“Since when have you been a patron of the Lonely Lady?”
“Don’t judge me, you young whippersnapper. Winter gets cold.”
Aidan bit the inside of his cheek. “No judging.” He regarded the ‘nature girl.’ Strippers and nature kind of went together, but there was nothing natural about her.
“So, who else have you noticed?”
“A young couple came in today. They seemed anxious. The girl, especially, skittish. They’re sitting over there in the corner.” Pike nodded in their direction. “Sure like to know what they’re whispering about.”
Aidan turned and regarded the man and woman bent over the table, their heads together in deep discussion.
Holy shit.
Aidan was off his stool and striding over to their table, ignoring Pike’s protests. “Lana? Peter? What the hell are you doing here?”
“Aidan!” Lana jumped up, the action reinforcing her cheerleader good looks. She threw her arms around his neck, and squeezed. “I’ve been trying so hard to find you.” Tears flooded her eyes, and tracked down her cheeks, when she let go of him. “I’m so glad you’re all right and that you’re here.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “And how did you ever find your way to Chatanika?”
“Better have a seat, Aidan,” Peter said, taking a stand next to Lana, rubbing her back. “We’ll explain everything.” A grin cut through his somber expression. “Damn, but it’s good to see you.”
Aidan offered his hand for a shake. Peter took it and also added in a man hug, with a slap to his back, his dark Russian heritage sharpening the features of his face as he suddenly looked more the man than the teenage boy of last summer.
“How about introducing me to your friends?” Pike asked.
“Pike Maiski, meet Peter Savonski, and my cousin, Lana Harte.” They nodded to each other. Peter and Lana retook their seats. Aidan and Pike pulled up chairs and joined them.
Lana looked at Pike and then to Aidan. She’d gotten her tears under control but had a skittish look about her like a rabbit about to be mowed down by a semi. “Aidan, Peter and I need to talk to you.” She flicked a worried glance toward Pike. “Alone.”
Aidan glanced at Pike who had an I’m-not-going-anywhere look written all over him. “Lana, we’ve had some trouble here. I doubt you showing up is a coincidence.” He reached over and covered her hand with his. “Pike’s the head of the village council. If something is going on, he needs to be aware of it.”
“He isn’t a trooper, is he?” She nibbled her bottom lip.
“Hell no,” Pike answered, folding his arms over his chest. “We take care of our own around here.”
“Lana, I’ve known Pike all my life.” Aidan regarded the man in question. “I’ve always known him to be fair.” More than fair. He hadn’t jumped to conclusions when his own brother had ended up dead, like Raven had.
“Aidan—” Lana leaned over the table “—this is family business.”
“Tell you what,” Pike said. “I’ll make us a new pot of coffee.” Pike gave Aidan a look that said, he’d give them their privacy for now, but he expected every detail.
Lana sighed with relief as Pike walked away.
“Okay, want to tell me what has both of you traveling all the way to Chatanika?”
“Dad sent me a letter,” Lana said.
Roland Harte was currently on the lam, wanted by the troopers for questioning in his part of the summer’s murderous outcome at fish camp. And the part he might have played in the deaths of Sonya and Peter’s parents fifteen years ago.
Aidan glanced at Peter. “Have you informed Sonya and Garrett about this?”
Peter tightened his jaw. “No. I advised Lana that we should, but she made me promise not to.”
His little cousin must have Peter tied tight around her little finger to get him to agree to that, since he had a vested interest in bringing Roland to justice. Peter and Lana had started a sweet romance last summer, but Aidan didn’t know it had continued once the season ended. In fact, how had it? Lana was attending the University of Minnesota. He wasn’t sure where Peter had decided to go to college but doubted it was somewhere in the lower forty-eight.
“How did the two of you end up here?” he asked.
Peter began the explanations as Lana seemed too upset. “Lana called me when she received the letter from Roland. I’m at currently at UAF—”
“You’re attending college in Fairbanks?”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Decided at the last minute when Sonya and Garrett got married. Needed some distance from the newlyweds, you understand.”