Alaskan Holiday Read online

  I hadn’t taken time to brush it, and I probably looked like someone who’d crawled out of a deep, dark cave. Not that I cared, and besides, Palmer should realize now wasn’t the time to point that out.

  “Palmer Saxon, is that all you have to say to me? My life is in Seattle and I need you to find a way to get me there.”

  He continued to stare at me like I’d lost my mind. “I don’t know what you think I could do.”

  “I need to get back to Seattle,” I fairly shouted at him. There had to be a way, and he was the only person I knew who could help me. The restaurant would be opening in only two weeks and I was supposed to be there to get everything organized. This was my entire future—my life.

  He shrugged. “I wish I could help you, Josie, I really do, but the ferry left, and that was the last one of the season.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Do you mean to say you won’t help me?”

  “I don’t know what I can do.” He lowered his protective eye gear and reached for the tongs that would put the metal into the fire again.

  Anger hit me like a boxer’s glove directly in the stomach, and I stomped my foot. “This was exactly what you wanted, isn’t it? This must be a dream come true for you. You’re overjoyed that I’m stuck in Ponder. Admit it, Palmer.”

  He shrugged, unwilling to own up to the truth. “Can’t say it upsets me. Wish you were happier about it, but I figure you’ll adjust in time.”

  “I am not adjusting to anything,” I flared, growing angrier by the minute. “Don’t you worry, Palmer, I’ll find a way out of here if it’s the last thing I do.” My career was at stake, and from the look on his face, Palmer couldn’t be more pleased. Clenching my hands into tight fists at my sides, I whirled around and headed back to the lodge, determined to find a way home.

  Not more than a few steps away from Palmer’s workshop, I met up with Jack. The older man’s face lit up with a smile bright enough to rival the Northern Lights.

  “You’re marrying Palmer. I knew you’d reconsider, Josie.”

  I was about to explain the situation when he interrupted.

  “What’s for dinner?”

  “I’m. Not. Cooking.” I had other things I needed to be doing. The last thing on my mind was planning a menu for the week.

  “Sure, sure, you need a couple nights off. I understand. I’ll make do, but it’ll be hard.” His eyes sparkled, like a new thought had come to him. “If you don’t want to cook dinner, how about putting together something for lunch? No need to make it fancy. Homemade soup, a few sandwiches, and a dozen home-baked cookies should do me up just fine.”

  “Jack,” I said, through gritted teeth. “Listen to me and listen good. I’m not cooking because I’m leaving Ponder as soon as I can find a way to get out of here.”

  He frowned, because clearly, he didn’t understand. He had the same strange look that Palmer had when I announced I hadn’t stayed behind to marry him.

  “The ferry has already left.”

  He said this like I wasn’t already aware of the fact. “I know. I overslept. Now I need to get home, one way or another.”

  “Oh.”

  There was a wealth of meaning in that lone two-letter word. His shoulders sagged, and a defeated, forlorn look came over him. For half a second, I felt the urge to hug and comfort him, until I realized I had several phone calls to make. There had to be a way to get back.

  Marching past Jack, I returned to the lodge and went directly to the reception desk, where Marianne kept all the important phone numbers. While a good portion of my time had been spent in the kitchen, I’d learned a lot about the running of the lodge from Marianne. She’d had me make phone calls for her on occasion, so I knew where to look for the information.

  I wasn’t encouraged.

  The first number I dialed was to the company that owned and operated the ferry on Lake Caribou. I was quickly informed that the early-morning run was the last of the season.

  End of discussion.

  So much for that idea. I’d hoped they would take pity on me and make one last run. The woman on the other end of the line was sympathetic, but there was nothing more she could do.

  Not one to easily quit, I next searched for the number of a seaplane operation. Marianne had only one listed, which meant this was a company she trusted and could rely on. I explained my situation and asked the price of what it would cost to have a pilot fly in and take me to Fairbanks.

