Her Alaskan Family
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Heidi McCahan
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12
Chapter One
How had she ended up here?
Savannah Morgan sighed as the familiar green forest of spruce trees flew by the truck’s window. Moving home to Opportunity, Alaska, had never been on her radar, much less returning at twenty-eight, unemployed and desperate for even her old bedroom. She’d planned out her entire life with one objective—to never move back to this small town, where everyone was always wrapped up in each other’s business. Until a spring break trip had morphed into a nightmare and left her without a job.
So here she sat, riding shotgun in her older brother Wyatt’s pickup truck as they crossed the truss bridge that spanned the confluence of the Moose, Poplar and Kings rivers. In the distance, a swirl of white clouds obstructed the summit of Denali. The surrounding peaks of the Alaska Range were awash in the pinkish-purple light of an early-summer evening. Her hometown, nestled one hundred miles from Alaska’s most glorious mountain, existed because of the many who’d gone before her, determined to find gold or silver in the nearby mines and to build a new life.
She likely wouldn’t find gold or silver here, but her parents had both mentioned that the art teacher had unexpectedly retired. His position hadn’t been filled. She fully intended to apply. And even though she dreaded the idea of attending her ten-year high school reunion without a plus-one, maybe going alone meant she’d be able to reconnect with Jasper Carter, the handsome guy she’d had a crush on in junior high and high school.
A fool’s errand? Perhaps. But it wasn’t like she had anything to go back to in Colorado. The fourth-grade teacher she’d dated for almost a year had broken up with her as soon as he’d found out she’d been fired. There was no way she’d be able to teach in the same school district. Ever. She’d subleased her apartment to a friend, sold her cheap furniture and donated her well-loved car to a charitable organization. This trip home to Opportunity was boom or bust, as the old prospectors used to say.
“I need to make a quick stop.” Wyatt’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. He slowed down as he approached the blinking traffic light on the other side of the bridge. “Carter’s Sporting Goods has the part I need to fix my bike.”
Savannah’s heart blipped at the mention of Jasper’s family’s store. Sure, she wanted to see him, but not yet. Not like this. Including her delayed flight in Seattle, she’d been traveling for almost twelve hours. All she wanted was a shower, dinner and a place to sleep. Even if it was the bottom bunk in the cramped room she’d shared with her sisters.
“Why didn’t you get the part in Anchorage?” She glanced at the coffee shop on the corner as Wyatt cruised through the intersection. They’d added outdoor seating, and strands of vintage lights decorated a new pergola. Very cool.
“Because I looked online while I was waiting for you at the airport. Carter’s has it in stock, and it’s three bucks cheaper.”
She reached over the console and gave her brother’s shoulder a pat. “Always the frugal one in the family.”
“I don’t know about that. My bike cost me a pretty penny, but I want to be able to hit the trails on my days off.” Wyatt tapped his turn signal, slowed down and turned onto Aurora Street.
The sporting-goods store came into view, and her mouth ran dry at the sight of Carter’s name on the sign mounted above the door. “Can’t blame you for wanting to make the most of your free time.”
“That’s the spirit.” The lines around Wyatt’s blue eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I can be in and out in ten. You’re welcome to wait in the truck.”
Savannah grabbed her can of soda from the cupholder and drained the remnants. The lukewarm carbonated liquid did little to quench her thirst. She put the can back, then flipped down the visor. The mirror reflected what she’d feared. Yikes. She looked like she’d barely slept in three days. Accurate, but not necessarily the look she was going for if she was about to run into the only guy who’d made her consider staying in Opportunity. “Do the Carter twins still run the store?”
Wyatt parked in one of the empty spaces in front of the building. “As far as I know. Their sister moved to Anchorage a few months ago to work at one of the hotels, so it’s just the twins and their parents now.”
To be honest, she only had an interest in one particular Carter brother. Savannah quickly re-braided her strawberry blond hair. Then she fished some lip gloss and mascara from her bag and retouched what little makeup she’d applied at four fifteen that morning.
Wyatt turned off the ignition and slanted a curious look her way. “What are you doing?”
She gave her appearance another critical once-over before flipping up the visor. “Nothing.”
“I’ve never seen you put on makeup to go into a store.”
