An Alaskan Proposal by Beth Carpenter

Author:Beth Carpenter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-10-10T18:20:32+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

EVERYONE STARTED GATHERING up their things and dispersing to their tents. Sam doused the fire. Leith felt a little guilty, breaking up the group when everyone had been having a good time, but he couldn’t get into the music anymore tonight. Not after Marissa had suggested that song. Not that it was her fault. She didn’t have any way of knowing what the song represented. It was Leith’s fault for letting memories of the past get to him. And he hated that they still had the power to do that.

Emma was curled half in Sabrina’s lap, with her hand resting on that little dog. Leith normally wasn’t a fan of lapdogs, but he rather liked Boomer. Sabrina smoothed Emma’s hair back from her forehead. It had to be crowded with all three of them in the same chair, but they looked quite comfortable, cuddled up together.

He lifted Emma from Sabrina’s lap and carried her to the tent. Sabrina and the dogs followed. He tucked Emma inside her bag. “Where’s Rufus?” she murmured.

“I’ll get him.” Leith pulled the stuffed toy from her duffel. When he folded down the side of the sleeping bag to hand Emma the dog, Boomer jumped in beside her.

“Boomer, come here,” Sabrina said, in her soft voice. Of course, the dog paid no attention. Instead he turned in three circles and curled up against Emma’s ribs.

Emma hugged him. “I want Boomer to sleep with me, too.”

Leith looked at Sabrina. “Okay with you?”

“Sure, if Emma doesn’t mind.”

Emma snuggled farther into the bag. “Good night, Uncle Leith. Good night, Sabrina.”

“Good night, sweetie.” Sabrina dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep tight.” Boomer looked up at Sabrina and Leith could have sworn he winked before he gave a happy sigh and closed his eyes. Tal stretched out on the floor under Emma’s cot. Leith tucked the sleeping bag up under Emma’s chin, gave Tal a pat and followed Sabrina outside.

He zipped the netting shut and picked up his guitar case to stash in the car. It was just a song. He shouldn’t let it ruin the evening. He slammed the liftgate closed and leaned against the car, looking up at the dusky sky that passed for night this time of year. A few filmy clouds floated around a milky almost-full moon. The blinking light of an airplane passed in front of it.

A few moments later, Sabrina walked over and leaned against the car beside him. “Whatcha looking at?”

“Nothing really. Just taking a moment, you know?”

“Yeah.” She closed her eyes and breathed in. “It smells so good here. Woody and natural and clean.”

“In another few weeks, it will smell like old fish.”

She laughed. “I guess we came at the right time, then. Say, when I was bartering for your survival-expert services, you didn’t tell me you’re also a guitar hero. Where did you learn to play like that?”

He shrugged. “I took a few lessons early on. During the time I was stuck in Arizona, I spent a lot of time in my room.

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