Water's Edge (Alaskan Frontier Romance Book 1)

by Jennifer McArdle

  Willie grinned and leaned back in his chair, enjoying the sight of Jake’s sudden nervousness. “Yep, she’s a pretty one. You don’t see too many lookers like her around these parts. I suppose if I was young like you I’d be fallin’ all over her, too.”

  “That’s not it at all,” Jake said defensively. “I just think she came out here unprepared. She doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into.”

  “So, you’re sayin’ you haven’t noticed her good looks?” asked Willie teasingly.

  Jake smiled. “Oh, I noticed, all right. She’s hard to miss.” He sighed then. “I just can’t figure out what the heck she’s doing out here. She doesn’t belong all alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.”

  “So where does she belong?” Willie asked.

  Jake shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t worry too much ’bout her,” said Willie. “She likely just showed up here on a whim. Maybe she got word she inherited some property and thought she’d come out and check it out to see if she could sell it. Maybe when the ferry comes back through, she’ll get on and go back home and tell all her friends ’bout her Alaskan adventure and the quirky people she met out in the bush.”

  Willie’s words echoed Jake’s own thoughts. “Could be. I mean, she doesn’t strike me as the type that can hack it out here… or even the kind that would give it a try. But I guess she doesn’t have much choice in the matter, at least not for the next two weeks when the ferry comes back to town.”

  “Two weeks ain’t very long,” Willie said. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

  “For someone like her, two weeks alone in a rustic cabin could seem like a lifetime.”

  Willie nodded his head, thinking about Jake’s words. If the new girl was going to stay out there in Pete’s cabin, then he supposed she was going to need some help.

  “Okay,” said Willie. “There’s one more thing I’ve been wonderin’ ’bout. What I want to know is why you don’t do it? Why don’t you come out and check in on her every so often, if you’re so concerned ’bout her well-bein’?”

  “I don’t want to get involved. Like you said, she probably won’t stick around too long. No sense getting entangled with a woman who may only be here for a couple weeks.”

  Willie was satisfied with Jake’s answer. At least he was being honest. Jake was playing it safe. Getting involved with someone like Nora, someone who would likely up and leave, can be rough on the heart. But Willie wasn’t sure how smart it was for Jake to stay on the sidelines.

  “You know, there are a few dozen other men in town, probably linin’ up for a chance to take care of that girl. You might miss your chance,” Willie said with a wink as Jake took another bite of the meatloaf. Jake swallowed and looked up with a scowl on his face that only made Willie chuckle. “All right,” Willie finally agreed. “I’ll check in on her every so often.”

  “Thanks,” said Jake, standing up and taking his empty plate to the sink. He downed the glass of milk Willie had given him. “Good eats.”

  “Did you expect anythin’ less?” asked Willie with a grin.

  Jake smiled back. “You’re the second-best cook in town, but don’t tell anyone I said that. Lily might be offended.”

  “Why would she be offended?”

  “Because it puts her in third.”

  Willie laughed at that.” Some might argue with you ‘bout that.”

  “Yeah, they might,” Jake conceded. “Just keep an eye on her, okay, but don’t make it obvious,” Jake reminded Willie one more time as he walked to the door.

  “You know I will. I’d have kept an eye on her even if you hadn’t asked me to.”

  Jake nodded. He knew he could count on Willie to watch out for Nora. Willie was just about the only man in town Jake trusted to keep her safe… and single.

  Chapter 5

  Jake leaned against the railing of the boardwalk, looking out over the harbor and thinking about her. Why couldn’t he get that woman off his mind? No matter how hard he tried to focus on something else, she always crept back into his thoughts. He found himself wondering whether his first impression of Nora might have been all wrong. Judging by the looks of her the first time he’d seen her, he’d thought she would take one glance at the old cabin and head right back to town. But she hadn’t. She’d surprised him with her stubborn determination to stay out there.