“I’m full of surprises this summer.” She dropped her makeup back in her bag, slid the strap over her shoulder, then climbed out of the truck. Wyatt didn’t seem to remember that she’d had a thing for Jasper, and she wasn’t about to remind him now. Or confess that back in high school, she’d doodled their entwined initials in her notebook, spent hours watching him play hockey, and cried for a solid week when he changed his mind at the last minute and went to college in Fairbanks instead of Colorado, as she’d hoped.
When she closed her eyes, she could still see the way he’d smiled when she asked him to sign the autograph section in their yearbooks that last week of their senior year. Or the thrill of their one and only dance together at the prom. Before he’d left for the after-party with her nemesis, Candace Finch.
Wyatt’s sneakers crunched on the pea gravel in the parking lot as he rounded the front of his truck and joined her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Yeah, okay, so he might’ve caught her daydreaming. Didn’t everyone go to their high school reunion feeling sentimental about the past? What was so wrong with pulling out those comfortable memories? Reliving them made her feel good. Well, most of the time. If she didn’t focus too much on what had gone wrong.
He was still staring at her. “Listen, I know you’ve had a rough time lately. I wanted to—”
“Please, don’t.” She held up her hand to interrupt. “Let’s go.”
She couldn’t excavate those details all over again. Or think about how rejection still hurt just as much now as it did ten years ago. Her shocking job loss had reminded her of that lesson.
Wyatt let it go. He held open the door, and she stepped inside. The familiar smell of leather sneakers, beef jerky and the rubber tires on bikes balanced on a nearby rack enveloped her. Somewhere, a phone rang, and she recognized Trent Carter, the owner, standing at the register, chatting with a customer.
“There he is,” Wyatt said. “How’s it going, man?”
Savannah turned, and her breath caught. Jasper Carter stepped away from an endcap and walked toward them. Wearing khaki cargo pants, brown hiking boots and a green-and-white-plaid button-down, he was the epitome of an outdoor-recreation expert. He’d cut his chocolate brown hair shorter than the style he’d embraced in high school, but those eyes... Oh, those hazel eyes were most definitely the same.
“Hi, Wyatt.” Jasper’s gaze flitted toward Savannah. His eyes widened. “Savannah. Hi.”
“Hi, Jasper.” She couldn’t look away. Gone was the teenage boy of her memories. In his place stood a tall, attractive, physically fit man.
Confusion passed across his handsome features.
“Can I have more cupcakes?” A little girl, probably not even school-aged yet, raced toward them, her smudged white ballet slippers slapping against the store’s linoleum floor. She wore a pink-and-purple-taffeta princess gown with a frayed hem. Chocolate ringed her mouth. She stopped beside Jasper and peered up at him, her pale blond hair twisted into two haphazard pigtails. Her hand left a chocolate smear on his pants as she patted his leg.
Wyatt and Savannah exchanged amused glances.
“Can I have another chocolate cupcake? Please?” She stretched out the last word and added an irresistible smile.
Jasper reached down and gently tugged on one of her pigtails. “One is enough, Wren. We’re going to eat dinner soon.”
“But I’m hungry now.” Her mouth twisted into a frown, and her hands went to her hips. “So not fair.”
The girl was sassy. And adorable. But seeing Jasper with his daughter planted a disappointing ache in Savannah’s abdomen. If he had a child, did he also have a wife? Juicy news like that surely would’ve reached her in Colorado.
The door opened behind them, and Savannah instinctively stepped aside to allow the customers to enter.
“Levi Carter, are you ever going to answer my texts?”
Savannah froze. Even after all this time, that voice still made her want to climb right out of her skin. Please, no. It’s way too soon.
“I need you to hand out these flyers advertising the parade.” Candace Finch stopped and gave Savannah a head-to-toe inspection. Disdain pinched her flawlessly made-up features. She flipped her long platinum blond hair over her shoulder. “Savvy, is that you? Still stuck in the ’90s, I see. Next time add some lipstick. Or maybe a necklace. Accessories really pull a look together.”
