Anchored in Alaska (At the Altar Book 13) Read online

  “That would be nice.” She wanted to check out the stores around them, so she could have an idea of what she was dealing with. She had a feeling that using Amazon Prime would be very different out here in the wilderness. Same day shipping was a thing of the past for certain.

  He led her to another room, and she realized quickly it was a spare room. She had moved from a thirteen-bedroom mansion to a two-bedroom cabin. Life was changing faster than she could keep up with at the moment. “This is where I store stuff for the winter. There are times when we’re snowed in here for a few weeks at a time, so I make sure I’m always prepared for at least three months.” He lifted the edge of the quilt to show her the food that was stored under the bed. Many cans of beans. She hoped he was all right with the changes she planned to make to his eating.

  There was a freezer against one wall that she assumed he used for his winter food storage as well. She opened it to see a couple of packages of ground beef, but nothing else. She’d have to plan to fill that soon.

  There in a small room beside the spare bedroom was a washer and dryer. She breathed a sigh of relief, thrilled she wouldn’t have to go all the way into town to do laundry.

  He led her the other way, down a short hall, and showed her the bathroom to the right. It was a small, serviceable room. There was no tub, and just a shower, and she knew she’d be kissing her baths goodbye. She’d just started taking them again after her mother died, and now they’d be gone again. “Small.”

  He shrugged. “Only one person uses it at a time. It’s big enough for that.” Across the short hall was another bedroom. This time the bed was obviously used. She could tell because of how sloppily it was made. This is our room.”

  She bit her lip at the idea of sharing the big bed with him. “It’s a nice room.”

  He nodded. “Feel free to make any changes you want. Don’t get rid of my bed, but it’s fine to put a different quilt on it.”

  “All right. Thank you.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming a bit nervous himself. “Why don’t I bring your suitcases in. You wander around and look at everything, and think about all the changes you’re going to make.”

  “I won’t change that much.”

  He shrugged. “I really don’t care how much you change. It’s a bachelor cabin now, but I think you’ll enjoy it more when it’s decorated to your taste.”

  She looked around her at the sparse furnishings. She could add some homemade pillows and quilts. Everything would look a lot better when she was done. And he’d said it was all right! “You’re right. There are changes I want to make.”

  Colin grinned. “Good girl. Make it your own. You’re going to be living here with me. No point in not loving it just as much as you can.” He left and shut the front door as he went to get her suitcases.

  Beverly stood for a moment, wondering what she should do. It was such a strange situation to be in that she was very confused. Nowhere in her upbringing had she been taught the right way to act when you marry a man you’ve never met before. She went to the kitchen to take inventory. She had a feeling he expected her to cook that first night.

  She dug through the refrigerator and freezer, immediately making a shopping list on her cell phone. She needed to know what she’d be buying the following day when she went to the store with him.

  She pulled some chicken breasts out of the freezer, found some rice in a cabinet, and immediately searched for spices. She could make something tasty out of those ingredients if she just had a few spices.

  She didn’t find much and immediately added more spices to her shopping list. She could make do with what she had, though. There had been plenty of time for practice while her mother was ill and the funds were short.

  Beverly thought briefly about the money she had in her bank back in Manhattan and decided not to mention it just yet. She didn’t know if he was the kind of man who would run through her money, or if he gambled or drank his money away. She would have to get to know him before she could truly trust him. She knew she should automatically trust Lachele not to have married her to someone like that, but it was hard.

  Colin came into the cabin carrying her two suitcases, a pillow, and an afghan. “I do have pillows and blankets here.”

  “I figured you would. Those are special. I’ve had that pillow since I was a little girl, and the afghan is the first one I learned to make after the accident.” She took them from him, hurrying into the bedroom they’d share. Unpacking her suitcases, she hung most of the things, and put some in the two drawers he’d cleaned out for her. “The clothes that I purchased in Fairbanks when I first arrived will be shipped here. Lachele wouldn’t give me your address, so it was a comedy of errors to get her to give it to the salespeople.”

  “Did you buy a lot?” He eyed the clothes she was unpacking and putting away, and he had no idea how she was going to be able to make it through the winter with them. He hoped she’d been more practical when she’d shopped in Fairbanks.

  Beverly shrugged. “I bought the stuff the saleswoman suggested. Lots of winter clothes. I had Manhattan winter clothes, but not many, so I bought a lot before I left. I think it was a mistake, because those clothes were meant to make me look good in the winter, not to help me keep warm.”

  Colin smiled. “I was thinking that while you were unpacking. I was getting a bit worried we’d have to make another drive into the city, so we could get you some decent winter clothes.” He shook his head. “After all these years of living in Denali, the idea of going to a city as big as Fairbanks is overwhelming.”

  She grinned. “Fairbanks? Big? I moved here from New York City. Fairbanks seemed like a tiny place to me.”

  “Small? Fairbanks is about thirty-two thousand people. That’s big by my standards.”

  Beverly shrugged. “New York is eight and a half million. That’s a city.”

  “Are you going to miss being able to shop and eat out all the time?”

