Page 12 of Stolen Mate

“I can’t afford an upgrade,” Tess started.

“That’s been taken care of. Mr. Hastings is a frequent flier with us and is part of our rewards program. He used one of his upgrade rewards to move you up to first class.”

“Why didn’t he move himself?”

The flight attendant grinned. “He’s a nervous flier and that’s his seat. He feels more comfortable there than any place else on the plane. But if you’d rather not fly up here—”

“Oh no. No. This is more than fine. Please give Mr. Hastings my thanks. If you could make him a hot toddy and get him to drink it, I’d be happy to pay for it. It might help with his cough and make him feel better.”

“Do you know what’s in it?”

Tess nodded. “Whiskey, honey, hot tea, a little bit of lemon juice and a cinnamon stick if you have it.”

“I don’t have a cough, but that sounds delicious.”

“I’m from Seattle, but my mom was really into homeopathic recipes, and we used them all the time. I’m not sure if it actually cures anything or works because if you drink enough whiskey, you don’t care.”

“I’ll see what I can put together for him. Please make yourself comfortable. We’ll be another three hours to Kodiak. Business or pleasure?”

“I’m not sure yet. I figured I’d get there and play it by ear.”

The flight attendant leaned against the seat in front of her. “I can tell you Kodiak is a whole different animal than Seattle, and the island itself… well, it even makes Anchorage look large and cosmopolitan by comparison. I don’t mean to be insulting, but Seattle is a large, vibrant city, and Kodiak, which is the largest city on the island, isn’t.”

“I was born and raised in Seattle. My parents spent their last vacation on the island.”

“I think you’ll love Kodiak Island.”

“I hope so. I just need some time and space to figure a few things out.”

The flight attendant went back to her duties and left Tess to contemplate her next move. But before she could do that, she discovered another difference between economy and first class—the food. Passengers in first class were served actual food. Tess chose a ginger marinated beef wrap in a sun-dried tomato tortilla with a long-neck bottle of Full Sail’s amber ale. She had to admit; it was wonderfully peaceful cruising along through the clear blue skies with nothing but fluffy white clouds below and the sun shining through the windows.

She closed her eyes for what she thought was just a moment and was awakened by the flight attendant who had returned, a worried frown creasing her forehead. “Ms. Dixon? We’re preparing to land. Please put on your seatbelt, bring your seat into the upright position, and secure your tray table.”

“Thank you and thank Mr. Hastings again. I may see about upgrading for my return trip.”

The flight attendant smiled and then moved down the aisle to help other passengers. The plane made a smooth turn and came in straight onto the landing strip. Even landings were nicer in first class.

The flight had been long, even arduous but was made less so by her upgrade. When she’d booked her stay with The Refuge, Trudy had told her if she wanted, it was faster to travel by boat and the bed and breakfast had a couple of ATVs and snowmobiles for guests to use. Trudy arranged for someone to pick her up at the airport and take her to the marina, where she and her luggage would be transported upriver.

The man who picked her up was a little older than she was and had a lean, sleek musculature that reminded her of many of the men in Seattle. He introduced himself as Dash Samuels and said he owned the local pub, The Workshop.

“What brings you to our little corner of the world?” he asked congenially.

“What makes you think I’m not just passing through?”

He chuckled in a deep, melodic way. “Nobody passes through Mystic River. We are an entity and destination unto ourselves. It’s none of my business…”

Tess knew she didn’t want anyone to know the real reason for her trip so had decided to make it about her work. That would give her an excuse to ask questions and snoop around, hopefully without raising any suspicions. It had occurred to her as she made her way to Alaska that those who had meant to hurt her birth mother might have an axe to grind with her as well.

“Oh no, it’s not that, and I probably sounded far more defensive than I meant to be. It’s been a long flight. I’m a children’s book illustrator and am thinking of expanding my business into book covers. The Alaskan wilderness seems to be really popular right now, and as I’ve never been, I thought I might come up and soak in some of the atmosphere.”

Dash nodded. Tess wasn’t sure if he was buying her reason or not.

“I’ve had a nasty headache developing ever since we landed, so I guess I’m not at my best. I do hope you can overlook that. Your pub sounds amazing.”

He grinned. “I like it, and thankfully, so do a lot of other people. If you decide to stay long-term, I’m looking for a manager for the pub, and could make one of the four studio apartments above it part of your compensation.”

“Thanks, but my life is in Seattle. The children’s illustration business is going well, and as beautiful as Mystic River is, you’ll never convince me I’ll get a better view than the one I have overlooking the Sound.”

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