Wyatt cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably beside Savannah. Heat flamed her skin. She wanted to melt into the floor. She hadn’t been home for twenty minutes, and she’d already encountered the one human who’d made her miserable for most of her childhood. Worse, she’d obviously made an embarrassing faux pas, mistaking Levi for his identical twin. But maybe that told her something—she was way over Jasper if she didn’t even recognize this wasn’t him.
And why had words failed her again? She’d anticipated running into Candace but imagined producing the perfect response. Not snarky. Not rude or thoughtless. But laced with ample confidence to let Candace know she wasn’t a doormat anymore.
Was she always going to be the dorky redhead who loved art, couldn’t say the right thing at the proper time and longed for the guy who longed for someone else?
How was it possible that mean girls never outgrew their need to put other people down? Levi forced his mouth into a tight-lipped smile. As much as he wanted to tell Candace she could shred her flyers and use the remnants to line her son’s gerbil cage, he couldn’t set a poor example for Wren. She was possibly the most observant four-year-old he’d ever met. Anything he said or did would be repeated later.
“Candace, if you can find the room, post your flyer on the bulletin board, right there with all the other local news.” Levi gestured to a corkboard mounted on the wall behind Savannah. “Wyatt, I’m holding that part you need up at the counter. Speak to my father, and he’ll get you all squared away.”
“Thanks, Levi.” Wyatt gently squeezed his sister’s arm, then strode toward the counter, leaving him to help Savannah fend off any more of Candace’s attacks.
“But you’ll take a stack to keep beside the register, right?” Candace’s bronzed forehead wrinkled. “And how about another fifty to stuff inside customers’ shopping bags?”
“No,” Levi said firmly. “You may post one flyer on the bulletin board. That’s it.”
She huffed out an exasperated breath. “I’ll have to talk to Jasper about this. Stuffing the shopping bags was his idea.”
Right. Levi gritted his teeth. Jasper had a habit of making quick decisions and leaving everyone else to handle the follow-through.
Levi refused to argue with Candace. She might be one of the most troublesome people he’d ever had to deal with, but he’d learned the hard way not to back down when she tested boundaries. Even though he really wanted her to leave. Especially when the woman Candace had tormented for years stood a mere few inches away.
“Welcome back, Savannah. It’s great to see you.”
“Thanks,” Savannah said softly, her gaze skittering away.
“Lee-by.” Wren pulled impatiently on his arm. “I need you.”
Oh, those three little words tugged on his heartstrings. She’d only been in his life for three weeks and had somehow managed to twine him around her little finger. But he couldn’t keep dragging her with him to work all summer long.
“Are you still teaching art?” Levi asked, trying to ignore Candace, who still hadn’t stepped away from the conversation.
“Um-hmm.” Savannah nodded, but something indecipherable flashed in her beautiful blue eyes.
“She was a teacher.” Candace smacked her gum, that irritating all-knowing smirk back in place. “Heard you were looking for a new job, Savvy. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
Oh brother. What he wouldn’t give to get Candace out of his store. Permanently.
“Savannah, may I ask your advice about something?” Levi angled his head toward the back of the store. “If you have a few minutes, we can chat in the break room.”
She glanced toward Wyatt, who was still deep in conversation with Levi’s dad at the counter. “Sure, let’s go.”
“Wren, this is my friend, Miss Morgan.” Levi took Wren’s sticky hand in his and led the way down the aisle with the lanterns, flashlights, headlamps and other camping accessories.
“Levi, she doesn’t have to call me—”
Levi glanced over his shoulder and gave Savannah a work with me on this look. He didn’t know much about being a foster parent. But since Wren had arrived at his house as an emergency placement, he’d learned quickly that consistency was key. Kind of like dealing with Candace.
“Is she going to stay in our house?” Wren looked up at him with those sweet pale blue eyes that had likely seen more than any four-year-old should.
“No, she has her own house.”
“Your own house?” Wren twisted around to look back at Savannah. “Are you a grown-up?”
Savannah chuckled. “Sure am. Do you go to school, Wren?”
“Nope. It’s summer baycation.”
Levi smiled at her adorable mispronunciation. Clearly, she struggled with the v and b sounds. Was he supposed to correct her every time? Add that to his long list of questions for the social worker.
Wren tugged free from Levi and skipped into the break room like she owned the place. Which wasn’t surprising, given she’d spent several hours here almost every day. Guilt pinched his insides. He had to find more reliable and consistent childcare. Soon.
