Chapter 21
K reston
Kreston had never chased after anyone in his life. Not in his Manhattan days, when women were drawn to his success like mosquitoes to tourists. And not in Polar Creek, where his chick-magnet charm made him every woman’s favorite bachelor. He’d always been pursued, never the pursuer.
Until now.
The Beaver’s engine hummed as he ratcheted up his airspeed toward Talkeetna, racing toward the early winter sunset.
Janet had called his cell to say Bob was stable, but they’d be staying another day or two in Anchorage. Jessie called to remind him about the Christmas brunch tomorrow morning, and Kreston seized the opportunity to let her know he wouldn’t be back until then. He didn’t elaborate, and when she bombarded him with questions, he pretended static and dropped the call. He knew the suspense would drive her insane.
He scanned his recent calls and texts, but nothing from Sadie. Then it hit him like a 747—they hadn’t exchanged phone numbers. There hadn’t been a need for it, yet he still cursed himself for not doing it.
“Talkeetna Traffic, DeHavilland N565TA, do you copy?”
“N565TA, Talkeetna. Go ahead. ”
“Incoming from Anchorage. ETA thirty minutes.” His voice stayed steady despite his racing heart and what he was about to do. “Request permission to land.”
“Copy that, N565TA,” replied the Talkeetna tower. “Winds are calm with unlimited visibility. A Christmas miracle kind of day.”
Kreston hoped so. The sun hung low over the Alaska Range, painting Denali’s rugged face in shades of rose and gold. Kreston was savvy enough not to attempt night flying near these massifs without certification. He knew the terrain, but the eyes played tricks on you in the pitch black, no matter how much snow lit things up.
As usual, these past few days, his thoughts drifted to Sadie. Like how she’d taken charge after finding Ten Second Tess in the snow. He admired her cheerful demeanor in the early morning, and how she chatted with Tucker and Ten Second Tess like old friends, despite Tess never remembering her name.
And kissing her with every ounce of passion he possessed. She understood the part of him that worried about failing others. They were similar in that regard. Sadie was a kindred spirit...and soul mate material.
Kreston urged his plane to eat up the miles between him and the woman who’d become front and center in his life in such a brief time. In Manhattan, he’d chased success until it destroyed him. In Polar Creek, he’d chased redemption to make up for the destruction.
Chasing this woman was different. He wanted her to stay in his life and hadn’t felt this way about anyone in a long time. Sadie was intelligent, funny, compassionate, and beautiful. He’d use every power of persuasion to convince her to stay.
Kreston landed in the soft winter twilight just as the sun dropped below the mountains. Good timing. He put his plane to bed next to a hangar and used his cell to call Denali Roadhouse for a shuttle. It was only half a mile away. If he had more energy, he’d walk. But it was cold, and he was worn out from all the flying.
On the way to the Roadhouse, Kreston asked the driver how business was today.
“Picked up a woman from Polar Creek and took her to the resort, but that’s about it. We don’t get many guests on Christmas Eve other than family reunion parties or locals who want a holiday getaway from Fairbanks and Anchorage.”
“Was she, by any chance, a redhead?” asked Kreston.
“Come to think of it, yes.” The driver pulled up to the front of the roadhouse. “And quite the beauty. Friend of yours?”
“Something like that.” Kreston climbed out, his trusty emergency backpack over his shoulder. Inside were a change of clothes and a toothbrush—ready for whatever came his way.
The Denali Roadhouse glowed with warmth and Christmas lights as Kreston opened the tall wooden door and ambled in. He crossed the gleaming wood floors to stand before the check-in desk.
“Well, well, well. Look what the ravens dragged in,” simpered Rochelle, greeting him.
“Hey Rochelle, fancy meeting you here.” He smiled. “Been a long time. How are you doing?”
“Not too shabby. Looks like you’re doing okay.” Her eyes roved him. “Let’s see. I have a hunch why you suddenly popped out of the blue. She’s in the restaurant.” Smirking, Rochelle pointed to his right .
Surprised at her incredible psychic ability, he swiveled his head toward the Eagle’s Perch restaurant.
“Seriously? She told you about me?” His voice rose upon learning his worlds had collided—his ex and his...his what?
Current girlfriend, he decided once and for all.
She folded her arms. “I met your Sadie and talked to her.”
