Denali Dreams (28 page)

He hadn’t meant to burn their house down. It wasn’t supposed to go up like that. But he needed to make a point. Needed Deline to shift her priorities to her father. She had family left. She had other things that should matter more than an air taxi business. And if he could just get her to realize that, get her to step out of the way, he could save his entire life savings.

Couldn’t she see that? Why did she think she had the right to so many good things at such a young age? Sure, her mama had died, but that happened to a lot of people. To him, in fact. But he moved on. Life went on.

Till the creditors came. The tour company was his only lifeline, his only way to save everything he had worked so hard for.

After nearly dying in that fire, she should’ve seen what was important. But no. She didn’t. She went up in the plane, took that fool young ranger who had the hots for her. Now the two of them sat at the table, eating, laughing, talking. As if they had not a care in the world. And they probably didn’t.

Well, he’d fix that. He’d make sure she didn’t steal this from him. He’d have nothing to live for if the business went down. If she continued with this merger talk.

He fisted his hands. Didn’t want to do this. Didn’t want to cross any
real
ethical lines. But she had to wake up.

Unless … unless she didn’t wake up.

Ever.

T
ranquility embraced Deline as she stepped from between a cluster of pines and stood overlooking the pristine Christiansen Lake. Moonlight spread its light along the glasslike surface, illuminating the area. Rocks and gravel crunched behind her as Logan came alongside.

Clean, crisp air swirled at his approach and brought with it a scent of something Old Spice-ish, yet not. Lighter scented, but all masculine.

Can’t believe I’m out here. Alone. With Logan Knox.

It’d been a long time since she felt like she was sixteen and had a crush again.

Logan took a hand out of his pocket, bent, and retrieved a rock. He bounced it in his hand then took a step and flung it along the moon’s reflection. The rock skipped off the water, leaving ringlets. Hit again. More rings. And one more time before dropping out of sight.

Standing a couple of feet in front of her, Logan watched for a moment then slid his hands back into his pockets. Broad shoulders hung beneath his navy and bright blue jacket. Dark hair. Borderline electric blue eyes. A strong jawline and profile. Strong character. But quiet.

Unnervingly quiet.

She and Enli had been loud and antagonistic all their lives. But their love for each other went to the ends of the earth. But Enli was her brother.

I don’t want a brother.
She wanted …

Well, what did she want? She had it up to the summit and back with tourists who wanted to score with her because she was a native.

She knew what she wanted—to break the ice between them. To somehow shift from friends to … something else. Was that what he wanted? Was that why they’d trekked from the restaurant through the forest, alert for bears, moose, and droppings, to come out here and be alone?

How exactly did one break that ice?

“It’s beautiful out here,” Logan said, his gaze still on the water, on the trees, rising to the High One, in the distance, that held the moonlight captive.

“You come out here a lot?”

“Most nights I’m not up there”—he nodded toward Denali again—“I’m out here, jogging, thinking, praying.”

A perfect in. “What do you pray for?”

He lowered his head, lifted another rock, and sent it hopping across the water like a frog over lily pads. “The future. Safety.” He shrugged. “The usual.”

Logan angled his shoulder down and toward her. “What about you? What do you pray for?”

She smiled at him out of the corner of her eye. “The usual.”

With a breathy snort he shook his head and stood beside her, just watching the surroundings. Deline retrieved a rock and sent it sailing over the water. It skipped six times.

“Show-off,” Logan muttered.

Laughing, she took another. “Contest?”

Amusement sparkled in his eyes, the light of the moon bright on those eyes. She liked when they were on her, the way they warmed her. Because his gaze wasn’t just a gaze. It was probing, searching, considering, thoughtful.

“All right.” He squatted and ran a hand over the rocks.

“What is this? Jedi mind tricks?”

Logan straightened, running his thumb over a rock as he looked down at her over his shoulder. “What’s the prize?”

“Another date.” Her insides felt like jelly. Would he think her too forward or too flirty?

“Okay, and what’s your prize if you win?”

She blinked. “A date—that was
my
prize.”

