HOW INCONVENIENT THAT Iris would think about Jasper Lake’s cool breezes at this moment. Because thoughts of Jasper Lake led to thoughts of Alaska, which inevitably led to Flynn. And she couldn’t think about Flynn right now.
Still, she couldn’t remember the nation’s capital being quite so hot last July. Or the streets being quite so crowded. Then again, she reminded herself as she detoured around a throng of tourists blocking the entire sidewalk in front of a white marble statue commemorating someone undoubtedly superimportant, she’d barely stepped outside the previous summer. Between teaching a summer undergrad course, working on a research project and her part-time job at a busy CPA firm, she hadn’t had time to notice the weather, much less ponder it.
Opening the door of Bennett’s Fine Seafood & Spirits, she was blasted with cool air, which immediately racked her with a shiver. Shivering was her normal state in an Alaskan winter. Flynn claimed he didn’t mind winter. Okay, she really, really needed to stop this.
It was that kiss. Her lips tingled even now just thinking about it. And, yes, she’d sensed a bit of disappointment when she’d told him about the job, but they were friends. They’d spent a lot of time together lately. Surely, he would miss her, too.
“Iris?” A tall man in a perfectly cut suit strode toward her. She recognized Dr. Sebastien Frieze from the photos she’d seen online, but he was even more attractive in person. Lean and fit with a keen, very dark brown-eyed gaze and a crooked smile that made him appear both friendly and enigmatic.
“Yes, hi, Dr. Frieze. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Sebastien, please.” He held out a hand. It was cute the way a lock of his silky black, stylishly too-long hair slid across his brow. Iris knew the genius economist was only twenty-nine, but he appeared even younger.
“I’m sorry, old-school manners.”
He chuckled. “Totally understand. My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Vanderfleet, is a friend of my grandmother’s. They’ve been close since before I was born, but still, she’s Mrs. Vanderfleet.”
“Mrs. Patterson, my third-grade teacher, is a friend of my mom’s and my brother’s neighbor.”
They laughed together.
“So, we already have a table. This way.” He stepped back to allow her to go first and directed her. “Straight back, take a left through the archway.”
The table overlooked the Potomac River. They ordered drinks and chatted. He asked about her trip. Iris asked about his cats. Somehow that transitioned into her education and work history, and Iris had to admire his strategy. He had a nice way of conducting an interview without making her feel interrogated. She felt confident and comfortable and couldn’t imagine it going any better.
Sebastien picked up his menu. “I hope you like seafood. But their pasta dishes are amazing, too. What am I saying? Of course you like seafood. You grew up in Alaska, right?”
“Yes, I did, surrounded by seafood my entire life,” she joked, expertly evading his mistaken assumption that because she was from Alaska she must love seafood. It was fine if it was well-prepared, but she didn’t get the obsession. “My dad and my brother Seth are both professional fishermen.”
“Seriously? Fishing in Alaska is at the top of my bucket list.”
Iris resisted rolling her eyes. The “Alaska bug,” as she secretly referred to the popular obsession with the wilds of her home state, knew no bounds. She didn’t get it, but that didn’t mean she was above using her Alaska connections to impress her new boss.
“You’re in luck, then. My cousin owns a wildlife guide and outfitter service. He offers some of the best sport fishing in the entire state. I could hook you up. Oops, sorry, bad pun.”
Sebastien grinned. “Really? What’s his name? And I can’t wait to tell my assistant, Kai, that we have another employee who likes bad puns. I think it’s a sign of intelligence myself.” He added a wink.
“Yep. His name is Bering James and he’s one of the best at what he does. He’s very well-known and respected in the field. Tons of corporate clients. I’ll send you a link to his website.” Iris pulled it up on her phone and sent the information to him. “Reservations will probably show that he’s full for the summer, but don’t let that discourage you. He always keeps a few spots open for family and friends.”
The waiter appeared. Iris ordered the pasta special, Sebastien the seafood platter.
“So, as I alluded to on the phone, I’d like to formally offer you a position at The Frieze Group.”
A mix of satisfaction and joy rolled through her in a gratifying wave. Years of studying and hard work were finally paying off. She did her best to stay in the moment as Sebastien quoted a salary that made her want to weep. Calculating the cost of living in DC paired with her frugality, she could have her school loans paid off in three years. This was it. Dreams coming true at table nine! She wanted to stand up and shout.
The waiter arrived with their meals. Hers was delicious. Sebastien explained that if she chose to accept the position, he’d like her to start in October if possible, the exact date to be decided upon later.
“I’m sure you’ll need to give notice where you’re working now. We’re moving into a new suite of offices next week. Then we have our annual staff getaway in August. I’m taking the week after that off as well, possibly two, depending on how things work out.