  Off in the distance, Nora’s skiff appeared. Even from far away, Jake recognized the pale green color of the skiff he’d loaned to Nora the day before and the familiar hum of the motor he’d rebuilt himself. Jake watched intently as the boat came in from the south. She was slow and awkward, but she was doing alright for someone who had just learned how to operate a boat. He felt a small tinge of pride as Nora clumsily maneuvered the boat toward the shore. He’d taught her how to do that.

  “What are you grinning about?”

  Jake hadn’t heard his sister approach. He’d been so focused on watching Nora, he hadn’t noticed anything else the entire time. He hadn’t even realized the sight of Nora brought an instant smile to his face.

  “Nothing,” he said, quickly looking away. But it wasn’t quick enough. Lily followed the direction of his gaze. When she saw Nora’s skiff rocking on the waves, she smiled, too.

  “Ah,” she said, understanding instantly why Jake had been grinning like a school boy. “You like her, don’t you?”

  “I’m concerned for her,” he shot back gruffly.

  “That grin didn’t look like concern to me,” Lily teased, jabbing him in the ribs.

  Jake shrugged and glanced back across the harbor at Nora’s skiff. He wasn’t lying. He was concerned for her. But there was something more to it, too. Jake couldn’t deny he felt something deep inside of him whenever he saw Nora. He liked her, in spite of the poor first impression she’d made. But she had been clear the day before. She didn’t want anything to do with him. That’s probably a good thing, Jake reminded himself, since she was most likely not going to stay in Heron, anyway.

  “Jake?” said Lily, trying to get his attention. He had drifted off in thought and by the time he snapped out of it, Lily was looking at him grinning. “I was right. You really do like her.”

  “Maybe,” Jake reluctantly admitted. “But it doesn’t matter.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jake shook his head, not wanting to explain it, but somehow needing to say it out loud. “She reminds me too much of Mom, and you know how well Mom liked living here. Every minute of every day was a struggle for her. She always wanted more than what this place has to offer. I have a feeling Nora will feel the same way after she’s been here for a while.”

  “You can’t assume to know her that well, Jake. She’s only been in town for two days.”

  “Yeah, and she’ll probably be leaving on the next ferry out of here.”

  “And if she’s not?”

  “Then it’ll be the next one after that,” he said stubbornly.

  * * *

  Awkwardly, Nora maneuvered the skiff up to the shore as close as she could get to the parking lot. Concerned about ramming into the rocky shoreline, she cut the throttle too soon and found herself sitting more than 20 feet from the shore. Gripping the handle, Nora turned the throttle and gave it too much fuel this time, sending the boat forward faster than she had expected. She quickly pulled the lever to the right and the boat turned, but it still collided against the rock. That’s exactly what Nora was trying to avoid.

  Everything had been much easier when she and Jake had made this approach two days earlier. But the tide had been low then and he had easily coasted the boat right up onto the tidal flats. Now, the tide was at its peak and there was no sandy landing. Not to mention, a novice was at the throttle this time around, too.

  Grabbing hold of the rock, Nora clumsily tied the boat off by looping a rope around one of the smaller boulders and tying an awful-looking knot. Then she carefully stepped out of the boat and onto one of the flat topped boulder
s. At least that had worked out better than she’d expected.

  It was Nora’s third day in Alaska, but only her first real day alone, and she was determined to figure out how to make it on her own. The day before, Jake had offered to help her retrieve the rest of her belongings, but Nora had politely declined. Well, she may not have been very polite about it, but considering her mood at the time, she hadn’t really cared. Besides, Jake had already done enough and she wanted to know she could do things for herself. Her first boat ride by herself had been a little nerve wracking, but Nora had made it in to town, even if her first attempt at docking the boat had been a little rough.

  The car sat undisturbed, just as Jake promised. Even though it was unlocked, everything was still there, Nora realized, as she took her time sorting through her things and prioritizing what she’d need. The television and computer, she decided, could stay in the car. She had no use for them at the cabin and didn’t see the point in wasting the time and energy of hauling them out there for nothing. For now, they would be safe in the car until she needed them again, when the cabin sold and she moved back to the real world. The things she absolutely couldn’t live without, which was really only a few boxes and a large duffel bag, Nora carried back to the skiff.

