Secret Alaskan Hideaway
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Karen Whiddon
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Chapter 1
Rainy season in August hadn’t been an understatement, Dr. McKenzie Taylor muttered to herself as she gripped the steering wheel. She kept her focus on the taillights of the car in front of her. Alaska might be beautiful, but since it had been overcast and pouring rain ever since she’d landed in Anchorage, she couldn’t actually tell. Now the downpour made it difficult to even see the road. Though only late afternoon, she had her headlights on, praying she’d make it to her destination before what light remaining in the sky vanished.
Worse, her phone GPS had stopped working half an hour ago due to lack of reception. She had no idea where she actually was, other than on the correct road. Hopefully. She thought she might be getting close to the tiny Alaskan village of Blake, which would be her home for the next two years, even though she’d yet to see a sign announcing the distance.
Without a working GPS, she’d need to pull over and look at the folded paper map the gas station attendant several miles back had insisted she take. Now she understood why. If not for her luck in having a car in front of her, she’d have given in to extreme worry by now. Having someone to follow helped keep her calm and grounded. And she still had a screenshot of the email they’d sent her with directions to her cabin.
Wind-lashed rain buffeted her Jeep and her wipers could hardly keep her windshield clear enough for her to see. She would have preferred to creep along at a much slower speed, but she had to keep up with the vehicle in front of her or she’d lose her guide. For whatever reason, that driver felt comfortable going at a normal rate of speed despite the limited visibility.
The sound of the pavement under her tires changed. The metal and wood railings that appeared on both sides of the road meant she was on some sort of a bridge, though she could barely make out the river flowing below due to the rain.
Inexplicably, the car in front of her picked up speed. As she nervously pressed the gas pedal to increase hers, the other vehicle swerved hard left, crossing into the opposite lane before careening back and hitting the railing hard. Kenzie stepped on her brake, sending her Jeep fishtailing on the slick road. Heart pounding, she watched, horrified, as the other car went airborne, up and sideways, rolling as if in slow motion before disappearing as it plunged into the rain swollen water below.
Damn, damn, damn. Since there wasn’t a shoulder, she kept going, praying the bridge would end soon. It did and as soon as she could safely pull over, she parked and turned on her hazard lights. Out of habit, she grabbed her phone since she knew she should call 911, but she still didn’t have a signal. Rescue, if possible, would be entirely up to her.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her door, regretting that she hadn’t thought to buy an umbrella as cold rain slammed into her. Heart pounding, she began the steep descent, slipping and sliding on the muddy earth, grabbing hold of branches and rocks. Soaked and chilled instantly, she hurried as much as she could, aware she had to be careful not to fall and injure herself.
Finally, she reached the bottom, drenched, her hands muddy and bleeding. The roar of the river mingled with the sounds of the driving rain. A few feet from the edge, she could see the car, still only partially submerged, water swirling around it and the rocks it was wedged between. Had the driver made it out? If not, she’d need to swim out there and try to help before the car traveled too much farther downstream.
Just as she was bracing herself to jump into the no doubt icy water, she spotted a person breaking the surface and trying to swim. Head bobbing, splashing against the current, moving slowly in an attempt to reach the shore.
From where she stood, shivering, it appeared to be a losing battle. But then, miraculously, the swimmer somehow made it out of the middle of the fast-moving water, into what appeared to be a shallower area. Here, the water hit chest-high.
A man, she thought, though she couldn’t yet be certain.
“Hey!” she called out, not sure if her voice would carry over the sounds of the rain and the river. “Over here!”
Somehow, he heard her and managed to fight against the current long enough to come ashore fifty yards downstream from where she stood. As he emerged from the water, she saw her initial assessment had been correct. This was a male, a very large one at that. For the first time, she realized she might have placed herself in danger. One of her first purchases in Anchorage after her Jeep had been a pistol, but it was still inside the box in her back seat. Not much help to her there.
Still, she’d had no choice. She couldn’t have simply driven on after watching the car plunge off the bridge.
As he made his way toward her, she turned and began up the embankment, trusting he would follow. Unless... The thought occurred to her when she’d gotten halfway toward the top. Unless he was injured. Which wouldn’t surprise her, considering how far his car had fallen.
