Chapter 40
"You did," Meredith said. "Just now."
"See what a man needs a wife for?" Ian smiled and then kissed both his wife and his son. A moment later, he was crossing the yard toward the red-haired spitfire.
"See what a man needs a wife for?" Tucker felt the stab of guilt down to his gut. A wife. A son. Maybe a daughter someday...
"Tucker."
His twin's gentle voice drew his attention. He looked up at her and smiled. "Are you going to lecture or listen?"
She settled into the chair next to him and dabbed at the baby's smiling mouth with her handkerchief. Tucker reached for Douglas and held him close against his chest. One hand on the baby's back, Tucker felt the soft fuzz of his nephew's hair tickling his nose. He was, for a moment, lost in the sweet baby smell.
"You won't enjoy him so much when his dinner's digested."
Tucker adjusted his nephew to the crook of his arm and held him slightly away from his body. Meredith giggled and retrieved her son.
"You men never cease to amaze me. You can gut a fish or skin a caribou, but you go weak at the thought of a baby doing what babies do best." She arranged Douglas in her lap then lifted her gaze to Tucker. "I do believe I know what's wrong, Tucker, but I wonder if you'll say it before I have to."
He shrugged and rose then reached for the coffeepot. While pouring the last dregs of his favorite beverage into his mug, Tucker watched Ian and Fiona disappear over the rise in the distance.
Alaska was beautiful, especially this time of year. Only Texas held this kind of sway over him, and as the years flew by, the hold of his native land lessened.
The sound of Meredith cooing to her son drew his attention. He turned and took a deep breath and then hauled himself and his coffee back to the table.
"Save me the time and say it, Merry," he said before taking a sip of the hot, strong brew. "No matter what words I might have to defend myself, I am sure you will have more to add to them."
"That's not fair." Meredith's expression softened. "Or maybe it is." She seemed to be searching his face. "I don't pretend to know why the Lord blessed me with Ian and Douglas here in Alaska when you had to leave all your dreams behind in Texas. I don't deserve all this happiness." Her eyes welled with tears. "And you don't deserve to be alone."
As he expected, his sister knew him too well. Tucker could deny it, but any statement other than the truth wouldn't be worth the breath he wasted on it. Diversion seemed his only option.
"I'm not alone. Between your family and Braden's, I never have to worry about too much peace and quiet." He paused to take a sip of the cooling coffee. "Especially now that Amy and Braden will be giving you a new niece or nephew. Before long, Goose Chase will be overflowing with Rafferty children."
"But that's just it." Meredith shook her head. "Don't bother to deny it. I've seen how you are with Douglas. Oh, Tucker, you should be having babies of your own."
He faked a laugh in another attempt to sidetrack the discussion. "Now wouldn't that be something to see? Last time I checked, it was the wife's job to have the babies."
She tossed her handkerchief at him and rose to walk the baby the length of the room. "Have you written her since we left?"
"Her?" He feigned ignorance. "Since when do I write letters to anyone?"
Meredith halted her pacing. "Stop it, Tucker. You know who I mean."
"Yes, I do know who you mean, and no, I haven't written her." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I told her before I left that I'd never ask her to be tied to a man whose family couldn't hold their heads up in town."
"So that's why you broke it off with her. Because of our father."
His temples throbbed as he tossed back the last of his coffee and set the mug on the table. "No, Merry, I told Elizabeth's daddy that I released her from the promise to me because the situation had changed. She was standing right there when I told him, and she seemed to be fine with it."
"Seemed to be fine with it or struck dumb with shock?" she asked as she patted the sleeping baby's back. "You know, Tucker, you are stubborn as a mule." Meredith paused to shake her head. "No, that's not right. I don't want to insult the mule."
"You, Merry Rafferty, always were the dramatic one."
From the look on her face, Tucker could tell he'd done it this time. He and his twin rarely shared harsh words. Their closeness generally prevented any conflict, but at times like these, it was that closeness that gave him the knowledge of just what words would hit the mark.
The last time they had argued, it had been over a play toy. He couldn't remember who won that argument, but he never forgot how much he hated seeing his sister cry.
Like now.
