Chandler hugged me back and kissed the top of my head, a sweet gesture. I turned in his arms again, and we watched the polar bears until they finally ambled their way into the forest beside theshed.
“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life,” I said. “I’m so glad they made a noise and woke me up. I feel bad, though, we should’ve woken Ellion andGriffin.”
“I don’t,” he said. “I’m glad I got to have a moment alone withyou.”
He couldn’t see it, but he made me blush. Part of me was dreading my coming departure, and part of me was ready to be in the relative safety of my brothers’home.
I stepped away from him and walked toward the door. “Goodnight,” I said. “I’ll see you in themorning.”
He didn’t respond, so I looked back at him. He was smiling at me with a wistful expression on hisface.
“I know,” I said. “I want to stay, too.” But Ididn’t.
Instead of returning straight to my room, I went to the kitchen for a drink of water. When I opened the refrigerator to see if there was any chilled, an open bottle of wine stared me in theface.
I picked it up and contemplated pouring myself a glass. It wasn’t excessively expensive wine, so I didn’t feel bad about drinking someone else’salcohol.
“Let me pour you a glass.” Ellion’s voice came from behindme.
Once again, I’d let myself be startled. I barely managed to keep my grasp on the bottle ofwine.
Whirling around, I fixed a death stare on Ellion. “If we were going to spend any more time together, I swear I’d make you guys wearbells.”
Ellion chuckled and took the bottle from me. Pouring us both a glass, he motioned for me to sit at the table. “Couldn’tsleep?”
“Actually, you wouldn’t believe what happened. It went so fast I didn’t have time to find you or Griffin.” I told him all about the polar bears but left out the part about Chandler’sbody.
“I’ve seen them before,” he said. “You have to be a night owl—they like to roam around in the early hours of the morning. I don’t know how they know it’s night since it’s always dark this time of year, but they do.” He joined me at the table, and we sat in silence, lost inthought.
“Now what?” Ellion asked, fiddling with his wineglass.
“Now I go home.” It hurt a little to sayit.
“And I never see you again?” He stared at me sideways through hislashes.
“I’d like to see you again.” I began to dread leaving. “I’m really considering settling somewhere. Maybe working in a hospital.” One thing I’d learned in my days in Alaska was that I was definitely ready to pursue a relationship with someone. Too bad it wouldn’t be the three men I’d begun to respect andadmire.
“Have you ever thought about Alaska?” He chuckled ruefully. “Probably not, no one ever thinks aboutAlaska.”
“Would you? In my shoes?” I wanted to live somewhere that had a solid fourseasons.
“Now that Hunter has been captured, I don’t know what we’ll do. We’ve been hiding and waiting, searching, hoping that Griffin would either let go or give up.” He took a long drink of his wine. “Now that he knows what happened, I don’t know what we’lldo.”
“Will you stay together? I mean, you weren’t friends before Amanda. What ties you togethernow?”
“Well, I don’t know anybody else in the United States. And I don’t want to go back home, not after the way we were treated in the aftermath of Amanda’s death.” He shrugged. “I love him. Chandler has always been a brother, and now Griffin has become one,too.”
“So whither he goest, you will go.” I tried to lighten themood.
It didn’t work. “Probably, yeah,” he said with a seriousexpression.
“I’d like to think that our paths will cross.” Though I highly doubted it. Most likely I’d settle near my brothers in Texas. I liked being close to family, but not necessarily thewholefamily.
I leaned over and pressed my shoulder against his, and tilted my head, giving him the opportunity to rest his head on mine. He did, to my delight. Ellion wasn’t overly sensual, his sex appeal was subtle, but it was definitelythere.
“I really think I’ll miss you,” I said. I started laughing as my eyes filled up with tears. “For the love of Pete! I’ve only known you a couple ofdays!”
Ellion furrowed his eyebrows atme.