Grabbing hold of a sturdy bush, she turned to look back over her shoulder. He’d made good progress, she thought, pushing sodden hair out of her face. “Can you make it up to the road?” she shouted, the wind attempting to carry her words away.
“I think so,” he hollered back. “I have to.”
Glad he understood the situation, she resumed her climb. So cold her hands were numb, she clenched her teeth to keep them from clattering.
Finally, she reached the road. Her Jeep’s blinking hazard lights were a welcoming beacon. She hurried over to climb back into the driver’s seat, turning the heat on full blast. Chilled to the bone, from her soaked clothes and icy skin, she needed warmth. Now what? she wondered, as she waited for the man to join her. The nearest hospital would be back in Anchorage, which was over a two-hour drive. If he needed medical attention, she’d have to render aid herself. If he was too badly hurt, once she reached Blake she had the option of calling for a plane to get the patient to the hospital. Apparently, even a village as small as Blake had its own landing strip.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the man climbed up onto the roadway and headed straight for her vehicle.
When he got in, the first thing she noticed was that he was shivering as violently as she. The second, as he turned to face her, was that despite his rain-plastered hair and the bruises that purpled his face, he had really good looks. Rugged features, including a strong jaw and high cheekbones, and light blue eyes. He struggled to fit into the passenger seat, making her realize she hadn’t imagined his size. He appeared to be well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders, large hands and long fingers.
“I’m a doctor,” she told him, her voice as brisk as she could make it. “Let me take a look at you, as best as I can in this space. Do you hurt anywhere?”
He turned, his blank stare giving her cause for concern.
“I don’t know who I am,” he said, his voice horrified. “Or where I live. I don’t know anything.”
“You must have hit your head in the crash.” Attempting to reassure him, she lightly touched his shoulder. He flinched away. Undeterred, even though she kept her hands in her lap, she continued, “The memory loss is likely only temporary.”
Some of the panic left his gaze. “Do you think so?”
“I do.” Another thought occurred to her. “One question. Do you remember if there was anyone else in the car with you?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed his temples. “I don’t think so, but I can’t be certain.” Expression dubious, he glanced at the window and the rain still pounding them. “I’m thinking I’m not going back out there to check.”
Even if he did, he’d be too late. By now the car would have either gone under or traveled farther downstream. If someone were still trapped inside, she doubted they’d have a chance.
Keeping those thoughts to herself, she nodded. “Going back would be too risky. Buckle in and we’ll get going. I’m hoping to make it to my destination before dark. Though I’ve read it doesn’t get dark until after nine thirty around here at this time of the year.”
Silently, he did as she requested, clicking the seat belt into place. “Where are we?” he asked, swallowing hard.
“Alaska,” she answered. “A few hours northwest of Anchorage.”
When he didn’t respond, she put the shifter into drive, windshield wipers on high, and carefully pulled out onto the road. Without another vehicle to follow, she found herself creeping along, terrified she’d accidentally drive off the road or the edge of some cliff.
Even with the car heater on full blast, she couldn’t stop shivering, no doubt due to her sodden clothes. She glanced over at her still-silent passenger, who sat hunched in the front seat, arms crossed in front of him.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “After a wreck like that, if we were anywhere else, I’d be taking you straight to the nearest hospital.”
“I’m fine,” he responded, his voice a deep rumble. “Cold, a bit sore, but as far as I can tell, nothing is broken.”
Eyeing the darkening bruises on his face, she sighed. “I suspect you’re going to hurt like hell tomorrow.”
“Maybe so.” His shrug indicated the prospect didn’t bother him. “I just need my memory to come back.”
Though still raining, the intensity of the storm seemed to be letting up. She could actually see more than twenty feet in front of her. Relieved, she allowed herself to drive a little bit faster.
A sign came into view. Blake—twenty miles.
“We’re almost there,” she said, more relieved than she cared to admit.
He swung his head around to stare at her. “Is Blake the name of the town where you live?”
“It will be, yes. They call it a village instead of a town though. I’ve actually never been there. I’m from Texas. I’m a new doctor and I signed a contract to provide medical care in Blake for the next two years. In exchange, they’ll take care of my not-insignificant medical school debt.”
“That’s a thing?” he asked.
“It is.” She smiled. “I couldn’t pass up such a generous offer, even if it means I’ll be living and working in the middle of nowhere.”
