A Wild River Match

by Jennifer Snow

  She could ignore Mike—and those startlingly blue eyes—for two days. She’d never noticed how light they were. The shade of blue was almost crystal clear, yet they held a deep intensity.

  Following him toward their hut, she cast a glance toward the other “couples” making their way across the ice. They all looked to be getting along already. SnowTrek had really done their research to pair everyone with their ideal mate.

  Mike stood at the door, holding it open for her as she approached.

  Entering, she momentarily forgot her frustration as she took in her accommodations.

  The space was already toasty warm, heated by a small woodstove, and the dim lighting from the 12-volt interior spotlights in the ceiling created a warm glow. Two comfy club folding chairs sat side by side in the center of the intimate space, two lock-down hole covers in the floor in front of them. Behind were two cots made up with plaid bedding and a down comforter, and along the wall was additional bench seating with storage boxes underneath.

  The hut door closed and Mike cleared his throat. “Take whichever cot you prefer—I’m cool with either.”

  She scanned the options. One was visibly bigger than the other and probably the better choice for him considering his height and build. “I’ll take that one,” she said, pointing to it, leaving him with the smaller one.

  The only sign of annoyance was the way he pursed his lips. “No problem.” He handed over her duffel bag from the wood sled box and she carried it to her cot. She could do this. She wouldn’t argue with him. She’d ignore him and fish.

  “You brought your own pole?” he asked behind her.

  She turned to see him examining her Fenwick Elite Tech Ice Spinning Rod. “I don’t go anywhere without my own pole,” she said.

  She couldn’t tell if he was impressed or in disbelief as he slowly handed it to her.

  “Well, it’s a good one. We supply everything you need, but this pole will definitely be the best one out here this weekend, if the pole has anything to do with the catch.”

  She raised her chin. “It all comes down to skill.”

  “And you’ve got skills?”

  “I guess you’ll see,” she said.

  His smirk actually softened his features just a little. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get you started.” He unlocked her portal on the floor, revealing the hole already drilled in the thick ice, and handed her the tackle box. “There’s plastic ice fishing lures in there as well if you’d rather not touch the live bait.”

  Was that a note of challenge in his voice?

  He obviously thought she and Jade were the same person. Her sister would definitely opt for the nonliving bait, but she wasn’t going to catch anything big that way. “I’ll take the live minnows, please.”

  Again, the slight look of surprise. But he simply cleared his throat as he handed her the bait. “Good choice.”

  Painfully aware of his gaze on her, she baited the large hook at the end of her line. Watching to see if she was bluffing?

  Maybe other women pretended to like these kinds of things to impress a guy, but that wasn’t her game. She had no game. She was who she was—take it or leave it. All the men she’d dated so far had chosen to leave it.

  Her dating profile consisted of about a dozen guys over the last ten years. All of whom had claimed to want a down-to-earth, outdoorsy type of partner, but ultimately they hadn’t expected her to keep up with them or outdo them when it came to the great outdoors. Fragile egos weren’t something she found attractive.

  “So, what made you sign up for this? What was appealing about meeting someone this way?” Mike asked.

  “I’m a vegetarian,” she said.

  He frowned.

  “You know...bars are meat markets...” She waited. Nope, right over his head. “You know what, never mind.” This was another reason she was still single. No one got her jokes.

  But Mike’s delayed chuckle made her chest twist. It sounded genuine and sincere. And it was the first indication that he wasn’t completely hating this entire experience so far. As much as he tried to appear upbeat, it was obvious he wasn’t thrilled about being the one to lead this tour. His enthusiasm had seemed forced since they’d boarded the SnowTrek Tours van and she suspected he’d rather fight off a bear than coordinate a speed dating event.

  “Do you mind?” he asked, gesturing toward the other fishing hole.

  She shrugged. “I guess not.” The guy may have pissed off her sister but she wasn’t cruel enough to deny anyone this experience.

  Removing his coat, he sat in the chair next to hers and opened his own portal. Then he rolled up the sleeves of his flannel plaid shirt and set up his own line.

  Her gaze fell to a long scar extending from the base of his thumb to his wrist. Ouch, that would have been a nasty injury...and relatively new judging by the pale pinkness of the flesh. Her eyes traveled upward and grew even wider at the tattoo sleeve disappearing under the fabric of the shirt. She frowned. Her sister hated tattoos.

  Whatever had attracted Jade to him at all?

  “Something wrong?” he asked, catching her stare.

  No doubt he was reading her reaction wrong. She loved tattoos—was the proud owner of several herself—but not Jade. She nodded toward the scar. She couldn’t help herself. Scars fascinated her. “How’d you get the scar?”

  “It was actually during an emergency response mission. I volunteer on the Wild River Search and Rescue,” he said as he baited his own line.

  Her mouth gaped, and she was relieved he wasn’t looking at her. Her sister had never mentioned that detail. Maddie had considered becoming a volunteer member over the years, but after a bear had been put down because of an attack on hikers who’d wandered into an off-limits area several years before, Maddie had realized she was too anti dumb people not to deliver lectures instead of rescuing the lost. “What happened?” she asked.