“Any chance you’d like to join us for our retreat and get to know me and some of your coworkers? We usually rent a vacation home in the Hamptons or Nantucket or somewhere equally as fabulous. This year it’s the Outer Banks.”
“That sounds lovely.” And it did. She loved the beach. It was one of the few outdoor environments where she didn’t have to stress about so many mosquitoes. Iris could almost feel the sand between her toes. “Mark me in the yes column.”
“Cool. Are you up for dessert or coffee, or both?”
Incredible how comfortable she felt with this guy already. Iris eyed him carefully. “Honestly? I’d like to order the crème brûlée. But not if this is going to be one of those uncomfortable moments where I say yes to dessert, but you decline, and then we sit here awkwardly while you watch me eat dessert.”
The waiter appeared. “Crème brûlée for you today, Dr. Frieze?”
Iris went wide-eyed. Sebastien tipped his head, and then they both burst out laughing. He said, “Yes, thank you, David. Looks like we’ll both have my usual. And coffee for me. Iris?”
“Yes, to coffee also.” Iris excused herself to use the restroom, but really she wanted to text Hazel.
Sebastien was holding his phone when she returned to the table. “Wow, Iris, I’m blown away here. I’m looking at your cousin’s website right now.”
“Yeah? He’s kind of a big deal. My brother Tag owns Copper Crossing Air Transport, which is mentioned on the site. He handles most of Bering’s flights. My whole family is very adventurous and loves the outdoors.”
“I have the best idea.” Sebastien sat back in his chair, enthusiastic expression confirming the notion. “We could take our retreat in Alaska this year. Do you think... Is there any way that would even be remotely possible?”
Oh. No. No, no, no... A cramp began to form somewhere in her midsection. “Sure, probably. I can call Bering.”
“That would be amazing,” Sebastien said and then quoted from the site, “‘Backpacking, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, photography excursions...remote cabins...’ Wow, look at the size of that moose rack!
“The fishing...” He looked up and Iris could see the longing in his expression. “I’ve dreamed of fly-fishing for grayling practically my entire life. But it looks like there’s just killer fly-fishing all the way around. Everyone will be so stoked. We’ve talked about doing something like this for the last few years. Almost everyone, that is. All the, uh, not-as-adventurous folk among us can still go lie around the Outer Banks, but the rest of us—we know where the good stuff is, right?” He winked. “Alaska.”
“You got that right!” she said with way too much fake enthusiasm. It was like they were suddenly filming a promo spot for the tourism bureau that Emily headed up. Cue the wildlife footage!
“And this is extra fabulous, because you can be our tour guide.”
Tour guide? Perfect, she’d just bragged herself right out of a vacation to the Outer Banks and into more time in Alaska. A pasta-encrusted ball of regret cemented inside her gut.
“Oh, well, Bering has professionals for that. I would just be...” How to describe herself here? A fish out of water seemed apt.
“Our boots on the ground,” Sebastien said, finishing for her. “How fun to have insider information, to see the place you know and love so well from your eyes. Isn’t this the coolest thing?”
“So cool,” Iris responded. Heaven help me, she thought, what have I done?
SETH’S WILD BOUT of laughter propelled him backward against the sofa. “You, Iris James, my Alaska-eschewing sister, are going to show your new boss and your coworkers the outdoor wonders of southeast Alaska?”
“Seth!” Hazel barked. “Not helpful.”
Iris had very efficiently used her time on the long trip back to Rankins to work herself into a state of panic. After a day and a half of travel, she was an anxiety-ridden mess. That might explain why she’d walked into her parents’ house, where Hazel was helping Seth tie some fishing flies, taken one look at her siblings’ pride-filled smiles and blurted out her predicament.
Iris’s eyes filled with tears that she was too exhausted to fight. “No, he’s right. This is my new boss, at the job I’ve dreamed about for basically my entire life. I have to work with these people. I’m supposed to be smart and they’re going to think I’m an idiot.” She swiped at her cheek.
Seth pushed to his feet and hurried to her. Massive arms smothered her with a brotherly hug before he took her by the shoulders, leaned back and said, “Shoot, Trippa, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. But surely you can see the irony here?”
“I can, of course. It’s like Mother Nature is getting back at me for dissing her all these years.”
“Um,” Hazel said, “I’ve spent quite a bit of time in nature and am quite sure that’s not how it works.”
Voice edged with panic, Iris released her brother and let her hands fall to her sides. “Sebastien can’t wait to go fishing with me. Me, fishing? I haven’t held a fishing pole in my hands since we were fourteen. You guys remember what happened, right?”
