Home Sweet Alaska

by Beth Carpenter

  “Are they here?” Emma jumped over a big rock at the edge of the parking lot. “Can they watch me ride?”

  “I’ll find out.” Volta answered the phone while escorting Emma to check in at the stable. “Hi, Hannah. Where are you today?”

  “We’re on the Seward Highway. We should be in Anchorage in another two hours.”

  “Oh, good. Plan to eat dinner with us.” Emma’s paternal grandparents lived in Homer but traveled all over the state in their motor home. They loved seeing their only granddaughter and always came by when they were in Anchorage.

  At least this time they’d given her two hours’ notice. They used to just drop in. Wade said his parents always kept a strict schedule when they were running their business in Anchorage, but once they retired and moved to Homer, they swore off making plans in advance. After all, they never knew when they’d hit a hot fishing run or a stretch of particularly nice weather and decide to stay a few extra days on one of their RV excursions.

  It used to drive Volta crazy during her marriage when her in-laws would drop in when the house was at its messiest but eventually, she realized Hannah and Jim truly didn’t mind a few dishes stacked in the kitchen sink. They’d welcomed her into the family and they loved her, and she loved them in return. “Emma will want to tell you all about her horseback riding lessons.”

  “We can’t wait to hear about that and see the pictures from Emma’s birthday party. We’re on our way to the airport to pick up Stacy.”

  “Stacy is coming to visit?” Volta had mixed feelings about her sister-in-law.

  Hannah’s answer was drowned out by Emma’s happy squeal. “Aunt Stacy is coming? When?”

  “Excuse me, Hannah.” Volta turned to Emma. “Today. She’s coming to dinner with your grandparents. Look, there’s Cait. Better scoot.” Emma scurried over to her instructor. Volta waved and returned to the phone. “Sorry. Emma’s excited. What time does Stacy’s plane get in?”

  “Seven fifteen. So with luggage and all, we probably can’t get to your house before eight. Is that too late?”

  “No, that’s fine. See you soon.” Volta hung up the phone and went through a mental checklist of the contents of her pantry. She had frozen chicken breasts, basic vegetables, and she’d picked up a chunk of parmesan last time she shopped. If she had a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, she could make that chicken linguine her father-in-law had liked so much the last time they were in town.

  She and Emma could pick up a jar on the way home, along with a bagged salad. And maybe a six-pack of purple and yellow pansies. She could tuck them into a basket to use as a centerpiece and plant them in the yard later. Volta always felt the need to be a little more impressive when Stacy was around.

  Volta followed Emma and Cait to the barn and watched Cait teach Emma how to saddle a horse.

  It was Stacy who had introduced Volta to Wade. They’d all lived in Anchorage then. Volta and Stacy had gone to different high schools, but they had friends in common. That summer after the big breakup in Hawaii, most of Volta’s friends had been busy or out of town, but she’d run into Stacy at the coffee shop, and they’d started hanging out.

  One day Stacy needed a ride home from the auto repair shop, and when Volta had dropped her off at her parents’ house, her brother was there, visiting. He was tall and lean, with coffee-colored eyes so dark Volta couldn’t tell the pupils from the irises. And those eyes were completely focused on her. It had taken him about five minutes to ask Volta for a date, which was exactly the balm her bruised ego had needed.

  Stacy had been happy about Volta dating her brother at first. But as Volta’s relationship with Wade grew stronger, Stacy seemed less pleased. And when they’d announced their engagement, Stacy had been downright argumentative. She’d insisted they were rushing into marriage. Even though Wade had never told her so, Volta knew that his sister was working on him at every opportunity, trying to talk him out of the wedding. Stacy should have realized that telling her brother not to do something was the surest way of making it happen.

  The disconcerting thing was, Volta knew Stacy was right, that they were rushing into marriage, but she didn’t want to slow down, afraid if they lost the momentum, it would never happen. Wade loved her, and he wanted to marry her. She loved him, too. Maybe it wasn’t with the same intensity she’d felt with Scott, but every relationship was different, right? Besides, after the pain of the breakup, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to love that way again. She wasn’t sure it was even possible.

