“Sorry, I’ll be another ten minutes.” Kendall offered a tired smile. “We’ve been so busy that I had to bake more cookies for tomorrow. I should help Emily with the dishes. There are huge piles.”
“I can help with the dishes. Just let me tell Tate you’re not ready to leave yet.” Ran ducked back outside and returned with Tate.
“Hey, sweet Kendall.” Tate ambled over to her and kissed her cheek. “I’ve come to help. Ran and I want to take you for a drive through the Wapusk National Park. We thought we might stop and explore the Prince of Wales fort.”
“Is there much walking? My feet are aching. Emily and I have been running all day.”
“Well, in that case, we’ll go for a short drive.” Tate gifted her a persuasive smile. “You might enjoy a burst of fresh air.”
“What about Sax?” Kendall asked.
“He is organizing our building team to come up to Churchill,” Tate said. “They live all over the world and with the different time zones, it takes coordination. He told us he’d come along next time and to take photos.”
It was closer to twenty minutes by the time they piled into the SUV. They stopped at Fiona’s so Kendall could change clothes and continued out of town.
Wapusk National Park differed from the tundra area in that it had large trees. Tate navigated a dirt road with potholes large enough to hide a small car. Kendall placed her hands on the dash while Ran whooped in the back when they hit a bump and lurched upward.
“We’re not driving much farther,” Tate said. “But we want to show you the lake. Sometimes there are caribou or moose. We should see lots of birds too.”
“I forgot my camera,” Kendall said.
Tate shrugged. “You have your phone, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Except she’d been keeping it turned off because her mother was harassing her. No, haranguing was a better description of her mother’s behavior. She wanted—ordered—Kendall to carry out the conditions of her grandfather’s will so the rest of the family could move on.
Before she’d left Devon, Kendall had considered it—briefly—then she’d fled to give herself time to ponder. Now, from a distance, she’d started to resent her grandfather for the position he’d placed her in and her mother… Well, she’d lost a lot of respect for her remaining parent. It wasn’t Kendall’s job to hold the family and their finances together. She’d singlehandedly dragged them from debt already. Not one family member had thanked her for her hard work. Not one.
No, they expected her to give even more of herself.
Too late.
She was done being the sacrificial lamb.
A talk with Fiona had helped her clarify her thoughts and goals. Sax, Ran and Tate had made her see she had other options. If she was brave enough to take a chance.
Kendall tore herself from her thoughts. The surrounding forest made a change from the tundra with its many shallow ponds and skeleton trees.
“The trees are spruce and tamarack,” Ran said before Kendall could ask. “Once we get deeper into the park, we should see lots of flowers. When we were kids, our mother would bring us here to pick berries.”
“Yum, blackberry pie.” Tate smacked his lips.
They passed a tundra buggy—a vehicle with huge wheels that stood high enough off the ground to keep tourists safe from curious polar bears.
“Access to the park is supposed to be via a tour,” Ran explained.
“Are we breaking the rules?” Kendall asked.
Tate laughed. “Not exactly since we’re locals. I suppose you’d describe it as coloring outside the lines.”
The road ended, and Tate parked the vehicle.
“I know your feet are sore, but it’s only a short walk from here,” Ran promised.
“And if I collapse on the way back?”
“One of us will carry you,” Tate said.
Kendall eyed both men. “Is that a promise?”
“Totally.” Ran placed his hand across his heart.
“Let’s go then.” Kendall had changed from her work clothes into a pair of jeans, a clean T-shirt and a warm jacket. She wore a pair of runners.
Tate and Ran took a hand each and dragged her up a slight incline. The crisp air was refreshing after the stuffy heat of the kitchen, and the nagging ache at her temples receded. Kendall enjoyed the green trees and the fresh pine scent after the bareness of the town.
Ahead of them, a stick cracked as if something heavy had stood on it. Tate and Ran froze. Kendall started to speak but Ran held his finger against his lips in a request for silence. Neither man seemed afraid, so Kendall took her cue from them. Tate lifted his head and sniffed, which she found odd. She turned to Ran and noticed he was doing the same thing.
