Starry Night

sound.”
    “That’s the northern lights. Not everyone can hear them.”
    “Can you?” she asked, barely getting the words out. Having him this close took her breath away.
    “Yes.” His lips nuzzled her neck, and Carrie sighed audibly.
    At the same moment, they both seemed to become aware of the close proximity they shared, knit together, as it were. Without a word, Finn snatched his arms away and returned to the house.
    Carrie followed a moment later. Finn was already sitting at the table by the time she closed and latched the door.
    “Is your brain working now?” he asked, and cleared his throat, busying himself with shuffling the cards.
    “Ah, sure.” Her breath trembled slightly, and she hoped that if Finn noticed he wouldn’t comment.
    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful,” she whispered.
    “Me neither,” Finn added.
    Her mind swirled with the sights and sounds of the innate beauty of Alaska. Inhaling a deep breath, she glanced up to find Finn studying her. She wanted to thank him for sharing his home and his life with her for the past two days. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she doubted she could murmur a single word without tears leaking from her eyes. These last few minutes had felt almost spiritual, as if she’d been standing in a church and singing hymns of praise.
    As best she could, Carrie returned to the game, doing her utmost to pretend nothing out of the ordinary had happened and at the same moment acutely aware that it had.
    As luck would have it, she won the second game, but it was no thanks to her skilled card sense. The air between them sizzled and arced much like the northern lights, even as they both chose to ignore it. Perhaps that was for the best, as she would be flying out at first light. An immediate sense of regret filled her. In an amazingly short amount of time, Alaska had won her over, and Finn had, too.
    The last cribbage game was close, but in the end Finn won. Little wonder, really, as Carrie’s mind was not on the game. She didn’t know how she was going to say good-bye when she had the distinct feeling she would be leaving her heart behind.
    Finn seemed surprised that he managed to pull out a win. Carrie sighed as she set her cards down and pulled the pegs from the board. She wasn’t looking forward to another miserable night on the sofa, but, all things considered, a little discomfort was a small price to pay.
    Finn seemed to read her lack of communication as disappointment. “You can have the bed,” he told her.
    “No. You won,” she said much too cheerfully, overcompensating. “I’m the intruder here, remember?” Hennessey would lie at her feet, and he’d keep her company during the night. It wouldn’t be so bad, and if she was fortunate enoughto catch the flight back to Seattle and then make a quick connection to Chicago, she could sleep on the plane.
    Finn reached for the cards and placed them back inside the box.
    “I realize having me as your houseguest wasn’t what you wanted,” she said. “You’ve been more than gracious, and I want to thank you for putting up with me.”
    He shrugged, giving the impression it wasn’t a big deal. “You aren’t so bad.”
    “Contrary to popular opinion, you aren’t, either.”
    He cracked a smile. “Your opinion?”
    “Well,” she said, “we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot.”
    “True,” he acknowledged.
    “Are you still upset with Sawyer?”
    He gave the question some consideration before answering. “I’ll settle up with him later.”
    “Don’t be too hard on him,” Carrie pleaded. “He’s a good friend to you.”
    “He is,” Finn agreed.
    A short while later Finn announced it was time to call it a night. Despite the fact that it was relatively early, Carrie was tired. He offered her privacy so she could wash up and change clothes. While she was getting ready for bed, Finn contacted Sawyer. She heard the two men talking over theham radio but was able to make out only half of what was being said.
    When she reappeared, Finn said, “Sawyer will arrive early. He’ll see you to the terminal and make sure you have a seat on the next available flight out of Fairbanks to Seattle.”
    “But how …” This was the one drawback to her plan. She’d arrived in Alaska, and not knowing when to book her return ticket, she’d left it open. Now she would need to purchase a last-minute ticket back to Chicago at a greatly inflated price. Because of