“The truck’s gone.”

“The truck! Well, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

He felt Pete’s hesitation. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“Chase, you’re my best friend. I don’t want to be the one to tell you your wife walked out on you.”

“What? She left?” The constriction in his chest produced a sharp pain. “She drove?” His heart did a wild tumble as he calculated how long it would take him to rent a car and catch up with her.

“No,” Pete said, “she went out to the field and parked the car there. She paid Jim Perkins to fly her into Fairbanks.”

“Without a word to anyone, she just…up and left?”

“I’m sorry, Chase, I really am.”

“What time will she be landing?”

“Not sure. All I know is what I heard from Johnny at the field. He only heard part of the conversation. What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know yet.” Chase was in shock. His wife of less than a week had deserted him.

“You aren’t gonna let her go, are you?”

“No.” He’d find Lesley, somehow, someway, and convince her to give their marriage another chance.

Twelve

“Mom.” Lesley ran forward and hugged her mother as June Campbell-Sterne entered the arrivals lounge. Unexpected tears sprang to Lesley’s eyes and she blinked them back, surprised by the emotion.

The tears were most likely due to the restless night she’d spent in a hotel close to the airport. Apparently Chase hadn’t returned to Twin Creeks the way he’d assumed, otherwise he would’ve seen her message or answered her calls. She’d tried the home phone and his cell, with no results. He must be someplace here in Fairbanks. Unfortunately Lesley hadn’t asked him for the name of his hotel, since he’d originally planned to be in town only one night.

It seemed ridiculous to contact every hotel in town and ask for Chase. She’d probably be back in Twin Creeks before her husband.

“Let me get a good look at you,” June insisted, taking a step back while holding Lesley’s shoulders. Her mother had tears in her eyes, as well. “Oh, sweetie, how are you?”

“I feel wonderful. See! Married life agrees with me.” She slipped an arm around her mother’s waist and together they strolled toward the luggage carousels.

“I’ll admit to being curious about your husband. Honestly, Lesley, what kind of man advertises for a wife?”

Lesley laughed, remembering that her own response had been similar. “He’s not crazy—just resourceful.”

“I don’t mind telling you, this whole thing has both Ken and me concerned. It just isn’t like you to marry a virtual stranger and take off to the ends of the earth.”

“It isn’t as bad as it seems.”

Her mother sighed expressively. She was exhausted, as Lesley could well understand. “When will I meet Chase?” was June’s next question.

Lesley wasn’t entirely sure. “Soon,” she promised. “Listen, I got us a hotel room. You’re going to need to catch your breath before we fly to Twin Creeks.”

“I don’t mind telling you, this felt like the longest flight of my life. I had to fly from Helena to Seattle, then wait for hours before I could get this flight.” She shook her head. “I can’t see you living in Alaska and liking it. You’ve lived in a big city all your life.”

“You love Montana, don’t you?”

“Yes, but that’s different. Ken and I are retired.”

“It isn’t different at all. I’ve only been in Alaska for a short while and I love it already.”

Her mother pinched her lips together as if to keep from saying something argumentative. “If it’s all the same to you, Lesley, I’d prefer to push on. I’ll rest once we reach your home and I meet this man you’ve married. Then and only then will I truly relax.”

That posed a problem. “We can’t, Mom.”

“Can’t do what? Meet Chase? I wondered why he wasn’t here to greet me. One would think he’d be eager to meet your family. I don’t imagine you’ve met his, either, have you?”

“Mom,” Lesley said impatiently. She was troubled by the way her mother was so willing to find fault with Chase and her marriage. No doubt that was Tony’s doing. Even now, he was haunting her life. More and more she’d come to realize that Tony had never really loved her. Even more enlightening was the realization that she no longer loved him. She couldn’t feel as strongly as she did for Chase if she loved Tony. She missed Chase terribly.

“What?” June snapped.

“Stop trying to make Chase into some fiend. He’s not.”

“You still haven’t told me why he sent you to the airport by yourself,” she said, in that superior way that had driven Lesley to the brink of hysteria as a teenager.

“Mother, Chase has a job. He was away on business when you called. And the reason we can’t leave yet is that we can’t get a flight until tomorrow.”

“I will be meeting him later then?”

“Of course.” Lesley just wasn’t sure exactly when.

They stood at the luggage carousel for several minutes until June collected her one large suitcase and her cosmetic case. Lesley took the larger of the two bags and carried it outside to the taxi line.

Her mother was worn out, and by the time they arrived at the hotel room, Lesley was glad that Jim couldn’t get them until the following morning. She was supposed to call this afternoon to confirm it.

