by Kris Bryant
“I promise. He was in the seat next to me. Dinner was in the back. No live animal parts touched these dead animal parts.” Her tasteless joke made me smile.
“I’m sorry. I’m just not used to animals or pets. He’s pretty cute though,” I said.
Wally clutched Brynn tightly, but his eyes darted wildly around the cabin. It was just a matter of time before he got comfortable here. Brynn handed me a treat to give to Wally. I was hesitant because as cute and small as he was, his claws and teeth looked pretty big to me.
“It’s okay. He’s gentler than an old dog. I want you to get comfortable with him and see that he’s not a threat at all. He’s even friendly with Cee’s dogs and they normally want to kill raccoons. I think they know he’s safe. You did mention earlier that you thought King and Murphy were excellent judges of character.”
I carefully offered the treat to Wally, and cringed as I waited for him to scratch me to get to it. Ever so gently, as if in slow motion, he stretched his paws out and tapped my hand before lightly taking the treat. I was amazed.
“Why’s he tapping me?” I could have asked the question a better way, one that didn’t make both of us embarrassed, but Brynn was nice enough to answer and ignored the innuendo.
“I think it’s his way of saying he isn’t going to hurt you. He’s remarkable,” Brynn said. She placed him gently on the wood floor and although he was curious, he stayed close to her legs. “How are your blisters?”
“Much better. I have them bandaged up. I’m not going to even put on my boots until I absolutely have to and hopefully not until tomorrow.”
“I’m glad. They looked painful.”
I nodded. “So what’s in the bag?”
Brynn raised her eyebrow at me and headed over to the kitchen. “Only the best burgers in Alaska. I got three different kinds. Beef, wild salmon, and halibut. I wasn’t sure if you actually ate meat, so I took a gamble.”
“I don’t eat a lot of it, but I do eat it. And I decided yesterday I needed to eat more of the food here so I’m in.” I watched as she organized dinner on plates, splitting all three burgers and homemade chips. Wally was close by, lifting his tiny masked face toward the food, his nose darting back and forth between Brynn and the counter. It smelled delicious. My stomach rumbled. “Thank you for getting dinner. I would’ve eaten a protein bar just to avoid putting on my shoes to drive somewhere.” I accepted the plate she handed me and headed over to the table. “Would you like some wine or beer or a soda? I have a few things in the refrigerator.” She grabbed us both beers and joined me. Wally was quiet, but right at her feet. “Will he eat this for dinner, too?”
“I have food for him out in the car. He’ll get his dinner after we’re done. He’s pretty happy so he doesn’t beg a lot. Of course, he’s only been to a few different houses so I don’t know how he’s going to behave during our meal.”
We settled into dinner and an easy conversation about her job and what I’d been working on the last two days. She was incredibly charming and sexy in her jeans, flannel shirt, and hiking boots. Relaxed and at ease. I decided to press more about her personal life because the only thing I knew about her was that she had a pet raccoon and moved here when she was relatively young.
“How old were you when you came here? I was talking to Mandy at the library yesterday and she said a lot of people in Alaska are from somewhere else.” I hoped my question came across as an innocent conversation question and not an inquisition. I wanted to know more about her.
“I like Mandy. She’s nice.” Brynn sat back and continued eating. She didn’t offer any more information so I pressed on.
“Yeah, we had lunch yesterday. She invited me over Sunday night for dinner,” I said. I tried to gauge Brynn’s reaction and was met with a wall. Brynn Coleman was great at masking her feelings.
“I came to Alaska about twelve years ago. I caught my girlfriend with somebody else and it snowballed out of control. I was just done with that life. I got in my car and kept driving until the road ended.” She shrugged as if it was as easy for her as a trip to the mall, but it had to have devastated her.
“Ouch. That’s rough. At least you picked a beautiful spot to end up. Cold and full of crazy animals, but very pretty.” I tried to lighten the mood. It worked. There was that crooked and adorable smile. I hovered on the border of excitement and confusion at the way she looked at me. It made my palms sweat and my heart accelerate. I couldn’t decide if she was interested in me or saw me as a charity case.
