An Engagement in Seattle (30 page)

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you more about Twin Creeks. There always seemed to be other things to discuss and…it didn’t seem all that important.”

Lesley had no comment.

Chase pressed his hand to his forehead. “That isn’t true,” he said in a voice so low, he wondered if she could hear him. “I was afraid that if you did know you’d change your mind about marrying me.” He was taking one of the biggest risks of his life admitting it, but that was what made honesty of such high value. It was often expensive. But Lesley deserved nothing less.

“There’ll never be a teaching position for me here, will there?”

“No.” Once more the truth stabbed at him.

“What did you expect me to do with my time?”

“Whatever you want. You can take correspondence courses, teach them if you’d like. Sometime you might want to start a business. The internet’s created a lot of possibilities. Whatever you choose will have my full emotional and monetary support. More than anything else, I want you to be happy.”

“That all sounds good in theory, but I don’t know how it’ll work in practice.”

“Time will show us.” He felt as though he was fighting for his marriage. Either he convinced her here and now that he was serious or he’d lose her. Maybe not now but later, sometime down the road.

He couldn’t bear to think of his life without her. It seemed impossible that she could own his heart after so short a time. “Give us a chance—that’s all I’m asking.”

“All right,” she agreed in a whisper.

Chase scowled at the phone. He didn’t know if what he’d said had made a difference or not. All he could do was hope that it had.

Chase had told her there was beauty in every part of Alaska but that some of it wasn’t immediately obvious. The beauty around Twin Creeks was dark—that was how she’d describe it. Lesley stood outside his four-wheel-drive vehicle. She couldn’t shake the feeling that life was very fragile in this part of the world.

The colors she saw thrilled her. Wild splashes of vibrant orange, purple and red covered the grassy and lichened meadows. Pencil-thin waterfalls traced delicate vertical slopes, pooling into a clear lake. The valley wasn’t like the rain forest of western Washington, but it was filled with life.

A moose grazed in the distance and she wondered if the great beast was plagued by mosquitoes the same way she’d been. Pete wasn’t teasing when he’d warned her. These were the most irritating and persistent variety she’d ever encountered.

She’d found the keys to Chase’s truck in a kitchen drawer. After less than twenty-four hours on her own, she was going stir-crazy. Chase had been adamant about not exploring on her own, but she didn’t have much choice. If she had to stay inside the cabin one more minute, Lesley was convinced she’d go mad. Her books and other things hadn’t arrived, and she didn’t feel like emailing any of her friends. Not yet.

Anyway, it was time she introduced herself to the ladies of Twin Creeks, she’d decided, but she’d gotten sidetracked on her way into town.

The sight of the moose had captivated her and she’d parked on the side of the road to watch.

She’d soon become engrossed in the landscape. She lingered there, enjoying the beauty but aware of the dangers. After a while, she climbed back inside the truck and drove to town.

Twin Creeks itself didn’t amount to much. She’d visited rest stops that were bigger than this town. She counted three buildings—a combination grocery store and gas station, a tavern and a tiny post office. There wasn’t even a church.

The sidewalks, if she could call them that, were made of wooden boards that linked the three main structures. She saw a handful of houses in the distance.

Lesley parked and turned off the engine. A face peered out from behind the tattered curtains in the tavern. She pretended she hadn’t noticed and got out of the truck, walking toward the grocery. If she remembered correctly, Thelma Davis ran the store.

“Hello,” Lesley said to the middle-aged woman behind the counter, determined to be friendly. “I’m Lesley Goodman, Chase’s wife.”

“Thelma Davis.”

Lesley glanced around. Thelma’s business must be prospering. She not only carried food and cleaning supplies, but rented DVDs, sold yarn and other craft supplies, in addition to a smattering of just about everything else.

“Heard this morning that Chase got married,” Thelma said, coming around the counter. “Welcome to Twin Creeks. Everyone around here is fond of Chase and we hope you’ll be real happy.”

“Thank you.”

“Ever been to Alaska before? Don’t answer that. I can see you haven’t. You’ll never be colder in your life, that much I can promise you. Some say this is really what hell will be like. Personally, I don’t intend on finding out.”

“How long have you lived here?” Lesley asked.

Thelma squinted. “We were one of the first ones to move up this way when word came that the pipeline was going through. I was just a young married. That’s, oh, more than forty years now. We love it, but the winters take some getting used to.”

That Lesley could believe.

