between the mismatched tables, refilling coffee cups and making animated conversation.
He lifted the glass pot toward Sawyer with a questioning look.
Sawyer shook his head. He sure didn’t need another coffee. In fact, he shouldn’t have had the last one.
He saw that Abbey was surrounded by four of his pilots. They circled the table where she sat with Pearl and her children, like buzzards closing in on a fresh kill. You’d think they’d never seen a woman before.
His crew was a mangy-looking bunch, Sawyer mused, with the exception of Duke, who was broad-shouldered and firm-muscled. One thing he could say about all of them was that they were excellent pilots. Lazy SOBs when the mood struck them, though. He didn’t know anyone who could love flying as much as a bush pilot and still come up with the world’s most inventive excuses to avoid duty.
Everyone plied Abbey with questions. Sawyer half expected all this attention to fluster her, but she handled their inquisition with graceful ease. He was astonished by how quickly she’d picked up on names and matched them to faces.
Ben sauntered over to his side. His gaze followed Sawyer’s.“Pretty, isn’t she?” Ben said. “I wouldn’t mind marrying her myself.”
“You’re joking.” Sawyer’s eyes narrowed as he studied his longtime friend.
Ben’s heavy shoulders shook with silent laughter. “So that’s the way it is.”
“Which way is that?” Sawyer challenged.
“She’s already got you hooked. In no time, you’ll be just like all the others, fighting for the pleasure of her company.”
Sawyer snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous! I just hope we don’t have any more women arriving with families in tow.”
Ben’s mouth fell open. “You didn’t know about the kids?”
“Nope. Christian didn’t, either, from what she said. Ms. Sutherland claims she didn’t get a chance to tell him.”
“Well, no one’ll have a problem with a couple more kids in Hard Luck,” Ben commented.
“That’s not the point.”
Ben frowned. “Then what is?”
“The cabins. Abbey can’t live in one of those cabins with her children.”
Ben leaned against the wall with Sawyer. “Yeah, you’re right. So, what are you going to do?”
“No idea.” Sawyer shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “It isn’t like there’s a house available for us to rent.”
“Catherine Fletcher’s place is vacant.”
Sawyer shook his head. He wouldn’t even consider approaching Catherine’s family, and he doubted his brothers would be willing to do so either, regardless of the circumstances.
The bad blood between the two families ran deep. It wouldtake a lot more than needing an empty house to wipe out forty years of ill will.
Catherine Harmon Fletcher was in poor health now, and in a nursing home in Anchorage, close to her daughter.
Ellen, Sawyer’s mother, had suffered so much unhappiness because of Catherine. But she no longer lived in Hard Luck either. She’d remarried and had relocated to British Columbia, as happy as Sawyer had ever known her. He didn’t begrudge his mother her new life. He figured she deserved it after all the miserable years she’d endured.
“What about Pearl’s? She’s going to be moving in with her daughter,” Ben reminded him.
Sawyer hated to see the older woman go, but she’d told him it was time for her to move on, especially now that her friends had mostly left.
“Pearl’s not leaving until we hire a replacement and she’s had the opportunity to train her,” Sawyer said.
Ben mulled over the problem for several minutes. “What about the lodge?” he asked. “I know it’s been years since anyone’s stayed there, but—”
“The lodge?” Sawyer repeated. “You’re joking!”
“It’d take a little work….”
“A little work!” Sawyer knew he was beginning to sound like a parrot, repeating everything the other man said, but the idea was ludicrous. The lodge was in terrible shape. It would take months of hard work
He lifted the glass pot toward Sawyer with a questioning look.
Sawyer shook his head. He sure didn’t need another coffee. In fact, he shouldn’t have had the last one.
He saw that Abbey was surrounded by four of his pilots. They circled the table where she sat with Pearl and her children, like buzzards closing in on a fresh kill. You’d think they’d never seen a woman before.
His crew was a mangy-looking bunch, Sawyer mused, with the exception of Duke, who was broad-shouldered and firm-muscled. One thing he could say about all of them was that they were excellent pilots. Lazy SOBs when the mood struck them, though. He didn’t know anyone who could love flying as much as a bush pilot and still come up with the world’s most inventive excuses to avoid duty.
Everyone plied Abbey with questions. Sawyer half expected all this attention to fluster her, but she handled their inquisition with graceful ease. He was astonished by how quickly she’d picked up on names and matched them to faces.
Ben sauntered over to his side. His gaze followed Sawyer’s.“Pretty, isn’t she?” Ben said. “I wouldn’t mind marrying her myself.”
“You’re joking.” Sawyer’s eyes narrowed as he studied his longtime friend.
Ben’s heavy shoulders shook with silent laughter. “So that’s the way it is.”
“Which way is that?” Sawyer challenged.
“She’s already got you hooked. In no time, you’ll be just like all the others, fighting for the pleasure of her company.”
Sawyer snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous! I just hope we don’t have any more women arriving with families in tow.”
Ben’s mouth fell open. “You didn’t know about the kids?”
“Nope. Christian didn’t, either, from what she said. Ms. Sutherland claims she didn’t get a chance to tell him.”
“Well, no one’ll have a problem with a couple more kids in Hard Luck,” Ben commented.
“That’s not the point.”
Ben frowned. “Then what is?”
“The cabins. Abbey can’t live in one of those cabins with her children.”
Ben leaned against the wall with Sawyer. “Yeah, you’re right. So, what are you going to do?”
“No idea.” Sawyer shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “It isn’t like there’s a house available for us to rent.”
“Catherine Fletcher’s place is vacant.”
Sawyer shook his head. He wouldn’t even consider approaching Catherine’s family, and he doubted his brothers would be willing to do so either, regardless of the circumstances.
The bad blood between the two families ran deep. It wouldtake a lot more than needing an empty house to wipe out forty years of ill will.
Catherine Harmon Fletcher was in poor health now, and in a nursing home in Anchorage, close to her daughter.
Ellen, Sawyer’s mother, had suffered so much unhappiness because of Catherine. But she no longer lived in Hard Luck either. She’d remarried and had relocated to British Columbia, as happy as Sawyer had ever known her. He didn’t begrudge his mother her new life. He figured she deserved it after all the miserable years she’d endured.
“What about Pearl’s? She’s going to be moving in with her daughter,” Ben reminded him.
Sawyer hated to see the older woman go, but she’d told him it was time for her to move on, especially now that her friends had mostly left.
“Pearl’s not leaving until we hire a replacement and she’s had the opportunity to train her,” Sawyer said.
Ben mulled over the problem for several minutes. “What about the lodge?” he asked. “I know it’s been years since anyone’s stayed there, but—”
“The lodge?” Sawyer repeated. “You’re joking!”
“It’d take a little work….”
“A little work!” Sawyer knew he was beginning to sound like a parrot, repeating everything the other man said, but the idea was ludicrous. The lodge was in terrible shape. It would take months of hard work
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