by Croix, J. H.
Luke looked out across Hannah’s yard. They’d woken to a frost-covered landscape. The mountains across the bay were snow-tipped. Thick hoarfrost was draped upon the greenery. Sunlight reflected again and again through the tiny prisms of frost. The field of fireweed was muted; furred icy spikes stood out on the tall weeds. It was early yet. He’d made his way downstairs before Hannah and started a pot of coffee. The smell of coffee filled the kitchen.
At the sound of Hannah’s footsteps coming down the stairs, Jessie ran to greet her. Luke took in the sight of Hannah. She carried herself with her usual unself-consciousness. She had a fresh-scrubbed look; her hair fell in damp waves past her shoulders. Her feet were bare, bright red toenails peeking out from under the edges of her jeans. He recalled that he’d loved her feet that day he’d found her at the house, that unexpected morning months ago. Her blue eyes were bright even from across the room.
“Thanks for starting coffee,” she said, walking toward the counter.
“My pleasure,” he said.
They sat at the kitchen table in the quiet dawn, mist rising off the field, the frost dissolving where the sun struck. Luke thought he’d like to wake up to this every day—a quiet morning, coffee, and most of all, Hannah. He appreciated that there wasn’t a need to talk. That was something he loved about her. She didn’t tend to try to fill silence. She just let it sit, comfortable with its presence.
Before long, the mist that rose off the field dissipated along with the frost. Bright sun shone through the kitchen windows. Hannah finally stood and stretched. She turned to look at him. “What’s on your schedule for the day?” she asked.
He thought for a moment. “Meeting Nathan at the harbor to get our boats pulled out for storage. That’ll take a few hours. Aside from that…not much. You?” he asked.
“A little work on one of my consulting jobs. Then some more cleanup in the shed outside,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the shed. “I finally got started on it yesterday and want to finish before winter. Fall here is so quick. After that…well…maybe you could stay again.”
Luke stood and reached out to tug Hannah toward him. He held her in a loose embrace. “Oh, I’ll stay again,” he said, dropping a kiss on her nose.
She gave him a heated glance—her blue eyes almost level with his. He again appreciated that she was a tall woman. With barely a dip of his head, he leaned in for a kiss. Their lips touched for a second, and then Jessie barked loudly and ran to the door. Hannah stepped away and looked into the yard. “Moose,” was all she said.
He walked over and followed her gaze out the window. A female moose with two young calves stood at the edge of the field. Jessie’s bark had drawn the moose’s attention to the house. She stood calmly in the field, tall, gangly, and brown. The two young calves stood at her side, waiting to follow her lead. Hannah shushed Jessie whose barks subsided to soft whines. The moose finally looked away from the house and turned back into the field. She appeared to be moving slowly, but Luke knew better. Moose had such long legs, they tricked you into thinking they weren’t moving fast. They covered ground rapidly with their rambling stride. The calves followed at varying distances, as if connected by an invisible tug line. The soft fuzzy brown of their fur caught seeds from the fireweed, which had fluffy seedpods that floated about in the wind. In moments, the threesome had crossed the field and disappeared into the spruce forest on the far side. Jessie quieted and lost interest, walking back to her bed and lying down with a sigh.
They made plans to meet for a beach walk by the harbor in late afternoon. Luke thought about his parents as he drove down the hill heading toward the harbor. Just yesterday, they’d flown back to Seattle. His mother had apologized yet again at the airport for getting drawn into Cristina’s games. She’d done her best not to pressure him anymore about Hannah, but the undercurrent was there. His mother’s fervent wish for him and his brothers to settle down had only been intensified by meeting Hannah. He was relieved for the moment that they weren’t there to ask questions about him and Hannah. It was enough to face down his own feelings for her, much less try to juggle how to talk with his parents about it.
