Page 13 of Wind Valley

“I didn’t sleep very well,” she finally said. “Pinky’s idea of a mattress is a piece of foam dating from the nineteen-seventies. Every time I roll over little bits of it break off.”

He smiled, but clearly he knew she wasn’t saying everything.

“So what are you finding out so far?” She leaned over to peer at his IPad, which had a screensaver with a magnificent photo of a towering crevasse in a shimmering blue wall of ice. “Is that the Korch Glacier?”

“Yup. I took that the last time I was out there.” He pointed to one wall. “If you’ve ever ice climbed, you know how tricky that part is.”

“Ice climbed? You mean, you went in there?”

“I did.” He glanced over at her, smiling at her shocked expression. “I go all sorts of insane places for my field work. I’m tougher than I look.”

Now that he mentioned it, she could see the strength in his lean form. He might be a scientist, but he was the kind who worked outside in the harsh elements as well as in his office.

“The next time you go, I’d love to give it a try.”

She expected him to scoff at that, but he didn’t.

“Have you rock climbed?”

“Yes, back home in Colorado. I’m pretty good, though no expert.”

“Well, ice climbing has different gear, but you’ll probably adapt quickly. You could probably borrow equipment from the Chilkoots. They have a lot of it.”

She knew the Chilkoots were an off-grid extended family who rarely came into town. “Cool. Well, whenever you’d like to go, count me in.”

He nodded, and that was the end of that. No awkwardness, no discussion of whether it counted as a “date” or not. Friends. They could be friends. And that would be bliss. She felt her whole body relax at the thought, and shifted her focus to her laptop.

As she cruised through her email, she felt the steady, warm presence of Lachlan at her side. Their arms weren’t quite touching, but if she shifted just a tiny bit, they would be. As he typed, frowning at his iPad, she kept giving him sidelong glances, noticing things she hadn’t before. Strong hands with calluses. Sandy brown hairs curling under the cuffs of his sweater. Long, long legs crossed at the ankles.

“Hm,” he murmured as he scanned a website.

“What? Anything interesting?”

“Dr. Jason Reed teaches at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He’s divorced now. I wonder if Wind Valley was the fatal blow for that marriage. Wouldn’t be surprised. But look at this. He wrote a book about his experience in Alaska. Madness at the Glacier’s Edge.” He laughed. “A little dramatic, but I’ll bite. I’ll download it now. I usually have a policy of not reading books about Alaska unless the author has lived there more than a few months. But I’ll make an exception for Dr. Reed.”

“Will you give me a book report?”

“Once a teacher, always a teacher, huh?”

She startled, having completely forgotten that she had school today. “Oh my God. Thanks for reminding me. Crap, I’m going to be late for my third day of school.” She closed her laptop and scrambled to her feet.

“How’s that going?”

“Good. It’s a lot of fun. I’ll tell you all about it later. Will you be at The Fang?”

“I’ve got the evening shift. I can have an appletini ready for you, Teach.”

“That’ll get you some extra credit.” She smiled at him as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

“Teachers always did like me,” he said modestly. ”Even without the alcohol.”

She didn’t have a single doubt about that. Count her as one of them.

Then Lachlan snapped his fingers. “I forgot that we’re closing early tonight. We’re having a dinner party at my place. You’re welcome to collect your appletini there.”

Even though he said it lightly, making clear it wasn’t a “date” invitation, she felt herself tense. “Better not. School night.”

He nodded without a single hint of hurt or grievance, said goodbye, and went back to his iPad.

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