On a Snowy Night: The Christmas BasketThe Snow Bride Read online

  Jenna smoothed a blanket over the mattress to serve as a mattress pad and put on the crisp, fresh-from-the-package sheets. Without a chair on which to lay her clothes, she folded them over the footboard and changed into flannel pajamas.

  Jenna didn’t expect to sleep well, and was shocked to wake seven hours later. She hadn’t stirred once the entire night. As she dressed, she decided to confront Reid and demand that he take her either to Beesley or Fairbanks. If he agreed, she wouldn’t press charges against him. If not, she’d be using the one and only phone in Snowbound, Alaska, to call a lawyer. That should tell Reid Jamison she was serious. He didn’t look like the kind of man who’d take well to life inside a prison.

  With a plan of action, she removed the chair and jerked open the door, prepared to confront her kidnapper.

  To her dismay she discovered he was nowhere to be found. Nor had he bothered to leave her a note telling her where he was going. The man had some nerve!

  However…

  It could be that luck was with her. Jenna cheerfully packed her suitcase and left the house. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw two vehicles, both trucks and both parked in front of the café. That seemed like a good place to start.

  Jenna walked over to the building and frowned at the display of elk horns above the doorway. The café consisted of five tables and a counter where two older men with thick gray beards sat eating hotcakes.

  They turned and stared at her as if she were an alien species. To them, she probably was.

  “Good morning,” she said politely.

  “You must be Jenna,” the closer of the two said. He offered her an uncertain smile. “Reid said you’d be stopping by sooner or later.”

  “Sit down and make yourself at home,” the man behind the counter instructed.

  “Reid didn’t say what a beauty she was,” the first man whispered to the second in tones loud enough for her to hear.

  “Jake Morgan here,” the man behind the counter said. “And these two varmints are Addison Bush and Palmer Gentry.”

  Both men clambered to their feet and bowed at the waist. “Friends call me Addy,” the taller one said.

  “Hello, Addy.”

  “Most everyone just calls me Palmer.”

  “Palmer.” She acknowledged him with a nod.

  “Could I get you a cup of coffee?” Jake asked her.

  “Please.” She sat two stools down from her newfound friends, who continued to stare at her.

  “Reid’s down at the pump station.”

  She must have looked confused, because Jake added, “The pump station for the pipeline.”

  “Oh.”

  Jake brought her the coffee and she accepted it gratefully. “I’d like to hire someone to fly me to Beesley,” she said, smiling at the two men.

  Her three admirers put their heads together and immediately started mumbling among themselves.

  “We only got two planes here in Snowbound,” Addy explained. “Reid has one and Jim has the other.”

  “Jim left this morning to pick up Lucy,” Palmer said.

  “Yup. Lucy told him the only way she’d live up here was if Jim took her into Fairbanks every month so she’d be able to do woman things.” All three men seemed to consider those things, whatever they were, a deep and incomprehensible mystery.

  “Jim and Lucy will be back tomorrow,” Addy told her.

  So flying out with the other man was no longer an option. “Would it be possible to use the phone?” Jenna asked.

  “The only phone here belongs to Pete,” Jake replied.

  So it was true and not just another lie of Jamison’s. “Then I’ll talk to Pete,” she said, and took one last restorative sip of coffee before slipping off the stool.

  “They got phones down at the pump station,” Palmer said. “But that’s a mile or so from here.”

  She thought of all the cell and car phones in L.A. that she took for granted. Her mother alone had six or seven phones: one in each car, a personal cell phone and four in the house. That number wasn’t unusual among Jenna’s friends, either.

  All three men accompanied her to the grocery, which was a generous term for this place. Yes, there were shelves with grocery items—a few cans of this and a few cans of that. The shelves were sparsely stocked, to say the least. Under a glass countertop were several pieces of Alaskan art, scrimshaw and beaded jewelry, along with what appeared to be small chunks of gold.

  A man who must be Pete walked out from behind a denim curtain and smiled broadly when he saw her.

  “Well, hello, little lady. Let me personally welcome you to Snowbound.” He looked her up and down, apparently enjoying the view. Then he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

  “Pete’s something of a ladies’ man,” Palmer explained from behind her.

  “Manners and all,” Jake added, whispering close to her ear.

  “I understand you have a phone,” Jenna said, ignoring the other three men. “I was wondering if I could use it. I have a phone card so I wouldn’t be putting any long distances charges on your line.”

  “I would consider it an honor to be of service.” He bent forward and kissed the back of her hand a second time. “But alas, the telephone is no longer in working order.”

  Jenna wanted to weep with frustration.

  “I was afraid of that,” Jake said sadly.

  “Me, too,” Addy and Palmer whispered in tandem.

  “You aren’t going to be mad, now are you?” Jake asked and retreated a step. “Reid said you get downright testy when you’re mad.”

  “I most certainly do not,” she flared angrily. He’d accused her of snoring and now this! “How dare he say such things about me!”

  The four men exchanged looks that suggested Reid knew what he was talking about and they’d be well advised to keep their distance.

  “Where is Mr. Jamison, anyway?” Jenna demanded. “Perhaps it’d be best if you took me to him.” She wasn’t keen on the idea, but he was the one responsible for getting her into this mess, so he had to help her.

