Denali Dreams by Ronie Kendig, Kimberley Woodhouse

make him proud. Even though he could never again say that her halo was on crooked.
    The old tease pried a smile from her lips.
    “You’re watching him, too, huh?”
    Jolie blinked and looked at her longtime friend Nikki deSanto. “What?”
    A bubble of laughter erupted in the reception area and pulled Jolie’s attention in the very direction Nikki nodded. Leaning against a back wall in the open sitting area, a brawny guy stood talking with the laughing ranger station manager. She swatted at him, and he ducked his shoulder away, which turned him in Jolie’s direction.
    Jolie’s breath backed into her throat as familiar dark, brooding eyes met hers. But what filled her with warmth was not his good looks or his powerful presence but the memory of his angry, hateful words the day of his sister’s funeral.
    “You rich people think you can buy anything, including forgiveness. Forget it! My sister is gone because of your brother. He cost my family everything!”
    How could he blame Gael for what happened? It was like David Whiteeagle didn’t realize her family had suffered in the tragedy, too. But his grief-borne anger hadn’t stopped the crush she’d had on him since she was fourteen. His native Athabascan heritage made girls like her swoon with his jet-black hair, high cheekbones, square jaw, and mysterious eyes. But then there were his ears she’d always thought too small. And his temper that was too big. Mercy, she would do anything to avoid being on the wrong side of his anger again.
    A jab in her side jarred her out of her thoughts and into Nikki’s giggles. “He’s got it going on in all the right places, don’t you think?” She jabbed her again. “He’s staring at you.”
    When the memories faded and the heat of embarrassment filled her once again from his contemptuous glare, Jolie returned her focus to the ranger giving the presentation. Was he glaring because he recognized her? She’d like to think she’d grown up a lot since their last encounter, enough that he
wouldn’t
recognize her. Funny how she’d been the life of many parties as a teen, flirting and freely dating, confident and carefree as the daughter of an oil tycoon. But David … he made her feel ashamed of that wealth and upbringing.
    Jolie couldn’t stop her gaze from traveling back to him. Tension formed knots in her shoulders as he snatched a clipboard from the desk. The very clipboard she and the others had used to sign in. He muttered something then wagged the board at the manager, who yanked it from his hands.
    “There are ranger Base Camps at various levels,” the ranger at the front of her group said. “On patrol during your climb will be myself and David Whiteeagle. That grizzly right there is David.” He pointed. “Trust me when I say don’t cross him. And the way you cross him is to go up on
his
mountain unprepared or without care.”
    The others laughed as they considered David. Too much truth hung in Ranger Knox’s statement for Jolie to find any humor in it. Must be sad to be known as a grouch. And yet, she couldn’t stop staring.
    “There will also be a doctor ranger and two others at Base Camp,” Ranger Knox continued. “Outside, we’ll do an equipment check. If you fail that, you don’t climb.” Groans bounced around the room, but he shrugged. “Sorry. We’d rather you be ticked and alive, than ill prepared and dead. Just remember, even though you paid good money to climb the High One, it’s not worth it if it’s your last.”
    Like Gael. Had he known it’d be his last? He proposed to Mariah Whiteeagle at the peak. At least, she assumed it’d happened. Gael had told her the whole plan before the fateful trip. Jolie’s fingers dug beneath the collar of her turtleneck to find the necklace. She slipped her pointer finger through the gold ring dangling there. On their descent, neither made it back alive.
    “He’s still staring,” Nikki said under her breath.
    Jolie refused to look. Refused to give him