Free Dreamkeepers by Dorothy Garlock Page A

. . Put the bread in the toaster, Jack.”
    Kelly closed her eyes in frustration. “Mike works hard,” she said.
    “I didn’t say he didn’t work, Kelly. I just said he was slow. Swear, if you ain’t somethin’ when it comes to stickin’ up for that boy!”
    “I’d hardly call him a boy, Bonnie,” Kelly said drily and raised her eyes to see Jonathan watching her, the smile he had worn for Bonnie’s benefit gone. “Mike has done a lot of work around here,” she said, holding Jonathan’s eyes. “He’s never had anything given to him. He earned his share of this place.”
    “I’m sure he did. Now that I’m here, I can take some of the workload off his shoulders.” Jonathan’s voice was kind, but his face was not. Kelly knew he was furious and was glad.
    The plate of food Bonnie set in front of her caused Kelly’s stomach to lurch with hunger. She glanced up to see Jonathan’s brows rise questioningly. She could tell he was enjoying her discomfort.
    “Not hungry this morning, darling?” he asked silkily.
    Her eyes, filled with rage, flashed to his face. He returned the look with taunting amusement. The battle lines were drawn, she thought bitterly. She was bound to lose some of the encounters, but she was determined to win the war.

CHAPTER SIX
    I am the captain of my fate.
The thought pounded in Kelly’s head while she went through the motions of checking the guest rooms to make sure everything was ready. In the middle of counting the number of extra blankets neatly stacked on a closet shelf, she stopped, put her clenched fists to her temples, and closed her eyes.
    It was ridiculous to think she was captain of anything, least of all her own fate! She was being swept along on the tide of Jonathan’s overpowering personality. Already Bonnie and Clyde thought he was the greatest thing since fire. He was out there now, on one end of the big, two-man crosscut saw, helping Clyde cut the big logs into lengths to be further chopped into firewood. Kelly hoped Clyde worked him to death. She knew Jonathan would be too proud to stop even if he was about to drop in his tracks.
    Kelly stayed at the lodge until the guests arrived, leaving only long enough to go to her own house and change into azure blue cord slacks and a matching turtleneck sweater that hid some of the gauntness of her slim hips. Clyde left in plenty of time to meet the train and Jonathan, taking his cue from Kelly, came up to the lodge after changing out of the sawdust-covered jeans and sweaty flannel shirt. He had bathed, and Kelly wondered if he had used cold water, or if he had carried it from the reservoir beside the cookstove. He had put on tan trousers and a brown loose-knit shirt with cream ribbing at the neck and cuffs.
    He came to where Kelly was standing beside the window looking out toward the faint peak of Mount McKinley. She could smell the familiar aroma of his aftershave lotion. He didn’t speak and she moved away to turn on the lamps. It was three o’clock in the afternoon and already beginning to get dark. Soon they would be using electricity all day and the bills would pile up.
    The guests were young, rowdy, and there were five of them instead of four. The girls had frizzed hair, thinly plucked eyebrows, and willowy figures once they removed their bulky snowmobile wear. The men had fashionably styled haircuts and expensive Nordic ski sweaters. Clyde set their suitcases inside the door, but when he started to remove his boots to carry the luggage to the rooms, Jonathan stopped him.
    “I’ll take care of that, Clyde, if you want to put the car away.”
    It was easy to tell what girl went with what man. One of the couples was rather short, the other of medium height. The odd man was taller and older than the others. He leaned on the small bar that served as a counter and eyed Kelly.
    “Hello, snow-nymph. I don’t have a reservation. Are you going to throw me out?” His eyes ran over her like summer rain.
    “That depends.”