  When the man on the other end of the line gave me the quote, I gasped. “But that’s outrageous,” I protested.

  “Seaplanes aren’t cheap, young lady.”

  “Obviously.”

  “You want to book the flight? ’Cause if that’s what you want, you’d better do it soon. Caribou Lake is already showing signs of freezing over.”

  “Ah…not yet. I need to explore a couple other options first.” I didn’t exactly know what those might be, but I wasn’t giving up yet. Before I spent a big chunk of what I’d managed to save over the past six months, I wanted to be sure there wasn’t another way out of Ponder.

  “You saying you want to ponder your decision?” he asked and laughed, thinking himself clever.

  I didn’t laugh. “Thank you for your help,” I said, and ended the call.

  I glanced out the lodge windows and noticed that the snow was falling hard now, thick flakes coming down so fast my vision was blurred.

  Perfect. Just perfect. I had to wonder what other sucker punch life was going to throw at me.

  Sitting at the desk, I reviewed the last two phone conversations and released a sigh of frustration and defeat. I’d need to tell my mother what happened, knowing I was sure to get the support and sympathy I so badly needed.

  She answered on the second ring. “Mom,” I cried, struggling not to break into tears. “I missed the boat.”

  “Figuratively or literally?” she asked.

  “Literally. Palmer proposed, and I overslept.” I blurted out the whole story and barely took a breath in between.

  When I was finished, the other end of the line was silent. “Mom? Did you hear what I said?”

  “Every word. Sounds to me like you’re stuck in Ponder.”

  “Mom, I can’t stay here. I need to get back to Seattle.” What I wanted from her were ideas. My mother always seemed to have a way of making the best out of the worst situation imaginable. And in case she’d forgotten, I proceeded to list all the reasons it was necessary to return as soon as possible, including the opportunity to work alongside Chef Anton.

  “Palmer asked you to marry him?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard a word I’d said. “You’ve mentioned his name a number of times, but I didn’t realize things were serious. He sounds like a nice young man.”

  “Mom!” I cried out in frustration. “You don’t seem to understand the gravity of my situation. I have to get home. Can’t you think of something?”

  “How did he propose? Did he get down on one knee?”

  Although I was annoyed and at my wits’ end, I smiled at the thought of Palmer’s strange proposal the night before. “No, he told me I had straight teeth.” In retrospect, I realized that was his convoluted way of letting me know he loved my smile.

  As I suspected she would, Mom laughed. “That reminds me of when your father asked me to marry him. He was nervous and edgy, and finally he said he didn’t want to do it. When I asked him what it was he didn’t want to do, he looked at me with love in his eyes and said he didn’t want to live the rest of his life without me.”

  “Oh Mom,” I whispered. “That’s so romantic.” A whole lot more romantic than Palmer saying he liked my straight teeth or that my hair smelled like my shampoo.

  “Your father was about the least romantic man I’ve ever met, to be honest,” Mom continued. “But he loved me, and he adored you. Wel
l, this isn’t about me. I’m sure there’s a way for you to find your way home.”

  “I’m sure there is, too,” I repeated, feeling more confident now.

  I had to believe she was right. I didn’t know how Mom had managed to calm me. She’d always been able to settle me down.

  No matter what, I was headed back to where I had to be. All I had to do now was think it through sensibly and calmly. I had to believe that where there was a will, there was a way.

  More encouraged after talking to my mom, I told her I loved her, ended the call, and released a slow sigh. I was determined, even if it meant getting out of here by hiring a sled-dog team.

  CHAPTER 4

  Palmer

  Jack burst into my workshop like he was urgently seeking shelter from an air raid. “Did you hear?” he cried excitedly. “Josie missed the boat!” Hobo walked over to greet him, and Jack absently patted his head.

  “I heard.” I hadn’t taken time to digest the news just yet. Having her remain in Ponder was both a blessing and a curse. Eventually she would find a way out, and having her go would be even harder. Still, she was stuck in town for now, and I couldn’t help but be pleased, although I knew she was angry and frustrated.

