Chapter Twelve
L ate Saturday morning, Lee peered through the windshield at the clear blue sky. There was an actual sun low but visible above the hills. Sunrise now occurred around nine thirty a.m. She’d been here only three weeks and had grown accustomed to the late twilight dawn and early dusk. Now it surprised her how she could feel the difference in an extra hour of daylight as she left January behind.
Five miles west of town, she watched for the righthand turn off the lightly traveled state highway that would take her to Maverick’s lodge. She had Googled his business, and the website’s pictures showed the beautiful surrounding area in various seasons. Wiggling her toasty fingers in the glove liners with Gore-Tex mittens on top, thanks to Maverick’s recommendation, she took a breath in and out, trying to slow her pattering heartbeat.
She shifted in the seat. The layers of fleece underneath her snow pants made the backs of her knees sweat.
Maverick had said to bring good gear for cold weather.
The shopping spree at Three Bears had been financially and fashionably ambitious. Unfortunately, now she wore all of it. Lee tugged at her neckline, letting some air pass between insulative thermal shirts, a vest, and a zipped jacket. So warm. Rookie mistake.
At the temperature readout on the dashboard, she shook her head. Minus ten outside but a tropical sauna in her polar expedition outfit. Welp, learn a new lesson every day.
She glanced at the paper map he had left for her in an envelope in the doctors’ lounge. That was what their communication had boiled down to—notes left at drop locations. And silly, random texts.
Right before she turned, a large maroon SUV peeled out of the side road and fishtailed onto the highway, the engine revving as it barely missed hitting her car.
Lee yelped and stomped the brakes but immediately eased off the pedal, somehow remembering that sudden stops increased the likelihood of wrecking on a snowy road. Thankfully, no one traveled on the road behind her, or she’d have been rear-ended.
Crawling to a stop, she sat, unable to move, hands still gripping the wheel, heart thumping against her ribs. What the heck?
Another peek in the rearview mirror—the SUV had nearly disappeared. Lee flicked the turn signal with a shaking hand and eased her sedan onto the plowed gravel dirt road that led to Mav’s home. Next to the narrow drive, towers of snow rose higher than her vehicle’s roof.
After a few hundred feet, leafless trees and dark green spruces rose on either side of the drive, creating a cocoon out of the wilderness. The state highway was only a short distance behind her, but as she wound around gentle switchbacks that seemed fitted around the stands of trees, it felt like she traveled to the very end of the Earth.
A few more minutes of carefully navigating up and over a hillside, then the road finally leveled into an open parking area.
As she pulled up near to what looked like the front door, she leaned forward and peered out. “Wow.”
A massive rustic log home appeared as if it rose from the forest. It was surrounded by snow-covered trees. A steep roof with frozen icicles off metal eaves capped a covered front entrance that projected out to a small porch with three stairs leading to the ground. She identified the feature as a typical Arctic entry that held boots and coats before opening into the rest of the main house. The two-story lodge—more like a lodge than a simple house—had a one-story section added to the right side of the structure, only half-visible due to the feet of snow on the ground.
She parked and opened her door, snagging her backpack that contained even more winter gear. With this many layers on, the cold didn’t touch her.
Wind gusted over her. Brr . Except for her exposed face.
Frantic yaps rose from behind the house. The babies.
Off to the left of the lodge stood three small cabins, their roofs barely visible with the snow all around. A clear path was plowed to the first cabin’s porch. Six snowmobiles with covers on them were parked nearby.
She glimpsed distant mountains, partially visible through breaks in the stands of trees next to the lodge. Crisp, fresh air with a hint of woodsmoke enticed her to inhale again. Back in northeast Georgia, she had vacationed in a rental cabin that was tucked in the picturesque southern Appalachian mountains, but she’d never experienced a remote, stark, and beautiful setting like this one.
The front door opened, and Maverick stepped out. He wore a pine-green-and-black-checked button-down shirt with leather patches on the shoulders. The shirt tucked into dark gray pants that hugged his hips and muscled thighs with rugged perfection. The thick boots he wore were halfway unlaced and loose at the calf, like he’d quickly pulled them on to greet her. He leaned against the doorframe, like he was a part of the Alaskan scenery.