  Her request was met with silence. Finally Pete ventured, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, miss.”

  “Why not?”

  “Reid said we shouldn’t,” Jake murmured.

  Palmer agreed. “Said you’d caused him nothing but trouble from the moment he laid eyes on you. He didn’t want that trouble following him to work.”

  Of all the unfair and untruthful statements the man had made, this exceeded everything. “Did he happen to tell you he kidnapped me?”

  “Yes, miss.”

  “He said you came to Alaska to meet Dalton Gray.”

  “Dalton and I are friends,” Jenna explained.

  All four men frowned. “You don’t want anything to do with Dalton,” Pete said. “But if you’re looking for a man, a real man, no need to search any farther. I might be sixty but I’m here to tell you I’d make a mighty fine lover.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Just an alternative, miss.”

  “An alternative that is of no interest to me.”

  Pete sighed resignedly. “You can’t blame a man for trying.”

  Oh, yes, I can, Jenna thought. But all she said was, “When will Reid be back?”

  “Can’t say.”

  “No, can’t say,” Addy echoed.

  “He doesn’t keep regular hours?”

  “He comes and goes as needed,” Jake said importantly.

  “Oh.” Defeated, Jenna returned to Reid’s cabin. There was nothing to do but wait for him and pray that in the light of day he’d be more reasonable.

  The hours dragged. Jenna completed the crossword puzzle book she’d bought at the airport in Los Angeles and was halfway through the novel she’d started on the plane when the front door opened.

  Reid came into the cabin, glowering when he saw her. What did he expect? It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go.

  “I thought, being as fussy as you are, that you’d clean
the place up a bit.”

  Jenna glared at him. What right did he have to assume she’d clean up after him? “I am not your housekeeper.”

  He held up his hand, warding off her outrage. “My mistake.”

  “Par for the course as far as you’re concerned,” she snapped.

  Reid looked everywhere but at her.

  “I want out of here.”

  He sighed. “Seems like you’ve got yourself riled up again.”

  “You could say that.” Standing now, she planted her hands on her hips. “I insist you take me back to Fairbanks.” She’d given up hope that he’d deliver her to Beesley.

  “Believe me, your highness, I’d like nothing better.”

  “Good. Then we understand each other.”

  “Perfectly.”

  A face appeared in the window; Jenna caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and gasped.

  “What?” Reid demanded.

  “There’s someone out there, peeking in the window.”

  Reid marched across the room, threw open the door and bellowed, “Addy…Palmer.”

  The two men crept around the side of the building, heads bowed, wool caps in hand. “What the hell are you doing listening in on a private conversation?”

  “Sorry, Reid,” Addy mumbled. “We were just curious.”

  “Yeah, Reid, we don’t get much entertainment and we wanted to be here when you tell her.”

  “Tell me what?” Jenna asked.

  Reid ignored her. “You two scat, and don’t let me find you peeking in my windows again, you hear?”

  “Yes, Reid.”

  “Sorry, Reid.”

  The two disappeared and Reid closed the door. “I apologize for that.”

  “What are you going to tell me?” she asked again.

  “Now, listen,” he said, stretching out his arm toward her. “You have every right to be upset, but a man can’t be responsible for the weather.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  He shook his head. “If it was up to me, I’d have you back in Fairbanks in nothing flat.”

  “With an apology?”

  He hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. “Okay, with an apology. You’re a stubborn, rebellious woman, and if you’re set on self-destruction, then it’s none of my damn business. I was only trying to save you grief, but I’ll admit I was wrong to bring you here.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I want you to know I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “I should hope not.”

  “However,” he went on, “it looks like you’re going to be stuck here for the next two or three days.”

  “What?” Jenna exploded.

  “There’s a bad storm coming in.”

  Jenna studied him suspiciously. “And how do you know this?”

  “There are weather-tracking devices down at the pump station. Now, listen, I don’t like this any more than you do. I made a mistake and I apologize, much as it goes against my nature. I shouldn’t have brought you to Snowbound. But we’ll just have to make the best of it.”

  “I want to see this weather-tracking device for myself.” She grabbed her coat, then flung open the door and stepped out of the cabin. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she wasn’t taking this man at his word. He’d already tricked her once and she refused to fall victim a second time.

  Arms swinging at her sides, she marched in the direction of where she assumed the pump station must be. From her peripheral vision, she noticed Addy and Palmer, following her at a safe distance.

  “Jenna!” Reid shouted.

  She’d find that pump station if it was the last thing she did.

  And it might be the last thing, she thought when a large black figure ambled out from between two houses. Jenna strangled a scream and froze.

  It was a bear.

  A huge black bear, and he was looking directly at her as if he’d just spotted dinner.

  Jenna’s heart was in her throat. Her mouth moved in a wobbly erratic manner, but no words came out.

  The bear stopped and stood on his hind legs and seemed as tall as a California redwood. Jenna was so terrified that she feared she was about to lose consciousness.

  “Blackie!” Reid shouted. “Get out of here. Shoo. Shoo.” Reid came forward, waving his arms.

