Men of Alaska 2: Sterling Sunshine (3 page)

“So the food isn’t too weird?” Ross asked.

She shook her head. “I’ll try anything once. Almost anything. So far so good.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t just ask you out at the wedding,” Tony said. “I should’ve but you hadn’t met Ross.”

At least the delay made sense now. “I understand. I was wrapped up in the move and the new job. Seems like this Matt is more the troublemaker to a potential relationship.”

“He’s been in and out of our lives for about five years. It’s complicated.” Ross shrugged.

“But he always comes back?” she asked.

“He likes Sterling, so he’ll come back, whether we’re together or not.” Tony gave her a boyish grin. She loved his dimpled grin and mysterious green eyes. He’d make anyone in trouble feel safe with his muscled body and calm demeanor. His brown hair was cut very much like his brother’s.

Maybe that was another reason Tony hadn’t moved too fast. She was staying with his brother, and he could get some intel that way. Or at least see how she was fitting in. Maybe if things didn’t work out, it’d cause tension. She didn’t want to do that for Mel or anyone locally.

Love had never worked out for her, so she wasn’t getting her hopes up on Sterling’s ménage tradition. Even if she liked these guys, she’d always gotten too eager too early in a relationship, and it ended badly. Too much pressure? Too needy? She wasn’t going to do that again!

Especially in a small town where everyone talked. She wanted to stay and make the job work. Normally she didn’t fit in so well but her direct manner might just work in Alaska.

“I think she’s sizing us up,” Ross said to Tony.

“Maybe she’s rethinking any date offers because we’re too weird?” Tony replied.

She smiled. “I don’t think it’s weird. Usually women are the ones making it too complicated. My dating experience has been rather random. So Matt is in and out of your lives. Does that mean we wait for him to turn up before we go on a date? That’s fine but I’m not planning my life around a guy who isn’t that interested in me.”

“No, I don’t think we should wait. Life goes on here, and he knows it. It might make things a little weird when he shows up, but I think tomorrow night going for dinner would be nice,” Ross said.

“Pick you up at seven?” Tony asked her.

“Sure, why not?” She wouldn’t mind a nice dinner plus giving Mel and her guys a night of privacy.

“So this destination-wedding idea. Are you hitting up the necessary places to make sure they’re on board?” Ross asked.

Gretchen sipped her water and was glad to be back on a topic less unsettling. Was she dating two men with an option for a third? That was too odd to think about.

“I’ve been trying to get a meeting with the owner of the Sterling Inn. I’ve floated the idea by the bakery, and they’re happy to give a small discount on a wedding cake for a package deal. The discount gets bigger if they have the bridal shower cake and any bachelorette cake done with them as well. So options are good.” She sighed.

“A lot of people to talk to,” Tony said.

“It is. I’m not even sure I can pull it off. This would be a big project, but I can see who’s interested. You don’t have a wedding planner in town.” Gretchen had asked around and searched.

“That’s usually the mother of the bride and the bride around here. The inn has an events planner. But that’s not exactly what you’re talking about.” Ross shrugged.

“No. I’m going to approach the photographer and florist. It might be a bust, but it’s worth a shot. We have a venue and all the stuff we really need. Plus the natural attractions. I’m not sure how to angle it for the brides even though we’re not in the harshest part of Alaska,” she said.

“Nowhere near. You’re in the luxury spot here in the south. Homer usually gets more of the artsy and tourism crowd. We need to hook onto their line and share,” Tony said.

“That’s it. The winery there, and we have a microbrewery here for the men. I can talk to the winery in Homer, and we can cross-promote. Join up the tours, it’ll help their business too. Plus we can add that as an option to our destination-wedding packages.” Gretchen pulled out her phone and made more notes.

Tony nodded to the waitress as she brought their food. When Gretchen put her phone away to eat her caribou burger, she noticed him staring at her.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re definitely the woman for the job,” Tony said.

Gretchen sat back. “Did you think it was a pity work offer? That’s the last thing I wanted. Mel and her guys have to put themselves first.”

“I didn’t mean that.” Tony backpedaled. “You just weren’t quite this outgoing at the wedding. Friendly, yes, but since you moved here you’ve been more on a mission.”

“So I’m too much woman for you?” she teased.

