The Alaska Brides Collection Part 39

She bit back the bitter response that would let her brothers know exactly how temporary this situation was. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me." She gave each of her brothers another hug. "I'm afraid the trip's made me unconscionably cranky."

"I don't mind a cranky sister. I'm just glad you're here. I've missed you," Braden said, then added a greeting in his wife's native Tlingit. "That's from Amy. She's thrilled to have you living so near us."

"And Merry can't wait to talk your ear off, I'm sure." Ian shrugged. "I'm afraid our wives are starved for female companionship. I promised to fetch you home as soon as our business in town was done."

"And the baby," Fiona said, "how is he?"

"Douglas is, no doubt, the most brilliant of all the Rafferty men. It won't be long until he's calling me Da."

"Ian, he's only four months old." Braden looked past Fiona to frown. "We're going to have to keep a close watch on Fiona. Look at the attention she's drawing."

Ian followed Braden's gaze. "You're right," he said. "But then, when's the last time an unattached beauty arrived in town?"

"Hush now," Fiona said. "The men can't be that interested in me. I'm as plain as they come. Now let's make haste for home. I've got a nephew and two sisters-in-law to meet."

One glance at the streets of tiny Goose Chase, and Fiona had no doubt her brother's statement was true. As she followed them down streets muddy with the beginnings of the spring thaw, she saw men everywhere. Old, young, and every age in between.

And obviously, they all saw her.

"You're causing quite a sensation," Braden said as he steered her away from a particularly large mud puddle. "Like as not there will be a line of suitors at Ian's place before dark."

Ian must have noticed her expression, for he reached to grasp her hand. "Braden, you go on to the mercantile. Fiona and I will wait for you in the umiak. I think all this attention's a bit much for her."

Fiona shot Ian a look of thanks and then followed him back to the docks in silence. Somehow her trunk had been transferred to one of the leather-clad canoes. She glanced over at the trawler and then returned the captain's wave.

"Remember the red canoe Da built for us when we were children?" Ian gestured to the leather boat. "This is much like it. It's called an umiak," he explained. "Braden and Amy built it with skins I trapped." He paused. "And we won't be traveling with it all that far." Ian's grin turned tender. "I know all of this is new to you, but I promise you'll love living in Alaska. Just give it a chance."

Once again, Fiona chose not to comment.

As promised, Braden returned quickly, and their trip upriver began. Fiona marveled at her brothers' ability to maneuver the small vessel, given that they used ropes to achieve the task. Many long hours later, they crossed a small bridge and steered the umiak to a stop near a collection of buildings that Fiona prayed were not homes.

Unfortunately, they were.

"Did Da really say that?" Eyes twinkling, Ian Rafferty took a healthy sip of coffee and set the mug on the rough wooden table. His lovely wife, Meredith, swiftly refilled the cup from the pot brewing on the small stove.

A little over two weeks had pa.s.sed since Fiona had landed in this strange community, and she'd almost caught up on her sleep. While she'd quickly learned to love the women her brothers had married, she had yet to find an equal fondness for the land where they settled. Why, even the bridge that linked her brothers' land to the opposite sh.o.r.e was a temporary structure. Except when they used pulleys and ropes to swing it into position, it stood useless, parallel to the river's edge. Her brothers had explained this was necessary to keep the bridge from causing the water-and the flecks of gold it might carry-to flow away from the opposite sh.o.r.e and the miner who held legal claim to it.

As her brothers had predicted, a constant barrage of suitors seemed to appear at random from the vast wilderness surrounding them. Ian and Braden took great delight in her discomfort, while Meredith and Amy encouraged her to ignore the whole lot of them. Fiona kept her thoughts to herself and counted the days until she could make good her escape.

That morning over breakfast, the talk had once again turned to matchmaking. Unlike before, Fiona spoke up when Ian began his teasing.

"I fail to see what's so funny. Did our father mention that my lack of a mate is the main reason he banished me to this place?" Fiona took a healthy sip of coffee then glanced over at Meredith, who gave her a nod. "Da feels I should be a wife and mother and not a doctor. To paraphrase, Alaska may do what Oregon did not."

"Get you married off?" Ian shook his head. "And why not? If you haven't noticed, the population in Goose Chase is decidedly male. Why, I'm surprised Merry gave me the time of day, what with the pickings being so plentiful."

Meredith brushed past Ian, pausing only to kiss the top of his head. Fiona watched her disappear behind the fur curtain separating the eating area from the other parts of the tidy but claustrophobic abode. While Fiona understood the need to protect its inhabitants from the dreaded Alaska winter, the odd dwelling seemed more like a tomb than a home.

And the facilities, well, to say the least, Fiona did not relish her morning ablutions or the occasional nighttime trip outside. Then there was the complete lack of a proper day and night. She rose and slept by the clock, not the sun, having been warned by Braden on her first day that one might lose track of days and nights unless a diary was kept. Amy advised her that by the time summer set in, she would be able to read a book at midnight.

How her brothers and their families stood it all was beyond Fiona. Even baby Douglas seemed to adapt better than she to the odd life his parents lived.

