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

  “Aren’t you curious about what she had to say?”

  He was more than curious and frankly a little concerned. He didn’t like the mothers of his women friends having access to him. That might cause serious trouble later on. Mothers tended to protect their little darlings.

  “Dalton, have you been drinking again?”

  “What else is there to do in the middle of a blizzard?” Dalton demanded. “I’m stuck here, you know.”

  “All right, all right.”

  “Just tell me what mommy had to say.”

  “She’s on her way up to Fairbanks.”

  “What?” This had to be a joke. “Jenna’s mother?”

  “Yes, like I said, she heard from her daughter and—”

  “Where the hell is Jenna anyway?”

  An uncomfortable pause followed. “You’re not going to like this.”

  Nothing was working out the way he’d planned. Just how hard was it to figure out what to do when he was a few minutes late picking her up at the airport? Couldn’t she wait? “Tell me,” he growled.

  “Remember how you suspected Jenna might’ve met up with someone on the plane?”

  “Yeah.” He’d done everything he could think of and hadn’t managed to get that information.

  “Well, she did.”

  “Who?” He breathed the question.

  “Reid Jamison.”

  Dalton slammed his fist against the wall, shaking his fingers to lessen the pain. He couldn’t believe that of all the people in the entire state of Alaska, Jenna would link up with the one man who’d do anything to thwart him.

  “Where are they?”

  “At his place in Snowbound.”

  “He took her home with him?”

  “Yes, and damned if I know why.”

  Dalton knew. He’d have done the same thing had the situation been reversed. “So Reid was on her flight?”

  “I don’t know, but that’s my guess. A friend of mine said he goes down to Seattle every so often.”

  Dalton released an expletive that was best not repeated.

  “Either that or—”

  “She hired Jamison to fly her into Beesley,” Dalton said, finishing the thought. When he was late, Jenna had immediately taken matters into her own hands. Dammit, you just couldn’t count on a woman.

  “Why’s her mother flying up?”

  “I didn’t get around to asking. The lady’s something of a talker, if you catch my drift.”

  “From what Jenna said, her mother wasn’t keen on the idea of her coming up here.”

  “Yes, well, she didn’t sound all that upset when I spoke to her.”

  “Really?”

  “No, in fact she sounded downright excited.” Larry himself sounded puzzled. “I don’t know what Jenna told her, but she said she’s landing in Fairbanks in the morning.”

  “She’s coming here?”

  “Yes, and I told her she should connect with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, because she needs someone to fly her into Snowbound.”

  So Jenna’s mother wanted a ride to Snowbound. This might work out, after all. Jenna was with Reid, who had as much finesse with the ladies as a bull moose. Jenna was probably more than ready to leave the isolated town, and if he were to arrive with her mother, he wouldn’t have any difficulty in getting her to leave with him.

  “Did she give you her flight information?” Dalton asked.

  “She did.”

  “Good,” Dalton said, searching for a pen to write it down. Yes sir, this could be very interesting indeed, he thought, wincing as he clutched it with his sore fingers. He’d sweep Jenna off her feet, and if he was lucky, he could have a fling with her mother, too. That way, potential problems became a bonus instead.

  Reid was too angry to sleep. He hadn’t heard a sound from the bedroom since Jenna had destroyed the door for the second time. Okay, technically he was responsible for the original break, but she was the reason the door had gotten busted in the first place.

  With nervous energy, he started picking up clutter in the house, making as much noise as possible. For the life of him, he didn’t know what had gotten into her. They were all having fun and then, out of the blue, she’d turned on him. He couldn’t understand it.

  Filling the sink with hot water and soap, he washed the dishes and set them on the counter.

  “You have a lot of nerve,” Jenna said from behind him.

  Reid glanced over his shoulder and was gratified to see her looking furious. Her hands were on her hips, her stance was aggressive and her eyes glittered dangerously.

  “What’s wrong now, Your Highness? Is there a pea under your mattress?”

  “You kissed me!”

  “Big mistake.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “No, actually you were telling me.” He did his best to sound bored, when in reality he’d lost his sense of annoyance and was fast becoming amused. “Instead of throwing insults at me, why don’t you just say what’s wrong and be done with it?”

  “I am not insulting you.”

  “Okay, you’re not insulting me.” He could tell his being agreeable irritated her even more.

  “You’re the one who’s insulting me.”

  Reid reached for a kitchen towel and dried his hands. “Forgive me for being dense, but would you kindly explain how I managed that?”

  “I already did. You kissed me like you really meant it.”

  The flicker of pain he saw in her eyes surprised him. “I did mean it, Jenna. It wasn’t the right thing to do, but—”

  Her only response was a groan of frustration.

  “You’re still upset about that kiss? You kissed me, too, remember?”

  “Yes—but that was before I knew about your woman friend.”

  “What?” All at once everything was making sense. He sighed. “Who told you that?”

  “Pete, but don’t blame him. I asked.”

  “He tell you anything else?”

  “He mentioned that your mother left your father when you were a child.”

  Reid frowned. “Pete’s got a big mouth.”

  “He saved me from acting like more of an idiot than I already have. I…it mortifies me now to think of the way I confided in you.”

