28. Grant
Chapter Twenty-Eight
GRANT
I leaned on the railing of the walkway, the sound of rushing water filling the air.
I had flown a group out to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park & Preserve.
This area became famous due to the live video showing the massive brown bears who fed on the salmon here.
Of course, it was also a place of breathtaking beauty.
I'd seen my fair share of bears and preferred to stay at a comfortable distance at all times.
“Hey, Grant,” a feminine voice reached me.
I turned to see Lacey Haynes approaching. “Hey, Lacey, what are you doing out here?” I asked.
“What do you think I'm doing out here?” she countered when she stopped beside me.
I smiled at her. Lacey was a kick-ass wilderness guide and married to Quinn Haynes. “I thought you were pregnant,” I commented.
“I am,” she replied with a grin. “But I can still hike. This is my last trip before I stay put in Diamond Creek.” With her auburn hair and sparkling green eyes, Lacey had an earthy beauty to her. “How long are you here?” she asked.
“Oh, I've got a whole tour group. We're stopping here for a night, and then I'm flying them to another stop. They’re fishing and doing all the things, so a few more puddle jumpers.” Puddle jumper flights in Alaska were the short flights people took all over the wilderness since most of the state was only accessible by boat or plane.
“Flying over here isn't really a puddle,” she offered.
I chuckled. “True.”
She rested her elbows on the railing, and we watched a brown bear snatch a salmon in its jaws.
“So how are you and Harley?”
Lacey’s question startled me. “Excuse me?”
“Aren't you two a thing?” She waved her hand in the air.
“What do you mean ‘a thing’?”
“Oh my God, Grant. I think you know what I mean.”
I pressed my tongue into my cheek as I shook my head. “Okay, fine. I guess we were involved. Then we had an argument. I'm not really sure what our status is right now,” I answered honestly.
“What was the argument about?”
“Are you always this nosy?” I asked.
“Grant, we're in the middle of freaking nowhere. The group I brought over is out hiking for the day, and I'm just here killing time. We might as well discuss something juicy.”
I chuckled. “Fair enough. Well, she's got this heart problem, and she hasn't really kept me up to speed. It's possible I overreacted.”
“It's possible? That means you overreacted,” she deadpanned.
I bit back a sigh.
“Is it because of your mom?” Lacey grew up in Diamond Creek, so she knew my family’s history.
“Maybe I worry about medical stuff more than the average person.”
“Yeah. Like Quinn.”
“Uh, he's a doctor,” I pointed out dryly.
“Not like that. I have MS, so he worries extra about me. Your mom died of a heart condition that nobody knew she had, so you worry a little extra about people you love. Once something like that happens, it's kind of a thing.”
I stared out over the river, watching as a bear leaned down and snatched a salmon out of the water, eating it right there by the shore. “I guess you have a point,” I finally said.
“Does Harley know that?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“She's independent,” Lacey offered.
“How well do you know her?” I returned.
She shrugged. “Takes one to know one.”
I chuckled. “Ah, I see.”
“Quinn and I have been together for years. He’s still not happy with my job choice.”
“Didn’t he used to do guiding trips with you?”
“He still does here and there, but he prefers for me to stay close to home. I don’t always do that, and he’s learned to live with it. We have a plan for emergencies, and my MS is under control. But I get it. Some of us just have that streak, and the people who love us have to deal with it.”
The minute she said that, my heart lunged in my chest, kicking up a racket against my ribs.
“You have a reaction to the idea of love, huh?” she pressed.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Lacey.”
She grinned. “It seems like Harley means something to you.
No judgment, but you don't really do relationships. Not that I know of.” I stayed quiet, but I knew she had a point.
I didn't for a long time because I had other priorities. “It’s just a vibe, but I think you and Harley might be a good thing,” she added.
“You think?”
“Yeah. You're not going to get scared away by an independent woman.” She nodded firmly in emphasis with that.
Harley exuded a sense of independence, of boldness, as if she dared anyone to question her. I thought back to the very first night I kissed her after she chased off a moose with a shovel and a rock.
“No, that doesn't scare me off,” I agreed.
“So tell Harley how you feel,” Lacey pressed.
“I can't exactly do that right now. Communication isn't that convenient here.”
“As soon as you get back then.”
I absorbed that. “This was an unexpected conversation,” I finally said.
“Deep moments with Lacey Haynes in the wilderness,” she offered dryly.
I burst out laughing at that. “Fair enough. When's the baby due?”
“Five months. Like I said, Quinn and I have to compromise sometimes. I told him this was my last trip, so I'll stick to it. I do lots locally, though. I do mostly management these days. I don't lead many hikes myself, but I like seeing places.”
“You've been here. Lots,” I pointed out.
“I know, and I love it. Every time I look at that…” She gestured toward the river. A brown bear was in the falls, and two were along the river's shore. She lifted her hand higher, gesturing to the mountain ridge in the distance. “It's Alaska. It never fails to take my breath away.”
“I know.”
We smiled at each other. A moment later, a raven flew past, the sound of its wings swishing through the air.