by Carol Ross
He tapped on the doorframe. “Hi, Hannah.”
She glanced up, not seeming at all surprised to see him. “Hey, counselor. What’s up?”
“Do you know where I can find Shay?”
“She’s cleaning rooms. She should be finishing up right about now. The woman is a wonder. She can clean a room faster than I could ski the downhill course at Squaw Valley.”
Jonah hesitated, not quite sure which way to go.
“Head along the hallway to the right.” She pointed. “The supply room is at the end on the left. If she’s not there, then she will be momentarily.”
“Thanks, Hannah.”
He turned to go, but then stopped. “Hannah?”
She looked up.
“You said something at bingo the other night that tells me you are already so much more than a skier. You are a very wise and thoughtful woman.”
Hannah’s face erupted with a surprised grin. “I am? Thanks, Jonah. That’s so nice. Oh, and don’t break my sister’s heart again and I will let you live.”
Shay was where she was expected to be, tucking tiny soaps and miniature bottles of shampoo into containers on the cart in front of her.
“Hey,” he said.
She started and turned. “Jonah! Wow, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Busy morning—one of our maids called in sick. But I’m just finishing up. What are you doing here?”
“I came by to tell you something.”
She eyed him warily and her reaction felt like a little jab of pain to his heart. She still wasn’t ready to talk. He was okay with that—for now—because he felt confident that deep down Shay wanted to resolve their issues as much as he did. His timing had to improve some time.
“It’s good news.”
She tipped her head, asking the question.
“Gary and Ingrid are back together.”
Her guardedness fell away and her face lit with a smile. “Jonah, really?”
“Yep.”
“This is wonderful news.”
Her expression held a mixture of pride and approval, exactly the look he’d been after.
He returned her smile and felt a tug of affection flow through him at the pleasure shining in her eyes. He’d missed this. He missed her—this Shay, happy and smiling just for him. He slipped his hands in his back pockets to keep from touching her. Not only did he want to touch her, he wanted to kiss her until they were both senseless.
He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “Just thought you’d want to know.”
“You’re right—I do.”
He searched his brain for something else to say to prolong the moment. He wasn’t overly proud of his gratuitous self, but he asked anyway, “It is pretty great, right?”
“Jonah, it’s very great.”
He grinned some more. Was she feeling this, too? It took an unbelievable amount of self-control not to step toward her and take her in his arms. He just couldn’t be sure that she would want that. Did he really want that? Yes, of course, he did, but he knew they needed to sort some stuff out first. He couldn’t mess this up again.
Her lips were curling up at the corners, dimples flashing on her cheeks. “You came all the way up here to tell me this?”
“Yes, I did. That—and I’m craving some of that fish with jam, as our friend Cricket keeps calling it. Would you like to join me for lunch, by any chance?”
A flash of anxiety crossed her face. “Uh...”
“No talking—I promise, no talking about anything that you don’t want to talk about.”
She beamed in relief. “Okay, then sure. I’m starving.”
They cut through the yard, stopping for a few minutes to admire the koi, before continuing on into the dining area. As they passed the hostess station, Jonah was looking around, admiring the beauty of the inn, shameless in his contentment with how this day was turning out.
Then he spotted a figure serving a table in the middle of the room.
It couldn’t be...
“Shay, who is that?” he managed to ask.
“Who?” Shay followed his gaze.
“Waiting on that table.”
“Oh, that’s Adele. She’s the new waitress I was telling you about. She’s fantastic. I don’t know what I’d do without her right now. I don’t think I’d be able to take this fishing trip, that’s for sure.”
Jonah fought valiantly for his usually reliable blank face, but failed obviously, because Shay asked, “What? Jonah, what is it?”
“Nothing,” he replied after a few drawn-out seconds.
Shay was giving him an odd look, which he knew he deserved but Jonah couldn’t think of any good reason why Adele Mason would seek a job at the Faraway Inn. He could however think of several nefarious ones.
She glanced at Adele Mason. “Does she look familiar to you, too? I swear she reminds me of someone.”
He opened his mouth to respond but she said, “Come on, let’s get a table. I’ll introduce you.”
Jonah trudged with her through the dining area. Shay made introductions and they sat at a table in front of the windows that showcased the incredible view, but Jonah couldn’t even begin to enjoy the scenery.
Almost immediately Shay received a text. She apologized and excused herself saying she’d return in a few minutes. Jonah scanned the place for the “waitress,” but Adele had apparently been waiting for the same opportunity because she was strolling toward the table, carrying a pitcher of water, two menus and an anxious smile.
He didn’t waste any time. “Adele, what are you doing here?”
She placed the menus on the table. “Um, working. I know it probably looks weird but it seemed like a good idea at the time and now I’m really—”
“How could this possibly seem like a good idea to you?” Adele had now put him in an even more awkward position than he’d already been in. It was bad enough that he couldn’t reveal her identity to Shay, but now he had to pretend like he didn’t know who she was in front of Shay?
