Sweet Home Alaska

Volta was silent. When he looked back, Volta had muted her mic and was whispering something to Bridget. Scott decided to table the subject for the moment. “What river is that?” he asked Mike. The rest of the trip, Mike pointed out the sights. They hardly heard a sound from the back of the plane.

They landed at the airport and taxied to their headquarters. Ash covered the ground here as well, but only a dusting compared to what had fallen in Sparks, and the runways had been cleared. An ambulance was waiting, and the team efficiently handed off to the paramedics. Volta gave Lori a hug. “Take care of yourself and those two precious babies.” The crew jumped in, closed the doors to the ambulance and drove away.

Bridget and Volta walked toward the door to the Puffin facility adjoining the hangar. Scott followed them into the offices. The two women disappeared upstairs and returned a few minutes later in street clothes.

Bridget stretched. “I could go for some coffee. Anyone want to join me at Kaladi’s?”

Volta checked her watch. “Thanks, but I need to get home. Next time.” She started for the parking lot.

Scott grabbed his bag, made his excuses to Bridget and hurried to keep pace with Volta. “Will I see you again?” He couldn’t let their relationship end on that conversation they’d had last night.

She shrugged. “If you’re using Puffin, we might cross paths.”

Might cross paths? “Why don’t you want to fly with me to the villages?”

“It’s just—I don’t know—awkward.”

“Why? We’re both professionals. Clearly, you’ve established relationships around the state. I don’t see why we can’t work together on this project.”

She walked several more steps before answering. “I don’t know, Scott. I’d have to think about it.”

“Fair enough. We’ll talk Monday?”

“If you want to see me before I fly out to Boston, I’ll be at the 7 a.m. meeting at Puffin.” She reached into her pocket. “Oh, no.”

“What?”

“I just realized I left my car keys lying on the top of Libby’s dresser.”

“Oops. Do you have another set at home?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll drive you to get them.”

She shook her head. “I’ll take a cab.”

“I have a rental car right here. By the time you catch a cab, I can probably get you there and back.”

“Well—”

He laughed. “Hey. I’m a very good driver, according to the driving examiner who tested me last week in Houston.”

“You had to take a driving test?”

“I’d let my license expire more than a year ago, so yes.”

“Don’t get home much, huh?”

“Not much.” He stopped at a white compact and pressed the fob to unlock the doors. “Are you going to let me take you to get the keys, or are you going to hike back across the parking lot and catch a taxi to prove—what—that you’re self-sufficient? I already know that.”

She gave a wry smile. “I’d appreciate a ride. Thank you.” Volta slid into the passenger seat and gave him directions.

It wasn’t long before he pulled into her driveway. If someone had turned him lose on the street and asked him to find Volta’s house, this one with creamy yellow siding, crisp black shutters and a teal blue door would have been his first guess. Gray ash lightly coated the grass out front, but someone had hosed off the steps, sidewalk and driveway. Short pink tulips lined the walkway between the driveway and the front steps. On the porch, blue-and-white pillows with pictures of dragonflies rested against the back of a wooden bench. It looked like the definition of home.

“I’ll grab the keys and be right back.” Volta punched a code into a box, and her garage door rose. She disappeared into the garage and the door closed behind her. Scott got out of the car to enjoy the sunshine while he waited.

An old Land Cruiser pulled up to the curb in front of the house and a girl slipped out the back door. Scott easily recognized her from the photo Volta had shown him, although now her hair was twisted up in an elaborate braid. She started toward him, but a man got out of the driver’s side and called for her to wait.

He shut the door and walked toward Scott. A German shepherd jumped down from the car and moved close to Emma. This must be Volta’s brother with the dog.

“Can I help you?” he asked, clearly suspicious about a stranger in his sister’s driveway. His eyes were the same bright blue as Volta’s.

“Hi. I’m Scott Willingham.” Scott paused for a second to see if the name registered, but it was clear Volta’s brother didn’t recognize it. “I flew back from Sparks with Volta.”

“Oh. I’m Volta’s brother, Leith Jordan.” He offered a hand, and Scott shook it.

The little girl popped up, with the dog beside her. “Hi, I’m Emma.” She had wide brown eyes and her mother’s bright smile. Those eyes, combined with the braided crown of hair and how she danced across the grass, made Scott think of an elf. A very cute elf.