  But she did know that just like Wade, she wanted marriage and a family. And so, she’d accepted his proposal, and she’d married him. He did everything he could to make her happy, and she’d done the same for him.

  She’d been a good wife, loving, caring, supportive. They never fought about things like him forgetting to put his clothes in the hamper or her squeezing the toothpaste wrong. She’d never clogged his weekends with chores or demanded he give up his friends or his hobbies. Which was another thing Stacy held against her.

  Wade and two of his lifelong buddies had plans to use their snow machines one weekend. It had been a weird weather week of mixed rain and snow, then subzero temperatures, followed the next day by a heavy snow. The forecasters had warned that conditions were dangerous, but Wade had insisted he and his friends were experienced enough to know which slopes to avoid, and Volta believed him. After all, he’d been riding for years and won several races.

  But this time, he was wrong. They’d been high marking, cutting across the top of the slope to gain speed on the downhill, when the snowpack broke loose.

  Wade’s two friends were lucky. One was completely out of the path of the avalanche, and the other was on the very edge. He lost his snow machine but managed to “swim” to the edge and avoid getting swept away. But Wade was in the very middle of the slide. Even with his emergency beacon, it had taken search and rescue a full day to recover his body.

  It was while the family was gathered together, awaiting news, that Stacy had accused Volta of wanting him to die. “Everyone knew conditions were unstable. If you’d loved him, you would have made him stay home. He would have, if you’d asked.”

  Hannah had tried to smooth it over. “Now, Stacy. You know how hard it is to talk your brother out of anything he wants to do.”

  “She could have.” Stacy had raised her chin and glared at Volta. “He’d do anything for her. But she didn’t care enough to stop him.” She’d run from the room, in tears.

  Hannah had hugged Volta. “She doesn’t mean it. She’s just upset.”

  She did, though. When they received the news that they’d recovered Wade’s body, Stacy had collapsed, sobbing. Meanwhile, Volta just felt numb. Cold. As though she was drifting in a fog, with no idea which way to go to find the shore, or even if there was a shoreline.

  Wade was never coming back. Volta had known that, and yet she couldn’t really grasp the reality. She’d realized only two days before that her period was late, but she’d decided not to say anything yet. After she’d dropped him off at his friend’s house on Saturday morning, she’d stopped by the drugstore for a pregnancy test, and stashed it in the hall closet. When Wade got home Sunday night, she’d take it while they were together.

  So he never knew he was going to have a daughter. He would have been so excited. He should have been there to listen to the heartbeat, and assemble the crib, and dither over names. But he wasn’t. And according to Stacy, it was all Volta’s fault.

  They’d gotten through the funeral as a family. Volta had decided to wait until the end of her first trimester to share the news of her pregnancy, not wanting to risk putting Wade’s family through another loss. Hannah and Jim were thrilled at the idea of a grandchild. Stacy had demanded to know the due date, but after she did the math, she accepted that this was Wade’s child. And once she’d seen how much Emma looked like Wade, she’d been a devoted aunt. Even after she moved out
of state two years later, Stacy always sent cards and birthday presents.

  But Volta had never been able to get past Stacy’s accusation. Maybe it was her fault that Wade died. She had asked about the weather report, but when Wade said it was okay, she’d trusted his judgment. He had all the right safety equipment, and he was riding with friends he trusted, but he had to know it was dangerous. If she’d told him then that she might be pregnant, would he have stayed home instead?

  Volta gave herself a mental head shake. Wondering about what might have been was a waste of time. Right now, she had a daughter who was having the time of her life. Cait had mounted another horse, and they were trotting side by side, with Cait instructing Emma on her posture and positioning.

  Volta didn’t know enough to be sure, but it looked like Emma was doing a good job. They circled the arena, and when they passed, Emma flashed her a huge smile. Volta smiled back, glad that she could be there to share the moment. And if Wade was there somewhere on the other side, watching, maybe he was sharing the moment, too.

