I’ll make chili for dinner. Don’t be late.”
Sam smiled as he pocketed the phone. Ursula and Tommy were the best things that ever happened to him. Now he just needed to check out the internet for gate designs.
Sam knocked on the open door of Dana’s room and stuck his head in. “Sorry to bother you, but I need to get my laptop from the drawer there.”
“Sure.” She got up from her chair at the desk and stretched.
He extracted the computer. “Having any luck?”
She shook her head. “I can’t seem to find anything except current property tax records. I think I’m going to have to drive to Fairbanks. How long does it take to get there?”
“About six hours.”
“So if I leave after lunch today, I could get there by sundown.”
“No problem.” Sam grinned. “Sundown is after midnight in Fairbanks this time of year. But today is Friday. Government offices won’t be open until Monday.”
Her shoulders sagged. “That’s right. I lost track of the days. So, no Chris and no public records.”
“I do have an alternative plan for the weekend. I have to go repair a gate for my auntie Ursula. She runs a B and B down on the Kenai Peninsula. You could come along.”
Her face brightened, but then she frowned. “Does she have room for an extra person?”
“She had a cancellation, so yes.”
“I’d like that.” She studied his hands as if taking his measure. “You know about carpentry?”
“Not as much as Ursula thinks I do. That’s why I need my laptop. To bone up. You can come along and laugh at me. You game?”
Dana grinned. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
* * *
DANA GAZED ACROSS the water, the glassy surface reflecting the snowcapped mountains on the other side of the arm. She was happy to gawk while Sam did the driving, his truck winding along the road, hugging cliffs on one side and the ocean on the other. “So beautiful. Does the snow stay all year?”
“It will gradually melt, all but a few shady spots. It’s already gone on the south-facing slopes.”
They passed a small waterfall spilling from the rock on the left side of the road and trickling underneath to the ocean. “What ocean is this?”
“This is Turnagain Arm, on Cook Inlet, on the Gulf of Alaska, on the Pacific Ocean.”
“Turnagain? Odd name.”
“It was named by Captain Bligh, Captain Cook’s sailing master. They were exploring Cook Inlet and looking for the Northwest Passage. They followed Knik Arm first, but reached a dead end and turned back. Then they followed this arm, and when they found it was also a dead end, the captain ordered the ship to turn again.”
“Makes sense. Captain Bligh.” Dana thought for a moment. “Why do I know that name?”
“Did you ever see the movie Mutiny on the Bounty? That was Captain Bligh.”
“Yes, I watched that movie on TV once. I thought it was fiction.”
“Nope, it was a real incident and Captain Bligh was a real person.”
“Not a very nice person, if the movie was any indication.”
Sam laughed. “Aren’t you glad you don’t work under him?”
“I am. The last boss I had was bad enough.” Dana continued to watch the water. A seagull swooped down and snatched something from the surface. Eventually, the road left the shoreline and began to climb. They passed through birch and spruce forests until they reached a fork in the highway.
Sam went left. “We’ll be at Ursula’s in another ten minutes or so.”
Dana suddenly felt shy, wondering if she should have tagged along on a family visit. She pictured a fussy old lady with a houseful of doilies and knickknacks. Or maybe it was a family business. “Will you have cousins, too, or is it only your aunt?”
Sam didn’t answer immediately. His eyes remained on the road. Dana was about to repeat the question when he spoke. “Ursula doesn’t have any kids.” He paused. “And she isn’t really my aunt.”
“Family friend?”
“More than that. If it weren’t for Ursula and her husband, Tommy...well, I don’t know what I’d be, but it wouldn’t be who I am today. They took me in when I was twelve and raised me.”
“What happened to your mother?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Wow. She hadn’t seen that coming. Dana started to ask for more information, but something in his closed expression stopped her. Instead, she just nodded.
A few minutes later, they pulled into a graveled parking area in front of a tall cedar building. A scent of smoke and fish greeted Dana when she climbed out of the truck. Sam came around to stand beside her and took a deep breath. A smile crossed his face. “Ursula must have been fishing.”
A familiar brown dog rushed up to Sam, wagging his whole rear end. Sam crouched down and fondled the dog’s ears. “That’s a good dog. Did you miss me?”
The dog pressed his body against Sam but scooted closer so he could rub his head against Dana’s jeans, obviously inviting more affection. She stroked along his broad crown. “Hi, Kimmik.”
Sam looked up at her. “You know Kimmik?”
“We met, briefly. How did he get his name?”
“Kimmik is an Inupiat word.”
“What does it mean?”
Sam grinned. “Dog.”
Dana laughed. “Original.”
“So here’s the prodigal son. Did you get lumber?” A woman with cropped gray hair emerged from an opening in a fenced area beside the house. She carried a basket on her arm. A smile of delight lit up her face.
“I did.” Sam held out his arms and the woman wrapped him in a big hug, the basket of greens bumping against his back. Seeing the obvious affection between Sam and Ursula, Dana felt almost jealous. Neither of her parents had ever greeted her with such enthusiasm.
“Good boy.” She reached up to run her hand over his jaw as if inspecting him. “Tommy would never have believed you’d grow up to be so tall. I guess I fed you well.” She turned a smiling face toward Dana. “And you must be Chris’s sister.”
“Yes. I’m Dana.”
“Welcome.” Dana got a friendly hug, too, if not quite as exuberant as the one Ursula gave Sam. Ursula looked her over. “You don’t look much like your brother.”
“No. I take after my mother, and Chris—well, I don’t know who Chris takes after. Must be a recessive Viking gene or something.”
Ursula smiled. “Well, any sister of Chris’s is a friend of mine.”
“You know Chris well?”
“Oh, yes. He stops by to see me every time he’s up or back.” She changed her voice to a stage whisper. “Between you and me, I think he really comes for the scones.”
Dana laughed. “He does have a sweet tooth.”
Sam took a deep breath. “I smell fish smoking. Did you get some reds?”
Ursula smiled. “A king.”
“How big?”
“Twenty-two pounds.”
“Excellent. When will it be ready?”
She