  “It was late November, and four hikers had gotten lost on Snowcrest Peak. One of them got a call through to 911 and dispatch was able to get a location on them. They’d stumbled into an avalanche high danger area so the situation was upgraded to an emergency.”

  Maddie’s eyes were wide as she waited for him to continue. Having grown up on the mountains, she understood the importance of staying clear of those areas and the severity of what the team must have faced that day. Snowcrest Peak in winter wasn’t for the beginner hiker, and the weather conditions on that mountain could change from a sunny, cloudless day to a blinding snowstorm of sleet and ice in minutes.

  “We located the missing hikers with the cell in less than twenty minutes, but then the worst-case scenario happened and the mountain gave way. Three team members and their rescues were able to get clear of the danger, but...well, my rescue was a little older and heavier...and we were trapped.”

  Maddie held her breath as he paused.

  “As the snow enveloped us, I wrapped a leather strap around our wrists, not wanting to be separated from him as we were tossed down the side of the mountain. It worked, but the leather tore into my flesh...leaving the scar.”

  “And the rescue?”

  “It was a success by most measures. The other team members found us within an hour. We got lucky...just suffered some minor frostbite.” He shrugged as his gaze met hers.

  She tried and failed to conceal her awe. Her sister’s ex was turning out to be nothing like she’d expected. In fact, he was the most fascinating, attractive and off-limits man she’d met in a long time.

  * * *

  IT HAD BEEN a while since a woman had looked at him the way Maddie was right now. Often when he told the rescue story there was the look of admiration that followed. Heck, he’d admit it had even gotten him laid a time or two, but not once had he seen the complete and utter respect and intrigue he saw in her emerald eyes. Resisting the urge to brush her blond hair away from
her face and place a trail of kisses on her pink flushed cheeks and hypnotizing eyes took every ounce of his strength. “So, what do you do?” he asked, forcing his gaze away.

  “I’m an educator at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.”

  His expression was one of surprise as he turned to look at her.

  “What?”

  He shook his head quickly. “Nothing... I guess I just hadn’t expected that.” Jade was so anti outdoors, anti animals, anti everything Mike considered fun and interesting, it was hard to believe her sister could be the complete opposite. But he was quickly realizing the two were nothing alike.

  “Just because Jade isn’t exactly outdoorsy?”

  He shrugged. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”

  “It’s okay. Jade and I are so different it’s sometimes hard for me to believe we’re related.”

  It wasn’t so hard from an outside perspective—they both shared the same blond hair and green eyes, but Maddie’s were darker, more seductive. Her overall features were softer. She was curvier and less put together than Jade. No makeup or fake eyelashes. Sitting next to him in jeans, hiking boots and a thick plaid jacket, she looked comfortable in the hut.

  He couldn’t picture Jade sitting there.

  “So, I take it you enjoy your job?”

  “Love it,” she said. “Educating people about the wildlife out here is exciting, especially the kids. They really light up seeing the animals up close. Every day is different and I just love being outside. I couldn’t imagine being cooped up in an office all day every day.”

  He couldn’t have said it better himself. He’d tried and failed to be happy in a corporate job. He had a degree in accounting and he was great with numbers. But suits and desks would drive him to an early grave. Giving it up to become an adventure tour guide might have been a step down financially, but there was more to life than money.

  “It might not be the most lucrative career, but happiness has to be a factor in life choices, right?” she said.

  Once again, caught off guard by their similar philosophies, he simply nodded.

  Was it possible that he had more in common with his ex’s sister than he could ever have thought? It was quickly becoming obvious that he might have dated the wrong sister.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “GUESS THE FISH just aren’t biting today,” Mike said as the sun started to set outside the hut windows.

  “I wonder if the others had more luck.” Maddie pulled her line up and frowned at the slightly frozen bait at the end. Her disappointment over not catching anything wasn’t as strong as it would normally be. Surprisingly, she’d had a good day...fun, even.

  The hut was cozy with the stove giving off heat and the smell of burning wood and fresh mountain air all around them. It was peaceful and serene.

  Mike was easy to be around. He didn’t feel the need to fill every moment with chatter and yet, sitting in silence while they fished together had felt like they were actually getting to know one another. He seemed to get better looking as the day went on, with each sneaky glance in his direction. The muscular, burly build and long legs, the full, thick beard that was trimmed neat along his square jawline, and those light blue eyes that were kind and slightly intoxicating in their depth had her attraction growing.

  And she sensed he was shooting glances her way, as well.

  The few times their gazes had met, there had definitely been some type of unspoken connection...a spark.

  “I think I hear everyone outside. If you want to head out and join them, I’ll go let the cook know we’re ready to eat,” he said, locking their fishing holes and grabbing his coat.

  Maddie put on all her gear and still shivered as she stepped out onto the frozen lake. It was even prettier at night. The ice stretching far in both directions and the stars above in the clear night sky were breathtaking. Taking out her cell phone, she snapped several photos before joining the others near the fire grill. Thick hollowed-out logs were set up for each couple.

