“I didn’t really care for that whole flying in a plane thing,” she said with an indifferent shrug. “But the rest . . .”
“Now that you’ve overcome your fear of public speaking, maybe we should work on conquering your fear of flying,” Cody mused. He liked the idea of having a travel companion. Someone special to experience fascinating new places around the globe with. But one glimpse at Graham peering in at them as he stuck his head out the window of Jenna’s truck—which they’d taken today because his car was in the shop getting a full service before it went into storage—reminded Cody why she’d likely never leave. It wasn’t impossible to travel with a dog, but it was a fairly complicated process in many countries. And he couldn’t see Graham—and definitely not Jenna—okay with him hanging out in the cargo hold of a plane.
“Nope, I’m good. One plane ride to and from a glacier lake was enough for one lifetime.”
Maybe it was a sign that their attraction and blossoming friendship would never amount to more. That one kiss might be all they ever got. Yes, Cody was planning to spend more time at home in the future. But he couldn’t imagine never traveling again.Or am I just running, like she said?
“Something wrong with your soup?” Jenna asked, pointing at the spoon he’d abandoned.
“You can’t have mine,” he said, hugging the bowl toward him in jest, evading her question. “So, three things left. The festival is the easy one. Weather should hold. Not supposed to rain again until Saturday night.”Coincidentally the same time I’m set to get on a plane. “But the other two . . .”
“I have time today,” Jenna said. “We could search around town for Ed.”
“Fun fact for you,” Cody said after cleaning off his spoon and pointing it at her. “Male moose have a twenty-two-mile home range—in thesummer. In the winter, that number more than doubles.” He filled his spoon again. “We’ll be lucky to see Ed before I leave. Might have to talk to Jenkins about loopholes.”
“Knowing my grandpa, there aren’t any. Or I would’ve finagled my way out of reading in front of a live studio audience, thank you very much.” Jenna pushed her empty bowl to the edge of the table and sat back in the booth. “Okay, that was good.”
“See? I told you.”
“Maybe you’ll just have to stick around Alaska until Ed decides to make an appearance.”
“You mean if he stops running off from me every time you show up,” he said with a chuckle. “I swear he’s doing it to taunt me.”
“Because you don’t believe in him?” she teased.
“He’s not Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.”
“But he’s not an ordinary moose, if all the stories about him hold up.” Jenna reached for her water, but didn’t take a drink. “And there are alotof stories; I’ve been asking around. Ed’s inspired a new character, even if I haven’t had the pleasure of actually meeting him.”
“I’ll tell him next time I see him. Maybethenhe’ll wait until we can get our selfie.” Cody emptied the last couple of spoonfuls, wondering what he’d do if Ed continued to be elusive. “I really would stick around longer if I could. But if I don’t show up Monday morning, they’ll give my job to the next guy in line. My booking agent tells me there’s three guys waiting for me not to make it, which means there’s actually five.” He wouldn’t forgive himself for throwing away a job he’d competed really hard to get. Not when it’d change the course of his career, and as a direct result, his life. Or at least that was the wisdom he was so fiercely clinging to.
“Then I suggest we track down this famous moose. Unless you have some hearts to break before you hop on a plane?” Jenna was teasing, but he caught the hint of jealousy lingering in her tone. It normally made him eager to run the other way, but in this instance, it flattered him. Since the night she surprised him with that letter, Jenna was the only one he thought about kissing. He suspected it would be that way for a long time, even an ocean apart.
It could never work between them. They both knew it. Yet here they were with guards down, flirting openly. Acting as if they had all the time in the world to spend together. As if the list would never end. Yes, they often referenced Cody leaving, but it was always in some lighthearted way that avoided the heaviness of the truth.Maybe it’s better this way. Wait until the last minute to face reality.
“Got some hiking boots? If not, I know a place that sells them.” He winked just to hear her magical laugh and commit it to memory.
* * *
“This is a really impressive store,” Jenna said when they were only a few feet inside Evans Outfitters. The high ceilings, partial second floor overlooking the first, and skylights made it feel bigger than it was. “I love the whole log-cabin feel. It’s almost . . . cozy in here.”
“Family business going on fifty-three years now. My grandpa and his dad started it together. Wanted customers to feel at home.” He led them to the shoe section at the back corner of the store, enjoying the way her dark eyes widened and lingered on all the outdoor equipment mounted high on the walls, from fishing poles to snowboards to canoes. She’d never claimed to be an outdoor enthusiast, but her quiet excitement suggested she might just be one at heart.
“Who’ll take over after your dad retires?” Jenna asked, stopping to look at a lavender zip-up sweatshirt. She held out the sleeves for inspection.
“Not sure,” Cody admitted. About the jacket, he added, “You should try it on.”
“Aren’t we on a deadline?”
“You remember what Ava said. Ed is only seen when he wants to be seen. A few extra minutes inside isn’t going to make a difference to that moose’s agenda.” Cody caught sight of Dad from the opposite corner, waving him over. With all the time he’d been spending with Jenna these past few days, he hadn’t seen much of him. He wasn’t worried about it since Dad promised to be the first one on a plane to Maui to visit—aside from Sadie. He was excited about the fishing. “Why don’t you try on whatever catches your eye?” he suggested. “I need to talk to my dad for a minute.”
“For the record, I still hate shopping.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
With quick strides, Cody made it across the store. But before he could ask his dad what was up, Jerry motioned for them to step outside.
The crisp fall breeze greeted them before the door closed. Leaves rustled around them, but Cody couldn’t focus on any of the beauty because he felt the unease lingering in the air. “Something wrong, Dad?” His stomach knotted because he recognized the look in his dad’s eyes. Something was definitelynot right.