He couldn’t believe he was thinking about marriage. He’d pretty much convinced himself that he’d be content to live as a bachelor with casual flings on the side. Seeing Cristina reminded him why he’d come to that conclusion, but Hannah had blown his resolve to pieces. Without a doubt, he knew he wanted to come home to nights like last night every day.
Hannah closed her laptop and looked around the room. Jessie lay by her feet, sound asleep. She sat in her mother’s old office chair and swiveled around to face the stairs. She’d cleaned her mother’s items out of the desk and organized it for work last week. She was finding it easier to rearrange the house as she needed and not cling to the memories of her parents. She’d been busy since Luke left this morning. It felt good to start working on what she wanted. It cemented the feeling that she was here to stay.
The sound of tires on gravel caught her attention. Jessie lifted her head, turning in the direction of the drive. Hannah walked to the edge of the stairs where she could see through the windows on the side. Seeing the front of Susie’s car, she walked downstairs and stepped out to the deck with Jessie following. Susie was rummaging in the backseat of her car.
“Hey there,” Hannah called to Susie. She heard a muffled reply, and then Susie straightened and looked over the top of the car.
“Hey, just came by to bring you some zucchini from my mom’s garden. She’s clearing out what’s left of her vegetable garden before the snow flies.” Susie pulled a tote from the backseat of her car and walked toward the deck. Her brown curls were in wild disarray.
“That looks like a lot of zucchini,” Hannah commented, eyeing the size of the tote.
“You have no idea how much zucchini my mom has. Ever since she retired, gardening is one of her big things in the summer,” Susie said. “I get roped into finding takers when it’s time for her to get the garden cleared out before winter. So here you are…lots of zucchini.” Susie set the tote down and opened it to show Hannah a bag—full of giant zucchini.
Hannah looked to Susie. “What am I going to do with all this?”
“Oh, I have that down pat. I’ll help you get it ready to freeze. Then you’ll start making zucchini bread for every potluck in town and giving it away for the holidays. I have a great recipe,” Susie said with a wink.
Hannah laughed. “Okay then. How long will it take to get it ready to freeze?”
“Not long. You have a food processor, right?” she asked.
Hannah nodded, and Susie picked up the tote, heading for the kitchen door. Susie spoke over her shoulder. “Now, where’s that food processor?”
Hannah realized she was either going to bear witness to the whirlwind that Susie could be, or help her out. Within the hour, the zucchini was tidily packed in freezer bags, and Susie had produced a bottle of wine she’d brought.
Susie held the wine aloft. “Where’s your corkscrew?”
Hannah went to get it and returned to the table with two wineglasses. Susie filled both glasses. She looked to Hannah with a question in her eyes.
“What?” Hannah asked.
“Just wondering when you were going to mention Luke. Ran into Nathan at Misty Mountain this morning. He’s convinced you two are meant for each other. He also mentioned that Luke didn’t make it home last night,” she said slyly.
Hannah shook her head. She wanted to avoid answering, but Susie was waiting expectantly. “Sooo…Luke found me on the beach yesterday. I’m sure you have an opinion on how it should have happened, but the break is over.” She grinned widely just saying it out loud.
Susie looked at her thoughtfully and set down her wineglass. “I’m getting skid marks on my tongue here, but I’ll keep my opinions to myself. I’m just damn glad you didn’t let this slip by.”
&nbs
p; “Skid marks, huh? Guess I don’t give you enough credit for trying to keep your mouth shut,” Hannah said.
Susie grinned. “I’m with Nathan on this one. I think you two are good together. Plus—I saw the possibilities for you two. Luke’s good for you, and it’s plain as day he adores you. If there’s anything I want for you, I want someone who does that. At the least. Wouldn’t mind if he got you to loosen up either.”
Hannah took a sip of wine. “I can admit that Luke and I have a good thing going. I’ll try to stay out of my own way.”
“Keep me posted if I have to head you off at the pass before you want another break,” Susie said. “As for other topics, have you heard from Emma?”
