“Sure do.”
“Guess you won’t be needing me, then.”
“Sawyer’s going to marry Mom and us,” Susan informed him with her wide, delightful grin.
“In two weeks,” Scott added.
“So you’re not letting any grass grow under your feet,” Charles commented.
“Nope,” Sawyer said.
“Is this a secret or can I spread the word?” Charles asked.
Abbey and Sawyer looked at each other and smiled. “Feel free,” Sawyer told him.
Charles pounded the horn and stuck his head out the window as he drove down the street, shouting, “There’s going to be a wedding in Hard Luck!”
“You can’t change your mind now, Sawyer.”
“No chance of that,” he whispered. “No chance at all.”
THE MARRIAGE RISK
Chapter 1
July 1995
So this was Hard Luck.
Lanni Caldwell slung her backpack over her shoulders, picked up her suitcase and crossed the gravel road that ran past the mobile office for Midnight Sons. The small airline—which served the Alaskan interior—had been mentioned in the news several times during the past month. Her curiosity piqued, Lanni had read the Anchorage paper eagerly and watched the television reporters tell their tale. And what a tale it was. Midnight Sons had apparently spearheaded a campaign to attract women to Hard Luck with offers of jobs and housing.
Leave it to a bunch of lonely bush pilots to come up with such a crazy scheme! A number of single women had already arrived, and more would soon be joining them. TV reporters from down south were calling them “mail-order brides”—they weren’t—and referring to Hard Luck as “the frozen north.” It wasn’t, at least not in July.
The sun shone bright and golden in a clear blue sky. The weather was in the comfortable seventies, with wildflowers blooming in a lively array of colors that stretched from one end of the tundra to the other.
Lanni, who’d grown up in Anchorage, had only been north of the Arctic Circle once before on a childhood visit to Hard Luck. But this all seemed familiar because her grandmother, Catherine Fletcher, had often spoken of the town and her life here. Lanni could remember sitting on Grammy’s knee as a child and listening to wondrous descriptions and exciting adventures, but those times with her grandmother had been few. Catherine’s visits had come less and less often as the years went on.
With Catherine’s failing health, this might well be Lanni’s last chance to learn about her grandmother’s early life. It was the reason she’d agreed to spend her summer in Hard Luck. Beginning in September, she would become an intern at the Anchorage daily paper. After four years in college, her dream of working as a journalist was about to be realized. Lanni knew how fortunate she was to be chosen for the coveted position, and she was thrilled with the opportunity.
Her visit to Hard Luck had been prompted by a call from Sawyer O’Halloran to her mother, Kate, the month before. Kate had been surprised to hear from one of the O’Hallorans, and even a bit annoyed. Lanni only vaguely understood why. She was aware of bad blood between her grandmother and the O’Hallorans, but she’d never really heard the reasons. It was something the family simply didn’t talk about.
Sawyer O’Halloran had politely explained that with so many women moving into town, Hard Luck was in desperate need of housing. Catherine’s home sat vacant, and Sawyer had asked if Kate would talk to her about renting it out.
Lanni wasn’t sure her mother had discussed the situation with Grammy. But Catherine Fletcher’s health had worsened since her move to the nursing home in Anchorage, so perhaps it was best that she hadn’t been consulted.
“Hi.” A young, freckle-faced boy smiled at her from his bicycle. A large, blue-eyed husky trotted along at his side. They both came to a halt and the dog’s gaze quickly assessed Lanni as a friend. He sat on his haunches, panting.
“Are you here for the wedding?” the boy asked.
“The wedding?” Lanni echoed.
“Yeah, my mom’s marrying Sawyer O’Halloran. Lots of people are coming to Hard Luck for the wedding. Ben’s making his special sweet-and-sour meatballs and everything. He said he’d let me and Susan roll some, too.”
“Ben?”
“Yeah, he owns the Hard Luck Café. You’re not a reporter or anything, are you?”
“No.”
“It’s a good thing, ’cause Sawyer said he wanted to kick their butts.”
