“There’s a piece of plywood in the shed.” Clyde began to rise to his feet, but Jonathan put his hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll get it. Stay with Bonnie.”
Kelly held the door open while the men carried Bonnie into the kitchen. She was obviously in great pain and tears seeped from her eyes, leaving dark streaks of mascara on her cheeks.
“I’ve really gone and done it, ain’t I, Clyde? We had a good place here . . . oh, I’m so sorry, honey. I ruined everything!”
“Now you quit frettin’. You didn’t do it on purpose. We’ll get by. Ain’t we always managed?”
Clyde tried to calm Bonnie while Kelly went for more blankets and Andy got his medical kit.
“How are we going to pay for this, Clyde? We ain’t got no insurance.” Bonnie began to cry in earnest.
“The lodge will pay the bills, Bonnie,” Jonathan reassured her. “Don’t worry. All you’ve got to do is lie still until we can get you out of here.” Jonathan stood beside the table where they had set the board with Bonnie still on it.
“They can’t, Jack! Them kids scraped up every penny they could. They worked so hard to get this place going. They was so good to me and Clyde. It’ll break ’em if they got big bills and . . .”
“Insurance will pay it. Stop worrying.”
“They ain’t got no insurance. Kelly told us . . .”
“They have. I took care of it. Now, Clyde, see if you can get Mike up here so he can get on that radio. I’m sure he knows more about reaching the helicopter that just left here than I do.”
Kelly helped Andy prepare Bonnie for the trip and Jonathan sat down at the table and quickly filled a sheet of paper with his strong handwriting. With the use of an emergency relay system, Mike was able to get a message to the helicopter pilot with orders to turn back to the resort.
An hour later they carried a sedated Bonnie, bundled in wool blankets, out to the clearing. Jonathan spoke to the pilot while Mike, Andy, and Clyde maneuvered the stretcher into place.
The three men stood back, as the powerful blades whipped the soft snow into a cloud, and waited for the helicopter to lift off. Afterward, they crowded into the cab of the truck and, with Mike driving, went back to the lodge.
“Y
OU’LL DO NO
such thing!” Kelly’s hands were deep in sudsy dishwater and she flung the words over her shoulder. They’d just served late lunch and she was in the midst of cleaning up. “Bring a chef out here! What do you think this is, the Mountain View Hilton?”
“You can’t do all your usual work and the cooking, too, Kelly.” Jonathan’s calm voice grated on her already taut nerves.
“What makes you think I can’t? I’m no delicate social butterfly, Jonathan. Butt out, will you? Marty will be here next week and we’ll manage just fine.”
He took a deep breath. His face was a dark mask and his voice was harsh.
“One of these days you’re going to push me too far and I’m going to take a strap to your butt!”
She turned in surprise to see his eyes flickering over her face and his nostrils flaring.
“Ha!” she exploded. “I can see the headlines . . . ‘Member Of Boston’s Social Register Turns Wife Beater.’”
Jonathan suddenly looked so furious that all the strength drained out of her, leaving her limp in the grip of the hands that shook her.
“I’m tired of your ridicule! If you make one more derogatory reference to my background, I’m going to shake you until your teeth rattle!”
Kelly gazed into his eyes, so astonishingly bright with anger. “And what would that prove?” she demanded. “That you’re bigger and stronger than I am? You want to hurt me, so go ahead!”
“You’re damn right I want to hurt you! Don’t you know you hurt me by walking out on me and letting me worry half to death over you?”
“The only thing I ever hurt was your pride. My rejection was a blow to your ego.” She spit the words out recklesly and trembled with unspent emotion. “I was doing very well until you came. This is my home, where I belong. You’ll never get me away from here, Jonathan, even if our property is in your name. You still don’t own the business, so don’t tell me how to run it.”
His gaze was locked with hers, as her voice lashed him with bitter, unguarded words. “Don’t make me lose my temper, Kelly,” he said softly.
“You can’t take my life over and dictate what I’ll do.”
“I’m not trying to take over your life. I’m trying to share it.”
“Then let me go so I can wipe the dishes.”
His hand slid along her spine, pulling her close to him. His eyes teased her. “Ask me nicely and I will.”
“You’re the most changeable, obstinate man I’ve ever known.”
“Determined,” he corrected softly.
