Sky High (Alaskan Frontier Romance Book 2)

by Jennifer McArdle

  Mason watched as she quickly put on a headset, with mic and earphones, and grabbed her script in one hand. In the other hand, she gripped a hanging rope, ready to draw the curtain back. Efficiently, Lily herded two of the young actors onto the stage and then drew back the curtain.

  While everyone else focused on the performance, Mason’s eyes remained fixated on Lily. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He noted the way her lips moved ever so slightly as she whispered the lines she knew by heart. In her hand she held the script, folded in half and well worn, but completely unnecessary. The play was her baby, her conception. She could recite every line, make every stage cue, without thinking. It was as familiar to her as breathing.

  When the young performers got their lines right, when they moved across the stage exactly as they’d rehearsed, the edges of Lily’s lips curved up in satisfaction. Everything was coming together exactly as it was supposed to, Mason realized. And he was happy for her.

  When it was time to cue another performer to the stage, she was ready. At Lily’s mark, the lead performer stepped out onto the stage in tattered jeans and a t-shirt. Carrie was playing a typical teenage girl, full of impossible dreams and ready to fall in love in an instant. Her character reminded Mason of the Lily he’d known long ago. In some ways, she was still the same. But the unwavering trust she’d placed in him, the unbelievable confidence she’d had that her dreams would come to fruition… those pieces of her were long gone. She would never have that kind of faith in him again.

  Before long, Mason found his attention shifting from Lily to the play. It was impossible not to get caught up in the storyline playing out before his eyes. Carrie and Jackson, a boy a year older than her, were falling in love and making plans. Their love was so big, it couldn’t be contained. And so they decided to run off together.

  When the first act concluded, the curtain closed and the lights came on for a brief intermission. A few of the people in the audience stood and stretched their legs. Among them, Mason noticed, was that creep Stanton. He’d obviously flown in from Hoonah to see the production and probably had hopes for a lot more than a nice night of theatre. Already, Stanton had stood up from his front row seat and was making his way toward the stage. Mason watched with irritation as Stanton slipped behind the set in search of Lily. The thought of Lily cozying up next to that slime ball made Mason sick to his stomach. But what could he do? Lily didn’t want to be with him, Mason knew that much. If Stanton was what she wanted, Mason wouldn’t stand in the way of her happiness.

  Annoyed and frustrated, Mason stood up and went to the other side of the room, where a crowd was gathering around a table of refreshments. He helped himself to a cup of punch, nodded politely at a few people who said, “Hello,” and felt relieved that most everyone else kept their distance. Those who took the time to say anything to him kept it short, which was what he preferred. The last thing Mason was interested in was conversation, especially when his thoughts were swirling with ideas of what might be happening behind the set.

  * * *

  There wasn’t much space behind the set, Stanton discovered as he stepped behind the curtain. There were barely a few feet between the large plywood cutouts and the classrooms being used as dressing rooms. Stanton found Lily sitting on a crate outside the girls’ dressing room, otherwise known as the sixth-seventh grade classroom.

  “Looks like everything is going great,” he said.

  Lily looked up from her clipboard and smiled when she saw him.

  “Do you think so?” she asked, hopeful the audience was enjoying the play.

  Stanton nodded and leaned against the wall next to her.

  “Did you notice how quiet the audience was? That’s the tell-tale sign they’re enjoying it. They’re completely captivated.”

  Lily grinned at that.

  “And what about you?” she asked. “As a fellow drama club nerd, what do you think about it?”

  “I’m captivated, too.”

  The way he looked at her, Lily wasn’t sure he was still talking about the play. When he reached down and brushed a stray hair off her cheek, Lily knew for certain he wasn’t talking about the play. His fingers lightly touched her chin and his hand lingered for a second longer than necessary.

  Surprisingly, she didn’t mind. After his declaration on the dock a week earlier, Lily had thought about Stanton quite a few times. More times than she cared to admit. The idea of them together, as a couple, made sense. They had common interests and their personalities were compatible. Stanton was good looking, charming, and determined to win her over.

  But then there was Mason. If only he’d given Lily some indication that he wanted her and would fight for her. The fact was, as much as Lily loved him – and she definitely still loved him – he always backed away when things got too real. If he really loved her, he wouldn’t have walked away when Lily told him to. He would have stood his ground, pursued her, and convinced her to give him another chance. But he didn’t. As far as Lily was concerned, Mason had proven how little he actually cared for her.

  Perhaps now it was time to give someone else a chance. Someone who wasn’t afraid to admit his feelings. Someone who was willing to pursue her.

  Lily looked up at Stanton. He was watching her, she realized, waiting for an invitation to kiss her. Why not let him?

  Setting the clipboard down, Lily stood up. They were face to face. He leaned in close and was about to kiss her when a whirlwind of children ran past them.

  Instinctively, Lily stepped back, laughing.

  “Careful you don’t get run over. It’s a little crazy back here.”

  As she said it, three young actors with minor roles scurried past them toward the dressing room. One of them almost plowed into Stanton, but he stepped off to the side in the nick of time.

  “Um, maybe I should get out of the way,” he agreed. The mood had shifted. His chance to kiss her had passed.

