Northern Fascination (3 page)

“Oh, Lord.”

She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Merrilee chuckled on the other end of the line.

“Well, Ms. Jenna, is there something you’d like to tell me about Logan Jeffries? Because I’m thinking he’s not just another anybody from back home.”

Jenna glanced in the mirror. This sweater and blue jeans had been fine when she’d put it on this morning but not now, not if she was going to be seeing Logan for the first time in forever.

“Jenna?”

Jenna pulled her attention back to the conversation, away from her reflection in the mirror and the knot of anticipation and nervousness lodged in her mid-section.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. What was that?” She stuck the Closed sign on the front of the door and was already shrugging into her jacket. She pulled on her gloves and hat and wound a pink scarf around her neck, her hands slightly unsteady.

There was no option, she needed to hotfoot it home to redo her make-up and hair and change clothes. She’d be double-damned if Logan Jeffries wasn’t going to eat his heart out when he saw her again. She wasn’t holding a grudge exactly but she did have some feminine pride.

Tama met her at the door, ready to go with her. She supposed he was ready for a change of scenery.

“What’s the deal with this guy?” Merrilee said, opening the door of the shop. “Because you’re definitely rattled.”

“Well, it’s not every day that someone from back home shows up,” Jenna hedged as she stepped out into the dancing snow flurries and closed the door behind her.

“Right. Now tell me the rest of the story. Because I know you well enough to know there’s ‘a rest of the story’ somewhere in there.”

There was no hiding anything from Merrilee. Then again, it wasn’t as if her past was a state secret or anything. She came clean. “It’s water under the bridge, really. I asked him to escort me to Homecoming, back in high school. He turned me down. It’s not a big deal.” Well, okay, it had been devastating at the time and it still stung just a little. That was why she was heading home.

“He turned you down?” Merrilee sounded flatteringly shocked.

Jenna dodged a sled dog curled up on the sidewalk in front of the dry goods store, waving at Nancy who was dusting shelves inside. Nancy was a good, regular customer and she had nice nails to work with. Jenna never could remember whether they’d lived in Michigan or Wisconsin before they retired to Good Riddance. “He did, indeed.”

“Then he’s not as smart as he looks.”

“Oh, no. He’s really, really smart, like super-smart.” He’d been the debate team captain and she’d carried the most incredible torch for him even though she knew she wasn’t his type. Translation—she wasn’t brainiac enough for him.

“Honey, if he turned you down, he couldn’t be all that bright.”

Jenna laughed as she let herself into the cabin she rented from the town’s former doctor who’d moved to San Francisco last year. There’d been no need to unlock the door because in Good Riddance, no one bothered. Although Jenna was still enough of a city girl to lock hers before she went to bed at night. “Trust me, he’s brilliant.”

“Well, smart or not,” Merrilee said, “it looks as if he’s temporarily dropped smack dab back into your life. He’s booked the next five days.”

A funny feeling coiled through her, chased by Nelson’s words earlier that she was missing someone in her life.

No, no and no. She didn’t need anyone, and if she did, it sure as heck wouldn’t be Logan. He was only here temporarily and that suited her just fine. Sure, she’d had a tremendous thing for him back in the day and perhaps he’d always been the guy she’d always wondered about, but that part of her life was long gone.

A whole lot of water had passed under that bridge.
If
she wanted a man in her life, it certainly wouldn’t be Logan Jeffries.

L
OGAN CHEWED AND SWALLOWED
the last bite of his caribou stew. Within seconds the waitress, a ponytailed blonde named Teddy, was at his booth. “The daily special comes with seconds. Would you like some more stew? More rolls? Another glass of water?”

“It was delicious,” he said. And it had been. “But I’m full. I’ll just take the check when you have a minute.”

“Sure thing.”

Gus’s, the restaurant housed in the same building as the bed and breakfast but separated by a wall with a connecting door, was an interesting place for sure. Once again, it reminded him of a scene out of an old western. A bar, complete with the brass footrest, fronted two-thirds of the wall beside the connecting door. He had to smile at the moose head wearing a pair of sunglasses mounted over the bar’s back wall.

