Page 21 of Five Alarm Love
Maybe she could attend the wedding with him.
No.She shook her head, as if to dislodge the thought.For so many reasons, that would be a terrible decision.
Why wasn’t there a bite on the line?She sat up and jiggled the rod before giving up and securing it in the holder stuck in the ground.
“How about I give you something special?”Hunter said with a broad, boyish smile.
“Uh, what?”
He tapped on the cooler.“You know.Blackberry pie.Not as good as your mom—er, Aunt Melinda—might make, though.It’s from the Yukon Valley Diner.”He followed her line of sight.“Don’t worry about the poles.We’ll see the red flag go up if we get a hit.”
Lou already saw a lot of red flags.
It was like he had complete amnesia for his support of Ryan last year.How he had helped spread the news of the breakup.
She pressed her lips together.
Get over it.Past history.Focus on the future.On family.
Except for the family she could no longer have.
Besides that family.A sigh caught in her throat, and she swallowed hard.
She scooted back from the rods, careful not to track silty dirt and pine needles onto the picnic blanket.
They ate slices of fresh blackberry pie in companionable silence, stowing all napkins and cutlery in plastic Ziploc bags, and then sealing everything in a cooler.No reason to tempt fate.Or bears with an excellent sense of smell.
He smiled.“This is a terrific day, isn’t it?”
Fighting not to pull back, she made a positive, noncommittal sound.What was it about Hunter that put her defenses up?
Lou needed to keep the conversation superficial.“So, what brought you back to town last fall?”Besides hanging with his bestie, Ryan, who had broken her heart.“I thought you swore off Yukon Valley after high school.Heard you were heading out for big city riches instead of small-town living.”Heard that from Ryan.The guy who never met a confidential fact he wouldn’t turn around and share with others.
Anyway.
Hunter mumbled, “Why not have both?”
“Pardon?”
He stared at her, his brows drawn tight.“That came out weird.What I meant was, I’m back home with family, so that means I’m rich, right?”
“Uh.Sure.”For some reason, Lou was certain that wasn’t what he meant.
“To answer your question, our dads talk from time to time.Uncle Steve had mentioned an opening at the fire department last year.”He flashed a megawatt smile that was handsomely blinding but didn’t reach his eyes.“I enrolled in fire academy training.Realized that I missed the traditional life and our culture.So, it was good to return.Use my skills to give back.Hopefully, I’ll continue helping in other areas.”
Lou didn’t recall Hunter being particularly involved in Athabascan culture growing up.Of course, most everyone attended memorial potlatches and celebrations.Enjoyed seasonal festivals.But really digging into the history and learning from elders?She didn’t recall him doing that.However, their Koyukon tribe was one of the larger ones in the Alaskan interior.She didn’t know every tribal member’s activities.Or maybe something had changed, and Hunter truly wanted to get back in touch with his culture.
Who was she to judge?“It has to have been a change.You were gone for several years.Big city and all.”
“Big city.Yep.”
Lou studied him.“You’re really here to get back in touch with your roots and work as a firefighter?”
His eyes met hers briefly.“Well, my dad also mentioned that there was potentially gold or other minerals nearby.Thought that could make for a good investment in my future.”
There it was.Truth.
Lou looked up at him sharply.“Not at this time, it’s not a good investment.”
