Klondike Hero

“Don’t even say it.” The last thing he wanted to do was to entangle himself with marriage-minded women. “I’ll be in bright and early tomorrow, unless I get another emergency call.”

“You’ve been getting a lot of those lately.” She was smiling again. She knew how much it tortured him.

Not that he minded rescuing women—but to have them propose? And they hadn’t even bothered to read up on basic outdoor skills.

Take the women he’d found today—not a single survival skill between them two of them. The ending could have been very different. He gave thanks to the Lord all had ended well—except for the marriage proposal.

Now he only had one marriage-minded female on his mind, and he grabbed the phone at his desk to dial home. After a few reassurances from Gran that Karenna Digby was gone from both his life and his house, then he could hop into his truck and head home without fear. He was not going to be stuck with Karenna for another night. But the phone rang four times and the answering machine came on.

That isn’t a sign of doom, he told himself, as he hiked out the back door. Gran might be upstairs getting Matthew up from his nap. She might be outside weeding the garden. There was a long list of reasons why she didn’t pick up and why Karenna would be gone. Not that he felt ready to risk a trip home to find out, so he bypassed his truck in the lot and circled around to the sidewalk. He’d be smart and run a few errands first.

“Yo there, Gage.” Bucky looked up from behind a luxury sedan’s hood and grinned like a toothpaste commercial actor. The mechanic was twenty-six, had played quarterback on the high-school football team back in the day, and had lately taken over his dad’s garage. All-American, golden-haired, blue-eyed and square-jawed, he was exactly what women like Karenna had flocked to Treasure Creek to find.

Great. Gage couldn’t explain why that ticked him off. Just that it did. He felt lacking. Doing his best not to show it, he managed what he hoped was a pleasant smile. “Looks like you’re doing a bit of work. Did you get a chance to look at Miss Digby’s car?”

“You mean Karenna? Truth is, I’m over my head, between towing and doing repairs.” He straightened up and circled around the side of the car. He wiped his hands on a purple, grease-stained rag. “Truth be told, it took longer cuz I’m getting to meet some of the fine ladies come to town. Woo-hee, I’ve never had so much fun doin’ my job before.”

“So I see.” At least someone was enjoying the madness. “The car?”

“Karenna sure is a pretty gal. I saw her when I went to your house this morning.” Bucky lit up like the Fourth of July—sparkling eyes and beaming expectations. “Sure seems nice, too, helpin’ out your gramma with the housework. And the way that baby took to her. She’d make a real fine wife. Here’s prayin’ she stays in town so I get a chance with her.”

Hard to say why that made him see red. “What about all the other women who seem to suddenly have car trouble? You want a chance with them, too?”

“One at a time. Got to prioritize.” Bucky looked like a kid in a candy store—one that could have anything he wanted and had already made his choice.

Gage ought to be happy at getting Karenna out of his house and out of his life. So why wasn’t he?

“Can you fix her car?”

“No problem. I just need to replace the radiator. I’ve got her Fiat in one of the bays.” Bucky stuck the hand rag in his back overalls pocket. “I’ll get to it right away. Wish me luck with her.”

“Good luck.” He didn’t know what else to say as he walked on by. Couldn’t explain the lingering sadness that hit him. She was gone from his life. Good. He ought to be relieved. He was glad to see her go.

The hard knot in his chest wasn’t jealousy, he told himself as he glanced around town. The sidewalk was packed and he had to dodge women as he made a beeline for the general store. Bucky was perfect for Karenna. They were both as idealistic as could be, and that woman was trouble, sure as shootin’.

And to make things worse, he’d been unable to stop thinking about her most of the day. The image of Karenna in his kitchen last night, beautiful in spite of the torn and stained gown, haunted him. She made an incredible bride, but she was naïve and unrealistic. He wished he had told her more about what had happened to his marriage. Maybe she could have used a word of warning.

Now it was too late. She was gone. No reason to see her again, and it wasn’t as if he intended to look her up. He knew from firsthand experience what was going to happen to her. After she hooked herself another groom—maybe even Bucky—she would surely get hurt, and the light would dim from her beautiful spirit for good. If she didn’t know about the plunging off the cliff part of marriage, then she would learn the hard way, just like he did.

Gage stalked around a group of women chattering excitedly over a window display, and blinked at the sight of a familiar woman sitting on a bench. He froze, completely stunned, as Karenna Digby spotted him, tossed him a brilliant smile and rose from the bench with Matthew gurgling in her arms. What was she doing with the boy?

Chapter Four

Karenna saw the big, powerful man wade through the crowd on the sidewalk like he was marching through a river with confidence and steel. His gaze on her didn’t waver. A few women definitely threw him interested looks, but he didn’t notice. Although the bright sun washed over him, he could be walking in shadows.

A few paces brought him close enough for her to see the banked fire in his eyes and the tension snapping in the muscles of his jaw. Matthew squirmed in her arms, burying more deeply against her. She realized, as Gage skidded to an imposing stop in front of her, that the fire wasn’t anger but concern for the child.

“I told your grandmother to go to her church meeting,” she explained, gently patting Matthew’s little back. “She confessed she’d been missing her friends and the fellowship, so I’m doing some shopping, and Matthew, the gentleman that he is, has agreed to accompany me.”

A muscle jumped along Gage’s right temple. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see steam coming out of his ears. His gaze fell to the bench where a few shopping bags sat waiting for her. He probably had some preconceived notion about women who shopped.

“Gran left you alone with the baby?” He bit it out, bulking up like a bear in a rage.

“Why shouldn’t she? I’m a licensed day-care worker, not in the state of Alaska, but still, I’m more than capable.” The baby cooed, his fists clinging to her T-shirt, holding on.

Poor little guy. She gently tugged one plump baby fist free and gave his knuckles a raspberry kiss, earning a bubbly grin and a shout of glee. Matthew tried to keep her captive with his gaze.

She tweaked his nose playfully, earning an ear-to-ear smile, before turning her attention to the glowering man who didn’t look happy at all.

“What? Jean appreciated the offer. She hasn’t been able to enjoy her friends and church activities as much since Matthew came to stay.” She was not intimidated by the mountain man, and now that she knew what to look for, she could see the hurt. That was the reason for the barrier he kept up between people, and the way he pushed at her to keep a safe distance between them.