He gave a mental shake, his attention drawn back when Nathan called his name. He glanced over to see Nathan striding to the top of the docks, holding a set of keys aloft and jingling them. “You forgot these!” he called out.
Nathan reached them and tossed the keys to Travis. “Meet me at the boat ramp in five, okay?”
“Got it. See you in a few.” Travis glanced back to Jared and Susie. “See you up at Nathan’s place in a bit.” At that, he jogged off.
Not much later, he was standing in the kitchen at Nathan’s place. Once upon a time, Nathan shared the home with his brothers, but Luke and Jared had both gotten married. Nathan had too, but it simply worked out that he remained in the house with his wife Tess. The lower portion of the two-story timber frame home served as the office and storage for the fishing business he shared with his brothers.
“Mind if I wash my hands real quick?” Travis asked, glancing to Nathan who’d just sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh.
“Of course not!” Tess answered before Nathan had a chance. She stood by the counter, her honey-gold curls pulled up in a ponytail. “I just made some coffee for you guys anyway.”
Nathan ran a hand through his hair and waved Travis toward the kitchen sink. “Wash your hands and have a seat.” He glanced to Tess as she stepped to the table with two mugs of coffee in her hands. He took a hearty swallow from the mug she handed him and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Thanks for the coffee,” he said with a wink.
Tess ruffled his hair and slipped away to return to the counter. After drying his hands, Travis plunked down in the chair across from Nathan where Tess had placed a mug of coffee. After a long swallow, he sighed and looked over at her where she was busy chopping vegetables. “Coffee’s delicious,” he said with a nod.
She glanced up, her ginger eyes warm with her smile. “Thanks. Figured you guys could use it after a few hours at the harbor. It’s windy and cold out today. I bet we’ll get snow tonight or tomorrow.”
“Should we bet dinner?” Nathan asked with a wink.
Tess cocked her head to one side and rolled her eyes. “You already promised we’d go to dinner tomorrow night anyway. Plus, actually betting on the weather is silly.”
Nathan shrugged. He tended to look for the joke in anything. He looked over at Travis. “Well, one boat’s out of the water for winter. Thanks for helping us get that done.”
“Glad to. Before you know it, I’ll be hitching a ride on one of your charters.” Travis took another sip of coffee, savoring the rich flavor and warmth. “Gotta say, I’m not much for betting on the weather myself, but I wouldn’t be surprised if snow flies again tonight.”
Nathan chuckled. “Well, it’s November in Alaska. It’s what we get.”
“No complaints from me. I love snow,” Travis said.
“I don’t mind the snow, but driving in it stresses me out,” Tess said with a pause in her chopping.
“Give it a few more years, and you’ll be used to it,” Nathan offered.
Tess blew an errant curl out of the way and rolled her eyes. “Hon, I’ve been here over four years now.”
Nathan arched a brow. “Has it been that long?”
Tess threw a dishtowel at him, which Nathan deftly caught. “Kidding. It’s easy to remember when you moved here because John was over one then. He just started first grade this year.” Nathan caught Travis’s eyes. “Damn, that makes me feel old.” He was referring to his brother Luke’s son. The moment he mentioned first grade, Travis thought of Janie.
Before Travis realized what he was doing, he asked a question. “First grade, huh? Is his teacher Janie Stevens?”
Tess paused in her chopping and looked over at him. “Actually, yes. Hannah was all excited he got her because everyone loves her. Not to be weird, but since when do you ask about kids’ teachers?”
Nathan looked at him askance. Travis took a gulp of coffee, trying to mask his sudden discomfort. “Uh, I had to do the annual fire safety talks to the school a few weeks back. Janie was my tour guide for the day.” His explanation was entirely factual, but nothing he said addressed the fact his curiosity stemmed solely from his intense fascination with Janie, a fascination he was hoping wasn’t too obvious.
Tess got a gleam in her eyes and put a hand on her hip. “Speaking of betting, I’d bet money Janie’s the woman you had dinner with the other night.”
Travis nearly choked on his coffee. While he sputtered, Nathan snagged a napkin from the holder in the center of the table and tossed it his way. Travis wiped the coffee off his collar and looked to Tess. “What are you talking about?” he finally asked, flabbergasted that Tess knew he had dinner with anyone, much less with Janie.
