her a two-bladed paddle, untied the boat from the dock and gave it a shove. She went scooting across the water, sending the ducks that had congregated in all directions. A breeze caught her and pushed her farther into the lake. “Wait. What do I do now?”
“Paddle.”
She dipped the end of the paddle into the water and her boat curved toward it, slowing her and eventually bringing her around so she was facing the dock just in time to watch Sam slide into his kayak in one easy motion.
As he pushed off from the dock and dipped his paddle into the water, his face changed. Happy lines formed at the corners of his dark eyes. He seemed relaxed, at home on the water. He worked the double-ended paddle with practiced ease.
He paddled closer and rotated his boat so he was next to her and facing the same direction. Once he showed her a couple of basic strokes, she found handling the kayak surprisingly simple. In no time, they were circling the lake, easing into the scalloped edges.
Sam pointed toward a tiny island across the water, covered with grass and a patch of purple irises. “There’s a loon’s nest. Don’t get too close.”
Dana stopped and held up her hand to shade her eyes. Sure enough, she could make out a black-headed bird, with an intricate pattern of black and white across its body and wings, nestled among the grass on the very edge of the island. “How did you spot it?”
“I saw the nest last year, so I was looking for it. Loons like to use the same nest again. Look. Here comes the male. Must be time for shift change.”
As they watched, another similar bird swam closer and rubbed bills with the bird on the nest. After a moment, the first bird wrenched herself off the nest and flopped awkwardly into the water. Once there, though, she was remarkably graceful. The other bird waddled onto the nest. He took a moment to arrange something with his long, pointed bill before settling down.
Sam resumed paddling and she followed him farther around the lake. On the shore, a fat robin watched them, a worm hanging from his mouth. He flew into a tree, greeted by a chorus of chirping from the baby birds in the nest. A sound carried across the water, a haunting three-note call. “What’s that? A coyote?”
Sam smiled and shook his head. “The loons. Look.” He pointed at a tall spruce with a dead top on the shore near the loon’s nest. A huge bird with a white head perched there.
“Is that an eagle?”
“Yes. The loon is calling her mate to warn him.”
A moment later, the eagle spread his wings and lifted off, soaring into the sky. Dana gasped at the sight. “Beautiful.”
“I know.”
She watched Sam’s face. “You love this, don’t you?”
“What?”
“This place. Alaska.”
A slow smile stretched across his face. “It’s home.”
“It must be hard to leave for so long at a time.”
He shrugged. “That’s my job.” He paddled forward. She watched him for a moment as he pulled away, how his arms flexed under his shirt, the confident way he handled the small boat.
What would drive someone to leave a home he loved for such long stretches? Did he have family? Dana had only been gone a day when her mother started calling. Didn’t Sam have anyone who counted on him?
Dana gave herself a little shake. Sam’s personal life wasn’t any of her business. She was here to follow up on Dad’s estate, not to make a friend. It was nice of Sam to include her on this outing, but she needed to focus on her goal and then get back to Kansas, to her life. She picked up her paddle and propelled herself across the sparkling water. Maybe Chris would be back from his fishing trip tonight.
Sam narrowed his eyes at something over at the shoreline. “Wait here a minute.”
Dana watched as he worked his kayak through a tangle of vegetation to a place where a spruce tree leaned over the water, casting a shadow. He eased up to the bank, his movements almost languid and yet precise. He parted some weeds and something flashed green. His hand reached in to extract a fishing lure attached to a snarl of line, which he tucked in his kayak before paddling back to her.
“How did you know that was there?”
He shrugged. “It caught the light. Wouldn’t want the ducks getting tangled up.”
They paddled around the lake for another half hour before Sam led her back to the dock. Her shoulders ached from the unaccustomed exercise, but the sense of peace she felt after her time on the lake made up for it.
Sam climbed up on the dock and tied his boat to a post. Dana paddled alongside and he reached for her hand. She felt a moment of panic as the boat rocked while she tried to climb out, but he just smiled and pulled her onto the dock.
He lifted her boat from the water. “You did well for your first time in a kayak. Did you have fun?”
“I loved it. I’ve never seen a loon or a bald eagle before.”
Sam removed the mess of tangled fishing line from his kayak and deposited it into a garbage receptacle near the dock. “Whenever I get back from a rotation, I come here. I like to see the ducks growing up, the seasons changing.”
“It’s a special place. Thanks for bringing me along today.”
He flashed her a smile. “Anytime.”
THE NEXT MORNING, Sam checked his watch as he hurried across the office parking lot. He was barely going to make the meeting on time. Ordinarily he came in early to prepare, but Dana cooked him French toast for breakfast and it would have been rude not to eat it. Then he got caught up in a conversation advising her what sights she might want to see in Anchorage. Before he knew it, he’d lingered too long.
He smiled to himself. Having a houseguest wasn’t turning out to be nearly as much of a bother as he’d feared. On the contrary, he’d thoroughly enjoyed kayaking with Dana yesterday, watching those eyes of hers light up when she saw the loons and the eagle. And the fact that she kept cooking for him didn’t hurt. It was tempting to play hooky today and go be a tourist with her instead. But he resisted.
He pushed through the glass doors leading to the office atrium and started toward the secured area near the elevators. He’d sent in his reports, so technically he didn’t have to attend the meeting during his days off, but his boss, Ethan, liked to have him there for questions. Besides, face time with the bigwigs was always a good career move.
“Excuse me, sir. Do you have a badge?” An unfamiliar man stepped from behind the security desk and blocked his way. His short hair and determined stance marked him as ex-military. Must be a new guy.
“Yeah.” Sam reached for his shirt pocket, but the ID badge wasn’t clipped on as usual. He patted the pockets of his pants. “Darn. I must have left it in the car. I’ll go get it.”
“Sam, you’re here. Good.” Ethan slapped his
