The Alpha's Mail Order Bride (3 page)

There was no stroll around town after lunch, and no second activity had been planned. If Nashoba had initially thought to make the date last longer, he cut it off early and suggested they head back to the B&B. Even there, Akala thought he might make some move to come inside for the tea and cake Haley offered her guests each afternoon, but every time he seemed about to say something to that effect, he smiled his soft smile and gave a half shrug as if to apologize for not being able to do more.

By the time Akala walked through the front door of the B&B after watching Nashoba pull out and drive away, she was quite certain that the date had been an absolute disaster, and worse, that Nashoba had no interest in her. She hadn’t thought to come to this place to actually find true love and marriage, but it was nonetheless dispiriting to be so completely rejected by someone.

Akala went straight up to her room, changed out of her dress and into a pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt, and lay down on the bed. She’d given it a shot in the end, hadn’t she? At least she had that. Another person might have stayed at home and never risked the possible adventure and romance waiting for her, but Akala had at least tried. If she was going home tomorrow with nothing more than that, then at least she had something.

CHAPTER THREE

Akala eventually shook off her funk and rolled out of bed to go downstairs. She knew she’d find a sympathetic ear in Haley, and by this time, she was feeling quite in need of a soothing cup of tea and a very large piece of cake. While her potential romance with Nashoba had fallen flat, it had still been a wonderful experience to stay with Haley, and Akala wanted to make the most of her time at the adorable little B&B while she still had the chance.

“
Oh, I’m sorry it went so poorly,” said Haley after hearing the details of the horrendously awkward lunch date. “I actually spoke with Nashoba on the phone while you were up in your room just now, and he told me much the same thing. For what it’s worth, he felt awful about how it all went, and he asked for my help trying to get another chance with you.”

“
Really?” asked Akala. “I honestly thought he wanted nothing more to do with me after that.”

“
No, no. Quite the opposite.” Haley poured more tea into Akala’s cup and cut a second slice of cake for each of them. “He said he feels more certain than ever that he made the right decision inviting you down here. He just doesn’t know how to handle this whole dating thing. He’s actually worried that you’re not at all interested in him.”

Akala felt her face flush at little red when she thought of his broad shoulders and chiseled good looks. His emails had enticed her from the outset, and she couldn’t deny that she was as physically attracted to him as she ever had been anyone else. “I am interested. I just don’t know how we’re supposed to connect.”

“It’s my fault,” said Haley. “I never should have let him plan a date. I don’t think the man has ever actually been on a proper date in his life, and I don’t know what he expected to happen over lunch if he wasn’t ready to open up and talk to you.”

Akala buried her face in her hands and giggled a little. “Haley, you should have seen it. It was the most uncomfortable thing ever.”

Haley laughed. “Oh, I don’t have to imagine it. I’ve spent enough time with my cousin that I can picture it exactly. Did he grunt at you on the drive over?”

“
Not exactly, but it seemed like he was making an effort to actually say the words ‘yes’ or ‘no’”.

“
Yep, that’s Nashoba. You’d be amazed to hear him go on and on with people he’s comfortable with,  though. Believe it or not, sometimes when he gets to talking about something he’s passionate about, he won’t shut up for hours.”

“
I’m not sure I can picture that,” replied Akala.

“
Well, let me see what I can do about planning something for the two of you tomorrow.” Haley put a forkful of cake in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “You take it easy and rest today, I think I can figure out a way to get him to open up to you.”

“
Have I told you lately how glad I am to have you here for me?” said Akala, reaching out to squeeze Haley’s hand.

“
Not in the last four hours,” replied Haley with a laugh. “But I’m always happy to hear it. Now you finish your cake and tea. I’ve got a few phone calls to make.”

Akala sat at the table wondering how Haley might get Nashoba to open up to her. Akala wasn’t ready to quit and go home just yet, and if there was anyone who could create an opportunity for her and Nashoba to actually have a chance at getting to know each other, it would be Haley.

Content that tomorrow would reveal itself soon enough, Akala finished the last of her tea and wondered what to do with herself for the afternoon.

The B&B was situated on a large plot of land with a fresh green meadow that ran all the way out the back and into rolling foothills bordered on one side by thick green forest. It was here that Akala decided to spend her afternoon exploring. As nice as Haley was, the girl had a B&B to run, and even with no other guests currently staying in any of the other rooms, there were still daily tasks to take care of.

So Akala strolled out through the garden and onto a well-worn path  that took her into meadows and off towards low rolling hills that eventually led into much steeper terrain. She was glad for having changed out of her dress and into something more suited to this type of walking, but the simple flats she’d slipped onto her feet didn’t have a lot of traction and soon became a bit of a liability once the angle of the path veered upwards.