Adele let out a nervous laugh. “Well, it’s kind of funny actually... I didn’t come here to get a job. I came here hoping to talk to Shay because she didn’t return my phone calls. Then it just sort of happened.”
“What happened?”
“Shay hiring me happened,” she answered tentatively. .
Jonah put on his skeptical face. “How does getting hired for a job ‘just happen’?”
“It’s hard to explain. I...”
Jonah rubbed a frustrated hand over his jaw. “You know what? The circumstances don’t matter. Can you not see how Shay—and the rest of the James family—might interpret this? Sneaking around and not revealing who you really are—or who you are claiming to be? Getting a job at the very place you are trying to get a piece of?”
“Claiming to be?” Adele looked shocked, like the notion had just occurred to her that her identity might be doubted.
Jonah didn’t buy it. He shrugged. “I’m an attorney, Adele. It’s in my nature to analyze every possibility. And if it’s occurred to me, I can guarantee you it will occur to the Jameses.”
“But I’m...I’m not some lowlife gold digger. And I’m not out to steal the inn from Shay. I only want...”
“You only want what? What are your intentions? And why haven’t you revealed them or told anyone else who you claim to be?”
Adele gaped at him, started to respond, but clamped her mouth shut instead. She turned on her heel and strode away, leaving Jonah with an unfilled water glass and a simmering pot full of anger. He actually found himself hoping that she was simply interested in a big payday. Money he could handle.
A few minutes later Shay slid into her seat. “I saw you talking to Adele. Isn’t she great?”
“Mmm,” he answered noncommittally. “What do you know about her?”
Shay smoothed some brown hair that had come loose from her ponytail as she checked the list of specials that Adele had left on the table. �
�Not much really. Oh, yum, Javier is frying razor clams today. The breading he uses is so good—light with subtle seasoning so it doesn’t overpower the flavor of the clams. That’s what I’m having.” She looked at Jonah again and grinned. “I hired her on the spot—no résumé or reference checks or anything. She said she had experience so I took a chance. It has totally paid off. She’s the best waitress I’ve ever seen.”
Jonah widened his eyes in disbelief. “Shay, why in the world would you do that?” He could hear the disapproval in his tone, but ignored it.
She blinked a couple times in surprise. Her brows dipped down between her eyes and Jonah wanted to reassure her. He didn’t want to spoil this moment, but he was also dismayed by this tricky situation she had inadvertently wedged herself into.
While Adele Mason was learning everything she could about Shay, her family and the Faraway Inn, an unsuspecting Shay had opened her arms and heart wide open and invited her in.
Jonah hoped she took pains to keep her financial records secure. He’d noticed her laptop left open on her desk and he wondered how often she changed her passwords. “What do you mean?”
He couldn’t say what he was really thinking for fear of breaching the attorney-client privilege. He sighed in exasperation. “She could be a serial killer, Shay. This is Alaska—you’ve lived here your entire life. You should know better.”
She let out a burst of surprised laughter. “A serial killer? Come on, Jonah, let’s be real here. I do believe she has a story, but that’s her business to share or not.”
Jonah was so close to blurting out the truth. Too close. The only thing preventing him was the knowledge that he was Shay’s best chance at thwarting whatever scheme it was that Adele Mason had hatched.
“I asked her if she was running from the law.”
He let sarcasm absorb some of his angst. “Oh, perfect. Good job. That’s great, because serial killers are notoriously honest as well as homicidal.”
She tipped her head back and laughed.
Jonah was struck all over again by her beauty, which he knew had as much to do with her soul as it did her physical attributes. She just embodied kindness and such selfless, unabashed generosity. Too much generosity probably—why did she feel like she needed to take care of everyone? Who took care of her? He suspected no one had in a very long time, not since they’d broken up. Did he want that job again? Right now he thought he might.
She shook out her red-cloth napkin and placed it on her lap. “It’s kind of sweet, that you’re worried about me like this.”
Jonah felt a jolt of emotion surge through him at the expression on her face. She was proud of him for helping Gary and Ingrid and now she was feeling all soft because she thought he was worried about her safety. Which he was, but keeping her safe from a serial killer might be easier than this legal undertaking brewing with Adele Mason.
She reached over and put her hand over his. “Jonah, look at what you just did for Gary and Ingrid. And for Will Traeger? Everyone knows he never would have won that case against the town. You saved him thousands of dollars—dollars that would have gone into your pocket.
“And what you’re doing for your gramps? I do realize how difficult it must be for you to take this time away from your job—and your car.” Her grin was full of teasing good will, and utterly adorable. “I know how important your career is to you. And even worse—you’re stuck here in Rankins indefinitely, which I know you hate more than anything. I really admire what you’ve done—what you’re doing. I’m proud of you, Jonah.
“Sometimes you simply know when something’s the right thing to do. You can feel it. That’s exactly how it was for me with Adele. I just...knew.”
Jonah mumbled an agreement because all he could think about was the feel of Shay’s warm skin on his, combined with the dazzling smile on her face and the fact that she was trying to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to laugh and cry and kiss her all at the same time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
JONAH STUFFED THE rest of his gear into his tattered blue canvas backpack and asked himself how it could be possible that ten years had gone by since he’d taken the time to enjoy one of the things he most loved to do on this earth. Still, he wished he could be more excited about this trip.
