Free Just After Midnight: Historical Romance by Lori Handeland Page B

didn’t know better, he’d think Megan Daily had never been kissed before.
    “Ah, yes, the pup.” He faltered, forgetting for a moment what he’d done with the animal. “I gave him to a friend. Don’t worry, he’s in good hands.”
    “What friend? I’d like to see him sometime.”
    “Ah, I gave him to a miner—a miner who left for his claim yesterday. He might be back here in a few months. I’ll let you know.” He hoped his hastily constructed tale would convince her to let the subject drop.
    Megan stared at him for a moment longer, then smiled. “Yes, let me know. About the pup and about Sunday.”
    She exited the office, leaving a hint of lemon fragrance in her wake, and Alex released the breath he had been holding as he fell back into his chair and grimaced. Women, wolves, and pups were nothing but trouble.
     
     
    The following Sunday, Megan was dressed and waiting on the porch of The Celebration before any of the girls were awake. She hadn’t seen Alex since that morning in the office, but he had sent a note telling her to be ready at noon, dressed for riding and minus her wolf, who would spook the horses.
    Megan smoothed the material of her black riding habit with its split skirt, then adjusted the brim of her matching flat-topped hat. She thanked her lucky stars she had learned to sit a horse as a child and continued to ride whenever possible. The terrain around Dawson City was rough, and she would need all her skill to reach her father’s claim.
    The sound of hoofbeats neared, making her squint into the noonday sun. Alex Carson approached on horseback, leading another horse behind. As always, he wore the uniform of the mounted police. She wondered, momentarily, what he would look like in anything else.
    Alex drew his horse to a stop in front of the dance hall. Jumping to the ground, he stood at the foot of the stairs and tipped his black hat. “Your mount awaits, my lady.”
    “Thank you, kind sir.” Megan accepted his help getting onto the mare, ignoring the tingle at her waist when his hands touched her. She smiled at him from her perch in the saddle. “How long will it take us to reach the claim?”
    “A few hours. Are you up to this?”
    “Certainly, Lieutenant. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
    She watched him remount, admiring the flex of his muscular legs and the obvious strength in his large hands. She guided her horse into step beside his as they left town.
    “It’s hard to believe the temperature will start to drop by the end of this month,” Alex remarked. “There’s been snow as early as August in these parts.”
    “I’ll have to enjoy the sunshine while I can.”
    “We all do in the Yukon. The sun will disappear in mid-November and you won’t feel its warmth again until late January.”
    Despite the warmth of the day, Megan shivered. The thought of ever-present darkness for months on end was daunting.
    “Ready to head for sunny California, Megan?” Alex taunted.
    In response, she straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “Not on your life, Lieutenant. With things starting to go my way in Dawson City, I can handle darkness, cold, and anything else this country hands out.”
    “I thought you’d say that. Did you inherit your grit from your mother’s side of the family?”
    Megan stiffened again, sensing the veiled slight to her father. “No. My mother was a quiet woman of poor health. Father was the adventurer. He taught me everything I know.”
    “Let’s hope not,” Alex muttered.
    “What is it with you and my father?” The volume of her voice startled a bird from a nearby tree. She watched it fly into the expanse of blue then returned her attention to Alex, lowering her voice and reining in her temper. “You’ve made several comments about him; I get the feeling you knew my father and didn’t like him. Am I right?”
    “No, I never met Brian Daily, but I’ve heard many things.”
    Megan frowned. “I don’t understand.”
    “Did Brian come to