Dad's E-Mail Order Bride by Candy Halliday - Alaska Bound 01 - Dad's E-Mail Order Bride

Courtney?”
    “Of course not.”
    They both sent Rachel a smug look.
    “Oh, forget it!” Rachel huffed. “We’ll go see if Tiki can spend the night with me.”
    When the girls walked off, Courtney looked at Graham and said, “I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds by asking Tiki to spend the night.”
    “Not at all. I thought you were backing up my suggestion.”
    Courtney laughed. “If we both suggested the same thing, maybe Rachel’s right. Maybe we are afraid to be alone together.”
    He didn’t deny it—but only because he didn’t get the chance.
    Peg approached to give Courtney a goodbye hug. “Please come visit again soon, Courtney.” Before she let Courtney go, she whispered, “And in case you change your mind, my job offer still stands.”
    Good lord, what was it with these people? Did they all have matchmaking on the brain? If she could have handled the embarrassment, she would have assured everyone she didn’t need encouragement. She’d fallen for the guy already.
    Peg pointed a finger at Graham. “And you. You remember what Mother Peg told you.”
    Despite Peg’s insisting they didn’t have to, they spent the next thirty minutes helping her get things back in order. On the way to the lodge—Rachel, Tiki and Broadway well ahead of them—Courtney said, “Am I wrong? Or was I the subject of whatever Peg told you to remember.”
    “No, you’re right,” he said. “Peg was trying to play matchmaker, too.”
    “I thought so,” Courtney said. “Peg offered me a job for the summer running The Wooden Nickel.”
    Graham threw his head back and laughed.
    His reaction ticked Courtney off a little.
    “Why do you find that so funny?”
    “You?” he said and laughed again. “Putting your career on hold to run a general store in outback Alaska for the summer? That isn’t only funny, Courtney, it’s ridiculous.”
    “Well, I disagree,” Courtney told him, even though she didn’t. Taking a summer job in Alaska or anywhere else was ridiculous. But it still irritated her that Graham thought it was ridiculous. That could only mean Graham didn’t want her to stay.
    He stopped walking and Courtney did the same. The dim glow of the solar lighting along the railing of the boardwalk gave her enough light to see his puzzled expression.
    “You can’t be serious,” he said. “You’d really consider running The Wooden Nickel for the summer?”
    “Are you implying I couldn’t do the job?”
    “Of course not.”
    “What then?” Courtney asked. “That I don’t have the guts to call my mother and tell her I’m taking the summer off?”
    Now he really looked confused. “How did this suddenly become about your mother?”
    “Good question,” Courtney admitted and resumed walking.
    When he caught up, he said, “I upset you, and I’m sorry. The only reason I found Peg’s offer funny was because you just landed that big account. Taking months off to run a general store seems ridiculous to me. That’s all. It’s none of my business what you decide.”
    Okay, he’d put her in her place. Though the fact that Graham didn’t care where she spent her time hurt a little, Courtney looked over at him and said, “Forgive me for overreacting just now?”
    “Sure,” he said.
    They walked a little farther before Courtney said, “I guess when you mentioned my career, it reminded me how soon I have to go back to reality. It’s been nice these past two days. No responsibilities. No fires to put out. No disgruntled clients. Right now running a general store sounds like a dream.”
    “We all have our dragons to slay, Courtney,” Graham said. “Even here in Port Protection.”
    Courtney wanted to ask what Graham’s dragons were.
    But she didn’t.
    They walked in silence after that, Courtney pretending not to notice the full moon winking at them through the thick forest as they strolled along the boardwalk, or that the entire setting was achingly romantic. But by the time they reached the lodge, Courtney