“What are you going to do with me once we get there?” he asked, his voice as tight as his expression. “I have no idea who I am or where I belong. You can’t just dump me off somewhere.”
He had a point. “I wasn’t planning on it,” she told him. “If you’re from around here, maybe someone in Blake will recognize you.”
“I can’t do that.” His flat tone and closed-off expression concerned her. “Not yet. Please. I need at least a day to try and figure things out.”
Considering, she kept her gaze on the road. She might be crazy, but she had a gut feeling about this. It would be all right. How could she not help this man, who’d managed to survive the not survivable?
“You can stay with me,” she softly replied. The raw gratitude on his handsome face made her heart hurt. “For now, we’re in this together. Hopefully, the rest will sort itself out.”
Expression once again shuttered, he nodded. “I appreciate it.”
“I’m McKenzie Taylor,” she said. “Kenzie for short.”
“Dr. Taylor.”
Pleased, she nodded. “Yes. I’d ask your name, but you said you don’t know it.”
He thought for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s not there. Yet. I’m hoping you’re right and that it’ll soon come to me.”
“It will. Here.” Reaching into the console, she pulled out her phone and handed it to him. “Open up my photos. I’ve got a screenshot in there with directions to the cabin where I’ll be living. Can you take a look at it and read it out loud to me?”
As his large hand closed over her phone, she shivered. To cover, she made a quick remark about getting out of these wet clothes, which only made things worse. Cheeks flaming, she shook her head, wondering what on earth had gotten into her.
If he noticed, he gave no sign. Instead, he turned her phone over in his hands as if he wasn’t sure what to do with it. But then, he appeared to figure things out, touching the photos icon on the screen and pulling up her albums.
“It should be the first picture,” she said, suddenly and absurdly nervous about him scrolling through her personal pics.
“I’ve got it.” He glanced at her, his blue eyes glazed. “We need to check the next mile marker. It says there’s no street sign on the turnoff road.”
Sure enough, they were almost there. She turned off on the dirt—now mud—road, glad she’d gotten a vehicle with four-wheel drive. Still, she couldn’t help but worry she’d get stuck.
Luckily, she didn’t.
“There.” He pointed. Set in a clearing surrounded by trees, the small wooden cabin looked more primitive than she’d been led to believe.
Maybe the rain made it look worse than the photo they’d sent her. She pulled up near the covered front porch and eyed her companion. “Ready to make a run for it?”
He grinned. “I am.”
The change in his expression completely lit up his face. Boyish charm combined with rugged good looks could be a dangerous combination.
“Do you have a key?” he asked.
Somehow, she found her voice. “They said they left one under the doormat.”
“Do you have luggage?”
“Yes.” She turned and pointed to her three suitcases in the back. Dry clothes would be heavenly. “I’ll get them. You go on inside. I’ll be right there.”
Instead of doing what she’d asked, he came around and grabbed her largest bag, hefting it up like it weighed nothing. Once he had that, he grabbed another, leaving the third for her to bring in. He trudged up the steps, setting the suitcases down on the covered porch, and rummaged under the doormat until he found the key. Right behind him, she waited while he unlocked the front door, his sheer size making her feel absolutely tiny.
As they entered, she flipped the switch just inside, immediately flooding the room with light. “I’m glad they had the power turned on.”
“Me too,” he rumbled. “Though it’s still cold. But look.” He pointed, still shivering violently. “You have a fireplace. With dry kindling stacked on the hearth. Let me see if I can get a fire started.”
While he worked on that, she took a look around. The small cabin appeared tidy, with well-used furniture. She had a couch, one armchair and a square end table with a lamp. At one end of the room, she spotted a small kitchen and a two-person dining table. A doorway led to a tiny bedroom with attached bath. Not bad, she thought. Rent free, all utilities paid, this would be her home for the next two years.
“I got a fire going,” her unexpected houseguest said, pushing to his feet. By dint of his sheer size, he made the entire cabin seem smaller.
Then, before she could respond, his expression went slack and he fell, crumpling in a boneless heap, clearly unconscious.
Luckily, the couch sat right there and caught him, keeping him from any further injury. In full physician mode, despite her own discomfort, she hurried over. Seeing the way he still shivered with cold, she knew the first thing she needed to do was get him out of his wet clothes. The fire he’d started had become a small blaze, putting out some decent heat.
