surprisingly large number of local pilots who'd been prepared to go out on search-and-rescue duty if it turned out to be necessary.
In all the commotion, April was swept away before Nathan had a chance to talk to her. Eventually the Polar Air hangar cleared out, leaving him alone. At least "home" was a camper-trailer behind the hangar, so it wasn't like he had far to go.
Lee was the last to leave. "You okay, man?"
"I'm good." Nathan tossed him a smile. "Thanks again for rescuing us. All I need right now is my bed, I guess."
***
It was good to spend the night in his own bed when he'd been prepared to sleep on the tundra, but Nathan still had trouble falling asleep, and it wasn't the crash. He kept feeling the lodestone tug of April's presence. It wasn't that he could pinpoint exactly where she was; it was just that he knew she wasn't here , with him, and his bear was restless because of that. The bed felt too large and too empty.
She'd be at the hotel in town, he thought, as he lay awake in the bright polar night. Low reddish sunshine gleamed through his thin curtains. It was 1 a.m., but the light was like that of afternoon. How was April dealing with it? He'd never asked if the all-night sunshine bothered her. In fact, there were so many things he didn't know about her yet. She was like a treasure box, full of riches yet to be explored.
What was April doing now? Maybe she was taking a shower, water sluicing down that lovely body he'd enjoyed so thoroughly this afternoon ... His bear stirred, and other parts of him as well.
He had made love to her on the tundra, but he hadn't truly claimed her, hadn't marked her as his own. Now he desperately wished he had. He shouldn't have let her walk away. What if she had second thoughts? What if, like a fool, he'd let his one chance at true happiness slip away?
He finally gave up on sleep, took a quick cold shower in the camper's little bathroom, and went over to work out some of his aggression on the pieces of the project plane he'd been working on—the one he'd been pounding on when April had walked in on him. It was an old Piper Cub he'd gotten for a song after the owner wrecked it. The damage wasn't even that great; the engine was still in good shape, and Nathan thought it would be a nice little plane once he got the body put back together.
Guess now I have two project planes, he thought. The Cessna wouldn't be flying anywhere soon, either.
And that made him think of April again. Of course, everything made him think of April right now. He wanted to head over to her hotel, but despite the sunshine outside, it wasn't even close to morning yet. Nothing like making the girl of your dreams think you were some kind of obsessed stalker.
He wished he'd had more time to talk to her yesterday, but it had been late when they'd gotten back to town, and she'd gone straight to her hotel. He hadn't even thought to get her cell number; there had been too much going on.
Some mate he was. Nathan wondered, gloomily, what he really had to offer her. Sure, he had money, but he didn't spend it much. He slept in a camper parked on the tundra, for pete's sake.
If April was interested, maybe they could buy a house ...
He laid the hammer down, thinking about it. He'd never really thought about his future all that much. He liked running the aviation business with Lee, and going out on the ice floes in his bear form when he got the chance. He had enough money that he didn't have to worry, and beyond that, he'd never thought about what he'd be doing in ten years.
But now, he suddenly found himself having future fantasies, and April figured in all of them. April in the kitchen of their own little house, taking something out of the oven; April spread out on the bed, naked and beautiful ...
It would be a snug little house, he thought. Not a huge one. Neither of them were the sort of people who wanted something grand and opulent. Just a nice little house with big windows to let in the light, a house
In all the commotion, April was swept away before Nathan had a chance to talk to her. Eventually the Polar Air hangar cleared out, leaving him alone. At least "home" was a camper-trailer behind the hangar, so it wasn't like he had far to go.
Lee was the last to leave. "You okay, man?"
"I'm good." Nathan tossed him a smile. "Thanks again for rescuing us. All I need right now is my bed, I guess."
***
It was good to spend the night in his own bed when he'd been prepared to sleep on the tundra, but Nathan still had trouble falling asleep, and it wasn't the crash. He kept feeling the lodestone tug of April's presence. It wasn't that he could pinpoint exactly where she was; it was just that he knew she wasn't here , with him, and his bear was restless because of that. The bed felt too large and too empty.
She'd be at the hotel in town, he thought, as he lay awake in the bright polar night. Low reddish sunshine gleamed through his thin curtains. It was 1 a.m., but the light was like that of afternoon. How was April dealing with it? He'd never asked if the all-night sunshine bothered her. In fact, there were so many things he didn't know about her yet. She was like a treasure box, full of riches yet to be explored.
What was April doing now? Maybe she was taking a shower, water sluicing down that lovely body he'd enjoyed so thoroughly this afternoon ... His bear stirred, and other parts of him as well.
He had made love to her on the tundra, but he hadn't truly claimed her, hadn't marked her as his own. Now he desperately wished he had. He shouldn't have let her walk away. What if she had second thoughts? What if, like a fool, he'd let his one chance at true happiness slip away?
He finally gave up on sleep, took a quick cold shower in the camper's little bathroom, and went over to work out some of his aggression on the pieces of the project plane he'd been working on—the one he'd been pounding on when April had walked in on him. It was an old Piper Cub he'd gotten for a song after the owner wrecked it. The damage wasn't even that great; the engine was still in good shape, and Nathan thought it would be a nice little plane once he got the body put back together.
Guess now I have two project planes, he thought. The Cessna wouldn't be flying anywhere soon, either.
And that made him think of April again. Of course, everything made him think of April right now. He wanted to head over to her hotel, but despite the sunshine outside, it wasn't even close to morning yet. Nothing like making the girl of your dreams think you were some kind of obsessed stalker.
He wished he'd had more time to talk to her yesterday, but it had been late when they'd gotten back to town, and she'd gone straight to her hotel. He hadn't even thought to get her cell number; there had been too much going on.
Some mate he was. Nathan wondered, gloomily, what he really had to offer her. Sure, he had money, but he didn't spend it much. He slept in a camper parked on the tundra, for pete's sake.
If April was interested, maybe they could buy a house ...
He laid the hammer down, thinking about it. He'd never really thought about his future all that much. He liked running the aviation business with Lee, and going out on the ice floes in his bear form when he got the chance. He had enough money that he didn't have to worry, and beyond that, he'd never thought about what he'd be doing in ten years.
But now, he suddenly found himself having future fantasies, and April figured in all of them. April in the kitchen of their own little house, taking something out of the oven; April spread out on the bed, naked and beautiful ...
It would be a snug little house, he thought. Not a huge one. Neither of them were the sort of people who wanted something grand and opulent. Just a nice little house with big windows to let in the light, a house
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