, it wasn’t enough.

  A long whistle from Stanton reminded Lily that she wasn’t alone.

  “Looks great in here,” he said, taking in the finished set.

  That brought a big smile to Lily’s face.

  “It does, doesn’t it?”

  It really did look good. Even if Mason had finished the work, it was Lily’s design, her hard work that had gone into it. She couldn’t help but feel at least a small amount of pride for everything the drama team had accomplished. With only one week left before the performance, there wasn’t much left to do. Everyone had their lines memorized and the costumes were complete. There were only a few rehearsals left, then the dress rehearsal and their performance.

  The drama workshop, Lily thought, would be a nice break for everyone. It would give them a chance to think about something other than the fall production, to focus on technique and have a little fun.

  Stanton eased past her and sat his things down on a table along the wall.

  “You know, I expected your boyfriend to be here,” he said. He’d been wondering since Lily met him at the dock. He thought maybe the boyfriend would be waiting at the school. But he wasn’t. That made Stanton curious.

  Lily laughed and looked at him quizzically.

  “What makes you think I have a boyfriend?”

  “Oh, I just thought… the man with you last week… Mason, I think his name was.” Stanton remembered his name just fine. He also remembered the way Mason took great lengths to keep Stanton away from Lily, the way he eye-balled Stanton the entire time. Mason had assured him he’d be there. He’d tried to intimidate him, and nearly succeeded. “He acted like the two of you were a couple.”

  “Well, we’re not,” Lily said, emphatically. Maybe a little too emphatically.

  That was a relief, Stanton thought. He’d enjoyed the phone conversations with Lily over the past few weeks, even though they were mostly about the drama workshops. He liked the sound of her voice, the excitement he heard when she talked about the fall production. And then when he saw her for the first time a week earlier, Stanton knew for certain he wanted to get to know her better. But then Mason stepped between them and made it clear that Lily was off limits. It was a disappointment, to be sure, but Stanton wasn’t the kind of man to give up that easily. Even though he’d expected Mason to be there, he’d come prepared to win Lily over. It would be much easier knowing Mason was out of the picture.

  Stanton smiled warmly at her, satisfied with how things were going.

  Members of the drama team began to trickle in and Stanton didn’t get to talk to Lily much after that. The young girls flocked around him, giggling at the dimples in his cheeks, mooning over his brown eyes. The boys stayed close, trying to regain the attention of their girlfriends.

  And then the drama workshop got underway.

  Lily sat along the edge of the room, watching how easily Stanton interacted with the students. He was able to relate to them, to connect with them, almost effortlessly.

  How could a man like Stanton still be single? He was absolutely gorgeous. Obviously intelligent. Hilariously clever. Gracious and kind. She discovered that in addition to acting brilliantly, he sang like an angel. And when he looked at her, it was as if he were trying to see into her soul. It was intense.

  So why didn’t she feel anything romantic for him? Well, the answer to that question was obvious. Mason. But if Mason weren’t in the way, Lily could definitely see herself with Stanton. She had to admit she enjoyed their conversations over the phone. He was easy to talk to, an excellent listener, and he always made her smile. Really, Lily’s feelings for Mason were the only thin
g standing in the way. Maybe it was time she moved on with her life, started seeing other men. Perhaps Stanton was exactly what she needed to get over Mason. Or maybe not. She didn’t know. At the very least, he could be a friend to her.

  “You know, I think I will take you up on that offer,” Lily said after the workshop, when she walked Stanton back to the dock where his plane was moored.

  “What offer?”

  “Flying lessons,” she clarified. “It’s not working out with my current instructor, and I really do want to get my license.” Besides, she enjoyed spending time with Stanton. He was fun to be around and he made her feel special.

  Stanton’s smile widened. It pleased him to hear those words.

  “Excellent,” he said. “When would you like to begin?”

  “After the fall production I should have a lot more time.”

  “Great. I’ll call you and we can set something up.”

  Unexpectedly, then, Stanton leaned toward her. His lips softly brushed against Lily’s cheek. A simple kiss. Under other circumstances, Lily might have thought it sweet and unassuming. But she knew better. The way Stanton had been looking at her all day, she could tell he was hoping for more.

  “Stanton…” Lily started.

  “Don’t say anything,” he interrupted. “I understand. We barely know each other.” His eyes searched hers, looking for any sign that he might have a chance, determined that even if he didn’t find one, he’d be able to convince her. “Judging by the way Mason hovered over you last week, I’m guessing the two of you had something going. You may not be ready for a relationship yet, and that’s okay with me. I’m a patient man. I’ll give you all the time you need. But I want you to know that I like you. I like everything about you. You’re an amazing woman and you deserve more than he can offer. I can give you everything you want, everything you need. And I think we could be great together. I know we could be.”