Alaska Home: Falling for Him / Ending in Marriage / Midnight Sons and Daughters

“Yeah, you,” Sawyer returned, eyes snapping. “If you’ll recall, you spent the better part of a month interviewing job applicants. I don’t even know where you filed the résumés.”

“I didn’t file them. Mariah did.”

“Ask her, then. All I can say is we need to hire someone and quick. It isn’t fair to Lanni to keep her tied up at the office. She’s got better things to do with her time than answer our phones.”

“You might have discussed it with me first,” he argued.

“I would’ve if you’d been here,” Sawyer said in a disgusted voice.

Christian didn’t deign to respond. It was clear that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with Sawyer when his brother was in this cantankerous frame of mind. Sawyer unfairly blamed him for Mariah’s sudden need to become a waitress. Well, he wasn’t going to accept the blame!

As soon as Christian had dropped off his suitcase at home, he headed over to the Hard Luck Café. First thing he noticed when he walked in the door were the tablecloths—not plastic, either. A vase of wildflowers on each table added a touch of color and warmth. On the chalkboard, where Ben wrote the daily dinner special, someone had drawn yellow daisies.

Ralph Ferris sat at one of the tables, reading the menu, which also looked new. They acknowledged each other with a brief nod.

Christian stepped up to the counter the way he always did and pulled out a stool. He nearly slid onto the floor—the stools had been newly padded and recovered in shiny black vinyl.

It certainly hadn’t taken Mariah long to leave her mark on the café.

She was busy making coffee, and apparently didn’t hear him come in.

“Did you want coffee?” she called to Ralph over her shoulder.

“Please,” Ralph called back.

Mariah turned with a full pot in her hand—and saw Christian sitting at the counter. She gave a start, and the glass carafe slipped from her fingers. It shattered, and hot coffee splashed across the polished floor.

“Oh, no!” Luckily Mariah had jumped back in time to avoid getting burned.

It took a determined effort on Christian’s part not to call attention to the accident. He merely shook his head. Poor Ben. He didn’t have a clue what he was letting himself in for when he’d hired Mariah.

“What happened?” Ben stuck his head out from the kitchen.

“I—I broke the coffeepot.”

Christian waited for the cook to start bellowing. Ben wasn’t known for his patience, and if ever a woman was born to try men’s souls, it was Mariah Douglas.

He’d give Ben a week; then he’d be begging Christian and Sawyer to take her off his hands.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ben said, reaching for the mop. “I’ve got plenty of pots. You weren’t burned, were you?”

“No. I’m fine.” Her eyes flew to Christian, narrowing as if she blamed him for the accident. He hadn’t done a thing, yet everyone in Hard Luck was ready to go for his jugular.

“Your coffee’ll be just a minute,” Mariah told Ralph.

“No problem,” the bush pilot assured her. He unfolded the Fairbanks newspaper and disappeared behind it.

“I’ll take a cup when you get around to it,” Christian said, righting the ceramic mug in front of him. He might be risking his life asking her to pour it for him, but it was a risk he’d have to take.

Mariah refilled another glass pot from the large percolator. He noted that her hand shook slightly as she filled his mug. “When did you get back?” she asked conversationally. Christian wasn’t fooled; she’d been the one to arrange his itinerary. She knew his travel schedule as well as he did.

“This afternoon.”

Mariah pulled an order pad from her apron pocket. “What can I get you?”

“I’ll have a piece of apple pie.”

Mariah called back the order to Ben, who appeared a couple of minutes later with a large slice of pie. He set it in front of Christian and eyed him warily, as if anticipating a confrontation.

Christian figured he didn’t need to say a word. Within a week, when Ben was out of coffeepots and patience, he’d recognize that Mariah was never cut out to be a waitress.

“How’s it going?” Christian asked Ben, tipping his head toward Mariah, who was busy serving Ralph his lunch. He’d apparently ordered the day’s special—meatloaf sandwich, with a bowl of beef-and-barley soup.

“With Mariah?” Ben grinned. “Great. Just great.” He gestured toward the tables. “Have you ever seen my place look better? Mariah’s responsible for all the fancy touches. I don’t know why I delayed hiring someone for so long. She’s the best thing that’s happened to the café since I got in the soft-ice-cream machine.”

Christian took a bite of the pie and raised his eyebrows. “Hey, this is great! What’s different?”

“Mariah baked it.”

“Mariah?” Ben could’ve knocked him over with a flick of his finger.

“It’s her grandmother’s recipe. Best apple pie I’ve ever tasted. As far as I’m concerned, she can do all the baking around here, she’s that good.”

Christian was confused, to put it mildly. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Mariah?”

Ben chuckled. “I’m sure.” The cook drifted back to the kitchen, but Christian wasn’t alone for long. Mariah hurried to bring him the small canister of cream.

“I—I forgot you like your coffee with cream, don’t you?”

Christian didn’t bother to correct her. “Do you have a minute?” he asked.

She hesitated. “The dinner crowd will start coming in any time now.”

It was barely four; a poor excuse. “I’d appreciate it if you could sit down and chat for a few minutes.”

“All right.” But her reluctance was obvious. She walked around the counter to sit on the stool next to him. Folding her hands on the counter, she waited for Christian to speak.

“Allison didn’t come with me,” he said, wanting to clear the air about that immediately. He understood her concern and was willing to admit that he’d been sadly remiss in mentioning the other woman in Mariah’s presence. He’d seen the error of his ways; now he wanted her back. They’d just begun to find their footing with each other, and it seemed a shame to end it all so abruptly. And unnecessarily.

Three months ago—three weeks ago—he would’ve cheered to see her leave Midnight Sons. But not now.

“Sawyer already told me she wouldn’t be coming.” Her gaze met his straight on.

“Then why’d you decide to quit?”

“It never really worked out between you and me.”

“Things were improving, though, don’t you think?”