Hallie grinned. “It’s not your character I’m worried about. Let’s not overthink this, Mr. Reynolds. We’re just having some fun, right?”
Something about her careless statement annoyed him, but he didn’t react. He had a feeling she was fighting the same out-of-control attraction that was turning him inside out.
He was a patient man. He released her and stepped back. “I’ll be late getting home tonight. Drive safely, Hallie.”
* * *
Hallie made it back to the B&B only moments before the Denmans returned. They brought pizza for dinner and insisted that Hallie eat with them. One of the women plugged her iPod into a portable dock. Soon Christmas music filled the kitchen and dining room.
After devouring two slices of ham and pineapple without blinking, Hallie realized suddenly that she had forgotten to eat lunch. She decided it was definite progress when the music didn’t give her indigestion.
Robbie dropped a third slice on Hallie’s plate. “Where’s Daniel?” she asked. “We brought plenty for him, too.”
Hallie grimaced. “He’s working late tonight.”
Robbie plopped down beside her and smiled inquisitively. “So what’s going on with the two of you?”
“Going on?” Hallie choked on a bite of pizza and had to wash it down with Diet Coke.
Robbie nudged her with an elbow and kept right on eating. “Don’t be coy, missy. I may have only been here twenty-four hours, but I’ve got an eye for romance. And Daniel Reynolds is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen . . . except for my Stanley, of course.”
Stanley was sixty-four, carried about fifty extra pounds, and was addicted to ESPN. Love truly was blind.
Over the years, Hallie had perfected the art of the pleasant, noncommittal smile. It served her well in hotel management. “Daniel is a very attractive man,” she said. “He’s a pleasant guest.”
Robbie snorted. “Pleasant? Pull the other leg. You’d better snap him up, Hallie. Living under the same roof gives you a definite advantage. All the women in Alaska can’t be slow on the uptake.”
Hallie picked at a piece of pepperoni one of the kids had left in the pizza box. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
“Do I have to spell it out?” Robbie shook her head sadly, eyeing Hallie like a slow student. “Sex, honey.”
“I thought your generation was more conservative. Daniel and I barely know each other, and I’m only going to be here for a short while.”
“You young people these days are so picky. Life doesn’t run according to a script. If something amazing falls into your lap, don’t waste time wondering if it was really meant for you.”
“And if it hurts when I leave?”
“Nobody can predict the future. Don’t you deserve to have a wonderful Christmas this year? You lost your mom and the job you loved. I can see in your eyes, darlin’, that you’ve been through hell these last twelve months. But you’re here now. Live in the moment. Kick up your heels a bit. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“A broken heart?” Hallie was joking, though she began to wonder whether, deep down inside, that really was what bothered her. Was she afraid her heart couldn’t take any more hard knocks?
That evening she allowed herself to be dragged into the game room, where the Denmans embraced her and made no attempt to pander to her because she was not one of them. They beat her at Uno. They beat her at Scrabble. They even beat her at Wii bowling, though the youngest of the kids had never heard of the outdated gaming system.
Monopoly was Hallie’s only success. She managed to get hotels along two whole sides of the board and wiped out her opponents in short order. Hallie had a lot of fun with the Denmans. She was abashed to realize how seldom she allowed herself to goof off for an entire evening.
Daniel never showed. She told herself she didn’t care. The Denmans were delightful people, and they made her feel right at home. Which was ironic since she was supposed to be the one hosting.
Their son Timothy wasn’t off work today. Robbie talked about him often though, enough that Hallie began putting together a picture of a competent, grounded young man. She wondered if he appreciated his loyal, loving family. He must, because when she met him last night, his expression, though colored with shyness, had been lit up with happiness.
When everyone finally trundled off to bed, Hallie wandered the downstairs, turning off lights, checking door locks, and adjusting the heat. She sank down onto the sofa near the tree and stared hard at the ornaments. She hadn’t bothered to examine them before now, but it was obvious this was a collection accumulated over the years with loving care.
Many of the shaped-glass ornaments, decorated with glitter, were obviously antiques. She curled her legs beneath her and leaned her head back, letting her eyes half close. The swirls of color danced against her eyelids. Her mind wandered, imagining Daniel here with her.
Was it wrong to want him so much? Was she using their flirtation to distract her from the horrible year she’d had?
Where was he? Was he with another woman? He was certainly in no way obligated to check in with her. A guest of the B&B could come and go at will.
At midnight she gave up and went to bed.
* * *
The next morning Daniel wasn’t at breakfast. Hallie’s stomach rolled as she mixed up a quiche Lorraine from scratch. The recipe called for homemade crust, but Hallie drew the line there. The ready-to-bake crusts she’d bought from the freezer section at the grocery would have to do.
Robbie was at her side, jabbering away, so Hallie was forced to produce an air of cheeriness that was entirely fake. She wiped away an onion-produced tear and told herself not to imagine the worst. Daniel had a demanding job. He wasn’t avoiding her because he had changed his mind about his feelings. Of course he wasn’t.
Her second breakfast went fairly well. She forgot to squeeze oranges the night before. There wasn’t any time to do it in the midst of cooking quiche and scones, so she was forced to serve bottled apple juice. But no one seemed to mind.
