Buch lesen: «Callie, Get Your Groom»

Chapter One

I’m late.

Michael Fitzpatrick cursed as he turned into the Kachelak airfield, gravel spinning beneath the wheels of his Dodge Dakota. Across the airfield he saw the small Cessna, and two people still standing in the plane’s shadow.

A wry smile curved Mike’s mouth. It was fairly obvious the pilot was flirting with the woman, and the woman was flirting right back. He’d have to warn his sister that Donovan Masters was an infamous ladies’ man.

“Hey, sis!” he called, jumping from the Dakota and striding toward the couple. “Sorry I’m late. I got held up.”

But it wasn’t until Mike was within ten feet of the plane that he realized the diminutive female definitely wasn’t his sister…not unless she’d shrunk several inches and colored her hair to a riotous chestnut.

“Oh, hi,” the woman said, casually glancing at him as he approached. “Surprise. It’s me, Callie.”

Callie Webster? Mike shook his head. What was prim-and-proper Callie doing in Alaska? He circled around the wing…and suddenly his jaw dropped so hard it practically hit the airfield tarmac.

Prim-and-proper?

“Uh…Callie,” he said stupidly, staring at the skimpy red tube top barely confining her breasts. A whole lot of creamy skin was exposed above and below that narrow band of red—which only seemed to draw attention to the lush curves within.

“Yup.” She’d been leaning against the plane, but now she vaulted forward and threw her arms around his neck for a hug. “It’s great to see you. Gosh, it’s been a long while.”

Automatically his arms had risen to catch her, and almost as instinctively he pushed her away. “Why are you dressed like that?” he demanded, then realized it wasn’t any of his business. “The weather isn’t warm enough to…er…need something so…cool.”

“It’s summer.”

She shrugged her shoulders and he gulped. The tube top seemed glued in place, but that wasn’t reassuring. And he wasn’t the only one staring at Callie’s bustline. Donovan was looking, as well. Mike ground his teeth—business partner or not, Donovan had better watch it. Callie and his sister had been friends all through childhood and he felt the same protective instincts for Callie that Elaine would have aroused in him.

Mike peeled off his outer flannel shirt and handed it to Callie. “Here. You’ll be eaten by mosquitoes.”

She slung the shirt over her arm. “Thanks, but I never get bitten,” she said cheerfully.

His brown eyes narrowed in warning. “Callie, we have over twenty-five varieties of mosquitoes up here. Put the damn thing on.”

“Why, Mike,” she said, hurt tingeing her voice. “That isn’t polite. You haven’t even said hello.”

“Hello. What are you doing here?”

Callie glanced at Donovan and shrugged again. “Mike and I grew up together—he’s just like a brother. They’re never glad to see you, either.”

Donovan’s face gleamed with amusement. “Don’t pay him any attention. I’m delighted, and so is everyone else in the company. Mike doesn’t count.”

She grinned and a dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth. “You’re sweet.”

“Sure,” Mike muttered. Sweet wasn’t an appellation he would have attached to his partner, especially when it came to any female under ninety. As for Callie…He looked at her again, unable to believe his eyes. It wasn’t just her clothing, it was the way she acted—confident and sexy and pretty damned sure of herself.

And she still wasn’t wearing his shirt.

The last time he’d seen Callie Webster was over a year ago, on one of his rare trips home to Washington. Following their holiday tradition, the entire family had gone to the midnight candlelighting service on Christmas Eve. Callie had been playing the organ in a voluminous choir robe, with her long hair pulled into its customary braid.

The picture-perfect preacher’s daughter.

After the service he’d said “hello,” returned her quick hug, then promptly forgotten about her. After all, she was his sister’s friend, and they’d both been a terrible nuisance when he was growing up. The fact that he’d gotten a lot closer to Elaine since reaching adulthood didn’t change things.

“Callie,” Mike said insistently—he needed to get some control back into the situation. “Where is Elaine?”

“Oh…” She waved her hand. “I realize she offered to be your office manager for the summer, but she’s awfully busy. It isn’t easy for her to just pick up and leave like that, you know.”

“I know, but—”

“And since I didn’t have any special plans for the summer, she asked me to take her place,” Callie said, blithely disregarding the interruption.

“I see.” A hint of Mike’s reaction must have shown on his face, because she bristled.

