Heart of Winter: Anchorage Seasons, #4

By Cherime MacFarlane

Ruby moved out because of him.

His new client wants answers and the only way Teller can think to get them is by using Barbara Jean's maid. She's cute. Will the girl be easier to get along with than Ruby?

The answer he finds to Hoyton's question does nothing for Teller. He has a choice to make. Whose son is he? Drake's or Lily Raven's?

Seeing Teller with the woman increases her doubts. Ruby fears he'll leave when the cold comes. Teller has no choice. The only way he can prove himself to the woman is to stick out the first winter and show her he's there to stay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cherime MacFarlane
• Release date: Mar 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393366294

Cherime MacFarlane

Meet Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author Cherime MacFarlane. A prolific multi-genre author, she has a broad range of interests that reflect her been there-done that life. Romance, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, all sorts of characters and plots evolve from a vivid imagination. As a reporter for the Copper Valley Views, Cherime MacFarlane received a letter of commendation from the Copper River Native Association for fair and balanced reporting. She was part of the Amazon Best Selling in Anthologies and Holidays, and Fantasy Anthologies and Short Stories. The Other Side of Dusk was a finalist in the McGrath house award of 2017.

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Copyright © Cherime MacFarlane

2019

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Copyright Notice:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events or locales is completely coincidental.

Author's Note: Auntie is a term of respect in certain circles. An ‘auntie’ isn’t necessarily a blood relation. In this case Teller and Ruby are third cousins.

License Notes:

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your retailer and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Artwork: C. MacFarlane

Dedicated to: All the kids who called me Auntie.

Chapter One

Lily Raven and Destry left after her court appearance on Friday. They would spend Saturday on Tod’s boat, fishing. After Teller brought the news of Kent’s passing, Lily Raven seemed to shine.

Feeling a bit of shame well up inside, Ruby finished the document, calendared the hearing, and began closing down the computer. She’d been so consumed with everything happening around her...no, consumed with Teller, she hadn’t noticed how drawn Lily Raven had been looking. Nor had she noticed the woman had lost several more pounds.

That was over now, and she hoped they could get back to normal. The monitor turned black and she leaned over to pull out the drawer and retrieve her bag. Nothing would ever be normal again. She suspected her auntie and Destry would get married eventually. Teller... well, what he chose to do after spending a winter in Alaska was anyone’s guess.

He said all the right things—he loved it and such. Still, it was a familiar refrain. Too many people loved the summer, a sort of never-ending day with twilight for night... until winter. Four or five hours of daylight for months on end sapped the resolve of the most determined cheechakoes. And you never could tell how someone would adjust until the first winter was behind them. She’s seen what she considered fragile women succeed when big dudes turned tail and went home to the Lower 48.

Lily Raven wanted him to make it. So did she. Nothing she said or did would make any difference until the end of February. That month, more than any other, seemed to break people. They got through January only to shatter on the shortest month of the year. By then, they had burned out, used up all their resources of hope and optimism. With nothing left to take them through to the end of March, they broke, gave up.

Hey. You ready?

Speak of the devil and here comes the flutter of his little wings. Ruby figured Teller to be temptation on two legs, and he knew how she felt... Perhaps not entirely.

He reached for her arm and she didn’t dare pull away. A certain amount of bravado fueled by pride kept her response to his touch at an acceptable level. Ruby did not want to go home with him... alone. If she said anything to her brothers, Jon and Saul, she’d never hear the end of it. Nor would she ever get rid of them, Jon anyway. He would be living here this year and going to the University of Alaska at Anchorage.

If he and Saul decided she needed watching, it wouldn’t surprise her to have him ask if he could stay at the house while attending school. Which he might do anyway, even though he’d talked about getting a roommate and renting close to the school. She sighed. Lily Raven would offer the room to Jon. She hadn’t given it much thought, but it wouldn’t be out of character for her auntie.

Ruby? Hey, you need to concentrate on getting down the stairs without falling on your ass.

Yeah, I guess.

What are you worried about? He followed her down to the front landing.

Why do you think I’m worried?

Don’t go out yet. Let me check. He opened the door and glanced around. You’ve got your face all screwed up. He motioned her out and turned to lock up.

