High Impact (14 page)

Others might defer some tasks to the next day, but she couldn’t, though tempted. Obsessive, she had to complete every task, large and small, as efficiently as possible. She couldn’t leave something half-finished, because she’d think of little else until she wrapped up every loose end. Accomplishing any goal satisfied her.

Pasha’s bosses had always praised her meticulous nature, especially when she decided to move to another town and occupation. All her life, she had changed direction erratically but now wondered if she had intuitively followed a psychic master plan designed to help her find her soul mate.

When she’d listened, her sixth sense had always led her to great jobs, destinations, homes, pets, and people she felt preordained to meet, who quickly became her extended family. When she saw them the first time, she detected an aura around them, like with Dita, a thin band of indistinct kaleidoscopic color, as if they carried their own rainbow. The vision never lasted long but didn’t need to. Her involuntary feeling of joy and connection demanded she follow up and get to know the individual, and never steered her wrong. She’d seen the aura around Karla and Bryson, too.

The situation with Emery was different, though, and had been that way from the start. Her gift had never acted so haywire and powerful. Its unpredictability frustrated her at times, and she didn’t appreciate it completely incapacitating her last night in front of Emery. But it was hitting her over the head with a baseball bat with a message:
Emery is the one. Don’t let her get away.

She knew nothing about Emery yet, except what little Bryson had told her. Though she’d relish some alone-time with her, Pasha also worried how she’d react, since she apparently had little control. So she’d be perfectly content just to finish in time for dinner. At least she could find out more about Emery without having to make brilliant conversation if she got tongue-tied again. And she could put a few feet between them in the big corner booth if her close proximity to Emery impaired her ability to function again.

Every time the bell over the door sounded, Pasha jumped, half-expecting to see Emery, though she never sensed an increase in the power.
Not that she had many visitors, but a few locals came by to book charters with Bryson, and she’d had a few deliveries.

This time when the bell sounded, Geneva appeared, one of the last people she expected to see. “Hi, Pasha, how you feeling?”

“I’m great, Gen. What’re you up to?”

Geneva seemed in especially good spirits. Her cheeks pink, eyes shining, she couldn’t stop smiling. “Bryson asked me to tell you she’s headed over to pick up Karla in Coldfoot and will stop in when they get back.”

“Bryson?”

“We stayed out longer than we expected, so she had to refuel and go right back up again.” Geneva sank wearily into a big comfy chair.

“I didn’t know you went up with Bryson today.”

“She took Emery and me to a place to pan for gold. We had such a blast we didn’t want to leave.”

Pasha forced herself to smile. “Sounds like fun. How’d you do? Find anything?”

“We sure did. Enough to make the flight a freebie and more,” Geneva replied. “Bryson found probably eight hundred dollars’ worth, and Emery and I about half that, each. Bryson’s buying everyone dinner tonight.”

“I’m doing my best to get out of here. So far, it’s looking good.”

“Wish I could join you, but I’ve got the evening shift.” Geneva stood, stretched, and headed for the door. “Take care of Emery tonight for me, would you? Especially if the others decide to bag it early again. Keep her entertained?”

“I’ll do my best.”

What a mess
. She
had
seen a different look in Emery’s eyes last night. Emery had finally noticed her, but did that notice mean
interest
?

Should she pursue Emery or be a good friend to Geneva and remain silent? Her gift battled for one thing and her strong standard of ethics wanted the other. Either option, she suspected, would hurt someone.

*

At the airstrip’s edge, Emery enviously watched the Super Cub ascend again, headed northeast. Riding in Bryson’s little red plane thrilled her like none of her countless flight experiences. They could see almost any feature of this massive landscape, whether a grizzly mom and her two cubs, the deep ice-blue crevasses of a glacier, or a tundra plain lushly painted with wildflowers. Bryson’s piloting skill and impressive knowledge of the region created an unparalleled experience.

She remained still until Geneva disappeared, headed toward the Eidson outfitter’s office. Emery wanted to see Pasha and for a second considered going along and lingering after Geneva had departed to start her shift. But as soon as she got out of the plane, she nixed that idea. Walking anywhere after sitting uncomfortably in the Cub, plus all the hours of stooping and shoveling, seemed murderous.

Finding gold and constantly moving had kept the pain tolerable. But sitting almost still during the long return flight had nearly crippled her. Her joints locked up and her muscles cramped. Very slowly, she started toward the Den, trying not to limp too much. Emery hated for others to gawk and pity her. She’d had her fill in the hospital and before she shed her cane. But anyone with half a clue could see how badly she was hurting.

Grizz, working the bar when she came in, was occupied, and hopefully, Geneva was upstairs changing. Emery managed to get through the restaurant unnoticed, grateful she didn’t run in to anyone during her painful, lengthy ascent to her room. By the time she got inside, she was sweating.

After she downed her pain meds and lingered under a hot shower she could move more comfortably. Dinner was still more than ninety minutes away, so she had time for either a nap or a visit to the Eidson office. A tough choice, but her physical needs won out.

Emery climbed into bed after setting the alarm. Pasha would probably be too busy to talk now, anyway.

The nap helped revitalize her, but her stiffness remained, particularly in the knees. After a few stretches, she took another hot shower, then pulled on dark jeans and a thin, crème-colored turtleneck under a heavy emerald hoodie. No bounding down the stairs this time, though she’d limbered up enough not to limp.

Emery paused before she reached the last steps, closed her eyes, and wished for Pasha to have made it, before continuing through the doorway.

There she sat, sandwiched in the middle of the booth, with Karla and Bryson to her left and Chaz and Megan to her right.

The two couples chatted, but Pasha looked right at her. They smiled at the same instant, and her mood buoyant, Emery headed toward her. The seat open on the end would place her directly across from Pasha.