“Caribou,” Tate said.
“They’re going down to the lake for a drink,” Ran explained. “We’ll wait a few minutes before we try to get closer.”
Tate nodded in agreement. “If you listen, you’ll hear their progress.”
Kendall cocked her head. An insect buzzed past her ear and a white bird swooped overhead with a shrill cry.
“We can go now,” Tate said several minutes later. He led them down a narrow path. Kendall followed and Ran walked behind her.
Tate slowed his steps and halted. He gestured her to stand beside him. “There they are,” he whispered into her ear.
She took several seconds to locate the animals since they blended well.
“Can I take a photo?” she asked.
“Sure. We’ll move a little closer first. Try not to stand on any sticks because you’ll frighten them,” Tate said.
Kendall had always loved watching nature documentaries on television and being out in the park and seeing animals thrilled her. Holding her breath, she crept after Tate.
Several of the caribou stopped drinking and gazed in their direction.
“They know we’re here,” Ran said. “Take your photos now.”
Kendall pulled out her phone and powered it up. She took two photos and for the third photo, she zoomed up.
Without warning, her phone beeped, showing incoming text messages. The herd of caribou bounded away from the lake and crashed through the trees until they were no longer in sight.
“Rats,” Kendall muttered. “I hoped the phone coverage didn’t reach out here.”
Ran snorted. “That’s Churchill for you. Sometimes the coverage is good and sometimes it’s crap.”
“Can we walk down to the lake?” Kendall asked. “I’d like to take more photos.”
Tate lifted his head and inhaled. “It’s safe at the moment.”
“You can smell if it is safe or not?” Kendall asked, half-laughing at the idea.
“You learn a thing or two if you’re born in Churchill,” Ran said. “Tate is right. There isn’t anything dangerous lurking in the spruce trees.”
Keeping her skepticism about safety having an aroma to herself, Kendall followed Tate down the slight incline until they reached the water. “Okay, stand over there.” She waited until Tate and Ran followed orders. “Say cheese.”
“Sex,” Tate shouted.
Kendall laughed and snapped a photo of the two brothers.
“I’ll take one of you and Ran.” Tate plucked the phone out of her hands and waited until Ran wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Sex. Sex. Sex,” Ran chanted.
Kendall laughed, and Tate snapped the photo. He glanced at the screen.
“That’s a good shot. One more. Kiss her, Ran.”
“My pleasure.” Ran kissed her and took her by surprise when he dipped her. She was still laughing when Ran set her on her feet again.
Her phone rang, and Tate answered it. “Hello.”
He paused.
“My name is Tate Hallsten. I’m a friend of your daughter’s.” He listened again. Scowled.
Kendall’s breath caught. It was her mother. Again. And it didn’t take much to imagine what she was saying. First, she’d demand to know why Tate was answering Ken
dall’s phone. Then, she’d want to know where he fit into Kendall’s life. Now, her mother was probably demanding Tate hand the phone to her daughter.
Tate’s blue gaze landed on Kendall. His brows rose in a silent question, and Kendall shook her head. She didn’t wish to speak with her mother. They’d deliberated on everything they needed to discuss.
“She wants to know when you’ll be coming home,” Tate said.
“Not until my visitor visa expires.” Kendall had told her mother this already.
Tate listened to her mother and hung up. He powered down the phone before handing it back to Kendall. “Your mother is very rude.”
“She isn’t a people person,” Kendall agreed.
“We’ll use my phone to take photos,” Ran said. “Let’s take a selfie with all of us.”
“Your mother suggested I should enjoy my time with you now because you’d be going home soon and getting married,” Tate said.
Kendall rolled her eyes. “No, that is what she wants me to do. I am not committed to anyone except you, Ran and Sax.”
Tate and Ran exchanged a look and Kendall’s stomach churned with tension. Her mother spoiled everything good in her life.