  “I haven’t been able to do that for years. Money’s been too tight since my father died. It was all I could do to keep us from going bankrupt.” She continued unpacking, preferring not to discuss how difficult life had been for her.

  He frowned, watching her. “You seem like someone who comes from money.”

  She shrugged. “We had money when I was a girl. After the accident, money was tight. Mom’s hospital bills were outrageous.”

  He didn’t like to think of her scrimping and saving. “I make a decent salary here. Nothing big, but you won’t have to worry about where your next meal will come from.”

  “I can see we’ll be living simply, and that suits me fine.” She put the last of her things away. “I found some things I can throw together for supper. Are you hungry?”

  He glanced at the clock on the wall. With as late as the sun set at this time of year, there was no telling what time it was by the sun. “I’m getting there. I could take you out for supper tonight. It is our wedding night.”

  “I don’t mind cooking. I’ll make something tonight, and you can take me out for lunch tomorrow, before we go grocery shopping.” Beverly went into the kitchen, moving efficiently. “You’ll have to give me an idea of what foods you like, or I’ll just be cooking what I like. You might be disappointed.”

  “I like lots of meat and potatoes. I’ll eat green stuff, but just to stay healthy. It doesn’t make me happy to eat it.”

  She smiled at that. “I will keep that in mind.” As she preheated the oven and started the rice cooking, he stood watching her. “You can go sit and watch television or something if you’d like. I can do this myself.”

  “I’d rather watch you cook.”

  She blushed at that. “I promise I won’t break into song or dance. I’m just going to put together a few things, so we have a meal tonight.”

  “I don’t expect song and dance.” As Colin watched her cook, it occurred to him that she had no idea just how beautiful she was. That wasn’t a bad thing for him, but maybe it was for her. “
Why did you decide to contact Dr. Lachele?”

  Beverly thought about what she’d say for a moment, trying her best to not sound like she’d been coerced into anything. “Lachele was a good friend of my mom’s. One of the last things Mom said to me was that she wanted me to talk to Lachele after she died. I thought she wanted me to be counseled by her, but Lachele knew differently. She approached me at the funeral and asked me to meet with her. When I did, she explained about Matchrimony. I had never even heard of it.”

  “So did you agree to marry me for you or for your mother?” Colin was surprised at how much her answer mattered to him. He held his breath as he waited for a response.

  “I have to honestly say that it was a bit of both. I was at loose ends without Mom to take care of, but I don’t know if I’d have come here without her nudging me. I will make the best out of our situation, and I’m glad I’m here, but would I have done it without Mom’s encouragement? Probably not.”

  He frowned. “I don’t want to be married to someone who doesn’t want to be married to me.”

  Beverly shook her head. “That’s not what I’m saying though. I’m happy to be married to you. I made this choice, and I’m glad I did. I don’t know that I would have ever discovered what Lachele did with Matchrimony if I hadn’t been nudged in that direction by my mother, though. Does that make any sense?”

  He shrugged. “I guess so.” It made some sense, but he didn’t like it. He liked the idea that she’d flown there of her own free will to marry a stranger.

  “I’m sorry if that wasn’t the answer you wanted. I try my best to always be honest, even if the truth hurts.”

  Colin nodded. “All right. I appreciate the honesty then.” He watched her as she began mixing the ingredients she’d made in different places into one dish. It didn’t look fabulous, but it sure smelled good. “I’m glad you can cook!”

  She grinned at him. “I didn’t learn to cook until after the accident. I had to let the cook go, along with the maids. I needed to eat, so I taught myself to cook out of necessity. I ate a few burnt meals that first year, but I made it through.”

  “I’m happy to benefit from your errors.”

  She shook her head at him. “It’s time to eat. Would you mind getting a couple of plates down for me?” She’d found the silverware in her search, but she had yet to find the plates. She assumed they were in one of the high cabinets, but she’d had no time to check for them yet.

  Sure enough, he reached above her head and took down two plates with a simple pattern on them. “Anything else?”

  She shook her head, carefully putting some of the casserole she’d made onto each of the plates. “Thanks for the help.” Handing him one of the plates full of food and a fork, she took her own to the table. “Is water all right with supper? Or do you prefer something else?”

  “Water’s fine. We have really good water here, too. The last time I went into a city, I couldn’t even drink the water it tasted so bad.”

  She filled two glasses of water from the faucet before joining him at the table. “Well, I’m sure I’ll prefer it to Manhattan’s water. I couldn’t drink that at all. Thankfully we had a water filtration system that made it better. I can’t imagine what the cost would have been if we’d had to continually buy bottled water.”

  He ate several bites of his meal. “This is wonderful!”

  She smiled. “It’s just something I threw together. I probably couldn’t mimic it if I tried.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t want kids,” he said finally, after polishing off half of his meal. “You seem like the type that would love them.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve had female problems for years. The doctor told me I’d never be able to have kids, so it wasn’t a big deal to agree to that stipulation.” She was even past wanting children…mostly.

  “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I can’t imagine having kids at my age, and I’m glad you don’t want them.” He was forty-three, and the idea of kids just made his skin crawl. He was too old, and he’d never been particularly fond of kids anyway.