"And you, Tucker Smith," she said as the first tear wove a path down her cheek, "were always the dense one. You mope around here wis.h.i.+ng you had a wife and baby like Ian, yet you went and messed up the one chance you had. No wonder you want to run off and hide on some expedition to the North Pole."
"They're not going to the North Pole. They're-"
"Who cares what the destination is? The only reason you want to be on that boat is to get away from the consequences of your choice. You could have brought Elizabeth with us as your wife, you know."
"Now why would I want to do that? The woman can't brew a pot of coffee to save her life, and she surely doesn't know which
She refused to be put off track by humor-that much he knew from looking at her. Tucker tried another tack.
"Maybe she didn't want to go, Merry. Have you thought of that? Maybe she didn't want anything to do with a man whose father had no better morals than to defraud half the county."
"It wasn't half the county, and you know it."
"What I know is that I had no choice in what my father did, but I do have a choice about whether to stay here and listen to you telling me what I ought to do."
Tucker rose and headed for the door. If Meredith wanted to question him further on his love life or anything else, she'd have to follow him.
And he intended to walk fast.
Fiona was so mad she could have walked all the way back to Oregon. Instead, she settled for storming away from a conversation where her brother refused to admit that she belonged in medical school rather than Alaska. Ian held the archaic view that his baby sister should be seeking a husband instead of following a dream.
"You're wrong, Ian," she called over her shoulder as she stormed away. "It's not something I want to do; it's something I have to do. There's a difference."
"Oh, Fiona, be serious."
His teasing laughter chased her along the path by the river, and then it brushed past her to echo against the snow-covered hills up ahead. She counted her steps, picking her way around patches of mud and jutting rocks.
How had a lovely stroll with her brother turned into an argument-something she and her brother never had? Ian didn't intend to be mean, and she knew it. He was just a man and, as such, held to a whole bunch of ideas that didn't fit anymore. To listen to Ian Rafferty, one would never know there was a brand-new century dawning in less than seven months.
Fiona would have loved nothing better than to shout back to Ian, reminding him of that fact, but to do that, she'd have to backtrack and catch him where he could hear her. Instead, she allowed herself to think about where she might be when the clock struck midnight on January 1 of the year 1900. She'd be at the medical college, of course.
"What better time to write a letter of acceptance to the university?"
The question, spoken aloud to no one in particular, brought a smile, and she wore that smile until she reached the open door of her temporary home. Once inside, she stopped short when she saw Meredith bent over a sheet of paper, writing furiously. Her sister-in-law seemed so involved in whatever she was working on that she had no idea Fiona stood watching.
"Merry?"
She jumped, grasping her chest. The pen clattered to the floor, where Fiona quickly retrieved it.
"I'm so sorry." Fiona handed Meredith the pen. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Meredith folded the letter in thirds then set it aside. "No, it's fine," she said as she smoothed back her hair. "I was just writing a letter to someone back home."
"Would you have extra writing materials I might use? I think I'd like to do the same thing." She gestured behind her. "I think I'll enjoy the outdoors. It's nice out."
"Of course," Meredith said, her voice still a bit shaky. "There's a lovely spot just over the hill beside the river."
When Fiona arrived at the spot, she found it already occupied, so she turned, intent on retracing her steps. Tucker Smith sat so close to the water that he could reach over and stick his hand in if he wanted to. He gave no notice he saw her, and it was only when he called her name that she realized he was aware of her presence.
"Fiona, wait. You don't have to go."
She stopped. "No, I'll find another place to write."
"Suit yourself," he responded without looking in her direction.
Fiona wandered around until she found a secluded spot a few hundred yards upstream. Spotting a rock large enough to sit on, she perched atop it and hauled out her writing kit. Writing the letter of acceptance took almost no time. It was the letter to her father that she agonized over.
Despite her father's old-fas.h.i.+oned ways, Fiona loved him with all she had. Unlike her brothers, she'd been her father's shadow. Tagging along beside him, baiting his hook, and cooking his meals had cemented a bond between them that nothing could shake.
She might not like his choice to send her to live with her brothers, but she understood it. A man of his generation would never think of letting a woman choose her career, at least not where her father came from.
As much as she did not want to write him of her plans, Fiona knew she must. So with dread and prayers, she began a letter to her father.