“Would you like me to order you something to eat?” Lesley asked.

“No, thanks.” June politely covered her mouth for a loud yawn. “If you don’t mind, I’ll lie back and just close my eyes.”

“Of course I don’t mind. Relax, Mom.” Her mother curled up on the bed and was asleep seconds later. Lesley silently placed a sweater over June’s shoulders and tiptoed to the other bed. Her intention was to read until her mother woke, but she must have fallen asleep, too, because the next thing she heard was the sound of running water.

Lesley stirred, opened her eyes and realized her mother was showering. With June occupied, Lesley reached for the phone and called Chase at both numbers. Again there was no answer at either. Discouraged, she replaced the receiver. Where could he possibly be?

“What exactly did she say?” Chase asked Jim Perkins. He found it frustrating to have this conversation by phone. Especially frustrating when he was sitting in a hotel room in Fairbanks. It would’ve been easier to read Jim in person. He spoke in a slow drawl and had never been one to reveal much, with either words or actions. If Chase could’ve talked to Jim in person, he might’ve been able to persuade him of the urgency of this situation.

Jim took his own sweet time answering. “She really didn’t have a lot to say.”

Jim was in his early forties and possessed a calm low-key attitude that had never bothered Chase before. But now he was desperate to learn everything he could about Lesley’s departure from Twin Creeks.

“Surely you chatted during the flight.”

“Yeah. She’s the congenial sort. Personally I didn’t think much of this scheme of yours of advertising for a wife, but I was wrong. Half the men in town are talking about doing something like that themselves, seeing the kind of woman you brought back with you.” He paused. “I don’t suppose it would work with me, though.”

“What did you and Lesley talk about?” Chase asked.

“Nothing much,” Jim said. “Mostly she asked about you.”

“What about me?”

He seemed to need time to consider this question. “Nothin’ in particular. Just how long you’ve lived in Twin Creeks. Things like that.”

“Did she mention she was staying in a hotel?”

“She might have.” Another pause. “I don’t recall her saying she was, now that I think about it.”

Chase had difficulty not letting his distress show. It was bad enough that Lesley had left him so soon after her arrival in Twin Creeks. But he wasn’t ready to announce to the entire community that his bride of one week had deserted him. If that was true, it would come out soon enough.

“I appreciate your help, Jim. Thanks.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about her,” Jim added in that lethargic drawl of his. “Lesley’s got a good head on her shoulders. She can take care of herself.”

“Yes, I know.” That, however, didn’t ease his mind in the least.

No sooner had he finished with the call than the phone rang. Chase grabbed it so fast, he nearly jerked the telephone off the end table. “Yes?” he snapped.

“It’s Pete.”

“What’d you find out?”

“Lesley’s staying at the Gold Creek Hotel by the airport,” came Pete’s reply. “Room 204.”

“How’d you learn that?” Sometimes it was better not to know where Pete got his information, but Chase couldn’t help being curious.

“I’ve got my sources. And listen, she may be having second thoughts because she hasn’t bought an airline ticket to Seattle yet. Or anywhere else.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Positive.” There was doubt in his voice. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

Chase closed his burning eyes. “None.”

“That’s what I thought. You know, Chase, if she insists on leaving, you can’t make her stay.”

This had been the subject of an ongoing internal debate. He didn’t want to lose Lesley, but he couldn’t hold her prisoner, either. If she’d decided she wanted out of his life and out of their marriage, then he couldn’t stop her. Even if it meant she’d decided to return to Seattle and Tony. But he was determined to have his say before he’d let her run out on him.

“What are you going to do?” Pete asked.

“I don’t know yet. I’ll probably go to the hotel and see if I can talk some sense into her.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me. I suppose you want to do this on your own, but if you’d like, I’ll come along for moral support and wait outside.”

“No, thanks, but I appreciate the offer.”

“No problem. That’s what friends do.” Pete hesitated as if there was something more he wanted to say.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Again Pete hesitated. “I don’t make a practice of giving advice, especially when it comes to women. My history with the opposite sex leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Just say what’s on your mind.” Chase didn’t generally seek other people’s wisdom; he lived and learned by his own mistakes. This was different, though, and he was worried. He’d assumed everything was fine between them. That he could be so blind to her feelings was a shock.

“I wish now that I’d gone after Pamela,” Pete said. It was the first time Chase had heard his friend say this. “I’ve wondered a thousand times over what would’ve happened if I’d taken the trouble to let her know how much I loved her, how much I needed her. If I had, she might’ve stayed and I wouldn’t be regretting all the time that I didn’t do everything I could to convince her. Don’t make the same mistake.”