Si stared at him in surprise. “Hope came to see you?”
“Yeah, she wanted to know about this guy who’s been calling everyone and offering to buy their leases.”
He hadn’t known Hope had spoken to Mal. Then again, it hadn’t been like he and Hope had actually talked. No, they’d been too busy doing other things.
“Right,” he said. “Angela’s been getting the same calls.”
“That’s what Hope said.” Mal eyed him. “Said I’d let Hope know if I got another call from the guy. I’m going to try and get his number, so we can maybe find out where he’s from.”
“Good plan.” He paused. “I guess you’re not in favor of this oil business?”
Mal’s expression turned grim. “What do you think?”
Of course Mal wouldn’t be into it, and Si knew that would likely be the case. But he had to be sure. “Hey, I don’t want to assume anything. You’re a businessman after all, and this could mean good business for the town.”
“It could, but it wouldn’t be any kind of business that I’d want to be involved in.” The other man glanced around the store, at the shelves piled high, at the barrels of dry goods, and the fishing rods, ski poles, shovels, and other objects stored in the rafters above their heads, at the doorway that led off into the small DVD library that people rented movies from since the internet up here wasn’t great and most people couldn’t get the streaming services available.
“This place is my livelihood,” Mal said. “And it was Dad’s before me and his father’s before him. It’s in the blood. I’m not giving it up, not for any amount of money.”
Si watched Mal’s expression as he said it and felt something shift inside him. Something that had been shifting ever since he’d landed here a few days ago. A knowledge that he hadn’t at first wanted to be aware of, and yet with every minute that passed being here, with every person he talked to, it became clearer and clearer.
People loved this town and they were passionate about it. They believed in it. And he wasn’t sure why he found that so very fascinating, but he did.
Maybe because it was something he’d once felt himself, before his father’s drinking had sucked all the hope and joy right out of him. Before he’d realized that the town had become a prison for him and not the place of magic it had once been.
But for some people that magic had never gone away. It was still there, and they saw it every day.
You can see it too. If you look…
Si realized he was standing there holding his breath and that Mal was looking at him with a knowing expression in his deep-set gray eyes.
“You still planning on leaving?” Mal asked. “Because after the way you handled that meeting, I reckon the town could use a man like you.”
“I think so,” he said, that feeling shifting around inside him, becoming more demanding. “Got my own business in Juneau to deal with.”
“Yeah, so I heard.” Mal rubbed at his beard. “A bush pilot business, right?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, you know you can be a bush pilot here. Doesn’t have to be in a town.”
Si found himself scowling. “I’ve got to be where the people and the tourists are, and there’s none of that here.”
“Uh-huh.” Mal kept rubbing his beard. “Sure. Well, far be it from me to tell a man how to run his own business.”
Si debated arguing with him and then decided to let it go. He wasn’t here to talk about Wild Alaska; he was here to talk about Deep River. And besides, he had a few more people to see.
He said a few more words to Mal, then headed back out to the boardwalk that lined the river. The sun was out, but there was a bite in the air, the wind coming straight off the mountains.
As he’d hoped, Mike Flint was down on the docks with Kevin Anderson, the pair of them standing by Kevin’s boat in deep conversation. Mike wasn’t too pleased to see Si, and he had made no bones about it as Si came down the steps that led to the docks, frowning at him.
“You been buttering the town up?” Mike asked as Si approached them. “Lots of people have been in my face about this oil business and demanding to know if I was going to sell.”
“You pretty much said you would,” Kevin pointed out, scowling at Mike. “I mean you as good as—”
“No, I didn’t,” Mike snapped, clearly angry. “I just pointed out that I had responsibilities. Expensive responsibilities.”
“And no one’s saying you haven’t.” Si kept his voice neutral. “And no, I haven’t been buttering the town up. I’ve been talking to people, that’s all.”
Mike’s angry expression didn’t lift. “Trying to convince everyone not to sell, right?”
“I just want to know what they think. To see what the consensus is.”
“Yeah, and the consensus seems to be that they prefer animals and trees to people taking care of their own.” Mike stuck his hands in his pockets, glowering. “The whole damn town didn’t want my luxury motel idea, which was only going to benefit this place, and now they’re getting up in arms because I’m considering taking advantage of what’s mine anyway. Can’t damn well win.”
Si studied the other man for a second. The guy was well and truly pissed, and given what he’d said at the meeting the night before about his mother, Si could understand it. Retirement home care was expensive.
“So money’s the issue?” he asked to be sure. “I mean, what would you have done if there hadn’t been oil?”
“Of course money’s the issue,” Mike said angrily. “And if there hadn’t been oil, I guess I’d be screwed.”
“What if the money came from somewhere else?” Si persisted, following an idea suddenly looming large in his head. “You don’t care too much about the oil?”
Mike’s gaze narrowed. “Where else?”