“We’ll want to have a party for you two. I hope you don’t mind us throwing a get-together in your honor. There isn’t a lot of entertainment here, but we do our best to have fun.”

“I love parties.”

Thelma’s hands rested on her hips. “We’ll have it at our house, since we’ve got the biggest living room in town. Are you and Chase thinking of starting a family soon? It’s been years since we had a baby born in Twin Creeks.”

“Ah…” Lesley wasn’t sure how to answer that.

“Forgive me, Lesley, I shouldn’t be pressuring you about babies. It’s just that we’re so happy to have another woman, especially a young one.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, too.”

“If you have a minute I’ll call Margaret and get Heather and we’ll have coffee and talk. Do you have time for that? Everyone’s dying to meet you, even Gladys. We’re eager to do whatever we can to make you feel welcome.”

“I’d love to meet everyone.” The sooner the better. If Chase was going to be away often, her link with the others would be vital to her sanity.

“I knew I was going to like you.” Thelma grinned. “The minute Pete mentioned Chase had brought back a wife and described you, I knew we’d be good friends. I think Pete’s half smitten with you himself, which to my way of thinking is good. It’s about time the men in this community thought about getting married and starting families. That’s what Twin Creeks really needs.”

Lesley couldn’t agree more.

She stayed to meet the other women and by the time she left they’d talked for two hours. Rarely had Lesley been more impressed with anyone. They were like frontier women—resourceful, independent, with a strong sense of community. After the first half hour with the others, Lesley felt as if she’d known them all her life. The genuine warmth of her welcome was exactly what she needed. When she returned to the house, she felt excited to be part of this small but thriving community.

Lesley wasn’t home more than five minutes when the phone rang. She answered it eagerly, thinking it would be Chase. There was so much she wanted to tell him.

“Hello.”

“Lesley, it’s your mother.” Their conversations invariably started with June Campbell-Sterne announcing her parental status as if Lesley had forgotten.

“Mom?” She couldn’t have been more shocked if Daisy had arrived on her doorstep.

“It’s true then, isn’t it? You’re married and living with some crazy man in Alaska.”

“Mom, it isn’t as bad as it sounds.” She should’ve tried phoning them again, had planned to, but she’d been too involved in becoming familiar with her new environment.

“When Tony contacted us—”

“Tony?” Lesley said, fuming. Daisy had warned her that her former fiancé was up to no good, but she’d never dreamed he’d resort to contacting her family to make trouble.

“Tony was kind enough to call us and let us know you’d gotten married, which is more than I can say for you.”

“Trust me, Mom, Tony did
not
have my best interests at heart.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“He’s being jealous and spiteful.”

Her mother breathed in deeply as if she was trying to control her temper. “Is it true that you married a man who advertised for a wife on a Seattle billboard?”

“Mom…”

“It is true?”

“Yes, but I didn’t answer his ad, if that’s what you’re thinking. I know you’re hurt,” she said, trying to diffuse her mother’s disappointment and anger, “and I apologize for not letting you know, but Chase only had a few days left in Seattle and you and Ken were traveling and I tried to call your cell and—”

“As it happened, we returned early, but you didn’t know that because you just assumed we were gone. You’re my only child. Didn’t you stop to think that I’d want to be at your wedding?”

“Mom, I’m sorry.”

“Tony says you don’t even know the man you married. That you weren’t in your right mind. He sounded very worried about you.”

“None of that’s true. I’m very happy with Chase.”

“I won’t believe that until I see you for myself and meet this man you’ve married. Ken’s already made the flight arrangements for me. I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning and landing in Fairbanks at some horrible hour. I have no idea how to reach Twin Creeks from there, but I’ll manage if I have to go by dogsled.”

“I’ll fly down and meet you in Fairbanks,” Lesley said, thinking quickly. “Then we’ll fly back together.” She wanted Chase to meet her mother, but she would rather have waited until they’d settled into their lives together.

“All right.” Some of the defensiveness was gone from her mother’s voice.

“If you’d like to talk to someone about me and Chase, I suggest you contact Daisy instead of Tony.”

“It broke my heart when you ended your engagement to Tony,” her mother said.

“Mother,
he
married someone else! I didn’t end the engagement—he did. Despite the claims he’s making now.”

“Look what’s happened to you. Just look.”

“Mother! I’m married to a wonderful man.”

