Borrowed Dreams (Debbie Macomber Classics) Read Free Page A

others it was her greatest strength.
    *  *  *
    The next morning, as Carly dressed in jeans and a thick jacket, she wondered at the wisdom of her actions. Only when she was strapped into the seat of the Cessna 150, her adrenaline pumping at the roar of the engine, did she realize how excited she was. She started to ask Brand about the panel full of gauges when she was interrupted by the voice of the air traffic controller, who gave them clearance for takeoff.
    Brand turned and gifted her with another of his earth-shattering smiles before taxiing onto the runway and pulling back on the throttle. Then, with an unbelievable burst of power, they were airborne. Her stomach lurched as the wheels left the safety of the ground—but with exhilaration, not alarm.
    Looking out the window, Carly watched as the ground below took on an unreal quality. She had flown several times, but sitting in a commercial airliner was a different experience compared to floating in the sky in a small private plane.
    “This is fantastic.” She shouted to be heard above the roar of the engine. The skies were blue, with only a few powder-puff clouds, the view below unobstructed. “Will we see Mount McKinley?”
    “Not this trip. We’re headed in the opposite direction.”
    Carly responded with a short nod. She was anxious to view North America’s highest mountain. Mount Rainier, outside Seattle, and the Cascade Range featured distinctive peaks, but from what she’d read about McKinley, the mountain was more blunt, less angular than anything she’d seen.
    “It’s so green,” she shouted, and pointed to the dense forest below. When Carly had made up her mind to take this job, her first thought had been that she would be leaving the abundantbeauty of Washington behind. “I’m really impressed,” she said with a warm smile.
    Brand’s gaze slid to her. “What would it take for
me
to impress you?”
    Carly threw back her head and laughed, refusing to play his game. There wasn’t much he could do that would impress her more than he had already.
    Brand took her hand and squeezed it. “What did your family think about you moving north?”
    Carly was reluctant to admit she didn’t have a family. “They didn’t say anything. I’m over twenty-one.” The lie was a minor one. She’d never known her father, and only God knew the whereabouts of her mother. The longest Carly had ever stayed in one foster home was four years. With only herself to rely on, she’d become strong in ways that others were weak. Carly didn’t need anyone but herself.
    “How long have you been flying?” She discovered that the best way to defuse questions was to ask one of her own.
    “I’ve flown since I was a kid. My dad owned an appliance business and traveled all over Oregon. I took my first flying lessons at sixteen, but by that time I had been in the air a thousand times.”
    “Are you from Portland?”
    He answered with an abrupt nod.
    “What made you come to Alaska?”
    He didn’t hesitate. “The money.”
    Carly remembered George saying something about heavy expenses. “Medical bills, right?”
    Brand turned to study her. Carly met his gaze. “Yes,” he answered, without elaborating. Carly didn’t question him further.
    His attention returned to the sky, and Carly watched as a proud mask came over him, letting her know that this subject was off-limits. The transformation in him confused her. She was unsure of Brand, but he didn’t intimidate her. In some ways she sensed that they were alike. Each had buried hurts that were best not shared so early in a relationship. Sighing, she glanced away. His attitude shouldn’t bother her.
    They were both quiet for a long time. “What do you think of Alaska?” Brand asked her unexpectedly, as if he were attempting to lighten the mood that had settled over them.
    “I love it,” Carly responded freely. “Of course, I haven’t survived an Alaskan winter yet, so I might answer your question differently a year