The Alpha's Mail Order Bride (2 page)

“
Sleep well then. I’m sure Haley will take nothing but the best care of you.”

Haley took Akala’s arm and led her into the house. Looking over her shoulder before the door swung shut behind her, Akala caught a glimpse of Nashoba standing by the door of his truck, watching her and smiling in that mysterious way he had.

“Nashoba takes some time to warm to people,” explained Haley as she showed Akala to her room. “I know he can seem a little distant, but that’s just his way. He’s one of the kindest and most loyal men I’ve ever known.”

“
Thanks, Haley. I have to admit, I’m feeling a little weird about this whole situation.”

“
Can’t say I blame you.” Haley chuckled. “Not sure if I’d have the guts to do what you’re doing, but I think you’ll be surprised by how much you like it here if you give it a chance. We’re tightly-knit community around here, and that can be intimidating at first, but it’s wonderful when you experience how everyone looks out for one another.”

“
Do you get a lot of business way out here?” asked Akala.

“
It’s early season right now, but it’ll pick up in a bit. We’re not too far from Mesa Verde and a few other tourist attractions, so we get some people through now and then.”

“
Well it’s lovely of you to put me up while I’m here. I really appreciate it.”

“
Of course,” said Haley. “Now let’s go downstairs and see about that tea. I’ve got all kinds of questions for you. You’ll learn that quick too, if you haven’t already figured it out. If I’m asking anything too personal, you just tell me to mind my own business,  okay? I’m just a people person, and I think it’s good for the soul to share our stories with one another, don’t you?”

“
You know what?” said Akala, a warm feeling of comfort and safety spreading through her, “I don’t know if I’d have thought about it directly before, but that’s exactly how I feel.”

Akala smiled as she followed Haley into kitchen. She could feel the tension and anxiety washing away from her even before they’d sat down with tea and a spread of fresh baked goods. There was something about Haley and the B&B that was so immediately welcoming and soothing, that Akala felt happy to have come to Colorado for even this reason alone.

C
HAPTER TWO

Despite the strangeness of the whole situation Akala found herself in, she’d fallen into a deep and sound sleep after saying good night to Hayley, and she awoke feeling refreshed and excited to face the day. Nashoba was an intensely solemn man, but he was also handsome and well spoken when he did open his mouth, and Akala had to admit to herself that she could see things going further than just a date or two if he was able to open up to her. She reminded herself that she’d come to meet him for the experience and possibly story inspiration it might give her, but after a long dry spell of not dating or being intimate with anyone, she couldn’t help but wonder what might happen if Nashoba wanted to take things further than just lunch.

Akala hopped out of bed and went to her bag. She laid out everything she’d brought and held a few options up against herself in front of the mirror. She knew they were going to lunch, but she wanted to be ready for anything else that might come up afterwards. For all she knew, Nashoba was going to surprise her with a horseback ride through the beautiful countryside they’d seen on the drive in.

Deciding to leave it for a few minutes, Akala pulled off the underwear and baggy shirt she’d been sleeping in, and she went into the bathroom to shower. The water was hot and had good pressure, unlike the weak little shower head in her apartment at home, and she spent a long time under the spray, lathering herself and her hair with soap and just enjoying the feeling of being someplace new with an exciting day ahead of her. There was something magical about getting on a plane to go anywhere, and Akala found herself thinking in a much more positive manner than she did at home. It was like she’d left her worries about work and money back in Washington, and she was now excited for what the day might bring.

Akala turned off the shower and swept the curtain aside to grab a towel. She buffed herself dry and went to the mirror to wipe down a patch so she could apply some lotion and do her best to tame her wild hair before it dried all frizzy and puffed out. While rubbing moisturizer into the area around her eyes, Akala stood up straight and twisted this way and that in the mirror, analyzing her body and making decisions about how to present herself to Nashoba this afternoon. She wasn’t the skinniest of girls, and she’d always been self-conscious of her thighs and bum, but she’d learned that it was the sort of thing a lot of guys found sexy. Her breasts weren’t enormous either, but they were big enough that men also found them distracting, and she’d learned to ensure that she didn’t show too much cleavage if she was trying to do anything professional and didn’t want to be treated as just a piece of meat.

