Sweet Home Alaska
Page 7
She pulled into the Salmon Catcher parking lot, put her van into park, and resolved to go after what she wanted. And what she wanted was Trey Briggs.
She trod across the parking lot with confidence she didn’t feel, but she was determined to make those acting classes pay off. Even if she didn’t feel sure of herself, she was going to act like she was.
She stepped into the hotel’s busy lobby. There were staff members clearing away dishes from the morning’s breakfast. There were people passing in and out of the front doors, up and down the spiral staircase, and customers checking out. She searched the faces until she spotted Trey walking across the mosaic-tiled lobby talking with a member of the housekeeping staff. When he looked up, he locked gazes with Lauren and immediately stopped talking. His mouth hung open for the briefest of moments until he said something quietly to the staff member and she continued down the hall.
Trey stood immobile, staring at her, taking in every inch of her with his eyes. He stepped forward and smiled, though Lauren noted the lines of stress etched in his face. “I hear congratulations are in order. You signed the deal.”
“Yes, I did. Who told you?” She clutched her handbag like a lifeline, hoping it might keep her steady.
“I don’t remember. This is a small town. News travels fast,” he said. His voice sounded emotionless and flat.
Lauren had asked her staff not to tell anyone. But then, people in this town never could keep a secret.
“Will you be selling the Moose’s Tooth before you leave?” Trey asked in a louder-than-normal voice, as though everyone in the lobby was included in the conversation between them.
“Are you so anxious for me to leave then?” she spouted, just as loud. “Who said I was leaving?”
“I…” he said in a more subdued tone, “…just assumed you were.”
“You shouldn’t make assumptions like that.”
“Lauren, maybe we should go someplace more private to discuss this.” He placed his arm on her back and urged her to walk toward the front doors.
“There’s no reason not to keep the good news private.” This wasn’t going the way she’d planned. She slowly released a pent-up sigh. “I signed the deal.”
“So you’ll be moving back to L.A.?” His tone was businesslike. It grated against every nerve ending in her body.
“I didn’t say what the deal was. But then, you made it pretty clear you didn’t want to be part of that decision.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
He refused to look her in the eye. He looked behind her and beside her, not directly at her. “I’d like to hear what you have decided.”
She also noticed he didn’t shave this morning. He had the shadow of beard stubble and dark circles under his eyes. She said, “If you’d look at me. I would like to tell you.”
He flexed the muscles in his angular jaw. People continued to mill around them in a beehive of activity. Finally, his intense blue eyes looked at her and she had that swoony feeling, like she might pass out. She was going on very little sleep, but she believed her physical reaction to him had nothing to do with sleep deprivation. “I’m not leaving. I’m staying in Alaska. This is my home. The show is coming to me.”
His eyes widened, but he said nothing.
“Add me to the list of Alaskan shows people seem to love: Alaska State Troopers, Ice Road Truckers, Mountain Men, Deadliest Catch. The Food Network wants to jump on the bandwagon with Frontier Woman.”
“Your show is called Frontier Woman? And it’s going to be filmed right here, in our town?” His voice sounded hopeful and light.
“Yes. I have to go to L.A. once a month to oversee the editing, but other than that, I’m home to stay. Well, other than needing a new home. They want my house to be natural log and on the river. You know, they love that rustic Alaskan-y look, so my apartment over the Moose’s Tooth isn’t going to cut it.”
A smile tugged at his lips.
“Do you know any good contractors?” she asked, with a little too much sarcasm.
He swallowed, then blinked several times. “I never meant what I said, Lauren, but I would never stand in the way of your dreams. I could never live with myself if I’d done that. The truth is, I love you.”
“I know.”
“You got me.” The biggest smile she’d ever seen widened across his full mouth. “Stealing a Han Solo’s line. I like that.”
“I’m glad. It is a great line, so I had to use it, but you know I love you, too. And we can agree that Alaska is our home.”
He took a hesitant step forward and wrapped her in his arms. “I believe you’re home to stay and I never want to be away from you again. The next trip you make to Hollywood, I’m going with you,” he declared.
He kissed her forehead and a tear leaked from her eye. “And I do happen to know a good contractor.”
She laughed and held him as tight as she could. She glanced out the window at the wild iris in the flower boxes. Trey loved her—it was the only thing that mattered. That, and she was finally home to stay.
A Note From Rebecca
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading Sweet Home Alaska!
I love writing about people falling in love in my home state of Alaska. I also have a soft spot for historical romance.
For updates on new releases and giveaways, you can sign up for my newsletter here: Rebecca’s Newsletter.
I love to keep in touch with readers. If you’d like to be a member of my Alaskan Chicks Street Team on Facebook, please send me an email at rebeccathomas3 (at) live (dot) com expressing your interest. It would be great to hear from you.
You can also follow me on Facebook here: Rebecca Thomas on Facebook
Or here: Rebecca Thomas on Twitter where I post random things about Alaska, corny jokes, or inspirational quotes.
Warmly,
Rebecca Thomas
www.authorrebeccathomas.com
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
A Note From Rebecca
Other Books By Rebecca Thomas