Midnight Sons Volume 2 (31 page)

“The sky,” Sawyer repeated, pointing his fork at the eight-year-old. “I’ll have to tell Matt about that.”

Abbey rolled her eyes. “Just what did you three masters of romance finally suggest?”

Sawyer set aside his fork and planted his elbows on the table. He leaned forward as if he was about to confide a wonderful secret.

“We’re all ears,” Abbey told her husband.

Sawyer spoke to the children. “Remember the time I took you and your mother to Abbey Lake?”

Both children nodded enthusiastically.

Sawyer beamed. “That’s it.”

“You mean you suggested Matt take Karen swimming?” Abbey remembered how cold the water had been, and the water fight that had ensued.

“Not swimming exactly,” Sawyer said.

Abbey studied him expectantly.

“I thought the most romantic thing he could do was take Karen camping.”

“Camping?”
Abbey exploded.

“And fishing. Ben made a point of telling him he should let Karen do the cooking, too. Women feel real proprietary about those sorts of things,” he added as though he was an expert on the subject.

“Oh, Sawyer,” Abbey groaned, closing her eyes.

“Yup,” he boasted. “That’s what romance is all about. Taking a woman into the wilds, letting her share the wilderness experience.”

Abbey buried her face in her hands.

“Great idea, don’t you think?”

Abbey slowly shook her head. “Where, oh, where did I go wrong?”

You know what I was just thinking?” Karen said over dinner. She studied Matt, who sat across the round oak table from her. Without guests, it made sense for them to dine in the kitchen, something they’d done all week.

Matt’s look was absent, and he seemed absorbed in his own thoughts.

“Matt?”

“Sorry,” he said, glancing up.

“I went over your books this afternoon.” Karen half expected him to complain that his finances were none of her affair, and he’d be right. The lodge was his business, not hers.

“Did I make a mistake, mark the debits as credits?” he joked.

Matt would never make such an error, not after the months of training he’d received while working for one of Anchorage’s largest accounting firms. “No, of course not.”

The fact was, Matt was far more qualified than she to handle the books.

“I’m surprised at how well you’re doing financially.”

“It looks promising, doesn’t it?” According to his reservation list, the dogsledding tours were booked solid. He’d collected a nonrefundable advance fee from each client. Despite herself, Karen was impressed with the way he’d handled the lodge’s finances.

“You might think about hiring someone to help you this winter.”

“Really?” Her suggestion appeared to surprise him. “You mean other than housekeeping?”

“Eventually you’ll need some help in the kitchen and a couple more maids,” Karen said. “And I was thinking you might want someone to pinch-hit for you with the winter tours.” Since the baby was due in January, shortly before the first tour was scheduled, Karen was beginning to worry that Matt would be too busy to spend time with her. Although he’d arranged for professional mushers to train, supply and escort the participants, he’d be on the trail himself, hauling food, tents and other essentials. He’d be the one setting up camp each evening, cooking the meals, getting everything ready for the arrival of the dog teams.

“Why would I want to hire anyone just yet?”

Karen studied her stir-fry and pushed the snow peas around her plate. How could the man not realize that the dates of his winter tours conflicted with her due date? She wanted Matt with her when the baby was born, but more than that, she wanted him to
want
to be with her. However, it wasn’t something she’d ask of him.

“No reason,” she murmured, doing her best to hide her disappointment. “Looking over your ledgers, I thought you’d be able to afford a couple of extra employees.”

“I don’t see why,” he said without elaborating.

“Oh.” Her appetite gone, Karen carried her plate to the sink. She stood with her back to him, collecting her composure.

Karen had done everything she could think of to push Matt
out of her life. It shouldn’t surprise her that he wasn’t going to be available when she needed him. Maybe she should let him know how she felt, but the words stuck like a fish bone trapped in her throat.

“You sound disappointed,” Matt said.

“No, no, the lodge is your business. It was a suggestion, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.”

Later that evening, Karen was sitting on the porch knitting a blanket for the baby when Matt eased himself into the chair next to hers.

“I’ve been doing some thinking,” he said.

“About what?” The knitting needles made soft clicking noises, and she jerked the soft pastel-green yarn.

“You’ve been taking a few phone reservations for the fishing tours lately.”