  With her most important belongings safely stowed in the skiff, Nora left the boat tied to the boulder and turned toward the boardwalk. She needed to find a computer with internet. With all of the satellites on top of the houses in town, someone was bound to have internet she could use, and Lily could point her in the right direction. Her first stop was the Pub because she figured she’d find Lily there. She was right.

  “What do you need the internet for?” Lily didn’t even try to hide her curiosity when Nora asked about internet service. She liked to know what people were up to, that was no secret. The best way to find out, she’d learned, was to ask.

  “Oh, you know…,” Nora stalled, not ready to let anyone know she was trying to sell the property. It was a long shot, after all, that anyone in their right mind would buy it. “I just need to update my Facebook status to let everyone know I’ve dropped off the face of the earth and I’ll never be heard from again.”

  Lily looked at Nora, confused. “Facebook? What’s that?” She could only hold the feigned look of bewilderment for a moment, but it was long enough to fool Nora.

  “Very funny,” Nora replied when Lily burst out laughing. “Seriously, though. I’m debating what to post as my new status. Probably something along the lines of ‘I’m about to become bear food’ or ‘a very handsome yeti has proposed and we’re going to make our home in the wilderness.’ That sort of thing.”

  Lily giggled. “And they say I’m a drama queen.”

  “When one of them comes true, you’ll see I’m not being overly dramatic,” Nora shot back, but she was laughing too, now. “The yeti thing might actually happen. Have you noticed some of the men around here? I saw one hairier than Bigfoot on the way here.”

  Lily laughed harder. “Was he walking like this?” She turned and struck a Bigfoot pose. Nora nodded, trying not to laugh and failing miserably. Spurred on by her audience, Lily dramatically stomped back and forth behind the bar, Bigfoot style, occasionally stopping mid-step and looking sideways to mimic the infamous photo of Bigfoot.

  Nora laughed so hard her stomach ached and she could hardly breathe. She clutched her belly with her arms, trying to catch her breath. “Stop, stop.” She begged.

  “Okay. Since you ask so nicely,” said Lily, bounding back to her seat behind the bar. “You can use the computer in the office to place your ad.”

  Nora’s face drained its color. How did Lily know she was going to place an ad for the property? “What do you mean?” Nora asked cautiously.

  Lily grinned. “You know, a personal ad. Attractive woman seeks very hairy, reclusive yeti for long term commitment.”

  Nora chuckled, relieved. “Yeah. That’s just what I need.”

  “Come on,” Lily said, gesturing for Nora to follow her into the office. “I’ll get the internet up. It’s a little slow, but that’s a good thing. It teaches you patience.”

  A few minutes later, Nora was seated at the desk, with a Yahoo homepage staring back at her. Lily had left her alone in the office and had gone back to work in the restaurant. She hadn’t been kidding about the internet connection being slow. It was like having dial-up.

  It took a few minutes to find the website Nora was looking for, a publication in Los Angeles that specialized in real estate. Then it took another minute or so for the page to load. The office door was closed to prying eyes, but Nora still felt a little uneasy about using Lily’s computer to place an ad for the property. It almost felt like she was betraying her new friend, letting Lily believe she was staying in Heron when she was really doing everything she could to find a way out of there. Typing as quickly as she could, Nora tried to make the property and its rustic cabin sound as appealing as possible.

  Then she pulled out her phone and connected its USB cable to the computer to upload the photos of the property to the website. Slowly, ever so slowly, the photos uploaded one by one. The place really did look good in the pictures. The water was so clear, the sky so blue. The mountain backdrop made even the ramshackle cabin look inviting. And then there was the photo of Jake in the boat. What had possessed her to take his photo?

  For some reason, the image of them living out there together popped into her head. She could see him cutting and stacking wood alongside the cabin, while she brought him a glass of ice cold lemonade. In her imagination, he stopped working long enough to wipe the sweat from his forehead and to pull her into his arms, forgetting about the lemonade, losing themselves in a kiss.

