Chapter 25
K reston
Kreston woke to the sunrise painting Mount Denali in shades of rose gold. Beside him, Sadie stirred, copper hair catching the early light. His heart did that thing it had done ever since she’d arrived in Polar Creek—a skip and a tumble that made him realize how empty his carefully ordered life had been before meeting her.
“Merry Christmas,” he murmured.
Her eyes fluttered open, the remarkable amber-gold that skipped his heart. “Merry Christmas. It’s so bright in here.” Her forearm covered her eyes.
He kissed her before she could say more.
“Morning breath!” she protested against his lips.
“Don’t care.” He kissed her again. “Never cared less about anything in my life.”
Denali dominated their window view as they dressed, its jagged morning shadows clear in the crystallized air outside. These were perfect flight conditions, and Kreston couldn’t wait to take her up in his plane. Flying fed his soul, like it did as the mayor, running the hotel, and all the other responsibilities he’d piled on to avoid his lonely heart.
No more. Not with Sadie here.
Kreston moved away from the window and got dressed. “Should be a smooth flight to Polar Creek. We’d better get going, though. Weather in the Alaska Range can change in a nanosecond.”
Sadie pressed her palm to the window glass like a child seeing snow for the first time.
Kreston made a sudden decision to give her the best Christmas present ever. “I have a surprise for you, but you’ll have to wait and see what it is.”
“Ooh, what?” She slid her arms around his neck. “You’ve already given me the best Christmas present I could ever want. You standing here with me, like this.”
He kissed her lightly. “There’s more to come. Hurry and dress.”
Kreston looked forward to the day’s celebration back in Polar Creek. By now, Jessie would have her delectable rolls in the oven, and Tucker would be at his usual table, sketching and sipping coffee. Ten Second Tess would be bouncing around like an excited child, wanting to open Christmas presents every ten minutes. He’d only been away from Polar Creek for a day, and already he missed it.
But first, he wanted to impress Sadie with an unforgettable flight experience. He also wanted her to feel safe with his piloting skills.
The hotel shuttle dropped them off at the Talkeetna Airport, and Kreston’s DeHavilland Beaver sat waiting, its red and blue paint gleaming in the morning sun. He ran through his pre-flight checks, his mind drifting to how different this was from their first meeting with her displeased arrival in Lucky’s plane. And those ridiculous designer boots. And the way she’d looked at him like he was the most annoying person she’d ever met .
“Your plane’s colors are prettier than Lucky’s,” Sadie observed, running a hand along the fuselage.
“Don’t tell him that. He named every red stripe on his plane. Says it’s for the women he’s known.” Kreston mimicked commercial pilot announcements. “Climb aboard and welcome to Polar Creek Airlines, the only way to fly.”
After loading his backpack and Sadie’s bags into the cargo hold, he made sure her passenger door was secure. He climbed into his seat and started the engine. It was cold, so it took a try or two for the engine to kick in and turn the propellor.
Kreston handed Sadie her headset and placed his over his ears. He activated the mics so they could easily talk to each other through the plane noise. After Talkeetna cleared him for takeoff, he taxied to the end of the runway and positioned the plane. The runway had been plowed, so he lifted the hydraulic skis on his landing gear, letting the wheels control the takeoff.
“Power up your phone,” he instructed Sadie, changing the radio frequency. “Talkeetna, this is DeHavilland N565TA, do you copy?”
“Yes, copy. N565TA, go ahead.”
“Request takeoff for Polar Creek, including a flightseeing trip around the mountain. Over.”
“N565TA, you’re clear. Should be a spectacular view. Merry Christmas,” a woman replied.
“Merry Christmas, N565TA clear.” He flashed a sideways glance at his gorgeous passenger.
Sadie’s eyes grew to saucers. “Did you mean Denali? We’re flying around Denali? Oh, my God!” If it weren’t for her seat belt, she would have jumped up and down in her seat.
Kreston chortled as he throttled up. He lifted the plane and broke free of the ground, loving how it handled on this beautiful Christmas day. In fifteen minutes, they were over the Ruth Glacier, elongated in striated ribbons of dark gray, blue, and white, like the world’s largest toboggan run.