  Everyone looked caught up in their partner, so Maddie quietly sat on her empty log, taking in the group. Smiles and laughter, light touching... One man had his arm draped around his match as they snuggled together.

  Looked like so far so good...for the rest of them anyway. Cassie had obviously done a thorough job pairing everyone.

  What would her match have been like?

  The questionnaire had asked everything from preferred physical characteristics to personality traits. She’d been honest. Maddie was looking for a strong, smart, capable man with a quirky sense of humor—or at least some sense of humor—who enjoyed the outdoors and being in nature. No pressure for expensive, fancy dates. No pretenses. She’d prefer to skip the highlight reel and get to the core of the person. She’d wanted someone with similar goals, similar life philosophies...

  She’d basically described Mike.

  She watched him approach with the cook from the ice fishing company, chatting amicably and looking so at ease out there in the frigid weather. Any doubts she’d had about his abilities to lead a tour had vanished. He was capable, strong and competent. Of course, he didn’t come across as a heart-on-his-sleeve type of guy, so why he was assigned to this trip was still a bit of a mystery.

  As the cook collected the fish from those who’d caught some and prepared the grill, Mike sat next to her on the log. “So, I hope you brought a protein bar or something,” he said with a wink.

  She felt her cheeks warm at the simple blink of an eye. “Maybe we can convince the others to share?”

  Mike glanced at them. “They look too preoccupied to eat anyway.”

  Maddie scanned the others, then turned back to Mike. “How did you get stuck leading this excursion anyway?”

  “What makes you think I got stuck with it?”

  “You just don’t come across as a big relationship guy.” The words came out wrong. She’d meant he wasn’t the romantic, Valentine’s Day, flowers and chocolate kinda guy, but it was too late to clarify.

  “Jade tell you that?” he asked, his voice slightly cooler and she regretted the question. It only reminded her that this guy had dated and dumped her sister three months ago.

  “You’re not exactly her normal type, if I’m being honest,” she said carefully.

  He turned to face her. “No? Well, whose type am I?”

  Mine.

  But somehow the word stuck in her throat, so she looked away.

  In theory, on paper, he was exactly her type, everything she was looking for in a man but unfortunately, being her sister’s ex unchecked all the boxes he’d ticked.

  * * *

  ONCE THE FOOD had been cleared away, Mike drained the contents of his thermos and stood to address the group. Back to the dating element of the weekend.

  Forcing as much enthusiasm as he could fake, he said, “Okay, so we’re going to begin our speed dating round.”

  Only one couple who had clearly friend zoned one another looked eager to mingle. The others seemed content to retreat back inside the individual huts, and Mike was tempted to let them do it, but this was part of the experience and Cassie was right—Maddie deserved to see if there was someone there she might hit it off with.

  And he wasn’t at all jealous about that.

  “Remember, there’s no obligation to switch partners, it’s just so you all have a chance to get to know one another,” he said.

  Maddie glanced at him, a slight questioning expression on her face.

  “You’ll participate too.” Mike had noticed the friend-zoned man’s attention on Maddie while they’d eaten. The two had chatted and joked...they’d seemed to be getting along.

  And that’s what she was there for. To make a real connection.

  He was not there for that reason.

  He checked his notes from Cassie...this dating part of the excursion was the bit he w
as least comfortable executing, but he needed to pull it off. Good evaluations from this group would go a long way in ensuring Cassie trusted him with future excursions. “Ladies will stay put and the men will rotate from log to log. A five-minute alarm will chime when it’s time to rotate again.”

  The men stood, ready, and Mike hit his stopwatch. “And start.”

  He poured more coffee into his thermos and sat on a log away from the group, desperate not to watch but feeling his gaze shift back to Maddie as the men did their rotation.

  Most of the original couples seemed happy together. He wasn’t an expert on love but he could read body language and it appeared everyone was keeping their speed dates casual, friendly.

  If Cassie ever wanted a career change she could definitely become a professional matchmaker. Maybe next year he should sign himself up as a participant. Finding a potential mate who liked ice fishing and the great outdoors, someone not worried about how they looked or having to pee in an outhouse...

  Someone with a nice sense of humor who was interesting to talk to but who also didn’t mind the stillness and silence.

  Someone like Maddie.

  He sighed as his gaze landed on her again. His ill-timed attraction for her had him foolishly hoping she’d say no to his next question as the speed dating wrapped up. “So, anyone want to switch?”

  Three women shook their heads, to the relief of their partners, but Friend-Zoned Guy’s hand went up slowly. He glanced at his current match and she nodded her approval. “I’d like to hang out with Maddie...if she’s up for it.”

  His match smiled at Mike, but Mike’s palms went clammy as he turned to Maddie. Would she switch? It made sense seeing as how this other guy was available and there for the same reason. “It’s totally your choice.”

  She hesitated, smiling politely at the guy. “Um, actually I think I’ll stick to my original hut.”

  Her original hut, meaning her original “stand-in” partner—him.