“I’m perfectly capable of managing an office,” she snapped.

“I’m sure you are,” he said diplomatically. “But church work isn’t the same as handling clients and taking cargo orders—or coordinating flight schedules and following up on billings, for that matter.”

“I’ll consider it a challenge.” She tossed her head, sending her hair flying. Fiery strands covered her bare shoulders with a lacy pattern of light, and worse…it clung to her breasts, caught by static electricity to the red cotton knit. He groaned, hardly able to believe he was fixated—however briefly—on Callie Webster’s body.

She was an innocent. A sweet kid who took care of her saintly father and taught Sunday school. She wouldn’t be able to deal with their tough customers, or anything else in the air-transit business. Moreover, Alaska wasn’t an easy place to live, even in summer. He’d have to spend most of his time taking care of her.

Mike thought hard, trying to recall what Elaine had told him about Callie’s sheltered life in Crockett. “But what will your father do? I know how much he depends on your help. He probably can’t manage without you…or neither can the church, for that matter.”

She didn’t look concerned. “Pop is fine. And the church finally got enough money to renovate. With all the plaster dust and construction right now, they won’t even miss me.”

Besides, I don’t plan on going back, Callie added silently. And blinked.

She couldn’t tell Mike that she planned to stay in Alaska, could she? He’d run the opposite direction if he knew she wanted to get married. Of course, it wasn’t very honest not telling him the truth.

I don’t care, Callie told her conscience crossly.

If she couldn’t vamp Mike, then she’d find someone else. She was tired of being the quiet, dutiful preacher’s kid who behaved the way everyone expected. This was a new-and-improved Callie Webster. A woman of mystery. Bold. Provocative. Daring. A woman who knew what she wanted, and went out to get it.

Everybody knew Alaska was full of single men. It was an ideal place to change her image.

Right.

Mike wouldn’t know what had hit him.

“I think Callie will be wonderful,” Donovan said, warm approval in his tone and eyes.

“You would,” Mike grumbled.

“Thanks,” Callie said to Donovan, ignoring the other man as though he were an irritating gnat. “We’re going to get along great. I’m glad you picked me up in Anchorage—Mike probably would have left me at the airport.”

“I aim to please, ma’am.”

“Look, Callie, this won’t work,” Mike interrupted. “There’s no place to stay in Kachelak. The motels are too expensive and there aren’t any rentals.”

Callie plastered an innocent look on her face. “But I thought Elaine was going to stay with you.”

“Yeah. Well…that was the original plan. But you’re not Elaine.”

You’d better believe it, buster. She didn’t intend to be treated like a bothersome kid sister. Not anymore. “I don’t understand, I wouldn’t be any trouble.”

“That isn’t the poin—”

“You can stay at my place,” Donovan volunteered. He put an arm around her waist and smiled. His wolfish leer didn’t fool Callie. Donovan was smart. He’d already sized up the situation and knew she was out for blood…Fitzpatrick blood to be exact, on a blood test for a wedding license.

And it was obvious he approved of the endeavor, which only went to show that dedicated bachelors thought marriage was just fine…for the other guy.

“That’s a terrific solution.” She glanced at Mike and shook with inward laughter. He appeared ready to explode. “Are you certain I won’t be any trouble?”

“No trouble at all,” Donovan assured. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

“No, it won’t,” Mike snarled. “She’s staying with me.”

Donovan shook his head, undaunted. “Now look, buddy. You didn’t want Callie, and I do. You wouldn’t want her to feel unwelcome when she’s come all this way to help us out, would you?”

“It’s not that I don’t want her,” Mike said, sounding so utterly frustrated that Callie almost felt sorry for him. “Of course I want her.”

Though it didn’t mean anything…romantic, the words sent a pleasant warmth through her body. She’d had boyfriends before—she’d tried to put Mike out of her mind by dating other men. A long time ago she’d even gotten engaged, more out of affection and friendship than love. They would have had a good marriage, too, if Keith hadn’t died in a car accident.

For an instant, regret dimmed Callie’s excitement. She’d genuinely cared for Keith, only, there hadn’t been any spark. No heat. Nothing to equal what she felt just thinking of Mike…and of the one time he’d kissed her.

Boy. It had happened the night of his college graduation, and he’d been so drunk, he didn’t even remember that kiss. Callie pushed all distracting thoughts from her mind and hardened her heart. Vamps didn’t let anything get in their way. They moved in and got what they wanted.

