Love Story for a Snow Princess (Siren Publishing Classic) (5 page)

“You have a problem with me?” she asked, surprised when her voice didn’t crack.

He gave her a once-over, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. With any other man, Thea would have marched over and smacked him, but Paden wasn’t just any man. He was the man who made her
feel
things again and that put him into a unique category.

“No,” he replied. “I just have a problem with people who don’t have common sense.”

“I do so have common sense!” For some strange reason she wanted to stamp her foot.

“Then find a different babysitter, Princess.”

She pursed her lips but could not think of a suitable comeback. Why did that always happen to her?

“You…unnerved me,” she finally admitted. “I’m not used to people being so rude.”

He raised one eyebrow. “I saved your life, and you call me rude?”

“I’m not used to Alaskan weather. There was no need to call me a fool.”

“Are you going to walk out that door without bundling up first?”

“No.”

“Then me calling you a fool taught you a lesson, and thus I’ve saved your life again.”

Thea opened her mouth then shut it when she couldn’t think of a comeback. At that moment, Miki came back out with a plate of food in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. She set them down in front of Paden. When she noticed he was looking at Thea, her gaze bounced back and forth between the two.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked hesitantly.

“No,” Paden said smoothly and turned his attention to his food.

Thea spun back around on her stool. “When would you like me to start tomorrow?”

Miki shrugged. “I usually open at seven in the morning, but for your first day, why don’t you just get here whenever you can?”

“Sounds good to me.” Thea rose from her chair and headed over to the hook where her coat and scarf hung. “I think I’ll go back to the hotel now. Thanks for everything, Miki.”

“Let me walk you back,” Miki said.

Thea darted a look at Paden, who was steadily ignoring her as he ate his beef stew. “That’s okay. I know my way now.”

Miki’s forehead creased in concern. “All right. If you’re sure?”

“Positive.”

First she put on her scarf, wrapping it around her neck before slipping into her parka. Last she put on her wool hat and gloves. All bundled up for the short walk back to the hotel.

She waved to Miki and ignored Paden as she walked out the door. Like the night before, there was a stiff wind blowing, kicking up small swirls of snow and making the trek back to the hotel difficult. Plows had come out earlier and shoved away most of the snowbanks, but walking was still a bit tricky. She saw the hotel’s lights and followed them, thoughts of a hot shower fueling her onward.

About twenty minutes later she stomped up to the hotel’s entrance and banged her boots against the side of the building, loosening the caked on snow. The Ugg boots weren’t meant for this weather and left her feet perpetually damp. Right before she opened the door to go into the hotel, she looked back the way she had come and saw a bulky figure in the drifting snow walking back toward town. She narrowed her eyes and just knew it was Paden. She watched him until he disappeared within the churning flurry.

Had he followed her? Why? The answer hit her right between the eyes.

To make sure she got back safely, of course, because he thought she was a total idiot.

Annoyance coursed through her. After feeling empty and broken for so long, she’d finally experienced emotion again. She would relish the feeling, except it came from such an obstinate man that she derived no pleasure from it.

Damn it!

Thea walked into Suinnak early the next morning. The wind had died down, leaving the snow settled. The world seemed so still as she walked the short distance into the town, so quiet. The cold stung her eyes, her nose and her lungs, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, it made her feel…exhilarated.

That stopped her short. She had felt so alone, so bare, for so long, that it was hard to process feeling something more, something other than apathy.

Miki’s surprised yet delighted expression greeted her as she waked into the restaurant the next morning. Two people were already eating breakfast, a roaring fire blasted heat from the stove, and Miki had already brewed two pots of coffee.

“Good morning!” Miki called out. “You’re certainly up early.”

She gave a weary shrug as she hung up her coat and scarf. She pulled her sleeves down over her hands and shivered as she hurried over to the warm fire. “I don’t like sleeping that much,” she answered.

“Thea, have you met Perry and Frank?” Miki introduced the two men shoveling eggs into her mouths. They waved a fork in greeting, and Thea smiled back. “Why don’t I show you around in the kitchen?”

Thea followed her around the bar area into the back. The kitchen was nothing special, just the usual appliances.