“As I said, I’ll judge that for myself. See you tomorrow.” She gave her arrival time and Lesley wrote it down on a pad by the phone. Now all she needed to do was find a way of reaching Fairbanks and meeting her mother’s plane.

Chase clutched his cell phone so hard, he was afraid he might break it. “What do you mean she isn’t at the house?” he demanded, scowling at Pete’s unsatisfactory response. He’d spent the most frustrating day of his life, first having to deal with the motor company and then attempting to contact Lesley. He’d tried repeatedly that afternoon with no answer.

There were any number of reasons she might not have answered the phone, but he’d started to worry. Two hours of no response, and he was beside himself. He’d called Pete and had his friend drive over and check out the cabin for himself.

“The door was locked,” Pete explained, “so I couldn’t get inside. What did she lock it for?”

“Lesley’s from the city—they lock everything there,” Chase said, trying to figure out where she could’ve gone.

“When she heard how small Twin Creeks was, she seemed upset,” Pete said, sounding guilty.

“We already settled that,” Chase said irritably. “Where could she be?” The dangers she could encounter raced through his mind. “Do you think she might have wandered away from the cabin?”

“No.”

Chase stiffened. “What makes you so certain?”

“The truck’s gone.”

“The truck! Well, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

He felt Pete’s hesitation. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“Chase, you’re my best friend. I don’t want to be the one to tell you your wife walked out on you.”

“
What?
She left?” The constriction in his chest produced a sharp pain. “She drove?” His heart did a wild tumble as he calculated how long it would take him to rent a car and catch up with her.

“No,” Pete said, “she went out to the field and parked the car there. She paid Jim Perkins to fly her into Fairbanks.”

“Without a word to anyone, she just…up and left?”

“I’m sorry, Chase, I really am.”

“What time will she be landing?”

“Not sure. All I know is what I heard from Johnny at the field. He only heard part of the conversation. What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know yet.” Chase was in shock. His wife of less than a week had deserted him.

“You aren’t gonna let her go, are you?”

“No.” He’d find Lesley, somehow, someway, and convince her to give their marriage another chance.

Twelve

“M
om.” Lesley ran forward and hugged her mother as June Campbell-Sterne entered the arrivals lounge. Unexpected tears sprang to Lesley’s eyes and she blinked them back, surprised by the emotion.

The tears were most likely due to the restless night she’d spent in a hotel close to the airport. Apparently Chase hadn’t returned to Twin Creeks the way he’d assumed, otherwise he would’ve seen her message or answered her calls. She’d tried the home phone
and
his cell, with no results. He must be someplace here in Fairbanks. Unfortunately Lesley hadn’t asked him for the name of his hotel, since he’d originally planned to be in town only one night.

It seemed ridiculous to contact every hotel in town and ask for Chase. She’d probably be back in Twin Creeks before her husband.

“Let me get a good look at you,” June insisted, taking a step back while holding Lesley’s shoulders. Her mother had tears in her eyes, as well. “Oh, sweetie, how are you?”

“I feel wonderful. See! Married life agrees with me.” She slipped an arm around her mother’s waist and together they strolled toward the luggage carousels.

“I’ll admit to being curious about your husband. Honestly, Lesley, what kind of man advertises for a wife?”

Lesley laughed, remembering that her own response had been similar. “He’s not crazy—just resourceful.”

“I don’t mind telling you, this whole thing has both Ken and me concerned. It just isn’t like you to marry a virtual stranger and take off to the ends of the earth.”

“It isn’t as bad as it seems.”

Her mother sighed expressively. She was exhausted, as Lesley could well understand. “When will I meet Chase?” was June’s next question.

Lesley wasn’t entirely sure. “Soon,” she promised. “Listen, I got us a hotel room. You’re going to need to catch your breath before we fly to Twin Creeks.”

“I don’t mind telling you, this felt like the longest flight of my life. I had to fly from Helena to Seattle, then wait for hours before I could get this flight.” She shook her head. “I can’t see you living in Alaska and liking it. You’ve lived in a big city all your life.”

“You love Montana, don’t you?”

“Yes, but that’s different. Ken and I are retired.”

“It isn’t different at all. I’ve only been in Alaska for a short while and I love it already.”

Her mother pinched her lips together as if to keep from saying something argumentative. “If it’s all the same to you, Lesley, I’d prefer to push on. I’ll rest once we reach your home and I meet this man you’ve married. Then and only then will I truly relax.”