  Before he turned and headed back to his seat, Stanton laid his hand on her arm. It was a light touch, soft and gentle. “I’ll see you afterwards?”

  Lily nodded her head and smiled back at him. “I’d like that.”

  She followed him to the edge of the stage and watched him walk back to his seat. The place really was packed, she realized, noticing that every seat was taken. Practically everyone in town was there, and even a few out-of-towners.

  From her spot on the edge of the stage, Lily spotted Mason in the back of the audience. The fact that he was there surprised her. She’d told him to stay away from her, that she didn’t want to see him, and so far he’d obeyed. Even when she went to The General Store earlier that day, he’d managed to avoid her. The way he snuck from one shopping aisle to the next, thinking he’d successfully hidden from her, was almost laughable.

  And now, he looked uncomfortable sitting on the cold, metal folding chair. His shoulders were hunched and his head was down, perusing the printed program, Lily assumed.

  He looked so… alone. That’s what stood out most.

  Then again, Mason was always alone. As far as she knew, he had no close friends in Heron. And with his brother gone, his parents in Anchorage, he had no family there, either. Seeing how alone he really was, Lily felt sorry for him.

  Finally, she realized she wasn’t angry with him anymore. She was actually glad to see him there. Yes, he was a complete idiot. He’d made some pretty big mistakes that had affected both of their lives, but none of that seemed to matter. Somewhere along the way, Lily forgave him for hurting her. She was finally ready to move on.

  “I can’t find my costume for the next act.” It was a desperate plea from backstage and one that needed her attention. Reluctantly, Lily pulled herself away from the edge of the stage and went in search of the lost costume. Before she found it, two other actors came to her, each with their own crisis that only she could solve.

  Before she knew it, the intermission was over and the play was underway once again. From the sidelines, she followed along with the lines in the
script, ready to prompt the actors in case any of them forgot their lines. As hard as she tried to focus on the play, her attention kept wandering to that back row. With the exception of the stage, the room was dark. All she could see of him was his dark form, leaning forward in his seat as he watched the play. At least she had his attention.

  * * *

  The play. Mason was paying attention to it now. Sure, his eyes kept wandering back to the edge of the stage where Lily stood. But there was something about the play that seemed a little too familiar. The things the two lovers said to each other, the promises they made. Mason recognized himself in Jackson and there was no doubt in his mind Carrie’s character was based on Lily. That’s what the play was about, wasn’t it? The play she'd written was based on their own love story, with one difference… it was what could have been.

  The main character, a teenage girl who dreamed of becoming a stage actress in New York City, got swept up in a romantic love affair. Her lover had already convinced her to run away with him. And now they were in New York City, in a dingy little apartment in Lower Manhattan. Sure, things were turning out to be a lot harder than either of them expected, but in spite of all the hardship and all the obstacles in their path, their love refused to waver.

  Was this how she thought things would have turned out between them? Was this what she’d wanted for her life?

  Mason remembered, then. Lily told him she wrote the play the previous winter. She had no way of knowing Mason would return, no hope that he’d ever see the production. So why had she written something like this, a story of what could have been? Her motivation couldn’t have been to win him back, not that she’d have to try. His heart had always belonged to her, anyway.

  On stage, the two young lovers sat on the fire escape, looking at the stars and dreaming about how much better their lives would be once they got their big break.

  “Things are pretty great already,” one said to the other.

  “You think this is great? Our apartment is the size of a closet and we don’t even have money for a gallon of milk?”

  “Maybe. But at least we’re together. Besides, the hard times will make us appreciate the good times so much more. Someday, we’ll look back on this and we’ll be grateful for the experience. We’ll be glad we had to count our pennies, literally count our pennies, to scrape up enough money for some milk.”

  “But what if this is it? What if we’re always just scraping by?”

  “Then we’ll always be thankful for what we have, no matter how little there is.”

  She was so optimistic. So unrealistic. It never would have turned out that way. Sure, they would have been broke. But they couldn’t have been happy living like that. It’s a lot easier to imagine hard times than it is to live through them. And no matter how much they loved each other, the reality would have been so much worse.

  He’d seen enough. Mason stood up and quietly moved toward the door. He would slip out quietly, unnoticed.

  Carefully, Mason opened the door, making sure it didn’t make a sound. He didn’t want to disrupt the play, but he needed to leave.

  From the edge of the stage, Lily watched as his dark form snuck toward the back door.

  And from the front row, Stanton noticed Lily’s gaze. He’d been watching her as much as he watched the play. The fact was, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. And when he noticed her attention shift from the stage toward the back of the room, Stanton turned in his seat to see what could be so important, what could tear her away from the production she’d poured her heart and soul into.

  He should have known.

  Even in the dark, Stanton recognized the broad shoulders and the stiff-backed form of his competition. That’s when he understood it was a lost cause. Mason wasn’t out of the picture yet. Maybe he never would be.

  Lily watched as Mason slipped out and then slowly closed the door to keep it from slamming shut. Even though the door latched shut silently, to Lily it sounded like a clang. Loud. Final. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in her head, reminding her over and over again that he was gone.

  Her heart sank, watching him leave before the play was finished.