“Yeah,” Kevin put in, staring at Si, puzzled. “Where else are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t really matter,” Si said. “The point is, if you had enough money to ensure your mother got the care she needed, you wouldn’t be too fixated on the oil.”
Mike didn’t say anything for a moment, obviously thinking. Then he said, “Look, don’t get me wrong. Oil money could be good for this town. It could grow it, provide more opportunities for young people, shit like that. Because this place isn’t growing, and last year we had more people leave than came in.”
That was something Si hadn’t known. But then, why would he know? He’d been away for so long.
Too long.
“There are leases vacant?” he asked.
“Yeah, a couple,” Mike said. “I think Caleb was trying to find people to take them on. Maybe that’s why he was prospecting for oil. Wanted to give people a reason to come here.”
Hell, maybe Mike was right. That would be very Cal. He loved Deep River; it was his family’s legacy, and if people were leaving and no one was coming in, he’d be worried about it. And he’d definitely want to try and fix it if he could.
“Could be.” Si agreed. “But let’s say there was another way to grow the town that would provide opportunities for young people, bring in money, you’d be supportive of that instead of, say, an oil company?”
Mike frowned. “What’s the big deal about oil companies? They’re businesses. Gotta make a buck like everyone else.”
“They’re big, though,” Si said carefully, watching the other man as he spoke. “And when you have money, you can basically tell people what to do. Not sure you’d be happy with a bunch of suits swanning in here and laying down the law.”
The other man’s gaze narrowed; it was clear he didn’t like that thought, not at all. “Huh,” he said. “Maybe not.”
Okay, so he’d given Mike something to think about it. That was good. That was a start. Maybe the guy would even take that to other people who thought the oil could be a good thing f
or the town.
Because if there was one thing the people of Deep River disliked more than anything else, it was being told what to do. Especially by a bunch of suits from the city.
“Food for thought,” Si said. “Now, you guys need help with anything around here?”
“Was just talking to Mike about the boat engine.” Kevin jerked his thumb at the boat docked behind him. “Using a bit too much oil.”
“Want me to take a look?” Si offered, because he could do worse than to offer some help, perhaps get more of a feel for the mood of the town. After all, people were always much more talkative when you were helping them.
“Sure,” Kevin said. “You know anything about boat engines?”
Si grinned. “Hey, I was born here. There’s nothing I don’t know about engines, period.”
The two other men grinned back. Living in an isolated area meant needing to have a variety of skills, since it wasn’t like a city where you could get someone in to fix it for you. If you couldn’t fix it yourself, you were screwed.
It was a good reminder to them of who he was and where he’d come from, that he was one of them, and as he followed Kevin and Mike over to the boat, he very carefully didn’t think about why that might be important to him.
He was going to leave. Nothing was going to change that.
Nothing at all.
Chapter 12
Hope spent the day in her office, looking at Sandy’s numbers and thinking. And not about the idea she’d had, but about what her mother had said to her, about her being the excuse Hope used to stay in Deep River.
And instead of the research she should have been doing, she found herself looking at college websites and degrees.
It had been years since she’d let herself contemplate those dreams she’d once had. Of leaving and going somewhere else, living a different life. Going to college and learning, having new experiences, all the things she’d told herself she wouldn’t be able to have staying here.
Her grandfather used to tell her stories of his life before he’d come to Deep River and bought the Moose’s lease. Of his time spent in the navy, traveling to different countries. And then after that, of living in Florida and then moving north to New York, before deciding city life wasn’t for him and going to Minnesota in search of a different lifestyle. He’d given that up too though, heading into the wild north and Alaska.
She’d loved those stories of his and she’d decided early on that she wanted to travel like he did, see all of those places. She definitely didn’t want to stay in the Moose, didn’t want to end up like her mother, whose life was spent sitting on the couch, watching TV, and going over all her bitterness. That seemed so small and limited, so unexciting.
You’re going to end up like her anyway if you’re not careful.
Hope nibbled on her bottom lip, staring at her computer screen.
Yeah, but she’d had to stay after her grandfather had died; there was no other choice. Her mother needed her and Hope couldn’t leave her. She was, after all, the reason her mother’s mental health was so fragile.
But…the years had gone on, and her mother had gotten better, and there had been plenty of opportunity for Hope to leave Deep River, to do the traveling and learning she’d always wanted to do. Yet she hadn’t. She hadn’t wanted to leave her grandfather’s legacy to just anyone and…
Yeah. And?
Something that she really hoped wasn’t regret twisted in her gut.
She’d told Silas the night before that she was fine with her choices, and she’d meant it. She was fine with them. She’d packed up her dreams, put them in a box, and shoved them to the back of her mind, never to be looked at again.
Because that was easier. Easier than wanting what you knew you couldn’t have.
It had been, that was true. But what if she could have had them? What if she could have had those dreams all this time?
She didn’t like that thought—which was probably why she’d never let herself think too deeply about the future, never let herself have too many plans—mainly because she didn’t like what that said about herself.