“You’re kind to offer,” she said with seeming reluctance. “But I’d better stay with Donovan.”

“No, you won’t.” Mike split a glare between them that could have fried eggs. “You’re my responsibility. Where is your luggage?”

“Well…okay. It’s in the plane.”

Muttering beneath his breath, he collected the three suitcases she’d brought and stomped toward his vehicle.

“That was gracious,” Callie murmured reflectively. “I hope he remembers I go along with the luggage.”

Donovan chuckled. “Poor guy. He doesn’t have a chance, does he?”

“Why, Mr. Masters, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure.”

They watched as Mike threw the suitcases in the back of the Dakota with more force than necessary. Then he slammed shut the truck door and leaned against the fender, impatiently tapping his foot. Callie swallowed.

What had she talked herself into?

Michael Fitzpatrick wasn’t a boy anymore. The muscled lines of his tall body were from hard work. His hair was still brown, though she’d detected a few threads of silver. For a moment, uncertainty filled her, because Mike was more like a stranger than a friend. For all her talk of growing up together, the three years separating them made a big difference.

She was thirty-one now. Hardly a kid. Mike was thirty-four. High time he got married and started a family. High time she got married and started a family. She just needed to find out if they were going to be the two halves of a single equation. It was one thing to fantasize about the boy you’d grown up loving, and quite another to discover if you still loved the man he’d become.

It hadn’t seemed so urgent until she’d turned thirty; then she’d started imagining being alone the rest of her life. No kids. No husband. No Mike. When the trip to Alaska had come up she’d leapt at the opportunity.

“Here goes nothing,” she mumbled, squaring her shoulders and heading toward the truck.

“You can still stay with me,” Donovan offered.

“Separate beds?” she teased, comfortable with the charming pilot in a way she’d never been comfortable with Mike. Love and sex appeal certainly complicated relationships.

“Only if you insist.”

She laughed and kept walking.

Mike watched Callie smiling and flirting with Donovan and he clenched his fists. It wasn’t his concern if she wanted to get burned. But he’d warn her about the risks, the same way he’d warn Elaine.

“I’ll see you tonight,” she called back, waving goodbye to the other man.

“Six sharp. Don’t dress, unless you think it’s absolutely necessary,” Donovan replied with a wink.

Mike growled. He actually heard it, rumbling from his chest. A date? She’d already made a date?

“You’re going out with him? I thought you came to manage the office,” he said when she reached the Dakota. “To help us out. Our regular manager is having a baby, so she can’t come in when you’re not available.”

“Yes.” A catlike smile curved her lips.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I came to manage the office, but it isn’t a twenty-four-hour-a-day job. I can manage a little socializing between shuffling papers.”

Mike sighed. They both knew managing the Triple M office required more than shuffling some paper. Callie was getting back at him for doubting her ability. Hell, at least she was better than nothing. They’d gotten the office into a real tangle since losing Delia, and now Delia was hinting she wouldn’t return at all.

That’s what getting pregnant did to a woman. They wanted to stay home and take care of their kids, and never mind the desperate men they deserted. Maybe it wouldn’t matter someplace else, but it wasn’t easy finding a replacement in Kachelak. That was one of the drawbacks of establishing their headquarters away from the higher-population centers, like Fairbanks or Anchorage.

“Never mind,” he said, opening the door of the Dakota for Callie. “I was just trying to warn you about Donovan. He’s a confirmed bachelor.”

“No kidding?”

Mike walked around to the driver’s side of the vehicle. “This isn’t a joke, Callie. Donovan’s a great guy, but as soon as he thinks you’re serious he’ll be out the door faster than you can blink.”

“Oh?” She lifted one delicate eyebrow. “Who’s to say I won’t be the one out the door?”

In the process of fastening his seat belt, Mike gaped. Callie sounded serious, as though she engaged in lighthearted affairs all the time. Which he knew wasn’t true. That is, he was pretty sure it wasn’t true. She couldn’t get away with acting uninhibited, not in Crockett, Washington. Crockett was a nice little town, but it certainly wouldn’t tolerate the preacher’s daughter running around with a lot of different men. Besides, she wasn’t that kind of woman.

So he told her so.