  Stanton turned back toward the front. Lily’s gaze was still settled on the empty seat in the back of the room. She missed him, Stanton could tell. And even more than that, she still wanted him.

  Disappointed, Lily forced her attention back to the script. Mason might not see the ending of the play, but at least he’d seen the most important part. Perhaps he’d drawn the connection between the play and their own romance. Even if the play was mostly fiction, there was some truth to it. Maybe Mason didn’t appreciate seeing it play out before his eyes.

  * * *

  Outside the school, Mason lingered by the door for a while. It shouldn’t have mattered, but he felt like an ass for leaving early, as if Lily would even know he’d been there. He’d been discreet, stayed at the back of the room, in the shadows where she wouldn’t notice him.

  He knew he should go, but he was still reluctant to leave. He wanted to see the ending, to find out how Lily envisioned their lives turning out. But it was all a bit overwhelming. He needed time alone. Time to think.

  Mason shoved his hands into his pockets. The night air was chilly and he could see his breath in front of him. Even through the closed double doors, he heard the faint sound of the performers, belting out their lines for everyone to hear.

  It was unrealistic, Mason reminded himself – the romanticism of the story, the idea that love would always win out in the end. Love was a nice idea, but it wasn’t very practical. Somewhere, there was a ring that proved it, a ring he’d made himself when he was young and naïve and had the same ideals Lily was spouting off about through her play. And now, that ring was probably buried a foot deep in moss, covered in lichen, lost to the wilds. Because that’s where he’d left it. Abandoned at the edge of the cove they’d called their own.

  Foolish, he’d been. Foolish in so many ways. That’s what love did to a person. It took away their common sense, replaced it with an irrational emotion. It clouded the mind, altered a man’s usually sound judgment.

  And now, look where he was. Standing outside the school while the entire community was inside watching Lily’s play. He had nothing, not even the woman he cared most for in this world. No, she was inside, living her dream. And in the front row sat the perfect man for her, ready and waiting to take Mason’s place.

  The ring was the only thing Mason had left. It was the only remnant of their romance, of their dreams, of their love. And he didn’t even have it anymore.

  He’d carelessly tossed it aside. Well, maybe not carelessly. Mason intentionally left it there. The stone had come from the cove and so he had returned it to its original resting place. Or close enough, anyway.

  If he’d held onto it like he wanted to, his pop probably would have found it and tossed it out with the trash. Mason hadn’t been willing to risk that. Besides, at the time he’d still been hoping to give the ring to Lily, once they got a little older.

  And so, he hid the ring.

  His youthful optimism had told him he would need the ring again. The hopeless romantic in the teenage version of him, and his love for Lily, led him to hide the ring in the cove.

  It was silly, probably stupid, but that’s what he’d done.

  Before he’d stepped out of the shadows and broke Lily’s heart, he’d tucked the ring deep into a crevice for safe keeping. At first, it was just to keep himself from proposing. As long as the ring was in his pocket, there was still a chance he would defy his parents and do what his heart really longed for. After he broke it off, left Lily crying, Mason couldn’t bring himself to retrieve the ring. That’s when he decided it was best that the ring stay in the cove, where it belonged.

  He wondered now if it was still there.

  Spontaneously, Mason turned away from the school. He followed the boardwalk toward the shore and then south. Spurred on by the thought of the ring, Mason made his
way toward the cove.

  Surely, it would be impossible to find. But there was no harm in trying. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more determined Mason became to find the ring. If he had to, he might spend the rest of his life in that cove searching out the petite gold band with the shiny pink stone.

  Chapter 18

  The audience broke into applause when the curtain closed after the final act. As the names of the performers were announced, each walked out onto the stage for one final bit of glory. One by one, they took their places on the stage. Then they took a collective bow for the audience, garnering even more applause.

  “And of course, this production of Pelicans Dream Too wouldn’t be possible without Lily Frontier, writer, director, and producer,” came the voice across the loud speaker.

  That was Lily’s cue.

  Smiling broadly, she walked out to the center of the stage. Every light pointed directly at her and the crowd stood as they applauded. Savoring the moment, Lily dramatically bowed for them once, then twice.

  Carrie and Jackson stepped forward, then. One on each side of her, they clasped hands and the three of them bowed one last time. Before they were upright, three young stage hands stepped out onto the stage carrying an enormous bouquet of roses. Lily felt her eyes watering when they presented the roses to her, in appreciation for producing the play, they said, and for always being there for them. They called her an inspiration. She couldn’t believe it, an inspiration. She’d simply been following her dream.

  And then it was over.

  The colored lights on the stage dimmed. The fluorescent overhead lights of the school lit up the room. And the performers left the stage, looking for their families or heading to the dressing rooms to change.

  Lily lingered there on the stage, glad the play had gone off without a hitch, but not yet ready to admit it was over. She only had a few seconds, though, before she was bombarded by well-wishers. Nora was the first to reach her, throwing her arms around Lily in a proud hug.

  “That was amazing,” Nora praised her. “I had no idea you were so talented. I mean, I’ve seen some of the home videos of you on stage. But to have written this whole thing… I can’t imagine how much work it must have been.”