Stars Over Alaska

by Jennifer Snow

  Levi nodded as he opened the door and left the garage.

  She scanned the space, feeling the first sense of calm wash over her, the first feeling that things were going to be okay. Her father—even when he wasn’t physically there—had a way of quieting her conflicted heart.

  “Miss you, Dad,” she said, turning off the light.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  LEVI NEEDED TO get back to the station.

  As they drove in silence back to the resort—well, not Selena, whose chatter was incessant from the passenger seat—it couldn’t be clearer that there was nothing left to stay in Wild River for. Despite the few moments of tension-free time together in her father’s garage, Leslie was right back to ignoring him once they were inside his truck, her gaze lost somewhere out the window, clutching her father’s old camera to her lap. When Leslie walked away from things, it was for good.

  The visit to her family home had only put her more on edge and while he understood how hard this must be for her, she’d have an easier time if she’d just let them all in. Let them help. She’d said she’d moved on, but obviously not. The tension and conflict between her and her mother was still very much alive, eating them both up. He remembered the day he’d helped her move in with her grandmother vividly. He remembered her tears, he remembered her pain and he remembered her devastating confession. He’d never told anyone what had happened that day, but he’d never forgotten.

  It was so long ago and he’d been a teenage boy dealing with his own adolescence and being in love with a girl who was both his best friend and his best friend’s girl, so everything had seemed even more intense and there’d been a brief moment while he’d been her shoulder to cry on that he’d been tempted to tell her how he felt, to be honest with her. But the timing hadn’t been right. He hadn’t wanted to add to her conflicted heart. She’d needed a friend that day, not a confession of feelings, and then the moment was gone.

  Leslie had been sad and withdrawn for a few months after moving in with her grandmother. He understood, having made that same difficult transition himself, and despite her troubles, it had connected them even more. She’d missed a few weeks of school, but with his help and support, eventually she’d gotten better and was back to her old self—at least, mostly.

  If only she could find that same persevering strength now to somehow find happiness again and let herself be open, to feel...

  He pulled into the parking lot of the resort and parked his truck in the fifteen-minute parking spot space. He’d pack his few things and hit the road.

  Selena frowned. “I thought you were staying here?”

  He shrugged casually as he cut the engine. “I think I’ll head back to the station. I’ve got a bunch of pretraining stuff I should do...and I really should get back to Smokester...the station’s German shepherd,” he added for clarification.

  That only made Selena more interested. “Ohhhh...a puppy.” She sent a look full of daggers at Leslie. “Someone wouldn’t stop at the puppy spa to pick up my adorable little girl on the way out of town. I haven’t seen her or talked to her in days. Do you have pictures?”

  “Um...no,” Levi said, opening the door and climbing out.

  Selena’s mouth dropped open. “How is that possible? I take at least a hundred pictures of Unicorn every day. I named her Unicorn because she’s unique and the groomer actually dyes her fur a fun rainbow of pink and purple.”

  Wow. “Well, Smokester’s not really a pet. He’s kind of a retired work dog that stays at the cabin,” Levi said.

  “Well, I have pictures,” Selena said. Then she glared at Leslie. “No, wait. I don’t because I don’t have my phone.”

  “You’ll get your phone back soon and maybe you can email them to Levi,” Leslie said sharply as they entered the resort and headed for the elevators.

  “That’s a good point,” Selena said. “I should get your email address to stay in touch, you know, in case you have questions about fundraising and charity event planning.”

  Right. “Um, yeah.” He reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a pen and an old grocery store receipt, then scribbled his email address on it. “Here you go.”

  Selena took it and tucked it into her pocket. “Great. Hey, before you go, want to have a drink?”

  Wow, she really didn’t give up easily. He was certain that he hadn’t been giving off any kind of vibe that indicated that he would want to, but obviously the best approach with Selena was a direct one. “No, but thank you.”

  Did Leslie look relieved or was he imagining it? He’d caught her watching his interaction with Selena at her mother’s house before the meal drama, but he couldn’t tell if it was irritation or jealousy on her face, nor could he tell what the source of it was. She seemed annoyed with Selena all the time for everything. It might not have had anything to do with him. Yet, the kiss the night before made him think that maybe...

  Selena seemed unfazed by his refusal for a drink. “Okay. Well, drive safe and I’ll email you photos of Unicorn if I ever get my cell phone back.”

  “I’ll look forward to it,” he said, as they climbed into the elevator. No doubt she’d forget all about him and the photos once she got back to her life in LA.

  Inside the elevator, Leslie stood, arms folded, staring at the doors, and he had no idea what to say or if there even was anything left to say. The last two days had been a whirlwind—the fire, the kiss, the conflict between them, the tension, and the arguing...

  He pressed his lips together and when the elevator doors opened on their floor and she hurried out without even a goodbye, Levi could only watch her go.

  * * *

  AS SELENA BROWSED the spa menu in the resort hotel room twenty minutes later, Leslie dipped into the bathroom and shut the door.

  Was it possible to have a heart attack at her age? Because it really felt like she was having a heart attack.