“Well, if we’re confessing, I have a doozy of a story about a sort of ex-girlfriend and why I’m here in Alaska.” I took a long swallow of beer and told her the story of Nikki Toles, leaving nothing out. The bare bones of my debacle was on the internet anyway. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t have found out for herself and filled in the obvious blanks. I slept with a married woman and got sued for it.
Brynn clinked her longneck against mine. “Let’s find you the best story ever here so that you can get back to the life you miss.”
She was sincere, but it rubbed me the wrong way a little. I didn’t want Brynn to think I was shallow. I wasn’t, but I also recognized that I wasn’t the idealist that I had been fresh out of college. My career had pushed me out of the realm of a reality where the rest of the world lived. My so-called friends were famous and had their own agendas. I didn’t know my neighbors or the name of the guy who did my dry cleaning every week. Every single week I dropped off my suits and shirts and I thought I was friendly enough, but I seriously wracked my brain trying to come up with his name. Nothing.
“I’m not too worried. I’m here for three weeks and I’m bound to come up with something,” I said. Thankfully, I’d already started researching. There was so much information, I was sure I could write something in a few short days, but I promised Erin I would help her help Travis so I was taking my time. If nothing else, I valued my word.
Brynn finished her half of the salmon burger in four bites. She was slender and all muscle and I wondered where her calories went. After watching her rescue the owl the other day, I figured she needed a ton of energy to do her job.
She looked up from her plate; her gray eyes sparkled and held my gaze for several moments before smiling. “I love food,” she said. There was a tiny bit of ketchup perched on the corner of her mouth that she quickly wiped away.
“I can see that. I was just thinking that you probably need a lot of protein and carbs to save animals. You crawled all over the place to get to that owl. You probably used more energy in just that one rescue than I use all day sitting at my desk.” My appetite was no match for hers.
“It’s hard not to be physical in Alaska. My best workout is chopping wood. It’s cardio, builds upper body strength, and increases stamina. I wish I knew about chopping wood when I was a swimmer at Florida State. I would’ve won every heat for sure.” My mouth dropped open. I used her explanation to openly study her body. Broad shoulders, tiny waist, fantastic height. Perfect build for a swimmer.
“Florida State, huh? Great swimmers there.” I didn’t want to push her even though I was dying to know the full story. She left Florida and drove straight to Alaska? Did she walk away from everything? I couldn’t help myself. I need to know more. “So, are you hiding out?” She looked confused. I shook my head. “Does your family know you’re here? Is that too rude? I’m sorry.” For a split second, Brynn looked dejected, but she covered it quickly.
“Well, I kind of left because of my family so I never made it a point to tell them. I’m sure if they wanted to find me, they could.” Dinner just got a thousand times more interesting. The reporter in me was fighting to ask a million questions, but I didn’t want to make Brynn uncomfortable. She was going to tell me her story, but on her terms. I could wait.
“I’m not on great terms with my family either. My parents weren’t overly excited when I moved to California, but I knew what I wanted to do with my life. They wanted me to settle down and get married right after college, but my Midwestern upbr
inging made me want to leave as soon as possible.”
Brynn chuckled wryly. “My dysfunctional family made me want to leave as soon as possible. I actually left in the middle of the night in the middle of a semester.”
I drank my beer to shut my mouth. I nodded coolly and finished the beef burger. “That was brave. You must have been what? Eighteen? Nineteen?”
“Nineteen. Sophomore year, but my problems started when I was a freshman.” She was momentarily distracted by Wally who was getting impatient for his dinner. “I need to feed this guy. I’m going to run out to the Jeep and get his food.” She headed for the door.
I panicked. “Wait. You’re going to leave me alone with him?”
“Yes, for about ten seconds.” She winked. “Or maybe thirty minutes.” She closed the door behind her. Wally and I looked at one another. He seemed as wary of me as I was of him. He waddled over to me and put his paws on my leg. A part of me wanted to reach down and pet him because I wanted to know what he felt like, and another part wanted me to shake him off my leg and run like hell. He was kind of cute with his soulful eyes and a fuzzy mask. The longer we kept eye contact, the more comfortable I was with him.