“Please believe me. I am not engaged to anyone. I wasn’t dating when I left Devon. You can ask Fiona. We confided in each other when we met online. She told me she was moving to Churchill because she’d met a man. Men, as it turned out. I told her at the time about my last boyfriend and how we broke up because I caught him with another woman. Honestly, I’m not interested in anyone else. You, Ran and Sax are dating me, and I’m loyal to you. I’m dedicated to any man I’m dating because dishonesty is horrid.”
Tate nodded. “You need to set your mother straight.”
Kendall had already decided that after seeing Tate’s dismay. “I’ll ring her when we get back to Churchill. Countless times, I’ve tried to tell her, but she refuses to listen. I’ll make certain she understands my position this time.”
“Good. That’s good,” Ran said.
Now that her mother had rung, her enjoyment in the outing fizzled. Fury and indignation propelled Kendall up the hill toward the SUV. Her mother had no right to insult Tate. Kendall wasn’t sure what her mother had told him, but she’d upset the easy-going Tate. Ran didn’t seem thrilled with the situation either.
Yes, this time Kendall intended to pop her mother’s balloon and tell her exactly where she could go if she insisted on this lunacy. No matter what happened, Kendall refused to marry a candidate proposed by her grandfather and listed in his will.
As they approached Churchill, Tate took a different turn.
“Where are we going?” Kendall asked.
“We’re dropping in on our mother,” Ran said. “She wants to meet you.”
Kendall’s stomach churned anew. “But I’m not dressed to meet your mother. I reek of a kitchen from cooking all day.”
“You do.” Ran offer her an encouraging smile. “And it’s making me hungry. Mom makes awesome chocolate brownies.”
“But…but…”
Tate glanced across at her. “Kendall, don’t panic. Our mother truly won’t eat you.”
Kendall swallowed. “You mean she’ll behave with better manners than my mother?”
Ran snorted. “Not exactly what Tate meant.”
Before she could protest again, Tate pulled up in front of a neat white house. Unlike the other buildings in the street, someone had painted the door a pale blue to match the pale blue shutters on the windows. Two pots of red-and-black pansies flanked the doorway. None of the Churchill properties had lawns but the gravel area appeared neat and a new-looking footpath directed the eye to the front door.
“Mom has made brownies,” Ran said. “My favorite.”
Ran climbed from the rear of the SUV and opened the passenger door for Kendall. “Come on. Please, Mom is looking forward to meeting you. You’re as bad as Sax. Our mother frightened him too, and she smothered him with kisses and gave him a big hug.”
With trepidation, Kendall followed Ran. He knocked hard on the door and ushered Kendall inside.
“Mom, we’re here.”
“I heard,” a woman shouted. “You sound like a herd of angry moose, clomping into my house.”
Tate laughed and stooped to take off his shoes. Kendall and Ran followed suit.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Ran said.
Tate grabbed Kendall’s hand. “She knows we’re interested in you.”
“What?” Kendall squawked, even more alarmed now. No way did she want to appear like a slut to their mother. Because surely that was what their mother would decide. Her mother would. Kendall hadn’t thought to ask how Fiona got on with her men’s mother.
“Mom, this is Kendall.” Tate drew her into a cozy kitchen.
Kendall got a glimpse of a tall woman with long blonde hair woven into a braid. Ran hugged his mother hello, blocking Kendall’s view before standing aside.
Bright blue eyes turned in Kendall’s direction. Statuesque and attractive, Mrs. Hallsten didn’t look old enough to have sons of Ran’s and Tate’s age.
“Hello, Mrs. Hallsten. It’s nice to meet you.” Kendall braced for anger, for insults, for rudeness. She’d seen her mother smile through the process of making deadly insults, so Mrs. Hallsten might feign her greeting.
“Call me Amelia, please. It’s lovely to meet you, dear. Ran and Tate talk about you all the time.” Friendliness and inquisitiveness shone in her expression, and this didn’t falter, despite Kendall’s fears. “Take a seat while I make a pot of tea or you can have hot chocolate if you prefer.”
“Tea would be lovely,” Kendall murmured.
“How did you meet my sons?” Amelia asked.
“On the plane from Winnipeg,” Kendall replied.