Evidence of her barely supervised activities was scattered across the card table he’d set up for her. She’d abandoned a coloring page he’d printed off before they left the house that morning. There were caps off the markers and chocolate-cupcake crumbs on a paper plate. Her pink-and-purple water bottle had fallen on the floor and rolled under the cabinet by the sink.
Levi raked his hand through his hair. “Oh my. I think we need to ask Miss Morgan to help us with our not-so-secret project.”
Wren squealed and jumped up and down. “I lub a project.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. “Good. Because this is a big one. While I give her the details, I want you to throw that plate away and put the caps back on the markers.”
Wren heaved a sigh. Her slender shoulders slumped. “Oh-kaayyy.”
Savannah stood in the doorway of the break room, taking it all in. “I’m so embarrassed that I thought you were Jasper.”
“No worries. Happens all the time.” Levi pulled out a metal chair. “Have a seat. You should stay here for a few minutes until Candace leaves, anyway.”
“Thank you for helping me escape.” Savannah sat down and rested her purse on her lap. She wore black leggings, leopard-print sneakers and a graphic T-shirt featuring a popular band. He had a half dozen questions he wanted to ask about her life in Colorado, but that would have to wait.
“What’s an ‘escape’?” Wren dropped the plate into the trash can.
Of course she’d picked up on that. He’d have to redirect and change the subject. “Wren, put the caps back on these markers, please.” Levi gestured toward the markers strewn across the table. “We need to pack up.”
“Why? Where are we going?” She climbed up onto the chair beside Savannah, took the purple marker and started scribbling again.
Levi stifled another sigh. He’d been doing that a lot lately. “It’s not time to color.”
“But I want to finish coloring my picture.”
“Fine. You may color while I talk to Miss Morgan, but then we need to go. My mom has dinner waiting for us.”
“Can I get macaroni and cheese again, please?”
The girl could live on boxed macaroni and cheese. Would he ever convince her to try another option? “We’ll see.”
He linked his arms across his chest, leaned against the counter beside the sink and met Savannah’s uncertain gaze. “I’d heard you were moving back.”
Her mouth sank into a sad smile. “News has a way of traveling fast around here.”
He hesitated. Was she not happy about being home?
Savannah abruptly changed the subject before he could ask. “So, what’s the project?”
He drew a breath and summoned his courage. “We’re supposed to design a float for the parade. The Riverside Festival is next month, and I don’t have any ideas. My sister used to handle this, but she moved away, so we’re up the creek without a paddle.”
Dude, that was a lot. Settle. Down.
“Yeah, Wyatt mentioned that your sister had moved.” Empathy filled Savannah’s eyes. “That’s a tough loss for your family.”
“It is, but she didn’t want to be here, so we’re hoping she’ll be happier in Anchorage. Are you interested in designing and decorating the float? I mean, I know you haven’t been here long...”
She stifled a yawn. “We just drove in from Anchorage.”
Argh. Lousy timing on his part. “So will you think about it?”
“I—I don’t know. That’s quite the task.” Savannah shifted in her chair. “In case you missed Candace’s spoiler, I need a job. Something temporary until I can find another teaching position.”
Oh. She meant here. At the store. “I can double-check with my dad and Jasper, but I’m pretty sure we’ve hired all the help we need for the summer.”
Frowning, she opened and closed the clasp on her purse. “I wish I could work on your float, but I don’t think I’d be able to devote the time to it right now.”
“I understand.”
Her gaze slid to Wren. “Seems like you’ve got a lot going on right now.”
He palmed the back of his neck. “You’re not wrong.”
“Maybe we could work something out.”
“Are you offering to babysit?”
“No, I’m offering to cover your shifts here while you take care of...other commitments.”
“How can I convince you to change your mind?” Because spending hours trying to come up with an interesting idea for the parade float while keeping Wren occupied seemed futile.
“About the float?” Amusement flashed across her features. “You can’t.”
Bummer. Did she think he wanted her to handle the float all on her own? He shook his head in disbelief, though his mouth twitched with a smile. “You are tough to negotiate with.”
