Page 4 of Snow River

Nah.

“Wanted to ask you the same thing.”

“You didn’t get my note?”

He frowned.He hadn’t even stopped at The Fang before racing after her, after Gunnar had flagged him down with a warning about the Saab she’d bought.Oh well.The place was unlocked and the regulars knew what was what.“What did it say?”

“It doesn’t matter now, I guess.Is there any chance you have a gas can in the bed of your truck?”

“I do.”

He paused, hoping she’d explain what direction she intended to take the gas he brought her.But those mesmerizing violet eyes simply held his, giving nothing away.

“Be right back.Gas station’s a few minutes away.”He strode back to his truck.His heart was doing a funny thing, sort of racing one moment, then thudding the next.He didn’t want Lila to leave.But he also didn’t want to stop her from doing something she wanted or needed to do.Mostly, he wanted her to trust him enough to tell him if she had a problem.

He was starting up his truck, which he’d parked next to Gunnar’s old Saab, when Lila slid into the passenger seat.It felt as if light flooded the cab.That was what Lila did; she brought light.

“I can’t let you pay for my gas,” she explained with one of her quirky smiles.“That would be no way to treat my roadside assister.”

His jaw tightened.He wasn’t fucking triple A.This was remote Alaska.People helped each other and didn’t expect payment unless it came in the form of smoked salmon or blackcurrant jelly.

“I still owe you wages for the last week.”

Left unsaid—you skipped town before even collecting your last paycheck.

“Oh.I guess I forgot about that.”

Just like you forgot to say goodbye.Or why you were leaving.Or why you’ve seemed so anxious this past week.

He reached past her to open the glove compartment and retrieve an envelope, which he handed to her.

She opened it and drew in a breath at the sight of the ten hundred-dollar bills inside.“You don’t owe me that much.”

“I do.”

Clearly, she had no idea how much her bright smiles and empathetic presence had increased his business.He’d had to increase his standing order with every one of his vendors.His customers were going to cry in their beer once they found out she was gone.

They drove in silence to the bend in the road known as Kursk.The gas station there had only recently installed self-service credit card pumps.For years, you’d have to hope that a member of the Wiggleworth family would happen to be around to take your money.Change came slowly out here in the mountains, but it did come.

And sometimes it came suddenly, as when Lila had first walked into the bar.

His old bartender,a guy known as Turk because of his affection for Wild Turkey, had decided to quit cold turkey.

“Redefining my name, boss,” he’d explained when Bear went to check on him.He was shaking and shivering under a pile of quilts, while his friend Timmy hovered nearby.Bear was pretty sure they were a couple, but they never specified and no one ever asked.“Call me Cold Turk now.”

“All right then.Good luck to you, Cold Turk.I can still keep you busy if?—”

“No.Gotta avoid any environment with temptation.Timmy looked it up.”

“When you feel better, might want to check out the AA group.”

Ironically, he sent a fair number of people to that group.He could tell when someone was ready to quit, and ready to seek help.

When he got back to The Fang, he posted a “help wanted” sign.It was April, and business was still on the slow side.He figured it would take time for word to get out, and by Memorial Day, when things got busy, someone would have stepped up.

But a few hours later, in walked Lila.The timing and the serendipity were almost uncanny.

A lot of things involving Lila were uncanny.

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