“I think you’re just the woman to handle two or three guys.” Ross winked at her.

“Being out of work is hard on anyone. It’s depressing and you feel powerless. You can try your best, and the right opportunity might be days, weeks, or miles away. Things happen for a reason. Mel moving to be with her guys was a huge step. I’m taking a chance on this job, and I’m not going to screw it up for lack of effort.” She took a big bite of her burger. It was odd how things seemed fresher and more real here.

“Well, you should be safe visiting businesses around Homer and Sterling. If you ever need to contact wilderness guides or any sort of backwoods types, let me know,” Tony said.

“You think I can’t handle it?” she asked.

Ross reached across the table and put his hand on her wrist. “Seriously. This is
live and let live country
. Plenty of men stay out in the bush or in mining camps and want nothing to do with the world at large. They interact with others when
they
want, how they want, and aren’t afraid to pull a gun or a knife on anyone pushing into their territory. Catch them off guard, and you might be shot or cut.”

“Definitely don’t sneak up on anyone. Always make noise. It’s good to scare off animals too,” Tony said.

“Everyone here carries guns.” She shook her head.

“You might be in the relatively safe and civilized part of Alaska, but you’re still not at the top of the food chain without a gun.” Ross smiled.

“Guess I still have a lot to learn and plenty of work to do in town and one safe town over. I’m not really a camping girl anyway. I can’t wait for dinner tomorrow night with two handsome guys.” She couldn’t complain about the day she was having. The business meeting had turned into a casual date of sorts. Both the business potential for marketing Sterling and the relationship signals were getting the green light. After such a long time with nothing happening in her life, she felt like things were flowing in the right direction.

Tony’s phone beeped.

“A call?” Ross asked

“No, a text. From guess who?” Tony showed the phone to Ross.

“The guy has perfect timing,” Ross sighed.

“Matt?” she asked.

“Yeah. What do you think? Want to add him to dinner, so you know what we’re talking about?” Tony asked.

“Sure. Why not?” She realized this wasn’t as straightforward as Mel’s men who’d been a group for a long time in one place. The two men across from her were uneasy. Were they missing Matt or worried he’d ruin things? He was the question mark and it had their situation in flux.

Tony texted back a reply, and Gretchen wondered what tomorrow would bring. No guarantees, but dinner would be fun. She wasn’t getting her hopes up or moving too fast. When she’d had a boring, stable job, she wanted romance to give her a thrill. Now she had an unpredictable job in a wild place. This life was hers to manage and the right men would fit or not. Not that she couldn’t have fun figuring out who the right men were.

Chapter Three

Matt Becker rode his old Harley to the house he called home when he was in Sterling. Ross and Tony owned it, technically, but Matt always felt welcome. He parked his motorcycle, grabbed his duffel bag off the back, and headed up the stairs.

Using his key, he opened the door and smelled dinner cooking. It was nice to have a home to come to. He dropped the bag by the stairs and walked down the hall toward the kitchen.

Ross must’ve heard the door. The men met in the hall. “So you got bored in Anchorage?”

Matt hugged Ross and kissed his neck.

“I missed Sterling. Summer fun by the sea.” Matt headed to the kitchen and saw Tony.

Reconnecting with the moody paramedic was always harder than the grounded mayor. Tony kept his cool at work no matter what, so his personal time sometimes got the spillover.

“Miss me?” Matt asked.

Tony paused in putting away the leftovers. “Are you hungry?”

“Always. Not going to answer me?” Matt grabbed a plate and dished out some dinner.

“The game is always the same, Matt. You don’t get a parade for coming home.” Tony put the leftovers away.

“I didn’t ask for a parade. I missed you guys. And all these e-mails and texts about a woman. I don’t want to miss out on the fun.” Matt grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat at the wooden table.

Ross got a beer of his own and sat down next to Matt. “Summer is usually your busy season. Tourists want tours and the ice roads are melted. Emergencies happen and people always need things. You can make good money flying somewhere.”

“I decided to fly some tours around here for a bit. I always do okay.” Matt ate and tried to ignore the tension. He only had himself to take care of for now. Tony and Ross were grown men who had jobs and were doing fine. Still, the idea of making as much as he could for the future was instilled in him deeply. Life was uncertain, and he was working to save as much as he could so they’d be secure.

