Pathways (9780307822208) (28 page)

She had handled the flight well, more quiet than usual, but generally fine. He had held her hand with his good one, content to sit in back with the more limited view in order to be near Bryn. Leon sat alone in the cockpit like a chauffeur in the front of a limo. He made a smooth landing and dropped them both at Bryn’s cabin.

“Smoke rising at your place,” she said, nodding across the lake.

“That’s my folks. Back from their travels, I guess. The people at the hospital tried to reach them but had no luck.”

“I’m glad they’re here.” She disappeared through the doorway. “I’d like to see them. There’s something I’d like to ask them.”

“What?”

“You’ll see.”

“Okay, surprise girl. Why don’t you take an hour to yourself? I’ll go catch up with the folks, and then you can join us for lunch.”

“That’d be good, Eli. Really good.”

He leaned down and kissed her, turned, and then shook his head, laughing under his breath. Feeling foolish, he turned back to
her. “I don’t have my canoe here, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be much good with one arm.”

She giggled and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. “Give me half an hour, and we’ll go over together, all right?”

“Okay,” he said, giving her a rueful smile. “I’m gonna go sit on the porch.”

“All right. I’ll put on a pot of tea.”

The two struck out across the lake half an hour later. Eli was eager to see his folks, eager to show off Bryn and see how they would feel about seeing him and Bryn together. His dad’s words of all those years before came back to him—“Like catnip to a tomcat.” He smiled. “Can’t you paddle a little faster?” he teased, throwing the comment over his left shoulder.

“Can’t you get out and swim?”

He grinned. Up ahead, his cabin emerged from the trees, and his parents walked onto the porch and then down the steps to meet them.

“Eli Alexander Pierce,” his mother said in surprise, “What have you done to yourself this time?”

“And why Leon’s plane? Where’s the de Havilland?” his father put in.

“Had a little accident. We’ll tell you all about it over lunch. Welcome home, by the way,” he said.

“I told you we should have gotten that cell phone fixed,” Meryl said to Jedidiah while she reached out to give her son a hug and to greet Bryn. “My, haven’t you turned out lovely! And I hear you’re a full-fledged doctor now. Your parents must be so proud.”

Bryn smiled shyly and then hugged Eli’s father. “Yes, my dear, you’ve grown up real fine,” Jedidiah said. “Prettier every time I see you. No wonder my boy is head over heels.”

“Not any more than I am,” she said. Eli grinned back at her.

“Well, come in, come in,” Meryl said. “I have tomato soup on, and in a few minutes we’ll have cheddar sandwiches to go with it.”

“Sounds great, Mom,” Eli said.

Eli spent the next hour telling his folks about their ordeal. His mother could say nothing but “oh my” and kept a hand over her mouth. Jedidiah looked over at them both and said, “Thank God you two are all right. I’m sorry we weren’t within reach.”

“I’m glad we didn’t know,” Meryl said, rising and clearing the lunch dishes. “Spending a whole day not knowing if you were alive or dead is something a mother doesn’t wish to endure.”

Eventually the topic of conversation switched to the Pierces’ cross-country trip in the RV. Eli relaxed and sat back, watching his parents interact with Bryn and get to know her again. They had a natural way with each other, like old friends. And Eli noticed that his mother leaned in, as if wanting to be affirming, whenever Bryn spoke.

When they all finally rose again, Bryn helped his mother wash and dry the lunch dishes, then clean up the kitchen. Eli chatted with his dad, but his eyes were on Bryn. She was so incredible. And she fit so well into his family.

She and Meryl were obviously discussing something intently, speaking in hushed tones and smiling. His mother wiped tears from her rounded cheeks and then reached up to tenderly embrace the taller girl. What were they talking about?

When they came out, Meryl handed a sack of cookies to Eli. “Your father brought an outboard motor for the rowboat,” she said. “Why don’t you go fire it up and run these down to Ben?”

“I’m not sure he’s there, Mom. It looked pretty quiet.”

“Go and check. I don’t want the cookies to get stale. You know how Ben loves chocolate chip.”