Looking back from where she’d come, Akala thought about trying to kill the rest of the afternoon sitting around with nothing to do but think about her awkward date, and instead she pushed onwards, enjoying the exercise and the increasingly stunning views that were the reward for her burning lungs and aching legs. While not proper mountains by the standards of the Rockies or the Sierras, the geography in this part of Colorado was such that it was possible to climb several hundred feet in a short period of time. Akala eventually found herself on a rocky promontory overlooking the valley and meadow with Haley’s tiny B&B sitting like a dot on a green blanket. Akala could see the road they’d driven in on, and if she squinted, she thought she could make out the town of Mountain View and the higher and more dramatic peaks that gave the town its name.

“
What are you doing here?”

Akala startled and spun around to face the man who’d spoken to her. The man had dark hair and a hard-edged look to him, but there was something about his eyes and facial features that strongly reminded her of someone.

“I’m staying at the B&B,” ventured Akala, pointing down off the cliff to the building with its wistful plume of chimney smoke drifting up into the sky.

“
Didn’t Haley tell you this was private land?”

At the mention of the girl’s name, Akala had it. This man looked like the male version of Haley. He had the same general features and bearing, although his stern bearing was the polar opposite of the light and bubbly girl who’d welcomed Akala so completely.

“She didn’t get a chance, I guess. I just wandered off and started hiking up here.”

“
So you’re the one.” The man’s eyes narrowed and roved up and down her body, making Akala feel like nothing more than a piece of meat on display in a butcher store window.

“
I’m sorry I intruded on your land. It was an accident and it won’t happen again. I’ll just go now.”

The stranger said nothing in response. He simply stood there watching while Akala turned away and began to make her way down the scrabbly dirt path that would take her back to the meadow and the B&B. Although she never once turned to look back at him, she felt his eyes on her the whole way, and she wondered even as she re-entered the meadows if he was still watching her from on high, or even worse, if he had followed her down through the trees.

Haley bustled around the house, busily setting the table and whistling a happy tune to herself when Akala reached the B&B again. She thought about telling her new friend about what had happened to her up on the viewpoint, and asking about the man who seemed to be related to her, but something kept her from mentioning it. It was too odd an experience, and after all the strangeness of her situation and the failed date with Nashoba, Akala didn’t want to have another unpleasant talk with the woman who was going out of her way to make her feel comfortable.

In the end she let it go, chalking it up to an overprotective local probably worried about his illegal still. Akala hardly thought about it through dinner, and by the time Haley laid a fresh home baked peach cobbler on the table for dessert, the whole incident was gone from her mind. It might perhaps have lingered there a little longer had Haley not been so busy dropping hints about the fun date she had planned for Akala and Nashoba the next day. When Akala insisted on helping with the dishes, she was so caught up in wondering how her next meeting with Nashoba would go that she completely forgot about her encounter with the intense man who’d ordered her off his land.

C
HAPTER FOUR

The door opened softly just as Akala was popping the last bit of a buttery flaky scone in her mouth. Nashoba walked into the room and smiled, nodding politely at her before taking a seat at the breakfast table and pouring himself a small cup of coffee. He didn’t add  milk or sugar, and sat there sipping at the dark black liquid until Haley burst into the room practically beaming with excitement.

“
Are you kids ready for the first part of your date?” Haley didn’t wait for a reply before continuing. “Nashoba, I know you live too much in your head and have always been fond of puzzles, and Akala, I don’t know you that well yet, but I can see you like a challenge and hate having things handed to you without having to work for them, so I’ve set up a little treasure hunt for the two of you. Here is your first clue.”

Haley removed a small object from her apron pocket and set it on the table between the two of them. Akala and Nashoba both reach for at the same time, their fingers brushing lightly before he pulled back and allowed her the chance to pick it up and observer it.

“It looks like a honey comb,” she said, turning it over in her hand. “Does this mean something to you?”

Nashoba nodded. “It does, but not what you might be thinking. Come with me.”

They rose from the table and went outside to get into Nashoba’s truck. He started the engine and turned off the radio with a quick flick of his wrist before pulling out onto the road.

“
When Haley and I were kids we used to love riding our bikes out to the Wilkinson farm to beg for honey cakes. The actual apiary is down the road a bit, but the Wilkinsons have some sort of arrangement that goes back to our grandparents, and they always get free honey for their baking. No one even remembers what happened to put the arrangement in place. It’s just one of those things that’s always been this way and seems like it always will be.”