  With each deep breath in, the air simply stuck in her chest, never making it to her lungs. Her exhales were shallow and she thought she might throw up.

  How much longer could she physically keep this up? It might take months to find Selena’s stalker... They’d have to return to LA at some point.

  With a shaky hand, she dialed Eoghan’s number.

  He picked up halfway through the first ring as though staring at the phone, waiting for her call. It made her feel just a little bit better knowing he was there on the other side of the call, even if there wasn’t much he could do.

  She might not be in love with the guy, but it was refreshing to have someone she could count on who wasn’t too close...who didn’t know a whole lot about her past or demand that she be the person she used to be. Keeping things casual with Eoghan allowed her to rely on him in some capacity now without feeling like she had to completely open up or go all in.

  He was safe. There was no fear that he might break her heart.

  “How are you?” His concerned tone helped to ease the chest pangs, making her glad she called. Unfortunately, she had less than a minute.

  “Not great. Hanging in there.” Barely. “Any word yet?”

  “Not yet, but the police think they might have a lead,” he said.

  A huge sigh of relief escaped her. Oh thank God. At least that was something. “Who?” She was convinced it was someone close to the star, someone who had intimate access. Someone with a vengeance, a vendetta against Selena. Not some stranger with a celebrity fetish.

  “A guy was seen trying to jump the fence on her property last night,” Eoghan said.

  The house and gates were on lockdown so even her management team and family weren’t permitted access right now—for their safety, they were told. “The agency is cooperating? Providing all the evidence I’ve collected to authorities?” She’d given everything to Eoghan, emailed him the files and photos to his personal email before leaving LA.

  “Yes...” But th
ere was a note of hesitancy in his voice.

  “Maybe I should call Federico.” She bit her lip. She hadn’t reached out to the agency at all, still not completely trusting that she could, but the longer she withheld information on their whereabouts, the more shit she’d be in. Her boss would understand the delicate nature of all of this and why she’d done what she did. As long as she didn’t continue to avoid him.

  “No. I wouldn’t. At first I thought maybe you’d acted drastically, but now I think you’re right about not reaching out.” He lowered his voice. “You’re going to think this is crazy, but...”

  Her heart raced, the pain returning instantly to her chest. “What?”

  “I think someone inside the agency might be involved. Maybe working with someone on Selena’s management team.”

  Her blood chilled in her veins and her stress level rose even higher. “Who?”

  “I don’t know yet...just a gut feeling.”

  Shit, time was up. “I’ll check in again soon,” she said, quickly disconnecting the call.

  So, she was right about her instincts. She couldn’t trust the agency. What about her boss? Why on earth would he somehow be involved in this? A former navy SEAL, thirty years of active service, then building up the company to be one of the best, most trusted in LA. It didn’t make sense that he’d risk everything...for what? Why would he care about Selena Hudson or helping her stalker get to her?

  Her mind raced; nothing added up. She pressed her fingers to her temples, hearing the television outside the bathroom door. Blaring.

  She opened the door. “Can you turn it down a little? I’m going to take a bath.” Might as well take advantage of the jetted tub she was paying for.

  “I’m on TV,” Selena said.

  “That shouldn’t thrill you anymore,” Leslie said.

  “No, I mean the case...the stalker.” Selena leaned closer to the television and Leslie rushed to join her as her picture appeared on the screen with the caption Hollywood royalty Selena Hudson in danger.

  Leslie stood frozen as the reporter recounted the situation. Sweat pooled on her lower back and she was now ninety-nine percent certain she was experiencing a heart attack.

  How the hell did this make the news? Had the agency gone to the media? The police? Looking for public assistance? Or had Selena’s management team needed to make a statement? “Do you think your team released a statement to explain your absence at the press conferences?” she asked tightly.

  Selena shook her head. “Doubtful. They would rather hide this whole thing.”

  They had at first, but now with Selena being gone, maybe they were rethinking strategy. Or worse—if someone on her team was her stalker or involved somehow, maybe they wanted her found quickly and thought this was the way to go. But Leslie was careful not to reveal that thought process to the star. Selena was a big enough headache when she wasn’t panicking or stressed about everything. “Isn’t all publicity good, even if it’s not positive?”

  “Not in my case. I’ve been a poster child for wholesome, family content for so long and now all my movies are PG. I’ve been typecast as the good girl.” And she didn’t sound thrilled about it. “They wouldn’t want this to ruin that image.”

  “You being in danger could ruin your image?”

  “Having a stalker is typically associated with obsession and lust and in Hollywood, that could be misconstrued as my fault. Maybe my last few Instagram photos were too sexy or revealing,” she said, sounding disgusted.

  Leslie was disgusted for her. The double standards in the movie industry were rampant. She turned her attention back to the screen. So, if it wasn’t the management team, maybe the media had been tipped off somehow... Would the stalker be that arrogant to go to them himself? Did they crave the spotlight, any way they could get it? It was LA after all.

  “The security company assigned to extra detail for Ms. Hudson had this to say about the situation,” the reporter said.