  The bear thumped down on all fours, shook his massive head, and went casually on his way.

  “That’s Blackie,” Reid said. “He generally doesn’t cause a problem. Actually, it’s pretty late in the year for him to be around.”

  Coherent speech remained beyond Jenna’s capabilities. A bear had confronted her!

  “You’re all right, aren’t you?” Reid asked, waggling a hand in front of her face.

  She tried to move, but the shock and fear had incapacitated her.

  Snow began to fall. Not thick flakes, but small icy ones.

  “Here’s your weather report,” Reid said, glancing up at the sky. “Come on. We’d better get back to the cabin.” He forged ahead, but came back for her a moment later, taking her elbow and gently steering her toward his cabin.

  By the time they arrived, the snow was coming down fast. Having lived in Los Angeles most of her life, Jenna had only seen snow once before, on a vacation to Colorado. It had covered the ground and frosted the trees, but this was the first time in her life she’d seen it fall.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, pausing outside the door. She thrust out her hands and let the snow land on her palms.

  “Yes, yes…” Reid seemed in a mighty big hurry to get her inside.

  “How long did you say the storm would last?” she asked, thinking it would be so beautiful. The snow—not being trapped with Reid Jamison.

  Reid hesitated. “Longer than either of us is going to like,” he muttered, looking miserable.

  Jenna was afraid of that.

  Chapter Four

  Brad Fulton stared at the woman standing in front of his desk and realized with a start that it wasn’t his executive assistant. Where the hell was Jenna?

  A couple of weeks earlier, before he’d left town to investigate a venture capital project, she’d made some threat about leaving. As he recalled, she’d even gone so far as to hand him a written notice. Not for a moment did Brad believe she’d really do it. He’d instructed Accounting to give her a twenty-percent raise and assumed that was the end of it.

  “Where’s Ms. Campbell?” he asked.

  “Ms. Campbell’s last day was Friday, Mr. Fulton.”

  “Who are you?” This was not the way he’d intended to begin his work week. He was a man accustomed to his comforts. He didn’t like change and he liked surprises even less.

  “I’m Gail Spencer, Ms. Campbell’s replacement.” She set a cup of coffee on his desk.

  Brad glared at it. “I drink my coffee with cream.”

  “Sorry, sir, Ms. Campbell told me that, but I guess I forgot.” She removed the coffee, was gone momentarily and returned with a fresh cup, complete with cream.

  One look told Brad that she’d put in far more cream than he liked. “Where’s my mail?”

  “It’s on the corner of your desk, sir.”

  “I prefer it in the center so it’s the first thing I see in the morning.”

  “Sorry, sir, I’ll make sure it’s there tomorrow.”

  “It would be appreciated.” He forced a smile, trying to reassure her, and waited until she was out of the office before he walked over to his small kitchen area, dumped a third of the coffee in the sink and added black coffee to the cup.

  He sat back down at his desk and leafed through his mail.

  Jenna had actually gone and done it, after six compatible and productive years as his right hand. It irritated him. No, in fact, it downright perturbed him. He’d given Jenna her start, offered her a position that assistants twenty years her senior would have envied, and this was the appreciation he got.

  He didn’t even know why she’d left. H
e pressed his buzzer.

  “Yes, Mr. Fulton?” Ms. Spencer asked.

  “Do you know if Ms. Campbell took another job?”

  “I…I’m not sure, sir, but I believe she did.”

  Now he was more than perturbed. He was furious. The woman he had considered loyal and dedicated had defected to another firm.

  “Do you know the name of the company, Ms. Spencer?”

  “I’m not sure, Mr. Fulton. I was only with her for two days before she left. I recall her mentioning something about Dalton.”

  “Dalton Industries?”

  “I really couldn’t say, sir.”

  “Find out what you can about Dalton Industries and get back to me as quickly as possible.”

  “Right away, sir.”

  “Ms. Spencer?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Please don’t call me sir.”

  “Yes, sir…I mean yes, Mr. Fulton.”

  Frowning darkly, Brad released the intercom button. He couldn’t imagine what he’d done to warrant Jenna’s leaving his employ. He liked her; they worked well together and there was a lot to be said for that. Brad realized he wasn’t an easy man to work for. He knew there were times he could be demanding and impatient, but Jenna never got flustered. One of the things he appreciated most about her was that she was a sensible woman. She anticipated his needs and saw to his comforts. Last Christmas he’d had her buy all his Christmas gifts. She’d done a beautiful job. His mother had adored the porcelain figurine Jenna had chosen, and his father was pleasantly surprised by the autographed copy of the latest Tom Clancy techno-thriller. Brad didn’t have a clue how she’d managed that.

  It was this ability to pull off the impossible that he valued so much. She managed everything, and she did it with effortless calm. When Jenna was around, he could trust her to capably handle both his business and personal needs, from gift-buying to arranging for his suits to be cleaned. He depended on her and now she was gone.

  Pressing down hard on the intercom button, he asked, “Ms. Spencer, what have you found out?”

  “Sir—”

  Brad cringed. He only had to tell Jenna something once and she remembered.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Fulton, I can’t find any Dalton Industries.”

  “You’re sure it was Dalton?”