Melting His Alaskan Heart (16 page)

“Okay, I’m making a training run now and I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“Great. See you then.” At least she hoped she could get a flight on this short of notice. If not, she knew someone she could call.

Vince hung up before she could ask any more questions. He was another interview-shy kind of guy. She suspected that Molly or Sabrina might have had a hand in convincing Vince to call her, but it didn’t matter. She’d take any help she could get.

She immediately got on the phone and called Tundra Air. They had a flight in an hour. Perfect timing.

E
THAN HAD BEEN
up all night with the crew fighting the Jewel Lake fire. He took a shower at the firehouse before coming home.

The structure fire had been a family home, a husband and wife and their two young children. Everyone was okay, luckily. They hadn’t replaced the batteries in their alarm system in over a year, and apparently if it wasn’t for the family dog, they likely wouldn’t have gotten out of the house in time.

Ethan barely had the energy to remove his jeans and tee shirt before he fell into bed, but sleep eluded him. He replayed the events of the fire over in his head, the husband and wife and their son and daughter all clinging to each other.

He had walked the wife into the ambulance just as a cautionary measure to check for smoke inhalation. She spoke in a rambling staccato. “Thank you so much. This hasn’t been the best year for us. Our daughter died of leukemia six months ago. We’ve let some things go, like checking batteries on smoke detectors.” She shrugged like it was just an everyday thing. “But you know, we have so much—well, except our home, but we’ll get by. We got through Alyssa’s death, we’ll get through this. A house is just a thing. It doesn’t matter. We’ll be okay. Thank you so much.”

Ethan had assumed she was in shock. Everyone reacted differently in stressful situations, and he’d figured her way of dealing with her losses was by talking. He imagined his mother would be the same way.

As a twenty-eight year old, he’d had his fair share of loss. He found his dad unconscious and lying in a snow bank from a heart attack when he was seventeen. His wife of two years was killed when he was twenty-three, leaving his face permanently scarred. He had every reason to be bitter, but that woman who had suffered her daughter’s death and a house fire didn’t act bitter. She only seemed grateful.

He stared into the darkness and blinked.

His cell phone chimed with a text message. He’d forgotten to turn the power off so he could sleep.

The text was from Travis.
I saw
Carly at the airport. She was on the 10:15 departure to Gold Creek. Why is she going out there?

Ethan was curious. He texted back:
I don’t know.
Then he powered off his phone.

Ethan finally fell asleep but he woke up three hours later in a cold sweat. Visions had filled his head. First it was Richelle with her long dark, almost black hair, then he saw Carly’s red hair, then flames from the house fire, then Holly’s pregnant belly.

He threw the covers off and sucked in a breath. He turned his phone back on, then got into the shower. He kept the water cold to wake him up. He had to make sure he was thinking clearly and not still inside his erratic dream with disturbing images.

Carly’s last words to him replayed in his head.
Don’t let me stop you from your self-imposed exile from society.

He braced his hands against the tiled walls of the shower, hung his head, and let the spray of water hit the crown of his head.

Then he cried.

He cried for all his losses, then he cried because he realized he wanted to make his life better. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life alone—like he’d planned.

He’d actually never really been alone, because he always had his family. He’d taken them for granted. They’d been telling him for years that he needed to move on with his life, but it took Carly, Holly, and a house fire to kick him in the butt enough to wake him up.

He dried off from his shower, got dressed, and picked up his phone to text Travis.
Will you book me on the next flight to Gold Creek?

Travis responded within ten minutes.
You’re on the 5:25 flight.

Ethan gathered his coat and keys, and drove to the airport, hoping he wasn’t too late.

W
HEN
E
THAN LANDED
in Gold Creek, he thought about calling Zak or Sabrina to pick him up, but he walked to the lodge instead. He needed time to clear his head and decide exactly what he was going to say to Carly.