He smiled. “Hello, Emma. I’m Scott. I gave your mom a ride from the airport.”

“I’m almost eight,” Emma told him.

“Eight? Wow.”

“My birthday is tomorrow. We’re having a party at the reindeer farm.”

“No kidding. I’ve never seen a reindeer.”

“You haven’t? Reindeer are cool. You should come to my party. Lots of grown-ups will be there. It’s at two at the reindeer farm.”

“Emma,” Volta called from the porch.

“Mommy!” The girl flew toward the house while her mother ran down the steps. Volta dropped to her knees and wrapped her daughter in a hug. The smile on her face was pure joy.

After a moment, the girl stepped back and twirled around. “Mommy, look. Sabrina braided my hair.”

“It’s beautiful. How was the movie?”

“Funny. And we had popcorn.”

“Sounds like you had a good time.” Volta looked past her daughter toward Scott, and her smile lost some of its wattage. She stood. “Scott, I really appreciate the ride, but my brother is here now, so he can take me back to the airport to pick up my car.”

“I don’t mind,” Scott said. “My hotel is near the airport, so I’m heading in that direction anyway.”

“Thanks, but Leith can take me. Right, Leith?”

“Uh, sure.” Her brother seemed as mystified as Scott about why Volta seemed so flustered.

Scott had been counting on the ride back to the airport to press his case about working with her. “So, we’ll talk Monday about those village visits?”

“Yes. Sure. That’s fine.” She took a step forward, past her daughter. “Goodbye, Scott.”

“Goodbye.” Scott nodded at Volta’s brother. “It was nice to meet y’all.” He got in the car and backed out of the driveway. When he looked up, Emma had walked down the steps and was watching him. She waved, and he waved back before driving off.

Clearly Volta adored her daughter and her job, but he sensed something missing. He needed to spend more time with her, to earn her trust so she would be honest with him. Until he was sure she was happy, he wasn’t ready to let her go.

CHAPTER FOUR

“AND WE PAINTED BIRDHOUSES. Grandma painted hers green with little flowers on it, but mine has people.” On the drive back from the airport to fetch Volta’s car, Emma filled her mom in on everything she’d missed while she’d been grounded at Sparks. “And we read a story about a girl and a horse. It was really good.”

“I’ll bet.” Any book or movie that included a horse was a hit with Emma. Ever since she’d taken Emma to the reindeer farm and she got to ride with Ryan, she couldn’t get enough of horses. Fortunately, the miniature plastic herd she’d collected didn’t eat, because Volta’s paycheck didn’t run to stable fees and feed bills. “Are you excited about your party at the reindeer farm?”

“Yeah! Livy got me a present. She won’t tell me what it is, but I think it’s a horse. Rafe might come, too.”

“Who’s Rafe?”

“He’s in my class. He’s new. He looked sad yesterday, so I invited him.”

“That’s sweet, but you need to ask me before you invite more people.”

“Why? It’s my birthday.”

“Because when people are planning parties, they need to know in advance how many people are coming to know how much food to make and everything. I already told Marissa at the reindeer farm how many to set up for.” Not to mention the cake she’d ordered and the goody bags she and Emma had assembled last week. Shoot, did they have enough goody bags? She should probably pack a couple of spares. “You didn’t invite more kids besides Rafe, did you?”

“No.” Emma sighed, as though refraining from inviting everyone she’d come in contact with in the past two weeks had taken a terrible toll. It probably had. “Will Marissa be mad if there’s an extra person?”

“No, I’m sure it will be fine.” Leith’s car pulled into the driveway behind her. “Let’s go get your stuff from Uncle Leith and carry it inside.” Leith handed over Emma’s purple duffel bag and her stuffed dog. Poor Rufus was starting to look a little worse for the wear, but Emma wouldn’t go to sleep without him.

“Thank Sabrina for taking Emma to the movie,” Volta said to Leith.

“Sabrina had a blast. I would have gone, too, but you know, princesses.”

Volta laughed. “Well, thanks for helping me pick up my car. And thanks for driving Emma home. Emma, what do you say to Leith?”

“Thank you, Uncle Leith,” Emma sang out and ran to give him a hug. “Tell Sabrina I had fun.”

