Under an Alaskan Sky

by Jennifer Snow

  “It was actually Diva who saved the day,” Tank said, pride in his voice.

  Cassie looked at him in surprise. “For real? She was able to pick up Montana’s scent?”

  “It wasn’t easy but she pulled it off in the nick of time,” Tank said, looking affectionately at the dog.

  Kaia bent to wrap her little arms around Diva’s neck. “Thank you, Diva. You’re my hero...”

  “Hey!” Tank said, teasing in his voice.

  “After you of course,” Kaia said, still cuddling the dirty, tired but pleased-looking dog.

  “How’s Montana?” Cassie asked.

  “She’s okay. No major injuries. Just dehydration. She was wet and cold and disoriented when we found her. Erika’s in with her now, assessing any less obvious injuries.”

  “Can I see her?” Kaia asked.

  “Soon,” Tank said. “Why don’t you take Diva for a quick walk outside? I’m sure she must have to pee by now.”

  “Okay,” Kaia said reluctantly. She headed for the door with the dog, but then ran back to give Tank another hug.

  “Everyone’s okay, sweetheart,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

  When the little girl went outside, Cassie asked, “Montana was headed to the jump site?”

  “From what we can gather, yes. She had her jump gear with her originally, as well as food and water for one day, but she got turned around on those south side trails that all look alike and ditched her gear as the provisions ran out and exhaustion set in.”

  “A legitimate accident or...was it because of her brain injury?”

  “We’re not sure. Hoping Erika can help with that.” He ran a dirty hand through damp hair and released a big, heavy sigh. “Man, it was a close one, Cass...”

  She didn’t have to ask what he meant. She suspected there had been more than one difference of opinion out on those mountains that day.

  “If Diva hadn’t caught the scent when she did...” He shook his head.

  “It worked out. Everyone’s safe,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. Now wasn’t the right moment, but as soon as he was rested and relaxed, she needed to tell him she loved him. She always had and she wanted him to hear it. She longed to hear the words back. Whenever he was ready.

  Erika appeared in the waiting room. “Hey, Tank, can I talk to you?” Her friend waved to her and offered a small, tired smile.

  Her best friend was a superstar, trading in her search and rescue gear for her scrubs without even taking a break.

  “Sure,” Tank said, slowly releasing Cassie and heading toward Erika. “She okay?”

  Cassie strained to hear, but Erika led Tank down the hall for privacy, so she had no other choice than to wait. She approached Reed as he finished the paperwork. “You okay?”

  He nodded as he turned to her with his own exhausted expression. “Nothing a hot shower and a twelve-hour nap can’t fix. You and Tank okay?”

  “Yeah... He wasn’t willing to give up on the search, was he?”

  “No, and I understand where he was coming from out there. I’m just relieved we found her when we did. Leaving him out there alone would have killed me.”

  “No doubt,” she said.

  Reed touched her shoulder. “Hey...don’t for a second read anything more into Tank’s unwillingness to give up. He couldn’t leave his daughter’s mother out there. He wouldn’t have been able to face Kaia.”

  Her brother’s reassurance helped keep things in perspective. And if it had been anyone that Tank cared about out there, he’d have dug in his heels just the same.

  “I can’t believe Erika’s treating her. She must be exhausted.”

  “She’s planning on heading home as soon as Montana is stabilized.”

  Tank returned and he seemed more at ease.

  “So?”

  “Erika says she’s doing great. They want to keep her overnight, but she will be released in the morning. She said after talking to her, she believes it was a simple mistake that caused her to lose her way. She’s scheduling an MRI in the morning to get a baseline for Montana if she’s going to be her physician from now on. And she’s already requested Montana’s medical file from Colorado General Hospital.” They saw Kaia approach the hospital doors, and Tank took Cassie’s hand in his. “Montana’s not up for visitors yet, so I think the best thing to do is get out of here and come back in the morning.”

  Cassie nodded, hugging him tight, relief overwhelming her. They were all safe.

  They would all be okay.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “THANKS FOR THE RIDE,” Tank said as Cassie pulled her truck into his driveway ten minutes later.

  Kaia was passed out in the back seat, with Diva curled up beside her. He glanced back at her and released what had to be his millionth sigh of relief.

  What the hell would he have told her if they hadn’t found Montana? What if he hadn’t made it back to her?

  He wouldn’t think about it. Everyone was safe.

  “She’s out cold,” Cassie said with a small smile.

  Tank reached across and touched her cheek. “Thank you again for staying with her and being honest with her and making her feel safe.” He owed so much to Cassie. She was his rock when he had to be at his strongest. He didn’t know what he’d do without her. He never wanted to be in that position.

  “There was no other place I would have wanted to be. She was so scared, but she was also very brave. I’m not sure I could have held it together as well as she did if my parents were both out there.”

  Tank’s chest was full of emotion when he glanced back and forth between the two women who held his heart. “Do you want to come in?”

  Cassie hesitated. “I do, but...” She paused. “She’s had a rough night already. You have too. And while she was okay with me last night, she might still have an issue with us being together.”