Akala hung her towel on the rack and went back to the bedroom where she selected her favorite pair of lacy purple panties. They were comfortable and fun, sexy enough for an intimate encounter, but not so over the top that it would look like she had been expecting to get naked. She slipped into the panties, and then put on the matching bra, taking a moment to observe herself in the mirror again to ensure  that she’d made the right decision. She had far more daring lingerie in her bag, but she was pretty sure this sent the right sort of message if Nashoba managed to get her undressed or even if he caught a little flash of her undergarments.

To wear over the top,  she decided to risk a summery flower print dress. It had enough colors and patterns on it so the darker underwear didn’t show through, but she liked the way the edges of her bra could be seen if she leaned forward just enough to show it off. It was impossible not to be aware of her body when she wore it, but the pattern was bright and casual, and gave off a flirty fun vibe instead of the seductive element she was hoping to avoid.

When she was finally dressed, she finished off her hair and applied her usual amount of light makeup. She’d always maintained a fairly natural look, and if Nashoba was expecting someone who would slather themselves in lipstick and blush and mascara, then he’d have to look elsewhere, because he wasn’t going to get that from Akala.

Ready to go, but still having several hours to kill, Akala went downstairs to find Haley to see what was available for breakfast, and to get a second opinion on her outfit.

“
I think it’s perfect,” said Haley, her usual wide smile beaming even brighter. “Nashoba will love it, and it’s totally appropriate. Don’t worry, we might be out here away from the city, but he’s not going to throw you on the back of a dirt bike or anything. He’s got a bit of an old fashioned mentality, so it’ll probably just be lunch and a walk around town or something.”

“
I’m so glad you’re here,” said Akala. She slipped into a seat at the table where Haley had laid out an assortment of baked goods, cereals, orange juice, and coffee. She helped herself to some granola and a dollop of yogurt with what looked like fresh local honey. “It really helps me to have someone to talk to through all of this. I mean, obviously you’re related to Nashoba, but I already feel like I have a friend in you.”

“
Us girls have to stick together, right?” Haley sat down and poured herself a cup of coffee. She spooned a healthy portion of sugar into it and stirred it exactly four times before adding a splash of milk. “Besides, I know Nashoba better than most people, and as much as I love him, his rough exterior keeps a lot of people from getting to know him like they should. I want to make sure you two have a fair shot at this.”

“
I have to admit that I feel pretty weird about being here,” said Akala. “It seems like a normal woman shouldn’t have to go on the internet looking for someone to fall in love with.”

“
The world is a different place than it used to be, sweetie. This idea that you’ll meet your true love over the course of your early life is a little silly, don’t you think? Like it’s total fate that the only person you’re meant to be with just happened to go to your high school or use the treadmill at the gym next to you?” Haley sipped her coffee and smiled softly. “Something drove you to look online when you did, and something made you click on that ad. Nashoba has his reasons for looking the way he is, and you had your reasons for getting in touch with him and flying down here. Isn’t that worth something in the end?”

“
I guess so,” replied Akala. “I never thought about it that way.”

“
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people spend too much time worrying about what they think they should be doing, and not enough time focusing on what’s actually happening around them.”

“
That sounds like good advice. How did you get to be so wise? You can’t be that much older than me.”

Haley’s smile remained just as bright, but there was a softening around her eyes, as though she’d experienced a great amount of sadness and heartache in her life. “Oh, we all have our moments that test us. For some it comes early, for others it comes late in life, and to others never at all. Those last ones are the lucky few, but the rest of us have to learn what we can from our troubles, or forever be at their mercy.”

Akala crunched her granola and tried to think of something to say. She’d never met someone who exuded the sort of openness that Haley did, and as refreshing as it was, it was also disarming and a little confusing. What did you say to someone who spoke with the sort of depth of emotion and philosophical manner that Haley did. Thankfully, the B&B owner saved Akala from having to figure out what to say.

“
This is getting to be much too serious for a lovely morning like this. What do you say we take a walk around the garden out back after breakfast? Care to keep me company while I harvest a few things for dinner later?”

“
You know, that sounds like it would be wonderful.” Akala had nothing to do all morning but fret about the upcoming date with Nashoba, and she had a feeling Haley was doing her best to keep her busy and distracted from worrying about it.

Still, she thought as she sipped at her tea, it was nice to have someone to talk to. The truth of it was that she could hardly think of anything other than the looming lunch date, and she was incredibly thankful to have Haley there for her through this bizarre experience.