Logan shifted, pulling straight as he stared down at her. “You want another date. With me?”

“No, with the moose who left that pile on the trail.”

“How do you know it wasn’t a bear?”

“Oh, just throw the rock.”

“I haven’t told you what prize I get if I win.” His lopsided smirk and lazy gaze swirled her stomach with giddy excitement.

“So you think you’ll win?”

His left eyebrow winged up.

Deline giggled. Oh man. Maybe she was letting up a little too much. “Okay, Ranger Knox, name your prize.”

Logan’s smile slid away. His expression went serious. Heady serious that left swarms of nervous and buzzing fireflies in her belly. The way he looked at her, considered her, sent waves of heat crashing through her. What was he thinking?

He twitched and turned away. “Another solo flight with you.” He flung the rock with expert precision.

One, two, three, four, five … six …

“Ah—”

He held up his hand as a final
plop
sounded through the still lake.

“Now who’s the show-off?”

Logan stepped aside and motioned her forward to launch.

“Okay,” she said, choosing her weapon. “I want to come out here again and do a boat tour for our next date.”

“Planning to win?”

She cast a flirtatious smile over her shoulder. “Always.” Facing the water, she lifted her rock, blew on it, and then lowered her shoulder and whipped it over Christiansen Lake.

Plop!

“One.”

Plop!

“Two.”

Plop … plop!

“Three, four.”

Plop.

“Five.”

She waited.

And waited.

“I think I won.”

Huffing, she spun to him. “Fine.” She raised her hands. “You won. When do you want to go up next?”

Logan’s eyes pinched beneath a hidden smile. “As soon as I get back.”

“Speaking of getting back …” She tried to angle to see her watch. “Probably need to get back.”

“Probably.” Logan headed up the bank, hands in his jeans pockets.

Deline slid up next to him and looped her arm through his. The move splashed a bit of excitement through her, but she didn’t know how else to shift their relationship beyond friendship.

He gave her a sidelong glance but no resistance to her clinging. And for once in her life, she didn’t mind being a clinging female.

They chatted about his mountaineering and the climbers as they made their way through the forest back to his truck.

It’d been one of the best nights of her life. Again she asked herself why she hadn’t loosened up long ago.

Because Logan wasn’t here.

He was the reason she’d been willing to brave getting hurt. To brave enduring what Lydia went through. Of course, that was her sister’s own fault, being an endless flirt and clingy …

Oh man. Was she doing it? Had Lydia felt like this with her boyfriend? Was that what made her so willing to cast off propriety? To end up pregnant and dumped? Twice.

And now I’m doing it.

Deline straightened and slowly slid her arm free.

Logan noticed. “Something wrong?”

She took a step back.

Holding her by the shoulders, Logan crouched to see her eye to eye. “Deline … what’re you thinking? You went stone-cold on me. Why?”

“How …?” Was it wrong to talk to him about it? “My sister … Lydia.”

“Yeah?”

Breaking off a small branch as they walked, she told herself to talk this through. Not shut down. She wanted to explore this with Logan. She’d never been willing to go here with a guy before. So it had to be different, didn’t it?

“She was this insatiable flirt. Always dating a new guy. Going out with just about any climber who came through.” Deline lowered her head, already seeing the differences between herself and her sister. “She got pregnant—twice. Lost the first baby. Gave the second one up and finally left Talkeetna.”

“Is that why you don’t date?”

Surprise leapt through her as she considered Logan. Then slowly, she nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t want to be like her. I wanted the town to know that our parents raised good kids.”

Logan paused and turned to her. “Deline, they know that.” His gaze traced her face. “They know you’re not like that.”

“Do you?”

Chilled but strong, his hand cupped her cheek. “Yeah. I know it.”

How a guy’s hand could be cold yet zap her belly with fire, she didn’t know. She blinked, startled by the intimacy of his touch, and glanced down the trail. Away from him. Away from the awareness that flared through her.

Too much. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t function.

She lifted a hand to her forehead. “What …?” She grabbed that thought. “Back there at the lake, that prize you wanted—it wasn’t flightseeing, was it?”

