3
Ginny spent the morning checking out the small kitchen and the supplies inside. Shelves were stocked with hard cheese, cornmeal, beans, dried meat and fish, salt, lard, and dried corn. Pete had a stack of six tin plates, cups and forks with bent tines.
The wooden shelves were dirty and needed a good cleaning. The same was true of the rough plank floor. A wooden counter held a washtub with a cake of soap beside it.
She remembered seeing a bucket outside the back door. She filled it with water from a small stream behind the hotel and carried the bucket back to the kitchen. She found rags piled near the washtub. Grabbing one, she set to work on the shelves. If she planned to make this into a boarding house, she would have to get it clean and organized.
She finished the shelves and set to work on the floor. The grime was thick and she had to dump and refill the bucket several times. When she finished, she admired her work. The floor had probably never been this clean.
She stretched her aching back and decided to walk around the back yard to loosen her sore muscles. She was surprised to find two chairs set out on the lawn of wild grass and flowers and a man crouching in the grass with his back to her. Reflections of the cerulean of the sky highlighted his black hair so that it looked blue-black. Her heartbeat quickened with expectation.
Jack turned and looked up with a smile and Ginny reciprocated. His stocky presence filled the garden, making Ginny forget what she was doing and focus only on him.
He smiled at her and she admired the dimples on his chin.
He gestured to a picnic basket in the grass between the chairs. “I hope I’m not coming too often. I find it hard to stay away. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“No and I’m starved. I’ve been scrubbing down the kitchen.”
“Then you might be willing to try our food before you offer it to your guests.”
“Of course. Thank you. I hadn’t thought to try it myself until this moment. This will help me know how it tastes and learn to make it without making my boarders move out. You’ll show me how to cook it later?”
“Yes, I will. Sit please.”
She was pleased by his practicality and more pleased that he admitted it was hard for him to stay away. Her spirits soared with the hope he came so often because of her.
She settled into a wrought-iron, padded chairs that came from the parlor near the check-in desk. The powder blue velvet which covered the seats was worn smooth. He must have retrieved them while she was busy in the kitchen.
She smoothed her flowered, cotton skirt and sat down. “This was thoughtful.”
Indeed, it was more than thoughtful. It was a chance to spend more time with him. She wondered if he felt the same.
“Like you said, no use in bringing you food if you don’t know what it is.”
He sat next to her and lifted the basket into his lap. He drew back the cotton cloth to reveal items wrapped in cheesecloth. He un-wrapped the first. It smelled like fish. He handed her a chunk. “Try it.”
Ginny popped it into her mouth. “It’s good. I could eat this for every meal. What is it?”
“Salmon. We eat a lot of it.” He un-wrapped another pouch. “These are crowberries.”
She accepted the handful and tried them. Their sweet taste inspired a plan of baking pies. She imagined them lined in a row, fragrant and steaming, her guests eagerly ordering slices of the steaming pastries.
“These are good. I could serve them with breakfast or bake desserts with them.”
He nodded. “I would like to try your pie.”
“The first one is yours.”
She imagined Jack trying a piece of pie, savoring the juicy treat as he smiled at her adoringly She bet he’d never had anything like it.
She smiled at him as she breathed in the scent of spruce and wildflowers. This peaceful moment would live in her memory. A picnic under the beautiful blue sky was out of her ordinary experience.
“Want to try dessert?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Akutaq.”
He unwrapped two tin bowls and handed one to Ginny, along with a spoon. She sniffed it and dipped in her spoon. She took a small bite and made a face.
“This isn’t cream.”
Jack shook his head. “It’s made by whipping the fat of a reindeer before adding snow and wild berries.”
“Reindeer fat?”
“Good, isn’t it?”
Ginny laughed. “It will take some getting used to.”
Jack wiped the tip of his finger across the corner of her lip. “You have a smear of berry juice.”
Ginny felt a tingle where the warmth of his finger lingered. It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed a touch. She wondered why it affected her so strongly. It was true that Jack intrigued her.
She tried to tell herself it was because he’d befriended her when she was alone and lonely and in a strange place. Was he the kind of man who would consider a girl like her? Ginny stopped her thoughts. No sense thinking along those lines.
She had nothing, and despite her new job, men had never looked at her and felt the need to propose…or even ask her to step out with them for a walk. Yet Jack had. Perhaps….?
Oh, goodness. She needed to quick being silly. Her mind returned to practical matters. “When do you go off on your next guide trip?” She asked, thinking about when he’d be able to provide the meat he’d promised to stock her larder.
“In two weeks. It will take that long to make sure the group has the right supplies, especially clothes. It gets wet and cold in the mountains.” Jack described his wardrobe.
“I bought winter clothing after talking to people in San Francisco who came back. I’ll be wearing trousers and thick wool socks, hats and mittens, leather boots and a thick woolen coat. How am I doing?” Ginny felt proud of the usefulness of her attire. She looked into his eyes, feeling smug. He’d not find anything amiss in the careful planning she had done.
“May I see the coat?” he asked.
“Of course.” Ginny went into the hotel and climbed the stairs. She found a bouquet of forget-me-nots in front of her bedroom door. She knew only two people in Skagway. She wondered which one left them. She hoped it was Jack and not Pete.
She smiled as she sniffed the fragrant bouquet. Then, suddenly eager to return to Jack, and proud to show him her clothing preparations, she pulled her coat from the hook and hurried down.
Jack had turned his chair around to face her. When he saw the worn coat, he shook his head. “That is not good. Hide and fur will keep you warm. I will bring a fur to you.”
Ginny felt overwhelmed. “I have nothing to pay you with.”
“It is a gift. This coat will get wet. Then it will not be warm. It will be payment to me to know you are warm.” His expression was so sincere she felt like it would be an affront to turn him down.
“Thank you. You’re very kind.”
She felt protected and cherished. No one had ever cared for her or taken such interest in her comfort and needs. Jack’s desire for her to be warm and dry and comfortable in this unforgiving land touched her heart, bonding her to him in affection.
He broke his gaze, seeming embarrassed.
She found the gesture endearing and hoped he would always take care of her with the kind gestures that reflected his heart. With high hopes, she asked, “Did you leave the flowers in my room?”
He nodded. “I thought you would like them.”
“I do. Very much. It was thoughtful of you to leave them.”
“They reminded me of you. Bright and pretty and full of life.”
He returned her smile and she felt the approving warmth.