Fiona forced her mind back to the topic at hand. The courage to speak might not return; seeing the conversation through to the end was best done only once. She took another sip of coffee and stared at Ian.

She would have to have this conversation again with Braden when the opportunity presented itself. Perhaps it was better to divide and conquer when it came to the Rafferty men.

"What if I don't want to be married off, Ian? What if I want to be single the rest of my life so I can devote myself to the calling the Lord's placed on me?"

Shock registered on Ian's face, even as heavy footfalls sounded outside.

A gust of icy wind preceded a tall man bundled into a parka that showed only a pair of brown eyes and a lock of ebony-colored hair. "How did I get so fortunate as to meet the one woman on earth who isn't looking for a husband?" As he peeled off the topmost layer of outerwear, the stranger thrust a gloved hand in her direction. "Tucker Smith," he said. "And you must be Ian's sister, Fiona."

His hand enveloped hers, the fingers strong and warmer than she expected. So was his expression when he removed his cap and shook free a mane of hair that needed a good barbering.

Odd, but something seemed quite familiar about the man. And the voice? Fiona was almost certain she'd heard that voice somewhere before.

Ian motioned for the man to take a spot at the table, then reached for the coffeepot and a spare mug. "Fiona, meet Merry's brother. Tucker, this is Fiona. He's a Texan, so don't pay attention to half of what he says and ignore the rest of it."

So this was the mysterious Tucker Smith, the man she had heard Meredith and Ian whispering about when they thought she was not listening. Something about a mission to Seattle. A deceased relative whose will needed tending to, perhaps. She'd not been able to piece out the story from her limited knowledge, but truthfully she'd been too tired to muster more than a pa.s.sing interest.

Fiona sized up Meredith's brother, being careful not to attract his attention. To her surprise, the man acted not at all like the other men who sought her favor.

If Fiona had not been so relieved, she might have been offended.

Tucker shared a laugh with Ian before turning his attention to Fiona. His gaze swept over her and then settled on her eyes. Was that amus.e.m.e.nt? Recognition?

Surely not.

Ian had written of his brother-in-law and most likely had also told Mr. Smith about Fiona. Yes, that's why he's staring at me as if he knows me.

"Well, now, pleased to meet you, ma'am," Mr. Smith said.

The man spoke in a slow drawl, a voice that shook the timbers of her heart with its depth and richness. She wouldn't be surprised to find Tucker Smith had a talent for music, such was the melody of his speech. So this was the mysterious fellow her sister-in-law so often remembered in her prayers.

Tucker settled onto the chair beside Fiona, then swiveled to face her. Rather than stare into the man's startling, sky blue eyes, she settled her gaze on his red suspenders.

Ian leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "You get everything handled?"

His yes came out in a weary sigh.

"Were you able to wire the money to Texas?" Merry asked as she pushed back the fur curtain and returned to the room. "I know that was first on your list of things to do after you signed the papers."

"Enough of that." Ian gave Meredith a look of gentle warning. "Let the man rest, dear. He'll give us the details soon enough."

She turned to Fiona. "Tucker's been taking care of some family business. He's been in Seattle for a spell."

Fiona lifted her gaze from the red suspenders to their owner's face. A tinge of the same scarlet color decorated his cheeks. Tucker caught her staring, and she looked away quickly.

Meredith paused beside her husband, but her gaze landed squarely on Tucker. "Funny how the supplies last twice as long when you're away. I think you only came back for the food."

"And I always appreciate the pleasure of your company and the taste of your stew, Merry, so it's no mystery why I'm here." Tucker smiled, and Fiona's stomach did a flipflop. "The mystery is why you're here, Fiona. What brings a pretty girl to Goose Chase, Alaska?"

When Fiona didn't respond, Tucker looked around the room as if asking for the answer. Thankfully, neither Ian nor Meredith spoke for a full minute.

Tucker gave Fiona a sideways look. "Well, now, a woman with secrets. I'm intrigued."

"Never mind, Tucker," Meredith finally said. "Now tell me all about Seattle."

Fiona sighed. This was a temporary reprieve at best.

Soon, everyone in town would learn why she was banished to this frozen wasteland, and she'd be humiliated for sure. With the ratio of single men to unclaimed women quite out of balance, she'd soon feel the stares, anyway.

Well, no matter; she'd be gone soon enough.

Tucker leaned conspiratorially in Fiona's direction. "Let's make a pact. You keep your secrets, and I'll keep mine. Together, we'll keep this pair guessing. What say you?" Before she could respond, a look pa.s.sed over his face. "Is...that...fresh coffee?"

Fiona glanced down at her cup and then back at Tucker. "It is. I brought it from home."

"Tucker, you only just returned." Meredith stopped behind her brother to muss his already unruly locks, then smiled at Fiona. "My brother's appet.i.te for coffee is matched only by his appet.i.te for caribou steaks."

"Are we having caribou steaks tonight?" Tucker looked like a kid in a candy store. "Don't tease me, Merry. Seattle is great, but it's not Alaska."

"And I, for one, am grateful." The words were out before Fiona realized she'd spoken them.