Logan smirked.

“So, what was it?”

He chuckled, his deep resonating laugh, and started walking. “You don’t want to know.”

Deline rushed in front of him and pushed against his abdomen. “Yeah, I do actually.”

They’d stepped out of the forest. The gentle waxing of the moon caressed his face, making his skin look darker yet softer.

For a moment, he studied her. Then shook his head and looked toward the not-so-thriving town. “I think we should just call it a night.”

“Chicken.” She nudged his gut again and drew his attention back. Hands on her hips, she lifted her chin and stared defiantly back. “What was it, Ranger Knox? I’m not moving out of the way till you tell me what you were going to choose.
That
should be your prize. Not some second-preference pick.”

He scratched the back of his head, yet again looking around. “Deline …”

Laughing, she leaned into him. “Oh, come on. What is it? What did you really want?”

His face went all serious again. He watched her eyes—
eyes are good. They lead to the soul.
He could look into hers—she felt the clearest and most open she’d felt in a very long time. Her nose. Okay, so it was a little stubby at the end, but otherwise straight. Then his gaze dipped to her—

Mouth. Lips.

Oh.

His breath skated along her cheek as he lowered his face to hers. Her stomach—
yes!
—and brain—
no!
—went to war, paralyzing her.

T
he world funneled down into a laser-sharp focus until only Deline remained on his radar. Like some gravitational pull, he honed in on her lips. Doing this, going in for the kill, was one huge risk. He wanted it to shift their relationship. He wanted things to be different. This moment would tell him if that would ever happen.

In the microseconds before his lips met hers, Logan noticed she’d frozen.

But she didn’t resist, either. That was a good thing, right?

He pressed in. Kissed her. Oh, soft lips. She smelled of something flowery.

Logan lifted his head, noticed her eyes closed, and kissed her again. This time, lingering. He slid a hand to the back of her neck and savored the moment.

She eased off, her breathing shaky as she lowered her head, gaze down.

Unwilling to move, to sever this connection that had formed. Afraid to move and have her tell him—

“I … I think …” Deline stepped back, the wind tousling her wavy hair across her face.

In that split second, he saw it.

She glanced toward the city, as if looking for an escape. The light of the moon reflected off her eyes—and in them, he saw tears.
Tears?
“I need to get back.”

Logan took hold of her hand. “Deline—”

“I had a great evening, Logan.” Tugging free, she sacrificed a smile for the sake of his feelings. At least, that was what it looked like. “Thanks.”

And she started walking.

“Deline, please.” His brain caught up with her movement. Several large strides carried him to her side. “Talk to me, Deline. Don’t just walk off.”

“I’m not walking off.” Her words were stiff, yet trembling. Just as her breathing. “Really, I’m fine. Just … give me room …”

“Let me drive you back.”

“No.” Her voice firmed. “I want to walk. Need it.”

Someone wielded a baseball bat against his heart because the wind was knocked out of Logan. Should’ve known better. He took a leap in kissing her, a risk the equivalent of jumping off a skyscraper. Now his guts and heart had splattered all over the ground floor of her rejection.

Logan clamped down on his words and slowed. She gained a lead, a long lead. And he watched her go. Down the road. Into the darkness. Right. Out. Of. His. Life.

Molars grinding, he shoved his focus to the rocks and dirt. He couldn’t believe his idiocy. Their first quasi date and he made a move like that. Ruined everything. Logan shoved both hands against his face and huffed, then scrubbed his cheeks as if trying to rub away the stupidity.

Hands in the pockets of his jeans, he trudged back to his truck. Climbed inside the cab and started the engine. Shouldn’t have kissed her. Should’ve just let the good time they’d had hold. Given her time to realize he wouldn’t hurt her. That was what this was about, right? She was afraid he’d hurt her? That was the last thing he would want. He’d been crazy for her since coming to Talkeetna. She was like a fresh breeze in the storm of his life. All this time flying with her. Spending hundreds of dollars, hoping to get to know her, to win her.

Fail. A complete fail. All because he let his heart get ahead of his brain.