by Renee Hart
“What if we hire a temporary summer nanny,” she asked hopefully.
“Where are we going to find someone at this juncture? I’m not comfortable leaving you with some stranger.”
“What if I got another teacher from my school to come up here instead of me going down to stay with Ms. Lipton? Would that work for you?” she asked.
“Do you have someone in mind that might be willing to come,” Darren asked quietly. He didn’t have much confidence in this avenue, but he thought it might give him a way to disarm her anger if he at least tried to listen to her ideas.
“I don’t know, but will you give me a couple of days to at least try to find someone before you buy me a plane ticket,” she asked with just the slightest hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Knowing it was useless to continue the argument, Darren relented to give her a few days. It wouldn’t make any difference in the end. He’d already made the necessary arrangements with Ms. Lipton, and Katie had somewhere to go. If she could find an alternative, he’d be willing to change the plans. It would definitely make him happier to have her here in Fairbanks for the summer. He missed having her around during the long dark winter even if he did have to spend most of his days out on the North Slope.
***
Katie checked her e-mail for the sixth time that day looking for a response to her job posting. She was running out of time as Mrs. Wilson was nearly packed and ready to head south. If she didn’t get a response today, her plan was about to crash and burn and she’d be packing her own bags and heading south, not a happy thought. She was excited to see that she had a message in her inbox.
Opening the message she was equally surprised to see this wasn’t another dreary inquiry about pay, information, etc. This was an acceptance of the job with a full commitment. This person didn’t bother to ask a single thing. Normally, this might have raised some serious questions, but Katie was too desperate to care about the details.
Using the information on the application and her father’s credit card, Katie booked a round trip ticket, first class, from Atlanta to Fairbanks for a week from tomorrow. She left the return date to the discretion of the passenger hoping they could work out that little detail later. Putting all of their contact information and the flight info in an e-mail, she fired it off to her new nanny. Her last thought as she hit ENTER was, I hope she’s nice.
***
Darren was surprised to find Katie up and waiting for him when he got home late that night. It had been a long time since he’d had the pleasure of coming home to anyone. There was even a plate of supper ready for him that Mrs. Wilson had set aside. Katie warmed it in the microwave by the time he got inside. She made small talk while he put his briefcase away and hung up his jacket. Grabbing the stack of mail off the hall table, he sorted through it as he walked to the kitchen. Katie followed along behind him talking about the usual stuff.
It wasn’t until he was seated at the table chewing on green beans that the real reason came out for her waiting up. He listened carefully as she explained that a teacher, Mandy Hastings, had agreed to come to Fairbanks and stay with her as a temporary nanny for the summer. He realized later that he probably should have asked a lot more questions about this arrangement, but he was so happy with the news that he let the details slide. He should have known something was up. Katie was a little too full of vague details and short on specifics. His fatherly instincts must have been on tilt or something, he figured later.
***
Mandy was idly checking her e-mail as she cleared out the rest of her things from her desk. Today was the last day of school for the teachers and all she had left to do was pack up a few personal belongings and head home. She’d been so engrossed in her personal misery and the drudgery of paperwork to close out the year that she’d almost forgotten about her moment of madness. She didn’t even remember to tell Tina what she had done.
She was surprised to see an e-mail forwarded from the job service in her SPAM file. She wondered how long it had been there. She was even more surprised to learn that she’d been hired and all of her travel arrangements had been made and paid for already. As she scanned the message for more details, she nearly fell out of her chair in shock. She was scheduled to leave for Fairbanks in two days!
She struggled to take all of this in as her mind cast around for a million reasons as to why she simply couldn’t go to Alaska. My break-up with Brian was devastating, but common sense had to kick in sometime, she thought. It’s not like a person could just run off to the ends of the earth every time disappointment came their way.
As she stared at the e-mail, there was one little voice inside her head that rose up and pushed aside all the other voices. This voice didn’t come to her very often, but she treasured whatever words that came in this one. This was her grandmother’s voice and Mandy’s eyes grew misty as her grandmother’s face came into focus in her mind’s eye. Darling, you can do anything you set your mind to and I believe in you, her grandmother’s voice said quietly, go to Alaska and have yourself an adventure.
***
Mandy burst into the house with her arms full of shopping bags to find Tina trying on bikinis in front of the hall mirror. She collapsed on the couch under the pile of bags and gave out a loud groan. Tina hurried over to unbury her from the mound of sweaters and heavy leggings that spilled out of the bags. She held up a couple of pairs of wool socks and some mittens in amazement.
“What are you doing,” she asked. “Getting a head start on a winter clothing drive for Siberia?”
“I’m heading north to Alaska,” Mandy groaned.
“What? When?”
Tina looked at her housemate in astonishment. She knew Mandy wasn’t one for making rash decisions or instant plans. Well, at least she thought she knew her friend…
“I’m leaving day after tomorrow.”
At these words Mandy grabbed a stocking cap that had fallen from one of the bags and pulled it down over her face. She knew it wasn’t the most mature response to her friend’s questions, but she was feeling embarrassed and humiliated. She didn’t want to admit to anyone how she’d let Brian’s behavior drive her to make a complete fool of herself and take a job she didn’t want, in a place she didn’t want to go to, namely, Alaska.