Seth snorted with the unsuccessful attempt to hold in another laugh. He looped an arm over her shoulders and drew her close again. “It would have been a beautiful cast if you’d managed to hang on to the pole.”
Even Hazel snickered a little at the memory.
“Dad tried so hard not to be disappointed, but I knew. Or how about when the entire family took that Mother’s Day canoe trip on the Opal River and I tipped over my canoe? I’m sorry again, Hazel, that I got you wet.”
“She was fine,” Seth replied, lips trembling. “She’s an excellent swimmer. But did it have to be the canoe with our lunches in it? Remember the time we went clam digging and I was determined that you were going to get your limit and—”
“And I lost my rubber boot in the surf? How could I forget?” Iris let out a groan. “See? This is hopeless. I am hopeless when it comes to this stuff and you guys know it. And Sebastien will see me for the fraud that I am. I’ll be humiliated and then how can I work there?”
Seth was frowning. “Iris, don’t get upset with me. But I don’t understand why this matters so much. Why didn’t you just tell him that you don’t do this stuff?”
Why, indeed. “It’s hard to explain. It just sort of happened. It was an interview and I was trying to impress him. Sebastien was talking about how fishing in Alaska is on his bucket list and I bragged about you and dad and your fishing. And Bering—”
One side of Seth’s mouth pulled up into a grin. “You bragged about me?”
“You’re the best fisherman in the state, possibly the world, aren’t you? You’ve told me that like a billion times, anyway. Sebastien was all, ‘Oh, tell me about your brother... What does he like to fish for? Where does he fish? Does he tie his own flies?’”
“What did you say?”
“Um, I said you’ve been the best fisherman in our family since you were a kid, that you had spent every free minute fishing for something or practicing your casting. I told him you like to fish everywhere and for everything, but that steelhead are your favorite and you love to fly-fish, too. I also told him you’re an expert at tying flies.”
“Huh. Wow.” Surprise flickered across his features. “That is all one hundred percent accurate.”
“I know. Just because I don’t like to do what you do doesn’t mean I’m not interested or proud of you.”
He grinned. “Well, I could take your fancy new boss fishing and show him a thing or two—or seventeen.”
“I wish,” Iris said, and plopped down on the sofa next to Hazel. “I wish we could do some kind of triplet power transfer. Remember how we used to wish were identical so we could trade places and—”
“That’s it!” Hazel cried, springing to her feet.
“What’s it? Please tell me you’ve been waiting for this moment all our lives to tell us that we do indeed have special powers?”
“Bear with me for a second. I might have an idea. What is this retreat going to consist of exactly?”
“Let’s see... I called Bering while I was in DC and he was so nice and enthusiastic. He asked Emily to get involved and she suggested working something out with Shay at the Faraway Inn. We’ll do some day trips and offer choices of activities dependent on their skills and fitness level and what they want to do.
“So, for example, deep-sea fishing, fly-fishing or a wildlife-and-photography tour one day, glacier excursion and whale watching or kayaking the next, then maybe mountain biking or a jet boat ride—that kind of thing. Then the entire group will backpack up to Perry’s Meadow and camp for two nights. That’ll be fun,” she drawled sarcastically. “More fishing and hiking but with extra mosquitoes. Then, the final night will be spent at the Faraway Inn before they head back to Anchorage the next day.”
Hazel had been staring at her intently. “Listen to me, you can do this. We can help.”
If only. “How?”
“Seth guides for Bering sometimes, so it wouldn’t be unusual for him to offer in this case, seeing as how this guy is your new boss and all. We’ve got a couple of weeks before they get here. Seth can give you a crash fishing course and then he’ll cover for you on the trip.”
“Done,” Seth declared. “What kind of fishing does he want to do?”
“Halibut and grayling fishing are his top two.”
“The halibut fishing will be a breeze,” Seth declared. “I’m not sure I can make you an expert with a fly rod that quickly.”
Hazel waved off his comment like a pesky fly. “We’ll figure that out. He won’t expect you to be by his side on every excursion. The hiking and sightseeing will be easy. All you have to do is read up on the wildlife, history and fun facts about Alaska. All the bad stuff you already know, but let’s try to keep that to a minimum. You know, your bear-attack statistics and all of that. Spin things positively.”
“Trust me, I already do plenty of that working for Tag.”
“See, you’re already ahead of the game! I’ll teach you about backpacking and I can even hike in with you to Perry’s Meadow. Again, no one will think a thing of me going along—I do it whenever I’m home. And your colleagues will love having another local along, especially your triplet sister.”
Iris knew this was true. Bering’s family members or friends often tagged along on excursions when there were open spots. Hazel had done it since high school. Charming, knowledgeable and at home in the woods, she’d only be an asset in a group of newbies.