“You don’t want a woman in the mix?” Ross asked.

“I like women as much as you guys. Nothing but dick isn’t what any of us want long-term,” Matt said.

“We’re not just talking about sex. We want a settled group. A family.” Tony straightened things in the kitchen.

The chill made Matt feel bad. “Plenty of guys go away for work around here. That doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of the group. Unless you want me gone.”

“No one wants that,” Ross replied.

“As long as you don’t scare away Gretchen.” Tony grabbed his own beer.

Matt finished off his salmon filet. “Fine. I’ll help you win her over. Might make for a better show.”

“Show?” Ross and Tony asked at the same time.

“I’ve been talking to a guy in Anchorage. All these reality shows up here. They want one about a small town. I said I’d ask around Sterling.” Matt watched Ross and Tony’s faces. The reception wasn’t quite warm yet.

“Why a small town? Most of those shows either focus on bopping around the whole state or one little business. Do they want to follow you around?” Tony asked.

“No not me. I don’t want to be the sole focus. And I don’t belong to any group of pilots. They might do the Medvac fliers, but I prefer tourists and cargo.” Matt put his plate in the dishwasher. “Sterling is a great town.”

“I don’t want a reality show focused here,” Ross said.

“Who was bitching about lack of tourism?” Matt asked.

Ross downed half his beer.

“They can make us look any way they want with edits. It’s not like a real documentary.” Tony shook his head.

“Fine. Don’t say I’m not trying to help you. That show would mean a tourism boost and money for the town.” Matt opened the freezer and grabbed a treat.

“People would have to sign releases,” Ross said.

“Right. Half the people in town won’t. Old-timers don’t like outsiders exploiting Alaska.” Tony nodded.

Ross rubbed his forehead. “It’d be political suicide.”

“Okay. I didn’t promise the guy anything. I don’t make commitments lightly. Just a thought to get more money and tourists. If you leave here, you make connections.” Matt shrugged.

“You’d have to stay in one spot for the show. Maybe we should sign up for a few years,” Tony said.

“Ha ha. So tell me about Gretchen,” Matt said.

“Don’t screw this up,” Tony said.

“If you don’t want me there, tell me. If you want me to leave, I’ll go.” Matt gestured toward the front door.

“Relax, both of you. There’s always a little readjustment.” Ross finished off his beer. “Matt, if you don’t want to give it a real try for a permanent relationship, then maybe you don’t need to come to dinner tomorrow?”

“But you told her I was coming, right?” he asked.

“We know her already. You’re new. We stay here year-round. You hop around on your own schedule. What’s fair to her?” Tony asked.

“A choice. Meeting me. If she’s going to live here, she’ll get to know me eventually. Just because I take jobs that make me travel, doesn’t mean I’m not worth spending time with,” Matt said.

Matt hid the lonely little boy well but Ross saw through it. Growing up with sisters and a mom in the tiny town of Nome was hard for Tony and Ross to understand—but Matt had been a part of Ross’s life for a long time.

Sterling was more than double the size of Nome and Homer was right there. Seward wasn’t far either. Driving up to Anchorage for supplies was a monthly trek most Sterling residents made. They had no idea what it was like to be cut off. Being told he was the man of the house while his father was trucking the ice roads was hard enough on a kid. When Matt’s dad came back, he worked the summers away on the boats and Matt got little father/son time.

Part of Matt wanted to settle down in Sterling and snuggle up with a family. Then guilt got to him. Sitting around or doing something that was too convenient when he could be off making triple the money made Matt restless. He’d explained it before but it didn’t help Tony deal with it.

“If you want to come along, fine. Just don’t be too pushy,” Tony said.

Matt set the treat aside and kissed Tony possessively. “Your job is just as dangerous as mine. You could be hurt helping someone from a fire or car crash. You could be going to a call, sirens blaring, and be killed in an accident.”

“What’s your point?” Tony didn’t pull away.

The closeness always made Matt want to stay forever. “I know every time I go up in the air, I might die. That’s the thrill. When you start believing you can always count on someone coming back and hold on too tight, that’s when fate reminds you it has the power. Or I should say, Mother Nature will teach you a lesson.”