It was four in the morning and he’d spent most of his restless night alternating his worry about Gramps, trying not to think about his own work in Chicago, while simultaneously fretting about Adele Mason’s intentions.
And Shay.
Always, in the midst, or at the very center of all of these thoughts and concerns was Shay, and these feelings he had for her—feelings he’d always been able to somehow skirt around in Chicago. But now...
He wasn’t in Chicago. Not even close.
“Gramps?” he called out. “Are you ready?”
Gramps trotted out of the bedroom with his pack strapped on his back. He began bouncing on his toes and twisting his torso from side to side, testing the weight and fit.
“I can’t tell you how ready I am, son. Bering said the fish have been biting like crazy.”
Caleb had dropped Francis off the night before at Mary Beth’s house so Jonah guessed they were ready to go. As ready as he could be for three days of...Shay.
“We’re picking up Doc and Shay on the way, so we should probably get going. You know how prickly Bering gets if he’s kept waiting.”
* * *
“HOW DO YOU have the energy to pace like that at four-thirty in the morning? You’re going to be doing plenty of hiking in the next couple days, you might want to rest up.” Hannah took a loud sip of her coffee. “Mmm, that’s good.”
Shay kept pacing. “Don’t forget to pick up mom’s cholesterol meds today. She took her last pill yesterday.”
“I’m on it.”
“Okay, and don’t forget that Marcie doesn’t like the chicken food, only the beef or salmon.” Marcie was curled on Hannah’s legs like a calico lap blanket. Two more cats were sprawled on the sofa near her.
“Yup.” Hannah reached over to pet Roscoe. “Shay, please don’t worry. I’ve got it under control—meds, cats, koi, the inn, the restaurant—all of it.”
“I know. Thank you, Hannah. I totally trust you, and...”
“You’re freaked out about spending time with Jonah. That’s what this is all about, right?”
“Yes and no.”
“No, because...?”
“Things have gotten a little better between us...”
“Well, that’s good. So, yes, because...?”
“He wants to talk. And I’ve agreed—sort of. I keep putting him off though because it won’t really solve anything. Ergo, maybe we should just maintain the status quo.”
“Yeah, that sounds superhealthy,” Hannah said drily. “Keeping the past buried and all those emotions and issues tucked away where they belong. Good idea. That won’t eat away at you at all.”
Shay abruptly stopped pacing. A snort of panicked laughter came out her nose. “It is ridiculous.” She smoothed both hands over her ponytailed hair. “I need to face this, don’t I?”
Hannah met her eyes and responded with a simple, “Yes, Shay, you do.”
Caleb’s Land Rover pulled in the driveway, so she thanked Hannah and hugged her good-bye, and went out to meet her ragtag fishing crew. A quick greeting, then Jonah stowed her pack as she climbed into the front seat. Caleb and Doc were already ensconced in the backseat like a couple of eager school kids on their way to a field trip, which made Shay smile. They were cheerful and kept up an entertaining stream of their usual chatter-bicker, a welcome reminder for Shay of why she was bouncing down the road away from civilization as she knew it and toward a three-day wilderness getaway with Jonah.
Jonah seemed quiet and thoughtful—like she felt.
When they arrived at the launching ground for James Guide and Outfitter Service, Shay let out a groan. Tag was standing next to the boat talking to Bering. She should have known better than to thi
nk she could get out of town with Jonah without Tag hearing about it.
As Caleb and Doc climbed from the vehicle, Jonah reached out a hand to halt her departure. “Why is your brother here?” His whispered tone was filled with a level of annoyance that matched her own.
“I have no idea, Jonah. That’s not true—I think we both have an idea. Get my stuff, please? I’ll go talk to him.”
She got out and marched toward Tag and Bering, while Jonah, Caleb and Doc gathered packs and gear.
“Mornin’, Shay,” Bering said cheerfully, without quite meeting her eyes.
“Good morning, Bering.” She smiled too-sweetly at her cousin and then riveted her glare on Tag.
Her voice came out like a too-loud, bingo-type whisper; she hoped Caleb and Doc couldn’t hear. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m, uh...I’m coming along to help Bering with some stuff.”
“What stuff?” she demanded.
She nearly laughed at the look they exchanged—it hadn’t changed much since they’d been caught reading her diary twenty years ago.
Bering answered, “Oh, uh, I’ve got a broken window in one of the cabins and Tag is going to help me fix it.”
“Oh, puh-lease—you could have thought of something better than that. You didn’t even bother to come up with a story, did you?” Shay looked at her traitorous cousin and then back at her meddling brother and wondered if these two would ever quit trying to protect her.
Tag gave up the charade, leaned over and said with a voice even more crisp than the morning air, “I will not let you take off into the wilderness with him—again. I made that mistake once, Shay, and it ended in disaster. Do you hear me? I won’t. Do it. Again.”