Hannah nodded and filled Susie in on their e-mails and calls. The distance of having Emma away was giving her time to come to terms with knowing she had a sister. Emma was busy with work and figuring out what she was going to do as far as whether to stay in North Carolina for now or consider a move to Diamond Creek. Now that the shock of Emma’s existence was past, she was glad Emma had impulsively flown out here. It was the quickest route through an awkward situation.
After Susie left, the house felt quiet and still. Susie tended to do that. She was a whirling dervish of energy. Her absence created a contrast. Hannah looked around the kitchen. The sun was low in the sky; fading rays of light shone across the hardwood floor. Jessie was curled up in a patch of sunlight, her black fur tipped a dusky gold from the sun.
Hannah arrived at the harbor parking lot to find it half-empty. She didn’t see Luke’s truck, so she headed toward the beach, Jessie galloping ahead of her. The wind was coming in lazy gusts off the water. The mountain range across the bay stood tall and quiet against the sky. Snow had fallen last night, the peaks bright white now. The deep green of spruce that lined the mountainside gave way to a line of white with rocky areas jutting out. She checked her watch and wondered where Luke was.
She quickly called him. He answered on the first ring. “Hey there. Forgot to stay at the harbor and wait for you. Can you give me a few minutes? Just finishing up at the boatyard.”
“No problem. I wondered where your truck was when I got here. Figured you were tied up. I’m just walking with Jessie. We’ll stay close to the parking lot.”
She walked along the water with Jessie scampering from scent to scent and back to Hannah. A small flock of cormorants landed in the water nearby. A loon that had been floating in solitary until their landing lifted from the water and resettled farther away. A few gulls called in the distance. She heard the distinct sound of an eagle’s high-pitched screech. Tracking the sound, she caught sight of an eagle landing on a piece of driftwood down the beach.
If she’d tried to say what she’d missed most of Alaska when she’d lived in the East, it probably would have been walks on the beach. The cool air, the earthy scents of saltwater and tide pool life, and the majestic views across the water anchored her. The sun was setting with the moon rising nearby. She looked ahead at Jessie whose pure joy lifted her heart every time they came to the beach.
The sound of footsteps approached. Turning, she saw Luke jogging up to her. His dark curls were in disarray. He was wearing faded jeans, a blue fleece jacket, and boots. Her heart quickened and her breath followed suit. He stopped in front of her. The green of his eyes stood out against his flushed face.
Luke was winded. “Not the best idea to run on the beach in boots. Not too efficient.”
Hannah bit her lip, her heart dancing just at the sight of him and the relief that she wasn’t trying to push him away. “No, probably not.” She nodded in Jessie’s direction. “As you can see, Jessie’s walking herself. I’m just following her.” She tucked her hands deeper into the pockets of her red down vest.
Luke gave a whistle in Jessie’s direction. Upon catching sight of him, Jessie raced toward them and circled him with yips and leaps. He knelt down and petted her, his large hands stroking across Jessie’s back. Hannah loved his hands, strong, sure, and gentle all at once. He gave Jessie another stroke and straightened to standing.
“In case you think I forgot—I didn’t. Just wasn’t paying attention to the time,” Luke said, turning to walk alongside her.
Hannah enjoyed the easiness of being with him. She entertained him with her unexpected afternoon of zucchini and heard about his afternoon. Somewhere along the way, her hand found his. She absorbed the warm embrace of his palm cupped around hers. Their strides were close to matching. The wind picked up, and they turned back toward the parking lot. The sun disappeared below the horizon, appearing to slip into the water. Mount Augustine sat alone in the distance, a volcano in the middle of the bay. The sun had left a halo of color around Mount Augustine. The moon was half-full in the early evening sky, sitting low above the mountains.
Hannah turned in the direction of her truck, seeing that Luke had parked beside her. Their hands were still clasped when they reached the trucks. She didn’t want to let go. He didn’t seem any more inclined than she did to let their hands come apart. She looked to the path from the beach to see when Jessie would come through. In seconds, she heard the rustle of grass, and Jesse bounded into the parking lot, making a straight line to them. She finally let go of Luke’s hand and went to open the passenger side door for Jessie.
