“Besides, this training wasn’t exactly my idea.” Kaia was the one insisting on this. She’d done all the research and filled out the paperwork herself. She’d been the one to reach out to Frank Jennings. His little girl was a go-getter when there was something she wanted. He slid his arms into his reflective jacket. “You two ready to go?”
They had wilderness training that evening and then he had to get to the bar. He ran a hand over his chin and blinked exhaustion from his eyes.
Man, he felt old. And not just because he was a week away from his thirty-fifth birthday.
Thirty-five.
Shit.
He liked his life. He had everything he wanted—his bar on Main Street was successful, Kaia was happy and healthy, he had great friends...but life was speeding past. Ten years ago, after a challenging childhood and teen years, he’d thought he’d had all aspects figured out. His life had finally gotten on track. And things still were... So, he couldn’t quite explain the unsettling feeling in his gut that at any time, the life he’d created could be swept out from under him. He knew how easily life could change. He never took anything for granted and he continued to work his ass off to make sure he and Kaia would always be okay, have everything they needed.
Thirty-five.
He was suddenly feeling every one of those years. He just hoped that no one knew about his upcoming birthday and he could slip into the other side of his thirties without acknowledging it.
* * *
THE THREE-LAYER CHOCOLATE, strawberry and vanilla cake would be perfect. Dark green fondant wrapped over the cake and the words Happy Birthday Tank on top were understated, like Tank, yet the flavors were sure to please the over two hundred guests scheduled to arrive at The Drunk Tank the following Tuesday night for his surprise party.
Keeping the birthday event a secret in a town like Wild River was a feat in itself, but somehow, with Kaia’s help, Cassie hoped to pull it off. It was the little girl who’d done the recon to find out when Tank’s birthday was, claiming she needed the information for a school project. For years, no one knew, and it was something he refused to talk about. But now they did, and just in time for his thirty-fifth!
“You sure you’re not too busy to get this done in time?” she asked. She wasn’t giving the bakery much notice.
But Mrs. Carly waved a hand. “Absolutely not.”
“Good, because an event is only as good as its food and everyone loves your cakes,” Cassie said, surveying the baked goods in the display case and savoring the scent of fresh cinnamon bagels coming from the oven.
Mad Batter had been in the same location on Main Street for over forty years. Mrs. Carly had owned and worked there all her life, and the now-seventy-year-old didn’t seem to age at all. Her tiny waistline was still the most talked about mystery among the women in Wild River. The woman had won countless baking contests in Alaska throughout the years. She’d been featured in a bunch of cooking magazines and had come in second place on the Halloween Cake-Bake challenge the year before. All of Wild River had tuned in to the popular seasonal edition of the reality television show out of LA to cheer her on.
“You’re coming to the party, right?” she asked Mrs. Carly.
“Wouldn’t miss it, dear. After all, I’ve been trying to catch that boy’s eye for years,” she said with a wink.
You and me both, Mrs. Carly.
After paying for the cake and leaving the bakery, Cassie headed south on Main Street toward her office. With only a week until the party, there was so much to do—decorations to finish, caterers to book, and she still needed a gift for Tank...
As she passed what would soon be the new North Mountain Sports Company, she slowed her pace. There were no work crews there that early in the morning.
Just keep walking.
A broken piece of fence surrounding the construction site caught her eye and she deemed it an act of fate. Really, what were the chances that she’d be practically alone on the street with no workers around and that piece of fence conveniently broken, allowing viewing access?
It was kismet, really.
Crossing the street, she approached the fence and looked around before moving the broken piece of wood aside.
Just a quick peek couldn’t hurt anything.
It was still dusk, so visibility wasn’t great, but she could make out several grand opening signs, boasting deals. Okay, that wasn’t unusual...and she could offer special pricing of her own that week. Half-price tours, two-for-one deals, discounts on equipment rentals...
She leaned in further, squinting to see through the tinted glass windows of the lower level. She spotted a full-size, cardboard cutout...a guy holding a snowboard... Holy shit! Lance Baker! Announcing that he would be there for their grand opening event.
How the hell had they gotten him to agree to that? The professional gold-medalist Alaskan native never did endorsements. Ever. Cassie had certainly tried...
“Whatcha doing, Cass?”
She jumped, bumping her head on the fence. Turning, she released a sigh, relieved to see it was just a friend of hers from high school. “Shit, Eddie, I thought you were a cop.”
“I am a cop.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Not really.” He gestured to the very real-looking gun and handcuffs on his utility belt... Cassie’s eyes widened, taking in his crisp new state trooper’s uniform.
“Oh my God, you passed your police entrance exam!”
He beamed, then cleared his throat, hiding his smile. “Don’t change the subject. Trespassing here is illegal, Cass.”
“I wasn’t trespassing. This fence was broken already, I swear. I was just taking a peek.”
He bent to pick up the broken shards of wood. “Taking a peek is illegal too.”