Lanni laughed. This obviously wasn’t the time to announce that she was a journalism graduate. “I’m Lanni Caldwell.”
“Scott Sutherland,” he said, and grinned broadly, revealing front teeth too big for his mouth. “I bet you’re the woman Sawyer’s waiting for. He’s been kind of frazzled lately.”
No one had told Lanni she needed to check in with the O’Hallorans, but it couldn’t hurt to introduce herself. After all, they were responsible for her being in town. She had reason to thank them, too. This summer was her one chance to explore some of the questions left unanswered by her family’s official version of the past. There was so much she didn’t know about Grammy, so many secrets, so many memories too painful to share. In many ways Lanni felt cheated out of part of her heritage, and it was because of this grandmother she barely knew.
“You want me to take you to meet Sawyer?” Scott asked.
“Sure.” Lanni shifted her backpack and followed the boy to the mobile structure with Midnight Sons scrawled in bold red paint across the side.
“Sawyer,” Scott called as he threw open the door. The dog followed him inside. “Lanni Caldwell’s here.”
The man behind the desk looked up with a sigh of relief. “Thank heaven. Christian didn’t think you’d get here until after the wedding. You couldn’t have picked a better time to show up.”
It was clear to Lanni, if to no one else, that Sawyer O’Halloran had her confused with another person. Maybe he hadn’t heard her surname.
“Listen,” he went on, “I have to get to a school-board meeting. I know it’s a bit of a rush asking you to take over like this, but I can’t very well sit here answering the phones when I’m supposed to chair a meeting at the school.”
“Uh…” Lanni hedged, wondering what she should do. Sawyer seemed to think she was a secretary.
“If you have any questions, just write them down. I’ll be back in an hour or two.”
She opened her mouth to explain the mix-up when Sawyer bolted out the door. “I really appreciate this,” he said as he flew past her.
“See what I mean?” Scott commented, flopping down in the chair Sawyer had vacated. “You’d think he was gonna have a baby or something. Mom says she’s never seen anything like it.”
Lanni slipped the backpack from her shoulders and put it next to her suitcase. “Unfortunately he didn’t give me a chance to tell him I’m not a secretary.”
“You’re not?”
Lanni shook her head.
“You sure you don’t have anything to do with those newspapers that’ve been bugging him?”
“I’m sure.”
Scott relaxed visibly. “Why are you here then? Did Christian send you?”
“No. I’m here to clean out my grandmother’s home so one or two of the women will have someplace to live.”
“Christian didn’t hire you?” This information obviously surprised the boy and he sat up straight. “I bet Charles didn’t, either. He doesn’t seem to think much of Sawyer and Christian’s idea. He even offered to pay for my mom, my sister and me to fly back to Seattle. We almost did it, too, but Susan and I didn’t want to go. Now,” he said, and his face brightened, “Mom and Sawyer are getting married.”
“You sound pleased about that.”
“You bet. Sawyer’s neat. I never said anything to Mom, but I sorta missed having a dad. Sawyer’s going to adopt me and Susan, and we’re gonna be a real family.”
“That’s wonderful.”
The phone rang then. Lanni stared at it.
“Just answer ‘Midnight Sons,’” Scott told her, “and take a message.”
Lanni reached for the receiver and did as Scott suggested.
“Sawyer won’t be gone long,” Scott said confidently when she’d finished writing down the caller’s information. “He’ll probably end the meeting early.” Scott clasped his hands behind his head, his thin elbows jutting out awkwardly. “He’s real nervous about the wedding. Maybe he’ll faint right in front of the whole town before he can say I do.” The image appeared to amuse Scott.
Lanni sat down at the desk across from the boy. “How many women have come to Hard Luck so far?” she asked.
“Not sure. A bunch, I guess. My mom was the first, though. Then there was this real pretty lady, but she didn’t stay long. Everyone said she wouldn’t, and they were right. Christian was really sad when he found out she left. That was when he went through all the applications again and hired another secretary. We thought you were her.”
“That’s an easy mistake.”