“This is Ruth Glacier, where I shuttle climbers in the summer. She’s thirty-five miles long,” he explained into his mic.
Sadie’s jaw dropped. “There. Are. No. Words.” Her look of incredulity was what he’d been aiming for. He had that same look when Lucky had flown him through here for the first time.
“I know.” He lifted the cardboard cup of coffee they’d each poured themselves in the hotel lobby.
The flight so far had been smooth, except for the occasional wind gusting through the saddles between the tall peaks. He pointed down, and Sadie’s gaze darted to the jagged blue crevasses in the heart of the glacier, their edges sharp and glittering in the sunlight. As they flew deeper into the Alaska Range, he pointed out the landmarks.
Kreston stole sidelong glances at Sadie as she took in the majestic, rugged peaks crowned in white, where gleaming cerulean glaciers carved their way through U-shaped valleys. Then, as if by magic, the mighty Denali made her grand entrance. Kreston had always found it hard to believe land could rise that high from the earth. The immensity and majesty of this mountain never ceased to amaze him.
“Oh my God, Kreston, look!” Tears pooled, and she swiped at her eyes. She turned to see him smiling at her .
“That’s how I felt when I saw Denali for the first time.” He pointed. “We’re entering The Great Gorge at thirty-two hundred feet.”
“This is incredible,” she murmured.
Buttressed on either side by solid granite cliffs, The Great Gorge always reminded Kreston of a stairway to heaven, each proud landform outdoing the last, the grand entrance leading to Denali.
Kreston tracked the aircraft to the right and pointed to a towering metallic-looking cliff on the western side of the Gorge. “There’s Moose’s Tooth. Denali is a system of mountains all blended into one enormous mass of granite and ice.”
He watched Sadie’s face as she took it all in, her sharp intake of breath soaring his heart higher than the plane. He loved showing this to people for the first time. He loved showing it to her.
“I would land you on the Ruth Glacier, but we don’t have time.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “I’m loving this, but you don’t have to land on the glacier.”
Kreston sensed her trepidation and remembered she was still new to all this. He reminded himself to expose her to more of Alaska in baby steps. He didn’t want her to fear Alaska, but to love it as he did.
He banked the plane to fly through a low saddle to come out on the western side, careful not to fly too close to Denali, yet close enough to see the intricate patterns of steep rock jutting up almost to the troposphere. Wispy clouds hugged it as he flew higher so Sadie could look down on the summit.
“Merry Christmas, Sadie Foster.” He aimed for as sexy of a tone as he could muster.
The look she gave him was priceless. “This is like orbiting the moon,” she whispered, gazing out the windshield.
He carefully guided the plane around the mountain, showing Sadie the dramatic plays of light and shadow across ancient ice. Every crevasse told a story, and every jagged peak held secrets neither of them would ever know.
“Talkeetna to Ruth Glacier is our summer taxi route,” he explained. “Dropping off climbers to conquer this beast.”
“Do they always reach the summit?”
“Many do. Some succumb to altitude sickness and have to retreat. Most learn respect for the elements Denali throws at them,” he explained.
Kreston realized something profound: he’d spent years showing people Alaska’s beauty, but this was the first time he’d shared it with someone special, like Sadie. He banked the plane to set his course for Polar Creek.
Twenty minutes and one lesser peak later, Polar Creek’s airstrip emerged after flying over a lesser peak. Kreston switched to the local radio frequency. “Lucky, you copy? Bring my truck to the airstrip.”
“Well, if it isn’t the happy lovebird wanderers!” Lucky’s brogue came into his headphones. “The whole town’s waiting. And by waiting, I mean Jessie’s baking enough for three Christmases. The Gossip Trio is already planning your wedding, and Ten Second Tess has switched the hotel decorations around so none of it makes sense.”
“Copy that,” replied Kreston, exchanging smiles with Sadie .
He reduced his airspeed, set the small wing flaps, and lowered the skis to land on fresh snow on top of the hard snowpack. “It’ll be bouncy like the first time you landed here, but don’t worry, it’s normal.”
