Cotton Grass Lodge (21 page)

Alice and two men with cups in their hands were focused intently out the front window. “Dude,” said one of the men. “Is he coming up the steps?”

Duncan’s hand rested on the door handle. Rested there, cactus like perception nailed the back of his neck, “Is who what?” He shouldered his way into the cluster of people and looked out the window just as a bear poked his nose over the top of the steps.

“Well, damn it.” Alice turned with purpose and marched toward the kitchen.

Duncan tossed the daily logbook onto a small table beside the couch and put his coffee cup on top of it. Then he reached for the rifle hanging above the door and pleaded with the lodge gods. The last thing he wanted or needed was a dead bear on the front porch. The curious guests were clustered now at the far side of the large window giving themselves room to bolt for the stairs if need be.

Duncan took the gun back toward the window to peek out and see where the bear was when Alice breezed by him. She ripped open the door and began screaming incoherently as she violently banged a large metal spoon and a pot together.

The young grizzly bear stumbled backward off the porch and rolled down the steps. He righted himself and sprinted down the yard toward the shore of the lake, his beautiful blonde-tipped coat rippling over his fat hindquarters.

“Breakfast is ready.” Her clear, innocent smile made Duncan laugh out loud.

“So… thank you, Alice.” Duncan gestured into the kitchen. “Gentlemen? Shall we?”

Alice paused to let the guests file past her, “Duncan, there’s an Aurora Air plane landing soon, Charlie is with him. He wanted to make sure you were here.”

“Humm, do you know why?”

“Nope, they have the propane we ordered though.” Alice nodded toward the breakfast buffet. “Duty calls, Tom said he’d go down to the strip.”

“Who landed earlier?”

“The Jacksons, they’re gonna be here for the weekend.”

“Thanks.” Duncan hung the rifle back where it belonged and gave up on sitting on the porch. He flipped open the book to check the day’s date, satisfied he put it back on the desk and went to graze the breakfast buffet.

“Get a plate,” Alice hissed.

“You’re fired,” he hissed back. Duncan folded a piece of toast around two slices of bacon and started down to the strip.

The fresh, cool morning wrapped around him. Tom and Nameless were sitting on the four-wheeler when Duncan joined them.

The plane bumped onto the strip, and they could feel a formal difference in this delivery. Charlie stiffly got out of the plane and the pilot joined him as they walked to where Duncan and Tom were waiting.

“Charlie,” Duncan said and shook hands. “Not used to seeing you as a passenger.”

“Not used to being a passenger.” Charlie stepped back and Duncan and the pilot also shook hands, as Charlie finished the introductions. “This is Heinz.” Charlie said introducing the man, “I’m not gonna even try to pronounce his last name.”

The pilot smiled. “Heinz works fine. Good to meet you. Tom.” He nodded, “Good to see you again.”

“Yup. You too.” Tom answered.

There was an awkward pause before Charlie said. “Hell, I’ll just get right to it. I’m giving the accounts up here at the lake to Heinz. He runs a decent outfit, even if he is a foreigner.”

Heinz chuckled. “I’m only as good as you trained me to be old man.” His accent faint and his affection for Charlie apparent.

“Well, anyways, don’t make sense to drag something out. Dog is gonna close the business. Ain’t nothin’ I can do about it. Alice got fresh coffee?”

“I’ll unload the plane.” Tom offered.

Duncan nodded his thanks and motioned Charlie and Heinz toward the lodge. Heinz hadn’t been on the Cotton Grass strip this season, so they talked about the lodge and didn’t get into any changes to Charlie’s routine until they settled, with coffee, into Duncan’s de facto office, the porch.

The details seemed relatively painless, but Duncan’s touchiness matched Charlie’s sullen acceptance of Heinz’s position. Heinz would be easy to work with, and Duncan soon liked the man. A hand shake sealed their agreement.

“We got other stops,” Charlie said, “better stop yakkin’ and get on with it.”

“Have you talked to Hanna?” Duncan asked Charlie. The two men were watching Heinz and Tom load the gear of the two guests waiting to leave.

“Yeah, I did. She’ll still have my planes to use until I decide what to do with ’um.” Charlie spat on the ground to the right of his boot. “She’s a keeper, ya know. I’d hate to see her unhappy.”