That posed a problem. “We can’t, Mom.”

“Can’t do what? Meet Chase? I wondered why he wasn’t here to greet me. One would think he’d be eager to meet your family. I don’t imagine you’ve met his, either, have you?”

“Mom,” Lesley said impatiently. She was troubled by the way her mother was so willing to find fault with Chase and her marriage. No doubt that was Tony’s doing. Even now, he was haunting her life. More and more she’d come to realize that Tony had never really loved her. Even more enlightening was the realization that she no longer loved him. She couldn’t feel as strongly as she did for Chase if she loved Tony. She missed Chase terribly.

“What?” June snapped.

“Stop trying to make Chase into some fiend. He’s not.”

“You still haven’t told me why he sent you to the airport by yourself,” she said, in that superior way that had driven Lesley to the brink of hysteria as a teenager.

“Mother, Chase has a job. He was away on business when you called. And the reason we can’t leave yet is that we can’t get a flight until tomorrow.”

“I will be meeting him later then?”

“Of
course.
” Lesley just wasn’t sure exactly when.

They stood at the luggage carousel for several minutes until June collected her one large suitcase and her cosmetic case. Lesley took the larger of the two bags and carried it outside to the taxi line.

Her mother was worn out, and by the time they arrived at the hotel room, Lesley was glad that Jim couldn’t get them until the following morning. She was supposed to call this afternoon to confirm it.

“Would you like me to order you something to eat?” Lesley asked.

“No, thanks.” June politely covered her mouth for a loud yawn. “If you don’t mind, I’ll lie back and just close my eyes.”

“Of course I don’t mind. Relax, Mom.” Her mother curled up on the bed and was asleep seconds later. Lesley silently placed a sweater over June’s shoulders and tiptoed to the other bed. Her intention was to read until her mother woke, but she must have fallen asleep, too, because the next thing she heard was the sound of running water.

Lesley stirred, opened her eyes and realized her mother was showering. With June occupied, Lesley reached for the phone and called Chase at both numbers. Again there was no answer at either. Discouraged, she replaced the receiver. Where could he possibly be?

“What exactly did she say?” Chase asked Jim Perkins. He found it frustrating to have this conversation by phone. Especially frustrating when he was sitting in a hotel room in Fairbanks. It would’ve been easier to read Jim in person. He spoke in a slow drawl and had never been one to reveal much, with either words or actions. If Chase could’ve talked to Jim in person, he might’ve been able to persuade him of the urgency of this situation.

Jim took his own sweet time answering. “She really didn’t have a lot to say.”

Jim was in his early forties and possessed a calm low-key attitude that had never bothered Chase before. But now he was desperate to learn everything he could about Lesley’s departure from Twin Creeks.

“Surely you chatted during the flight.”

“Yeah. She’s the congenial sort. Personally I didn’t think much of this scheme of yours of advertising for a wife, but I was wrong. Half the men in town are talking about doing something like that themselves, seeing the kind of woman you brought back with you.” He paused. “I don’t suppose it would work with me, though.”

“What did you and Lesley talk about?” Chase asked.

“Nothing much,” Jim said. “Mostly she asked about you.”

“What about me?”

He seemed to need time to consider this question. “Nothin’ in particular. Just how long you’ve lived in Twin Creeks. Things like that.”

“Did she mention she was staying in a hotel?”

“She might have.” Another pause. “I don’t recall her saying she was, now that I think about it.”

Chase had difficulty not letting his distress show. It was bad enough that Lesley had left him so soon after her arrival in Twin Creeks. But he wasn’t ready to announce to the entire community that his bride of one week had deserted him. If that was true, it would come out soon enough.

“I appreciate your help, Jim. Thanks.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about her,” Jim added in that lethargic drawl of his. “Lesley’s got a good head on her shoulders. She can take care of herself.”

“Yes, I know.” That, however, didn’t ease his mind in the least.

No sooner had he finished with the call than the phone rang. Chase grabbed it so fast, he nearly jerked the telephone off the end table. “Yes?” he snapped.

“It’s Pete.”

“What’d you find out?”

“Lesley’s staying at the Gold Creek Hotel by the airport,” came Pete’s reply. “Room 204.”

“How’d you learn that?” Sometimes it was better not to know where Pete got his information, but Chase couldn’t help being curious.