  Wait! What am I thinking? She had no romantic interest in Jake. He was such a typical dominant male, and that was the last thing she was looking for.

  Nora took a deep breath and tried to push all thoughts of Jake out of her mind. She needed to focus on the advertisement, which was actually looking pretty good with all those photos. Being realistic, Nora knew it would take a while for the property to sell. She hoped to find a buyer before the next winter, before the choppy waters and thick fog Lily had warned her about would have a chance to hold her hostage in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Then again, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, being trapped in a cabin with Jake, nothing to do but spend all their time making love.

  “Stop it,” Nora whispered to herself. She didn’t even like Jake, did she? He was controlling and stubborn... and built like no man she’d ever known before. Strong and handsome. “No,” she said, trying to convince herself. “I am not interested in Jake.”

  Refocusing her efforts on the ad, Nora read through the advertisement one more time. It was perfect. With a single click, the listing would become active on the site. Nora’s finger hovered over the mouse, hesitating. For some reason she was suddenly reluctant to list the property. Was she being hasty, trying to sell the place before she’d even given it a chance? Or was it the thought of living there with Jake that made her hesitate? Nora wasn’t sure.

  It’s never going to sell, anyway, she thought. Just place the ad.

  It was a long shot that anyone would buy the property, so there was no harm in listing it while she was still undecided. She would stay in the cabin for now. Being alone in the wilderness would test her limits, but it would also give her plenty of time to decide whether she really wanted to sell the property.

  She clicked the icon to submit the ad for publication. There, it’s done.

  * * *

  Nora held tightly to the boulder the boat was tied to, carefully stretched one leg out and stepped onto the middle seat of the skiff. The boat leaned dramatically to the side and Nora moved her foot over more to the center before quickly jumping in the rest of the way. She smiled to herself. She was actually getting the hang of this.

  A few minutes later, Nora steered the skiff south and was on her way back to her new home. The cool air in her face and the beautiful surrou
ndings put Nora at peace with her situation. She didn’t even care about the things she’d left behind in the car. Everything seemed so much simpler now. Even though her time in Alaska might be temporary, she felt lighter than she had in years, Nora realized as she turned the skiff toward the narrow strip of beach in front of her cabin.

  She pulled the boat up as far as she could on the shore, but she still had to jump out into about nine inches of water.

  “I need to get some of those rubber boots like the ones Jake wears,” Nora said aloud. That was weird. For the first time ever in her life, there wasn’t anyone within earshot. “Okay, quit talking to yourself, Nora,” she said as she grabbed the bow of the skiff with both hands and dragged it up onto dry land as far as she could. She wasn’t about to become some crazy person who carried on entire conversations with herself.

  Leaving the boat on dry ground, Nora grabbed two of the boxes and carried them up to the cabin, her feet squishing into the water-logged soles of her sneakers with each step. Then she went back to the boat and grabbed the other box and the duffel bag. As soon as she finished hauling everything to the cabin, she kicked off the wet shoes and peeled off her socks. The soaking wet pant legs of her jeans clung to her calves, so Nora took those off, too.

  She stood on the front stoop of her cabin in only a heavy wool sweater – something Pete had left behind – and her underwear, not caring that she was outside. There was no one around to see her, anyway.

  Bending down, Nora unzipped the duffel bag and rummaged through it for a few seconds until she found a pair of flip flops. She put them on and then carried her wet clothes and shoes over to the piece of clothesline strung up between two trees. She tossed the jeans and socks over the line. Then she tied the shoe laces of her sneakers together and tossed them over the line, as well.

  “Hi, there.”

  Nora almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of a man’s voice. She turned around to find a brawny-looking man emerge from the woods about 20 yards away. He stopped abruptly when he got a clear view of Nora, and then awkwardly turned his back to her. Nora didn’t immediately realize why. Then she remembered she was standing there in her underwear. Grabbing the blue jeans off the line, Nora hurriedly pulled them back on, cringing a little at the wet pant legs but more so because she’d been caught with no pants on.