Alaska Twilight Read Free Page B

dangled from his right shoulder. He looked familiar.
    Denny stood. “Hey, Mort. I wondered if we might run into you out here.” He turned to the rest. “This is Mort Winters, the best trapper this side of the Kuskokwim Mountains.” He stepped out and shook the trapper’s hand. “We’re here to shoot bear, but only with film. Any luck finding that lost gold mine yet?” He grinned.
    Mort Winters. Haley’s tight grip on her emotions began to slip. She hadn’t thought of Mort in twenty years. He was older now, with new lines around his eyes. The Alaskan winters had deposited age spots on his forehead and cheeks.
    “No gold mine yet, but I’m still looking.”
    “What gold mine?” Kipp demanded.
    Denny jumped in with an explanation. “Legend has it that a Russian miner from Kenai found a rich lode. He had all the gold bagged up and ready to take to town, but hit his head and lost his memory. He never found the mine again.”
    “If he lost his memory, how did he know there was a gold mine?” Kipp asked, chuckling.
    “Ah, that’s part of the big mystery.” Denny’s smile widened.
    Mort’s hazel eyes glanced around the group, then locked on Augusta. “Augusta Walsh,” he said softly.
    “Hello, Mort,” Augusta said. The tartness in her voice could have spiced a cherry pie. “Still chasing an empty dream, I see.”
    “You’re still as beautiful as ever.” His eyes drank her in, then shifted sideways to Haley. His gaze flickered. “Haley? My little Lucy is all grown up.”
    Haley had forgotten about that. He used to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to her when she was little. She was Lucy, and Chloe was Susan. She barely remembered the story anymore. “It’s been twenty years, Mort. I’m surprised you recognized me.”
    “You look just like your mother.”
    “Thank you.” Haley knew he meant it as a compliment, but it meant nothing to her. His gaze flickered back to Augusta, and Haley could see the hunger in his eyes. He’d never been willing to give up his search for gold for Augusta. Augusta wouldn’t take second place to ambition when she held love for God and family to be of highest importance. She’d spoken of Mort the night Haley graduated from college, then never again. The Walsh women were nothing if not single-minded. At least they had that in common.
    Mort cleared his throat. “Looks like you need some help with your tent.” He dropped his own gear and got to work. He had their tent up in five minutes. Haley watched how he did it and thought she might manage next time. “Thanks, Mort.” She crawled inside and rolled out her sleeping bag, then did the same with Augusta’s before stepping back outside. She looked at the sky. Though it was nearly ten at night, the sun was just now starting to set.
    Mort shifted from one foot to the other. He glanced at Augusta, but she didn’t look at him. “I’d better be moseying back to my cabin. I’ll be seeing you around.” He nodded at them, then picked up his traps and vanished into the forest.
    “Let’s turn in.We can explore tomorrow,” Kipp said. He disappeared through the small opening in his tent.
    Haley glanced back at her grandmother. Augusta smiled and lifted the flap of the tent. “Let’s get some sleep, darling. You look done in.”
    Augusta still looked fresh. Haley ducked into the tent. The flimsy walls offered no real protection, but it hid the looming forest and calmed her. She examined the tent fabric. “My book says not to touch the sides of the tent. If it rains, the oils on your hands will make the water leak through.”
    “I know, Haley. I’m not a complete idiot out here.” Her grandmother patted her on the shoulder.
    Haley stared at the sleeping bag—a top-of-the-line Western Mountaineering—with disfavor. She had thought they would be able to go to their cabin the first night. And there was no bathroom out here. Would she dare go out in the middle of the night if she needed to use the toilet? And