Northern Lights

in the truck, studied him as he loaded his. "You look tired, chief."
    "A lot of people seem to have spring fever. It's keeping me busy. Busy enough I haven't been able to give certain areas as much time or attention as I'd like."
    "You're not just talking about my naked body." She looked back to her plane where Jacob was getting the last of the cargo. "My father's been dead for sixteen years. Time's relative."
    "I want to close this down for you. For him. For myself, too."
    She twined a lock of his hair around her finger. He'd let her trim it for him. A sign, she thought, of a courageous man. Or one loopily in love.
    "Tell you what. Let's take the night off from all of it. Just go to the movies, eat popcorn and fool around."
    "I've got more questions than I have answers. I'm going to have to ask you some of them. You may not like them."
    "Then let's definitely take the night off. We've got to deliver this stuff. I'll see you later."
    She hopped in the cab of the truck and sent Nate a quick wave as Jacob pulled out. But she watched him in the side-view mirror until they'd turned.
    "He looks worried," Jacob commented.
    "His kind always worries. Why do I find that so attractive?"
    "He'd like to shield you. No one else ever did." He smiled a little when she turned to stare at him. "I taught you, listened to you, cared for you. But I never shielded you."
    "I don't need to be shielded. Or want to be."
    "No, but knowing he would attracts you."
    "Maybe. Maybe." She'd have to think about that one. "But his wants and mine are bound to ram headlong into each other before long. Then what?"
    "That depends on which one's still standing after the collision."
    With a half laugh she stretched out her legs. "He doesn't stand a chance."
     
     
    SHE'D HOPED TO HAVE TIME to get home, clean herself up, polish herself up, and set the stage for a night of marathon sex. It was a way to keep things interesting and basic and, she admitted, thoughtless. But she believed it wouldn't hurt him to be thoughtless for a little while.
    He thought entirely too much, and it was contagious.
    But she didn't have time, not after delivering all the cargo, collecting her fees. She had to settle for popping the corn in The Lodge's kitchen while Big Mike serenaded her with show tunes.
    It wasn't a hardship to listen to Big Mike sing as he worked. She caught up on the news as Rose passed in and out of the kitchen, and she cooed over pictures of Willow and new shots of Big Mike's toddler.
    It was, she thought, almost like being home in the warmth of the active kitchen, listening to chatter and music. And there was the added benefit of being able to pilfer a slice of Big Mike's applesauce cake.
    "Got yourself a movie date," Big Mike said between tunes. " Ro mantic."
    Meg ate the cake with her hands, standing beside the stove. "Could be, unless he hogs the popcorn."
    "Got little stars in your eyes, little stars and hearts."
    "Uh-uh," she managed with her mouth full.
    "Sure do. Him, too." He made kissy noises—an odd sound, Meg
    thought with a laugh, coming out of a buff, bald black man. "I got them in my eyes the first time I saw my Julia. Still do."
    "So here you are, baking great applesauce cake for a bunch of sourdoughs."
    "I like baking cake." He plated fried fish, red potatoes and Frenchcut green beans. "But for Julia and my little Princess Annie, I'd do just about anything. This is a good place to live, a good place to work, but if you got love, any place is."
    He segued from show tunes to the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," while Meg polished off the cake and Rose came in for orders.
    It was a good place to live, Meg mused as she filled a paper bag with the popcorn, shook it to distribute butter and salt. She was just going to have to figure out what to do about the love.
    She walked over to Town Hall in a chilly damp that promised rain.
    Nate was late, which surprised her. He hustled in just as the lights dimmed.
    "Sorry. Had a call. Porcupine. Tell you later."
    He tried to settle into the movie, to the mood, to the moment. But his thoughts kept circling around. He'd connected Ed and Bing on his board that morning. Drawn together by stolen fishing gear. Something that had all the earmarks of a prank or a kid's adventure. There were dozens of other connections, linking person to person.
    They were all around him, sitting in the dark, watching Jimmy Stewart play a cop after a breakdown.
    Been there, done that, Nate mused. Stewart would spiral down, too.