"My sister's been banished to Alaska against her will," Ian said to Tucker.

Fiona cringed as she waited for Tucker's sarcastic comment. It never came. Rather, Tucker seemed sympathetic.

Meredith met her gaze. "Same as my brother and me, actually," Meredith said. "Tucker and I never expected we would leave Texas for Alaska. Sometimes your family makes decisions without thinking of how they will affect you, and there's nothing you can do but live with them."

Ian looked stunned at his wife's statement. Tucker, however, rose and put his hands on his twin sister's shoulders. "Sometimes the Lord lets us slide into sticky situations faster than He lets us climb out of them. What happened back in Texas is better left back in Texas. I reckon I'm not willing to say any more than that on the subject, and I'd be obliged if you'd do the same, Merry."

The baby began to whimper, breaking the silence. Meredith looked as if she might speak and then clamped her lips shut. A quick nod of her head was followed by Meredith turning on her heels to follow the sound of her son's cry.

Chapter 4.

Tucker eyed the pretty redhead a split second longer than proper, then forced his attention on his brother-in-law. Something about her tugged at his thoughts. He never forgot a face, and this face he'd seen before. But how was it possible?

He returned to his chair and tried to think of how he might have seen a woman with such fire and promptly forgotten the experience. It seemed impossible.

"You look like you're pondering something important, Tucker," Ian said.

"Do I?" He decided to move his attention elsewhere. Now was as good a time as any to break his idea to them gently. "Did you hear the Harriman Expedition's heading toward Sitka?"

Ian met his gaze. "I did."

"Wonder what you think of that?"

Ian tipped his chair back and ran his hand over his chin hairs. "I reckon somebody's got to do it. We need the maps, and there's no telling what else they'll find." He nodded. "I say, good for them."

That went well enough. Tucker decided to go ahead and spring the whole plan on them. "What would you think if I signed on for the adventure?"

His brother-in-law set his chair down with a thud and then shook his head. "Sign on for the adventure? Are you serious?"

Tucker caught the redhead staring at him. "Dead serious, actually," he said. "I met a fellow on the way back from Seattle, a mapmaker. We got to talking, and it turns out they need folks like me who know their way around the tundra." He paused. "So, Ian, what do you think? Can you do without me for a month or so?"

Ian seemed to be taking the news in and chewing on it. Tucker knew his brother-inlaw rarely spoke before cogitating a bit. Most times, he liked that about Ian Rafferty. At the moment, however, he was ready to jump out of his seat and shake an opinion out of him. If Meredith hadn't bustled the baby out of the room to feed him, she probably would have spoken her piece by now. He had little doubt, however, what she would say. Ian, on the other hand, just might like the idea.

"I've heard the expedition's going to bring along an artist," Ian's sister said. "How wonderful to see the flora and fauna of the Arctic Circle."

When Tucker looked her way, green eyes stabbed him with something akin to disgust. He made the mistake of chuckling.

"Do you find my statement amusing, Mr. Smith?"

Tucker grimaced. "Forgive me, Miss Rafferty," he said slowly, "but there are more important things in the world than flora and fauna."

"Such as?" Her eyes glinted a challenge stronger than her tone.

"Such as..." Dare he hint at the real reason he wanted to be aboard that ship? Probably not. This one seemed to be devoid of the usual cognitive handicaps a.s.sociated with being born female. Unfortunately, she'd obviously acquired the feminine art of putting a bigmouthed man in his place, most likely a hazard of growing up alongside Ian and Braden. Unless he said something brilliant soon, she'd most likely do just that.

"Such as," he said with false bravado, "making maps so the railroad can go through and towns can be built. You never know when s.p.a.ce is going to run out back home in the States. We need to be ready when they start looking for land in our direction." He looked to Ian for support and found only amus.e.m.e.nt.

Fiona's harrumph let him know exactly what she thought of his answer.

"You have a better idea, do you?" His voice rose. "Perhaps a picture of some tree or fern that will save the world?"

Hands on hips, the redhead pushed away from the table and met his gaze. "Or perhaps some plant with medicinal qualities that will save people." Fiona rose. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of."

He watched Ian's sister sweep from the room as if she were the queen of England.

"Since when do you want to get on a ship and leave because some fellow down south's living too close to his neighbor?" Ian asked. "Something else is going on here, Tucker Smith, and I want to know what it is."

"I think I know." Meredith's firm reply startled them both.

Tucker whirled around to see his twin sister standing in the doorway, holding Douglas against her shoulder. A look pa.s.sed between Meredith and her husband, and after a moment, Ian rose. "It's a fine day for a walk down to the creek. I believe I will go see if I can find a bit of gold with the pan."

"That's a fine idea, Ian," Tucker said. "I'll go with you."

Meredith reached him before he stood and pressed her free hand on his shoulder before handing the baby to him. "You're needed here, Tucker," she said. "If Ian needs any help, he can take his sister."

"Take my sister panning? Are you..." Ian looked from Meredith to Tucker and then back at Meredith again. "Fishing with Fiona. Ah, yes, of course. Why didn't I think of that?"