“Yeah, well, my bank account balance doesn’t allow for negotiating.”
“How about waiting tables at Gunnar’s? I’ve heard they’re still hiring.”
Her expression tightened, and she pushed to her feet. “Thanks for the tip.”
Oh no. What had he said wrong?
“Savannah?” Wyatt appeared in the doorway, a plastic shopping bag in hand. “Are you ready?”
“Yep.” Her chair scraped the linoleum as she pushed it back toward the table. “Levi was just giving me a safe space to hang out and avoid Candace.”
Wait. Had he really aggravated her that much? How could she go before they’d finished their conversation? “Savannah, let’s touch base soon.”
“Unless I get a better offer, I’ll stop by tomorrow.” She offered a tight-lipped smile, then reached over and gave Wren’s shoulder a gentle pat. “See you later, sweet girl.”
“See you,” Wren said softly.
Savannah turned and followed her brother out into the store.
“Oh boy.” Levi dragged his hand over his face.
Wren eyed him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Can she babysit me?”
“Maybe. How would you feel about that?”
“She’s nice and pretty.”
True. Not that her appearance had anything to do with her ability to babysit a precocious child. He needed someone kind and patient, though. Savannah had always shown both characteristics. To be honest, he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t thought Savannah was pretty, as well as kind, intelligent and incredibly creative. But he’d always suspected she’d had a thing for his twin brother, which was why he wasn’t the least bit surprised when she had called him Jasper. He couldn’t think about that now. Her interest in Jasper might’ve been a high school–crush thing, anyway.
Besides, he didn’t even know for sure if he was allowed to leave Wren with Savannah. “Come on, Wren. Let’s get going.” He helped Wren put everything in her backpack. If Savannah wouldn’t agree to design the parade float, he’d have to find someone else. Quickly. But he had to find someone trustworthy to stay with Wren too. Because he couldn’t keep juggling the demands of the store and a child who desperately craved stability and attention.
“Why is finding a summer job in this town so difficult?” Savannah groaned and covered her eyes with her forearm. She’d never had trouble when she was a teenager. After dinner, she’d called four local businesses to see if they were hiring, and they’d all said no. Every single one had told her to try Gunnar’s, though. Not what she wanted to hear. Been there. Done that. Still had the mortifying memories. She’d rather go completely broke than flip burgers or work the front counter at Opportunity’s popular fast food restaurant.
“Levi asked you to help with the float, didn’t he? Imagine spending time with such a great guy,” her sister Juliet responded from the top bunk above her. “It’s the perfect setup for a summer romance.”
“A summer romance with the wrong brother.” Regret twisted her stomach into a tighter knot. If that was possible. Worse, the alarm clock on the nightstand read 1:13 and she was exhausted. But sleep had eluded her. At least Juliet, who was home after completing her first year in college, had the energy to stay awake into the wee hours and pick Savannah’s conversation with Levi apart. She’d rushed out of the store like a coward. His request for help decorating a float for Opportunity’s annual parade wasn’t that unreasonable. It wouldn’t take much for her to come up with something clever. But she wasn’t being dramatic when she’d told him she needed a job. She couldn’t commit to a time-eating freebie until she knew what a paying position might require of her.
“I don’t understand how Levi is the wrong brother,” Juliet said. “Are you not interested because he has Wren?”
“No. I—” The hinges creaked as the bedroom door opened slowly. Savannah sat up in bed, tugging the down comforter around her body. Light from the hallway illuminated a familiar silhouette.
“Sorry if I woke you. It’s just me.” Their sister, Hayley, slipped inside.
“Where have you been?” Juliet scolded her. “It’s almost one thirty in the morning.”
Avoiding the question, Hayley spotted Savannah, then raced across the room. She squished onto the mattress with a barely muffled squeal. “You’re finally home. I can’t believe it.”
When Hayley flung her arms around Savannah’s neck and pulled her in for a hug, Savannah’s throat tightened with an unexpected wave of emotion. Oh, she’d missed their late-night chats in this cozy room.
Hayley pulled back. Her auburn hair was twisted into a bun and accessorized with a ballpoint pen. She wore a red T-shirt advertising the Sluice Box, denim cut-off shorts and tennis shoes.