You already sent the guard home?

I did, when I came up from the basement. Dink and Bea left about twenty minutes ago. Stop trying to change the subject. Teller opened the passenger door of his Jeep and waited until she got settled before shutting the door and walking around to the driver’s side.

So, what’s the problem? He buckled his belt and turned to look at her, his hand on the key.

I realized Auntie would probably offer to let Jon stay in the house while attending UAA this winter.

He’s been here all spring and summer. I understand we’re into fall by your calculations. What’s the difference?

Teller started the Jeep and turned to check the lot as he backed around. Since they were the last car left, he turned around to drive out.

You don’t have siblings. He had Saul to hang with this summer. If he’s living in the house with us and doesn’t have anyone to keep him occupied, he’ll be watching all the time. I’m too old to have anyone keeping track of me.

Seems to me we’ve been keeping track of each other all summer. Maybe you’re over-reacting.

Arms crossed over her chest, Ruby didn’t respond. Her over-reacting acted as a shield against telling him more than she wanted to.

What’s for dinner tonight? Teller asked. Would you like to forego cooking and go to dinner somewhere?

Did she? Not really. At least she could escape to her room while at home. In a public setting, she would be forced to be civil. If she ran to her room as soon as they ate, no conversation would be necessary. No. I don’t mind cooking. I took something out to defrost this morning. We should eat it.

Sitting at a light, he glanced her way. Come on. Don’t be contrary. I like your cooking well enough, but eating a steak out won’t hurt a thing.

The Jeep moved forward. What kind of stuff do you like? Chinese, Mexican, what?

Teller kept to the curb lane. He wanted to go out for some reason. Ruby wondered if she gave in, would it be better than fighting? Perhaps. She didn’t need to make a big production of it. They could go to dinner, go home and, once there, she would go straight to her room. Okay. We can get a steak somewhere.

Yay! I’ve been craving a big one with baked potato and all the fixings.

If you’d said something, I’d have taken out moose meat.

It’s not a big thing, I wanted out of the house for a bit.

Ruby didn’t comment. He’d been out a lot more than she had. Was he one of those people who wasn’t happy unless they were bouncing from one place to another? She’d done enough of that while in Washington. Being home soothed her; she liked knowing her little corner of the world remained the same for long periods.

Taking a trip to Seward or Homer exploring could be fun. She’d enjoyed their fishing trip. Knowing she had a place of her own to come home to allowed her to have a good time. How could anyone take pleasure in living out of a car? A motorhome... that was different. Like a turtle or hermit crab, your home could be dashed into at the first sign of trouble.

True, the house she lived in now didn’t belong to her. Ruby knew Lily Raven wouldn’t toss her out for anything other than a major offense. Drug use or stealing could put her on the street and she wouldn’t blame Auntie one bit.

They drove into the restaurant’s parking lot and Ruby sighed. One of the chains that had finally come to Alaska, they served a decent meal, if not terribly imaginative. Teller would get a good steak. She wasn’t sure what would appeal to her. It might take a little time to decide.

Seated at a table, menu in hand, she ignored meat or fish offerings. What they had at home to work with would be better quality than this kitchen used.

Teller raised an eyebrow at her choice of a salad. You can have anything you want.

I’m not exactly a beef fan. Pork is good occasionally if cooked right. Otherwise, I’m not going to bother with something inferior to what I’ve got at home.

Not picky... much. He took a sip of water and grinned at her.

Why shouldn’t I be? We know how fresh the fish is at home. I know who bagged the moose we’re eating. So, I’ll get a salad. It’s probably as fresh as what I’d get in the store.

With a chuckle, Teller shook his head. Okay. You win. I get it. Maybe next time I’ll go out alone.

She didn’t want that. It’s fine. I don’t mind eating light once in a while. I could have tried the pork chops, I guess.

Then you’ll keep me company?

His grin and those brown eyes drew her in. Ruby leaned back into the booth. His mischievous grin faded, and Teller lifted his head to glance around the place. He understood why she moved as far away from him as she could get in the booth.

