“I saw them there,” he said, and turned back into the room.
Kelly carried her coffee to the kitchen window and looked out at the large temperature gauge attached to a post just outside the window. It was eighteen degrees, about average for this time of year. There was no wind and the snow was fresh and beautiful. It was a perfect day for their guests to arrive. She hurriedly finished her coffee and put on her boots, coat, and yellow cap.
Charlie greeted her the moment she stepped outside. He had made crazy patterns in the snow and now leaped joyously. Kelly took the frisbee from him and sailed it into the air. The soft snow floated around him like a cloud as he dashed and leaped to catch it. She couldn’t hold back her laughter.
“Charlie, you crazy dog! Come on, bring it here.”
Shaking his head, as if the frisbee in his mouth was a live thing, he trotted back to Kelly. She knelt in the snow and put her arms about his neck, then took the frisbee from him and ran. Charlie was surprised at first then leaped after her, jumping high in the air when she held his toy over her head.
“No, you don’t!” Kelly laughed, and tried to hit him on the nose. Charlie snapped at the battered plastic, braced his legs and pulled. Kelly went tumbling down into the snow, where she lay laughing, holding onto the frisbee with both hands. Charlie pulled and shook his head, deep growls coming from his powerful throat.
“Looks like a standoff to me.”
Kelly looked up to see Jonathan standing over her, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. His gaze was so quiet and so penetrating that it seemed to reach down inside her. She felt something twist in her body and bit down on her lower lip. She let go of the frisbee and a surprised Charlie sat down in the snow.
Kelly got to her feet and brushed the snow from her jacket and jeans.
“I didn’t mean to spoil your fun,” Jonathan said from behind her.
“You didn’t.” The lie came easily to her lips. She headed toward the lodge. The light snow made walking easy, now; later it would be hard and crusty, then solid enough to walk on.
Jonathan followed beside her. As they neared the lodge, he took hold of her arm and held tightly when she tried to shrug it off.
“Let go of my arm,” she said tensely, glancing up at him.
“No.” He held her gaze as firmly as her arm. “Behave yourself, Kelly. I won’t be snubbed by my wife in front of anyone. Do you understand?” He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. “What we say and do is one thing in private and another in public.”
Tormented, she tried without success to break free of his hold. “I have my pride, too,” she retorted. “I won’t play the loving wife!”
“If you don’t, you’ll only make matters worse for yourself.”
“Worse! How can matters be worse than they are?” she hissed.
“Believe me, they could be much worse.”
They had reached the door and Jonathan held it open for her. Needing a chance to pull herself back together after their verbal combat, she took an unusually long time pulling off her boots and leaving them on the mat. She allowed him to help her with her jacket, then went toward the swinging doors leading to the kitchen. Half of her wanted to watch his reaction to the lodge; the other half wanted him to think she didn’t care a fig.
“There you are! I swear to goodness, I told Clyde we just might not see you all day. I know how it was when me and Clyde got together after we was apart.” Bonnie wiped her hands on her apron and held one of them out to Jonathan. “Now ain’t you a handsome feller? You rascal,” she said to Kelly. “You never told me nothin’ about a husband. If mine was as handsome as yours, I’d a been braggin’ all over the place.”
Jonathan laughed. “Kelly didn’t think I’d be able to get away so soon, Bonnie. That’s why she didn’t tell you about me.”
“I know she’s tickled you’re here now. Married folks was meant to be together. I ain’t for this woman libbers stuff. I want my man to lean on. Ain’t that right, Kelly?”
Kelly found her voice. “Oh, yes. Jonathan’s a pillar of strength.”
“Jonathan? Clyde said your name was Jack.” Bonnie looked up from her scant five feet to the man towering over her.
“That’s right. My name’s Jack. Only Kelly calls me Jonathan and that’s only part of the time.” His brown eyes glinted into her stormy blue ones. The look passed over Bonnie, who was waddling back to the stove in her fur-lined moccasins.
“I just fed Mike and sent him on his way.” Bonnie moved the big iron skillet onto the hot part of the range. “I swear if that kid’s legs ain’t holler. Ain’t one blessed thing wrong with his appetite. He ate three eggs, sausage, and hash browns, then topped it off with the last of the pie. What you gonna have, Jack?”
“I’ll take the same, Bonnie, but make it two eggs.”
