WILD MEN OF ALASKA

chapter NINETEEN

Lynx returned to Chatanika after delivering the poachers to the jail in Fairbanks. The paperwork had seemed endless, and a new day had begun by the time he was finished. Pete was handcuffed to his bed in the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital with a guard stationed outside his room. Last Lynx had heard, Pete had come to cussing about the demon nurse in Chatanika. Lynx liked the description, so proud of Eva and the way she’d handled herself, though he never wanted to see her in danger again.

That was one woman with a level head on her shoulders. And a very pretty one at that. He passed the clinic on the way to his place, badly wanting to pull in and see her. But a shower, shave, and a few hours of sleep would do him some good. He tended to get a little stupid when he didn’t get enough sleep, and he’d need all his brain cells for the conversation he knew they’d be having later.

He parked and got out of his truck. He’d have to get it cleaned, since Pete had bled all over the front seat. For today, he’d grabbed a tarp from the precinct and covered his seat. Climbing the stairs to the deck, he felt the many hours he’d gone without rest, and entered the unlocked cabin to find Eva curled asleep on his couch.

His heart flipped seeing her sleeping in his place. It was never clearer to him than right now that she belonged here with him. Quietly, he walked over to the couch and knelt down. She’d tossed and turned during her sleep. The blanket she’d covered herself with pooled at her waist, probably due to what she’d endured the night before. He should have had Raven come and stay with her so she wasn’t alone. He tugged the blanket up to her shoulders, tucking the edges in around her.

Her eyes fluttered open, and his heart did that stuttering thing again. He loved this woman.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey, yourself.”

She went to smile, doing a half stretch when she caught site of her surroundings. Everything must have come crashing back to her, for she sat up quickly and wrapped her arms in the blanket, keeping it close to her body.

“I’m sorry for making myself at home. It’s just after you left, I couldn’t stay at my place.”

“I understand. I’m glad you came here. I should have called Raven, or gotten you a room at the lodge.”

“No. I would have been mortified if everyone knew I was freaked out.”

“Eva, you were held hostage, threatened at gunpoint. I don’t know of any civilian who could’ve handled themselves better than you did. You kept your wits about you and defeated the bad guy. Pretty ingenious of you too. Nate’s singing your praises. So am I.”

She glanced down, her fingers plucking the material of the patchwork quilt his Grandma Coho had made for him last Christmas. “Thanks for that.”

He tilted his head toward the bedroom. “Want to catch a few more winks with me in a more comfortable place?”

“Uh, about that. We need to get some truths out in the open before whatever this is between us goes any further.”

“What kind of truths?” This is not where he wanted to go. He wanted to lift her up in his arms, carry her to his bed, and after loving her, fall asleep in her arms.

“You’re keeping a secret from me,” she accused. “The past has taught me one thing very important, never to abide secrets.”

He really could have used some sleep before this confrontation. But he could see in her eyes how serious this was to her. How did he tell her without making her run screaming from him? He took a seat on the couch, faced her, and covered her hands with his. Looking deep into her eyes, he told her the truth. “I can talk to animals.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can you be serious?”

“I am.”

“What, you’re like a Dr. Doolittle or something?” she scoffed.

He winced. It wasn’t the first time he’d been called that. Didn’t help that he’d first gone into veterinarian science.

“You’re being serious?” she asked as though she’d been waiting for the punch line to a joke.

He nodded and quietly waited her out as the dots connected.

“Okay, then why is BW stalking me?”

“Near as I can tell, he thinks you look like a pretty flower. He’s partial to flowers.”

“He told you that?”

Lynx couldn’t tell if she was humoring him or giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe a little of both. “It’s more of an image or feeling than actual words exchanged.” That would be crazy. “And then I went and told him I’d like to get to know you back when you first came to town. I believe he thinks he’s helping me.” This was going to sink him. He should just shut up.

“So, he’s playing matchmaker?” Her eyelids lowered, and she freed her hands from his.