Iris felt a tiny spark of hope, and a blazing fire of appreciation for her siblings. “You guys would really do this for me?”
“Absolutely,” Hazel said.
“Heck, yes,” Seth said at the same time.
“Do you have any idea what other activity Sebastien might choose?” her sister asked.
Iris grimaced. “Yep. Kayaking.”
Hazel nibbled thoughtfully on her lip. “How do you feel about letting Flynn in on this, too? He could have you kayaking in a week.”
How mortifying to confess to Flynn what she’d gotten herself into.
FLYNN DIDN’T SEE any reason to beat around the bush. “Iris, we have a problem.” They’d met after Flynn’s shift at the hospital and were on their way to the Cozy Caribou to grab a bite.
“You already know about my problem? Did Seth tell you?”
“I haven’t talked to Seth about this.”
Iris shifted on her feet and Flynn could see that she was nervous. Raising her hands up, palms down, she said, “Let’s start over. I think we may have separate problems. You go first.”
“Sonya is still here.”
“Here, where?”
“In Rankins.”
“Oh. And?”
“You’re not surprised.”
“No, not really. She came here for a reason and in spite of what she said I don’t think she’s ready to let it go.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of, too. I ran into her at the grocery store while you were gone. She told me she wants to relax for a few days before she goes back to Anchorage. She’s says it’s peaceful here. I don’t know what she’s up to. The problem is, she still thinks you and I are a couple.”
“Yeah, her and the rest of the town. Even Hazel thinks something is going on.”
“It’s my fault. I’m the one who kiss—”
“It doesn’t matter, Flynn. I’ll be gone soon, anyway.”
She glanced away and frustration built inside of him. It was so obvious she didn’t want to discuss their kiss, which just reiterated to him that it had affected her as much as it had him. Why wouldn’t she just admit it?
“It doesn’t matter to you, but I’m afraid that if Sonya finds out that we’re not really together, she’ll...”
“What? Do you think she wants you back? She’s like seven months pregnant.”
“Maybe.” Flynn didn’t believe for one second that pregnancy would stop her from trying, if that was what she wanted. Flynn wasn’t taking any chances. “I’m more concerned about whatever that favor is that she wanted to ask of me. That’s why I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Sure.”
“I haven’t even asked it yet.”
“It doesn’t matter what it is, I’ll do it. I want to ask you for a favor, too. Maybe we can trade.”
“Great,” he agreed. “I was wondering if you’d keep pretending that we’re together? Sonya seems to like you and I’m hoping one of two things will happen. She’ll either a) give up on me or whatever it is she’s doing here and leave, or b) she’ll confide in you about what she really wants.”
“Done. I only foresee one tiny problem. What will we tell my family? And your grandfather?”
“I think the fewer people who know the truth, the better. Our story is that we were dating and tap-dancing around a relationship before the wedding. I kissed you and it was all over.” Truer words had never been spoken as far as he was concerned.
Iris tapped a thoughtful finger to her lips. “I don’t see why that won’t work. People are already speculating, anyway. We were apparently very convincing at the wedding. But that means we’ll have to fake it in front of my new boss and coworkers, too.”
“Well, sure, but by the time your company Christmas party rolls around we’ll have ended our fake relationship. But I’d be happy to fly to DC and be your date if that’s your favor.”
She tipped back her head and laughed. “Thank you, Flynn. I wouldn’t have guessed making me feel better would be possible right now considering the state I’m in. But now that I think about it, this could work to my advantage.”
“Fill me in.”
“Right. So, my boss and a bunch of my soon-to-be coworkers are coming to Rankins in a couple of weeks...”
Flynn listened as Iris related her tale and he tried not to be irritated. She suddenly wanted to do all things Alaskan, but not for him or with him. And, she essentially wanted Flynn to help her impress the guy who was, however inadvertently, taking her away from him. Flynn knew it was selfish and petty, but he hoped her boss was a total jerk. He immediately felt guilty about that because Iris had to work for the guy. He decided he’d settle for sort of a jerk, a quasijerk. Ugly, obnoxious, mean—any of those would be a helpful addition, as well.
“So, you actually told your boss that you enjoy all these outdoor activities?”
“Not on purpose and not in so many words. He assumed.”
“This is quite a scheme you’ve cooked up here.”
“It was Hazel’s idea. Seth agreed to help. So we’ll probably have to clue those two in on our fake relationship.”
Flynn nodded. “It would be a good idea to have them on our side, anyway. We could use people to cover for us. Sonya is going to be watching.”
“Now that you’ve said that, we’ll have to tell Tag and Ally, too, when they get back from their honeymoon.”