Akala was amazed to hear so many words from Nashoba all at once. She didn’t want to stare at him, but she even though she saw a wistful smile cross his lips at the mention of venturing out to the Wilkinson farm with his cousin. Haley had been confident that she could plan something to bring Nashoba out of his shell, but Akala hadn’t expected it to work this fast. Nashoba was already behaving much more like a normal person instead of someone so reserved that they were uncomfortable to be around.

“So you think we’re supposed to go to the Wilkinson’s farm to get our next clue?”

He turned and shrugged at her with a smile on his lips. “I don’t rightly know for sure, but it’s a good a place to look as any. Besides, I haven’t had a honey cake in almost ten years. Do you like honey?”

“I love it,” said Akala, a hopeful smile spreading across her face. She rolled down the window and took in the sweet summery smell of the fields around them.

They pulled into a long driveway marked by a sign that indicated the Wilkinsons sold fresh fruit and assorted baked goods. Akala didn’t get out to these sorts of places very often, but she had fond memories of going strawberry and blueberry picking with her family as a young girl. Just stepping out of the truck and seeing the big red barn and the John Deere tractor sitting in front of it made her smile.

By the way the woman who approached them was grinning from ear to ear, Akala was pretty sure they were in the right place. She had a small plate with two squares of sticky delicious honey cake on it, and she wouldn’t say a word until Nashoba and Akala had eaten their reward for figuring out the first clue.

“
And now I’m supposed to give you this,” said Mrs. Wilkinson.

The woman removed a small object and handed it to Nashoba who looked it with a puzzled expression before handing it over to Akala.

“It’s a roll of film,” she said. “I haven’t seen one of these in ages. You can tell its been exposed because the tail has been wound all the way into the canister. Does this mean anything to you?”

“
Not a thing,” admitted Nashoba. He looked at Mrs. Wilkinson.

“
Don’t look at me, dear. I’m under strict orders to let you two figure it out. Enjoy your adventure!” The woman squeezed Akala’s arm in a grandmotherly way and then went back to mind her stall.

“
Wait, when we were in town yesterday I thought I saw an old photo developing place. Do you know the one I’m talking about?”

“
Henry’s, I think?” Nashoba thought about it for a moment. “I don’t think he does film developing any more, but it’s the only camera shop for a hundred miles. I can’t think of a better place to go next.”

They hopped in the truck and drove off into town, their conversation focused on speculation over what the mysterious roll of film might hold for them. It struck Akala along the way that the pleasant and easy flowing conversation was a complete turnaround from what they’d experienced on this same drive the day before, and she was again happy to have Haley on their side.

They parked the truck right out front of the camera store and Nashoba held the door open for Akala.

“
Hi there, can I help you folks with something?” asked a young man from behind the counter.

“
Yes,” replied Akala. She placed the roll of film on the counter. “Can you help us with this?”

The man grinned and picked up the roll. “I sure can. Why don’t you come in back with me? I’m Henry Jr.,  by the way.”

He asked a young boy to mind the shop for him, and Akala marveled that a fourteen-year-old was able to man the counter in this town. That sort of thing just didn’t happen very often in bigger cities, and she found it charming and delightful. It spoke of a trust that the town folk had with each other, and it was hard for Akala not to be attracted to that.

“
I’ve always wanted to see how film gets developed,” said Akala as they walked into the back room full of photo developing supplies.

“
I only run this for a few private clients now, and I don’t usually let people back here, but it’s hard to say no to Haley when she asks for a favor. Now, you’ll have to be careful for this first part, as it needs to be done in complete darkness.”

They squeezed into the small darkroom space, Akala and Nashoba pressing together to keep out of Henry Jr.’s way. They heard a series of small movements followed by several clicks and the sloshing of chemicals being poured into something. The light was only out for a couple of minutes, but there with Nashoba’s body so obviously close to hers, Akala was aware of almost nothing else.

“There we go,” said Henry Jr., flicking the light back on. “Watch that clock, and turn the container over three times slowly every four minutes.”

Akala and Nashoba chatted while Henry Jr. left them alone to tend to his shop. Unlike their lunch with its forced conversation that never really went anywhere, they now found it much easier to open up to each other and Akala talked freely about how she loved photography and had always wanted to learn to develop her own photos. As she spoke, she remembered telling the same story to Haley the first night she’d arrived at the B&B, and again she marveled at the woman’s cleverness.