“I’ve got my sources. And listen, she may be having second thoughts because she hasn’t bought an airline ticket to Seattle yet. Or anywhere else.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Positive.” There was doubt in his voice. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

Chase closed his burning eyes. “None.”

“That’s what I thought. You know, Chase, if she insists on leaving, you can’t make her stay.”

This had been the subject of an ongoing internal debate. He didn’t want to lose Lesley, but he couldn’t hold her prisoner, either. If she’d decided she wanted out of his life and out of their marriage, then he couldn’t stop her. Even if it meant she’d decided to return to Seattle and Tony. But he was determined to have his say before he’d let her run out on him.

“What are you going to do?” Pete asked.

“I don’t know yet. I’ll probably go to the hotel and see if I can talk some sense into her.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me. I suppose you want to do this on your own, but if you’d like, I’ll come along for moral support and wait outside.”

“No, thanks, but I appreciate the offer.”

“No problem. That’s what friends do.” Pete hesitated as if there was something more he wanted to say.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Again Pete hesitated. “I don’t make a practice of giving advice, especially when it comes to women. My history with the opposite sex leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Just say what’s on your mind.” Chase didn’t generally seek other people’s wisdom; he lived and learned by his own mistakes. This was different, though, and he was worried. He’d assumed everything was fine between them. That he could be so blind to her feelings was a shock.

“I wish now that I’d gone after Pamela,” Pete said. It was the first time Chase had heard his friend say this. “I’ve wondered a thousand times over what would’ve happened if I’d taken the trouble to let her know how much I loved her, how much I needed her. If I had, she might’ve stayed and I wouldn’t be regretting all the time that I didn’t do everything I could to convince her. Don’t make the same mistake.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

“Good.” Pete cleared his throat. “You love her, don’t you?”

Chase wasn’t sure how to answer. The physical desire they shared had overwhelmed them both. But their relationship had quickly become so much more.

When he’d first considered finding himself a wife, it had been to ease his loneliness. He was searching for a companion. A lover. A woman to keep him company during the long, dark winter months. He wanted a wife so he could bond closely with another human being. Since his parents’ deaths, he’d felt detached and isolated from life.

Love had never entered into the equation. He’d never expected to fall in love this fast. Passion, yes, he’d expected that but not this kind of love.

This had been his error, Chase realized with a start. Marriage to Lesley had altered everything. Because love had come to them—or at least to him—with everything she did, everything she said. Whenever he went to bed with her, he offered her a little more of his heart. A little more of his soul. Lovemaking had become more than a physical mating, it had a spiritual aspect. He didn’t know how else to describe it.

He thought about Lesley lying in bed waiting for him. She was so incredibly lovely, with her hair spilling out over the pillow…

It felt like a knife in his belly to think that she’d walk out on him without so much as a word.

“I do,” Chase said, answering Pete’s question after a profound moment. “I do love her.”

“Then do whatever you have to in order to keep her,” Pete advised sagely. “Even if it means leaving Twin Creeks. You can always find another job, but you may never find another Lesley.”

His friend was right and Chase knew it. Now all he had to do was come up with a way of convincing Lesley to give their lives together a fighting chance.

He showered and changed clothes, flipped through the Fairbanks phone directory for the address of the Gold Creek Hotel and ordered a cab.

It would’ve been better if he’d been able to work out what he wanted to say, but he dared not delay a confrontation for fear he’d miss her.

Chase was grateful to Pete. His friend had said he could find Lesley through his various connections faster than Chase would be able to do it. Chase hated sitting back and letting someone else do the footwork, but in the end it had proven beneficial. Pete had located her within twelve hours.

The taxi let him off in front of the hotel. His heart was beating so hard he could hardly hear his own thoughts. Even now he didn’t know what he what he was going to say.

That, however, didn’t stop him from pounding at the door of room 204. When she didn’t immediately answer, he knocked again, louder this time, so loud that the lady across the hall stuck her head out to see who was causing such a commotion. She threw him an irritated look and went back inside.

The door opened and Lesley stood in front of him. Suitcases sat like accusations in the background, and suddenly he was angry. He’d considered Lesley decent and honorable, not the kind of woman who’d walk out on her husband without warning.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, pushing his way into the room. Lesley was so startled that she stumbled two steps back before regaining her balance.

“Chase?” She closed the door and leaned against it, her eyes wide. The perfume she wore wafted toward him. He needed every ounce of willpower not to haul her into his arms and beg her to stay with him.