Savannah cleared her throat. “It’s good to see you too.”
Juliet leaned over the side of her bunk, her strawberry blond hair tumbling over her bare shoulder. “I thought the Sluice Box closed at eleven. By the way, you smell like french fries.”
Savannah clicked on the bedside lamp. The blackout shades their parents had installed years ago made the room feel cave-like, keeping the perpetual daylight of the Alaskan summer from disrupting their sleep schedule. Not that it made a bit of difference tonight, since they were all wide-awake.
“I stayed late to close. A guide came in with a group of climbers, and they kept us busy. Tipped well, though.” Hayley unlaced her shoes and tossed them on the floor beside her bed across the room. “Anyway, we have a new manager, and his sister is in town. She’s a pastry chef in San Francisco and insisted on spoiling us with a flight of rich desserts.”
“Let’s talk about what really matters,” Juliet said, lying back down. “Did you see Max Butler?”
“He’s the guide leading the climb. Why?” Hayley pulled the pen from her bun, untwisted the elastic, then raked her fingers through her wavy hair.
“You know why,” Juliet said.
“But I don’t know why.” Savannah stacked her pillows against the wall and leaned against them, eager to catch up on Hayley’s love life. “What’s going on with Max Butler?”
“Nothing.” Hayley stood and crossed the room to her dresser. “Chef made the most amazing mini cheesecakes. Oreo cookie crust, chocolate chip cheesecake, caramel topping. I’m going to have to start working out if she sticks around and keeps baking.”
“Wow, sounds delicious,” Juliet said. “Did you bring us any?”
Hayley took out her pajamas, then nudged the drawer closed with her hip. “Sorry, there wasn’t any left.”
“You gave the leftovers to Max, didn’t you? A parting gift before his next big expedition?”
“What is up with you tonight?” Hayley shook her head. “I’ve told you a zillion times, Max and I are friends. He’s like a brother to me.”
“You’re a terrible liar, Hayley,” Juliet teased.
“Wow, I feel like I’m missing some key details,” Savannah said. “How long have you been seeing Max, Hayley?”
“I’m not.” Hayley tossed a glare over her shoulder, then strode toward the door.
“They are meant to be,” Juliet insisted. “I don’t know why they’re being so stubborn.”
Savannah couldn’t stop a smile. Wow, she’d missed the banter between her younger sisters.
“I’m going to take a shower.” Hayley stopped at the door and turned back. “Oh, wait. Rumor has it you saw Levi and Wren. Isn’t she adorable?”
Savannah hesitated, her arm outstretched toward the lamp. “How do you know about that?”
“I had the pleasure of serving Candace and her family tonight. She was running her mouth, as usual.”
Of course she was. “I did see Levi, and I got to meet Wren. She’s a handful. What’s the story with her, anyway?”
“Juliet can fill you in.” Hayley stepped out and quietly closed the door.
“It’s sad, really,” Juliet said. “Wren’s mother is in a rehab facility in Anchorage, and they can’t locate her father. Levi just became a foster parent recently.”
“Poor Wren.” Savannah blew out a long breath. “Separated from both parents. And she’s so young. How terrifying.”
She’d encountered dozens of situations like Wren’s in just six short years of teaching. Broke her heart every single time.
“That’s why you need to babysit her,” Juliet said. “Give her lots of stability and attention. Then Levi will see how amazing you are and fall hopelessly in love.”
Savannah turned off the light and settled under the covers. “I’m not sure I want to babysit. Or spend that much time with Levi.”
“You’ll change your mind. Just wait.” Juliet yawned. “Sweet dreams.”
Savannah stopped short of arguing. Her family knew she’d lost her job, but they didn’t know all the details of what she’d endured. Frankly, she wasn’t ready to share. It would be hard to keep the truth concealed forever, especially when she applied to teach again. But for now, she’d do her best to reveal as little as possible. She closed her eyes, determined to sleep. First thing tomorrow, she’d start looking for an open position. Surely someone in Opportunity needed her and was willing to pay a reasonable rate. Her parents were kind enough to let her move back in, but they expected all of them to work if they lived here. A fair arrangement, really. Besides, she certainly couldn’t commit to a free project when she had to figure out who would hire her and how many hours they’d need.
