THUNDER PASS

Firelight Ridge ~ Book 6

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Excerpt

It wasn’t that Ruth was angry at Gunnar…okay, she was quite angry with Gunnar. But she was more furious with various other men in her life, and she couldn’t slap any of them.

Poor Gunnar stared at her as he flexed his jaw back and forth. Had she really hit him that hard? She’d never slapped anyone before in her entire life. It was a strange, surreal feeling.

“Damn,” he said. “I had no idea you could pack a punch like that.”

“I’m a lot stronger than I look, and it wasn’t a punch.” For some reason, she had to make that clear. “Slaps are not punches. And you deserved it.”

“I did?” He looked genuinely confused as he scratched a hand through his thick hair, the color of golden wheat in the fall. She fought against the pull of his sculpted body, his eyes—such a pretty blue—and his overall powerfully irresistible attractiveness. “Mind telling me why?”

She glanced behind her at the house. The men were all at the mill, working on resurrecting the wheat operations. The children were down by the creek, fishing for something for lunch. The only women in the house were those assigned to preparing the midday meal. She herself was supposed to be watching over the kids—that was usually her job—but she’d run back to the house to grab another bucket.

Still, you never knew who might be watching. Finding privacy at the Chilkoot compound was nearly impossible. Too many eyes and ears everywhere. She wanted to have this conversation with Gunnar—really, she wanted to yell at him—but she didn’t know if it was safe.

“Why are you here?” she asked him, suddenly realizing he was pulling a trailer.

“Never mind that. I want to know why you’re mad at me.”

He seemed sincere, but then he had before, too. But still, she really wanted to have her say. “Meet me at that cottonwood grove in ten minutes,” she said, with a tiny gesture of her head toward the woods.

Eight minutes later, she stepped into one of her favorite spots on the property, a lovely shaded glade filled with dappled light from the flutter of cottonwood leaves. In the spring she gathered the buds to make Balm of Gilead salve, but other than that the Chilkoots had no use for the grove, so no one else ever came here.

Gunnar was already there, gazing up at the patch of sky visible beyond the lacy cottonwood canopy. “So pretty,” he said as she joined him, and for a moment of giddy excitement, she thought he was talking about her.

“What are doing here?” she demanded, irritated at the direction of her thoughts. She didn’t feel that way about Gunnar, not anymore.

“I wanted to see you.” His forthright answer took her aback. “I heard Luke was back, and I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Such a confused slurry of emotions roiled inside her that she had to stop and catch her breath. She wasn’t okay. Not at all. But she wasn’t used to anyone asking her if she was. What if she wasn’t? What then? Did anyone have an answer to that?

She lifted her head high. “I’m fine. I would be much better if you hadn’t told people about…that day.”

For a moment, he looked blank, then awareness filled his handsome face. “You mean the day we kissed? I never told anyone.”

“Maybe you were at The Fang, after a drink or two.”

“I don’t drink.”

Her mouth fell open. Didn’t all the Firelight Ridge people drink? That was what she’d been taught. “Never?”

“I wouldn’t say never, but I avoid it, and the most I ever drink is an ale that lasts all night. Alcohol doesn’t agree with me. I might have an allergy, not sure. I get a rash when I drink. Itchy as hell. Sorry,” he added quickly.

She ignored both the “hell” and the apology. She’d spent enough time in Firelight Ridge by now to know that people were much freer with their language than out here. It no longer made her flinch. “Okay, so you weren’t drunk. But you must have told someone. One of the kids heard about it.” She flushed red at the memory of Sarah’s curious stare.

“Well, maybe someone saw us. All I know is it wasn’t me. I don’t kiss and tell. I would never do that. Especially…” He hesitated, then continued as she lifted her eyebrows. “Well, I know your family wouldn’t be too happy about it. They’d have to stick hot needles under my fingernails to get it out of me.”

A warm feeling spread through her belly. He really hadn’t told anyone. He hadn’t laughed behind her back the way she’d imagined. To the contrary, he was more interested in protecting her.

And she’d given him a slap across the face as thanks.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, hugging her arms tight around her. “I can’t believe I hit you like that. What a terrible thing to do.”

He felt his jaw, giving an exaggerated rotation to test it. “Took me by surprise, that’s for sure. Is everything really okay?”

No, it’s not okay! She wanted to scream. But old training held firm. “Fine.” Embarrassed, she glanced at his truck and trailer, just visible down at the road. “Why’d you bring that old ATV?”

“I couldn’t think of another way to come out here without looking suspicious. It’s my excuse. Jared said he’s been looking for one.”

For a moment, she was so touched that she wanted to kiss him again. But that hadn’t gone well the first time, so she stopped herself. “That’s very sweet,” she said instead. “You didn’t need to do that.”

His jaw flexed again, but not because it was sore this time. “I’m serious, Ruth. If you need anything, you have friends, you know. Not just me. But I’m at the top of the list. What’s it like with Luke back? How is he back?”

She folded her lips together. The first rule for any Chilkoot was to put family loyalty first, before anything else. Nothing was more important than staying true to the clan. That was why she’d always kept all her questions locked inside where no one could see them. Things were different now—she questioned everything about the Chilkoots—but old habits were hard to break.

“It’s okay,” she finally said.

Gunnar was still quiet, waiting for her to say more. What was safe to say, and what wasn’t?

“I’m no longer needed as guardian,” she added..

“I bet that’s not true.”

Her stomach clenched, since she didn’t disagree. “He’s in charge, and that’s what he says.”

“What does the State of Alaska say?”

She’d reached out to the caseworker, who’d said her hands were tied. Whatever that meant. All sorts of questions filled her head and kept her awake at night. Why was Luke being even stricter than before? Why was he sidelining her? Why was he holding men-only meetings? Why were new people showing up daily, strangers to her, all men, all with cold, watchful eyes?

“It’s not your problem,” she told Gunnar stiffly.

“So there’s a problem? I knew it.”

“I didn’t say that. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“What is this?” A deep familiar male voice made them both startle. Luke stood at the head of the little pathway that led from the road to the grove. “Gunnar? What are you doing here?”

Ruth’s stomach clenched and her mouth dried up. She recognized that tone of voice. Her father might sound calm and controlled, but he was enraged.