  “If it keeps you away from Dalton Gray, I can only be grateful.”

  “That’s just fine and dandy. Go ahead and have your fun. You must find me a joke—a diversion between your sojourns in Fairbanks. And Seattle.”

  “Come on, Jenna.”

  “You keep telling me what a creep Dalton is, but you’re no better.” She marched back to the bedroom.

  A knot formed in Reid’s gut. He’d never viewed Jenna as vulnerable and insecure, but he realized she was. He hadn’t meant to hurt her.

  The room was dark when he strolled past. “Jenna,” he called from the doorway. His eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and he found her sitting on the side of his bed. She ignored him.

  “Listen,” he said, “Susan’s an old friend. Nothing more. We have dinner when I’m in town on business, but that’s it, I swear.”

  A pause and then, “Does she know you’re an artist?”

  “Like I said earlier, no one knows about that—other than you.”

  “Oh.”

  She might as well hear it all. “I don’t make a habit of kissing a lot of women, either, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “What about your trip to Seattle? Why did you go there if not to meet a woman?”

  “If you must know, I took a week-long art course.”

  “Oh,” she said again, her expression rather sheepish.

  A moment later, she said, “You didn’t tell me about your mother.”

  He wasn’t ready to delve into that. “You didn’t tell me very much about yours, either, although you’ve mentioned several stepfathers. If you want to know about mine, I don’t really have all that much to tell you. She died when I was sixteen. A car accident in
Houston.”

  “She left your father, though—and she left you and Lucy.”

  “Yes, but that has nothing to do with you and me.”

  “Oh…you’re probably right,” she whispered.

  He waited a moment and then asked, “Friends?”

  “Friends,” she repeated. After a short hesitation, she said, “I feel like even more of an idiot, if that’s possible.”

  “You’re not. If I heard there was a man you were serious about, I’d wonder, too—considering the way you kissed me.”

  “I think I should just leave…. I’m not good with relationships. I mess them up every time. I apologize. You must think I’m insecure and silly and…worse. Good night, Reid.”

  He wasn’t sure he wanted the conversation to end here, but if they continued, he was afraid they’d just end up kissing again. Which wouldn’t be a good thing, since this was not a relationship with a future. “Good night, Jenna.”

  He made up his bed on the sofa and lay down with his head on the pillow. A half hour must have passed. He thought he heard Jenna tossing and turning, and called out in a husky whisper, “Are you awake?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m so embarrassed.”

  Reid chuckled. “Actually I’m flattered. You were jealous and I loved it.”

  “I feel a whole lot better now,” she muttered sarcastically.

  He nestled his head against the sofa arm and closed his eyes. The attempt to sleep didn’t last long. “Are you still set on meeting Dalton Gray?” He suspected he wasn’t going to approve of the answer.

  “Yes.”

  “I thought so.” He closed his eyes again but the images that came to mind distressed him. His eyes flew open. “Is there anything I can do to persuade you not to?”

  “Probably not.”

  At least she was honest. “Then I won’t try.”

  A few more minutes passed.

  “Reid, the picture you drew of me, can I have it?”

  “I don’t think so. I’d prefer to keep it myself.”

  “Why?”

  He didn’t have an answer, at least not one he was willing to share. All he knew was that he wasn’t giving it up.

  “I checked with the weather people,” he told her. “The storm will be gone by morning.”

  “How early will you be flying me out?”

  She didn’t say anything about Lucy, and because of everything that had happened, he wasn’t going to use his sister as an excuse to delay their departure. “Addy and Palmer will have the runway cleared by first light. We’ll leave soon after that.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jenna was up and dressed before dawn. She dreaded leaving Snowbound. Her short time here had been the best adventure of her life, which was exactly the reason she’d left Fulton Industries. In this brief period, she’d come to consider Addy, Palmer, Pete and Jake friends. Reid, too—only she’d made such a fool of herself with him, the only sensible option was to escape as quickly as possible.

  She had coffee brewed by the time Reid woke. He sat up on the sofa and stared at her as if he couldn’t remember who she was.

  “Coffee’s ready,” she said.

  “Thanks.” He rubbed his eyes and made a growling sound that a few days earlier would have irritated her.

  “How long have you been up?” he asked.

  “Not long.” She brought him a steaming mug.

  Reid sipped the hot coffee. “Did you sleep well?”

  She hadn’t, but vanity insisted he not know that. “Fine. How about you?”

  “All right, I guess.”

  “You can have your own bed tonight.”

  “Right.” But he didn’t sound too pleased and for that matter, she wasn’t either.

  “The snow’s stopped,” she informed him, making conversation and unable to think of anything else.

  He nodded. “I figured it would.”

  Jenna set her empty mug in the sink and carried her suitcase out to the living room. “I’m ready anytime you are.”

  “Why the hurry?” he asked with a frown.

  “I—no reason.”

  “Good. If you don’t have any objections I’d like to linger over my morning coffee.”

  Jenna murmured a response, then returned to the kitchen and sat at the table. She felt Reid studying her, which made her self-conscious. Her emotions were more confused than they’d ever been in her life.