Every time he thought he had it all figured out, he realized he didn’t. He remembered what she’d said.
I want you in my life
.

Like an idiot, he simply hadn’t believed her.

She’d said she’d find someone else to fill her days and her nights, too. That was certainly true. Any man would be crazy not to want Carly.

Making himself vulnerable again was a risk, but Carly was worth it.

Ethan bounded up the front porch steps of the lodge and pushed open the doors. He spotted Sabrina filing paperwork in Zak’s office.

“Where is she?” Ethan demanded.

“Nice to see you, too, Ethan.” She placed the manila folder in the drawer, shut the cabinet, and turned to him. “By she, I assume you mean Carly?”

“Of course I mean Carly. Who else would I mean?”

“She’s out at Vince’s place.”

“What’s she doing out there?”

Sabrina widened her blue eyes and sighed. “She is a sports journalist. She’s interviewing him, I assume. She didn’t say.”

He glanced around for any sign that she might be staying at the lodge. “I see the truck’s out front. How did she get there?”

“I let her drive one of the snow machines.”

“You what?” Ethan raked a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t know how to drive a snow machine, and it’s getting dark.”

“How do you know if she knows how to drive one or not? Did you ever ask her?” Indignation sounded in Sabrina’s voice.

Ethan forced himself to slow down with the questions and take a deep breath. “When did she say she’d be back?”

“She didn’t say.”

“But she’s staying here, right?”

“Yes, I have her in the Fireweed room.”

“You could have put her in my room,” Ethan replied without thought.

“And why would I do that? It’s not as if you two are a real couple.” She placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “Or are you?”

There was no point in pretending with Sabrina. Besides his mom and sister, she knew him as well as anyone. He shook his head and couldn’t hold her gaze. “Actually, I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

They walked out of Zak’s office and past the river rock fireplace that was at the heart of the Forrester Lodge. Ethan let the fire’s warmth soak into him. He turned to Sabrina. “Should I be worried about her driving a snow machine by herself?”

“She isn’t by herself. Zak took her, but they each rode their own machine. She wasn’t sure where Vince’s place was. Zak had some errands to run in town, so he said he’d stop by to ride back with her in a couple of hours.”

“How long ago was that?” Ethan asked.

“You sure are full of questions.” Sabrina gestured toward the kitchen. “I expect them at any minute. I made some chili. Do you want some?”

“It’s not vegetarian, is it?” Ethan asked. His sister-in-law had a habit of trying to make all of them eat healthier.

“No, it’s got moose meat in it.” Sabrina pulled a bowl out of the cabinet and set it down on the counter.

“Okay, sure. I’m hungry.”

They sat together in the kitchen nook. In the morning, sunlight streamed across the hardwood floors, but now the sun had already set.

Ethan ate a spoonful and said, “This is delicious. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” She wrapped her hands around a mug of cider. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Ethan wasn’t sure how he was going to move forward, but maybe talking with Sabrina would help. “I’ve managed to really mess things up, I—”

Voices sounded from the lobby. Ethan heard Carly’s voice and his stomach dropped. Was he really going to do this? Maybe not because she could very well not speak with him at all—it was probably what he deserved.

He slid out from the bench at the oak table. “Wish me luck.”

“Nah, you don’t need any luck.” Sabrina winked and gave him a sparkling smile. “You’ve got this.”

Ethan approached Carly after she’d removed her hat and mittens and hung up her coat. If she was surprised to see him, she didn’t let on.

“Hello, Carly,” he said.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be here,” she said.

“Neither was I,” Zak commented.

Ethan gave him the brother stare that required no words.

“I’ll just leave you two to it then,” Zak said and scurried away.

“Thanks for taking me out to Vince’s,” Carly called after him. “I appreciate it.”

“Not a problem,” Zak said over his shoulder before he entered the kitchen.

Ethan’s stomach had sunk even lower. He wasn’t sure how to do this. “Could we talk for a minute?”