For once, Tina was speechless. She just stared at Mandy half-buried in a pile of heavy winter clothing. Her mind raced as she struggled to understand the chain of events leading up to this. Suddenly, the lights came on as she remembered the job site she’d left up on her computer on the night of the Tandoori crash. Her eyes grew wide at the thought and she started to laugh out loud.
Mandy dragged the cap off her head and glared as Tina began to dance around the room in her cute little bikini. The stifling weight of the heavy clothes laying on top of her was causing her to break out in a sweat and an itchy rash too, she noted with alarm. Don’t tell me I’m allergic to wool, she thought. What else could go wrong today?
Chapter 3
The landing in Fairbanks was as smooth as butter. Mandy looked out the window of the airplane thinking she’d see lots of snow on the ground. Unfortunately, it was two o’clock in the morning and she couldn’t see much of anything beyond the lights of the airport. Looking at the ground around the airplane, she couldn’t see any snow, but she was sure it was freezing out there. It just looked cold…and unwelcoming.
She gathered her carry-on bag and heavy winter coat from the closet. No ugly overhead bins to wrestle with in first class, she thought with a grin. This was her first time ever to fly anywhere in such luxury. She almost felt gracious and forgiving to have been brought to a summer job in this manner. Tina had to buy her own economy ticket to the Cayman’s for her adventure. She stumbled towards the exit, as her legs were stiff from the long flights she’d had to endure. She nodded stiffly as the Captain and staff welcomed her to Alaska. One thing for sure, Atlanta was very far away.
It wasn’t until she reached the luggage conveyor that she realized there’d been no m
ention of anyone coming to the airport to pick her up. She was overcome with a strong desire to run back to the plane and demand they take her right back home to Atlanta. Other people that flew first class were known to throw tantrums in public. Maybe it would be okay if she gave in to acting childish and silly.
Get a grip on yourself, she scolded herself in her best schoolteacher voice. You’re better than this. For once, she had to agree with herself and there and then, she resolved to make the best of this situation. Who knows, maybe something good would come out of all of this in the end. With that thought she gathered her heavy bags and headed for the exit. If nothing else, she could call a taxi and show up on their front doorstep at three a.m.
***
Katie was in a real dilemma. Her father was away and Ms. Hasting’s plane was landing at two a.m. She hadn’t told him exactly when the new nanny was scheduled to arrive, mainly because she was trying very hard not to tell him anything about the whole situation that might tip him off to her little plot.
Mrs. Wilson was sound asleep in her bed long before ten and didn’t like to be disturbed in the night. Katie had spent the last two hours trying to figure out how to get the new nanny back to the house and she finally came up with a plan.
Putting on her best grown-up voice, she called the Frosty Taxi Service and made arrangements for a driver to meet Ms. Hastings in the baggage pick-up area. She was assured that the driver would hold up a sign for Ms. Hastings. From there, the driver would bring the woman and her bags to the address she gave them. To conclude the matter, Katie gave them her credit card number to pay the fare with a generous tip for the driver. Now all she could do was wait to see if her plan worked.
She was rewarded with the sight of headlights in the driveway and hurried to open the front door. She’d nearly fallen asleep on the sofa a couple of times while she was waiting. Her hair was a mess and she couldn’t stop yawning, but Ms. Hastings was in her driveway.
At that sight of the woman bundled up in a parka worthy of any Aleut hunter, Katie was speechless. She noted Ms. Hastings’ heavy wool mittens hanging off those little clippie things, and the scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, with some amusement. Katie and the cab driver were wearing t-shirts and cut-offs in the early hours of the morning. It's not exactly warm, but the poor woman must be roasting in that coat, Katie thought. Katie helped the driver drag the heavy bags into the front entryway as Mandy struggled to undo the toggle buttons and zipper of her first parka ever.
Mandy figured she’d be leaving this in Alaska when she left as it would be of no use to her in Atlanta. That is, if she can get herself out of it, she thought as she struggled with the unfamiliar fastenings. Thank goodness she didn’t have to deal with such things when it was time for recess with her students. She didn’t know how the teachers would manage to get 20 or 30 students into their winter gear in the short span of a break and then back into the classroom. It was hard enough to deal with sweaters and boots when it rained.
Finally free of the confines of her coat, Mandy turned to greet the young lady who she presumed was to be her charge for the summer. She found Katie staring at her with a look of astonishment.
“You’re very pretty,” Katie said with surprise in her voice.
“Well, thank you,” Mandy ventured. “You’re very pretty too.”
Katie blushed and turned her face away at the compliment. She wasn’t used to such talk.
“I wasn’t sure whether you’d want to stay here in the house or out back in our little guest cabin,” Katie said. “You can have your choice if you’d like to take a look. Lots of people like staying in the cabin with it next to the river. It’s really quiet.”
With that question hanging in the air, Katie gave Ms. Hastings a quick tour of the house with a stop in the guest bedroom at the top of the stairs and then started to take her outside to show her the cabin. Mandy hesitated at the back door and looked outside fearfully.