  * * *

  DINNER WAS NICE. Hannah and Jim listened to Emma’s stories of horsemanship with pride. “You’ll have to show me the pictures from your birthday party after dinner,” Hannah told her. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be there. Grandpa had a bad cold and we didn’t think we should share it.”

  “My teacher says you should always cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands a lot,” Emma advised her.

  “Your teacher’s right.”

  “Emma loved the shirt with the picture of a sea lion you sent,” Volta said, as a nudge.

  “I wore it to school and everybody wanted to know where I got it so they could get one,” Emma said.

  “I came across a woman who paints them by hand,” Hannah explained, “and she doesn’t ever do any two alike, so nobody will ever have one exactly like yours.”

  Stacy had been unusually quiet throughout dinner, but maybe that was because Emma hadn’t stopped talking long enough for her to get a word in. Volta racked her brain, trying to remember what gift she had sent for Emma’s birthday. Oh, yes. “Did you tell Aunt Stacy thank you for the doll?”

  “Thank you,” Emma sang out, obediently. “I like her dress. Sabrina said she’d show me how to make her other dresses.”

  Volta smiled at her. Emma wasn’t big on dolls in general, so she was pleased that Emma had managed to find something to like about Stacy’s gift. And something nice to say.

  But Stacy frowned. “Who’s Sabrina?”

  “My brother’s girlfriend. She designs clothes for Orson Outfitters.”

  Stacy sniffed. “Whatever happened to his wife?”

  Stacy knew very well what happened. Why rub it in? “They divorced years ago. How are things in Salt Lake?”

  “Fine.”

  “Are you still working for the insurance company?”

  Stacy exchanged looks with her mother. “I’m looking for something better.”

  “Oh.” What did that mean?

  Stacy shrugged. “I got caught up in a staff reduction. I’m sure it was my old supervisor—she always bore a grudge that I left her department. They had to give me a nice severance package, at least, and so I decided to take some time and visit my family. I wasn’t that happy there anyway.”

  Volta nodded. She’d learned long ago that whether it was where to meet for lunch or what color her bridesmaid dress should be, it was easier to give Stacy her own way than to deal with her unhappiness. Of course, that was a long time ago. Stacy had matured since then. Presumably.

  “Anything else exciting going on in your life?” she asked Stacy.

  “Well, let’s see. I painted my kitchen yellow. Oh, and there’s a guy I’ve been dating.”

  “What shade of yellow?” her father asked in an innocent voice.

  Hannah elbowed him. “Tell us about this boyfriend. What’s his name?”

  “George Carsten. He’s a school principal.”

  “How long have you been going out?”

  “Oh, about a month now. He’s divorced, has a daughter who lives in California. He’s there visiting now.”

  Hannah continued to quiz Stacy while Volta brought in dessert: strawberries and angel food cake she’d spotted when she ran in for the sun-dried tomatoes. She handed a can of whipped cream to Emma, who jumped up to help with her favorite kitchen task.

  “Do you want cream on yours, Grammy?” Emma interrupted.

  “Shh,” Volta whispered. “Grammy’s talking to Aunt Stacy. Wait until she’s done.”

  “You can put some on yours and mine,” Jim told Emma. “We’ll eat our cake, and if they aren’t through yakking by the time we finish, we’ll eat theirs, too. What do you say?”

  Emma giggled and squirted a generous pile of whipped cream over her grandpa’s dessert. After a moment, Hannah put her hand on Emma’s shoulder. “I’d like about half that much, please.”

  “What are your plans from here?” Volta asked Jim. “Are you heading out right away?”

  “We’re staying in Anchorage for a few days,” he told her. “Stacy wants to catch up with some of her old friends. We’ve got a spot reserved at that RV place over by Earthquake Park. We’re thinking of catching a baseball game tomorrow evening. Are you and Emma interested in joining us?”

  “Corn dogs?” Emma asked hopefully.