Volta and Emma waved goodbye. Volta grabbed the duffel and carried it into the garage, pressing the button that closed the door on the way. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Macaroni and cheese,” Emma said immediately.

Volta laughed. “You always say that. I’ll bet you had Grandma make you mac and cheese already.”

“Yes,” Emma said. “Grandma likes to make macaroni and cheese with me. I helped grate the cheese, and I stirred the milk, and I mashed the bread crumbs with a rolling pin. Grandma says I’m going to be a good cook when I grow up.”

“I don’t doubt it, but let’s try something else tonight. We have chicken in the freezer. Let’s make a chicken stir-fry.”

“Can we use sesame seeds?”

“Yes, and we have broccoli, too.”

“Broccoli?” Emma asked, her voice heavy with suspicion. “Do I like broccoli?”

“Sure you do. Broccoli looks like little green trees. Remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I like little trees.”

Volta set Emma’s duffel at the bottom of the stairs. She put supper together while Emma set the table. Once they’d eaten and loaded the dishwasher, Volta announced it was time for a bath. “When you’re in your pajamas, we can read some stories.”

“Can we read about a horse?”

“We can read anything you want,” Volta promised.

Emma opened her bag and pulled out her pajamas. “Oh, my birdhouse. I forgot to show you.” Emma held up the wooden birdhouse she’d painted a cheery pink with three human figures and an animal along the side.

Volta pointed at the smallest figure. “Is this you?”

“Yes.”

“And this one with the blue dress is me?”

“Yes, because you like blue.”

“So this one must be Uncle Leith.”

“No, a girl and her mommy and her daddy and her horse.”

“Her horse?”

“Yeah, she had a mommy and a daddy and a horse. They’re a real family.”

That nagging sense of inadequacy pricked at Volta. “Real families come in all shapes and sizes, Emma. Just because your daddy died doesn’t mean we’re not a real family.”

“Well.” Emma peeked up from beneath her eyelashes. “If I can’t have a daddy, I should at least get a horse.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Emma tried the puppy-dog eyes.

Volta chuckled. “Nice try, but we’ve talked about this. Horses are very expensive.”

“Ryan has a horse.”

“Ryan lives on a farm. We live in Anchorage.”

“We could keep the horse in the backyard.”

“Our backyard isn’t big enough for a horse to live.”

“We could move to a farm.”

“No, we couldn’t, Emma, because I’m not a farmer. I’m a paramedic.”

Emma shrugged. “Maybe Grandma and Granddaddy will get a horse for my birthday.”

Volta shook her head. “No, sweetie, they’re not going to get you a horse. We have no place to keep one. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.”

Emma frowned. “When I grow up, I’m going to live on a farm and have lots and lots of horses. And my friends can come and ride with me, and I’ll ride the prettiest horse of all.”

“Sounds like a plan. But right now, it’s bath time. Do you want to take some of your horses swimming with you?”

“I’ll take the Arabian and the Clydesdale.” Emma started down the hall, but she stopped after two steps to send back a parting shot. “But someday, I’m going to get a real horse.”

* * *

SCOTT WOKE UP restless on Saturday morning. He’d already written up his notes from his visit to Sparks and had nothing else scheduled until Monday. His plan had been to use this weekend to locate Volta and decide how to approach her, but their accidental meeting in Sparks had taken care of that. In theory, he could check it off the list, but it didn’t feel finished. In fact, it felt distinctly unresolved. He needed to convince her to accept that position as liaison. But he couldn’t do anything else about it for two more days.

Spare time was a luxury and he hated to waste it. He looked out the window. A heavy rain last night had washed the volcanic ash away. Scott decided he needed a nice, long run. Ordinarily, his exercise routine involved a few push-ups and crunches plus whatever running or hiking he could fit in wherever he happened to be.

On the recommendation of the front desk clerk, Scott headed down the coastal trail. Plenty of locals seemed to have the same idea. As he ran, he passed dog walkers, bikers and skaters. Across the inlet, snow clung to the top of a long mountain range. The air smelled of damp earth and sunshine.

Eventually his stomach reminded him it was getting close to lunchtime. He’d passed a soup and sandwich place that looked promising. After he’d changed and eaten, he would decide what to do with the rest of the day.