“Obstinate, stubborn, mulish, pigheaded . . . stiff-necked!”
“At least you’ll never be bored with me.” He brushed her mouth with his lips.
“And I’ll never have a moment of peace, either,”
He lifted her chin, tilting her head up to stare down into her eyes. She tried to pull away, and her hair brushed his face. His eyes narrowed with desire.
The intensity of his gaze made her uncomfortable but she returned his look coolly. “What you see is what you get.” She regretted the words immediately.
His grin spread a terrible charm over his face and she felt a smile touch her own. She tried to banish it.
“Is that a promise?” He placed a feathery kiss on her nose.
“You’re maddening!” She snapped her teeth at him.
“And you’re not?” He took her hand and she felt something hard against her fingers. Looking down, she saw the blue flash of a sapphire. He slipped the plain wedding band onto her finger and then the sapphire and diamond ring. He folded her fingers into her palm and held them there. “It’s time these were back where they belong.”
She sucked in her breath, dismayed. Before she could say a word he bent his head and kissed her gently. Tides of overwhelming warmth washed over her.
“I’ve got to get these dishes done.” She had to get away from him. The ache in her body was too much to bear. She had to keep busy.
“And I’d better fill the woodbox. That was one of Clyde’s jobs, wasn’t it?”
“That and keeping the fires going, the ashes hauled out, the wood cut, etc., etc. etc. . . .”
“Keeping the heat tapes on the pipes, checking the well pump, keeping the motors going, necking with the cook, etc., etc., etc. . . .” He grinned. “You think I can’t manage a few simple chores?”
“Seein’ is believin’.” She turned her back to him and plunged her hands into the dishwater.
“Some of those chores can wait until I wipe a few dishes.”
They worked silently side by side. Kelly’s hands moved automatically while her mind strived to sort out Jonathan’s confusing behavior. It would be wishful thinking to believe he felt more than pure desire for her. His determination to stay with her arose from simple frustration. A spoiled little boy had grown into a hard, sophisticated man who had been denied something he wanted very badly.
Once she had given him her love, and he had dropped it carelessly. Now, he wanted back the toy that had been snatched away from him. In his determination to possess her, he was robbing her of any chance to forget him, any chance for finding happiness with someone new.
She finished the last dish and straightened her aching back. “You’re tired, you silly girl. Sit down and have a cup of coffee.” Jonathan pushed her gently into a chair. “I’ll see about the ribs in the smoker and fill the cookstove before I check the fireplace and take a run down to our house to be sure it’s warm enough there.”
“All right, Dangerous Dan McGrew,” she said without humor.
“If I’m Dan McGrew, you’re the lady that’s known as Lou,” he said softly.
“Don’t tell me Yukon poetry was included in the curriculum at your fancy boarding school.”
Jonathan stood before her, his expression serious, and began reciting:
“There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.
That, my darling wife, is from a poem by Robert Service, poet of the Yukon, who worked in a Whitehorse bank that’s still doing business.”
“Hear! Hear!” Kelly cheered, a big grin on her face. She loved poetry, especially ballads. “We’ll work up a floor show and let you entertain the guests,” she teased.
“And run the risk of losing me to Las Vegas?”
“I wouldn’t be so lucky.” There was no sting in her tone; her eyes were still warm with laughter.
“No appreciation. That’s what’s wrong with you, my girl.” She watched him put his coat on and thought how easy it would be to fall back into the trap of blind adoration, accepting the desire he offered as a substitute for the love she craved. “Don’t go away,” he said lightly.
Preparations for the evening meal went smoothly. The food Bonnie had cooked that morning helped ease the workload, and Jonathan proved to be far more capable than Kelly had imagined. He scrubbed and oiled the potatoes, while she prepared greens for the salad. Finally, she couldn’t suppress a giggle.
“What’s funny?” he asked.
“You’d know if you could see yourself. I never expected to see the perfectly groomed, cool, no-nonsense Jonathan Templeton with soot on his face.” She began to laugh. “You don’t look very elegant,”
He laughed too. “
You
look elegant!” He grabbed a stack of plates. “What’s the program? Do we all eat together?”
“I’ll be waitress. Set places for the five guests and yourself.”
“I’ll be waiter. We can eat together afterward. How about Mike?”