In a small linen closet, she located a few plush towels and grabbed two, carrying them over to where he lay, still out.
She started with removing his soaked work boots and socks. From there, she was able to tug his jeans and undershorts off, using a towel to cover his private area. Once she’d done that, she managed to get his legs up onto the couch so he wasn’t hanging half off. Inside his jeans pocket, she discovered a cell phone, but the water had destroyed it.
Removing his sodden shirt was more difficult. Once unbuttoned, she tried to lift him up to get the shirt out from under him, but couldn’t. Instead, she shimmied it little by little, then gave it a few hard tugs.
Once she’d removed his wet clothing, she dried him with the other towel. His muscular body, she noted, trying for a clinical detachment, appeared fit, as though he spent a fair amount of time working out. A perfect male physical specimen.
Without X-rays, she couldn’t tell for sure if he had any broken bones or internal injuries. Since he had a lot of purpling bruises, she didn’t think he’d emerged from the accident as unscathed as he’d hoped.
Still, he’d been moving fine and hadn’t complained of any pain. All those were good things.
His only major symptom appeared to be memory loss, which she felt quite sure would be only temporary.
Pushing to her feet, she grabbed a blanket from the bed and covered him. She’d try waking him in an hour just in case he had a concussion, but right now she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a change of clothes.
Warm. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was warm. He stirred, struggling to open his eyes. Where was he? Who was he? Heart pounding, he sat up, realizing he was completely naked underneath a blanket.
Rain pounded on a metal roof and he remembered. Some of it. There’d been some sort of accident and he’d ended up in a fast-moving river. A woman had helped him. A pretty doctor named McKenzie. This was her cabin.
“There you are,” a soft feminine voice said. Her. He blinked, trying to focus, belatedly realizing he hurt like hell all over.
“I just finished heating up some soup,” she continued. “Plus, I made a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches for us. I think you might feel better once you get some food into you.”
He nodded to show his agreement, wincing as the movement sent sharp pain lancing through his head.
“I need to examine you again,” she told him, clearly noticing his discomfort. “After we eat.”
About to stand, he remembered his clothes were gone. “I’m naked,” he said. “Did you undress me?”
Though twin spots of color bloomed high on her cheekbones, she held his gaze and nodded. “I had to. Your clothes were—are—soaked. After I got you out of them, I dried you off.”
“Thank you.” He couldn’t imagine how difficult that must have been. After all, he’d guess he outweighed her by over a hundred pounds.
“No problem.” She gestured toward his blanket. “Go ahead and wrap that around yourself while we eat. This cabin came not only fully stocked with food, but with a washer and dryer. I went ahead and washed what we both were wearing. I just put everything in the dryer, so your clothes won’t be ready yet.”
Following her into the kitchen, he saw she’d placed their meal on the table. Two bowls of steaming tomato soup, including two perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwiches, along with two tall glasses of water.
“I couldn’t believe they’d gotten me all that food,” she said, pulling out her chair. Judging by her jerky movements and the way her gaze kept darting toward him and then away, he made her nervous. He supposed he couldn’t really blame her. She was a woman alone in a remote cabin with a man she didn’t know. He wanted to tell her that he wouldn’t hurt her, but suspected that hearing him say such a thing might have the opposite effect.
“You’re too kind,” he said instead, pulling out the opposite chair and slowly sitting. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”
“You’ve got a lot of bruises,” she agreed. “Though without access to my X-ray machine in my new clinic, I have no way to tell if you’ve broken anything. I’m not due to start work until Monday, but I imagine we can stop by my clinic before then if necessary.”
Picking up his spoon, he sampled the soup. Warmth flowed down his throat, for which he was grateful. “I don’t think anything is broken,” he told her. “That’s a different kind of hurt. I’m just banged up.”
Though she nodded, her expression seemed doubtful. But she took her cue from him and for the next several minutes it got quiet while they both concentrated on their food.
He finished before her, making him realize he’d been shoveling food into his mouth as if he hadn’t eaten for days. Who knows, maybe he hadn’t.
“Would you like another sandwich?” she asked, putting her half-eaten one down.
“No thanks. I’m good.” Hating this awkward sort of politeness that had come over them, he tried to come up with a way of getting them at least back to the way they’d been in the car. She’d been fierce and fearless, determined to save a man she didn’t even know. “I owe you a world of thanks,” he said. “For what you did back there. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
She waved off his words with one graceful movement of her hand. He noted her nails, though cut short, were painted a bright pink.