She'd used and discarded three sheets of paper when Tucker Smith strolled into sight around the bend in the river. Fiona frowned. Just when she'd finally decided how to break the news to Da. What did the irritating man want now?
He walked tall and swift, making his way over the rocky ground without so much as a glance toward his feet. Unlike her, Tucker had made peace with this place.
"I surrender." He paused. "And I apologize."
Well now, she hadn't expected that. "For what?" came out before she had time to think.
Even an irritating man can look handsome when he grins, and Tucker did. "I won't tell you what Merry called me, but I will tell you she was right."
"I see." Fiona set aside her writing and studied the ink stains on her fingers as she blew out a long breath. "Tucker..." She spoke as slowly as she moved, lifting her head as the words fell softly between them. "I owe you an apology, as well. I shouldn't have spoken to you in the manner I did. It was rude."
He reached for a stone to throw toward the river. It hit the middle of the stream with a plop then disappeared below the rippling surface. "We're a fine pair. How about we start over?"
He rose and bowed low, as if he were greeting the queen of England. "Name's Tucker Smith of the Texas Smiths. The pleasure's all mine." He took two steps back and affected surprise. "Say, aren't you Ian and Braden Rafferty's sister?"
The slightest smile threatened to escape, so she looked away. My, but this one could be charming when he wanted. The last thing a woman on her way out needed was to find an interest in a man who wasn't going with her.
A movement on the other side of the river caught her attention. From where she sat, she watched a silver-haired man slide from behind a rock to crouch beside a stand of trees. "Tucker," she said slowly, "someone is watching us."
Chapter 5.
Tucker followed Fiona's gaze to the other side of the river. He chuckled when the fellow had the gall to wave.
"Do you know him?"
"I'm afraid so." He returned his attention to Ian's sister. "That's Mr. Abrams. He owns the land on that side nigh on up past the creek."
"Does he always spy on the goings-on over here?"
"Well, I can't be sure." Tucker shrugged. "But I believe he busies himself with working his claim most days. Leastwise, Merry's never complained about him."
She clutched her paper and ink. "Wonderful."
"Looks like you've caught his attention. Maybe he can't help staring because he thinks you're the prettiest thing he's seen in some time."
The expression on Fiona's face told him how little she liked that idea. Tucker hoped his own expression didn't give away how much of that statement described his feelings, as well.
"So he's not dangerous?" Fiona swung her gaze in his direction before taking another look at the fellow across the river. "Are you sure? He seems a bit...well...odd. Look, he's climbing that tree."
"Miss Rafferty," he said slowly, "I a.s.sure you, old Mr. Abrams isn't any more dangerous than I am."
She cut him a sideways glance. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"
For a minute he couldn't tell whether or not she was serious. Then her lip twitched, and he knew she was hiding a smile.
A cry for help prevented Tucker from answering. Fiona jumped to her feet and raced toward the sound.
"It's your neighbor," she called, as she jumped off the rock and searched for a spot to cross the river. "I think he fell out of the tree. Look!"
She pointed to Abrams, who lay on the ground. Tucker stood watching for a moment, until he realized the panicked female was about to try and swim across.
"What are you doing?" Tucker called. "The water's freezing. You can't go in there." He caught up to her. "Go back and fetch Merry. She will know what to do."
"There's no time," she said. "Get me across the river." When he didn't react immediately, she took off walking again.
"Miss Rafferty, what are you doing? If you get in the water, you'll-"
"Help me across, then, or I'm swimming. That man needs medical attention, and I have the training." As if to prove her point, she made a move toward the first rock nearest the banks. "I can walk across the rocks and-"
"Not on my watch. Ian would have my hide. The bridge is only a quarter mile downstream."
Fiona shook her head. "No time to go that far. He could be seriously injured. There has to be a faster way."
Making up his mind as he sprinted after her, Tucker swept the obstinate woman into his arms, then swung her over his shoulder. "Be still, or we'll both get a good dunking. I'm crossing up ahead where that fallen log is. If you understand that you need to be completely still, say yes now. Otherwise, I'm dumping you right here."
"Yes" came like a squeak from somewhere behind his right ear.
Tucker hauled her closer against him and tested his balance on the log. Before putting his next foot forward, he paused.