“I’ve been making things with beef,” Miki said, pointing to the dry-erase board where the day’s menu was written. “Usually I try to have two dinner items to choose from, but I ran out of caribou, so beef it is. Caribou is really popular, and I’m hoping to have another supply soon.”

Thea shook her head and tried to suppress a smile.

“What’s so funny?” Miki asked, catching on to Thea’s humor.

“Caribou,” Thea answered. “That’s just funny to me.”

“Come on, Malibu girl,” Miki said and proceeded to explain the kitchen set up. Thea had no problem scrambling up eggs or frying some burgers. She used to do a lot of cooking at home.

Immediately, she put a halt on her thoughts. There was no way she was going to think of her family now, not today. It was bad enough they haunted her dreams. She refused to let them stalk her day hours.

The morning was busy. A steady flow of people walked in, all wanting coffee or refills on their coffee, so Thea squeezed in between chairs all day long. Her taking care of the men around the stove freed Miki up to handle the food orders, and the day flowed very nicely.

At lunch time Thea sat with Toothless Jim and some of his buddies to eat her own bowl of beef stew. The gravy was thick and rich but very tasty. The men told stories of their life in the Alaskan wilderness, when River Ice was just a two-shanty way station for those heading in or out of the Gates of the Arctic National Park. The city existed on the edge of the Arctic Coastal Plain, where most tourists want to brave the harsh land with the help of seasoned guides. Many townsfolk made their living taking people sledding over the great basin.

“The great misconception is that Alaska is covered in snow and ice year round,” said Toothless Jim. “Only the central arctic circle is frozen year round, not us.”

“We have our snow, like now, but it’s only September,” another man quipped. “This is just a tease. Next month is usually our big snowfall.”

After the lunch period, a lull came, and Thea helped wipe down the tables and chairs, moving them back to their original destination.

“Told you this was an easy job,” Miki remarked.

“Tell that to my feet,” Thea commented. “I need to buy decent boots. These are falling apart fast.”

Both looked at her Ugg boots. They had been designed for fashion, not thirty-degrees below. The stitching was fraying, the sewn bits of faux suede curling as the thread unraveled. They had started out tan but now resembled a molted mutt.

“Right next to the bank on the street over is a man by the name of Thistle Vann. He has the best boots and can even make you a pair, if you want to wait. You should go see him tomorrow, come in whenever.”

Thea threw her a thankful look. “All right, I will. Thanks. So,” she walked over to the table where Paden sat. “Does he come in every night?”

“Who?” Miki asked. She looked at the table. “Paden? He comes in every night for dinner.”

“Oh. He’s by himself?”

“There’s no misses, if that’s what you’re getting at,” Miki said. “He moved here about ten years ago, but I don’t know from where. Had a house built along the forest line. Believe it or not, the most I know about him is that he uses please and thank you, so somebody must have raised him right.”

Thea didn’t respond, but her hand lingered on the plain wooden tabletop.

“You like him?” Miki asked, surprise in her voice.

“What?” Thea scoffed and moved away from the table. “No, of course not. I mean, he’s handsome but, you know, a little rough around the edges.”

“He is very blunt,” Miki agreed. “Just be careful around him, Thea.”

“You think he’d hurt me?”

“Not physically,” Miki answered, shaking her head. “But emotionally, well, you’re on the rebound.”

“Believe me, Miki, I am not on the rebound.”

“I’m not talking about Caleb Tasker,” Miki said gently, a touch of concern in her voice. “I’m talking about whatever brought you to River Ice.”

Thea caught her gaze, and she saw it, deep in Miki’s dark eyes, understanding and a touch of pity. Somehow, Miki knew about her, or at least knew the sadness rooted somewhere at the center of her soul. Unnerved, Thea turned away, not wanting to confront any of it. She desperately wanted it all to go away, her stupid, lingering thoughts over Paden as well as her past.

Dinnertime brought a rush of people into Suinnak, keeping Thea rushing around, filling orders and drinks. The noise kept her mind constantly pulled in different directions and away from the lingering melancholy that seemed to have permeated her very soul. What she dearly loved was that nothing reminded her of Malibu and the home she had left.