“What did you say?” she gasped, sparks leaping from her green eyes.

“I said you weren’t that kind—”

“I know what you said. For your information, I’ve had plenty of men interested in me. You’re insulting. Just because my father’s a preacher, that doesn’t make me the antidote to romance.”

How the hell had he gotten into this?

“I didn’t mean to say you weren’t desirable,” Mike soothed. Her glare indicated she wasn’t soothed, or even mildly appeased. “But you’re…uh…a nice girl.”

“Nice? That tears it. I’m staying with Donovan. Nobody calls me nice.”

Mike took a deep breath. “That was a compliment…and you’re not staying with Donovan.”

“Some compliment. How would you like me to say you’re a nice man?”

The question threw him. Certainly, it was death to a man’s ego to be called nice. Nice was boring. Nice was a sucker’s description. As soon as a woman called a man “nice,” he could hear the death knell coming. A man wanted to be big, bad and a little dangerous.

Not nice.

Damn. He’d never imagined a woman would feel the same way, especially Callie.

“Okay, you’re not nice.” Now that hadn’t come out right, either, and he could guess what she’d say about his awkward attempt to apologize.

“Thank you.”

Contrary to his expectation, she sounded genuinely pleased and Mike rolled his eyes. Women. He was better off with his planes and the grumpy old moose who fed behind his house every evening.

“Shouldn’t you show me the office?” Callie asked as he started the engine. “It’s located here at the airfield, isn’t it?” Despite her question, she yawned and settled back against the seat, closing her eyes as she did so.

He hesitated. They really needed a warm body occupying the office—to answer the phone if nothing else—but her flight had left Seattle at one-thirty the previous morning. Under the circumstances he wouldn’t have expected Elaine to jump into work immediately, and the same applied to Callie. On the other hand, it would be nice to have an excuse to put off the inevitable. Callie living in his house? It gave him a queasy sensation of looming catastrophe.

“I’ll show you the office tomorrow. You probably need some sleep,” Mike said finally. Before your date, he added in his mind. Sheesh, that really irritated him. Donovan should have shown some consideration for their new employee.

Employee? Yeah, that’s how he could treat Callie. Like an employee, even if she wasn’t. Not really. She was doing a favor for Elaine, which translated into a favor for him. Still, it was all very disturbing.

“Callie?” he said.

She opened her eyes. “Hmm?”

“Why didn’t someone phone me? To explain you were coming instead of Elaine?”

“It was all decided at the last minute. Besides—” her sleepy smile flashed at him “—we thought you’d get all blustery and say no.”

Of course I’d say no, Mike growled inside his head.

He would have guessed Elaine’s game right off…namely, that his baby sister was trying to fix him up with Callie. The thought made him wince. He didn’t want to get married. He spent most of his time away from home, flying cargo or tourists around the state. A free and easy life, that’s what he wanted—no wife nagging him, asking why he wasn’t home when the plumbing burst or the kids got the measles.

Mike killed the engine and twisted in his seat. “Look, Callie. I think Elaine is trying to do some matchmaking.”

A knowing grin curved her lips. “Of course she is, but don’t worry about it. I’ll keep out of your way, and you keep out of mine.”

“Then you’re not…” He paused, unsure of how to phrase his question.

“I might look for a husband,” Callie said thoughtfully, “but you’re safe.” She yawned again and wiggled in her seat, making him aware of every inch of exposed skin above and below that ridiculous tube top. “Elaine can plot all she wants. That doesn’t mean we have to go along. I mean really, the two of us together? It’s absurd.”

His brows drew together in a scowl. Everything Callie was saying should make him feel reassured and comfortable with her. Only, it didn’t.

“Why absurd?”

She chuckled and curled her legs beneath her. “I don’t know…you’re six-two and I’m five-four. We’d look silly together. Besides, we’ve known each other forever. No thunderbolts here.”

Her lingering smile annoyed him even more. How could she say that? They’d barely spoken since he’d moved north. After college a few hurried hellos and goodbyes were the sum of their so-called friendship since he’d left home. There hadn’t been time for thunderbolts.

Not that he was interested. His curiosity was purely academic. Actually…his curiosity was masculine—no guy liked to be dismissed by a woman, no matter what the situation might be.

All at once Callie gave herself a little shake and sat up. “Now that we have that settled, I was wondering…You made it sound as though I won’t have any time off. This isn’t a seven-day-a-week job, is it?”

