The Alaskan Rescue. Dominique Burton

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ cabin erupted in shrieks, causing Sashi to turn red.

      “I’ve got to see this,” Bridgette declared. She got off her bed and moved in on Sashi for a closer inspection.

      Bridgette was tall and curvy with long blond hair. Freddy liked all types of women. He’d hurt Kendra when he’d brought her up here letting her think she was the only woman he cared for. Little did Kendra realize she’d be competing with four others!

      “Can you guys just leave me alone?” Sashi said.

      “No!” Bridgette declared. “You’ve been Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes all summer and this is pretty exciting.”

      “Go back to sleep.” Sashi rolled her eyes and headed over to her bed.

      “Hold on just a second!” Blake called out.

      Sashi groaned. No. Not Blake Carrey, the beast from Boston with the looks of a movie star and blond hair cut to her chin. Kendra knew that Blake’s perfectly tanned body came out of a spray bottle from France and her personality came straight from hell. Blake had made Kendra’s life miserable up here. She was obsessed with Freddy and convinced he was going to propose to her this summer.

      “What do you want, Blake?”

      “Who’s the guy? What makes him so special? Come on. Tell us.”

      Sashi turned around to face the woman. She didn’t care much for Blake, whose constant complaining over the hard work got on everyone’s nerves.

      With a smile she said, “He’s none of your business.”

      “Don’t tell me you finally got it on with Mac!” Blake stood in front of her in satin pajamas that seemed so out of place up here in Alaska.

      Sashi laughed. “Oh, if you only knew the truth.” At that she turned around and began to get things out of her bag. “Why don’t you go back to bed, Blakey? You need your beauty sleep.”

      Sashi left for the latrine/shower house with her bag of toiletries. She needed to brush her teeth and wash her face. It was amazing how the guests got indoor plumbing and every modern amenity, while the workers lived back in time. Mr. Marshall had never gotten around to bringing the workers’ cabins into the twentieth century, never mind the twenty-first.

      As she walked the short distance to the latrine, she heard laughter. But a loud bang from the door made her turn around to see who’d followed her. “Kendra! You scared me!”

      Her tall friend caught up with her in seconds. “Sashi, what the hell? You’ve never done this before. You’ve got to tell me what happened earlier.”

      “I’m sorry. But I met the hottest man ever.”

      Kendra stopped walking and stared at Sashi in the moonlight. “Are you drunk? Is this the same Sashi I grew up with?”

      Sashi didn’t want to stand out in the dark. This was bear country and she knew the rules, so she continued to walk. “Seriously, Kendra, you have to swear not to tell the girls.”

      They reached the smelly outbuilding that serviced the employees’ needs. She headed in and Kendra followed. “Sashi, you and I don’t like any of those girls except Natalie. Who would I tell?”

      “You’d tell Freddy!”

      “Not true. I can keep secrets.”

      “Promise?” Sashi’s heart was pounding as she washed her hands.

      Kendra sounded exasperated. “Pinkie-promise.”

      “Okay.” Sashi started to change clothes. “There was this hot bush doctor who flew up from Ketchikan today. His name is—”

      “Dr. Stevens.” Kendra finished the sentence for her.

      She felt a wave of jealously sweep through her. When had Kendra met him? Sashi was only half-dressed in her thermal top. “How do you know him?”

      Kendra laughed. “Girl, you look so upset! I was working at the reception desk when he arrived and I took him to Mr. Marshall. He was pretty hot.”

      Sashi nodded. “Yeah.”

      “I’m not going to tell you anything more until you tell me how far you went.”

      “We only kissed. I didn’t want to do more. He’s asked to see me again.” Sashi disappeared back into one of the toilet cubicles.

      “How are you guys going to meet again?” Kendra asked.

      “He’s a bush doctor, and he’ll fly out here and take us to Ketchikan early on the day we’re supposed to fly home. Then he’s going to take us to lunch. He says he can get us to the airport fast, too.”

      “Do you believe him?”

      “Of course.”

      “Well, you’re going to have to call him and change the plans.”

      “Why?”

      “Because I broke off with Freddy and have booked us a three-day tour of Prince of Wales Island.”

      Sashi emerged from the cubicle ready for bed. “Kendra, I can’t afford a trip like that.”

      “I know. That’s why it’s my treat. The tour’s all about the Native Americans who lived here on this island. Our guide is an Native chief who knows amazing sites. It’s going to be incredible.”

      Sashi went over and hugged her friend. She felt for her. Kendra had been fighting for Freddy’s attention all summer and finally learned from co-workers in the packing plant that he was just a player who brought his women up here to work. Worse, he put all of them in the same cabin!

      “I’m proud of you for the way you’re handling this, Kendra,” Sashi said. “I’ll call Cole in the morning and find out if I can see him some other way before we leave Alaska.”

      “I’ve never seen you this keen on a guy before,” Kendra said in a soft tone.

      “I know it’s crazy. Cole was talking about flying out to Virginia for a vacation to see me. I didn’t know what to say other than I’d love it.”

      “Stranger things have happened. I’m happy for you, Sashi. Now I’ve just got to get over Freddy.”

      “I’ll help you.”

      * * *

      THE RAIN WAS COMING DOWN in sheets as Cole drove his Range Rover. If he hadn’t been on this road over a hundred times before, he didn’t think he’d find his house high on the hill overlooking Ketchikan.

      At last he pulled into his driveway. With a push of a button, the garage door swung open and he drove inside. The door immediately closed behind him, locking out the storm. He hoped the weatherman had been right and it would clear up fast. He was looking forward to flying out and seeing Sashi and her friend the day after tomorrow.

      Cole rested his head against the steering СКАЧАТЬ