“Yes.” Karen was astonished by how many people booked their vacations a year or more in advance. If the orders coming in for the next summer were any indication of what was to follow, Matt would be sold out before the end of the current year. She’d had no idea that people would be willing to spend this kind of money to catch a few measly fish.

“I, uh, suspect there’s been the occasional question you couldn’t answer.” He knew that to be true. More than once, she’d had to write down questions, ask Matt for the answers and then phone back.

“Yes,” she said.

“It seems to me you’d be able to deal with that type of question better if you’d gone out on a fishing trip yourself.”

“You want me to fly hundreds of miles from here to fish and camp so I can answer travel agents’ questions?” That seemed a little extreme to her.

“Sure,” Matt replied as though this made perfect sense to him. “You’ll love it.”

“We’ll camp…in a
tent?
” Perhaps there was some other accommodation he hadn’t told her about.

“It’s the only way to go,” Matt said, looking delighted with the idea.

“We’ll cook over a camp stove?”

“You’ve never had better-tasting meals.”

Karen didn’t quite believe that.

“So, what do you say?”

She looked at him in shock. They’d been married four years and he apparently hadn’t noticed she wasn’t the camping type. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she thought, then stopped herself.

Matt was right. This was exactly the sort of thing she should do.

“If you agree, we can leave in the morning,” Matt coaxed, his eyes twinkling.

“Will we be gone one night or two?”

“Whatever you want.”

“One night…You’re sure you want to do this?” Karen didn’t want to be difficult, but she did enjoy the more basic comforts.

“Of course I’m sure,” Matt said. “We’ll have a wonderful time, just you wait and see.”

Karen would’ve been more than willing to wait. But she wanted to support Matt, and if that meant traipsing around the tundra, then she’d prove what a good sport she was by doing it.

Mariah Douglas waited for the paper to come out of the printer, then reread the letter she’d composed on Sawyer’s behalf.

The phone rang and she reached for the receiver. “Midnight Sons. Mariah speaking. How may I help you?” The static on the line told her it was a long-distance call.

“Mariah?”

“Tracy!”

She was thrilled to hear from Tracy Santiago. They’d become good friends and corresponded regularly. Tracy was the Seattle attorney Mariah’s family had hired when they’d learned she’d accepted the position with Midnight Sons.

At the time there’d been a lot of publicity, some positive and some negative, about the O’Hallorans “luring” women north.

Although Mariah had repeatedly reassured her parents that everything was fine, they’d insisted on having the O’Hallorans investigated. They’d hired Tracy to fly up and check everything out. The attorney had asked a lot of questions, which made some people uneasy, and she’d inadvertently stirred up bad feelings. Mariah didn’t blame her; Tracy was only doing her job.

Unfortunately Mariah had already started out on the wrong foot with one of her bosses—Christian O’Halloran. When Tracy showed up, the youngest O’Halloran brother had held Mariah personally responsible and labeled her a troublemaker. From that day forward, he’d actively looked for an excuse to fire her. Mariah was certain she would’ve been laid off long before now if it hadn’t been for Charles and Sawyer.

From that rocky beginning, things had quickly deteriorated. Lately her relationship with Christian had become worse than usual. The incident at the wedding reception—when he’d spilled punch on himself—hadn’t helped. He hadn’t actually said so, but she knew he blamed her.

“I’m calling in an official capacity,” Tracy explained. “It’s been a year now, and your commitment to Midnight Sons is over.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Will you be moving back to Seattle?”

Mariah’s family had probably put Tracy up to this, but Mariah didn’t even consider the suggestion. In the past twelve months, she’d come to love Alaska and Hard Luck. For the first time in her life, she was out from under her family’s dominance. She made her own decisions—and, consequently, her own mistakes.

“I’m staying right here,” Mariah said.

“You’re happy, then?” Tracy asked, sounding unsurprised, perhaps even a bit wistful.

“Very happy.”

“What about the other women?”

“So far, everything’s worked out really well.”

The door swung open, and Duke Porter walked into the mobile office. Mariah’s gaze followed the bush pilot. She didn’t know what it was about Tracy and Duke, but those two definitely rubbed each other the wrong way. Mariah had watched the sparks flash whenever they were together—and yet they seemed to gravitate toward each other. It was an interesting phenomenon.