The Denmans were in higher spirits than usual, the kids practically bouncing in their seats. Robbie tried to help with cleanup, but Hallie shooed her away. “Go have fun with your family. Seriously.”
Robbie allowed herself to be persuaded. She dried her hands on a dish towel. “We’ve got something special planned. Timothy was able to get today and tomorrow off. We’re all headed down to Anchorage overnight. I’m sure you’ll be glad to have a morning to sleep in tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Hallie was taken aback.
Robbie misunderstood her silence. “Oh, don’t worry, hon. We’re still paying for our room here, but Timothy wanted us all to see a little bit of the state, even though it’s winter. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a glimpse of Denali on the way down. It’s only a two-hour drive as long as the weather stays dry, and it’s supposed to.”
Hallie wrapped her arms around her waist. “I wasn’t worried about the money, Robbie. I was surprised. That’s all. But it sounds like a fun trip. When do you leave?”
Robbie chuckled. “As soon as I get this motley crew corralled.”
They were gone in thirty minutes.
Hallie loaded the dishwasher and washed a few of the bigger pots and pans in the sink. The work occupied her hands, but not her mind. Where was Daniel? Had he even come home last night?
When the kitchen was set to rights, she went upstairs to do the usual daily “maid” service. The Denmans were a neat bunch for the most part. Hallie began developing her own efficient system for cleaning. Daniel’s room should have been next on the agenda, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk in there. Instead, she decided to take a shower and wash her hair.
Half an hour later, she slipped into matching bra and underwear and put on her favorite jeans with an old Seattle University sweatshirt. Her clean hair was still a little damp. A new book in her suitcase was waiting to have the spine cracked, and today was the perfect opportunity for a lonely woman to curl up with
a good read.
She was only ten pages into the story before she sighed loudly and tossed the book aside. Daniel was a paying guest. She had to take care of his room. Otherwise she would be admitting that he scared her.
The first thing she spotted was the note on his pillow . . . a small folded piece of paper with her name on it. He had known she would be tidying the room, and he must have assumed she would see his communication.
Berating herself for her own cowardice, she picked up the note and unfolded it slowly....
Hallie—
It was late when I got in and I had to be back on duty at six. Sorry I wasn’t there to help with breakfast. If you can, stick around the house this morning. I have a surprise for you.
—Daniel
Her hands trembled slightly. She tucked the small paper in the back pocket of her jeans. A surprise? What did that mean?
Her mind raced as she went through the motions of freshening the bathroom and making the bed. After smoothing out the last wrinkle in the comforter, she jumped when an amused voice behind her spoke. Daniel startled her so badly she stumbled and had to catch herself on the edge of the mattress.
She sprawled there awkwardly and looked up at him. He was laughing . . . a red-cheeked, blown-in-from-the-cold, gorgeous male.
He put his hands in his pockets and relaxed in the doorway. “When I asked you to stick around, I wasn’t expecting to see you in my bed. But damned if I don’t like it.” He straightened and approached her.
Hallie scrambled to her feet. “Why aren’t you at work?”
He grinned and kept coming. “I have two whole days off.” His eyes locked on her face. “It took some juggling, but I’m in the clear. Barring any disasters, of course.”
“Why did you do that?” Hallie backed toward the window a half step.
Daniel stopped. Some of the humor on his face was replaced by a look so serious and determined, it made her heart skip a few beats. He gazed at her intently. “I wanted us to have some time to get to know each other. With me working all day, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Now I can be all yours for the next forty-eight hours.”
When she flashed involuntarily to a vision of Daniel kneeling naked at her feet, she had to clear her throat. “That sounds nice.” The words came out choked.
He was close enough to brush a quick kiss over her lips. “Grab your winter gear, Prentiss. We’re gonna roll.”
* * *
Daniel was in a great mood. His second-in-command had things under control at work. The sky was clear, and the temperature was still hovering above zero, which was downright balmy. Most importantly, Hallie was by his side.
He took her to his favorite barbecue restaurant for lunch. Over thick sandwiches dripping in sauce and huge mugs of hot coffee, he fielded more questions about his job.
Hallie wiped her mouth and wrinkled her brow. “I still don’t understand your civilian relationship to the post. I thought the army has always had a strong military police.”
“They have and they do, but with deployments in two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, manpower has been stretched thin in the last decade. Civilian employees like us, and even private contractors, remove part of that burden. We still have some MPs on our duty rotation. They do shifts for us here and there while they’re training for their next assignments. Those guys ship out all the time. Our crew is the constant that keeps things running.”
“And why were you at the school the other day? What’s the connection there?”
“My department is in charge of the D.A.R.E. program.”
“Drug awareness?”
“Yeah. I got to know a lot of the students and teachers while running programs at the schools in the Fairbanks district, so the elementary principal invited me to be Santa.”
“But you had to stay in costume or one of the kids might have recognized you.”
“Exactly.”
Her face got a funny look on it, like she had swallowed bad meat. “So how long will you stay in Alaska?”