“She’s not my Sadie,” he mumbled. “Not yet, anyway. Why were you both talking about me?” He shook his head, baffled.
How do women talk about stuff like this right after meeting each other?
Rochelle gave him a lopsided grin. “It was more like I asked her, since she’d just arrived from Polar Creek. Plus, I’m no dummy. She had a pouty, lovesick thing going on. I figured it probably had something to do with you.”
“You make it sound like I chase every woman in Alaska.” He tilted his head with bewildered interest. “And what did she say?”
Rochelle tipped her head toward The Perch. “Why don’t you go ask her?”
“Okay, thanks. I don’t know for what, but...thanks.” He took a deep breath and headed inside the restaurant.
Rochelle hollered after him. “I wouldn’t screw this up if I were you.”
He halted for a fleeting moment, then continued inside the dimly lit but decorative restaurant. Candles flickered on the tables, and twinkling holiday lights created a cozy ambiance. A fire crackled in a hearth on one wall, giving off a familiar woodsy smell.
“There she is,” he said under his breath, spotting an auburn-haired woman sitting in a booth with her back to him, firelight playing in her hair.
“That doesn’t look like Arctic char to me,” he drawled from behind her.
She whirled around, disbelief flickering across her face.
“Oh my God, Kreston!” she practically shrieked. She bolted from the booth and threw her arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Couldn’t let you go without saying goodbye,” he whispered, eyeing people at other tables staring at them. He couldn’t care less who stared. He was just happy to see her.
“How’s Hardware Bob? I heard what happened.” She backed up, motioning to the seat across from her. “Take a load off. Have you eaten?”
“Bob’s stable but still in the Anchorage hospital for another day or two. And no, I haven’t eaten.” He wondered if she heard his gurgling stomach.
“Thank goodness. I felt bad that Lucky had to fly me, since you had to take Bob and Janet to Anchorage,” she said. Just like Sadie to be concerned about everyone else.
“I didn’t mind. It all worked out.” He slid into the booth and removed his parka, setting it to the side. “Sorry I didn’t talk to you before you left. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“Did you have another reason to fly to Talkeetna?” she asked in a tentative voice.
“No reason other than to see you.”
Her expression softened as his words registered. “No one has ever come after me.”
His eyes met hers. “I’ve never gone after anyone before. ”
“Why are you doing it now?”
There it was. His moment of truth: what he should have told her a thousand times in the last week if he hadn’t been such a chickenshit.
“Well, for starters.” He rested his forearms on the table. “It’s the way you handle crisis with grace. How you get to the heart of what matters. The way you make Ten Second Tess feel valued, even though she forgets who the heck you are.”
“Is that all?” Firelight glittered gold in her hair.
He wanted to do unmentionable things to her.
“You’re the part of my life I didn’t know was missing—until you arrived.”
Her amber eyes sparkled. “Really? You aren’t kidding me?”
Kreston sat back and folded his arms. “I don’t kid about things like that.”
A server appeared, and he greeted her. “I’ll have your Halibut Olympia and mashed potatoes. And a hot buttered rum. It’s Christmas Eve. Why not?” He shrugged at Sadie.
“You’re right, why not? I’ll have a rum, too,” she told the server, who nodded and stepped away.
Kreston motioned at her half-eaten plate of salmon. “Are you done with that?” He had a slight headache after not eating all day. “If you don’t mind. I’m starving.”
“Sure. Help yourself.” She pushed her plate toward him.
“All I had today was a stale granola bar.” He gratefully accepted her leftovers and devoured them.
“Don’t forget to save room for your halibut,” she said, laughing.
“Not a problem.” He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and slid the empty plate to the edge of the table.
“About the part where you said something was missing from your life until I showed up in Polar Creek. Can you elaborate?” She gave him a close-mouthed smile.
“First, I’d like you to elaborate. Why did you take off like a meteor when I kissed you the night of the party?” He looked up at the ceiling, thinking. “Was it last night or the night before? I’ve lost track of time.”
She traced the rim of her water glass. “I wrote you an email, then deleted it. How do you explain you’re terrified of wanting someone because you’re afraid of taking a risk and being hurt again?”
“Sadie, I think we’ve reached a point where you can confide in me. At least, I hope we have. Once it goes in here...” he pointed to his ear. “It stays in lock-up without a key.”