Cassie huffed as she stepped back out through the fence. “Well, I didn’t see anything anyway.” Except their surprise grand opening guest. Lance Baker, seriously? “And I think this should be illegal.” She gestured around her. “This eyesore they’ve constructed right here on Main Street.”
“It’s just temporary and apparently it’s the standard for this company. They like their opening day launches to be big. Secrecy leading up to the day adds buzz.”
Cassie bit her lip. She needed buzz. Something great and exciting and better than Lance freaking Baker!
Eddie set the wood back into place, wrapping a piece of caution tape around it to hold it in place and block any other peekers. “Sorry, Cass, I know this is tough for SnowTrek Tours...”
“Ah, I’m not worried.” She’d moved beyond worried... to contemplating new career choices. Truth was, she’d never wanted to do anything else. When she was growing up, school was challenging for her, mostly because she didn’t care. She craved the outdoors and found herself daydreaming of rock climbing and exploring areas of the outback that were untamed and uncharted. Her family were outdoor enthusiasts and spent their summers camping, fishing and kayaking on the river. The school year dragged on for her, and Cassie had longed for adulthood so she could escape the confines of a classroom and homework for good and get out into the real world.
After high school, she’d traveled all over the world, hiking mountains in Japan and New Zealand. She’d never felt more free.
Fulfilling her wanderlust, settling back in Wild River and opening SnowTrek Tours had been a dream come true, and she’d worked her butt off to make it a success.
What would she do if North Mountain Sports Company made it impossible to keep her business’s doors open?
“So, no more trying to get a look, okay, or I’ll have to fine you,” Eddie said.
Cassie scoffed. “You’ve been a cop all of five minutes.”
“And I’d like to stay that way.”
Despite her own troubles, she smiled. “It’s really great, Eddie.” He’d worked so hard to get to this point.
He was dyslexic, so school had never been easy for him either, and he’d worked as a security guard for ten years after graduation, applying to the academy as often as he could. He’d passed the physical components of the application process, but the written tests had always challenged him.
He hadn’t given up.
Cassie wouldn’t either. Someway, she’d figure out how to compete with the big chain store.
“Hey, you’ll be at Tank’s party next Tuesday night, right?”
He nodded. “I’ve heard most of Wild River will be there. You are adhering to the bar’s maximum capacity regulations, right?”
Cassie walked away. “Cop Eddie’s not invited. Leave the gun and handcuffs at home.”
His laugh followed her down the street. “Always a rule breaker.”
* * *
TANK FINISHED MAKING Kaia’s lunch for school and put the Wonder Woman–themed lunch bag inside the matching backpack. “Hey Kaia! You’re going to miss the bus,” he called out as he left the kitchen and headed down the hall toward his daughter’s room.
“Be there in a sec!” she called back through the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.
Tank paused outside when he heard her laugh. She was talking to someone. “Okay, I gotta go...talk again soon? Okay...bye.”
Tank moved away from the door quickly as Kaia opened it. “Hi...ready to go?” he asked.
“Yeah. Sorry, I was just Skyping with Mom,” she said.
He nodded, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. These Skype chats were new. Before a few months ago, there had only been phone calls a few times a year and birthday and Christmas gifts from Kaia’s mother, Montana.
After suffering a brain injury and returning to her hometown in Colorado when Kaia was a baby, the woman hadn’t been back to Wild River since, content to leave the parenting of their daughter to him. They both agreed it was for the best, but naturally, as a result, the relationship between mother and daughter had always been slightly tense and practically nonexistent.
Up until recently. This was the third Skype chat in a month. Tank was desperately trying to hide how he felt about Montana’s sudden increase in contact because Kaia seemed happy about it...but he just hoped his little girl didn’t get her hopes up for more. Montana hadn’t been the most reliable before her head injury had taken her out of their lives.
“No problem,” he said, in what he hoped was a casual tone. “Everything okay?”
Kaia smiled as she took her backpack from him. “Everything’s great. Is my soccer uniform in here?”
And she changes the subject.
Kaia was tight-lipped about the conversations with her mother. Tank wasn’t sure why, but he suspected she was trying to protect him and his feelings, which made him feel guilty as shit, because the conversations did worry him and obviously Kaia could sense that. He nodded. “Yes it is. I’ll meet you at the field at four. Walk straight over there after school.”
“I know, Dad.”
“And...”
“No talking to strangers and say no to drugs. Yes, I got it,” she said, putting her baseball hat on over her thick, dark hair.
Tank laughed. She was such a smartass sometimes. “I was going to say, no more arguing with that ref.”
Kaia rolled her eyes. “But he’s horrible. You know that call against me in the last game was bull...” she stopped just short of the inappropriate word “...was wrong.”
“I don’t make the calls.” He paused. “But yes, it was bullshit.”
She grinned.
“Go, before you miss the bus.”
“I’ll see you at the game.”
“Okay...” He gave her a quick hug and sighed as the door shut behind her.
Going into her bedroom, he collected dirty clothes from her hamper and picked up a pair of socks from the floor. He opened the bedroom blinds and picked up her stuffed unicorn and placed it on her bed.