“He said he’d be up later.”
“When did he say that?”
“While we were waiting for the helicopter to come for Bonnie.” She glanced around the kitchen and dining area. It looked neat and cozy. With the exception of the potatoes baking in the oven, the meal was ready to be served. She whipped off her apron, and took a large tray from the shelf.
“Now what?” Jonathan asked.
“Drinks. I think we should serve before-dinner drinks.”
“Good idea. That’s my department. Move aside and let the bartender take over.” He loaded the tray with glasses, mix, whiskey, and rum. Kelly filled a bowl with ice cubes and reached for cocktail napkins. Jonathan looked over the tray with a critical eye then, with a conspiratorial wink, he headed for the swinging doors.
He was a perfect host. Why not, Kelly thought. He’d certainly had enough practice. As the murmur of amused chatter flowed ever her, Kelly experienced a feeling of unreality. It was almost as if she and Jonathan were entertaining guests in their own home.
While she served the meal, Jonathan set two places at a small table at the far end of the room. He smiled a lot in a slow, endearing way that lifted his mouth at the corners and spread a warm light into his eyes. She hadn’t seen him smile like that since . . . Anchorage.
Kelly bantered pleasantly with Andy. The girl who had been so attentive to Jonathan the night before seemed to have transferred her attention to Andy tonight. Her nonstop chatter didn’t leave room for much other conversation.
Jonathan and Kelly were silent during their own meal. When they’d finished, Jonathan carried their empty plates to the sink.
“Charlie will love the rib bones,” he said, returning with the coffee pot. It was cozy and quiet and music from the stereo drifted softly into the room. “It went off without a hitch, didn’t it?” He had a satisfied smile on his face.
“Yes, it did,” she admitted.
The back door opened and Mike entered. “Smells good,” he said. “Anything left?”
“Sure. Help yourself.” Suddenly the room felt cold. Jonathan leaned back in his chair, maddeningly in command of himself. A look flashed between them. Don’t freeze Mike out of my life! Kelly’s mind shrieked. Her eyes shifted to Mike and she smiled. “Fill a plate and join us.”
Jonathan was watching her shrewdly, eyes narrowed, as he sipped his coffee. Kelly didn’t know what to expect next.
“Bring a cup, Mike. The coffee pot is here,” he said, his eyes still on Kelly.
“The potatoes are in the warming oven,” she added.
“All this and potatoes, too? I’m hungry as a bear.”
They spoke polite words, but might as well have snarled at each other. Kelly was surprised at how confidently Mike approached them, and felt a flash of pride. He was family and she loved him. She was sure that one day soon he would realize he loved her like family, too. Her eyes softened when she looked at him.
“You’ll have to clue me in on what’s to be done around here while Clyde’s away, Mike,” Jonathan said easily.
“Think you can handle Clyde’s chores? I can always get a few no-good loafers to come out for a while. I would have done that before, but I wouldn’t leave Kelly out here alone with most of them.”
Kelly met Jonathan’s eyes with a pretense of calm. Mike was handling himself just fine.
“I appreciate that.”
Kelly flushed. Those three words set his seal of possession on her.
“If you think you can manage it, we’d better get on the ends of that crosscut in the morning. I cut enough wood this fall for my own use, but I didn’t know Kelly was coming back or that she’d want to open the lodge. Heat is top priority in this country.”
“Have you looked into propane gas for heating?” Jonathan asked.
“Can’t afford it. It would cost an arm and a leg to heat this place with gas. Maybe later when we get the business going.”
Here it comes, Kelly thought. Jonathan would reveal that he owned the lodge and Mike would be furious! She felt caught between two hungry dogs.
“I’ve been thinking,” she interrupted anxiously. “Now that hunting season is on and the moose are coming down out of the timber, we could hire someone to butcher the animals our guests shoot. It might be an added incentive to bring hunters to the lodge. They could take the meat home in neat packages instead of draped over the top of the car.”
“You should be banned from thinking, woodenhead,” Mike said affectionately. “How many hunters would drive out here? If they come at all, it will be by train. Besides, they’ll want to take their prize back and show it off before it’s butchered. We’ve got the truck to haul it to the station. Anyway, if we set up that kind of operation, we’d have a hundred inspectors out here with a thousand different regulations.”