“Dotty got here last week. She’s living with Mrs. Inman right now and learning all about running the health clinic. She’s not young and pretty like my mom and you, but everyone’s happy she moved here. Mrs. Inman wants to go live with her daughter. She couldn’t before because the town needed her to run the clinic.”
“Well, I’m glad she can go to her daughter’s now.”
“If you want, I’ll show you around later,” Scott volunteered.
“Thanks.” It would help to have someone escort her about town. Lanni had been too young to remember that visit to Hard Luck more than twenty years ago. It was much easier for Grammy to fly into Anchorage than for everyone else to make the long trek to Hard Luck. Besides, Kate Caldwell had never been close to her mother, and the years had only served to widen that gap.
“Oh, this is Eagle Catcher,” Scott said, petting the husky’s neck. “He was Sawyer’s dog, but then Sawyer gave him to me. I’ve got the papers and everything.”
“He’s a beautiful dog.”
“He likes you, too, and he doesn’t like just anyone.”
“I’m honored.” Lanni ran her hand along the dog’s thick coat. Before she could say anything further, the phone rang again. From that point on, her conversation with Scott was intermittent as she dealt with a variety of calls.
True to his word, Sawyer returned to the office an hour later. “I’m sorry to leave you like that,” he muttered, reading through his messages.
“Oh, it wasn’t any problem,” Lanni said breezily.
“Lanni isn’t the new secretary,” Scott announced, leaping out of Sawyer’s chair.
Sawyer’s expression went blank. “You’re not?”
Lanni grinned, extending her hand. “I’m Lanni Caldwell. Catherine Fletcher’s my grandmother.” It might have been her imagination, but it seemed to Lanni that Sawyer’s eyes hardened for an instant.
“I see.”
“I’ve come to clean out the house.”
“You mean Catherine’s actually agreed to let us rent the place?”
“To be honest, I don’t think my mother discussed it with her. My grandmother’s in very poor health.”
“I’m…sorry to hear it.”
Lanni wondered if that was true. The bad feelings between the two families clearly existed on both sides. Lanni wished she understood what had happened, and why. “I’d be willing to help out until your new secretary arrives,” she offered, surprising herself. Someone needed to build a bridge of friendship, and she supposed it might as well be her.
“You’d do that?” Sawyer eyed her speculatively, as if he wasn’t sure he should trust her.
“I’d be happy to help out in any way I can,” Lanni said with certainty. She had the impression that she’d learn more about her grandmother working with the O’Halloran brothers than she ever would sorting through Grammy’s things.
“It’d only be now and then,” Sawyer said hesitantly. “Until things settle down.”
“Mom and Sawyer will be married in ten days,” Scott piped in. “Not that I’m counting or anything.”
“Then it’s a deal.” People said Lanni could charm a snake when she smiled, and she’d always considered her mouth her most attractive feature. It was full and classically shaped and expressive. Her teeth were even and white.
“You’re sure you won’t mind?” Sawyer asked, raking his fingers through his hair. “With Christian away, I’m shorthanded, and then the wedding…To top everything off, the school board needs to hire a new teacher.”
“I’m happy to lend a hand,” Lanni assured him again. “Really.”
“It won’t be for long. Christian’ll be back soon. He’s still in Seattle, but he’ll be heading for British Columbia to visit our mother.”
“If he isn’t back soon,” Scott added, “Sawyer said he was gonna throttle his scrawny neck.”
Lanni laughed.
“Do you want me to carry your suitcase?” the boy asked.
“It’s pretty heavy,” Lanni cautioned.
“I may be skinny,” Scott said with mock defiance, “but I’m strong.”
“Uh, Lanni, would it be possible for you to come in tomorrow?” Sawyer’s voice was casual, but she heard the eagerness behind it.
“What time would you like me?” she asked as she slid her arms into the backpack straps.
“Is eight too early?”
“Not at all. See you then.”
“Thanks,” he said, and he still seemed astonished by her willingness to assist him. “I mean that.”