Ran gestured her to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair for her. “I asked Kendall what she was reading.”
“Oh?” Amelia poured boiling water into a silver teapot. She clicked the lid into place and replaced the kettle on the cooktop. “What were you reading, dear?”
“An autobiography for Nigella Lawson. She is one of my favorite chefs.”
“Ah! The one who likes to eat.” Amelia pulled a knife from a drawer and sliced her brownie into squares. She placed them on a yellow platter and set the plate on the table in front of Kendall. “Tate, get out the mugs, please. The yellow ones to match the platter.”
Amelia picked up the silver teapot. She sat opposite Kendall and observed her with a steady regard until Kendall wanted to fidget.
Yikes, this was worse than anything in Kendall’s imagination. Kendall gave in to her urge to move. She shifted her bodyweight and turned to Ran with a beseeching glance.
“Mom, stop trying to scare Kendall,” he said. “Tate, Sax and I are doing our best to talk her around to our point of view. We don’t need you upsetting her.”
“Sax too?”
Ran smiled at Kendall. “Sax as well, but we’ve already told you that.”
Amelia sniffed and reached for the mugs Tate handed her. “The milk is in the refrigerator. What if I told you I’ve arranged mates for you already?”
Tate cursed. Ran shoved away from the table hard enough to knock his chair to the floor.
Mates? Kendall’s gaze flitted from Amelia to Ran to Tate, the silence pulsing and electrifying. She swallowed, wanting to be anywhere but in this kitchen.
“Mom,” Tate snapped out.
Ran grasped Kendall’s arm. “We’re leaving.”
Amelia chuckled, her humor shattering the taut atmosphere. “A test, my boys. Sit and I’ll pour the tea. Come, stop hovering.”
Ran settled her back on her chair. Kendall slid her bottom to the edge and perched, ready for a quick getaway.
“You wouldn’t try that if Sax was here,” Ran snapped.
“Sax turned you from rebellious, directionless boys into intelligent adults. At least I understood you were smart. This young woman here seems to have derailed you from
your responsibilities.”
“And what are our responsibilities, Mom?” Tate snapped.
Amusement danced in Amelia’s expression. “I’d enjoy grandchildren.”
Ran snorted. “Scaring Kendall isn’t the way to do that.”
Amelia placed her hands in her lap, kept her shoulders straight and looked down her nose in an imperious manner. “I want to see if she has a backbone. She is no use to anyone if she can’t stand up for herself.”
Kendall stared at Amelia, wanting to laugh. In an act of self-preservation, she remained silent, but the truth was in leaving England, she was standing up for herself. She’d listened at the reading of her grandfather’s will, heard that all her hard work was for naught. That they didn’t appreciate her worth.
No, all her family saw when they looked at her was a useful vessel to trade for wealth and a better position.
An easier life. For them.
Yes, when she’d left Devon, she’d embraced her self-worth. She’d found her spunk along with a spine and left her family to sort themselves out.
Kendall stood. “Thank you for the offer of tea, but I’ll pass. It was—” The word nice stuck in her throat. “—interesting meeting you.”
“Kendall, wait.” Ran stood too. “We’ll come with you.”
“You go,” Tate said. “I’d like a word or two with Mom before I join you.” He fished the vehicle keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Ran. “I’ll meet you back at the house.”
“Marie’s house?” Amelia’s voice was sharp.
“Sax’s house,” Tate corrected. “We’re not living there yet, but we’ll be moving in tomorrow.”
“All of you?” Amelia asked.
“Yes,” Ran said. “There are three bedrooms and plenty of room for all of us.”
“I see.” Amelia folded her arms across her chest.
Tate sighed. “What do you see, Mom?”
“That your girl does have the strength to stand up to me. And that you’re both willing to walk away with her, despite my opinion. I am proud of both of my sons.”
“Mom,” Tate muttered. “If you scare Kendall away, Ran and I will never forgive you.”
“If I can scare her away, she is not worthy of you,” Amelia countered.
“Son of Nanuk!” Ran spat. “Mom, we’re going now before I say something I can’t take back.”
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