  “We firmly believe that Ms. Hudson’s life is in danger and we are doing everything we can to prevent the situation from escalating.” Her boss being interviewed on the screen made Leslie release a small sigh of relief. If Federico was part of this media release, then he knew how serious this was. They obviously believed Leslie.

  “They believe Ms. Hudson is with their employee, Leslie Sanders...” the reporter continued.

  A pic of Leslie appeared on the screen and she nearly hyperventilated. So much for staying undercover and flying under the radar. Her face all over the media was a very bad thing.

  “Hey, you’re on TV too,” Selena said, glancing at her. “Not the greatest picture.”

  “Shhh...”

  “At this time, it is uncertain whether or not Ms. Sanders is involved in an abduction of the star,” the reporter said. “Or if she is in cahoots with whoever is responsible for the threats...”

  Leslie’s mouth fell and she felt for the bed behind her, lowering herself onto it. Her body was frozen but her mind was frantic as the words seemed to drift farther away. They thought she might have abducted Selena? That she was somehow a part of this? Why? Hadn’t Eoghan explained everything to Federico?

  Oh my God.

  She fought for air.

  Selena kneeled on the floor in front of her. “Hey, you okay?”

  Eoghan was supposed to have briefed everyone at the office. Had he? Had they not believed him? Had the insider he believed was involved somehow gotten to Federico and convinced him that Leslie was the problem? Or was Federico really involved and trying to frame her?

  The news concluded with a tip helpline for anyone to call in if they knew anything or saw the two of them and Leslie felt like vomiting. Not only was she in hot water with her employer, but now there was a wanted sign on her forehead and her boss was the one who put it there, for whatever reason—either way, it wasn’t good.

  And all for trying to do her job.

  The room spun and a knock on the door made her heart nearly explode. “Don’t answer,” she said. Had hotel staff seen the news report? Had they already notified authorities? Of course she could explain all of this and Selena could vouch for her, but then they’d have to return to LA immediately and now more than ever, Leslie wasn’t sure that was a great idea.

  “Open up, it’s Levi,” came his voice on the other side.

  She wasn’t sure if it made her feel better or worse, but Selena went to the door and opened it.

  Levi entered, a concerned, disbelieving look on his face. “I heard the news as soon as I turned on the radio in the parking lot...”

  Leslie nodded, unable to find enough air to respond.

  “Why don’t you lie back? Take a breath? You look really pale,” Selena was saying.

  She tried to gently guide her back but Leslie stood. She couldn’t take a breath or a moment to rest. Shit just went sideways—even more sideways—and she needed to react.

  “We have to go.” People in Wild River, the few who knew Selena was there, were fairly capable of understanding the urgency of keeping the sighting to themselves, but now that Leslie was deemed a potential criminal, who knew how far small-town loyalty went?

  “Where?” Selena asked. “The most secluded place on earth burned down, remember?”

  She shot her a look. Think. Think of something. Eoghan said the stalker was moving closer, so going back to LA wasn’t an option. The cabin was gone. The resort ski town was no longer safe.

  “I have a place,” Levi said.

  Leslie jumped. She’d forgotten he was even in the room. She turned to look at him. He was going to help? Obviously he didn’t think she was an abductor. Having someone on her side made her feel a little better, but only slightly. “The station?” she asked, shaking off the fog of panic and forcing a clear head.

  He nodded. “Pack your stuff quickly and meet me outside the lobby doors in ten min
utes.”

  Leslie could do better than that. “We only need five.”

  * * *

  LEVI WOULDN’T QUESTION his actions. This was the right thing to do. Leslie needed help and surprisingly, she finally realized it too.

  Unfortunately, his co-worker had questions. “So, we are harboring fugitives now?” Chad said, popping his head around the corner of the office door thirty seconds after Levi had ushered the women into one of the bunk rooms across the hall.

  He scoffed and waved a hand. Made light of the situation. Tried not to panic over the apparent truth of Chad’s words. “I think we both know Leslie hasn’t abducted anyone. It’s a misunderstanding.”

  “A misunderstanding that’s all over the news and one that the Levi I know wouldn’t get tangled up in, so what’s really going on?” Chad asked, entering and shutting the door.

  “She’s one of my closest friends.” Understatement. The only woman he’d ever loved. “I need to help her. They had nowhere else to go,” he said, removing his jacket and hanging it over the back of his chair. The four-hour drive from Wild River had been quiet and tense. Leslie had been lost in thought in the back seat of his truck and Selena had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, head propped against his shoulder. He’d need answers from Leslie—she needed to level with him about what was going on—but for now, he’d give her time and space.

  Smokester woke from his nap on the couch in the office, one he knew he wasn’t supposed to sleep on, saw that Levi was back and quickly jumped down. The German shepherd’s sheepish look would normally garner a reprimand from Levi, but given the circumstances, could he really give the dog shit over breaking a rule? Instead he reached into his drawer for a treat and held it low for him.

  The dog accepted it happily then curled up on his own bed in the corner of the office.

  “Why doesn’t she just go back to LA or go to the station? Selena obviously isn’t going to press charges. Can’t she clear up the whole misunderstanding?” Chad peeked through the office blinds toward the bunk room where they could hear Selena and Leslie talking.