The other third was devoted to the kitchen area, open to the rest of the room except for a high counter. Restrooms, pool tables, a dartboard a jukebox, and a small stage occupied the area to the left of the door. The remaining two walls were lined with booths like the one he was occupying near the bar. The room’s center held a number of tables and chairs. Across the room, another door was tucked into the wall.

The place was busy considering it was late in the afternoon but it was already dark outside. He’d gotten several curious glances since he’d wandered in half an hour ago. He’d overheard a smattering of conversations and he should’ve attempted getting to know some of the residents, but now that he was here, he couldn’t seem to get Jenna off of his mind.

There was only one thing to do. He needed to look her up so he could cross her off his list. Drop in, say hello, satisfy his curiosity and then get on with the task at hand. It was a simple and straightforward solution to what shouldn’t have even been a problem to begin with.

The waitress returned with his check. “You sure I can’t get you a piece of pie? Lucky made chocolate cream this morning. It’s yummy.”

He smiled. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

The sooner he tracked down Jenna, the better. Then he could focus on what really counted, offering everyone in Good Riddance a financial security they’d probably never known before.

Leaving his money on the table, he grabbed the jacket he was very glad he’d worn and headed back to the airstrip. Merrilee Swenson sat at her desk, filling out what looked like an official form. He knew from experience that a boatload of paperwork came with any business, even running a small airstrip like this one.

She looked up as he crossed the room, his shoes echoing on the wooden floor. “How was your meal?”

“Excellent.”

“Glad to hear it. We pride ourselves on the food at Gus’s. It may be the only restaurant in town, but we think it’s one of the best in the state.”

Civic pride had been heavily weighted in the scouting report and factored into the buy-out offer.

“I haven’t had caribou stew before, but it was certainly tasty.”

“Wait until you try the moose pot pie. And you’ll have to check out karaoke night on Thursday. It’s a lot of fun.”

Smiling, Logan shook his head. “I can’t say I’m big on karaoke.”

“You will be by then. There’s not a lot of entertainment to be found in Good Riddance. It’s more fun than you might think.” She shoved her ink pen behind one ear. “By the way, your luggage should arrive tomorrow morning. It’s coming into Anchorage on a red-eye flight. Don’t ask me how but it wound up in Tulsa.”

“I’ve heard of stranger things happening.” He chuckled, aiming for casual. “I thought I’d look Jenna up now that my stomach rumblings won’t embarrass me. Where do you think I’ll find her?”

“Oh, she’ll be at Curl’s. She’s got a nail business going there. Well, actually, she’s building a little day spa on the outskirts of town, but for now she’s operating out of the front of Curl’s place.”

He was aware of Curl’s and Jenna’s nail business. The spa must be a relatively new development, at least within the past six months, since it hadn’t been on the reports he’d seen. But it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle and counter. He didn’t want to come across as too in-the-know. “Curl’s?”

“Curl owns the taxidermy, barber shop and mortuary.”

“I’m guessing Jenna’s business is part of the barber shop instead of the mortuary.”

Merrilee grinned. “They’re all together. But yes, Jenna’s business is in the front where the barber shop and hair salon are. The taxidermy and mortuary are in the back. We’re big on one-stop shopping here,” Merrilee said with a wink. “Go out the front door, hang a left and it’s down on the right. You can’t miss it.”

Logan returned her smile. “I think it’d be hard to miss anything with just one street.” He headed toward the front door.

“True enough. Jenna’s pretty hard to miss,” Merrilee said with an arch look.

His gut was already knotted at the thought. “I’m sure.”

He stepped outside and the cold slammed him. Dammit, he was so disconcerted, he hadn’t thought to put on his jacket. He shrugged into and zipped it, although it was far too thin for this weather. Shoving his hands in the pockets, he started down the sidewalk.