Henry Jr returned when the roll was developed, and with his help, they put it in the enlarger and developed a print that held their next clue. Akala and Nashoba followed this one to yet another and another clue, enjoying several historical stops around town, a few places that triggered fond childhood memories for Nashoba, and even a pleasant picnic lunch beneath a beautiful old willow tree. It was in the hottest part of their day that they followed a clue that brought them to an old timey malt shoppe and another clue in the form of a small envelope containing a piece of paper with flowery handwriting that Akala had to assume belonged to Haley.

“
Beside the bridge and big oak tree, a wild river flows fast and free. Seek the shelter of the quiet place, and take the plunge or be disgraced.”

Nashoba began to laugh as soon as Akala finished reading it, and she knew instantly that this clue had brought up another strong memory for him.

“You’re going to love this one,” he said, and he led her back out to the truck.

They didn’t speak much on the drive this time, but it was the pleasant sort of quiet that often fell between two people who were comfortable around each other and felt little need to fill the silence with empty noise. Akala turned on the radio and hummed to a classic song that reminded her of her childhood, and Nashoba drove down back roads with his left arm out the window and a lazy smile on his face.

“Here we are,” he said, pulling into a gravel pullout barely wide enough to fit the car. “First time I’ve ever driven up here though.”

“
Where is here?” asked Akala, watching as Nashoba pushed his way through the leafy underbrush and into a trail that seemed nothing more than a deer track.

“
You’ll see in a second.”

The faint sound of rumbling water told Akala that they were near the river that was mentioned in the clue, but it sounded too far away still. There was something not right about the whole situation until they emerged onto a small clearing with a large oak tree standing next to a steep drop off. She walked to the edge and peered down at the water below. It fell down a short waterfall not far upstream, and then swirled around in a lazy eddy below them.

“That must be fifty feet down,” said Akala, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“
It’s only twenty five.” Nashoba grinned like an idiot and stared at Akala as she looked to the river bottom and back at him again.

“
You’re not telling me we have to…?”

He simply nodded.

“I don’t have a swim suit,” Akala spluttered. Any excuse to not have to do this thing.

Nashoba pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it beneath the oak tree. A ratty old piece of rope dangled from one of the strong branches overhanging the edge, a clear indication that this was a popular swimming hole.

“You’re wearing underwear, aren’t you?” He kicked off his shoes and unbuckled his belt. Within seconds he was standing there in his boxers, his body even leaner and stronger than it had seemed from beneath his clothing. “We always used to bike up here on hot days and jump in with nothing but our skivvies on. It’s so hot you’ll dry off in a few minutes once we climb back up.”

“
I don’t know about this,” said Akala. “I’m really scared.”

“
It’s totally safe,” said Nashoba in a confident and reassuring voice. “Haley wouldn’t have sent you here otherwise, and I wouldn’t let you jump if I thought there was any chance you might get hurt. Still, you don’t have to jump if you don’t want to. I’ve already had a great time with you today, and it’s just a silly game that Haley made up.”

“
No,” said Akala, taking a deep breath and pulling her shirt up over her head. “I can do this.”

“
That’s the spirit.” Nashoba’s smile widened and he didn’t look away as Akala shimmed down out of her pants. She adjusted her underwear and stood at the edge, feeling self conscious and nervous, unsure of whether it was because of the jump or the fact that she was nearly naked with this particular man.

“
Take my hand,” said Nashoba, reaching out towards her. “We jump on three, okay?”

He counted to three, and without giving herself a chance to hesitate, Akala jumped along with Nashoba and screamed for what felt like an eternity before shutting her mouth and slamming into the water. It was almost shockingly cool and refreshing, and after a brief moment of weightlessness under the clear green water, she kicked and swam upwards, gasping for breath as she broke the surface.

“That was amazing!” she cried, a giant grin on her face. “I’m going to climb up there and jump again.”

Nashoba laughed and swam a few powerful strokes to bring himself to the rocky shore. A steep but manageable path led upwards, and there at the bottom of it, sitting on a rock in such a way that they couldn’t miss it was a card with a note saying that they’d reached the end of their adventure and that dinner would be waiting for them at Nashoba’s place that night.

They jumped in the river several more times that afternoon, lounging in the hot sun for several minutes before launching themselves off the cliff and into the cool water below. Akala caught Nashoba staring at her body several times, and although she was self conscious about how see through her underwear were when wet, the excited look on his face made her feel alive and free, like a teenager on summer break. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this relaxed and happy, and she owed it all to Haley’s planning and Nashoba’s good company.

As she lay there in the grass absentmindedly plaiting grass together, she looked over to where Nashoba lay on his back, his eyes closed and the sun beating down on his body, and she could scarcely believe that this was the same man who’d picked her up from the airport just two days earlier.