Midnight Sons Volume 2 (37 page)

“Any chance you might invite her up here again?”

“Here?” She eyed the pilot, wondering if he was hoping to stir up a little trouble. Mariah sometimes thought Duke was at
tracted to Tracy, but she dismissed the idea. Not Duke and Tracy. Not two people who couldn’t exchange one civil word.

“Maybe I will,” she said, studying him.

Duke scowled. “In that case let me know so I can avoid her. I don’t want to be within a two-hundred-mile radius.”

He sipped his coffee, grimaced as if he found it not to his liking and left the office.

No more than a minute later, the office door opened again. Without raising her eyes, she chided, “Come on, Duke. Make up your mind. You—” She stopped abruptly when she did look up and saw not Duke, but Christian.

His gaze focused on her. “Was that Duke I noticed coming out of here? Or should I say
loverboy?
”

“Yes,” she answered stiffly. “It was Duke.” Judging by his expression, Christian seemed to be suggesting that she and Duke had been doing something unseemly. “And for your information, Duke isn’t my loverboy.”

“The two of you were in here alone?”

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes and sat down at the computer, presenting him with a view of her back. It was pointless trying to reason with Christian. He’d already decided she and Duke were romantically involved, and he seemed unwilling to change his mind.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” he asked.

“What? Being in here alone with Duke? Really, Christian, he’s a pilot. It isn’t like he doesn’t have business here.” She was about to mention that she was the one who scheduled the flights, took orders and handled numerous other details, but she realized her arguments were useless.

“The last time I caught the two of you together, you were practically undressing each other.”

“That’s not true!” Mariah’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment. “You make it sound like I need a…a babysitter.”

“You do,” Christian sneered. “It’s a miracle you haven’t destroyed the airfield by now. You’ve certainly got a habit of wreaking havoc wherever you go.”

“That’s the most unfair and unkind thing you’ve ever said to me, Christian O’Halloran.” Pride demanded she hold her head high, but it was difficult.

Mariah had known for a long time that Christian regretted hiring her. She was also aware that he’d approached Sawyer soon after her arrival, wanting to replace her. If anything, his dislike had spurred her on; she’d tried harder to please him, to fit in and prove herself. She’d hoped that in the past year she’d done that.

She’d worked hard. When it came to Sawyer, she had a near-flawless record. But with Christian everything had gone wrong. Spilling punch on him was just the latest disaster—and relatively minor, at that. If she lost an important file it was inevitably one Christian needed. If she misplaced a phone message it was one Christian had been anxiously waiting to receive. It never failed; she was continually in conflict with him, when he was the very person she most wanted to please.

For nearly a year Mariah had lived with the threat of losing her job. Just when it seemed they were making progress and finding some common ground, Christian had stumbled on her kissing Duke. Everything had gone downhill since then.

He avoided her whenever possible. When it wasn’t possible and they were in the office at the same time, he rarely spoke to her, and then only about business. That made for an awkward situation, and Mariah didn’t know how to change it for the better.

Karen’s suitcases were packed and ready to be taken to the airfield. The two professors had left earlier that morning, and the lodge was strangely quiet.

Karen had been downstairs only once all morning; Matt
wasn’t there. Now she waited in her room, although she wasn’t sure for what.

The tightness in her chest hadn’t gone away from the moment she announced she was leaving. The phone call to her parents in Anchorage had assured her she was welcome to live with them as long as she needed.

She walked over to her window and stared out at the panoramic view of the tundra. She would miss all this. More important, she’d miss the friends she’d made here. Lanni, of course. Abbey and the children. Bethany, and although she didn’t know Mitch well, she thought the world of his little girl. Then there was Ben. And the O’Halloran brothers. Duke and John and Ted, and the other pilots.

But she was fooling herself, Karen knew, if she believed it was the townsfolk she’d miss most. For the second time in her life she was about to walk away from the man she loved.

It had been difficult enough the first time. She didn’t know if she could find the strength do it again.

A noise echoed up the stairs. The screen door slammed, indicating Matt was back.

Leaving her suitcases at the top of the steps, Karen slowly made her way down.

Matt stood at the foot of the staircase, watching her.

Neither spoke.

His eyes seemed huge, twice their normal size. It took Karen a moment to realize that the tears brimming in her own eyes had distorted his image.

“Are you ready to leave?” he asked starkly.

“No,” she answered. Her fingers tightened around the railing. All at once, in a rush of pain, Karen knew she’d never be ready. She couldn’t make herself do it. She couldn’t leave him. Not again.

Her gaze scanned the room. During dinner the night before
in Fairbanks, Sawyer and Abbey had told her how hard Matt had worked to rebuild the lodge. How he’d taken on an impossible task and turned this half-burned, abandoned place into a promising enterprise. How pleased they were to have her and Matt as part of the community. They’d spoken of Hard Luck’s future, and Karen had felt a vital part of that future. Until she’d arrived home. Until she’d faced Matt.

The moment she’d moved into the lodge with him she’d seen it all for herself. He’d found his calling. Everything he’d done in the last few years had steered him in this direction. The professors had revealed that truth to her—a truth that should’ve been obvious. All she’d had to do was watch her husband here in his lodge. His capability, the care he took, the responsibilities he assumed—they all should’ve told her that things were different for him now.

In the four years she and Matt had been married, she’d never seen him this happy, with himself or his work.

“What do you need?” he demanded.

“Need?”

“In order to to leave.”

It seemed he couldn’t be rid of her fast enough. She didn’t know how to answer him and glanced behind her.

“I’ll get your suitcases,” he said. He took the stairs two at a time, roaring past her.

“No.” The word nearly strangled her.

He stopped midway up the stairs. “No?”

“I don’t want to leave you, Matt,” she choked out. “Not again. The baby needs you.
I
need you.”

A strained silence followed.

“How long?” he asked, his voice taut. “How long are you willing to stay this time?”

“Forever.”

He took a deep breath. “I don’t know if forever will be long
enough. Are you sure, Karen? Be very sure because I won’t have the strength to let you go again.”

“I
am
sure,” she said, and the tears ran down her face.

All at once they were wrapped in each other’s arms. Matt was kissing her and she was crying and kissing him back.

They both tried to speak a number of times, but it seemed more important to reassure each other with kisses.

“Never again,” Matt whispered between kisses.

“No. I’m here for a lifetime.”

“Partner. Lover. Companion,” Matt said between kisses. “Wife.”

“I’m moving,” she whispered, and laughed at the way his eyes lit up like fire, “into your bedroom.”

“
Our
bedroom. I remodeled that room for you.”

“What about a family?”

“There’s plenty of space,” he said, smiling.

Tears of happiness sparkled on her lashes. “I have so many ideas for the lodge.”

“Wonderful.” He pressed his mouth hungrily to hers.

“But I have an even better idea for right now.”

He lifted his head and his gaze probed hers. “You do?”

“It doesn’t have a thing to do with the lodge.” Clasping his hand, she led him down the stairs and toward their private quarters.

“Might I ask what you have in mind?”

She laughed joyously. “You’ll find out soon enough, oh, husband of mine.”