There
was
a charm about the place that was hard to put his finger on. Despite the cold, the town seemed to radiate warmth—from the patrons at Gus’s to Merrilee, herself. Light spilled out of the storefronts along the single thoroughfare, reflecting off of the snow which kept it from being too dark, even without streetlights.

He stepped around a grey and black dog curled up on the sidewalk, seemingly impervious to the frigid air and snow. The unmistakable aroma of wood smoke mingled with the scent of evergreens. Working here wouldn’t be a hardship for the crew the company would send in to man the operation.

He exchanged hellos with a man he passed on the sidewalk. The guy sported a full beard—right now Logan wouldn’t mind a beard to keep his face warm—and a fur hat which Logan had no doubt was the genuine article.

A group of kids chased one another down the sidewalk, their laughter and yelling ringing in the air. A dirty pick-up truck sporting a set of antlers as a hood ornament drove down the street past him. The few cars and trucks parked along the street were unwashed and obviously had years and miles on them.

And then he was there. Across the street was Curl’s—the name and services were written across the picture window fronting the business—but more telling was the woman he saw through the window.

Jenna stood talking to two women. A tall blonde woman towered over Jenna and another woman with long dark hair. But it was Jenna who held his attention. His heart thumped against his rib cage and despite the cold, a fine sheen of sweat popped up on his skin. If anything, she was even lovelier than he remembered. Her Facebook photo hadn’t done her justice.

He stood on the sidewalk and drank in the sight of her, like a man viewing one of the world’s natural wonders for the first time. Her blond hair hung slightly past her shoulders. Animated, she smiled and laughed with the other women, her face glowing. She’d always radiated vitality.

A light pink sweater dress clung to and outlined all of her curves. Somewhere between graduation and now, she’d obviously had a breast enhancement. Logan preferred the real thing and as far as he was concerned, she’d been damn near perfect in high school. Still, women were going to do what women were going to do. Dana, Kyle’s secretary, had bought herself new breasts. Silicone or not, Jenna took his breath away.

He stood stock-still, feeling paralyzed, hearing his racing pulse pound in his ears.

“Hey, buddy. Are you okay? You need directions or something?” a guy around Logan’s age and height asked, rousing Logan out of his trance, stupor or whatever you wanted to call it. Idiocy seemed to fit the bill as well.

“Uh, yeah. I was just getting my bearings.”

“That shouldn’t take long, considering the size of our town,” the other guy said with a friendly grin, shoving his gloved hand in Logan’s direction. “We haven’t met. I’m Dalton Saunders. I hear Juliette brought you in earlier today. I’m the other pilot in town.”

Logan shook the guy’s hand. “Logan Jeffries. Pleased to meet you.”

Dalton eyed Logan’s thin jacket sympathetically. “I also hear they redirected your luggage. I won’t hold you up. See you around.”

“Sure. Nice to meet you.”

Dalton took off with a jaunty step, whistling beneath his breath. Logan crossed the street, eager to get this over with before he could make an even bigger fool of himself. Then again, it wasn’t the first time he’d stood around, gaping at Jenna.

“T
HANKS AGAIN
, J
ENNA
. They look great,” Donna said, admiring her new set of nails. Donna ran the small engine repair shop in town. Even with gloves on, it was tough on her hands. Solar nails had turned out to be Donna’s best bet.

Once upon a time, long before Jenna had met her, Donna had been Don and apparently quite a football star at a Midwestern university. Donna was one of Jenna’s favorite people in town. Jenna admired anyone who had the courage to follow their heart, regardless of the censure they encountered, not that Donna found any here. That was one of the things Jenna loved about Good Riddance—everyone accepted everyone else for who and what they were.

“They do look good,” Jenna said, echoing Donna’s admiration even while she felt all tangled up inside. Logan was out there. She
felt
him,
sensed
him. It had been that way in high school as well. It was as if some radar went off inside her. Then she’d turn a corner and he’d be standing there. She had that same internal alarm going off now.

