She walked into the large rustic lobby, dimly lit by a single lamp behind the reception desk. Feeling the need to tiptoe, she started off toward Valerie’s room but soon realized that Jeremy wasn’t following. She stopped and whispered, “Aren’t you coming?”
He made a face and shook his head.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I gotta go.”
Disappointed, Angie hesitated. “All right. But I should give your coat back to you.” She slipped out of it and handed it to him.
He raised it to his face and sniffed it. “It smells nicer now.” He grinned at her. “You always smell nice, Angie.”
She basked in the compliment. “Thank you. And I owe you for looking after me tonight.”
“You know I’d do anything for you.” He donned the coat and fastened the buttons. Then his expression grew solemn. “I mean that, Angie. I’d do anything. Just say the word. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
She had never seen him look so serious before. “I appreciate it.”
He didn’t leave, and she felt rooted to the spot. Then she couldn’t help herself. She dashed forward and threw her arms around his neck. “I don’t know what I would ever do without you.”
They clung to each other in the open doorway, and Angie was aware of Jeremy’s chest pressing against hers, his heart pounding, her breath—and his—coming short.
When she finally stepped back, his brow was furrowed with sadness and confusion. Angie was instantly overcome with guilt because she knew how he felt about her. He loved her. He always had, and she’d always loved him in return. But not in the same way that she loved Joe.
She didn’t want to toy with Jeremy’s feelings. But shedidlove him. There was no one more dear to her than Jeremy.
“I should knock on Valerie’s door,” she said apologetically.
He nodded, turned, and strode outside. She closed the door behind him and moved to the window. Jeremy jogged lightly down to the dock and stepped nimbly into his skiff. She remained at the window, watching as he picked up the oars and began to row. Almost instantly, he melted into the darkness, so she turned and ran quietly to Valerie’s room.
CHAPTER 16
Valdez
1963
Valerie was sitting on her bed in her nightgown, strumming one of her own original tunes on her guitar, when a knock sounded at the door. It was past midnight, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. She was alone, and there were very few guests in the hotel. With a flood of unease, she set her instrument aside and called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s Angie. Can I come in?”
Valerie leaped off the bed and answered the door. Angie stood in the corridor wearing a sparkly lavender cocktail dress, but everything else about her looked windblown and wild. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Not really,” Angie replied.
Valerie reached out and pulled her inside. “What happened?”
Angie went straight to the bed, sat down, and flopped onto her back. “It was Carol’s birthday party tonight at the community hall, and Joe and I had a fight. Jeremy brought me here in his skiff.”
“What kind of fight?” Valerie asked. “And I didn’t think Jeremy was invited to the party.”
“He wasn’t.” Angie sat up. “I ran down to the dock to get away from Joe, and there he was, sleeping in his boat.”
Valerie let out a sigh. “Oh, gosh. Does he not have anywhere else to go? I thought he was living with his parents these days.”
Angie slowly shook her head. “Those people are rotten to the core, so he’s better off sleeping in his boat, as long as it’s not below freezing outside. When the snow comes, he puts up with them, or sometimes he disappears for a while, finds work in Seward.”
Valerie placed her guitar back in the case, lowered the lid, and fastened the latches. “What was your fight about? With Joe.”
“I can hardly bear to talk about it,” Angie said. “I suppose I should start with me not being able to find him at the dance, so I went outside for some air, and there he was in the back parking lot with a woman. She’s a teacher from the school, and she’s older. She was laughing and flirting with him and then ...” She paused. “Joe kissed her.”