“Over easy or wide awake?”
“If wide awake means sunny side up, that’s how I’ll take them.”
“Well, get on over here and get you some coffee. Get some for Kelly, too. She looks all tuckered out. Skinny as a rail, that girl. Now that you’re here, Jack, maybe we can fatten her up a little.” Bonnie dropped big pats of sausage into the hot skillet. “She’s worn herself out working around here. My land, you should’ve seen the mess this place was in. There wasn’t anything too heavy for her to lift, and nothing too hard for her to do. She just flew right in there and did it and wouldn’t wait one minute for the men. Mike takes things slow an’ easy. That boy don’t get in no hurry. He . . . Put the bread in the toaster, Jack.”
Kelly closed her eyes in frustration. “Mike works hard,” she said.
“I didn’t say he didn’t work, Kelly. I just said he was slow. Swear, if you ain’t somethin’ when it comes to stickin’ up for that boy!”
“I’d hardly call him a boy, Bonnie,” Kelly said drily and raised her eyes to see Jonathan watching her, the smile he had worn for Bonnie’s benefit gone. “Mike has done a lot of work around here,” she said, holding Jonathan’s eyes. “He’s never had anything given to him. He earned his share of this place.”
“I’m sure he did. Now that I’m here, I can take some of the workload off his shoulders.” Jonathan’s voice was kind, but his face was not. Kelly knew he was furious and was glad.
The plate of food Bonnie set in front of her caused Kelly’s stomach to lurch with hunger. She glanced up to see Jonathan’s brows rise questioningly. She could tell he was enjoying her discomfort.
“Not hungry this morning, darling?” he asked silkily.
Her eyes, filled with rage, flashed to his face. He returned the look with taunting amusement. The battle lines were drawn, she thought bitterly. She was bound to lose some of the encounters, but she was determined to win the war.
I am the captain of my fate.
The thought pounded in Kelly’s head while she went through the motions of checking the guest rooms to make sure everything was ready. In the middle of counting the number of extra blankets neatly stacked on a closet shelf, she stopped, put her clenched fists to her temples, and closed her eyes.
It was ridiculous to think she was captain of anything, least of all her own fate! She was being swept along on the tide of Jonathan’s overpowering personality. Already Bonnie and Clyde thought he was the greatest thing since fire. He was out there now, on one end of the big, two-man crosscut saw, helping Clyde cut the big logs into lengths to be further chopped into firewood. Kelly hoped Clyde worked him to death. She knew Jonathan would be too proud to stop even if he was about to drop in his tracks.
Kelly stayed at the lodge until the guests arrived, leaving only long enough to go to her own house and change into azure blue cord slacks and a matching turtleneck sweater that hid some of the gauntness of her slim hips. Clyde left in plenty of time to meet the train and Jonathan, taking his cue from Kelly, came up to the lodge after changing out of the sawdust-covered jeans and sweaty flannel shirt. He had bathed, and Kelly wondered if he had used cold water, or if he had carried it from the reservoir beside the cookstove. He had put on tan trousers and a brown loose-knit shirt with cream ribbing at the neck and cuffs.
He came to where Kelly was standing beside the window looking out toward the faint peak of Mount McKinley. She could smell the familiar aroma of his aftershave lotion. He didn’t speak and she moved away to turn on the lamps. It was three o’clock in the afternoon and already beginning to get dark. Soon they would be using electricity all day and the bills would pile up.
The guests were young, rowdy, and there were five of them instead of four. The girls had frizzed hair, thinly plucked eyebrows, and willowy figures once they removed their bulky snowmobile wear. The men had fashionably styled haircuts and expensive Nordic ski sweaters. Clyde set their suitcases inside the door, but when he started to remove his boots to carry the luggage to the rooms, Jonathan stopped him.
“I’ll take care of that, Clyde, if you want to put the car away.”
It was easy to tell what girl went with what man. One of the couples was rather short, the other of medium height. The odd man was taller and older than the others. He leaned on the small bar that served as a counter and eyed Kelly.
“Hello, snow-nymph. I don’t have a reservation. Are you going to throw me out?” His eyes ran over her like summer rain.
“That depends.” Kelly saw Jonathan edge closer to the desk.
“Yeah? On what?” He looked intrigued.
“On whether or not you behave yourself.” Her eyes glinted mischievously. He wasn’t the enemy, just a harmless man who liked to flirt. He looked like a nice guy.