“Sure,” Carly replied. “But just a minute. I’ve got an article to write.”

“Sabrina tells me you drove a snow machine yourself?”

“Yes, I did, but somehow I don’t think you want to talk about my driving capabilities.”

“It’s true.” He gestured to the leather sofas in front of the fireplace. “Will you sit down?”

She stood by the edge of the sofa but didn’t sit. “I don’t know what there is to discuss. We’ve said all there is to say. Actually, I shouldn’t have said half the things I said. And I’m sorry for that.”

“No.” He nodded. “You should have said all those things.”

“I should have?” She sat on the arm of the couch, not completely committed to sitting beside him, but he’d take what he could get.

“Yes.” He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “If you’ll just hear me out.”

“Of course I will.” She sat down on the sofa on the opposite end of where he sat. “Go ahead.”

“The truth is, I’ve been carrying around a lot of bitterness.” He sighed. “For a long time.”

Carly clutched her hands together and peered at him intently, but she didn’t say anything.

“You see, when Richelle was in the car accident, it was a multiple car wreck with a fuel truck. There was a huge fire. I was working at the time.” He took a fortifying breath. “My unit was one of the first ones on the scene. Her car was already in flames when we arrived. I recognized her vehicle and…”

“You don’t have to tell me all this, Ethan. I know she died. That’s enough.”

“No, it isn’t enough because you need to know that I tried to get her out of the wreckage, but my colleagues pulled me off. They said it was too late.” He took another breath. “I was too late. It’s why my face is scarred. I tried to save her, but I couldn’t, and I’ve never gotten over it.”

“Ethan—”

“No, let me finish. I was so angry and bitter, and I decided that I would never be happy again. I didn’t deserve it because I didn’t save Richelle. I couldn’t stand the idea of letting another person down.” His pulse pounded. He’d never said the words he’d often thought. Speaking them aloud gave the words so much more power. “My family has had to put up with me, but I never let anyone else in, and I realize now, it’s because I’m afraid.”

He stared into her green eyes and saw the moisture in them. He shook his head. “But you wouldn’t let up, you kept pushing me, and I couldn’t resist you. I couldn’t and I can’t. I want to be with you—I want to date you, if it’s not too late.”

“Ethan—”

“Wait. Before you answer, just know that I’m going to screw up. I might revert into my old ways at times, but I’m going to try. I’m going to try really hard because I care about you so much, and I want more than a fake relationship with you. I want it to be real. And I was wondering if you’d give me that chance?”

Carly stood up from her end of the sofa and strode toward him. His heart pounded so hard in his chest, he thought it might explode. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear, “I thought you’d never ask.”

“Is that a yes?”

She leaned back and kept her hands on his shoulders. “That’s a…I’d nearly given up, yes.”

“I’m glad I came to my senses in time.” He pulled her close, feeling the warmth of her body press against his chest.

“I’m glad you did, too.”

A huge weight lifted from his shoulders. A weight he’d never realized was there. He’d finally given himself permission to be happy, to live a full life, not a half-empty one.

He loved the scent and feel of her. “I was supposed to be the knight who rescued you, but instead, you’re the angel who saved me.”

“I feel completely rescued.” Carly kissed him. “But if you’re going to give me some corny line, like
, did I just land in heaven
, I might have to slug you.”

Ethan couldn’t stop grinning.

Thank you so much for reading
Melting His Alaskan Heart
!

I love writing about people falling love in my home state of Alaska. I also have a soft spot for historical romance.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about my books, reviews are always appreciated.

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Rebecca

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Thomas enjoys a love-hate relationship with Alaska. She lives there with her husband and two teenaged sons. When she isn’t reading, writing, or playing board games, she is cheering for her sons at their hockey games and tennis matches.

A reluctant reader as a child, she didn’t become interested in books until her teen years when she discovered historical romance. Now she loves all sub-genres of romance and can’t decide which one is her favorite.