“There’s the other part of the equation.” She flicked her eyes at him. “Can I trust you?”
“Does a moose drop nuggets?” He threw his arms up. “Yes, you can trust me. You shouldn’t even have to ask. It’s a given.” So, this was her issue. He berated himself for not thinking of it.
She laughed at his predictable moose comment and rested her forearms on the table.
“I have a corner office and a six-figure salary, with a stellar reputation for what I do. And I hate it.” She looked at him directly. “Hate managing other people’s screw-ups. Hate watching celebrities destroy others’ lives along with their own and then expect me to make their problems vanish, like I’m David Copperfield.”
“And now?” he asked. “Let me guess. You’re wondering if you climbed the wrong mountain. ”
“Maybe not the wrong mountain, but I got lost on the one I climbed.” She looked up at him. “How did you walk away from everything you worked so hard for?”
“I crashed and burned. There was no other choice.” He gave her a wry smile. “Best thing that ever happened to me. Learned the difference between success and fulfillment.”
A server set down Kreston’s halibut and the two cups of hot beverages. Soft Christmas music in the background played as he dug into his mashed potatoes and halibut, then sipped his hot buttered rum. He closed his eyes and leaned back.
“Ah, so good, so good.”
She studied him, her chin resting on her hand. “You still eat like a Manhattan executive. Perfect manners. Precise, elegant movements.”
He snorted. “Elegant? You analyze people like you work in public relations or something,” he teased. “Tell me, why did you choose PR work?”
“I thought I could do good for people. And I did, as I worked my way up the reputation ladder.” She sipped her rum. “Now, all I do is make problems disappear and repair images for the rich and famous. Mostly professional athletes who can do no wrong.”
She gave him a plaintive look. “Is that what you did? Choose Polar Creek?”
“Polar Creek chose me. Like it chose Tucker, Jessie, and the others.” He reached across the table to hold her hand. “Like it’s chosen you, if you’re brave enough to let it.”
“I can’t just abandon my life, Kreston—” she yanked her hand away, shaking her head.
He interrupted. “I’m not suggesting you do. But what if you come back with me to Polar Creek and stay through New Year’s? See if what we have so far is worth pursuing?”
Her eyes met his, vulnerable and searching. “What do we have so far?”
“Here’s the thing. You’re the first woman I’ve wanted to spend time with since forever...like treading solid ground after years of tiptoeing on ice.” He hesitated. “Do you want to spend time with me, too?”
She swallowed, her gaze locked on his. “That’s all I want to do.”
Sadie ignited the simmering flame that had flickered in his heart from day one.
“Neither of us is getting any younger. We’re both pushing forty. Let’s stop wasting time and being afraid to love again,” Kreston said softly. “You don’t have to stay forever. Just one more week. The worst that could happen is we find we aren’t compatible. Then we go our separate ways.”
“I’m scared,” she whispered. “Scared of wanting this with you.”
“Look, Sadie, I’m not the cheating kind. I won’t cheat on you, if that’s what’s holding you back. I would never do that.”
She leaned back and let out a long exhale. “All right. You talked me into it. We’ll test-drive each other for another week.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he chirped, happy as hell he’d convinced her.
She lowered her chin, eyeing him the way a lion locks onto a zebra. “I have a sudden desire to make out with you. Care to join me in my room? I have a cozy hot tub for two. ”
He hadn’t expected that little zinger to come flying out of her mouth...but he wanted to do a heck of a lot more than just make out. His arm shot across the table like a bullet.
“Twist it. Go ahead, twist hard.”
She laughed. “Figured you’d be onboard with it, Captain Collins. Let’s go.” She charged the meal to her room, then stood, waiting.
He pointed at her. “I’m paying for my halibut dinner.”
“No, you aren’t. Already took care of it.” She smirked and led the way from the restaurant.
Relieved that he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do in coming here, he followed her like a lovesick puppy across the lobby.
She stopped and turned around. “If I agree to return with you to Polar Creek, then I want you to show me why you chose to live in Alaska.”
“Agreed.” He hoped her green-lighting the possibility of staying might extend beyond New Year’s. He would do his best to convince her. He’d get Jessie and the rest of the town to help him.
It occurred to him the bravest thing wasn’t running from a broken past; it was running toward a favorable future.