He debated his words carefully. Was his answer going to be the death knell of any possible relationship with Hallie? He drummed his fingers on the table and sighed. “I like it here. The job is interesting and challenging. Even though I’m not active military any longer, I feel like I’m serving my country. I came here for a lark, for a change of pace, but I’ve decided I like Alaska and Fort Wainwright.
This work is a good fit for me. I’m happy.”
“I see.”
He couldn’t tell from her face what she was thinking. She sipped her coffee delicately and put down the clunky mug. “Is it dangerous?”
“My job? It can be . . . at times . . . but not often.”
“This is only your first winter, right? How do you deal with it? The cold and the dark? And knowing you’ll have to do it all over again next winter?”
He leaned back in his chair, weighing his answer. “You need to see Alaska in the spring, summer, and fall. There isn’t a more beautiful place on earth.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I got that. From the rental car guy to the grocery store clerk to one of the Denman men who has traveled in Alaska extensively. They tell me that August and early September are so amazing that I would never want to leave.”
“And you don’t believe them?”
“I do. I guess. I’ve seen pictures, after all. But I’m not sure it makes up for a long run of dark days and nights when it can get down to forty below . . . or worse.”
“Do you know how to swim?” He chuckled at her immediate look of suspicion. “I’m not talking about here and now.”
“I swim,” she said reluctantly.
“Do you remember trying to float when you were learning?”
She nodded. “My father told me I had to relax my body and let the water hold me up.”
“And could you?”
“Not at first. But finally, I learned.”
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “That’s what you’ve got to do with winter in Alaska. Don’t fight it. That makes it worse. But if you go with the flow, embrace the differences and the phenomenal extremes, you start to love it.”
“Sounds like the voice of experience.”
“Think about it. I was living in California, land of warm beaches and hot sunshine, before I moved here. I’ll admit that the first time the mercury hit fifty below, I had a what-in-the-hell-am-I-doing moment. But then I got kind of psyched about it. This is a tough place. It’s not for sissies. It challenges people, makes them strong.”
“Or convinces them to leave.”
“That, too.” He’d given her a lot to think about. He was ready to be done with “serious” for the day. “C’mon,” he said, standing up and offering his hand to her. “Let’s go see what North Pole has to offer.”
* * *
Hallie was enchanted in spite of herself. Daniel took her to the Santa Claus House for their first stop, where she got to see and feed real reindeer. Daniel waited patiently while she bought postcards to send to her former coworkers at the hotel, as well as a cute toboggan for Julie.
She lingered over the waiting-to-be-personalized letters from Santa. What would it be like to have a big-eyed toddler on Christmas morning? A child ready to jump headfirst into every bit of Christmas merriment. Her chest tightened with yearning, and her eyes stung as she realized anew that her mom and dad wouldn’t be around to be doting grandparents.
Hurriedly, before she gave in to self-pity, she paid for her purchases and joined Daniel at the front of the store. He insisted on taking her picture with the enormous fiberglass Santa outside, and then drove her to the North Pole, Alaska, post office, where “Santa’s official zip is 99705.” Of course, the building was located on Santa Claus Lane.
Hallie dashed off several quick notes on the Christmas themed cards, purchased stamps, and popped them in the slot. She climbed back into the car. “Now what?” In spite of everything that had happened before she left Seattle, she was enjoying today. In Alas
ka. With Daniel.
He shifted into reverse and looked over his shoulder. “I thought we might take a sleigh ride.”
She gulped. “Outside?”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “Yes, outside. It’s six degrees, Hallie. They do these even when it’s fifty degrees colder than this. Don’t be such a chicken.”
Before they made it to the place where they could pay for the sleigh ride, Daniel stopped off to show her the ice-sculpture contest in the park. There were the usual wreaths and trees and bells, but what really stunned her was the children’s playground equipment made entirely of ice and snow.
She watched a kid, maybe eight or nine, clamber over it with glee. His happy yells to his parents made her smile. “Wow,” she said slowly. “And who said there was nothing to do in Alaska in the winter?”
Daniel kissed her cheek. “Not me.”
They ate hot dogs and veggie soup in a nearby wooden lodge, then sought out the sleigh rides. While Daniel paid for their tickets, Hallie tucked the wrists of her gloves into the sleeves of her coat and wrapped her thick wool scarf tightly around her head, tying it in a sturdy knot. Her heavy, knee-length down coat was plenty warm, but if this ride lasted more than ten minutes, all bets were off.
She made a face when she saw the animals harnessed to the pretty sleigh. “What? No reindeer?” The placid horses were sturdy, but definitely had no antlers.
Daniel chuckled. “It’s probably an animal-rights thing. Use your imagination.” He helped her up into the padded seat of the sleigh and tucked the heavy velvet and satin blanket around them both.
Suddenly Hallie became hyperaware that their bodies were touching from hip to knee. Given the air temperature, she should have been shivering. But Daniel radiated heat. When he curled an arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his chest, she immediately felt warmer.
The sleigh took off with a bump and a jerk. Soon they were sailing along over the hard-packed snow. The driver wasn’t all that far away, but with the muffled noise from the horse’s hooves and the jingling of dozens of sleigh bells, Hallie realized that she and Daniel inhabited a little cocoon of privacy.
By Firelight Page 13