“Has anything come back to you? Like your name? Or what happened to make you drive over the side of that bridge?” she asked.
He gave her question the careful consideration it deserved, squashing a flare of panic when he realized he still drew a blank slate. “No. Not yet.”
“Once this rain lets up, I think we should drive into Blake and ask around. If you’re from here, people will recognize you. That might help jog your memory.”
This time, the panic made his throat close. He didn’t know why, but he felt positive going into town would be a horrible idea. “I can’t,” he managed. Then, aware of the way she watched him, he took a deep breath. “I’m going to be honest with you. I have no idea who I am or what happened, but something tells me I’m in some sort of danger.”
Without saying anything, she continued to watch him.
“I’m serious.” He spread his hands. “I know you don’t owe me anything and you’ve certainly done more than enough, but could you let me stay here a few days? I can sleep on the couch. I just need some time to figure things out, which I can’t do until my memory comes back.”
She tilted her head, which caused a section of her long auburn hair to fall in a curtain over her face. As she brushed it away with her long, graceful fingers, he realized she was more than merely pretty. She was beautiful. She was also a woman alone with a strange man she didn’t actually know. He couldn’t blame her if she refused. Yet with everything inside of him, he hoped she wouldn’t.
“You can stay,” she finally replied, unsmiling. “But you should know that I do have a pistol and I know how to use it if necessary to protect myself. You seem like a nice enough person, but I feel it’s only fair I should warn you. This little village of Blake and the surrounding area is counting on me to provide medical services for the next twenty-four months, and I don’t want to let them down. Are we clear?”
Though he found her speech endearing, he knew enough to hide his smile. “I’m glad you have a gun. I honestly believe that kind of protection is necessary for a woman living on her own in such a remote place.” He took a deep breath. “It’s not much but I promise while I’m here, I’ll also protect you if you need me to.”
Her brown eyes searched his face. Then, almost as if she understood he felt the need to repay her in any way he could, she nodded. “Thank you,” she finally said.
“One more thing.” While he hated to ask, his gut instinct told him he had to. “Would you hold off on mentioning my accident and the fact that my car ended up in the river? This is a remote enough area that I think it will be a while before anyone notices.”
Judging by the tightening of her mouth, she didn’t particularly like that request. “Why? You’re acting like you have something to hide. Do you?”
He spread his hands in what he hoped was an appeasing gesture. “I don’t know. And I won’t until my memory comes back. But for whatever reason, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in some sort of danger. That’s why I want to lay low until I can figure things out.”
“Danger.” A frown creasing her forehead, she eyed him. “What kind of danger and from whom?”
“I wish I knew. Right now, I have no idea.”
Still holding his gaze, she finally shrugged. “Well, I’m guessing no one who wishes you harm will find you here. We’ll do the best we can. You’re welcome to use the shower if you want to get cleaned up. Your clothes should be dry by the time you finish. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get unpacked and then make a few phone calls to let people know that I’ve arrived.” With that, she disappeared into the bedroom.
Now that she’d mentioned it, a shower sounded like heaven. Moving slowly, since any movement at all made him realize he got sorer by the moment, he made his way toward the small bathroom located off the bedroom.
Kenzie had placed her suitcases on top of the bed and had gotten busy unloading them. She glanced up when he entered and smiled. “I put a clean towel and washcloth out for you. Enjoy your shower.”
Struck dumb by the sheer beauty of her smile, he managed a nod before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door. Heart pounding, he took a moment to collect himself. Along with not knowing his name, he also had no idea of his character or what kind of man he might be. The image of Kenzie smiling at him next to a bed had sent a bolt of pure lust through him, even though her smile told him she had no idea of her effect on him.
Shaking his head at himself, he dropped the towel, his arousal unsurprising. Kenzie definitely was easy on the eyes. He worried about her, though. He might not know his own name or where he belonged, but he knew enough about life to understand how dangerous things could be for a woman like her alone. She trusted too easily, making him want to caution her against being too careless. He would too, eventually, just not today. Instead, for as long as he was around her, he figured he’d do his best to protect her as repayment for her kindness. Even if that meant protecting her from himself.