“Kinda.” He rubbed the back of his neck and decided he might as well jump in with both feet. She could obviously see if he wasn’t telling her the whole truth. “BW and I go back a ways. I rescued him when he was born. His mother died giving him birth, and I, well, raised him.”

“You’re the moose’s daddy?” Her brows rose in disbelief.

“No. Maybe. He’s fond of me. He likes to check in and hang out every now and then. I asked him to stay close to town because of the poachers.”

“You realize this is a moose we are talking about?”

“I know.” Any minute now she’d vow never to see him again. Or worse, pack her bags and head back to Cincinnati.

“Do you talk to more than moose?”

He could talk to all of them including the birds in the sky. “Yeah, but I can’t seem to reason much with mama bears or wolverines.” He shrugged. “Listen, Eva, I know this sounds crazy, especially to someone from Outside, but if you live here long enough, this doesn’t seem so weird. Alaska is a magical place, and I come from a long line of Native Alaskans. Athabascan with some Tlingit mixed in there. There is...enchantment, for lack of a better word, in my lineage.”

“Are you saying all of the Maiskis can talk to the animals?”

“No, we each have our own gifts, and they manifest themselves in different ways.”

“Fox?”

“We don’t know yet. But he’s a hell of a lot smarter than most ten-year-olds.” It was downright unnatural. “I know this is a lot to comprehend, but I really like you Eva. More than like you. I’m falling in love with you.” Already fallen and landed hard. He didn’t think she was ready for all that until she’d digested his “gift.”

She shook her head. “One thing at a time.” She rubbed her face and stood up. “I need caffeine. Lots of it.”

“Eva—”

She held out her hand to stop him as he got to his feet and reached for her. “I don’t know what’s worse. Loving a man who loves men or loving a man who thinks he talks to animals.”

He took the one-two-punch like a prize fighter.

“I’m not ready for this.” She splayed her hands wide. “All of this. It’s too much. I’ve only been in Alaska for a month, and I’ve been chased up a tree by a moose, stabbed by the same tree, swept out of a canoe into a freezing river, eaten by mosquitoes, had my undergarments stolen and paraded around town by the same stalker moose, and held at gunpoint. Now you say you’re falling in love with me. In my book, that means marriage and me agreeing to live here, permanently. It’s too much, Lynx. I might not survive next month.” She paused to breathe. “I need time to decide what I really want. I’m sorry, Lynx, but would you please leave.”

He swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s my house.”

“What?”

“You’re in my house. Let me walk you home.” He couldn’t give her a ride in his truck. The reminder of Pete would probably be that last straw that would send her packing.

“Oh.” That seemed to take the steam right out of her. She glanced around the log cabin. “Okay, I’ll leave, and I’ll walk myself home. It’s daylight, what can happen?” She laughed, the sound a little hysterical.

“Eva,” Lynx called her name when she opened the door. “I never figured you for a coward.”

Her spine shot straight as a broomstick. He’d just thrown down a dare. That’s how he’d gotten her to go canoeing after he’d stood her up. He hadn’t forgotten either.

“That won’t work with me this time. Not over something this important.” She walked through the door and quietly shut it behind her.

Eva followed the path to the clinic from Lynx’s cabin. She shouldn’t have crashed at his place. But after Lynx had left her last night with one quick, hard kiss and a, “We’ll talk when I get back,” she hadn’t wanted to wait for him at her place. The clinic wasn’t home, not after being invaded by Pete who’d threatened to rape and kill her. Lynx’s cabin felt more like home. Or was it because Lynx lived there?

She was so confused.

What did she do with what he’d told her? Her logical brain was telling her to pack and get the hell out of here, but her heart wanted to believe everything Lynx had said.

When BW had her trapped, she’d done her best to scare him away and gotten nowhere. All Lynx had done was talk to him, and after what looked like an affectionate nudge, the moose had moseyed off into the woods. She glanced around the dense forest hoping not to come across BW or any other wild animals. She picked up her step.

Could Lynx be telling the truth?

And if he was, then what?

Alaska was like another planet, and she hadn’t even seen a winter yet.