Yes, I will. She leaned forward. I have a hard time dragging myself out. When I was in school in Washington, I damn near kept my stuff in a suitcase. I went through rooms like going through socks. Something always happened.

Teller’s grin returned. The military kept me moving from one posting to another. Same thing, I couldn’t catch a break. Drake didn’t help much either. We stayed in Vegas, mostly. He liked being close to the action. I translated that into close to Destry in case he needed to borrow a few bucks.

That must have been hard.

The waiter brought their food. Ruby took a bite of salad and watched Teller cover his meat in sauce. Mom and Dad live in the same cabin Grandma lived in as a girl. It’s small. Dad added on a room for Saul, Jon, and me. It had a full-size bed for the boys under my loft. The boys always bitched because I got the loft and they had the bed beneath it.

So they were jealous?

Yeah. But Mom and Dad could have taken it for a little privacy. The other room is open. They slept on one side of the stove and Grandma took the other.

He swallowed a bite and she could see he had a question. What? Ask it. A hint of color slid up his neck. Ruby waited.

Didn’t that make, ah... marital relations a little difficult?

Oh, well. Some families are more relaxed about that, although ours wasn’t as lax. Grandma was a good Catholic. She always slept on her left side turned away from them. I know because every time she went to bed early, she always laid on her left side. When I changed the bedding for her, there was an indent in the mattress. She ignored what she had to.

The expression on his face thoughtful, Teller ate more of his meal. He sipped at the beer the waiter had brought and stared into the glass. I guess life is like that. Sometimes you have to ignore shit and do the best you can.

He didn’t say much afterward. Neither of them did. They finished their meal and went home. Ruby escaped to her room and Teller to his.

Saul and Jon were off somewhere. As soon as the State Fair ended, they would both be back in school. Lily Raven said they would attend the fair together on the first Monday of fair week. The following day, both boys were to drive home and say goodbye to their parents. Jon would drive back down to Anchorage and Saul would fly out of Fairbanks to Seattle. Jon would be in state to go moose hunting, but Saul would miss hunting season and had made Ruby promise to send him some moose jerky.

Leaves cluttered the parking lot at the office. The landscapers would be busy removing them for almost a month. Usually by the beginning of October, the birch and cottonwood were bare. Ruby had looked forward to winter every year but this. Too much rode on the season. She wanted it to get cold; it would be best if the temperature dropped into the minus twenty range. Teller needed to see what Alaska could dish out. She didn’t want a mild winter, not this year.

Chapter Two

Back from his session with Clarice, Teller perched on the edge of his desk and toyed with a pen. That’s it? You can’t find anything more on her?

Destry shrugged. You’re better on the damn computer than I am. What did you come up with on Yanks?

Nothing more than you found. That doesn’t make sense.

Dink rolled his office chair around the edge of the fold-up table he’d been using as a desk. I don’t know much about the Yanks woman, but I can tell you Malcolm Stratan sure isn’t shacking up with her. I’ve followed the guy everywhere for the past three weeks. There’s nothing going on. His old lady is on the wrong scent.

Teller grunted. I’ve come to the same conclusion. Guess I need to explain what we haven’t found to Ma. I understand she’s been trying to get the woman to see reason without much success.

Happens sometimes. Some females can get their knickers in a wad and reason jumps ship. Dink looked at the computer screen. If the Yanks chick came to Alaska to hide out, raising a big stink with a married man doesn’t make much sense. We can’t find hide nor hair of her anywhere else in the Lower 48, so something smells like Limburger to my mind. Now, if you want, I could ask Bull to see what he can dig up. I can email him a shot of the woman and see if he can turn up anything.

That’s a long shot if I ever heard one. What we need is a little more intel. A date of birth, a social would be gravy. Teller said.

Uh-huh. And how do you propose we get this? Destry leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair. Breaking and entering doesn’t top the lists of my skill sets.

Dink’s been watching Malcolm. Up until lately, we’ve had other concerns. Now that we don’t need to guard Ma every hour of the day, our time is freed up. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to tail Ms. Yanks for a few days. Uncle Dez, if you want to take her during the day. I’ll take the evening shift. If I get a chance, I’ll sift through her garbage and see if anything surfaces.

