Читать книгу Past Lies - Bobby Hutchinson - Страница 10

It’s never bothered me much, not having family I could count on. You and I have that in common, eh, Linda?

From letters written by Roy Nolan,

April, 1972

“ALEX LADROVIK, meet my brother-in-law, Tom Pierce. Tom is Caity’s older brother.”

Tom had just arrived at the dock, and the men were standing beside a long wooden boat loaded with building supplies neatly covered by a blue tarp.

“Alex’s up from San Diego,” Theo added for Tom’s sake. “He just got to the lodge a couple hours ago, caught a ride with Oliver and the groceries.”

“How d’ya do.” Tom didn’t offer his hand and Alex decided against holding out his. He was aware that the mustached man was assessing him with cool gray eyes set in a weathered, still handsome face.

“Guess that’s your green Jeep with the California plates, parked back in town in Olaf’s garage?”

“She’s mine, all right.” Alex hoped his mud splattered, battered vehicle, would still be there when he went back to claim it. It had performed valiantly, never once breaking down on the long and often isolated journey.

“California,” Tom said, making it sound like a third world war zone. “So what brings you to Alaska?”

“Adventure,” Alex replied, giving the same explanation he’d used all along the way. “The job I had in San Diego ended, and I decided it was time to travel. When the weather warms up I want to hike into the bush, live off the land a while. Till then, I need a job.”

That was true enough, although it didn’t begin to really explain why he was here. Best to keep that to himself for the time being. No point in revealing your underbelly right away, especially since Tom didn’t seem nearly as friendly as his brother-in-law. Maybe it just took him longer to warm up to strangers.

Tom’s gaze flicked up and down Alex’s long, rangy frame. “The bush, huh? You done much back-country hiking on your own?”

“Some. Well, truthfully, not much. But I plan to do some extensive research before I head off.”

“Research, now that’ll impress the grizzlies.” The derogatory snort and look Tom shot his way made Alex doubly glad he’d held back some of his personal info.

“Going off into the bush on your lonesome is one fine way to end up dead,” Tom said emphatically. “Every year we spend valuable time searching for damn fool adventurers gone missing. More people go missing up here than anywhere else in the U.S. Dumb thing to do, in my opinion. “

Out of politeness, Alex didn’t mention that he hadn’t asked for Tom’s opinion. The older man was making his hackles rise.

Theo ignored Tom’s outburst. Instead, he pointed at one of the outbuildings. “Let’s stack the lumber in that shed over there, don’t want it getting wet. If you move the boat down the dock a ways, Tom, we can get it unloaded.”

Alex noticed that Tom had a pronounced limp, but otherwise his wide body was muscular and fit. He handled the two-by-fours and bags of cement almost as easily as Alex. The injury to his leg sure didn’t slow him down at all.

Theo, however, was soon red-faced and winded. Without being obvious about it, Alex made sure he shouldered the heaviest of the materials. In a short while, they had the lumber, nails and bags of cement mix stowed inside the shed.

Theo wiped the sweat from his forehead with the arm of his blue flannel shirt. “I hate to admit it, but I’m out of shape. Way too much sitting around in the wintertime. Come on inside, you two. Caity’s making supper and we deserve a drink.”

Theo led the way. Inside the wide front doors of the sprawling log building, Alex glanced at the framed photos lining both walls he’d noticed earlier. There were color snapshots of smiling guests holding trophy fish, but there were also older black-and-white shots of men and women wearing clothing from the turn of the century. But he was quickly distracted by the wonderful smells that wafted down the long hallway from the direction of the kitchen, and he sniffed in hungry anticipation.

“Caity, love, Tom’s here,” Theo bellowed and within moments Caitlin Galloway came hurrying along the long hall to meet them, her handsome face wreathed in smiles. Her white hair piled on top of her head, she wore a white bibbed apron to protect her snug blue jeans.

She was attractive, not just physically—although she had glowing skin and a figure much younger women might envy—but also because of her warmth and kindness. Now he noticed that she had the same high cheekbones and gray eyes as her brother.