“Wally, are you hungry?” I asked. I swore he knew exactly what I said because he got animated and reached up at my plate, then pulled back, then reached up again. I handed him a chip. He delicately took it and heartily chomped. “You eat like your mama.”
“Are you talking about me?” Brynn asked. I was just about to pet him when she returned with Wally’s food and ruined my moment. The minute he saw her, he whimpered and scurried up her leg. “See? He hates being alone. This is why I have no social life.” I didn’t know if that was her way of telling me she was single, or her just sharing information between new friends.
“I’m glad you brought him by. It’s a little weird for me, but in a good way. A week ago, I couldn’t imagine having dinner with a pet raccoon. Not only did I just feed him a chip, but now I want to touch him.” I watched as Brynn placed Wally on her shoulder and how careful he was with her hair as he held on to her.
She reached up and scooped him into her arms so he was cradled against her body. “Come here. He has the softest belly.” I headed her way not just because I wanted to touch him, but I wanted to be close to her and this was an excuse to be in her personal space. “Here. Give me your hand.” She held my hand and pulled it down with hers until we were both touching his furry belly. The warmth from her touch elevated my heart rate and I wondered if she could hear it pounding as we stood close. “See? He’s a sweetheart. He likes the attention.” Wally leaned forward to smell my hands. I sighed when Brynn’s fingers left mine and I was the only one rubbing his fur. “Your eyes have copper flecks in them. Almost the same color as your hair.”
Brynn’s nearness was both unnerving and desirable. We were a foot apart. If it wasn’t for Wally’s paws reaching between our faces, I’m sure she would’ve kissed me right then. Or I would’ve kissed her. Her lips were full and I wanted to taste her softness.
“Looks like Wally wants dinner,” I said. I took a step back and I swore I heard her sigh.
“Can I borrow a bowl?” Her voice was shaky, but her gaze was strong. Her gray eyes were dark, almost black as she stared at me. There were unspoken words between us. I bit my lip, letting her know I was thinking about the kiss that never happened, and she visibly swallowed. It seemed we were both turned on just by standing close.
“Um. Yes. Let me just grab you one.” I walked into the kitchenette area. The cabin was suddenly very small and I was aware of her every move. She followed me over to the counter and took the bowl from my hands. Wally was an animated hot mess when he realized it was dinnertime. He scurried from one of Brynn’s shoulders to the other.
“Settle down, buddy.” Brynn peeled him off of her shirt and placed him at her feet. He clutched her boots and looked at her. It was sweet and I melted a little bit. I was starting to fall for the little guy even though he prevented what I thought would be a mind-blowing kiss. Brynn’s lips were the kind of lips that would blossom with a kiss. Soft, yet demanding. I stifled a shiver. She noticed. “Are you chilled? Do you want me to start a fire?”
“I’m okay. Thank you though.” I was worried that a fire might scare Wally. Funny how just thirty minutes before, I was scared of him. Now, I was raccoon-proofing my entire cabin. We watched him eat and I smiled at his real appreciation for food. “So what exactly is he eating? Because it doesn’t smell the greatest.”
“I don’t want him to get too far removed from food he could forage for in the wild, so some berries, fish, eggs, nuts, and some grain-free kibble as filler.” Brynn motioned me away from Wally. We grabbed our plates and sat on the sofa facing one another. “He’ll find us when he’s done.”
“I’m surprised at him. He’s so good and interactive. I guess I didn’t expect that at all. Actually, I never gave raccoons a second thought until tonight. What’ll happen to him?” I was afraid of the answer. I wanted only good things for Wally.
“Well, most likely, he will live his life out at the sanctuary and with me. He will be a greeter for us once he gets used to crowds. People like wild animals, especially ones they can feel safe around. It’s still important to teach people that even though he’s super cute, most raccoons are wild and not as nice as Wally.”