“Er…no.” He relaxed. “Unless there’s an emergency, you’ll have a standard schedule—five days on, two off.”

“Oh, good. I want to do some sightseeing, maybe even climb a glacier. And I understand there’s a lot of hiking around here…even in the immediate area. Do you think I’ll see any grizzlies? I’d love to see a polar bear in the wild, but I guess they’re only around the Arctic ice cap. I’ll have to go farther north to see them.”

Subtle tension crept back into Mike’s body. Why couldn’t his sister have come instead of Callie? Elaine wasn’t curious about fifteen-hundred-pound bears, and she’d been to Alaska often enough that sightseeing wasn’t a high priority.

“You shouldn’t go hiking by yourself,” he said shortly. “It isn’t safe.”

“I wasn’t planning to go by myself.”

Mike sighed. “I don’t have time for hiking, Callie.”

“That’s not a problem…you weren’t invited.”

Her obvious lack of interest made the rejection all that more stinging, though why he felt rejected he couldn’t have said. He glanced at her as he started the engine. While visibly sleepy, she gazed eagerly at the scenery as they pulled onto the gravel road that led into town.

Mike cleared his throat. It was pointless to be so unsettled. This was good old Callie, even if she did look like a beach babe from sunny California. “We don’t have any hiking clubs, kiddo. And the tours are pretty expensive.”

“I don’t need any tours.” She gave him a sunny smile, apparently forgiving him. “Donovan is taking me to the Kenai Wildlife Refuge and—”

“Tonight?” Mike almost stomped on the brake so he could shake some sense into her. “You didn’t buy that line, did you? We might have longer hours of daylight up here, but it’s a long drive down and you couldn’t possibly visit the refuge so late.”

“Of course not,” Callie said patiently. “We’re going on the first day we’re both available. Tonight we’re just going to dinner.”

Mike grunted.

She patted his arm. “Not feeling well?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s good. Anyway, Travis Black said he loves hiking and he’ll follow me anywhere. But I think he was just being polite.”

Another line, Mike thought sourly, though Travis was an expert wilderness guide. “How did Travis get into this?”

“On the radio. He asked Donovan to describe me, and when Donovan said I had buck teeth and was wrinkled like a walrus, Travis immediately offered his services in showing me around. I don’t think he believed Donovan about the teeth.”

I wouldn’t, either.

Donovan had been protecting his turf—one look at Callie’s skimpy tube top and he’d gotten the complete wrong impression about her. But while Mike couldn’t do anything about his two partners’ social calendars, he could certainly ensure Travis’s days off didn’t coincide with Callie’s. Travis wasn’t a partner—not yet.

“Of course, Ross McCoy offered to fly me across Prince William Sound so we can climb Worthington Glacier. That’ll probably be a two-day trip,” she mused. “But he said he knows a nice place we can stay in Valdez.”

“Really?” Mike felt the urge to loosen his collar, when all he was wearing was a black T-shirt. “When did you talk to Ross? The radio?”

Ross was his other partner in the business—a great guy, but not for a homebody like Callie. Besides, Ross had gotten burned by his ex-wife and had avoided women ever since. He definitely wasn’t interested in getting married.

Callie bit her lip to keep from laughing. Poor Mike. He didn’t look at all happy. “I met Ross in Anchorage. He was taking a load of fresh veggies to Nome, so he stopped by to say hi. I like Ross. He’s really cute and he’s awfully charming.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“That’s because you’re not a woman. He said I could go to the Arctic Circle on one of his junkets. We might even land on the ice floe so I can get some pictures of polar bears.”

“Terrific. Sounds like you’re all set.” Mike sounded quite disgruntled and she hid another smile.

“Yeah, I’m going to have a great time. At least Donovan and Ross and Travis are glad I’m here, even if you’re not.”

“They think they can get away with more…that I’ll let them because you’re not my sister.”

Callie stretched languidly, aware of Mike’s long sideways gaze. For the first time in her life she felt entirely feminine and sexy.

“You worry too much. They won’t get away with anything I don’t want them to.”

“Oh? How much is that?”

She mused for a moment. “Enough, Mike. Enough.”

“I see.”

From the iron set to his jaw, Callie didn’t think he liked her answer very much…which pleased her to no end.