An Engagement in Seattle - Debbie Macomber [130]
“Well?” he asked, waiting for her to respond.
“I… Oh, Chase, that’s so sweet and so romantic. I think I’m going to cry.” She was struggling to hold back the tears.
“I want to make you happy, Lesley, for the rest of our lives.” He brought her into his arms and kissed her.
Happiness frightened her. Every time she was truly content, truly at peace, something would go wrong, her happiness ruined. The first time it happened, she was a child. A six-year-old. She’d never been happier than the week before they were supposed to leave for Disneyland. Not only had the trip been canceled, but she’d lost her father.
She’d been excited about her wedding to Tony, planning the event, shopping for her wedding dress, choosing her clothes. But he’d broken their engagement, plunging her into depression and then numbness.
Lesley was happy now, and she couldn’t help wondering what it would cost her this time.
Ten
Lesley’s hand reached for Chase’s as the airplane circled Fairbanks, Alaska, before descending. She’d found the view of Alaska’s Mount McKinley, in Denali National Park, awe-inspiring. After living in Seattle, between the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, she thought being impressed by Denali was saying something. The tallest peak in North America rose from the land far below, crowned by a halo of clouds.
“Is it all so beautiful?” she asked as the plane made its final approach.
“There’s beauty in every part of Alaska,” Chase told her, “but some of it’s more difficult to see. More subtle.”
“I’m going to love Twin Creeks,” she said, knowing it would be impossible not to, if the area was anything like the landscape she’d seen from the plane.
Chase’s fingers tightened around hers. “I hope you do.”
They landed and were met by a tall, burly man with a beard so thick it hid most of his face. Beneath his wool cap, she caught a glimpse of twinkling blue eyes.
“Pete Stone,” Chase said casually, placing his arm around Lesley’s shoulders. “This is Lesley.”
“You done it? You actually done it?” Pete asked, briefly removing his wool cap and scratching his head. His hair was shoulder-length and as thick as his beard. “You got yourself a wife?”
“How do you do?” Lesley said formally, holding out her hand. “I’m Lesley Goodman.” Pete ignored her proffered hand and reached for her instead, hauling her against him and hugging her so tightly, he lifted her three feet off the ground. Lesley wasn’t offended so much as surprised. She cast a pleading glance at her husband, who didn’t look any too pleased with this unexpected turn of events.
“Pete,” Chase said stiffly. “Put her down. Lesley’s not accustomed to being manhandled.”
“You jealous?” Pete said, slowly releasing her. His grin would’ve been impossible to see beneath the mask of his beard, but his eyes sparkled with delight. “That tells me you care about this little slip of a girl.”
Being nearly six feet tall, Lesley didn’t think of herself as a little slip of anything. She couldn’t help liking Pete despite his bear-hugging enthusiasm.
“Of course I care about her. I married her, didn’t I?”
“You sure did, but then you said you was coming back with a wife if you had to marry yourself up with a polecat.”
“Lesley’s no polecat.”
“I got eyes in my head,” Pete said. “I can see that for myself.”
“Good. Now, is the plane ready or not?” Chase asked, picking up two of their suitcases. He didn’t look at Lesley and she sensed that Chase was annoyed by Pete’s remark about his determination to find a wife. She hadn’t accepted his proposal under any misconception. If she’d turned him down, he would’ve found someone else. She’d known that from the first.
Pete grabbed the two additional pieces of luggage and winked at Lesley. “The plane’s been ready since yesterday. I flew down a day early and raised some heck.”
“Okay, okay,” Chase muttered. He turned to Lesley. “Do you mind leaving right away?” he asked as they approached the four-passenger plane.
“No,” she assured him with a smile. She was eager to reach her new home, and she knew Chase was just as eager to get back. It would’ve been