  “Well, it’s not a problem. We will be too old for kids together.”

  He eyed her, frowning. “How old are you? You don’t look too old for kids.”

  “I’m thirty-eight. Maybe that’s not technically too old for kids, but it feels like it is.”

  “I can understand that. Once you reach a certain age, I think your desire for children—if you ever had one—goes right out the window. I know I’ve never really had one, which is part of the reason I never married. The other part was that I don’t meet a lot of single women. Denali is a place that families and married people come. Not single women looking for park rangers.”

  She grinned. “Maybe you should have taken to riding around on a white horse, trying to rescue women from the stupid things I know they must do.”

  Colin shook his head at her. “Most of the stupid things they do are too dangerous to be rescued from. No, I think I’m glad I left my white horse in Wisconsin.”

  “Are you from Wisconsin?” She was surprised, because she hadn’t noticed a Mid-Western accent at all.

  He nodded. “Farm boy born and bred. I think that’s part of the reason I ended up here. I loved the outdoors, and wanted more places to be like the woods near my family’s house. Here, that’s what I get.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here.” She reached out and tucked her hand into his. “I’m glad we’re married.”

  Chapter Four

  After the dishes were done, Beverly joined Colin in the living room, sitting beside him on the couch, but leaving a full cushion between them. She wasn’t sure how she felt about sitting close…well, yes she was. She felt breathless and excited and nervous all at once. It was strange just how many emotions the man brought out in her.

  He was watching something on television, something she didn’t recognize. She hadn’t really watched TV in yeas, so that wasn’t at all surprising. He patted the spot next to him, lifting up the edge of a quilt he was sitting under.

  She scooted toward him, careful not to touch him. She liked touching him a little too much for her peace of mind. His arm slipped around her, and she melted into him. “What are you watching?”

  “I have no idea. I was waiting for you to join me here.” He kissed her forehead, his hand going to the remote to switch the TV off. “What shows do you watch?”

  “I don’t. I’ve been so wrapped up in taking care of my mother for so long, that everything else in life has taken a backseat. I’ve spent the last six weeks packing up a house my family has lived in for over forty years. There were so many things that were never gone through after my father and younger sister died, and then I had to go through Mom’s things too. If Lachele hadn’t helped, I’d probably still be there.”

  “I didn’t know you had to go through all that. Did you finish?”

  She nodded. “I donated most of the things the family had saved up. I even found the crib I used. It was strange, but Mom seemed to keep absolutely everything.”

  “I’m sure that was very painful for you, going through all those old things.”

  Beverly made a face. “You’d think it would have been, but I actually enjoyed the memories. I kept some things, but donated so much. We’ll have a UPS shipment soon of lots and lots of boxes. Lachele addressed them all, because I wasn’t allowed to know where I was going.”

  Colin shook his head. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do with a whole lot of stuff. I don’t exactly have a lot of room here.”

  She shrugged. “If I have to, I’ll get a storage unit in town. There were just some things I couldn’t part with. Maybe in a year or two I’ll feel differently.”

  “All right. I think it might be smarter to get rid of them now, but you can decide to do things how you want.” He loved that she was willing to solve her own problems.

  She turned more fully toward him. “I’m pretty nervous about tonight,” she said, changing the subject. “I’ve never�
��”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t either. I guess we’ll figure it out together.”

  “Tonight?” She didn’t know if she wanted to wait or just get it over with.

  “I’d prefer tonight. I’ve been looking at you all day, being close to you. I’m definitely attracted to you, and…you’re my wife. I can’t think of a good reason to wait.”

  Beverly studied him for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. If we waited I’d just get more and more nervous. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid, right?”

  “I sure hope not! I’m expecting it to be a great deal more pleasurable than that.”

  She grinned. “I hope you’re right. I have no real expectations. Not this first time anyway.”

  He pulled her closer to him, lowering his lips to hers. If she was going to be nervous and analyze everything to death, maybe it was better if they just got to the good stuff right away.

  As Colin’s lips toyed with hers, she gave a tiny moan of pleasure, wrapping her arms around him. When he kissed her like this, her whole body was on fire. It felt so good to have him touching her and kissing her.

  He got to his feet and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her into the bedroom and setting her on the bed. He shut the door behind him, determined that they would make it through this first time and enjoy it. Both of them.

  *****

  When Beverly woke the following morning, she tried to roll to her side, but her hair was trapped under a heavy weight. She tried to pull it out, but encountered a hairy, muscular arm. Her eyes widened. No wonder she was sore in places she didn’t want to think about. She was married.

  She freed her hair and turned toward him, smiling as she studied his face in sleep. He looked so much younger with his face completely relaxed, and he seemed to be sleeping with a slight smile on his face. She liked to think the smile was due to her, but she couldn’t prove it.

  She remembered she wasn’t wearing anything, and decided to slip into the bathroom before he woke up. Not that she had anything he hadn’t already seen. She grabbed clean clothes and slipped across the hall, taking a long hot shower.