her head. “I should go.”
“No.” He grabbed his robe then set it on the bed for her. “I’ll make breakfast. You jumped in with the group, stick around to enjoy the afterglow.”
“I’ll help.” She smiled.
He slid on pair of shorts and went downstairs. After a quick trip to the washroom, where he noticed a few faded scratch marks on his back, he headed for the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Gretchen joined him looking extra cute in his robe. She’d tugged her hair back into a ponytail.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
“Kiss me and get yourself some coffee.” He pulled out a pan. “Eggs with reindeer sausage okay?”
“Sounds great. Just call it caribou, not reindeer. That makes me think about eating Rudolph.” She walked up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“You’re suddenly shy?” He pulled her in for a real kiss.
She relaxed in his arms and returned the kiss. “It’s weird. I don’t do a lot of sex on the first date. I know you and Tony better but Matt seems to be the big question mark.”
“I don’t think so. He impressed you in the plane, and he’s intrigued by you. You’re the big draw. Matt and Tony are who they are. Some Alaskans hold their territory and hunker down through anything. Others like to move and go where the game and work is. There is nothing wrong with either approach. We just have to figure out how to make it all work for us.” He pulled eggs out of the fridge.
As she grabbed milk for her coffee, Gretchen frowned. “What’s this?” She pointed to another container in the refrigerator.
He grinned. “Walrus.”
“Walrus. You can hunt those?” She shook her head and closed the door.
“You can’t. I have some cousins up north on the coast. Native Alaskans have grandfathered hunting rights. Limited quantities and times of year, of course. But Alaska is one of the places that actually respects tradition and Native people’s ways. They thrived here long before whites came and learned from them—at least the smart whites did. Anyway, my cousins send me a few treats every year. Tony hates it,” Ross said.
“Looks like pot roast.” She shrugged as she stirred her coffee.
Ross chuckled. “Looks like pot roast but tastes like shellfish. I’ve visited my cousins plenty in the little villages. You’d be amazed what some people eat. Moose nose and salmon wings.”
“Fish don’t have wings. Do you mean the fins are prepped to look like wings? Fins don’t have much meat.” She sat on the bar stool chairs and watched him cook.
“Not the fins. The collar bone. Lots of fatty acids there. We can try it, if you want.” He let the eggs cook on a low heat while he chopped up some sausage.
“Not sure that’d be a regular thing for me, but I’ll try almost anything.” She pulled her phone from the pocket of the robe.
“Did Mel text asking you how things went?” Ross asked.
She shook her head. “No, she’ll want those details in person. Ryan did do the app I requested. Or had someone help him do it. Wow. He’s very tech savvy.”
“An app for the dresses?” Ross asked.
“Yep.” Footsteps from upstairs made them both look up. “Are you sure I should stay? I don’t want to make things weird or worse for you guys.”
Ross grabbed her phone. “Not possible. Trust me. In some relationships, the spark goes out. Here, it’s reignited routinely. I know sometimes it seems like Tony is bitter or Matt is dismissive. The truth is, different approaches make us a stronger group. Just like the town. If we need something, we’ve got a water route and a land route. Plus the air. If something happens, we have people with different strengths. That makes life easier, if a little more complicated.”
“As long as you have the same goals and work together.” She grabbed her phone back. “I need to download the app.”
“You have doubts?” Ross asked.
She glanced at the stairs. “It’s early. You guys are nice and fun. The chemistry is
“No.” He grabbed his robe then set it on the bed for her. “I’ll make breakfast. You jumped in with the group, stick around to enjoy the afterglow.”
“I’ll help.” She smiled.
He slid on pair of shorts and went downstairs. After a quick trip to the washroom, where he noticed a few faded scratch marks on his back, he headed for the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Gretchen joined him looking extra cute in his robe. She’d tugged her hair back into a ponytail.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
“Kiss me and get yourself some coffee.” He pulled out a pan. “Eggs with reindeer sausage okay?”
“Sounds great. Just call it caribou, not reindeer. That makes me think about eating Rudolph.” She walked up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“You’re suddenly shy?” He pulled her in for a real kiss.
She relaxed in his arms and returned the kiss. “It’s weird. I don’t do a lot of sex on the first date. I know you and Tony better but Matt seems to be the big question mark.”
“I don’t think so. He impressed you in the plane, and he’s intrigued by you. You’re the big draw. Matt and Tony are who they are. Some Alaskans hold their territory and hunker down through anything. Others like to move and go where the game and work is. There is nothing wrong with either approach. We just have to figure out how to make it all work for us.” He pulled eggs out of the fridge.
As she grabbed milk for her coffee, Gretchen frowned. “What’s this?” She pointed to another container in the refrigerator.
He grinned. “Walrus.”
“Walrus. You can hunt those?” She shook her head and closed the door.
“You can’t. I have some cousins up north on the coast. Native Alaskans have grandfathered hunting rights. Limited quantities and times of year, of course. But Alaska is one of the places that actually respects tradition and Native people’s ways. They thrived here long before whites came and learned from them—at least the smart whites did. Anyway, my cousins send me a few treats every year. Tony hates it,” Ross said.
“Looks like pot roast.” She shrugged as she stirred her coffee.
Ross chuckled. “Looks like pot roast but tastes like shellfish. I’ve visited my cousins plenty in the little villages. You’d be amazed what some people eat. Moose nose and salmon wings.”
“Fish don’t have wings. Do you mean the fins are prepped to look like wings? Fins don’t have much meat.” She sat on the bar stool chairs and watched him cook.
“Not the fins. The collar bone. Lots of fatty acids there. We can try it, if you want.” He let the eggs cook on a low heat while he chopped up some sausage.
“Not sure that’d be a regular thing for me, but I’ll try almost anything.” She pulled her phone from the pocket of the robe.
“Did Mel text asking you how things went?” Ross asked.
She shook her head. “No, she’ll want those details in person. Ryan did do the app I requested. Or had someone help him do it. Wow. He’s very tech savvy.”
“An app for the dresses?” Ross asked.
“Yep.” Footsteps from upstairs made them both look up. “Are you sure I should stay? I don’t want to make things weird or worse for you guys.”
Ross grabbed her phone. “Not possible. Trust me. In some relationships, the spark goes out. Here, it’s reignited routinely. I know sometimes it seems like Tony is bitter or Matt is dismissive. The truth is, different approaches make us a stronger group. Just like the town. If we need something, we’ve got a water route and a land route. Plus the air. If something happens, we have people with different strengths. That makes life easier, if a little more complicated.”
“As long as you have the same goals and work together.” She grabbed her phone back. “I need to download the app.”
“You have doubts?” Ross asked.
She glanced at the stairs. “It’s early. You guys are nice and fun. The chemistry is
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