  “I suspect they’ll have corn dogs at the concession stand.”

  “Goody.”

  “Sure. Sounds great,” Volta said.

  “You’re not working?”

  “Not tomorrow. The day after, I’m flying to Unak and Alder.”

  “They’re scheduling emergencies in advance now?” Jim asked.

  “Wouldn’t that be nice? No, I’m working with a doctor looking at how we could improve prenatal care in the bush.”

  “One of the local doctors?”

  “No, he’s from DEMA.”

  “Dr. Scott came to my birthday party,” Emma volunteered.

  “Did he?” Hannah raised her eyebrows at Volta, who pretended not to see.

  “Speaking of birthday parties.” Volta handed her phone to Emma. “Why don’t you show Stacy and your grandparents the pictures from the reindeer farm?”

  Volta started collecting dessert plates, but when she reached for Stacy’s, her sister-in-law refused to relinquish it. “Why was a doctor at Emma’s party?” she whispered.

  Volta shrugged, trying to keep it casual. “He’s from out of town and had never seen a reindeer, and you know how enthusiastic Emma can be.”

  “Emma invited him? What was he doing around Emma?”

  Shoot, she was just digging herself in deeper. “Dropping me off after a flight. You should look at Emma’s pictures. There’s a great one of her unwrapping your doll.” Volta managed to wrestle the plate away from her. Stacy didn’t immediately ask more questions, but if she were a hunting dog, she’d be pointing.

  Volta retreated to the kitchen with the plates. Stacy had been the recipient of several tearful conversations about her and Scott the summer after the breakup. Volta needed to keep Scott’s name out of any future conversations with her. Because if there was one thing she didn’t need, it was Stacy butting into her life.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SCOTT TOOK HIS place at the conference table for the morning meeting at Puffin Medical Transport. Volta was already seated, flipping through some papers. She looked up and gave him a little smile. He breathed a sigh of relief. If she planned to pull the plug on their working relationship, she wouldn’t be smiling at him.

  Bernie started the meeting, bringing everyone up-to-date and laying out the agenda for the day. “The Learjet will be out first this morning, to the burn center in Seattle, and then you’re up next,” Bernie advised Scott.

  “Is this the man from Apun?” Scott asked.

 
; “Yes. He’s stable enough for transport now, and the burn center in Seattle is better equipped for his long-term care.”

  “Good.” Scott had stopped by the hospital the day after they’d transported the burn victims. The child had been discharged to an aunt. Both parents were under heavy medication, but the woman had recognized him and insisted on thanking him. Her hand would be heavily scarred, but the prognosis was good.

  While he was there, he’d talked with a few of the local ob-gyn specialists, asking for their input on his study. They all seemed pleased to hear about the possibility of extra funding to help with prenatal care. Dr. Bart Thomas was especially enthusiastic. “You’ve seen it, I’m sure, working with DEMA. Problems that could have been avoided if we’d caught them early in the pregnancy. Things like that happen when patients are a flight away from health care.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen it. DEMA has had success with several programs involving traveling prenatal clinics. That’s why we were hired to do this study.”

  “Excellent. I’ll look forward to hearing more once your report is complete.” Dr. Thomas handed him a card. “Give me a call if I can be of help in the meantime.”

  Scott had kept the card. It was always good to have local support when trying new ideas, and it was clear that Dr. Thomas was a leader in the community.

  “I’ll help you load up,” Volta offered to the team that was flying to Seattle.

  “Thanks.”

  The meeting broke up, and Volta took off with the other flight team into the hangar. Scott headed upstairs to change into his borrowed flight suit. He sat down in one of the desk chairs and checked his email. Nothing urgent. His supervisor asked how the project was progressing. He’d send an update tomorrow.

  Scott got up and crossed the room to pour a cup of coffee from the pot in the kitchen area. Something crinkled when he walked. He moved over to the mirror mounted on a door and looked over his shoulder into the mirror to see a scrap of paper attached to the back of his leg.