Wild Men of Alaska 03 - Dreamweaver

or lousy text message to explain the hard dumping he’d given her. “I should tuck tail and run,” Tern said.
    “And let these guys prove that they’re better than you? You’re the one who introduced them to geocaching,” Nadia pointed out, knowing it would put her back up.
    Sure enough, Tern straightened her shoulders and sauntered forward with a walk that was part take-no-prisoners and part promise-to-rock-your-world.
    She greeted Addison “Mac” MacFearson with a hug and a kiss on his leathered cheek. He was a rugged Alaskan Bush guide with a “No Crybabies Allowed” attitude, and she hadn’t seen him in a few months. He released her from the bear hug and cocked a knowing smile. “You’re in for a trial here, sweet cakes.”
    “Lucky” Leroy Morgan, world famous mountaineer, stood next to Mac and winked, his come-hither smile tempting Tern to sidle a little closer.
    Man, he’d been fun.
    “I thought you were in Africa,” she said, staying just out of reach. A lot of good that did, as he took a step forward and grabbed her into a swinging clench.
    “I was until this little adventure presented itself. Damn, but it’s good to see you.” He followed the swing with a dip and planted a searing kiss on her lips. When he’d righted her, she was dizzy, flushed, and wanting to follow up on that kiss. But she knew better.
    Lucky was a gambler, not only with his money but his life. He’d climbed Everest. And Denali twice—the second time in the dead of winter. There wasn’t anything he wasn’t willing to try at least once. It hadn’t taken her long to know that he was the kind of man she couldn’t trust with the grocery money, let alone with her heart.
    “I stopped by the shop last night, but they said you were in Chatanika visiting your family,” Lucky said. “Seems lately every time I look you up, you’re busy.”
    “Thought I was waiting around pining for you?”
    His hand covered his heart and his bedroom eyes warmed. “A guy can hope.”
    She introduced him to Nadia, and those eyes heated further in appreciation for her best friend. Another reason she’d cut Lucky loose. The man had a weakness for the ladies, and she did not share. Period.
    Robert Coate was next. He solemnly nodded his head. “Tern,” he greeted. His gaze still had the power to nick her heart when she looked directly at him. She’d broken his and the guilt of it weighed heavily on her shoulders.
    A business owner of a sporting goods store just down the street from her own shop, The Arctic Tern, Robert had made the most sense in her husband search. He also understood the Native Alaskan in her as he was part Athabascan himself. He was involved in the community, regularly attended church, loved dogs, and was a single parent in need of a mother for his beautiful six-year-old daughter, Chloe, who Tern adored. He was about as close to Mr. Good Enough as she’d found. But no matter how ideal he seemed, she couldn’t get past their lack of physical chemistry. And to be honest, she didn’t want to be known as Mrs. Tern Coate.
    “Hi, Robert. How are you doing?”
    “Fine.” He straightened his shoulders and hooded his eyes, trying to hide what he still felt for her. It was like this every time they ran into each other since their breakup last fall. Though Tern had tried to let him down easy, easy hadn’t worked, and she’d been forced to be brutal in order to make it clear that she was no longer interested in anything more than friendship. Since then they had stuck to the “fine’s” and “okay’s.” Still feeling along for a more comfortable footing.
    And then there was Gage Fallon.
    Tern’s heart hurt just knowing he was breathing the same air space. It had the added benefit of pissing her off, too. She had no business caring about a guy who wasn’t man enough to pick up a phone.
    From the moment he’d walked into her shop, looking for a gift for his mother, they had ignited. She’d glanced up from her cash register ready with her welcoming spiel, but the words had died on her tongue as everything in her body shivered with awareness. He’d felt the same. Or so she’d thought. She’d sold him a gift for his mother, had dinner with him that night, and made breakfast for him the next morning. They’d been inseparable after that. She’d fallen in love so hard and so fast that when he’d taken off with no word, she’d been devastated.
    It still bothered the hell out of her that she didn’t know what had