He paused, seeing the photo of Montana on her bedside table.
Three Skype chats in a month.
More contact than he’d had with his ex in years. They’d met when she was visiting Wild River with a team of BASE jumpers. The town had been home to one of the few legal jumping sites in the world and Montana was an extreme athlete, a professional jumper. Unfortunately, some of the other jumpers in their group weren’t as skilled, and Tank had assisted on the search and rescue mission when one of them got injured.
He’d immediately been attracted to Montana. Adventurous, smart, funny, stunning... Montana had quickly broken through walls Tank had thought were impenetrable.
Then she’d quickly broken his heart as well, leaving Wild River three months later. For her, the relationship had been a fling. For him, it had been everything. The first time he’d let his guard down since his parents’ death. She’d been his first love and the scar she’d left behind had been deep.
For years, she’d barely been a part of their lives, but it seemed she wanted that to change. Tank was doing his best to be supportive. Contact between them was good for Kaia. She’d had so many questions over the years and Tank had done his best to answer them. Now, the little girl had a chance to develop a relationship with her mother.
He just hoped Montana didn’t disappoint their little girl, the way she’d disappointed him.
CHAPTER THREE
THEY’D ADDED AN official countdown.
Cassie closed her office window blinds to block the view of North Mountain Sports Company’s new live billboard on the street in front of their store, the digital display counting down the remaining twenty days, four hours, thirty-three minutes and ten seconds until their grand opening.
The huge billboard was an eyesore on Main Street. How on earth had they gotten approval for it?
Hell, she’d had to file a ton of paperwork just to be allowed to extend the overhang outside her shop by three centimeters to accommodate her logo.
No special treatment my ass.
And now she was stuck with an in-your-face constant reminder of the potential lifespan of her own company. Unless...she could come up with something quick.
Scanning her reservations system made her even more uneasy. Winter was always busy for her company—ski and snowmobiling tours, winter camping, corporate retreats and holiday tourists had her working her butt off during those months. Spring always slowed a little; the weather wasn’t ideal with the thawing ground and high probability of rain, but summer always picked up again, so normally she wouldn’t be so worried, but this year, North Mountain Sports Company would be there, stealing her business.
She hadn’t had a big group booking in weeks, but luckily there was one coming up. A two-night couples’ retreat at the base of Snowcrest Mountain. Eight couples confirmed for teepees along the river was at least a decent payday. It would cover her operating costs and payroll for the month. But then what?
She sat back in her chair and scanned the details of the booking. The retreat was being hosted by a new holistic therapy counselor in town...the woman had just opened her practice a few weeks ago. Her website advertised sex therapy, gender expression, couples’ counseling and intimacy...
Maybe Cassie should invite Tank along on this retreat. Did this counselor work with noncouples who were clearly meant for one another, but one partner was too much of a commitment-phobe?
She wasn’t sure anyone could help them move past this stalemate—the friend zone.
As if sensing her anxiety, Diva curled up at her feet, resting her soft fur against Cassie’s legs. Cassie sighed, reaching down to pet the dog. Diva’s certification with ASARD was another issue weighing on her mind. She knew what needed to happen for Tank and Diva to be a team, but just the thought of her dog not living with her anymore broke her heart.
Her phone chimed with a text from her mother and Diva’s ears immediately perked, recognizing the personalized tone.
Cassie smiled. “Yes, Diva, it’s Grandma.”
Opening the text, she read,
Hey darlin’ dinner at my place some night soon?
Her mother still lived in the next community over, Willow Lake, where she and Reed had grown up and lived until they’d both relocated to the resort town for more opportunities. It was smaller than Wild River, but her mother loved it there. She knew everyone, having owned the small pub in town for many years, and she had her friends that she played cribbage with on Friday nights and hosted a book club with on Tuesdays. Cassie and Reed had suggested her moving to Wild River several times, but her mother was happy and comfortable in the family home she’d lived in for almost thirty-five years.
But Willow Lake was a short enough drive that they saw each other at least once a month and her mother came to visit several times a year. Despite not seeing one another all the time, they were super close. The sale of her mother’s pub had helped fund SnowTrek Tours years before and the support Cassie had received from both her mother and Reed during that first year of her new business venture had kept her sane and pushing forward whenever things were most challenging.
She suspected her mother knew she needed that support again now. They always had a sort of uncanny connection, where her mother’s timing was spot-on. She could really use her mother’s advice on a lot of things right now.
I’ll be there. Just let me know when. Xo
She sent the text as the door opened and a man entered.
At least, she assumed by his height and build that it was a man... She couldn’t be sure with the amount of winter gear the person was wearing.
Full ski suit, boots, thick gloves, hat and balaclava. Oversized ski sunglasses covering their eyes. Obviously not from Wild River. The temperature outside that day was balmy for locals. Five minutes ago, she’d seen two joggers pass the window wearing shorts. Forty degrees was the forecasted low, yet this person looked ready to take on an arctic freeze.
Under an Alaskan Sky Page 3