going on with Cole. He said he’d meet us.”
“Yeah.” It was Donovan’s turn to look uncomfortable. “He tried to call a couple of days ago, but he couldn’t reach you.”
Her eyes narrowed. This didn’t sound good. “I decided to take an earlier flight and spend some time with a friend in Denver. So, where is Cole?”
Donovan tapped his fingers on the table. “Well, right about now he’s in the preliminary stages of climbing the West Buttress of Mount McKinley.”
Jodie stared. She didn’t know a great deal about mountain climbers, but she knew they risked their lives for the sake of climbing a chunk of rock. A rock. They couldn’t enjoy looking at the mountain from a safe distance, they had to see it close up, coupled with risk and danger and adrenaline. She understood all about adrenaline junkies. She’d married one of them.
“So,” she said carefully, trying to keep a grip on her temper, “Cole is an avid mountain climber.”
Donovan nodded. “One of the best.”
“That’s pretty great, Mom,” Tadd exclaimed. He’d finished his own milk shake and was polishing off his sister’s. “Maybe he won’t be so bad after all.”
She spun her head around, her patience strained to the limit. “Not now, Tadd. Go look after your sister.” Penny had climbed down and was exploring a rack of brightly colored postcards.
Tadd opened his mouth to protest, but a single look from his mother silenced him. Jodie was a softer touch than his grandfather, but when she laid down the law, that was that.
She waited until her son was out of immediate earshot. “Cole never said anything about being a climber.”
Donovan whistled silently at the angry sparks in Jodie’s eyes. He was right—there was a lot of fire inside Jodie Richards.
He cleared his throat, uncertain whether she was angry about Cole not telling of his favorite hobby, or that he’d taken off on a climb when he was supposed to be meeting her. Or maybe she was angry about both.
“Jodie, he hasn’t changed his mind about the marriage, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“That’s big of him.”
Donovan leaned forward. “You have every right to be upset, but try to understand. Cole has wanted to climb McKinley ever since he was a kid. And he didn’t plan for this to happen—he signed up as an alternate on the team before you talked about getting married.”
Jodie took a deep breath. She understood about lifelong dreams, but it seemed as if every dire prediction her father had uttered about her trip to Alaska was coming true. That was the worst part, wondering how many times she’d have to hear “I told you so.” He meant well, but he couldn’t see that a family needed more than rules and hop-to commands.
“How long is this climb supposed to take?”
Donovan hesitated. “About three weeks.”
Her fingers curled into her palm. “Then Cole will get back only a few days before we’re supposed to leave.”
“If the climb goes well, he’ll be back even earlier.” Donovan didn’t say what would happen if the climb didn’t go well. McKinley wasn’t as dangerous as climbing a mountain like Everest, but it wasn’t safe, either. “Cole said if you got married, he figured this would be his last chance to climb McKinley. I think he’s planning to give up climbing if things work out…between you.”
She was silent for a full minute, obviously weighing what she’d heard and making decisions. He couldn’t blame her. She had her children to think about.
“Fine. We’ll fly home, then come back later in the summer when he’s ready.”
“You can’t do that.” The sharpness in his voice surprised Donovan, but he didn’t stop to examine the reasons. “That is, you won’t be able to get a flight out. Not easily. Cruise ships bring passengers up to Alaska, then they fly home after touring the state. Outbound flights are booked for weeks ahead during the summer.”
She didn’t say anything and he wondered if she was still angry, or merely thinking.
“You also came to see if you like Alaska and the family,” he said, using all his persuasive powers. “My mom and stepfather said you can stay with them as long as you want.”
“We planned to stay in a hotel. Anyway, I lived here when I was a kid, so I know what it’s like. I’ve always loved Alaska. I hated it when my father was transferred to Hawaii.”
The last piece of information surprised him. Jodie seemed like a butterfly, soft and golden and just as delicate. He didn’t know anything about that kind of woman. Didn’t she belong in the sun? Exotic butterflies should live on tropical islands with warm, scented breezes.
Both amused and annoyed at the direction his mind had taken, Donovan gulped the last of his coffee. It was going to be harder than he’d thought to remember Jodie belonged to his brother. He should just drop her at his mother’s house, then head south again.
“Mom has plenty of room and she’ll be disappointed if you don’t stay,” he murmured. “You want to get acquainted with her, don’t you?”
“Of course. But…” Jodie shrugged diffidently. “It’s awkward. Without Cole here, it doesn’t seem right to impose, especially with Tadd and Penny.”
“Believe me, it’s no imposition. The only thing Mom loves more than company is children.” The wry, amused tone in Donovan’s voice made Jodie smile. Family was important and she wanted to be sure she got along with her proposed new in-laws.
Sudden warmth flushed her body as the memory of kissing Donovan crowded her mind. Oh…she got along with Donovan, all right, but it wasn’t the kind of “all right” that was appropriate between in-laws. And just as suddenly, Jodie realized it was a good thing Donovan hadn’t turned out to be Cole. She wanted to feel a moderate attraction for her husband, not a soul-burning passion. If a single kiss made her so unsettled, then marrying a man like Donovan would be too much of a risk.
“Jodie?” His hand covered her fingers and she jumped. “What do you say? A few weeks with my mother would be a great vacation. She’s a good cook and you can see all the tourist spots around Fairbanks.”
Her mouth dry, Jodie stared at the large male hand clasping hers. The cautious side of her said no, but the impulsive side said yes. She’d taken a lot of chances in her life; why not try one more time?
“I guess we could stay,” she said slowly. “For a few days at least.”
“Great.” He stood and collected the suitcases from beside the table. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Two
Donovan frowned as he looked at Jodie’s two suitcases. “This doesn’t look like enough for a month, not for the three of you.”
“There’s a larger bag I checked through,” she said. “I hope it got here safely. We had to change planes a couple of times.”