Earlier, she’d led him to the kitchen where a compact, ageless little woman was busy rolling and then flopping dough into eight pie plates. Her back was to Alex, and at first he saw only thick, inky black hair, braided and rolled into a knot.

“Mavis Armitage, meet Alex Ladrovik. He’s the one going to build the cabins for Theo,” Caitlin had announced. “We eat breakfast and dinner with the guests, but we usually have lunch here in the kitchen.”

When Mavis turned, Alex had tried to hide his shock at the sight of her disfigured face. He’d seen burn victims, and he guessed that was likely what had left the puckered scars and discolored flesh that marred one side of her face and extended down her neck.

“Pleased to meet you, Mavis.” Alex had smiled at the older woman and extended his hand. The defensive expression in her eyes told him she’d noticed his first involuntary reaction.

“Can’t you see I’m up to my eyeballs in pie dough here?” She turned back to her work without another word. Mavis obviously wasn’t anyone to mess with.

Those pies were baking now. Alex could smell the cinnamon and apples. His stomach grumbled and his mouth watered.

Caitlin gave her brother an exuberant hug and kissed his cheek. “Is Ivy going to stay and have supper with us?”

“Not tonight. She’ll be here in a while delivering your skiers, but she can’t make it for supper,” Tom said. “She has a date.”

“Oh, too bad for us. That young doctor?”

Tom nodded.

“Sage was looking forward to a visit with her,” Caitlin said. “Well, there’s always a next time. Now, if you men want to make yourselves comfortable in the living room, Mavis and I’ll finish up in the kitchen and then I’ll join you for a drink.”

A few moments later, Alex was admiring the massive tumble rock fireplace that dominated one wall of the large living room. Above it was an oil painting of a handsome couple. Here, too, the clothing indicated that the painting was probably turn-of-the-century.

“Relatives?” Alex gestured at the painting.

“My grandmother and grandfather,” Theo said.

“This whole place is remarkable,” Alex commented, running a hand over a rough-hewn beam. “How long have you lived here, Theo?”

“All my life. I was born here and so was my father.” Theo indicated the painting with a wave of his hand. “That’s his father, William Galloway. He built the place. Raven’s been in the Galloway family since the turn of the century.”

Alex was impressed. “How did your ancestors come to settle here?”

“We’ll have lots of time for that when we’re working on the cabins,” Theo said. “Right now, it’s time for a drink.”

“Families don’t stay put anymore,” Tom grumbled. “Everybody’s got itchy feet, coming and going all over the place. Don’t know what they’re all looking for that they can’t find at home.”

Alex wondered if that was yet another poke in his direction.

“Not me and Caity,” Theo said. “We never wanted to be anywhere but here. Still don’t.” He opened the door of a tall highboy, revealing a well-equipped bar. “Tom, I know your poison. Alex, how about you? Rye, rum, beer?”

“A beer would be great,” Alex said, and Theo handed him a bottle and a glass and then poured rye for himself and Tom.

The older men, glasses in hand, each took one of the deep armchairs that flanked the worn leather sofa. Alex sank into its soft cushions. He poured his beer and took a grateful sip, listening to the easy flow of family conversation.

“You and Ivy keeping busy, Tom?”

“Not bad at all. Way better than last year. Seems we’re getting more tourists in April than we’ve had before.”

Theo nodded. “We’re noticing the same thing. We’re fully booked for April and May, and then right through to September.” Theo turned to Alex. “Tom and his daughter run a flight service in Valdez called Up And Away. Tom has his own floatplane, the Beaver, and Ivy flies a Bell Ranger. We’ve started doing package tours for skiers—they stay here and Tom or Ivy flies them up the slopes. You a skier, Alex?”

“I’ve never tried, never wanted to. I was never much good at sports.” And the very thought of being ferried up a mountain by helicopter made him queasy. He couldn’t help but wonder what type of woman would choose to be a pilot. He boarded planes only out of dire necessity, getting miserably airsick and hating every moment his feet were off the ground. “Did your daughter learn to fly in the military, Tom?”

“Nope, I did. Vietnam.” He tapped his right thigh. “Shrapnel left me with a bum leg.” He paused as a loud whirring announced the arrival of a helicopter. “That’ll be Ivy,” he said, and Alex noted the way his voice softened and his weathered, stern features softened.