  He nodded. He understood and she was probably right, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to be with her right now. Needing to be with her. The last forty-eight hours had been hell and he longed to hold her. Longed to feel safe. Longed to reassure her that his feelings were as strong as ever. Even stronger. “Okay, but tomorrow, we talk to Kaia. Together. And we figure all of this out, okay?”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  He leaned toward her, pulling her face to his. He was dirty and gross and he hoped she didn’t mind because he needed to at least kiss her before letting her go. She tasted like peppermint and coffee and her mouth was soft, warm and inviting. Even though he could barely keep his eyes open and every muscle in his body ached, he wanted her. There was so much he wanted to do with her, so much he wanted to say.

  On the hike back to town, she’d been the only thing on his mind. Getting to her and telling her all the things he’d never said.

  He loved her. He had always loved her.

  Kaia stirred in the back seat and Cassie reluctantly pulled away from him. “You two should get inside and get some sleep.”

  “Okay...but I’ll see you later?”

  “You can count on it,” she said.

  Climbing out of the truck, he opened the back door and quietly unbuckled Kaia’s seat belt. Then carefully, he lifted the little girl out of the truck. She didn’t wake up. Her limp, deadweight body just sagged into him as he closed the door with his elbow.

  Cassie waved and smiled at him as he made his way up the stairs. He unlocked the door and Kaia woke as they stepped inside. Her eyes flew open and a wild, scared expression appeared as she flailed...uncertain of her surroundings. “Shhhh...it’s okay. Everyone is okay,” Tank said.

  Kaia blinked the sleep from her eyes. “Where are we?”

  “We’re home now.”

  She looked past him into the house. “Where’s Cassie?”

  “She just dropped us off.”

&n
bsp; “She’s not staying?”

  Tank swallowed hard. Damn, he’d wanted her to. “No...we thought it would be better...”

  Kaia squirmed out of his arms and headed back toward the front door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get Cass,” she said, rushing outside.

  Tank followed her, leaning against the door frame as she flagged down Cassie’s truck exiting the driveway. He watched as his daughter approached the window and said something to Cassie.

  He saw the look of pleasant surprise on Cassie’s face before her truck pulled back into the driveway and she climbed out.

  Kaia took her hand as they made their way up the stairs toward him.

  “Guess I’m staying...” Cass said.

  “Good,” he said, stepping back to let them in and closing the door behind them.

  “Sleepover in the living room?” Kaia asked, suppressing a yawn.

  Tank smiled. “Best idea I’ve heard all day. Why don’t you get your pj’s on, I’ll shower quickly, and then Cassie and I will grab blankets and pillows from the closet.”

  Kaia nodded, hurrying into her room.

  Tank turned to Cassie. “This was...unexpected.” Maybe they wouldn’t need to worry about their talk with Kaia. Maybe she was coming around to the idea on her own.

  “Tell me about it. She said she wanted me to stay...”

  Tank wrapped his arms around her. “I wanted you to stay first.” He kissed her forehead.

  Cassie smiled. “Go shower. I’ll get the blankets.”

  Ten minutes later, with Kaia sleeping soundly between them in their comfy blanket and pillow fort and an exhausted Diva snoring near their feet, Tank looked over at Cassie. Their gazes met and held and he finally let himself relax as a tired smile formed on his lips.

  Everyone was okay. They were okay.

  He reached across and took her hand in his and moments later, after Cassie’s eyes drifted closed and she was breathing softly, fast asleep, Tank rolled onto his back and closed his own exhausted eyes.

  * * *

  CASSIE COULD BARELY keep her eyes open the next day. Sleeping on Tank’s living room floor on a mountain of blankets and pillows may not have been the most comfortable sleep she’d ever had, but the situation had made it quite possibly the best. Snuggled up next to two of the most important people in the world to her, everything had been right with the universe.

  Kaia had invited her to stay. It was a step in the right direction at least. And despite her exhaustion, Cassie was happy. Happier than she’d been in a long time. They still didn’t know if their BASE jumping venture would happen and Montana’s incident might deter the mayor from approving it, but she’d figure it out. Her company wasn’t going anywhere.

  As if to confirm her thoughts, her landline rang on her desk. “Hello. Thank you for calling SnowTrek Tours, how may I help you?”

  “Hey, Cassie Lassie...”

  She sat back in her chair. “Oh hey, Dad, how are you?” She hadn’t heard from them since they’d left for Point Hope.

  “Great. Your mom and I are all settled.”

  “That’s wonderful. How’s the new job?”

  “It feels good to be working again. And your mom has already joined a new book club and knitting group.”

  “Wow, sounds like you two are fitting in nicely.” That was a relief. She’d worried that her mom would miss her life in Willow Lake, that she might second-guess giving it all up...but it sounded like she’d worried for nothing.

  “We’re doing great. I wanted to call and check in with you and Reed. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Things are good. There was a rescue last night, but it all turned out okay.” Luckily it had, but Cassie couldn’t squash the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Montana was okay, but what happened now?

  Tank and Kaia were heading to the hospital to see her. Erika had decided to keep her a day longer to make sure she got enough rest, but she reassured them Montana was fine. Kaia had invited Cassie to come with them, but she thought maybe it was best to give Montana some space with just her daughter for now. Let her sort things out.