Duncan flushed and stuck his hand out toward Charlie. “I’d hate to see her unhappy, too. You take care of yourself. I’ll see you next time I get to town.”

Duncan went back to the lodge and separated the mail Charlie and Heinz brought. The letter from Paul and Pamela was a nice distraction. The final paperwork for Grandfather Mahoney’s estate needed a couple of signatures, and Paul had a business trip to Japan. He and Pamela would make a one day stop in Anchorage on the way and finish the family business.

“Perfect,” Duncan said. The intense three months of the fishing season was winding down, and there were actually a few rooms open each week. Jacob had advised Duncan to take a break before moose hunting started. He said there was a whole different clientele.

He picked up the phone to call Hanna and talked instead to her answering machine. “I wondered if you’d go out on a date with me, a real date, in Anchorage.” Duncan grinned and hung up. It would feel good to get away from the lodge.

Chapter 22

Duncan watched his mother and father walk through the security doors at Anchorage International Airport and dropped his arm from where it was caressing little circles in the middle of Hanna’s back.

He knew his mother too well. She’d planned something, and if Victoria stepped out from behind his father, Duncan would simply not be surprised.

He couldn’t help the caution flares igniting in his mind. Hanna seemed so comfortable, and once the hellos were over she even suggested Paul and Pamela use her car for their short visit.

“Oh no, we’ll just get a cab, but thank you for the offer,” Paul said.

“Hanna, I hope you haven’t forgotten my invitation to join us for dinner this evening.” Pamela’s smile made Duncan’s skin crawl.

“Thank you, I—”

Duncan interrupted Hanna’s answer, “Mom, we don’t want to drag Hanna into one of our family dinners. She probably has things to do.”

“I’d love to join you.” Hanna gave Duncan a vacant wide-eyed look he hadn’t seen before—on her. She wasn’t like the women he knew who practiced the look. It took him by surprise.

“There, see?” Pamela said, “She has to eat, and a meal with us won’t be difficult. Unless, you don’t want us to enjoy her company.”

Tension ratcheted up a notch, he expected his mother was planning something wicked. Subjecting Hanna to a family dinner was tantamount to a blood sacrifice. He had seen it happen more than once.

Pamela would start with clothes, move to politics and religion, and then the double barracuda strike of upbringing and background.

Duncan sent a pleading look in Hanna’s direction to change her mind. If he could just keep her away from his mother until they were more firmly committed to each other he might have a chance. He wanted this little get-away from the lodge to be special not ruined by his mother.

Hanna smiled blankly.

What the hell is that?
“I understand you’re staying at the
Hotel McKinley
?” Hanna asked. “They have a lovely view over the Inlet from their restaurant.”

“Yes, they do.” Pamela seemed pleasantly surprised. “You know the McKinley? Well then, we won’t have to give you directions. We’ll make the reservations for six-thirty.”

“I’ll be there.” Hanna’s lilting agreement made Duncan very uneasy. He had never sensed manipulation from her before. He liked her blunt straightforwardness. He enjoyed her separation from the world he came from. He always knew exactly where Hanna stood. Now, he was responsible for leading her into the world he left behind. A lamb to slaughter. His stomach churned.

Duncan wanted to grab her arm and drag her back to the lodge, to protect her. Instead he accepted a quick peck on the cheek as she turned and strode away into the crowd.

“This will be good. Duncan, you need to see how a woman fits into all situations before you condemn yourself to a lifetime with her.”

“Condemn myself? Is this what dinner is all about?”

“I’m doing you a favor, dear.” Pamela’s smug dismissal of her malice made him sick to his stomach.

Paul seemed blithely unaware of the strain swirling around the three of them like muddy water. “Let’s get going, the appointment with the lawyer is in forty-five minutes and we still have to get to baggage claim. My boy, I don’t know why you couldn’t come down to San Francisco for this. We have lawyers there and it seems to me you’d need a break once in a while.”

Duncan slipped into the shell he used for protection from his parents. The afternoon dragged, and Pamela directed every aspect of it. Including giving the taxi driver directions.

****

Hanna hit the button for the fifth floor in the elegant, polished elevator and pitched her shoulders back. She gently cocked her neck from side to side and listened to little snaps and pops. She considered her reflection in the gleaming brass, looking for anything out of place. The classic little black dress relied on magnificent silk for ornamentation.