“Hi, everyone,” she said.

Several replies came her way, including a “Good to see you again” from Pasha, which stood out from the rest.

“What’ll it be, Emery?” Geneva appeared at her elbow, carrying a drink tray, even before she’d taken a seat.

The women weren’t sharing a pitcher tonight. An assortment of beer, wine, and mixed drinks sat before them. “Got a good Alaskan stout on tap?” she asked.

“We’ve got three of ’em.”

“Surprise me, then. I trust your judgment.”

“As you should.” Geneva laughed as she headed off to get the beer.

Emery slipped into the booth beside Bryson. “What a fabulous day. Can’t thank you enough.”

“Love to take you out again tomorrow,” Bryson said. “I’ve had a blast, too. Got charters, though, and I have to pick up Dita’s fishing group.”

“Oh, great. I’ve been wanting to talk to her. When does she get back?”

“Between five and five thirty tomorrow afternoon.” Pasha answered before Bryson had a chance to, giving Emery good reason to do what she most wanted—give Pasha her undivided attention. “Technically, that’s after we close, but I’ll keep the doors open if you want to come by.” Pasha seemed relaxed, but alert and aware. No sign of anything amiss or unusual tonight. At least not yet.

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

“And if you want some ideas for tomorrow since Bryson’s busy,” Pasha said, maintaining eye contact, “I can recommend a couple of things within walking distance.”

Emery tried to sound casual. “Maybe we can chat about them later.”

“Sure.” The reply sounded equally offhand, but didn’t match the intensity in Pasha’s eyes. They seemed to use their own private code, keeping the weirdness between them from the others, but acknowledging it with their eyes.

Emery hoped she wasn’t misinterpreting, but Pasha apparently wanted to talk to her as much as she wanted to.

“Pipeline.” Geneva appeared and set a tall glass of black stout with a thick tan froth before her. “Also called Black Gold. From the Moose’s Tooth Brewing Company.”

Pipeline, incredibly smooth and creamy, was more dessert than aperitif, but Emery loved a good stout. “Wonderful stuff.”

“You a beer aficionado?” Pasha asked.

Emery nodded. “Sort of. You missed my full bio last night. They grilled me pretty good.” The others smiled.

“That was only the warm-up,” Megan warned her with mock seriousness. “We thought we’d give you a day or two before we get to the really personal ones.”

Emery played along. “Uh-oh. Should I be worried?”

“Depends. Have you ever played Truth or Dare?”

“Sure.”

“Well, we call our variation Probing Questions. On trips we use it as an icebreaker. Fun way to get to know someone,” Megan said. “And also appropriate to initiate new members into our club. ADLIB.”

“ADLIB?”

“Adventurous Dykes Living In Bettles. You’ll be the eighth member.”

“Cool. I’m honored.”

“We’ll do it tomorrow night after Dita gets back. Geneva’s working the day shift, so we can all be there,” Bryson said.

Grizz came to get their orders, then they started sharing stories, with Emery first relaying her gold-panning experience in great detail. Karla talked about some of her unusual and funny cases, Chaz and Pasha shared information about their upcoming trips, and Bryson volunteered a few of her misadventures. In general, they just got to know each other better, amidst so much laughter their sides hurt.

The women’s rapid-fire back-and-forth wisecracks, the kind of teasing familiarity that came from close camaraderie, entertained Emery. She liked them a lot already and more each day. Despite the merriment of the evening, however, she wanted the group to break up early so she could spend some time one-on-one with Pasha. Emery could hardly keep her eyes off her and had to force herself to give equal time to whoever was talking. And every time she looked at Pasha, Pasha was looking her way.

Pasha also frequently found ways to slip questions to Emery into the conversation, without being too obvious. Not the usual
where are you from, what do you do,
and
what are your favorite food
types of questions, like she’d received the night before. But queries that went deeper, more thoughtful ones that could reveal quite a lot. The latest, slipped into an exchange between Megan and Karla about their fear of small planes, provided a prime example.

“Are you afraid of anything, Emery?”

The question took her by surprise, and her first potential light replies included “Beanie Babies,” maybe, or “tapioca pudding,” or “mayonnaise.” She usually deflected invasively personal questions by going for a laugh. But Pasha’s eyes locked with hers, and she couldn’t lie. “I don’t like elevators.”

Pasha decided to pursue Emery’s answer further when they were alone. She sensed Emery considered not answering and didn’t want to elaborate. But the power had verified that she’d answered truthfully and provided a significant answer.

Pasha’s gift had so far succeeded in getting her attention, and possibly Emery’s, in spades. Now, it had become a guide.

Pasha had sensed when Emery left her room and headed downstairs, because the power increased exponentially with each step she took. By the time Emery hit the bottom step, Pasha’s whole body vibrated.

When Emery appeared in the doorway, the vibrations stilled again, leaving Pasha totally calm, like she’d just had a massage. And for the first time, the special aura shimmered around Emery, as with every other significant person in her life, though not a rainbow.

Emery’s aura shimmered gold.

Ecstasy filled Pasha, Emery’s reaction amplifying her bliss. She’d entered with an anxious, expectant expression and immediately sought the corner booth and, in particular,
her
. Once she’d spotted Pasha, she never looked away, their smiles triggering simultaneously as Emery hurried toward her. Had she begun to feel something, too?

Emery sat just a few feet away. Her aura had faded, though Pasha sensed the power remained nearby, content to let her behave normally but ready to flare up if necessary. Relaxed and serene, she became her old self again, but with enhanced alertness, her senses heightened to fully absorb the moment.

For most of the evening, the power lay in silent wait. But as she asked Emery more serious questions, her gift told her when to pay especially close attention. Another brief aura would shimmer around Emery when she confided something important.