Late in the day, after dark had set, two men came in to talk to Miki, who seemed really excited. She gave each man a hug and walked them to the door before bouncing over to Thea.

“Did you win the lottery?” Thea asked.

“Close! My caribou is here!”

“Oh. Great!” Thea looked around like the animal was going to walk into the restaurant.

“Silly!” Miki laughed. “I have to go get it. Do you mind closing down shop?”

“Uh,” Thea replied, stalling. “What do I do?”

“Oh, gosh, nothing much really. Just make sure all the salt and pepper shakers are filled, get the coffeepots ready for the morning, and bank the fire. Can you do that?”

“Sure, not a problem,” Thea replied, pasting a smile to her face.

Miki clapped her hands like a little girl. “Okay! Let me get to the butcher. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“You got it!”

As soon as the door closed behind Miki, the smile disappeared. Thea turned in a circle to look around the now empty restaurant. Once the sun went down, people headed home. The temperature dropped so quickly no one wanted to chance being stuck outside without the sunlight to offer a token of resistance to the cold. Even Toothless Jim had left her.

Once again, the familiar feeling of being lost assaulted her. Being surrounded by people was one thing. Memories could be pushed aside, even forgotten for a bit. But without the buffer of activity and easy banter, Thea floundered. Still, she had to admit today had been one of the best days in the past year. She hadn’t needed, or even thought about, her medication.

She took a deep breath and began wiping down the tables and rearranging the chairs that had wandered off as patrons came and went. The work was monotonous, and the room way too quiet. Quiet made her think and that was one thing she didn’t want to do, so she started to hum a soft melody.

She turned and ran smack into a heavily muscled chest.

A stifled scream leapt from her throat, diffused by the thick flannel shirt she breathed in. A combination of outdoor, man and cologne assaulted her nose, tickling it. Two hands grasped her upper arms and pulled her back, and Thea swallowed down a wide heap of fear as she looked into hooded, green eyes.

“Holy crap, you scared me! I thought Miki had locked the door.”

Paden removed his hands and gestured toward the kitchen area. “Am I too late for a meal and coffee?”

“O-oh,” she stammered, unsettled. “Um, no, not at all.” She hurried over to the coffeepot. He filled the room with his presence, and Thea found she had to concentrate on not spilling the coffee as she poured it into a mug. “Milk? Sugar?”

“Black.”

“Right,” she muttered under her breath. He sat at his usual table, and she put the steaming mug down in front of him. “Let me, ah, I’ll go get your food.”

She turned and practically fled to the kitchen, sensing his gaze following her. Thea grabbed the sink to steady herself. Lord, he made her nervous! He unnerved her, though she hadn’t a clue why. She had dated lots of good-looking men in the past, and a few had been up-and-coming film stars. Sure, Paden What’s-His-Name made those men look like pale toothpicks, but still, he was just one man!

What was it about him that made her feel like a teenager crushing over the star quarterback?

Preparing the stew only took a few minutes of heating it up in the microwave. For good measure, she toasted some bread, added a little butter, and sprinkled some garlic powder on it before taking the dishes out to him.

He watched her as she served him, and it took all of her concentration to not spill the food into his lap.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

“Y–you’re welcome,” she stammered, flushing again. “She went off to get caribou. Miki, that is. She went to the butcher for the, you know, meat.”

He nodded before turning his attention to his food. Feeling the slight snub, Thea turned and headed back to the bar.

“Your name is Greek, right?” he asked out of the blue. “Panthea. A Pantheon of Gods.”

“Yes,” she answered, surprised. “My mother was into Greek mythology. My sister’s name was Hera, and my brother’s middle name was Cronus. Usually I go by Thea. I mean, please call me Thea. If you’d like, that is.”

Her brain was screaming at her to shut up. She turned her back to him and bit her tongue. God, could she sound more stupid?

“What does your family think of you being here?”

The question threw her off-balance, and she floundered a moment, her shoulders bunching as she froze. It was a force of nature to unfreeze her body, to straighten her spine which automatically curved inward as if trying to protect her. She took a deep breath and turned to face him.