“Oh geez. You know how gossip is around here. You happen to be one of the few eligible bachelors around town who also happens to be nice and handsome.” She cut her eyes to Nathan who was shaking with laughter. With a shake of her head, she continued. “So, if you didn’t know it, people take note when you take a woman out to dinner. I just didn’t know who. By the look on your face, I’m right about Janie. Well, she’s awesome, so you’d better treat her right,” Tess said firmly before resuming her chopping.
Travis absorbed her comment and had to bite back the urge to ask more about Janie, wanting to know the minute details of why Tess thought Janie was awesome. He completely agreed, but it was based on nothing more than a feeling. The phone rang with Tess answering, the topic quickly derailed when she asked Nathan a question about Jared picking up supplies in Kenai. Somehow, Travis got through his coffee without any more comments about Janie. When he stood to leave, Nathan walked him to the front door and paused before opening it. “Ignore the gossip,” he said with a wink.
Travis shifted his shoulders. “Usually do,” he replied.
Nathan’s hand was on the doorknob, but he didn’t turn it. He pinned a thoughtful gaze on Travis. “You like her,” he said firmly. “Good. It’s about damn time.”
Travis’s mouth nearly fell open. “What is with you and Tess today? I took Janie to dinner. Not a big deal.” Just saying her name sent a flash of longing through him as he recalled the feel of her lips under his.
Nathan chuckled. “Maybe it’s not a big deal, but it sure seems like it. Anyway, Janie’s awesome, so play nice.”
“I always play nice,” Travis countered, slightly affronted.
“Maybe so, but you’re super casual. That’s not really Janie’s style. Wouldn’t hurt you to consider something else.”
Travis stared at Nathan and finally shook his head slowly. “Since when do you care about my love life, or lack thereof?”
“Don’t think about it much, but I saw the look on your face when Janie came up. I know that look because I had it once. I married the women who made me feel like that, and it was the best decision I ever made. Just sayin'.”
At that, Nathan turned the knob and waved Travis out with another grin. Travis was relieved to escape, feeling thrown by Nathan’s observation. Nathan had fallen for Tess hard back when they first met. Travis wasn’t quite sure what to think of how Nathan interpreted his reaction to Janie. He wouldn’t deny she’d grabbed ahold of him, in more ways than one. Yet, thinking about a woman in terms of commitment wasn’t something he did. Janie was in her own category though. He might not have thought too far ahead, but he knew the way he felt about her was more powerful than anything he’d experienced before.
Chapter 6
Janie walked gingerly down the path to her car. It had snowed again last night, leaving a fresh blanket of white fluff behind. She felt a thump against her knees, which sent her feet skidding on the icy path. She landed in a heap. “Oomph!”
A wiggly bundle of black fur encircled her in wags. “Pansy! You knocked me over!”
Stella’s giggle came from behind. “Sorry! I tried to catch her, but she slipped out the door too fast.”
Pansy was the six-month old puppy Stella had persuaded Janie to adopt just yesterday. Pansy wiggled madly and lapped kisses on Janie’s face. Stella reached her side and held out a hand. Janie grabbed it and got back on her feet. They watched together while Pansy ran in circles through the snow. “Well, she might be house trained, but she’s still a puppy,” Janie said with a laugh.
Stella volunteered at the local animal shelter whenever she could, mostly walking and feeding the dogs. Pansy had suffered the fate of having her owners move away. Janie never understood how someone could decide to take an animal into their life and then just discard it like used furniture when they moved, but it happened far more than she liked to think about. The shelter was constantly overflowing with pets in need of homes. Stella had fallen in love with Pansy and pleaded with Janie to bring her home.
Janie glanced sideways at Stella whose smile stretched from ear to ear when Pansy raced back to them and circled Stella’s legs. Janie’s heart felt so full, it almost hurt. Joy was rare to witness in Stella. By nature, she tended toward being reserved. Any moment that pushed her to the other side was worth it. Janie looked away when snow flew up in her face as Pansy ran in a wiggling circle around her before racing away again. Stella suddenly threw her arms around Janie. “Thanks Mom!”