A few moments later Caitlin walked in, her arm around a tall young woman’s slender waist.

“Hey, Ivy honey, good to see you,” Theo said, getting to his feet and embracing her. “How’s my favorite niece?”

“About as fine as my favorite uncle.” She waved a hand in Tom’s direction. “Hey, Captain, long time no see.” Then she turned curiously to Alex. “Hi there,” she said with a wide, welcoming smile.

“Alex Ladrovik, my niece, Ivy Pierce,” Caitlin introduced.

“How do you do, Ivy?” Alex stood as she came toward him with her hand outstretched. They were close to the same height, which put her just over six feet.

“Pleased to meet you, Alex. Ladrovik, have I got that right?”

When he nodded, she said, “That’s an unusual name. Russian?”

“Yes, originally.” Alex had taken her strong hand in his, feeling more than a little disconcerted by the initial effect she was having on him.

Ivy would stand out in any surroundings, and not just because of her height. There was something magnetic about her. He found it difficult to look anywhere else.

“We have a lot of people of Russian heritage in Alaska. So where are you from, Alex?”

“San Diego.” She wasn’t exactly movie-star beautiful. Her father’s straight, narrow nose was perhaps a little too long on her. She had his high, elegant cheekbones, accentuating a squarish face. Her full, lush mouth was a trifle wide above a strong, no-nonsense jawline. And her hair gleamed like polished copper. Thick and curly, it was cropped shorter than his, clinging close to her elegant, narrow head. She had clear golden skin, translucent in the firelight, but her most arresting feature was her eyes. They were a peculiar shade of light green, the color of the Granny Smith apples his mother had always preferred for pies, and they were framed by long dark lashes.

“Think you’ll like it north of 60, Alex?”

He had to stop staring at her. “I’m sure I will.”

She was giving him a teasing smile, and a certain look in those unusual eyes told him she was probably accustomed to men gaping at her.

He was also still holding her hand. He dropped it abruptly.

“I hear you’re a carpenter.” She had a deep, husky voice with an intriguing catch in it. “Dad tells me you’re going to build those new cabins Uncle Theo has his heart set on.”

He dragged his eyes away from her and looked over at Theo, who seemed much more amused by Ivy’s obvious effect on him than her father, who looked decidedly grim. “I’m going to give it my best shot.”

“And we’re starting at daybreak tomorrow,” Theo said. “Gotta make hay while the sun shines.”

“Don’t let him scare you,” Ivy said to Alex. “Daybreak in April isn’t all that early up here. Certainly not like daybreak in July.”

“That would be about two or three a.m., right?”

Theo chuckled. “Earlier than that. That’s why they call this the land of the midnight sun.” Theo was pouring white wine for Caitlin, who’d sat on the sofa. He waved a stemmed glass in Ivy’s direction. “You want something to drink, honey?”

“No thanks, I’ve got to get back to Valdez. I want to say hi to Sage first, though.”

“She’ll be pleased to see you.” Caitlin lowered her voice. “And you’d better pop in to the kitchen and say hello to Mavis, you know how easy she gets her feelings hurt.”

“Far be it from me to get in her bad books,” Ivy said with a grin. “Is Sage over at the house, Auntie, or is she upstairs in the office?”

“She’s at home.”

“I’ll head over there, then. Nice meeting you, Alex.” Ivy smiled at him before stooping over to smack a kiss on her aunt’s cheek. “See you soon, Auntie. Don’t get up, I’ll go say hi to Mavis and then scoot out the kitchen door.”

She started to leave and then turned back to her father. “Almost forgot. Dad, the skiers want to go up the mountain again in the morning. Will you be back in time to take those honeymooners up to the cabin on the Catella River? They’ll be at the office at eight.”

“No worries, I’ll be there. I’m heading back at daybreak,” Tom assured her. “See you in the morning, Ivy.”

She raised her hand in a small salute. When she was gone, Alex felt as if the room had deflated a little, like a balloon losing some of its air.

He made a mental note to keep his distance from Ivy Pierce.