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11

Julie dashed across the street, careful not to slip on the ice. Skipping lunch hadn’t been the best idea, but after the mess with the jerk pilot, eating had been the last thing on her mind. Now, she needed food more than a wolverine on a hunt.

Sam & Lee’s Restaurant, located three blocks down from the hotel, hopefully was far enough away that no one would venture there. Saylor had wanted her to join her, Clark, and Mason at the restaurant in the hotel, but Julie just wanted to eat, then go hide in her room… alone.

Yes, hiding never got one far in life. The chance that Gunnar would show up and she’d have to pretend she wasn’t watching him when she couldn’t help not watching would take too much energy from her. So, she’d told Saylor she just wanted to order dinner in and hit the sack. Then, when loneliness hit, she hauled herself up the street.

Even without the storm making it this far north, cold didn’t begin to describe the late February weather in Barrow—ugh, Utqiagvik. She cringed. Calling this town at the tip of Alaska Barrow was ingrained with years of thinking of it as that. She’d have to keep repeating the Iñupiaq name in her head until it stuck. She didn’t want to offend the people of this incredible little town when they’d welcomed them with such excitement.

The locals’ help to get the supplies and dogs settled still amazed her. When she and Gunnar had finally landed, the Hawker had already been unloaded and a group of about fifty people milled about, waiting for the last plane to arrive. She knew Mason had been communicating with people here. She just hadn’t expected so many.

Mason had also worked with a local musher and built new kennels for the dogs to wait in. The Doggie Motel, as she called it, was nicer than her own set up back in Valdez. She might have a mutiny after she got home, especially after what she and her dogs were about to do.

The breeze blew the enticing smell of burgers and Chinese food to her, making her stomach growl and mouth water. Hopefully, they had some kind of appetizer or something pre-made so she could snack on it while waiting for her dinner. If not, she was so hungry she might invade the kitchen or steal someone else’s food. She sprinted the remaining five feet up the ramp to the restaurant’s door and yanked it open.

Bright red-and-white-checkered tablecloths covered the tables. The place wasn’t busy, which was just what she wanted. Not to be alone, but not to be forced to chat.

“Hello! Sit wherever you like. The seating upstairs has magnificent views.” The cheery welcome from an older Asian woman settled Julie’s nerves even more.

“Thanks.” Julie smiled at the woman and headed to the stairs.

A small group of teenagers sat at a table on the far side of the upstairs, so Julie slid into a booth up against a window on the other side of the room. Noise from the kitchen also located upstairs eased her muscles even more. This was what she needed. People, but not personal.

She stared out the window at the last remnant of sun tinting the horizon light blue against the black night. Even though it was a little after six, sunlight was short at the top of the world in February. Non-existent November through January, so that they would have any light at all on their expedition was a blessing.

One of the hardest parts of planning had been deciding when to leave. The sea ice wouldn’t be stable much past mid-April. Even leaving as late as they were pushed it. They might encounter expanses of open water called leads so big they couldn’t get across or around. Yet going earlier wouldn’t have given them enough light.

“Can I join you?” Sunny’s soft question shouldn’t have caused Julie to jerk, but it did.

Growing up, the Rebels had all been able to sneak about with a silence that left Julie in awe… and often screaming like those silly girls in scary movies. Not that she’d ever really watched many of those. Just the commercials gave her nightmares. Sunny, though she was the youngest, had always startled Julie the most. It had been a game for the young girl.

Sunny’s lips pressed together like she tried not to laugh. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay. I was lost in thought is all.” Julie forced a smile and pointed at the booth bench across from her. “Have a seat.”

While she just wanted to be alone, she couldn’t be rude. She’d always loved being around Sunny, even though she was quite a few years younger than Julie. Sunny, with much drama and forcefulness, had once claimed Julie as her best friend. Any time Julie would spend time at the Rebel’s homestead, which was several times a week, Sunny wouldn’t be far from her side, much to Gunnar’s dismay. It had been part of the excitement of going over there, watching Gunnar figure out ways to sneak Julie away so they could spend time alone without an eight-year-old chaperone who loved to blab.

Gunnar’s leaving had ruined all that. Well, that wasn’t entirely fair. Julie could’ve continued going over to the Rebels’ or had Sunny over to her dad’s place that hadn’t been far away. Being with the Rebels, knowing that Julie would never be a part of the family she’d loved so much, had been too hard for her. She’d used her father moving them to Valdez as an excuse to cut all ties to the life she’d never have, including the friendship to a spunky little girl.

“Wonder what’s good here?” Sunny looked at the menu, shaking Julie from her own thoughts.

She snatched up her menu and scanned the selection. For such a little town past the edge of nowhere, the offerings impressed her. Her stomach growled again, and not a soft rumble. A polar bear could roar next to them and not match the volume her body achieved. Sunny’s head shot up, her eyebrows reaching almost to her hairline.

“I don’t know, but I might have to order one of everything.” Julie smiled and tipped her head to the side.

Sunny burst out laughing. “You think?” She reached into her purse and pushed a box of Lemonheads across the table. “Here, it’s not much, but it’ll give your stomach something to chew on.”

“You still eat these things?” Julie couldn’t believe that hadn’t changed in all these years.

Sunny had claimed at age five that the candy was full of brightness, just like she was. It had been the only candy she’d eat, and one of the many ways Gunnar would distract her so they could disappear together.

“Guess old habits are hard to break.” Sunny shrugged and continued reading the menu.

Tension hung thick in the air between them like fog, not knowing if it wanted to settle in for the day or allow the sun to burn it away. As much as Julie wanted to be alone, she hated that the two of them couldn’t be at ease with each other. She’d have to figure out a way to fix that. Traversing the Arctic Ocean and sharing a tent with someone who you couldn’t hold a conversation with would add difficulty to the long trip. Julie opened her mouth to ask Sunny about climbing Mount Denali when the waitress interrupted.

“Are you ready to order?” Her friendly gaze bounced between Julie and Sunny, her pen poised above her order pad.

“I’d like the Szechwan spicy chow mein with pork and a piece of pecan pie.” Julie closed the menu and held it to the waitress. “Can I get the pie while the meal is cooking, please?”


Tags: Sara Blackard Alaskan Rebels Romance