Scott returned to his hotel, showered and pulled on a pair of jeans. He was digging through his suitcase looking for a clean shirt, when he came across a carved wooden elephant. It had been a gift from the husband of a grateful patient after a breech birth.

He ran a finger over the intricate pattern of the blanket on the elephant’s back carved into the kadam wood. The elephant almost appeared to be smiling. It would be a good toy for a child. And he happened to know a child who was having a birthday today. And she had invited him to her party.

No, he couldn’t do that. He set the elephant on the desk, pulled on a Henley shirt and headed out for lunch. The soup and sandwich place was packed, so he got his to go and sat on a bench in the town square while he ate it. Empty flower beds lining all the walkways suggested this would be a colorful showcase during the summer. On his way back to the hotel, he passed a gift shop. On impulse, he went inside and bought tissue paper and a gift bag.

Back at the hotel, the front desk clerk waved when Scott walked in. “Enjoy your run this morning?”

“I did. Great trail.” Scott paused. “Do you happen to know anything about a reindeer farm?”

“Oh, sure. It’s one of the big tourist attractions in the area.” He came out from behind the desk, selected a card from a nearby display rack and handed it to Scott. “It’s not far. Just take the highway past Eagle River and then exit and take the road north for a couple of miles.”

“Is it the only one?”

“Only one I know of. I took my nephew there once. It was fun.”

“Thanks.” Scott looked over the brochure. Why not?

Thirty minutes later, he spotted the welcome sign with a picture of reindeer and a sleigh, made the turn onto a gravel drive and followed it until he reached a parking area near a white farmhouse. He parked, but he didn’t get out. He probably shouldn’t be here. A verbal invitation from an overexcited almost-eight-year-old was hardly a binding contract.

But he’d been jumpy all morning, thinking about Monday, wondering if Volta would agree to work with him. He had his suspicions she was just humoring him, and that when Monday arrived, she’d tell him no and take off to Boston.

She was excellent at her job and seemed to enjoy it, and to be on good terms with the people she worked with. She obviously adored her daughter. He sensed a sadness there, too. An emptiness that echoed the empty places in his own life. But she’d been married and then her husband died. Of course, a part of her would be sad.

And what if she was sad? What did he think he could do about it? It wasn’t as though he was going to recruit her to join him at DEMA. Not when she had a child in elementary school. Still, he would appreciate her help on this study.

A small SUV pulled up beside him and two little girls hopped out, carrying wrapped packages. They jumped up and down, urging the woman with them to hurry. “Come on. We’re late. We might miss the reindeer.” The woman followed them across the parking area toward a red barn. Beside the barn, a group of reindeer hung their heads over the fence, watching the people arriving.

Should he or shouldn’t he? Why not? He was here. The worst that could happen is someone would ask him to leave. And the best? He wasn’t even sure.

He grabbed the gift and headed toward the barn. A chalkboard outside read Happy Birthday, Emma, so he was in the right place. He stepped up to one of the reindeer near the barn. The deer nudged his hand, and so he scratched her forehead, which seemed to please her.

Scott hadn’t lied when he told Emma he’d never seen a reindeer. He had seen gazelles and wildebeests and oryx in Africa, and barking deer in Indonesia, and pudus, the tiny Peruvian deer, but never reindeer. He had to admit, their antlers were impressive. And they were surprisingly gentle. No wonder Santa Claus chose reindeer as his favorite transportation.

A bearded man in a red polo stepped out of the barn and greeted Scott as he walked toward the gate. He picked up a couple of halters from a rack nearby and slipped inside the reindeer pen. The reindeer Scott had been petting immediately left him and went to nudge the man, who offered her a treat and slipped the halter over her head, buckling it behind her antlers.

Scott stepped inside the barn into a whirlwind of activity. A group of children were gathered around one blindfolded child who was attempting to hit a star-shaped piñata with a stick. Someone was raising and lowering the piñata, and the other children were shouting encouragement. “Go, Rafe!”

After three misses, another boy stepped up for a turn. He settled into a classic batter’s stance and swung wildly at the piñata, his momentum carrying him in a complete circle that sent the other children scattering and almost took out a nearby table. A corgi gave a sharp bark. A man with a weathered face caught the boy by the shoulders and pointed him in the right direction for another try.