“Are you sure it’s safe to go out there in the dark,” she asked the little girl.
Katie looked at the woman in confusion as the sky was already light enough for her to see all the way to the river.
“We don’t have to go outside if you don’t want to,” Katie said. “You can just stay in the guestroom if you prefer.”
Mandy nodded at that and turned back inside. Grabbing her overnight bag and one of the smaller cases, she headed upstairs. She figured she’d get the rest of her luggage in the morning. Later, she would attribute this oversight to jet lag, but it never occurred to her to wonder why her greeting party consisted of a lone little girl.
***
It wasn’t long after Mandy and Katie had gone to bed that Darren came home. His plan to be home the previous evening got changed at the last minute. He figured he had just enough time to get a quick shower and some breakfast before he had to drive Mrs. Wilson to the airport. To his surprise, her suitcases were already in the front entryway. He was even more surprised when he realized how heavy they were when he picked them up. She must have found a way to pack a moose in these bags, he thought.
Since they were ready to go, he hauled them out to the garage and loaded them into the back of the SUV. Noticing the baggage tags, he wondered where she’d gotten tags from Atlanta. Her family all lived in Phoenix. Thinking to do her a favor, he cut off the old tags and tossed them in the bin on his way back inside. Heading upstairs for a shower, he noted the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen. He knew that meant Mrs. Wilson was already up and she would have some breakfast for him when he was done.
As he got dressed, he listened for sounds of life from Katie’s room. He thought she’d want to go with them to the airport, but her room was quiet. Passing by on his way downstairs, he took a peek inside to see her still sleeping soundly. She must have waited up for me last night, he mused.
Darren was happy to find some hot biscuits with birch tree syrup and reindeer sausage on the table with a fresh pot of coffee. He was going to miss Mrs. Wilson’s cooking. He didn’t get to enjoy a lot of it, being away so much of the time, but he always enjoyed what she made for him. She filled him in on the details of the past few days and gave him a copy of her itinerary.
“I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be back,” she said. “It just depends on how long it takes to get the estate settled. I have to close up the house and all that, you see. You might want to worry I don’t get a better offer down in Phoenix. These Alaskan winters can be long and hard for an old woman,” she teased.
Darren laughed at her words, but deep inside, he had to wonder. With him gone so much and Katie away at school, Mrs. Wilson spent a lot of time here alone. It had to be hard on the woman. She had plenty of reasons not to come back to Fairbanks. It wasn’t like she needed the money.
With her usual insight, she gave him a quick hug and announced it was time for them to head to the airport. She liked to be early with the hassle of security. She still wasn’t used to taking off her shoes and having her purse searched for nail clippers and such.
“Katie said her good-byes last night and isn’t planning to go with us to the airport this morning,” Mrs. Wilson said. “I’m really going to miss my girl this summer after her being away all winter. I hope this new nanny you’re getting takes real good care of her.”
With those words, Mrs. Wilson picked up her suitcase from next to her bedroom door and headed towards the garage. Putting his plate and cup in the sink, Darren hurried to help her with the bag.
Tossing it in the back with the others, he closed the back of the SUV and opened the garage door. He didn’t stop to wonder why his housekeeper needed four suitcases for her trip. A bright spring day greeted them as he backed out into the driveway. He figured he’d be back before Katie was up and maybe the two of them could spend the day together doing something fun.
***
When they arrived at the airport, Darren parked next to the curbside baggage check-in and went around to the back of the truck. Mrs. Wilson took her time getting out and h
e’d already lined up all of her bags in front of the clerk.
“How many are traveling, ma’am,” the clerk asked as Mrs. Wilson handed him her ticket.
“There’s just me,” she said as she eyed the four suitcases in front of her.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the clerk said, “but all of your suitcases need to be properly tagged. Here are the tags for these three. Please fill them out.”
“But these aren’t my bags,” Mrs. Wilson protested as she turned to look at Darren in surprise. “Where did you get these bags?”
Darren looked confused and knelt to examine the bags. He had pulled off all of the labels back at the house, including the ones identifying the owner.
“I’m sorry. I thought they were yours,” he explained. “I found them in the front entryway.”
“No. I only have my one bag,” Mrs. Wilson said. “You know I always like to travel light.”
The two of them stood there staring at each other in confusion.
Suddenly Darren realized the new nanny must have arrived last night. He pulled out his cell phone and poked the icon for Katie’s phone. After a few rings, the call went to voice mail.
“She must still be sleeping. There’s no answer. I guess I’ll take these back to the house since you don’t want to take them with you,” he joked as he loaded them back into the truck.
Leaving Mrs. Wilson standing at the curb still scratching her head, he headed for home in a big hurry, wondering what he was going to find when he got there.
Chapter 4
Mandy woke up feeling tired, confused and hungry all at the same time. The lingering aroma of coffee drew her out of bed. Her stomach rumbled as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a heavy sweater. A quick splash of water on her face from the sink and a few swipes at her hair was all she felt up to doing. She didn’t know when she was going to meet her new employer, but she’d deal with that when the time came. Besides, how much make-up would a nanny need to wear in Alaska, she wondered.