by Noelle Fox
If she ever stopped hating Derek.
“What’s going on, Connor?”
“Had an idea I’ve been wanting to run by you for several years.”
Derek sighed and leaned back, wishing he was on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean with a beer in his hand and only the sound of the waves and rigging for company. “I’m listening.”
Ten minutes later, he was sitting up straight, nodding regularly, his opinion of Connor changing further. The kid had a comprehensive, workable and impressive business plan for starting an organic farm on the island that would not only draw workers to Polaris, but also provide supplies for the kitchen.
“How long have you been sitting on this?”
“Since about a year after I came.”
Four years. “Why now?”
He watched, fascinated, as the hint of a blush spread on Mr. Cool’s cheeks. “The timing seemed right.”
“Really.” He folded his arms across his stomach. “Have you talked to her about it yet?”
Connor’s blush deepened. His left thigh started jiggling up and down. A smile tugged at his mouth. “I have no idea what you mean. Talked to whom?”
Derek took a deep breath. It was time to claim her publicly. No more hiding.
“My daughter.”
Connor’s face registered only slight surprise. “Have you told her?”
Derek scowled. Liz wouldn’t have said anything about his paternity, he was sure of that. “You guessed too?”
“You look alike.”
“So I hear.”
Connor leaned forward in the chair. “You told her this morning. Is she okay?”
Derek rubbed at his forehead. “She took it hard. I should have… I didn’t… I’m not good at this stuff.”
Connor was already halfway out of his seat. “I should go to her.”
“I’d appreciate it.” By now all this humility was making him sick. He was going to have to find some way to feel manly again. Go up into the meadow and kick the heads off some daisies. “I used a machete to do the job of a paring knife.”
“She’ll be fine.” Connor took two strides to the door, obviously anxious to get to her. “Give her time.”
“I’ll tell you what, Connor. You try to get her to stay, and I’m all in with this farming thing.”
He turned back from the door, looking amused. “Is this blackmail?”
“Not even close.” Derek got up and held out his hand, feeling a bit better from the last source he would ever have imagined getting comfort. “Because I have a feeling you’re already trying.”
“I have a feeling you’re right.” Connor grinned and took his hand for a shake, their first that encompassed genuine warmth. “Just about as hard as you are.”
Chapter 11
Grace jerked her suitcase from its place in the cottage’s closet and dumped it on the bed. She was out of here. This was supposed to be a relaxing retreat. She was supposed to use these two free-of-charge weeks to recover from the stress of her restaurant failing, of the situation with her mother’s latest marriage exploding, from years of hard work with hardly any break. Instead she’d bumped into her nemesis, nearly died, and found out not only that her parents were both liars, but also that they not only hadn’t wanted her, but most likely entered into a doomed marriage because she was on the way.
Northern Lights Retreat? More like Northern Lights Hell.
A knock came at the door.
She ignored it, yanked open a dresser drawer, swept its contents up in her arms and dumped them into her suitcase.
Another knock, more insistent. “Grace.”
Connor. “Go away.”
“Grace. Let me in.”
Well, that was easy.
“It’s not a good time.”
“I know. I want to help.”
He knew? How much did he know? How did he know? Who else knew?
Did everyone know?
She opened the door. “What?”
“Hey.” His gentleness, his sympathy, and then his solid arms around her nearly made her cry. She had to hold onto her anger to keep from boohooing all over his really good-smelling shirt.
“How did you know I’d be upset?”
“Just a feeling.”
“A feeling.”
“I know what Derek wanted to talk to you about.”
Grace lifted her head to gape at him. “How?”
He shrugged. “You have the same smile. Same expressions.”
Grace stepped back, scowling.
“Yup. Like that one.” He smiled at her murderous look and took her hands. “Seriously, I’m sorry if he handled it badly. He’s not the most emotionally evolved person in the world.”
“No freaking kidding.” She pulled away from him and yanked open another drawer.
“You’re leaving because of him?”
She shot him a look. “What does it look like?”
“Running away.”
“I’m not running away.”
“Okay, what do you call it?”
“Walking out on a liar who lured me here under false pretenses.”
“I call it running away rather than considering that Derek might have lied to get you here because he was pretty sure you’d never come otherwise, and in his less than perfectly emotionally evolved mind, it seemed the only way he could reconnect with a child he lost unfairly and wanted to get to know.”
Grace faced him and plunked her hands on her hips. “Do not start using that weird logic stuff on me when I am in the midst of royal and noble outrage.”
“You know what you need?”
“Yes. To get the hell out of here and never talk to either of my parents again.”
“Nope.” He took her hand and led her around the bed, away from the suitcase. She let him. She didn’t know why. Maybe there was the tiniest chance that he was right. Maybe because at the moment she was clearly not the sane person in the room. “You need to go up on the mountain with me.”
“You telling me to take a hike.”
He laughed, his gray eyes crinkling at the corners and, in spite of her royal and noble outrage, doing fluttery things to her insides. Darn him. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Get away from this place, away from people, away from everything. It’ll give you time to calm down, breathe some really clear pine-smelling air, think if you want to, don’t think if you don’t want to. Talk if you want to, not talk if you don’t…you get the idea.”