“You found it.” His low voice cut through the cold morning like a clear bell.
“Almost didn’t survive the trip.” She closed the door and tromped in her new insulated boots on the snow-packed gravel.
Stopping at the foot of the three steps, she looked up. Maverick stood, feet shoulder width apart, like a hardy mountain man in his domain and utterly unfazed by the subzero temperatures.
He extended his bare hand to help her ascend the steps. She stopped on the small square entry porch, and he released the firm grasp.
“Can I take your bag?” he asked.
She handed it to him. “Sure.”
“What happened that you almost didn’t make it here?”
“An SUV just about ran me over coming out of this driveway. Were those the guests?”
“Damn it.” A scowl marred his appearance as a congenial host. “Sorry.”
“Yikes. Well, they must be enjoying their stay.”
“A little too much.” He ran a hand over surprisingly tame hair and shrugged. “Come on in.” A wary, uneasy expression furrowed his brow as he looked at the entry then back to Lee.
As though he worried what she would think.
Lee stepped into the entry and sat on the bench to tug off her boots and hang her coat. Thick, quick clacks and a whuff preceded two paws on her knee with a small wolfish head studying her.
“Oh, hi there, honey.” She smiled. The dog had gray around the muzzle, brown eyes that gazed up at her, and a wildly whipping tail. Short, scruffy hair covered her head, but that tail was a waving flag of long fluff.
“Kenai, down, girl.” The dog reluctantly complied with a baleful expression toward Maverick.
“It’s okay.” Lee took off her mittens and glove liners and set them on the bench. She gave the dog the back of her hand to sniff. After receiving an approving lick, Lee scratched behind the dog’s ears and jowls and crooned, “You’re a pretty one, Kenai.” The dog put her paws right back up on Lee’s leg and huffed. “My goodness, so friendly.”
“Not to everyone. Usually she’s shy around strangers.” He gestured. “This is different for her.”
“Seems perfectly social to me.” Lee gave several solid pats against Kenai’s flank. “Wow, she’s solid.”
“Kenai is a keeper. Also, she’s middle-aged.”
Lee tilted her head up. “What’s that mean?”
“A keeper means that she can eat two kibbles and still gain weight.” He grinned. “As for her normal attitude, I would call her standoffishly able to tolerate other humans, but not affectionate .”
Lee cupped the dog’s head and gazed into the soulful brown eyes. “Girl, same. I identify with all of you.”
Maverick chuckled and cupped an elbow to help Lee stand. He studied her, paused, started to smile, then pressed his lips together. His blue eyes twinkled.
“What?” she said.
He shook his head.
Lee patted her dense clothing. “What? Too much?”
“How are you not roasting in all of that?”
She looked down at the bunched-up rolls of insulated layers upon layers. It was a little difficult to move. “I might look like a marshmallow, but I’m warm.” Wiping her damp brow, she said, “Fine. You’re right. It’s too much clothing. I didn’t know what to wear. If we’re not going out right away, I might peel off a few layers.” Lee unzipped the polar fleece jacket and shrugged it off.
“Need help?”
She whipped her head around.
A tilt of his chin and rueful expression warmed her more than snuggling into a thick coat. “With balancing.” He grinned. “While you peel.”
“ Hmmph .” After a few more hops and shimmies and Maverick’s solid supporting arm, Lee made it down to the base layer of thick fleece leggings, a Capilene long-sleeve top, a lightweight synthetic vest, and wool socks.
Maverick’s blue gaze swept over her, narrowing as his scrutiny drifted down to her legs. She wasn’t indecent. Heck, she was more clothed than her mom’s Lululemon-clad friends brunching after Pilates class.
That flash of desire in his eyes triggered a heat building low in her abdomen that had nothing to do with being overdressed.
Actually, it had everything to do with being overdressed. Shoo wee .
Quit it . What her ovaries wanted, what her temporary situation necessitated, and what her heart could handle were three very different things.
What if her situation became permanent? The minute that thought hit her brain she squashed it. Yukon Valley was a financial means to an end, plain and simple. And a temporary one at that.
“Come on, then. I’ll give you the grand tour.” He motioned for her to precede him.
Lee and Kenai followed.