“May I ask you a crazy question?” He grinned broadly.
“Sure. What’s the crazy question?”
“What’s a classy looking dame like you doing out here in the boonies?”
Kelly laughed. “That line went out with hula-hoops and mini-skirts.” She pushed the register toward him. “Sign your name and next of kin in case I decide to feed you to the bears.”
Doctor Andrew T. Mullins, Seattle, Washington. Without allowing a flicker of surprise to show on her face, she moved the book toward the other guests.
“We have three private rooms and a dormitory,” Kelly explained, looking at the tall doctor.
“We’ll take the three privates,” he said and threw a credit card down on the counter.
“You don’t need to pay now.” Kelly handed the card back to him and he squeezed her fingers.
“Going to run up the bill on me?” he teased.
“Hope so,” she retorted, and glanced at Jonathan.
He stood behind the other couples, his eyes riveted to her, his face a frowning mask. There was no doubt he was angry. He watched her with barely controlled impatience, his body shifting restlessly.
“Dinner’s at seven, but the coffee pot is always on. The swinging doors lead to the dining area, which is also the kitchen. This is a very informal lodge so make yourselves at home.”
Kelly almost broke into a grin when she saw Jonathan carrying the luggage down the hall. If only Katherine were here to see it! As the tall doctor turned to go, he winked at her and, feeling Jonathan’s eyes on her, she winked back.
In moments Jonathan returned from the bedrooms. “Pull another stunt like that,” he warned her, “and I’ll break your neck!”
“What are you talking about?” Kelly demanded, goading him.
He slammed his hand down on the desk. “You know very well what I’m talking about. That was a come-on if I ever saw one.” His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist.
Her face turned pale and their eyes locked in silent battle. Damn him! He was going to push, push, push, until he drove her out of her mind!
“Give up, Jonathan. Go back to your tinfoil world, your elegant papier-mâché friends and their lifeless parties, where they cut each other’s throats so politely. I don’t need you here.” She was surprised she could speak so calmly. Suddenly pale and haggard, he stared back as if he wasn’t seeing her at all. She jerked her hand free and headed for the kitchen.
“We have an extra guest, Bonnie,” she announced, taking a mug from the rack and pouring coffee as Jonathan followed through the swinging doors.
“Ain’t that great? I peeked when I heard ’em come in. Tonight we’re goin’ to have chicken fricassee and dumplins. Don’t that sound fancy? Kelly, get Jack a cup of coffee. That boy worked like a mule this mornin’.”
“Keep your seat, I’ll get it.” He laid his hand on her shoulder as he passed and Kelly steeled herself to keep from flinching.
“If you’re hungry, Jack, get yourself a piece of that carrot cake,” Bonnie ordered. “We’re goin’ to have baked custard tonight along with the French rolls, peas and onions in cream, and tossed salad.”
“Sounds good, Bonnie. Do you ever make Boston baked beans?” Jack glanced at Kelly and grinned. “My wife never learned to like them.”
“I make Oklahoma beans and they’d put them Boston beans to shame, Jack. I don’t blame Kelly none for not likin’ ’em.” Bonnie waddled between the stove and the counter, never glancing at the two seated at the trestle table. “One of these days I’ll cook up a batch of pinto beans, tomatoes, and
jalapeño
peppers. Top that off with a pan of good, old yellow cornbread and you never had anything so good in all your life.” Bonnie went into the pantry.
“We know what’s on the menu. What’s on the program for tonight?” Jonathan asked.
Kelly let out a deep sigh. It was so exhausting to be always sparring with him. As he turned to see if Bonnie was coming back into the room, she regarded him openly. His sharply etched profile seemed to be carved from granite. He was handsome, strong, and ruthless. Here, in the Alaskan wilderness, he seemed to take on a ruggedly masculine appearance totally different from the suave, socially prominent man of Boston. There was no doubt he stirred her physically. But did she feel love or hate?
His brown eyes held a question when he swung around to her, and she gave an involuntary shiver. What did he want from her? He had no need for a woman’s enduring love. With that arrogant face, imperious head, and cultured background, he could get any woman he wanted. She put her hand to her breast as if to press her heart into obedience. She didn’t want to love him. She wanted to be her own woman, not chained to him by the strength of her feelings.