Personally Mariah liked Duke. True, he was a bit of a chauvinist, but a lot of what he said was simply for show. Or provocation. He’d toss out the most ridiculous comments just to rile everyone, then sit back and look pleased with himself. Tracy’s problem was that she’d taken Duke at his word.

“I don’t know if you remember Matt,” Mariah said conversationally. “He’s the one who bought the old lodge from the O’Hallorans. It’s in full operation now, and his ex-wife, Karen, is back with him. Oh, and Abbey’s pregnant. Karen, too. And Mitch and Bethany are married. So how’s everything with you, Tracy?” She purposely used the other woman’s name, expecting a reaction from Duke.

He didn’t disappoint her. No sooner had the lawyer’s name left her lips than Duke wheeled around. “Is that highfalutin lawyer bugging you again?” he demanded.

“Just a minute, Tracy,” Mariah said and held her hand over the mouthpiece. “Did you say something, Duke?”

“Is that Tracy Santiago?” he asked.

“Yes.” Mariah nearly laughed out loud at the way fire seemed to ignite in Duke’s eyes. Tracy was probably the only woman
to challenge the laughable things Duke said and did. He didn’t much like it.

Mariah always got a chuckle out of Duke’s heated response to Tracy. In fact, everyone laughed; nevertheless, Mariah sensed that Duke and Tracy could be good friends if they’d put their differences aside.

“What’s she want?” Duke asked.

“To talk to me,” Mariah informed him sweetly, turning her back to him. “I’m here,” she told Tracy.

Duke strolled over to Mariah’s desk in a blatant effort to catch what he could of the conversation. He didn’t bother to hide his eavesdropping.

“Is that Duke Porter I hear?” Tracy’s usually controlled voice went chilly.

“If you two ever made the effort, you might be friends,” Mariah said to them both.

“I’d rather be friends with a skunk,” Duke said loudly enough to be heard in Fairbanks.

“You tell Mr. Chauvinist I’d rather clean fish than have anything to do with him,” Tracy snapped.

“Does she have a reason for calling or is she just hoping to stir up more trouble?” Duke asked, making sure Tracy heard that, as well.

“Mariah, listen, this doesn’t sound like a good time for us to talk. Why don’t you give me a call if you need anything.” Tracy hesitated. “You know, I’ve come to think of you and the other women as my friends.”

“You
are
a friend,” Mariah assured her.

“With a friend like that, who needs—”

“Duke, enough,” Mariah said, glaring at him.

“All right, all right,” he muttered as he moved away from her desk.

“You’ll keep in touch?” Tracy asked.

“Of course,” Mariah promised. “Thanks for calling, Trace. It was good to hear from you.”

She was about to replace the receiver when Tracy giggled and said, “Mariah?”

“Yeah?”

“Is Duke still there?”

“Yup.”

Tracy giggled again. “Do something for me, would you?”

“Sure.”

“Go over to him and kiss him and tell him it’s from me. Then ask if I’m still his favorite feminist.”

Mariah grinned. “You’re
sure
you want me to do this?”

“Positive. I just wish I could see the look on his face when you tell him that kiss is from me.”

“You got it,” Mariah said, and she hung up the phone.

Duke studied her quizzically. “What did she want
this
time?”

Mariah rolled back her chair. Her eyes on his, she stood and walked slowly toward him. He was obviously uncomfortable with the way she’d focused her attention on him.

“Mariah?” Duke glanced around, then started moving backward as she continued her approach. He cleared his throat and glanced in both directions. “What’s the matter with you? You look like something out of
The Exorcist.
”

“Tracy asked me to give you this,” she said, making her voice low and sultry.

When Duke was backed right up to the wall, Mariah braced her hands on both sides of his face. Duke’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak. He didn’t get a chance.

Mariah planted her mouth firmly over his.

Duke squirmed.

Mariah heard the door open, but paid no heed.

“Mariah!” Christian yelped. “Duke! What the hell is going on here?”

“You didn’t tell me my feet were going to get wet,” Karen complained as they trudged along the marshy banks of the lake. Sawyer had delivered them by float plane to the prime fishing area where Matt brought his clients. The plane had taxied as close to shore as possible, but they’d had to walk the rest of the way in. Through the water. No one had bothered to tell her this, Karen thought with some bitterness.