“All right,” he said slowly. Were they trying to get rid of him? Besides, Eli was more in the mood for a nap than a run down the lake. But the prospect of the outboard motor roused him. If it worked, he’d be able to get to Bryn’s and back without escort.

“Want to come with me?” he asked Bryn. His mother sat down beside his father and whispered something in his ear.

“No. Thanks. I think I’ll just stay here and rest. It’s been a big day already.”

“I know what you mean,” he said, rising as she sat down. He went to her and gave her a quick kiss, conscious of his parents’ approving grins and careful to ignore them. “Dad? You want to come?”

“Uh, I’ll get you started. A nap sounds good to me, too.”

Eli looked around at the others. What was cookin’ here exactly? They all stared back at him with innocent expressions.

“Come on, Son. You’ll be back before you know it. We’ll just stay and chat with your girlfriend a little more, maybe catch a little shut-eye.” He gestured toward the door, and Eli went for his coat, picked up the cookies, and left with a curious smile toward Bryn.

“So, what do you think?” he asked his father as they descended the steps toward shore.

“Of Bryn?”

“No, Dad. Of the weather.”

Jedidiah chuckled. “You and Bryn were always meant to be together.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because when I sat there drinking with her father—back during my drinking days in Germany—we were feeling as close as
brothers, me and Peter.” He laughed and shook his head, rubbed his neck with one hand and then looked his son in the eye. “Pledged our firstborn to each other. You and Bryn, being our first—and only—children were a matched pair from the beginning. An arranged marriage, we called it.”

Eli stared at him in disbelief. “But—”

Jedidiah waved at him and smiled. “We were only kidding, of course. But I’d wager that Peter will be as pleased as a fox in a warm winter den if you two would make it official. I would be.” He bent to lift the small motor and place it on the back of the rowboat.

“I’m thinkin’ about it, Dad. But I don’t know. I don’t want to push Bryn into anything.”

“Bryn doesn’t seem like the type of woman that anyone pushes into anything. Not unlike your wonderful mother,” he added with a wink.

“Yeah,” Eli said with a sigh. “Bryn’s terrific. I’d hate to lose her.”

“You wait for that moment. It’ll come if this is truly meant to be.”

“That’s what I figure.” He watched as his dad put gasoline into the engine and got it going with a strong arm. He cranked the throttle, letting it run high for a moment, then climbed out of the boat and past Eli. “Give my best to Ben. Tell him to join us for dinner if he’s available.”

Eli smiled. “Will do.” He climbed in. “What’s with the engine? I thought you were against anything but canoes up here.”

“I am. But your mother said she’d come with me to the lake more often if we could go for afternoon rides and she wouldn’t have to paddle.”

Eli took Bryn home in the rowboat that night after dinner, letting the canoe drift behind them on a rope. It wasn’t as peaceful and idyllic as paddling a canoe, but it was faster.

When they crunched to shore, she climbed out and turned around. “Can you sit with me for a little while, Eli? There’s something I need to talk over with you.”

“Sure,” he said, trying to sound casual, not overly curious. He turned off the motor and climbed out, then turned to pull the boat higher up on the rocky bank.

“Let’s go in, build a fire.”

“Sounds good.” He followed her inside and she lit eight vanilla-scented candles. “It drowns the must and mothball smell,” she said as she set them around the room. Eli laid the fire and struck a match to the pile of kindling and needles at the bottom. Within minutes it was crackling, and Bryn set several blankets, the bearskin, and pillows on the floor in front of it.

With a grin Eli sat down across from her, cross-legged as she was. The fire lit half her face, leaving the other in deep shadow. He was reminded of the days when she had cared for him after the grizzly incident at the river. “I’m so in love with you, Doc,” he whispered, raising a hand to caress her face.

“Eli,” she said, taking his hand in hers and pulling it to her knee. She swallowed slowly, her eyes, big and luminous, searching his. “I took a job,” she said carefully.

Her words robbed him of breath. “Oh,” was all he could manage. He tried to put on a brave front. “I hope it’s not in Boston. Please tell me you’re at least on the West Coast.”