You were afraid.
Hope leaned back in her chair, trying not to pay any attention to the nagging voice in her head. But the feeling didn’t go away. Or the knowledge that maybe that voice was right. She had been afraid. Of failing maybe. Or of succeeding—she wasn’t sure which.
One would have meant coming back to town with your tail between your legs. The other would have meant you didn’t come back at all…
A knock sounded on her office door, mercifully interrupting her thoughts, and before she’d had a chance to reply, the door was opening and Silas was coming through, and all those thoughts disappeared entirely.
He didn’t close the door this time, deliberately leaving it open, leaning one shoulder against the frame and folding his arms. His gaze found hers, the gold eclipsing the green, already burning.
For her.
Her mouth dried, her heartbeat picking up speed.
She’d always been very good at not thinking about things she didn’t want to think about, but it had been tough not to think about him. Or about what had happened between them the night before. And she’d tried, because she didn’t want that getting in the way of her day.
But at the sight of him now, tall and powerful, the dark green of his Wild Alaska T-shirt highlighting the broad expanse of his chest and the gleam of desire in his eyes, the memories of the night before came flooding back.
He had touched her so deliberately, as if he’d relished every second, and he’d tasted her too, like she was something delicious he couldn’t wait to eat. And after that initial hunger had been sated, after they’d talked, he’d shown her something new just like she’d asked. Then she’d taken what she’d learned and had given it back to him, touching him the way he’d touched her, as if he were a work of art.
And like a bottle of champagne that had just had its cork popped, all the need and desperate desire she’d been pushing down all day came rushing to the surface and she could hardly breathe through the intensity of it.
He’d told her that one night wouldn’t be enough, but he’d been gone this morning, and she hadn’t been sure whether he still felt that way or not.
Which is why you haven’t been thinking about it. Because you wanted him too. And it’s easier not to think about the things you want, right?
Of course it was easier. And she’d let a whole lot of things distract her today, since it meant she didn’t have to think about Silas. Didn’t have to wonder whether he would want a repeat of the night before. Didn’t have to try and pretend that she didn’t want it, that she hadn’t been hoping for it with every breath she’d taken.
But it was clear he did still feel the same, since what flamed in his eyes almost burned her alive.
“Upstairs,” he said roughly, and without giving her a chance to respond, he pushed himself away from the door and went back out into the hallway again.
She supposed she should feel offended at being ordered around so blatantly. Except she didn’t feel offended. She felt turned on. That rough note in his voice told her that he was on edge and that likely the edge was all down to wanting her. Badly.
And she was not offended by that. Not offended in the slightest.
Hope pushed herself out of her chair and went quickly out of her office. The hallway outside was empty—thank God—and the stairs free of anyone hanging around. Not that she would have hesitated even so. She hadn’t wanted anyone knowing she was sleeping with Silas, but right now, hiding where she was going wasn’t the most important thing in her head.
He was.
She assumed he meant his room, so she went quickly up the stairs and down the corridor to the honeymoon suite. She didn’t bother knocking, pushing the door open and stepping inside, and as soon as she did so, a pair of big, warm h
ands settled on her hips, and he was pushing her up against the closed door.
His mouth was on hers almost immediately, and she let her head fall back against the wood, threading her fingers through the thick black silk of his hair. She kissed him hungrily, opening her mouth and letting the kiss get deeper, hotter. His big body was pressing against her, all hard, muscled heat and the delicious scent of woodsmoke and cedar, and suddenly she was almost trembling with the need to get closer to him.
She arched up into him, sliding her hands from his hair and down his back, her fingers digging into the firm muscle, glorying in it.
A dim part of her was vaguely appalled at the intensity of her own feelings and how she was letting them run riot, but she ignored that part of her. Because Silas’s grip on her was tightening, his kiss becoming demanding, making it very clear she wasn’t the only one who was desperate.
She could allow herself this, couldn’t she? She could let herself want him, want what he could give her, especially since right now there was no danger of her losing it. He would give her what she wanted because he wanted it too.
So Hope dug her fingers into his back, gripping him tighter, exploring his mouth with a little more confidence than she had before, letting the rich taste of him go straight to her head like a shot of Harry’s finest home-distilled whiskey.
God, he felt so good. She couldn’t believe they hadn’t gone there together when they were younger, that she hadn’t made a move on him. But then she’d had good reasons for not doing it. She couldn’t have handled those raw sexual feelings at eighteen, but now she could. Oh yes, now she was more than ready.
His hands were at the buttons of her jeans, undoing them, but this time she wanted to be the one to give him what he wanted first. He’d been so selfless the night before, holding himself back to give her pleasure, and now she wanted to return the favor.
Before he could do anything more than get her zipper down, she gave a little push to his chest, making him take a step back, then she dropped to her knees in front of him.
“Hope,” he murmured, his deep voice rough. “What are you doing?”
Come Home to Deep River Page 16