Charles O’Halloran stepped into the Midnight Sons office and glared at his brother. Not that it did any good. Sawyer had been in a world of his own from the moment Abbey Sutherland agreed to marry him.
Sawyer getting married.
Charles still had difficulty believing that his levelheaded brother was leaping into the abyss.
Charles had long accepted that Christian would probably marry someday, but not Sawyer. Definitely not Sawyer. Charles and Sawyer had both seen what could happen to two decent people when a marriage soured. They knew firsthand how the heartache spilled over into the lives of every family member. Charles wanted no part of that. He’d assumed Sawyer felt the same way.
From the moment he was old enough to leave home, Charles had struck out on his own. Following his high school graduation, he’d enlisted in the marines. Afterward he’d gone on to college, obtaining a degree in geology. Now he was a surveyor for Alaska Oil—the perfect job for him. He was often gone for weeks at a time, searching for natural gas deposits in the Alaskan interior.
“I talked with two reporters this afternoon,” Charles muttered, making no effort to conceal his disgust. Not that he expected Sawyer to pay him any heed. His brother’s head was so high in the clouds these days Charles suspected he was suffering from oxygen deprivation. That must be what had affected his thinking lately.
Sawyer stared at him blankly.
“They wanted to know about the women.”
“There’re only a few here,” Sawyer said flatly, “and one of them is in her fifties.”
“Yes, but the first one’s getting married—practically before she had time to unpack her suitcase.” It wasn’t that Charles begrudged Sawyer his happiness. What bothered him was, first, his distrust of the institution of marriage and, second, the fact that the town his grandparents had built was being turned into a national laughingstock.
“Did you tell them to take a flying leap into the nearest moose pile?”
Charles grinned despite his surly mood. “No, but I should’ve. What I did was give them the number of the hotel where Christian’s staying.”
Sawyer nodded approvingly.
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” Charles said, claiming a chair. “But frankly I don’t think it was so smart to bring women to Hard Luck. The tabloids are having a field day with this. I read a headline this morning that was downright insulting.”
“I don’t care. I don??
?t have a single regret.”
Given Sawyer’s present state of mind, Charles would’ve been shocked had he admitted to anything else.
“You’re going to fall in love yourself one day,” Sawyer said, eyeing him closely, “and then you’ll know what I mean.”
“God save me.” Charles had managed to reach the age of thirty-five without getting snagged, and he planned to continue the trend.
“Someday you’re going to meet someone you’ll really fall for,” Sawyer said thoughtfully. “And I mean hard.”
Charles laughed. “Not me.”
Sawyer arched his brows. “Sounds like you’re tempting fate.”
“Listen, I’m happy for you, Sawyer. You’re obviously in love with Abbey and her kids, and I think that’s wonderful—for you.”
“But…”
“But I still don’t condone what you and Christian did. It’s a mistake to bring women to Hard Luck.”
“Really?”
“Look at all the commotion caused by the ones who’ve already arrived. Just wait’ll the day of the wedding. I bet you anything there’ll be six or seven reporters here.”
“Let ’em come,” Sawyer said, seemingly unconcerned. “Inquiring minds want to know, and I say let ’em.”
“You’ve got to be joking.” Charles couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I’ve got more important things on my mind.” Sawyer riffled through the papers on his desk and pulled out a packet of airline tickets. He kissed it, an expression of ecstasy on his face. “Two weeks in Hawaii—with my wife,” he said, closing his eyes. “I can’t imagine anything closer to heaven.”
“What about the kids?”
Sawyer grinned. “Abbey’s parents are taking them to Disneyland. Later Abbey and I will meet them there and we’ll fly home together.”
Charles couldn’t really respond to his brother’s enthusiasm for Hawaii. He’d seen all he wanted of the outside world. Nothing held the lure or the beauty he’d found in Alaska.
He’d let others do the traveling. There wasn’t anything he wanted that he couldn’t find right here in Hard Luck. Their father and grandfather had felt the same way. Even when it might’ve saved his marriage, David O’Halloran hadn’t been willing to move. As far as Charles was concerned, his father had made the only decision he could.