“At least,” she said dryly. “It’s in Willow. I’m going to work at the hospital there, continue on with Housecalls in the summertime.”

“You-you
what?
”

“I took a job in Willow. I’m staying here,” she said slowly, lowering her eyes at him as if something were wrong with his ears.

“You’re … you’re staying here?”

“Yes.”

He let out a breath in relief and then grinned from ear to ear. “That’s, that’s so great. I mean, I had wondered … I had hoped. Oh, Bryn. Thank you. Thank you for staying.” He pulled her to him for a quick one-armed hug. “I’m so glad, sweetheart. I’m so glad you’re not going away again.”

“Not for a while,” she said, smiling now too. “Especially if you answer the next question right.”

“Which is?”

“Eli Alexander Pierce,” she said, “I asked your parents for their blessing this afternoon, and they gave it.”

“Blessing for what?”

“On our marriage.”

“Our … what?”

She laughed then and touched his face. “I know it’s unconventional. But I love you, Eli, and I don’t want to wait another day, wonder for another moment. I want you, forever. As mine and mine alone. Would you do me the honor of becoming my husband?”

He joined in her laughter and then shook his head. “Bryn Bailey. Always have to do things in your own time, your own way, don’t you?”

“Yes.” She looked at him with sheepish, hopeful eyes. “I can be a problem that way, I guess. I’m still hoping—”

“Of course I’ll marry you, Doc. You’ll make me the happiest man in Alaska. You already have.”

And then they kissed and hugged and caressed and cuddled for hours. “We’re going to spend our wedding night here,” Eli said lowly, kissing her softly on the nose. “On the floor, in front of the fire, when there are no boundaries anymore. You’ll be mine, body and soul, and I’ll be yours.”

“Let’s wed soon,” she said, urgently kissing him again.

“You’re the boss, Doc.” He laughed quietly and pulled back to peruse the beauty of his intended bride. “Why do I get the feeling you always will be?”

She answered him, not with words, but with another kiss. She was smart and savvy and sexy beyond belief. And Eli knew they were on a path to love, fulfillment, and happiness. “I’m gonna marry you, Bryn Skye Bailey, the day your family can get here. I will wait no longer.”

“Now who’s bossing whom?” she asked playfully.

“I’ll let you wear the pants in our family once in a while. But don’t you forget, I’m the man.”

“I can never forget that, Eli,” she said softly, pulling him to her again. “I’ve thought of you as a man since I was fifteen.”

“Lots has happened in the years since then.”

“Good and bad. But mostly good. You’re one of the best parts.”

“As are you.”

“Eli?”

“H’m?”

“Should we pray? Ask for God’s blessing?”

He sighed, long and hard. Praying wasn’t heavy on his mind, but she was right, it should be. He smiled. “You start, Doc. And I’ll finish.”

T
his book would have been impossible without a quick trip to Anchorage and Talkeetna. The people there were wonderful and treated me like an honored guest, particularly Peggy Beal of the Kingsview Bed and Breakfast (
www.kingsviewbandb.com
) on the Anchorage hillside, who also read my manuscript; the gracious people at the lovely Copper Whale Inn of Anchorage (
http://ancbiz.com/copperwhaleinn
); Elbert Sturgis, my very efficient pilot at Alaska Bush (
www.ak-biz.com/alaskabush/
) outside of Talkeetna who flew me out to meet the Nickols family, who own the Caribou Lodge (
www.cariboulodgealaska.com
). If you want to see the Alaska bush yourself, talk to Elbert and go visit Caribou Lodge for the night! Elbert’s assistant, Karen, was wonderful in helping me coordinate the whole last-minute research trip that I am so glad I took. She sent me to the kind and helpful Nickols family rather than to visit a very lonely bush man who was eager to spend “a week” with a romance writer.

I also leaned heavily upon my father and my brother, Jim and Ryan Grosswiler, who are both pilots and helped me write all those scenes aloft with some degree of authority. It was the medical side of my family who once again bailed me out on the technical things. On Christmas Eve Day, Drs. Cecil Leitch, Nancy Leitch, and Paul Amundson helped me get all those medical traumas right.