  “Yeah, I saw the report online. Congratulations to that pup of yours—great job. Your mother has shown me countless photos of Diva, by the way,” he said with a laugh. “Oh, hang on, your mom wants to say hello...”

  Silence on the other end of the line, then her mom’s voice. “Hi, darling!”

  An unexpected lump rose in Cassie’s throat at the sound of her mother’s voice. It had only been a few days since she’d seen her, so the emotions rising in her chest surprised her. Having her mom in the next community, she’d always been close when Cassie had needed her. Now, it felt like she was a million miles away. “Hi, Mom...”

  “Oh sweetheart—are you okay?”

  Cassie laughed at the silliness of her tears. She brushed them away with the sleeve of her sweater. “Yes. I’m fine. Just missing you, I guess.” Turned out no matter how old, a girl still needed her mom.

  Cassie just hoped that after her terrifying experience, Montana was still willing to stay in Wild River and be here for Kaia.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  THEIR SCHEDULED CONFERENCE call with the mayor was the next day and they were about to find out if they’d received the jump site approval. Montana’s disappearance and rescue were things everyone in town knew about by now, and Cassie’s hope for approval was wavering. The search and rescue crew’s report clearly stated how difficult the hiking trails were to get to the top of Suncrest Peak and Cassie couldn’t argue with that. Unfortunately, her company didn’t have a budget for helicopters to airlift jumpers to the site.

  She busied herself with her filing as she waited, her shaky hands making the tedious process even worse.

  Montana was coming in to be on the call so they could get the news together—for better or worse—and Cassie kept checking outside for the other woman.

  Her landline rang, the mayor’s office number lighting up the display, and she hesitated, checking down the street for Montana before answering the mayor’s call. “Hi, Mayor Morell... How are you?” She’d try to stall his decision until Montana got there.

  Maybe she wasn’t coming. Maybe after their disagreement, she wasn’t sure they could work together. Maybe after her experience in the woods, she’d lost hope in this venture and couldn’t bring herself to be there for the bad news.

  “Great, Cassie, just great... Is Montana there with you?”

  “Um...she’s just...” From the window, she saw Montana a block away. “Yes, she’s here.” She waved at her to hurry up and Montana jogged the last few paces.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she whispered as she entered.

  Cassie smiled, giving her a quick hug. Then she put the call on speakerphone.

  “Okay, so I have to tell you ladies, this was not an easy decision and the vote from the committee members wasn’t unanimous...”

  Montana wasn’t breathing and Cassie reached out to take her hand. “We understand we are asking for something a little extreme,” she said.

  “Yes, well...what is Wild River if not a haven for extreme sports enthusiasts and offering tourists things they can’t get anywhere else?”

  Cassie’s eyes widened and Montana’s expression was one of shock. Neither answered what they assumed was a rhetorical question.

  “So, I’m approving your application for a legal BASE jumping site in Wild River,” the mayor said, sounding as excited about it as they were.

  Holy shit. They were approved.

  “That’s...” Cassie cleared her throat. “That’s wonderful. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mayor Morell.” She squeezed Montana’s hand and it seemed to snap the woman out of her trance. She smiled but it wasn’t the full-on excitement Cassie would have expected.

  Please, God, Montana, don’t bail on
me now.

  There was no doubt that the site had only gotten approved because of her. And while they did need to set some ground rules moving forward to work together effectively, Cassie needed her for this to be a success.

  “Yes, thank you,” Montana said.

  “There is still a lot of paperwork to fill out and work to be done. Because of the unsafe trails leading to the site, the town is planning on developing a road wide enough for motor-terrain vehicles in so far as the midway point. From there, we will put up the required signage and protective measures to make the hike to the jump site safer.”

  “Perfect. Yes, that all makes sense.” The city was going to invest time and money into this venture to help it succeed. Cassie’s heart was full of gratitude.

  “Unfortunately, that means the summer will be spent on construction, so we estimate a fall opening date.”

  “That’s totally fine.” She was still staring at Montana, who was yet to say anything more.

  “Okay, ladies. Well, congratulations! I’ll have the first of the documents couriered to you at SnowTrek Tours, Cass... As the only official company authorized to coordinate tours, I’m sure your business won’t have anything more to worry about with North Mountain Sports Company.”

  Cassie grinned. “North Mountain who?”

  “That’s the spirit. Talk soon,” Mayor Morell said.

  Cassie disconnected the call and sat back in her chair. “Wow. We did it.”

  Montana nodded, clutching her hands in her lap. “Yeah...crazy. But in an amazing way. Congratulations.”

  “Congratulations to both of us! I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing this on my own.” She paused. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just a stressful week...but this is going to be great for your company.”

  “But...”

  Montana gave a soft, sad-sounding laugh. “Cass, as much as I was hoping for it, I’m not completely better.” She took a deep breath. “The truth is, I’m never going to be allowed to BASE jump again. My doctor in Denver and ten other second opinions have refused to sign any release for me. I mean, I can do it anyway...hell, I already have...but while I can help bring jumpers here, I won’t be allowed to do it myself.”