She focused on the crack in the elevator doors. Concentrated on the place in her core she knew better than any other place in her universe. She blew a deep breath slowly at the ceiling, “Okay. Fly the plane. Short-final checklist.”

Hanna waited for the doors to completely open before she stepped out. She took two steps forward and stopped. Cool. In charge. She took her time and looked at the people scattered about the room. She saw Pamela look up, but she continued to scan the room. She nodded and smiled at a couple on her right, and they waved in return. Then she moved forward, her eyes never leaving Duncan’s face.

She knew how good she looked. She couldn’t help the self-satisfied jerk of her left eyebrow.

Duncan’s mouth fell open and he closed it. When Hanna got to the table both Paul and Duncan stood. “You look spectacular.” Duncan’s voice was husky and constricted.

“Thank you. It was my plan. Will you excuse me for just a sec?” Hanna placed her small handbag on the chair, and she turned and moved two tables away. After she hugged one woman and shook hands with rest of the foursome she returned to her stunned dinner companions.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen them for several months.” Hanna seated herself, and Duncan pushed her chair in and then went to his own seat.

Pamela seemed to regain her composure for the arduous trial of reducing another one of Duncan’s dubious choices for a mate, to pulp.

“You’re right on time. Parking isn’t difficult this time of day, is it?” Pamela asked.

“No, but my apartment is only three blocks from here so I walked. It’s a lovely evening.”

Paul flagged the waiter who was on his way toward the table. “I’d like another round, and bring the lady— What are you drinking?” he said to Hanna.

“Tonic, tall with extra lime.”

“This is on me, honey.” Paul amended her order. “Make it gin and tonic. Good gin.”

Hanna looked directly at Paul. “If there’s gin in my tonic, he’ll have to send it back.” She smiled at the waiter. “Thank you.”

“You don’t drink?”

“Seldom, and never if I’m going to fly within twenty-four hours. I don’t ski downhill often either.” Hanna said. “Both require falling down, and it hurts like shit when you get back up.”

Pamela nodded toward the couple Hanna had acknowledged when she first came into the room. “I think I recognize the woman you spoke to. Who is she?”

“She’s in the state legislature,” Hanna said. “I played basketball with her in high-school.” She smiled and changed the subject immediately. Hanna didn’t like playing one-up, but she did like being good at it.

Dinner progressed and Hanna actually enjoyed herself. Duncan was funny and cute, and she wanted to crawl into his lap. Paul was funny too, and Pamela bordered on sullen.

“Your jewelry is striking tonight. Was this a gift?” Pamela reached across the table and brushed a quick finger across the diamond and emerald ring on Hanna’s hand.

“Thank you.” Hanna finessed around another coiled strike being attempted. “I designed the ring, bracelet and earrings to match. I was stationed in Guam for a while, so I had them made to my specifications in Hong Kong. I love having a personal jeweler. Don’t you?” Hanna calculated the perfect pause. “If I remember correctly this dress was made there as well. I prefer custom made clothes. I’m sooo long-waisted, and their silk is exquisite.” With the brief comment Hanna turned back to the discussion of leveraged buy-outs which had Duncan and Paul at odds with one another.

After dinner Hanna ordered decaf, and Duncan graciously took the teasing Paul dispensed when he ordered the same. Pamela made one last attempt at destruction. She stirred her cup slowly, “Hanna, you haven’t said anything about your family. Are you from Anchorage?”

“No. Not really. I grew up being passed between my grandmothers, one in Dillingham and one in Stockton, California. My uncle still lives in Dillingham. My mom wasn’t around much. She passed four years ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Pamela lifted her cup. “What about your father?”

“He was lost off a crab boat in the Bering Sea before I was a year old.” Hanna squashed an old desire to explain away her unsettled childhood. “I got the best foundation any family could give me.” She glanced at Duncan. “I was loved. Goodness, look at the time.” Hanna glanced at her little diamond watch. “Early bird, and all that. I’ve enjoyed an enlightening evening, thank you both for dinner.” She stood and before Pamela could get away from her, Hanna hugged her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. Paul was more receptive to her hug goodbye. They would be leaving on a seven a.m. flight, so this was goodbye until the next visit.