  “Don’t you see?” Jack insisted impatiently. “It’s our opportunity to convince her to marry you. God gave you a second chance to win her over, so don’t waste it, Palmer. You hear me?” He sounded more like a drill sergeant issuing orders than the old sourdough I’d come to consider a friend.

  I didn’t want to discourage him, but from the way I saw it, Josie couldn’t get away from me fast enough. When I first saw her standing in my workshop this morning, it felt like my heart had swollen to twice its normal size. For one crazed second, I thought she’d reconsidered and decided to marry me. It didn’t take her long to set the record straight.

  “She’s determined to leave,” I told Jack, going about my business.

  “Maybe she wants to leave now, but that won’t last if we play our cards right. Don’t you see? Josie missing the ferry gives us the time we need to get her to reconsider your proposal.”

  Jack was losing what was left of his mind. “I don’t have anything to offer her. She made it clear what she wants, and it isn’t me. In fact, she blames me that she’s stuck here.” Still hadn’t figured out how that could be. I wasn’t the one who’d overslept. Far as I could see, this problem fell squarely on her.

  Jack continued to stare at me, looking long and hard, as if it would help him understand me better. “You have to admit you’re happy she’s here. It doesn’t matter how it happened; it happened. It was like an act of God. You know, like an earthquake or a volcano erupting.”

  “It wasn’t any act of God,” I corrected him. “It was a mistake, plain and simple. Josie overslept.”

  Jack adamantly shook his head. “That’s not the way I see it, and you shouldn’t, either. You’ve been given more time to get her to fall in love with you. Don’t waste it.”

  As much as I wanted to accept his advice, I was afraid to have my heart battered a second time.

  “Palmer?” Jack refused to give up.

  “I’ll do what I can,” I agreed, but I didn’t know what more that would be. I’d already proposed to Josie, given it all I had. She’d rejected me. Being left behind in Ponder really had upset her. The instant she found a way to leave, she’d be gone. Nothing I said or did was likely going to change her mind.

  * * *

  —

  I assumed when Jack left that he’d returned to his cabin. I continued my work on the sword until I was at a good stopping point. Although I was unsure it would do any good, I decided to seek out Josie. With my thoughts weighing me down, I removed my work gear and went inside to retrieve my coat before heading out in the weather toward the lodge. To my surprise, when I came into my kitchen with Hobo at my heels, I found Jack peeking inside my cupboard.

  “You ready for lunch yet?” he asked when he saw me.

  “No. I’m heading over to talk to Josie.”

  Right away, Jack grinned from ear to ear. “That’s a great idea. Go get your woman and don’t take no for an answer.”

  I left Jack behind, knowing he’d make himself at home in my cabin. The snow had let up, and there was less than a foot on the ground. Within a few weeks there would be snow high enough to reach the kitchen window.

  The front door of the lodge was unlocked. I found Josie sitting in one of the big chairs, wearing a thick coat, looking forlorn and lost, with her arms wrapped around herself. She glanced up when I stepped inside. I saw that there wasn’t a fire in the fireplace and knew she must be cold.

  Sensing her distress, Hobo idled over and sat down next to her.

  Her sad eyes met mine briefly, and I couldn’t do anything more than stare back at her. A burst of wind outside distracted me enough to cause me to look away. With little more than a slight nod of acknowledgment from Josie, I walked over to the massive fireplace, knelt, and reached for the kindling to start a fire. In a few minutes the flames licked against the twigs, and soon I was able to stack in a few logs. “Shouldn’t be long before it’s warm in here,” I said, as a means of breaking the ice.

  Her shoulders slumped forward. “Thank you.”

  I got up from my knees and sat in the chair opposite from her, crossing my forearms and resting them against my legs. I wasn’t sure where to start.

