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Molly popped a peanut into her mouth, winced at the taste, then chewed it anyway. “So I’m the out-of-town entertainment?”
When she put it that way… “You’re right. Never mind. I’ll tell him I’ll come alone. I’ll bring Naomi a book.”
Which might cause an incident, since the Chilkoots weren’t fond of books.
Molly was still watching him with thoughtful eyes. “This is important to you.”
“No. No, really, it isn’t.” Damn it, had he let his usual unflappable expression slip? “Why would it be important?”
“I don’t know. But it is.” She scanned his face as her eyes narrowed. “You could just tell me why.”
Could he? No, he really couldn’t. He didn’t know her well enough, couldn’t take that chance. He’d gotten word that a new agent had taken the place of Agent Useless, and he needed to toe the line until he got a feel for the guy.
“I told Luke that you were probably going to be busy with your friend, so it’s not a problem to say no.”
“I haven’t said no. I’ll go with you.”
“Ah.” A rush of mixed emotion came over him. Was this a bad idea? Would he be putting her at risk? Then again, the feisty Molly would probably accept that invite with or without him. “Okay. Good. How’s tomorrow night?”
“As far as I know, all nights are the same. What should I wear? LBD? Valentino? Mud boots?”
Good question. The Chilkoots made their own clothes, and they tended toward the woven tunic and long skirt end of things. “Jeans. Mudboots. Lila can guide you.”
Molly’s gaze sharpened. “How did you know Lila’s using her first name now? She just decided this morning.”
Shit. Stupid rookie error. “Word gets around,” he said casually as he slid off the stool. I’ll swing by tomorrow around five.”
“Five?”
“They eat early there, and it takes about an hour to get there. Now I’m going to leave before you can change your mind.”
“But—”
13
If Molly had had Sam’s phone number, she would have canceled. The next day, Lila was in no shape to help her pick out an outfit for this very odd…date, was it?
Disaster had struck Firelight Ridge, something that touched almost everyone.
Lila and Molly heard the news over breakfast in the school bus.
“Daniel always has his sat phone on him while he’s plowing out east end,” an old miner explained to Lila and Molly from the next table in the back of the school bus.
Lila clutched Molly’s forearm, her nails digging into her skin.
“I called and called,” the miner continued, “wanting to know when he was going to get to our road, and when I got no answer, I knew there was trouble. Deadeye and me, we dug out my snow machine and went looking. Soon as we saw the avalanche over the road, we knew it wasn’t gonna be good.”
“I heard that avalanche,” another woman chimed in, “but I never thought poor Daniel would get caught in it.”
“There’s usually enough of a warning to get out of the way.” The miner shook his head. “It’s a sound like none other.”
“Like a rumble from hell,” the woman agreed. A vigorous sixty-something, she wore a khaki fishing hat and a flannel shirt. “Once you hear it, you can’t never forget it.”
“Don’t know why Daniel didn’t get the hell out.” Billy Jack set down a plate with a stack of pancakes in front of Lila, who looked like she might throw up at the sight. He was a large-bellied former oil rig worker from Oklahoma. “He’s survived worse than that.”
Molly slid the plate away from Lila, who was trembling like a leaf next to her, and signaled to Billy Jack not to bring any more. He nodded in understanding.
“Is he…did you…find him?”