Grace sank miserably into a chair. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“I’ve had some experience with disappointing families.” He tousled her hair playfully. “And I like you.”
“Hmph.” She smiled up at him for as long as her insanity would allow, which wasn’t all that long. “I suppose I am reacting kind of knee-jerk right now.”
“Pain will do that to a person.”
More fight drained out of her. He was right. From what he’d hinted at during their first conversation at Orion Bar & Grill, he knew about pain and the infinite ways it could make people act out. Maybe he was also right that a hike would help.
“I guess I could use a get-away. Thanks, Connor. If you’re sure you have the time, and don’t mind.”
“Are you kidding? Get you alone on top of a mountain?”
She bristled. “Wait a second…”
“No worries.” Connor nudged her leg with his. “I think you know by now I’m not just out to score.”
She laughed drily. “Yeah, no kidding. If that’s all you wanted, there are much easier targets around than someone whose life has been turned upside down pretty much daily.”
“True.” He checked himself. “Uh… I mean no, Grace. There. Is. No. One. But. You.”
This time she cracked up for real. How could she resist a man who was not only sensible, sweet and supportive, but also hilarious? “Okay, I surrender. Take me up the mountain. Make a sane woman out of me.”
“I’ll try.” He backed up toward the door. “Meet me
opposite the lodge in about half an hour, okay? I’ll arrange everything.”
“Thank you.” Her anger was on low now, and even her misery had abated some. She also felt relief that she wasn’t leaving, which meant she probably would have regretted bolting. A coin flip might have helped, the way it did when she was deciding whether to come to Polaris, but she’d been so upset, it hadn’t felt like there was any decision to be made. “I owe you one for this.”
“Trust me, you owe me nothing. If anything this just evens the score a little more. I’ll explain up on the mountain.” He pulled her to her feet and gave her a quick kiss. “You’ll come back down feeling like a different person. I guarantee it.”
“Which person?”
Connor grinned. “One of my current favorites.”
“Hmph.” She managed another smile, wondering if this guy was too good to be true. She was entirely unfamiliar with men who were givers. Her mom had always catered slavishly to her horrible husbands—at least until she cheated and left for the next horrible husband—and Grace had been appalled to find herself repeating the pattern with a couple of the guys she dated. Nothing could make her dump a relationship faster than seeing her mother in herself.
It would be pretty nice, though, to cater to someone who catered back—which was undoubtedly how healthy relationships worked. Grace wished for the millionth time that she’d been brought up with one to learn from and replay in her own life. At least she was on her guard now.
“See you in thirty. Weather looks good. Dress in layers for colder temperatures at the higher altitude. Bring a toothbrush if you want to stay overnight. There are a bunch of twin beds in the cabin at the top.” He let himself out the door.
Overnight? The two of them? Alone in the woods? That could get pretty cozy, though a bunch of twin beds made it sound less like a love nest and more like a barracks.
Grace pushed the thoughts away. She was not the type for casual sex, and in her current emotional state starting a relationship would be like trying to juggle three chainsaws and four torches when you’d only practiced once. With two beanbags. In ten minutes she was dressed in hiking boots and a couple of layers of shirts. Into her backpack, she’d stuffed a sweater and windbreaker, along with a change of underwear and a few overnight essentials in case she decided staying was the right thing to do.
Once ready, she was too restless to stay in the confinement of the cottage, adorable as it was, so she set out for the lodge, praying she didn’t run into Derek Wakefield again until after she had her mountain cure, because she was still pissed enough that she might attack him.
“Going on a hike?” Walter was outside his grocery store stocking fresh lychees and tangerines.
“Did the boots and backpack give me away?”
“Of course not. I’m psychic.” He grabbed a lunch-sized paper bag and filled it with fruit. “Here. On the house. Good for when your energy is flagging.”
“Oh yum. Thank you, Walter.”
“No problem. Have a great time. It’s beautiful up there, and peaceful. You can’t possibly stay tense in that setting.”
She took off her backpack and put the fruit inside. How did he know she was tense? Was it that obvious? Or was he psychic?
“Connor is a great guide and a great guy. You’ll enjoy yourself.”
She thanked him again and continued up the road toward the lodge.
Ches, the gift shop guy, was outside washing the windows of his store. When he saw her approaching, he gave a cheerful wave. “Hey, Grace. Going on a hike?”
“Thought I would.”
He held up a finger telling her to wait, then climbed down his stepladder. “You should take a good luck charm with you, to ward off evil spirits.”
“Why, are there many up there?” She spoke politely, wanting to roll her eyes. She and evil spirits didn’t believe in each other.
“You never know.” He disappeared into his shop and emerged with the tiny figure of a rather demonically grinning pointy-headed man, which he deposited into her hand. “There you go. Total protection.”
“Who is he?”
“A Billiken, also known as, ‘The God of Things as They Ought to Be.’ I thought you might like to have one around.”
