Northern Rebel Daring in the Dark - By Jennifer Labrecque Page 0,14

in the waiting room scare you. Everybody is here because Nelson’s leaving. And I’d better get back to it or we’re never going to get out of here today. Do you want to spend about forty-five minutes with Nelson going over how things are organized and then get settled in at the bed-and-breakfast? And how about dinner at our house tonight? We’ll get takeout at Gus’s—that’s the restaurant attached to the airstrip. It’s the only restaurant in town. I’d make something, but I don’t cook on a good day—” she waved toward the waiting room “—and this isn’t a particularly good day. We can eat there but people will be curious about you and I know you have to be tired. Besides, I’d really like for you to see our house.”

“That sounds good. I can’t wait to see your place.”

“Dalton and I will drop by for you around 6:45, if that’s okay.”

“Perfect. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Once again, Lars flashed through her brain. “So am I.”

And oddly enough, she was.

4

DIRK SWENSON SAT at the bar in Gus’s, nursing a beer. He’d begged off going somewhere—he didn’t even know what they were going to do—with Bull, Tansy, Liam and Aunt Janie. Aunt Janie rubbed him the wrong way, but then again, she rubbed most people the wrong way.

Lars was upstairs next door, settling in. It was good to see him. Dirk hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed his cousin. Sure enough Dirk worked with Liam every day and you’d figure with Liam and Lars being twins, one would do as well as the other, but it wasn’t the same. He respected both of his cousins, but Lars had always been warmer and more accessible. In Dirk’s mind, he’d been more of a brother than simply a cousin. And it’d been too damn long since he’d seen him.

Dirk figured he might as well drown his sorrows in a beer, although it would take more than one to drown anything.

Outside the sun was shining. Inside the room was buzzing with excitement over tomorrow’s wedding, some upbeat tune was playing on the jukebox and Dirk was one miserable son of a bitch. He’d tried, really tried, to get Liam’s ex-wife, Natalie, out of his head and he couldn’t. It was all so mixed up he didn’t see how it could ever all be sorted out.

He’d grown up next door to Natalie. Hell, he’d been in love with her for as long as he could remember. And he’d never had the nerve to tell her. He’d always been huge compared to the other guys, his grades had left something to be desired and he was kind of shy around girls, especially Natalie. Still, it had been a terrible moment when he found out she was going to marry his cousin Liam. He’d been pissed at Liam for years, especially when they divorced.

He and Liam had covered it—after Dirk punched Liam in the face—and it was okay now. Liam hadn’t mistreated Natalie or been unfaithful. They’d just wanted different things.

Dirk was working with Liam now as the second-in-command at the survival training camp. The camp was primarily accessible by air. So, he not only worked with Liam, he lived a stone’s throw from Liam and Tansy.

Dirk had tried a lot of different things but hadn’t stuck with any of them for very long. He’d done construction work, truck driving, house painting and had even worked in the oil fields. Finally, for the first time in his life, he felt as if he’d found his place and actually had a purpose. Only he was still in a stew over Natalie.

Dirk polished off his beer and stood, feeling a sense of resolve in the middle of all of his confusion. He knew one thing he could do that he hadn’t been able to do before—talk about it.

He pushed through the connecting door to the airfield office, passing one of Gus’s waitresses as she came back into the restaurant. Merrilee looked up from where she was filling out paperwork at her desk. “Hey, Dirk. What can I do you for?”

He liked Bull’s old lady. She was nice. “Lars upstairs?”

She also had a nice smile. “He sure is. Room three.” She grabbed a take-out box from the corner of her desk. “His meal just came. Would you mind taking it up with you?”

“Sure thing.”

Dirk climbed the stairs and knocked on the door of room three. Nothing. Then he heard whistling in the bathroom. That was