  A knock at the door startled her. Reid answered it, his blanket draped around him. Addy stood on the other side, wearing a wide grin. “Jim and Lucy just landed.”

  Reid turned to ask Jenna, “Do you still want to meet my sister?”

  “Sure.” Jenna looked away. “I don’t suppose an extra hour or so would matter.”

  Reid turned back to Addy. “Tell Lucy I’ll be bringing Jenna by in about ten minutes.”

  “Okay,” Addy said and leaned around Reid to find Jenna. “I already told Lucy all about you and how she should try to talk you into staying. We sure did enjoy having you.”

  “Thank you, Addy,” she said and she meant it. “Thank you for everything.”

  “I’ll go tell Lucy,” Addy said and was off.

  Reid disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared a few minutes later, completely dressed. His expression was somber and cheerless as he reached for his coat. Jenna looked around the cabin one last time before Reid opened the door.

  The world outside was a pristine, sparkling white and so lovely that Jenna paused for a moment to take it all in. The landscape stretched endlessly around them, punctuated by only a few stunted but sturdy trees now flocked with snow.

  Addy and Palmer had been busy shoveling a pathway between the two houses, which touched Jenna’s heart. No sooner were they out the door than Lucy stepped outside to meet them.

  Reid’s sister was short, with long dark hair and eyes that flashed with welcome and warmth. She held out both arms.

  “You must be Jenna,” she said, giving her a hug. “I couldn’t believe it when Jim told me what Reid had done.” She admonished Reid with a scolding look that grew into a smile. “Shame on you, big brother, but thank you for bringing me a friend.”

  “I’m afraid I’m flying Jenna out this morning,” Reid informed her briskly.

  “Not before we’ve had a chance to chat,” Lucy insisted, ushering Jenna inside. Although the cabins were relatively similar in size, the difference between Jim’s and Reid’s was striking. Whereas Reid’s place was utilitarian and almost stark, Lucy had turned hers into a real home, with feminine touches everywhere.

  “I’ve already made tea,” Lucy said, leading Jenna into the kitchen. “Now, tell me, are you completely disgusted with Alaska? I’m going to give Reid hell for doing such a crazy thing—kidnapping you! Rest assured he’s never done anything like this before.”

  “Lucy, honestly, it wasn’t so bad. He was planning to have me stay with you, but then you were gone and there wasn’t much he could do but take me home with him. Addy and Palmer did their best to make me feel welcome and last night Reid and I had everyone over for dinner.”

  “Those guys are such scoundrels! They manipulated you into cooking for them?”

  “Yes, but I enjoyed it. I lost the cribbage game to Reid, so I agreed to do the cooking.”

  “That Reid. I don’t suppose he told you he’s a champion cribbage player?”

  “Actually, it was fine. We had a wonderful evening.”

  “Knowing Addy and Palmer, they probably danced your feet off.”

  “I didn’t mind,” Jenna said. “We all had a great time.”

  “What about Reid? I certainly hope my brother was a gentleman.”

  Jenna looked down at the kitchen table with its colorful woven mats. “Reid was…wonderful.”

  Lucy sat across from her. “How wonderful?” she asked in a low voice.

  Jenna didn’t answer right away. “Well, you can imagine how I felt at first. I was furious.
”

  “And rightly so.”

  “Then the storm hit, and there was nothing to do but make the best of it. He…wasn’t so bad once I got to know him.”

  “My brother isn’t someone who freely shares a lot about himself.”

  Jenna nodded. She barely knew Lucy, but she desperately needed a friend she could confide in. “Oh, Lucy, I’m afraid I made a complete fool of myself.”

  Her declaration was met with silence, a comforting pat on the hand and a question. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  “Oh…this is almost too embarrassing.”

  Lucy jumped to her feet, fists on her hips. “Reid didn’t seduce you, did he?”

  “No, no! It was nothing like that, but we did…kiss, and then later Pete told me that Reid flies down to Fairbanks to visit a woman and I assumed—”

  “I can imagine what you assumed.”

  “Well, then I was jealous and silly and I confronted him as if it were my business, which it isn’t. He could have six women stashed away, but it’s none of my concern.”

  “He doesn’t. If you’re talking about Susan Webster, I can assure you she’s just a friend of ours. There’s no romantic relationship with her or anyone else. If there was, I’d know about it.”

  “If he’s so private about his affairs, how would you?”

  “He’s my brother and if his heart was involved, he’d either leave to be with the woman in question or—more likely—find a way to convince her to join him here. Jim did. I would never have considered living in such an isolated location. Jim offered to move to Fairbanks, but I knew how much he cares about his job. Still, I didn’t arrive with the best attitude.” She paused, meeting Jenna’s eyes. “Over the last year I’ve come to love it in Snowbound.”

  Jenna could understand that. In this brief time, she’d grown to appreciate Reid and the tiny tundra community.

  “Addy, Palmer and the rest treat me like a queen,” Lucy continued. “Now that I’m pregnant, they’re more protective than ever. I can only imagine how spoiled this baby’s going to be with five honorary uncles.”

  Jenna smiled. “They want me to stay, too.”

  “I know. If I thought I could convince you, I’d certainly try.”