Why would she need one around? She looked at him carefully, but his boyish features remained calmly pleasant. “Thank you. Is this a Native American figure?”
“Nah. He was created by an art teacher in Missouri. We Alaskans adopted him, for whatever reason. He’ll make sure your hike is everything it should be.”
“Thanks.” She glanced at him sharply again. “What do I owe—”
“No, no.” He held up his hands. “On the house.”
“Right.” She smacked her forehead. “I still can’t get used to that.”
Ches grinned and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “That’s part of your charm. Have fun!”
“Thanks.” Grace put the Billiken in her pocket and walked on, touched by the concern of Aurora’s people, even if it seemed like they had access to a podcast of her brain.
“Hey, Grace.” Azure stuck her head out of her shop, waving a coral-colored straw hat with matching ribbons for securing under the chin. “You’re going on a hike, you need a hat. This one will look so pretty on you, and it won’t blow off. Try it on.”
It was pretty hard to hang onto a terrible mood when people were so kind. Even if the kindness meant a gossip chain had already spread news of her meeting with Derek.
While she put on the hat and tied it under her chin, Aurora went inside and came back out with a mirror.
Grace gave a peek. The hat was incredibly cute. “I love it. I don’t suppose you’d let me pay—”
“Not a cent. The color is perfect for your aura. Good energy there. You’ll have a magical time.”
Grace didn’t know she had an aura, let alone what color it was, but hey, what woman could turn down matching accessories? “Thank you, Azure.”
“Be at peace.”
That would be nice. Peace was good.
A few more steps. Nellie was already waiting outside the bakery. She shoved a white paper bag into Grace’s hands. “For sustenance. Connor leads a fabulous hike. You’ll love him.”
“Oh I—” …already do.
She took a step back.
Thank God the last two words froze on her tongue. Instinct had warned her just in time that what was intended as a flip response was going to come out much too seriously.
That was weird.
“Thank you so much.” She answered Nellie’s friendly smile, then kept on going to the lodge before she did anything stupid, almost relieved when Franco didn’t emerge from the Orion as she passed. She wasn’t sure she could fit any more caring friendliness into her pack.
Connor was waiting for her as promised, wearing a backpack with water bottles dangling from it, looking hiker-cool and particularly rugged.
Yum.
Her mood lifted further as she strode toward him.
“Nice hat.” He greeted her as if she was the only bright spot in his day, and she became one hundred percent convinced that despite her lingering feelings of bewilderment and pain, this hike could turn out to be as magical as Azure promised.
They started off on the trail across the valley between Mounts Eagle and Hawk, a beautiful stroll through a meadow dotted with daisies, paintbrush and columbine. At the edge of the forest, thick with ferns and moss, the trail grew steeper on its way toward Eagle Mountain’s peak.
As they walked, Grace let go of the meeting with Derek—her father—and let herself sink into the pleasure her body was taking from the exercise, the cool wind on her cheek, the dappled sun-shade pattern on the trail and the Christmas-tree smell of the surrounding firs. They stopped a couple of times for water, Nellie’s oat bars, and some of Walter’s sweet and refreshing lychees, which hit the proverbial spot.
By the time they reached the top, where a small cabin stood in a clearing not far from a wooden observation tower, Grace was
pleasantly tired and feeling positively human. Late afternoon sun made the colors particularly vivid, and the stiffening breeze warned of temperatures dropping when twilight hit.
She could see why Connor liked this job, and why he’d suggested they spend the night. Watching the sun setting, relaxing here, away from civilization, would be a perfect respite from trauma and emotional upheaval. Not to mention, she wasn’t eager any time soon to tackle the three or four hour trek back down.
“I would like to stay here tonight.”
“Yeah?” He looked pleased, but not wolfish. She felt safe with him, and that was a big deal, given how she’d felt about him when she arrived on Polaris only a few days ago. “I’m glad. It’s really beautiful both at sunrise and sunset. I’d love you to see both.”
“It sounds perfect.”
“Let’s get settled in.” He led the way on the pine-needle-covered path to the cabin. “After we unpack, if you want to, we can have dinner up on the observation deck.”
“I want to.” Who wouldn’t?
The cabin was charmingly rustic, made of pine with skylights in the roof. Bunk beds lined the walls, furnished with sleeping bags and pillows, and a sofa, table and chairs sat in front of a wood-burning stove. Grace chose a bed next to the window, grateful when Connor’s choice was on the other side of the room, though a traitorous part of her hoped he’d have a harder time staying away than he had all those years ago.
She unpacked her sweater and windbreaker for when the temperature plunged, and followed Connor outside again and up the several floors of the observation tower. As the trees shrank around them, the world became wider and more and more beautiful. By the time they got to the top, Grace couldn’t hold back a gasp of pleasure. Thickly forested Prince of Wales Island lay to the east, and other smaller islands she couldn’t name lay north and south. To the west, open ocean, the descending sun sparkling orange-yellow off the waves. Fittingly for Eagle Mountain, a bald eagle flew by them, white head and tail a vivid contrast to its dark body.
