gone shopping this week.” Taking the seat opposite Amelia, Casey eyed the plate of crostini topped with pepperoni and stuffed olives. This was dinner? Casey’s stomach growled. “And there’s plenty to do.”
“Like?”
The ring of Amelia’s cell phone drew Casey’s attention. Amelia didn’t move. “Aren’t you going to pick up?”
Amelia made a face. “No.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Casey asked, wondering at her sister’s odd behavior.
“No.” Amelia made a rolling gesture with her hand. “You were saying what there was to do in town.”
Pursue Jake?
Not wanting to put that idea into Amelia’s head, Casey said, “You could browse the shops. Take a walk. Volunteer to help with the reunion committee.”
Amelia plucked a crostini from the plate and held it between her two fingers as if she were holding fine china. “Now, that sounds perfect for my skill set. Who do I talk to about helping with the committee?”
“Renee Haversham. I can introduce you when we get back from our backpacking trip.” Casey searched her sister’s face closely. In some ways it was like looking in a mirror, but not. To Casey, Amelia’s pale complexion was flawless, her eyes bluer and her features better proportioned. Was it any wonder people, men especially, gravitated to Amelia? “Unless you’ve changed your mind about going?”
“No, I haven’t.” Amelia peered at her just as closely. “You don’t want me to go, do you?”
Stalling as she tried to think how best to answer her twin, Casey popped a crostini into her mouth and chewed slowly. After she’d swallowed and taken a sip of water, she said, “It’s not that I don’t want you to go—I just can’t see you enjoying backpacking.”
With a shrug, Amelia said, “We’ll see. Having Jake Rodgers along should be interesting. I understand he’s available.” She rubbed her hands together. “One of those bachelors that magazine talked about.”
Casey’s stomach clenched, and it wasn’t from the spicy pepperoni. “He’s single.”
“Divorced,” she corrected. “And rich. Just the kind of guy I like.”
The speculative gleam in her twin’s gaze made Casey’s mouth go dry. She took a quick sip of water before saying, “Amelia, don’t play with Jake’s affections. He’s struggling right now to raise his daughter. He doesn’t need you coming on strong with no intention of following through.”
Amelia’s expression darkened. “How do you know I wouldn’t follow through?”
“You left a string of broken hearts behind when you charged out of Treasure Creek.” And who knew how many men she’d caught and thrown away in San Francisco? Every time Amelia called home, she’d spoken of someone new. “You never follow through. At least not when it comes to love.”
“Oh, and you’re some expert? When have you ever been in love?”
The barb hit home. “Seth Davenport,” Casey replied just a tad too defensively for her liking.
Amelia scoffed. “Right. You had one date with the nerd. That doesn’t qualify.”
It had been more than just one date. But Casey wasn’t about to share with her twin the intimate details of her disastrous romance, though she cringed to associate the nicety of romance with what had transpired between her and Seth.
Switching gears to keep the focus off herself, Casey said, “Why are you really home?”
Amelia arched one perfectly waxed eyebrow—her signature expression that drove Casey nuts. “Excuse me?”
Casey reached across the table and took Amelia’s hand. “Don’t pretend not to understand me. Why did you return home so early? And why were you crying when I came in?”
Her expression shut down as she extracted her hand from Casey’s hold. “I’ll leave if you don’t want me here.”
Frustration bounced around Casey’s chest. Amelia always did that—twisted Casey’s words around and used them against her. “I didn’t say that.”
“Good.” Amelia took her plate to the sink and began doing the dishes, leaving Casey’s questions un answered.
Her sister was hiding something. Casey wasn’t sure how to get Amelia to open up. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to try. Amy’s voice rang in her head, urging her to give Amelia a chance. They might grow closer. Maybe close enough for Amelia to confide in her. Because whatever Amelia wasn’t saying was upsetting her.
Chapter Three
“Welcome, everyone,” Casey said, her gaze roaming over the six people assembled in the prep room of Alaska’s Treasures tour company. Once word had gone out that another tour had opened slots, three more people signed up. An older married couple, newly retired to Treasure Creek, Doug and Marie Caruthers, and a freelance photojournalist, Stan Ford.
Casey’s gaze snagged on Jake. He wore a pale yellow-colored pullover sweater that heightened the darkness of his hair and eyes. Faded jeans hugged his long, lean legs. She met his gaze. He stared back with polite attention. But then his eyes seemed to darken and his mouth curved into a charming smile. Her pulse quickened, nearly making her lose her train of thought. She wondered what his face—his eyes—would look like across the warm light from a camp fire. Would he still look at her so intently? Could his interest ever be more than just guide and client? Did she want it, too?
Casey forced herself to keep her gaze moving. Jake’s daughter, on the other hand, made it clear by her crossed arms and bored expression that she wanted to be anywhere but here. Her fuzzy coat and bright-colored leggings wouldn’t work on this trip, but they certainly made her stand out from the crowd. Casey hoped the tall, strawberry-blonde and delicately pretty child would have the stamina to make the long journey. Casey would keep an extra-alert eye on Veronica.
“I’m Casey Donner, your guide for this tour. The emphasis of our trip will be making sure each of you garners the most enjoyment of your Alaska’s Treasures tour experience.”
She gestured to the long metal table behind her, where she’d laid out a backpack and everything that would need to go inside. “As you can see from the items on this table, there is a lot of equipment that will be brought with us. Goods and services included in your adventure are food, cooking equipment and safety gear. We spread the weight out through everyone’s backpacks so that no one person’s pack is too heavy.”
She picked up a stack of papers from the chair to her side. “Each of you will receive a packet with a checklist of the items you’ll need to provide for yourself. Give careful consideration to clothing. Fabrics that wick moisture away from the body and dry quickly are preferable. One thing you should keep in mind is how much hiking you’ll be doing, so good shoe wear is essential.”
“Will regular tennis shoes suffice?” Stan asked, as he lifted the camera slung around his neck and snapped off some pictures of Casey.
Disconcerted by the camera, Casey looked away as she answered. “I’d suggest hiking boots.”