Jangled or not, Jenna turned to Ellie Lightfoot. “Thanks for stopping by, Ellie. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Donna laughed. “I’m looking forward to you working on me.”

Ellie, her long dark hair hanging down her back in a single plait, smiled shyly. “I’m looking forward to it, as well. My instructor says I have strong hands but a gentle touch—a good combination.”

The native woman, around Jenna’s age, was a school teacher but had spent her summer getting certified in massage. She’d approached Jenna about working in the spa and Jenna desperately needed a massage therapist. Quiet Ellie would be perfect for the job.

Jenna knew she’d dated Clint Sisnuket before Clint had found love with Tessa Bellingham. Ellie had been in twice for a mani/pedi in the past eight months but was always very quiet.

“Same time next week?” Donna said, she and Ellie heading for the door.

“Sure thing. I’ve got you down in my book. And Ellie, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ellie was going to stop by and demo her neck massage technique for Jenna. Jenna, however, was confident that Ellie would do just fine.

Donna opened the door, stepping outside, and Jenna heard her say, “Oh, hi. You’re going in?”

“Yes, thanks.”

She’d recognize that voice anywhere, anytime, even if Merrilee hadn’t given her a heads up that Logan was here. There was a rich, melodious quality to his voice that had always sent a shiver through her. And it still did.

And then he was standing there in front of her, and she didn’t know how to identify the feelings rolling through her. The door closed behind him. The front section of Curl’s wasn’t spacious by any means but it seemed to shrink considerably once she and Logan were sharing the space. The universe seemed to stop and she lost herself in the depths of his brown eyes.

Silence filled the distance between them, connecting them. Time and age had changed him. His dark hair was longer than it had been years ago. It brushed his collar, a hint of a wave in the lock hanging over his forehead. She liked it.

He still had the prettiest, sexiest eyes she’d ever seen on a man, a medium-chocolate brown fringed by dark lashes. And that mouth. It was still ever so kissable, even though she’d never had the opportunity to find out firsthand.

Although she would’ve recognized him regardless, he did look a little different. His face had filled out, matured in a way that emphasized the strength of his square jaw. He’d been a teenage boy when she’d had such a crush on him. Now he was an extremely attractive, nicely-filled-out and all-grown-up man. Life and experience had refined his features, carved planes and angles and lines.

She felt frozen, yet on fire all at the same time.

“Jenna…” The husky note in his voice strummed through her, a key unlocking a secret, remote chamber. Hesitant, he stepped toward her. “You’re even prettier than I remembered.”

She’d had men compliment her before but something about his quiet words touched her. Her heart pounded so hard, surely he could hear it. The look in his eyes seared her, igniting a heat deep in her belly.

“Logan.” It came out a whisper, full of an emotion she couldn’t decipher at the moment.

Instinctively, without thinking it through, she moved toward him. She was a hugger by nature, but wrapping her arms around Logan’s broad shoulders and feeling his warm breath against her neck made her shiver. It felt so right to be there, as if she’d finally found where she belonged.

She meant to step away, to move back but he tightened his arms around her. She wanted to stay right where she was. Slowly, deliberately Logan lowered his head, his intent evident in his thickly fringed eyes. He was going to kiss her. She could barely breathe and she thought her heart might pound out of her chest.

His breath feathered against her lips, his chest, broad and hard, scraped against her pebbled nipples. She was so ready. She’d fantasized about this moment countless times. She leaned into him, letting her eyes drift shut, anticipating the feel and taste of his lips…?.

Splat!

They jerked apart. Jenna and Logan both looked in the direction of the sound. The remains of a misfired snowball finished its lazy slide down the front window. Outside, kids laughed, joined by a dog barking.

Jenna was as simultaneously relieved and frustrated as she’d ever been in her life. She’d almost kissed and been kissed by Logan Jeffries. Okay, yes, she was relieved that she hadn’t been caught standing in the front window of Curl’s, kissing this man? On the flip side, she’d almost kissed and been kissed by Logan Jeffries!