By the time Nashoba arrived at the B&B to pick Akala up for their date, she was in a wonderfully happy and open mood after a morning spent with Haley. Nashoba’s cousin had a way about her, something Akala could only describe as a vibrant light, that was reassuring and invigorating to be around. Akala had never met anyone quite like that, and she was giddy with positive energy by the time her date pulled up in his old truck.

Unfortunately, Nashoba was as awkward and quiet as he had been the previous night when he’d come to pick her up at the airport, and by the time they parked in the nearby small town of Mountain View, Akala felt that awkward energy wash over her as well. She didn’t know what to say to open the conversation, and all of her questions along the drive had been met with single word responses of either yes or no.

The restaurant itself was cute, and Akala reminded herself of everything Haley had warned her about her cousin. Nashoba looked every bit as shy and flustered with this whole experience as Akala felt, and she told herself that it was just the early date jitters and that they still had a chance to turn things around.

“So what’s good here?” she asked, looking over her menu to where Nashoba sat with his hands clasped and the menu still folded where the server had left it.

“
I always order the shepherd’s pie,” he said with the faintest of smiles. “I can’t tell you about anything else on the menu.”

“
Well maybe I’ll try that as well,  then.” Akala folded her menu and sipped her water, desperate for something to say and relieved that the server came to take their order.

When they were alone again, it was Nashoba who spoke first. “I’m happy you accepted my offer to come meet me. I understand that it must be something of a strange experience for you?”

It confused Akala that he’d asked it as a question, but she put it down to nerves on his part. “Yes, it is a little intimidating to have someone offer to fly you halfway across the country for a blind date. Is this the sort of thing you’ve done before?”

“
No. You’re the first.”

“
Oh. Well I suppose I should be flattered then.” Akala toyed with the fork and knife at her place setting. “Were there many other people who responded to your ad?”

“
A surprising number, actually. The whole idea of posting on Craigslist was strange to me, but it was Haley who suggested I try it. I exchanged emails with a few of the women who contacted me, but I have to say that you were the most intriguing and attractive from a purely mental viewpoint.”

“
And now that I’m here?” Akala bit her lower lip in what she knew was a nervous habit but couldn’t stop herself from doing.

Nashoba’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched a little as though he struggled for what to say next. “You are quite attractive in person as well. I am not… disappointed.”

“Oh,” replied Akala, not sure if he was being sincere or not. “I’m not, um, disappointed either.”

The truth was that she found Nashoba incredibly handsome and sexy, even despite his inability to hold up his end of the conversation. For all his up-front awkwardness, there was something lurking within him that Akala couldn’t quite put her finger on, but it was enough to make her want to get closer to him.

“I have to admit,  though,” continued Akala, “that it’s a little odd to see someone looking so explicitly for a wife these days. Why the urgency?”

“
That is a complicated matter.” Nashoba seemed content to leave it there, but he must have read the look on Akala’s face and realized it wasn’t enough of an answer for someone who’d taken such a big risk to come meet him. “I have a very large extended family with a long history in this region. There are some land concerns, and the only way settle some of these issues is if I marry. It has been difficult to find a suitable candidate here, and so I’ve had to look further afield to find someone who might make a good match for me.”

“
I guess if people can use the internet to find a date in their own city, why not look across the whole country, right?”

“
It’s not how I would have originally chosen to search for a mate, but it’s not without its benefits.”

Akala thought she detected a hint of a compliment in that, but Nashoba was so difficult to read that she really couldn’t be sure. She drank from her water glass again, worrying she’d drain it too quickly and have no more reasons to avoid the ungainly conversation that barely flowed between them. When the server came and placed their orders down in front of them, she was happy to retreat into the relative safety of commenting on the taste of the shepherd’s pie and how fresh the salad greens were. It was true, the shepherd’s pie really was the best she’d ever had, but it wasn’t the sort of thing she wanted a first date to revolve around. At this point, she was quite sure that her purple bra and panties had been a wasted effort.

The rest of their lunch was made up almost entirely of the sort of small talk that Akala had little patience for. She wanted to know more about Nashoba and why he was searching for someone to marry, but he was closed off enough that it was impossible for her to get much out of him. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy his company, on the contrary she was actually quite happy to simply be around him, but there was a distance between the two of them that she wasn’t sure she could bridge. It was all well and good that Nashoba was searching for his future wife, but Akala couldn’t help but feel that his heart wasn’t really in it, or if it was, he didn’t know how to put himself out there enough to let someone get to know him.