  “I shouldn’t have blamed you for my mistake,” she said, looking utterly miserable. Her hand absently stroked Hobo’s thick fur.

  “I get it, you were upset.”

  She gave a half laugh. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  Seeing her this depressed was difficult. Her hair fell over her cheeks, and her eyes were downcast. “You find someone to get you out of here?” I asked, knowing it wouldn’t be a problem easily solved.

  Leaning back in her chair, she released a sigh. “Not really. No way is the ferry willing to return, and the price of hiring a seaplane is ridiculous. I considered going by land, you know, hiring a dog sled to come and collect me, but convincing someone to agree to that is highly unlikely.” She glanced up, and a bit of hope showed in her eyes. “Don’t suppose I could drive out of here?”

  She knew the answer as well as I did. “The roads here are all dead ends, you know that.”

  “What about mail delivery? Couldn’t I leave with whoever flew in the mail? Surely there’s mail delivery during the winter months?”

  I hesitated, knowing she wouldn’t like my answer.

  “I’ve got a post office box in Fairbanks. With so few of us remaining in Ponder, the government cuts the mail service during the winter. My sister checks it for me every few weeks. Don’t really get that much, other than flyers and such. Anyone who wants to reach me knows to contact me through the Internet.”

  Josie sighed, the weight of the world holding her down, heavy on her shoulders.

  “You spoke to your mom and explained what happened?”

  “Yeah, we had a lengthy conversation.”

  “What about that fancy chef?” I knew that had to be a big concern for Josie. She’d been excited about her new career. I really hated the thought of her being robbed of this chance, despite my desire for her to stay.

  “Chef Anton,” she murmured wistfully.

  “Is being stuck here going to ruin that for you?”

  Her lower lip trembled, but she held it together. “I’ve sent him an email and I’m waiting to hear back. I want to believe he’ll hold the job for me, but I don’t know. Can’t say I’d blame him if he hired someone else.”

  “I’m sorry. I really am. I know how important this opportunity is to you.”

  “I was the one who blew it,” she said, sighing again, looking more pitiful than she had earlier, which was saying something.

  Seeing Josie so down in the dumps ha
d a strange effect on me. It took all the self-control I could muster not to take her in my arms and comfort her. The only way I could resist was to look away. I concentrated instead on the fireplace.

  After a few awkward seconds, I asked, “Were you able to reach either of the Brewsters?”

  Josie nodded. “They had just gotten off the ferry. Marianne felt dreadful that she’d left me behind after I told her what happened, but I have no one to blame but myself. Jerry told all of us to bring our luggage to the lobby before we went to bed. My mind was racing from our conversation, and I forgot to do it before I climbed into bed. Once I was in bed and remembered that I had to put them in the lobby, I didn’t want to get dressed again. I decided I’d get up early and handle it in the morning. I guess I was thinking a few hours wouldn’t matter.”

  “It sounds to me like a comedy of errors,” I said.

  “Except no one is laughing, especially not me.”

  That wasn’t exactly true. Jack had been downright gleeful to learn that Josie was now trapped in Ponder.

  “Marianne assured me I could stay at the lodge for as long as needed. That’s one thing I’m grateful for. I don’t know what I would have done if the Brewsters said I’d have to leave.”

  There wouldn’t be a problem with supplies, I thought to myself. The freezer at the lodge was full of meat and vegetables and everything in between. Learning to do without fresh fruit and other produce would take some adjusting for Josie. Life in the frozen north made that a necessity. She’d find a way to manage, but that would mean keeping the fireplace going and stocked with wood, as it would be her only source of heat.

  “I’m sorry for all this, Josie.”

  She looked up and caught my gaze, her own eyes narrowing. “Are you really sorry, Palmer? I would think having me trapped in town must look like a gift to you.”

  “Not against your will, it isn’t.” I meant that, whether Josie believed me or not. Jack might not share my opinion, but that was on him. For my part, I proposed, although badly, and Josie had said she wasn’t interested.