Stig handed Fiona the phone. “Tell Leif.”
“Hello?”
Stig winked at Kirk while Fiona spoke to Leif and explained that she wanted an adventure and seeing polar bears in person was the first step. Then, she handed the phone back to Stig.
“She sounds nice. My bear likes her already. I can’t wait to meet her in person.”
Stig shared a frown with Kirk, who could hear Leif without difficulty. If Leif decided he wanted Fiona, things might become a mite testy in the Swenson family. “See you soon,” he managed and disconnected the call.
Well, nothing like a little challenge. He and Kirk had twenty to thirty hours to woo Fiona before they reached Churchill.
They rumbled out of Gillam at five minutes past three, Kirk driving for the start of their journey.
“You said we’d travel through the night?” Fiona asked.
“We’ll only stop due to poor visibility or if the storm gets too bad,” Kirk answered. “We’ll swap driving duties, but we need to get to Churchill as soon as we can.”
“How often will you do the trip?”
“The train comes in twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re hoping that once the locals see we can get the freight through, we’ll have enough to run both our rigs and a third one. Kirk and I will do one run this week, and our brothers Arve and Josef will do the other.”
“What do you do when you’re not hauling freight?”
“We’ve been working at the old fort. They’ve almost finished restoration now. Sometimes, we hire out as guides.”
“What Kirk is trying to say is that we do a bit of everything to keep busy,” Stig said. “You have to if you want to survive in a town like Churchill. Where are you from? You don’t sound Canadian.”
“I live in Florida. Or I did.” She trailed off, her forehead puckering into a cute frown.
It roused his curiosity. “Did?”
“I lived there with my husband.”
“You’re married,” Stig snapped, her words like a slap to his face. He refused to become involved with a married woman, no matter what pressure his bear put him through.
“We’re separated, and I’ve filed for divorce,” she said, her jaw jutting out in determination. “He hit me, and I discovered he’s been sleeping around. I caught him in bed with my stepsister. He doesn’t get a second chance.”
“He hit you?” Kirk demanded.
“Your sister?” Stig echoed.
“Only once,” Fiona said. “But I saw his eyes, and he wanted me dead. I’m not giving him a second chance. I fell down the stairs and spent time in hospital.”
“Did he push you?” Stig asked.
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure,” she amended. “It’s a blur.”
“He slept with your sister?” Stig hated the sound of this guy. In their world, they revered women and in turn, the women kept their clan together.
“She’s my stepsister. We’re not related.”
“That’s still low,” Kirk growled. “Family should have each other’s backs. There should be loyalty.”
Fiona shrugged and immediately winced.
Stig noticed her discomfort and the cautious shifting of her arm position. “Is your arm giving you trouble? You shouldn’t have lifted those cartons.”
“It’s all right. I’ll find my sling once we get to Churchill.”