We finished our food and Brynn put our dishes in the sink. When she returned to the sofa, she pulled the pillow out from behind her and placed it on her lap. I leaned back. Our fur ball barrier from before had been replaced with a sage and maroon patterned cushion. My night was not looking up.
“Does the sanctuary do well, financially I mean? Do you get a lot of outside support?” I was curious about the costs associated with running a refuge. Feeding and caring for wild animals had to be expensive. There was so much I didn’t know about wildlife sanctuaries.
“We’re government funded from the unlikeliest of places. Clean energy promotion, restoration projects here in Alaska. We have some wealthy supporters who donate every year.” Brynn looked down and started playing with the seams on the pillow. “If you don’t have any plans for tomorrow, I can take you around the sanctuary if you’re really interested.” She was obviously nervous.
I smiled and wondered when the last time she had a date was. Not that this was a date, but I wondered about the last time she opened herself up to someone.
Wally climbed on the sofa and looked back and forth between us. “Are you all done?” I asked. I was comfortable with him, but we weren’t on cuddle terms just yet. I pointed to Brynn and smiled when he went over to her. She moved the pillow and Wally crawled on her lap to play. “He’s an amazing little guy.”
The smile on Brynn’s face couldn’t have been any bigger. “I’m so proud of him, but I can’t take any credit. He’s just wonderful,” she said.
We talked for two more hours until Brynn stifled a few yawns. I reluctantly kicked them out, but not before agreeing to meet Brynn at the sanctuary in the morning. I wasn’t in the mood to drive four or five hours to Homer for halibut fishing, and I was interested in visiting the sanctuary after spending so much time talking about it tonight.
“Thanks for the hospitality. We both appreciated it.” Brynn scooped up Wally and leaned toward me. My heart leapt in my chest and I inhaled sharply at the thought of her kissing me, but she turned at the last second so that I was face to face with Wally and had to pet him instead. As cute as the gesture was, and as charming as Wally was, I just wanted her lips on mine.
Chapter Eight
Every road looked the same in Alaska. I panicked even though I could still see some of Cee’s cabins through the trees. Visions of moose danced in my head and I automatically slowed the SUV. There wasn’t a line of cars behind me so I didn’t care. The speed limit was only a suggestion. My trip was about ten minutes away so I relaxed and turned on the music. By the time I found the University of Anchorage’s alternative station, I was at the sanctuary. I took a coup
le of deep breaths after I parked. I was too excited to see Brynn and I didn’t want her to know. I thought about Wally and grinned. I grabbed the camera and climbed out of my new ride. It was amazing how much safer I felt sitting so high. I was seriously rethinking my tiny convertible back home.
Brynn pushed through the door and headed straight for me. “Hi. Right on time.”
I looked her up and down and smiled. Her uniform was doing a number on my libido. I didn’t hide my appreciation. She didn’t seem to mind my appraisal. Where was this cocky woman last night when it was time to say good-bye?
“Where’s Wally?” I shaded my eyes from the sun so I could see her. She theatrically put her hand on her heart and took a step back.
“And here I thought you were here to see me.” The twinkle in her eye was adorable. The smirk she was trying to cover up? Melted me. It also added to my confusion.
“You’re the bonus.” Fuck it. I decided to flirt back and see if that changed anything. I got a confident wink. I almost threw my hands in the air. In front of the world, she was self-assured. In the privacy of my cabin, she was reserved and respectful. I didn’t need either of those. I needed her strong hands on my body and her full lips marking my neck. I wanted something to happen with her. A kiss, a fling, a simple touch. Something that would get her out of my system and make me stop thinking about her.
“Well, let’s grab a truck and head out.” Brynn directed me to a pickup truck.
“Are we not going to walk around?”
“Only if you want to get mauled by a bear.” She shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.
“That would be a no.” I climbed in, thankful that even though my blisters were heavily bandaged, I wasn’t going to have to walk everywhere today.
“Put your seat belt on,” Brynn said.
“Really? Are we going to run into traffic out in the vastness of a sanctuary?” I looked around and saw nothing but open fields, mountains, and only a few hints of civilization.