Her cheeks were red from the cold, and her hands were freezing. As she came around the front of the truck, Luke rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“You’re cold. Winter’s moving in fast this year. Feels like only a week ago that evenings were still warm.”
He tilted his head, just the slightest bit, and brought his lips to hers. She felt the warm point of contact where their lips joined straight through her body, a piercing jolt. He deepened the kiss for just a moment, his tongue gliding in with a deep stroke. Then he pulled back and looked at her without speaking. Hannah could hear the waves rolling into the shore. Salty air stung her cheeks. A gust of wind caught her hair and blew it in a swirl around her head. Luke brushed her hair back from her face and loosely cupped her cheeks with his hands. The moment hung between them; their gazes held. She felt her throat tighten and wanted to cry, but not for sadness.
A rustle sounded in the trees. They turned in unison. A moose stepped out through the trees, followed by a lone calf. The mother moose lifted her head high and appeared to sniff the air. The calf mimicked the mother. Hannah and Luke stood quietly, along with the moose and her calf. Luke’s hands had slipped from her cheeks when they turned and were resting on her arms. The moose finally snorted, seemed to decide they weren’t a threat, and began to amble through the parking lot, the calf following her at a slow trot. It was late enough into the season that the calf reached her mother’s shoulder, a far cry from the tiny size that moose calves were when they were born in the spring.
There was a good distance between them and the pair, so they remained still until the moose and her calf made it to the far side of the parking lot. Luke turned to look at Hannah again through the gloaming. She saw the white of his teeth flash.
“One question. Just for you to think about.” He paused for a long moment and took a breath. “What if we thought about something more serious?” he asked.
Hannah felt her heart race, and tears again threatened.
“Such as?”
Rare as it was, she saw uncertainty in his eyes. He seemed to gather himself before he spoke.
“Well…to be blunt…what about something more serious like a commitment?”
She wanted to laugh. As skittish as she was, she realized he was as well, in his own way. She didn’t want to push, but she felt like she had to.
“A commitment?”
Luke rolled his eyes. “You’re not making this easy. Maybe we could think about marriage.” He took a quick breath. “There. I said it.”
Her heart unfurled. All the hesitations and doubts with which she was so familiar dissolved in the face
of certainty.
“We could think about that,” she said.
She was rewarded with another bright flash of white in the deepening dusk.
“That’s all I wanted, just for us to think about it.”
She started to move closer to him, but Luke held her arms steady. “Give me a minute. All I know is this—when you asked for that break, I missed you like crazy. Won’t pretend I was looking for something like this. But…I’ve never missed anyone the way I did you those few weeks.”
The tears that had been threatening rolled down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her hands and looked through the haze at Luke. She nodded and started to speak, only to find that she didn’t know what to say.
So she said that. “I don’t know what to say. Other than…yes.”
She saw Luke smiling back at her. He gave her arms another brisk rub. “You’re shivering and I’m kinda cold, which tells me it must be freezing. Get in your truck. I’ll follow you home.”
She simply nodded.
An hour or so later, they were at Hannah’s house with a fire in the woodstove, the heat starting to radiate through the house. Jessie had gobbled up her food within minutes of their arrival and promptly curled up on the chair in the living room. Hannah had set aside some zucchini and baked it with a rice, mushroom, and cheese filling. They’d eaten in front of the fire using the coffee table. The television rumbled in the background while they rested on the couch, her legs thrown across his lap.
Luke turned away from the television and looked at her. She quirked an eyebrow in question. He held her gaze for a long moment and leaned over for a kiss, his head resting against the sofa. Their lips met in a leisurely exploration. He lifted a hand and brushed some stray hairs away from her face. She must have dozed off because she woke to find herself being carried upstairs, her legs draped over Luke’s arm while he held her close to his chest.