Mail-Order Bride Read Free

the countryside. There was so much to see and do, and Caroline was ready for it all.
    Once John had collected her suitcase, plus the duffel bag her aunts had so determinedly packed, he escorted Caroline to the single-engine Cessna and helped her climb aboard.
    “Won’t be long now,” he said, putting on his headset and flipping several switches. As he zipped up his fur-lined coat, he glanced in her direction with a frown. Then the control tower issued instructions and John turned his attention to the radio. Once on the runway, the plane accelerated and was soon aiming for the dawn sky in a burst of power that had Caroline clenching her hands. She was accustomed to flying, but not in anything quite this small. In comparison to the wide-bodied jet, this Cessna seemed tiny and fragile.
    “You might want to look in some of those boxes back there.” He jerked his head toward the large pile of sacks and cardboard boxes resting next to her suitcase at the rear of the plane.
    “Uh, what should I be looking for?”
    “A coat. It’s going to get damn cold up here. That little jacket’s never gonna be warm enough.”
    “Okay.” Caroline unfastened the seat belt and turned around to bend over the back of her seat. She sorted through the sacks and found a variety of long underwear and flannel shirts.
    “Paul’s right about you needing this. I hope the boots fit. I got the best available.”
    “Boots?”
    “Lady, trust me. You’re going to need them.”
    “I imagine they were expensive.” She had her credit cards with her, but if Paul Trevor expected her to pick up the tab on a complete winter wardrobe, then he had another thing coming.
    Caroline pulled out a thick coat, but it was so bulky that she placed it over her knees. She took off her jacket and slipped her arms into a cozy flannel shirt. She’d put on the coat when they landed.
    “What did you bring with you?” John asked, eyeing the duffel bag at Caroline’s feet.
    She rolled her eyes. “My aunts sent along some food.”
    John chuckled.
    Now that she’d mentioned it, Caroline discovered she was hungry. It’d been hours since she’d last eaten, and her stomach growled as she opened the bag to find half a dozen thick sandwiches and the promised thermos. There was also a brightly wrapped gift. Somewhat surprised, Caroline removed the package and tore off the bright paper and ribbon. The sheer negligee with the neckline and sleeves trimmed in faux fur baffled her even more.
    John saw her blink and laughed loudly. “I see they included something to keep your neck warm.”
    Caroline found his humor less than amusing and stuffed the gown back inside the bag. She’d never thought of her aunts as senile, but their recent behavior gave her cause to wonder.
    She shared a turkey sandwich with John and listened as he spoke at length about Alaska. His love for this last frontier was apparent in every sentence. His comments included a vivid description of the tundra and its varied wildlife.
    “I have a feeling you’re going to like it here.”
    “Well, I like what little I’ve seen,” Caroline said. She’d expected the land to be barren and harsh. It was, but there was a majestic beauty about it that made Caroline catch her breath.
    “That’s Denali over there,” John told her. “She’s the highest peak in North America.”
    “I thought McKinley was.”
    “Folks around here prefer to call her Denali.”
    “What’s that?” Caroline pointed to the thin silver ribbon that stretched across the rugged countryside below.
    “The Yukon River. She flows over two thousand miles from northwest Canada to the Bering Sea.”
    “Wow.”
    “Anything you’d like to know about Paul?”
    “Paul Trevor? Not really. Is there anything I
should
know?” Like her aunts, John seemed to bring up the other man’s name at every opportunity.
    He gave another merry chuckle. “Guess you’ll be finding out about him soon enough.”
    “Right.” She eyed him curiously. She was