Past the piñata, a group of adults stood watching and laughing. Volta was at the center of the group, snapping pictures of the children. She wore a simple blue shirt over jeans, her hair tucked back from her face. Scott stopped where he was and watched her expression change, so familiar, especially when she laughed. Beautiful.

“Hi, it’s Scott, right?” Volta’s brother had come up beside him. “Did you need to see Volta for something about work?”

“Hi. No. Nothing in particular. I hope it’s okay that I came.”

“Sure, it’s fine. Emma invited you. Help yourself to sodas or water on the table over there.” Beside the drinks table, a grinning boy shook a can of soda. “Oops, excuse me.” Leith hurried over to intervene.

Scott edged his way toward the group of adults. Volta was tying the blindfold onto Emma now. She handed her the stick and spun her around a couple of times. Another woman in a red polo herded the rest of the children a safe distance away before calling, “Okay, go.”

Emma took a swing with the pole. Whoever was manipulating the piñata jerked it upward. Emma completely missed but made an impressive whizzing noise as the stick cut through the air. The piñata lowered again in preparation for her next swing, but instead of winding up, Emma immediately swung back in the same arc and knocked a limb off the star, and a few pieces of candy tumbled to the ground.

The kids squealed and three of them dived on the candy. Someone grabbed the stick from Emma’s hand before she could take another swing and take out a crowd of children while she was at it. She jerked off the blindfold, but the other kids had already grabbed all the candy. She turned to her mother.

Volta pointed at the piñata. “There’s a lot more stuff inside. Christy, I believe it’s your turn.”

“Go, Christy,” Emma chanted. “Knock out the candy.”

Volta blindfolded the girl, spun her around and gave her a little nudge in the direction of the piñata. One good whack and the bottom fell out, sending the rest of the candy flying. This time all the kids made a mad dash for the candy, scooping up handfuls.

Volta handed out paper bags. “You can put your goodies in here to take home later.” She pointed at a table that held markers and stickers. “Go write your name on the bag and decorate it.”

Once the kids were convinced they’d found every last piece of candy, they drifted toward the table. An older woman standing in front of Scott chuckled. “I’ve seen bears at Katmai that weren’t that competitive. You’d think they were starving.”

Volta laughed and turned toward her to comment, but her laugh died in midstream when she spotted Scott. The older woman turned to him. “Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Dawn Jordan, Emma’s grandmother.”

“Scott Wi—”

“Scott and I know each other from work.” Volta came striding to them. “Scott, what are you doing here?”

“You came!” Emma rushed over to him. “You really did want to see the reindeer.”

“They’re spectacular. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Pretty soon, we’re going to pet the baby ones and then we’re going for reindeer rides. You can pet the reindeer, too. Right, Mommy?”

“Um, sure.”

Emma leaned closer and whispered, loud enough for her mother and grandmother to hear, “They have horses, too, but we can’t ride them because there’s only two, and that’s not enough for the whole party.”

“Oh,” Scott said. “That’s too bad. But the reindeer are awesome.”

“Hey, kids. We’re going to do pin the tail on the reindeer now,” the woman in the red polo called. Scott realized it had a sleigh embroidered on it.

“Go on over with Marissa,” Volta told Emma. “I’ll be right there.”

Emma skipped away. Her grandmother looked at Scott and then at Volta. When neither of them answered her unspoken question, she said, “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Scott. I’m going to go watch Emma and give you and Volta a minute to talk about...whatever it is you’re here to talk about. Excuse me, please.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Jordan,” Scott said quickly.

As soon as she’d stepped away, Volta grabbed Scott’s elbow and dragged him to the far corner of the barn, away from everyone. “Once again. Why are you here?”

“Emma invited me.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Scott shrugged. “I wanted to see you again.”

“Why?”

“I want you to work with me as liaison.”

“You came to my daughter’s birthday party to talk me into working with you?”

He tried for a disarming smile. “And to see the reindeer.”

“Really?” She tilted her head. “You wanted to see reindeer? You’ve been everywhere.”

“Nowhere with reindeer. Not until now. By the way, why didn’t you let me introduce myself to your mother?”

“Why? Because my dad and my brother are here, and I’d rather not have any bloodshed at Emma’s party.”

“Bloodshed?”

“They never met you, but my mother knew your name, and my parents were none too pleased with my emotional state when I came home from Hawaii.”