Since you’re the only one here without a woman, you’re the obvious choice for the evening detail. Unless you worm your way into Ruby’s good graces. Dink grinned at him.

Not likely. Ruby looks at me about the same way a kangaroo rat views a sidewinder. One look and she’s gone.

Damn shame, kid. She’s a nice-looking young woman. Smart too.

Drop it, Dink. She’s not interested, and Ruby has nothing to do with the matter at hand. Yanks is our problem now.

True. So when do we start our surveillance?

Teller turned to Destry. It’s a little late to begin today. Bring Ma to the office tomorrow and then you can drive up the mountain and check out Ms. Yanks. But I don’t want you taking the Jeep all the time. Call that car rental place, the one who comes to you. Get them to bring us something tomorrow evening. I’ll take it for the night shift and drop it off here. I’ll leave you the keys on the desk. If it’s too late, I’ll head for the trailer and sleep there.

So, are you starting tonight? Destry asked.

Might as well. Let me call Bea and find out if she can get me fifteen minutes with Ma before we close. I’ll explain what we’re up to and why.

Before you do... Dink turned to pull a pad of paper close. He flipped two pages and handed it to Teller. How involved do you want to get with Curtis Hoyton? He called and asked if we could courier those papers over to Whitehorse. He wants something signed and brought back. It means a trip to Canada, a day to Whitehorse and a day back.

Teller scanned Dink’s note and grimaced. If we could keep it to shit like this, I’m okay with it. But who would take it over there? Destry and me are gonna be busy with Yanks.

I’ll take that one on. Bea can let go of me for a couple of days. Since I flew up, I’m game to take a gander at Yukon Territory. A quick trip over and back is gonna cost him. What do you think we should ask?

The big grin Dink wore was matched by Destry’s. Teller pushed the pad back to Dink. Ask for a thousand plus expenses, but don’t return the call just yet. We know someone with a plane and I wonder if he’s doing anything right now. Hang tight for a sec.

After pulling Sully’s number up, Teller called him. Hey, dude. You got any charters scheduled? No. Well... how would you feel about flying one of my guys over to Whitehorse to courier over some paperwork on a land deal? Okay, good. You could stay the night and fly back the next morning. Yeah, I could call Chapman, but I know you. Chapman has all the business he can handle, and I thought it might be nice to spread a little around. All right. Let me firm this up and just so I know, what days are you free?

Any day but Saturday and Sunday went on the paper beneath the phone number. Excellent. I’m sure it has to be a weekday. Soon as I have a firm date, I’ll get back to you.

Now for Hoyton. Teller input the number while Dink and Dez waited.

Oh, hello there, Mr. Hoyton. I didn’t expect to get you. Teller laughed. A receptionist is what I anticipated. On the courier job. Can do. I thought a thousand plus gas and a night’s lodging in Canada. Yes, sir, we have a deal. Lily Raven has the paperwork? Even better. It will be done before close of business Wednesday. Will do. You’ll hear from us as soon as we return to Anchorage.

Teller ended the call and high-fived Dink and Destry. I deliberately didn’t tell him you’d be flying over. We aren’t getting too deep into the dude’s web. This kind of thing is cool. Nothing more, we all clear on that?

Destry slapped one hand on the desk. I don’t like your mom doing anything for the man. But since she seems to have it under control, I won’t rock the boat. Curtis Hoyton could be bad for a person’s health if they became too involved with him. Let’s keep our fingers away from the shit end of the stick.

A quick call to Bea and Teller had a fifteen-minute window to talk with his mother. He decided to get Hoyton’s documents at the same time. He walked in and didn’t bother to take a seat. Leaning against the door, he updated her on the Stratan case.

I find it odd that Yanks can’t be traced. Sitting back in her chair, Lily Raven stretched her arms out over her head.

We all agree with you there. I’m hoping something will turn up with Uncle Dez and me following her. On another matter, Hoyton called and asked for us to courier the paperwork over to Canada, get it signed and back here. So I’ll need to get it from you. Dink is going to take care of getting it done.

Be sure—

"Not to get in too deep with the dude. Figured stuff like this can’t