The skis touched down, and the plane jostled. Kreston’s side-eye caught Sadie gripping her seat. He also noticed her chest jiggling, and he snapped his gaze forward. Now wasn’t the time for Little Kreston to stand up and wave a Merry Christmas.
Kreston brought the plane to a halt next to their hangar, and the propellor stopped when he cut the engine. In the sudden quiet, he impulsively leaned toward Sadie, waggling his finger.
She leaned toward him. “What?”
He grasped her face with one hand and laid a kiss on her. “Welcome back, Sadie Foster.”
“I can’t wait!” she said when he lifted away. She was like a little kid on Christmas morning.
Wait a minute, it is Christmas morning!
They climbed out and Kreston unloaded the cargo hold, hefting their gear into the back of his truck.
Lucky hopped out of the driver’s seat. “Our prodigal mayor and the lovely Miss Sadie returns!” he announced, pulling both into a group bear hug. “Janet called. Bob has a new stent and a second chance. They’ll be home for New Year’s.” He backed up, looking at them. “Seems like everyone’s getting second chances lately.”
“Good to see you, Lucky.” Sadie patted his arm.
“Glad you’re back, lass.” Lucky pointed his thumb at Kreston. “This guy was beside himself yesterday after you’d gone.”
“Really?” She flashed Kreston a look that melted him into a lovesick puddle.
Lucky climbed into the back seat, and Sadie hopped into the front passenger seat. Kreston cranked the engine, and they were on their way to town.
Kreston peered into the rearview mirror. “Hungover today? Sounded like you had a good time last night.”
Lucky chuckled. “It was a wild night, for sure. Not too bad, though. Jessie cured it with Bailey’s and coffee this morning.”
Walking into Crooked Spoon felt like entering a holiday in Whoville. Jessie and the others had transformed the space into a winter wonderland. Prime rib and hot rolls sent rich aromas through the air. Halibut Olympia gleamed with a perfect garnish, and three different preparations of salmon—including Jessie’s famous salmon cheese balls, raved about by the entire town—covered the buffet tables.
“Aloha! Welcome back, Sadie!” Aloha announced, holding a plate of cookies. “About time you two got together. Get in here and nibble on a cookie.”
The wave of welcome that hit them was pure Polar Creek chaos. Henrietta, who’d taught Kreston her secret sourdough rolls and bread recipes, pressed a warm roll into his hand. “About time you found someone who can settle you down.” She gave him a toothy grin.
Kreston knew he would hear this same thing repeatedly throughout the day. And probably for many days afterwards. But now he didn’t mind .
Tucker set down an artistically arranged fruit platter and placed a hand on Kreston’s shoulder. “Love requires both precision and abandon. You’ve mastered precision, my friend. Now it’s time for the abandon.”
Sadie squeezed his hand, and his chest swelled. He’d organized so many town events, managed so many celebrations, always been the capable leader everyone counted on. But watching Sadie move through the crowd—accepting cooking tips from Henrietta and the two Marthas, listening to Tucker’s philosophy about Christmas cookies, and helping Ten Second Tess remember which plate was hers—made him feel complete.
“You know,” Lucky sidled up to Kreston, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “I remember when you first landed here. All Wall Street polish and broken dreams. You rebuilt your life by running this town. However, I’ve not seen you look at spreadsheets the way you look at her.” He nodded toward Sadie. “All of us knew she’d be good for you.”
“Spreadsheets are easier,” joked Kreston.
“And as warm as a polar bear’s toenails.” Lucky’s grin softened. “You each transformed the other. Made you both human again.”
Kreston laughed. “Thanks, my friend. She’s agreed to stay until New Year’s. Beyond that, I can’t say. Asking her to give up everything is a big ask.” He winked at his buddy. “But if you and the rest of Polar Creek can convince her to stay even longer, I wouldn’t object.”
Lucky winked back. “We’ll be up to the challenge, my friend.” He swaggered over to Aloha’s cookie plate and popped one in his mouth.
Kreston moved up behind Sadie, placing his hand on her lower back. “So glad you’re here,” he breathed into her ear.
She twisted into him. “So am I.”