Dear Mrs. Rhodes, I apologize for the length between letters. I have not given up hope, but thus far I have found no other clues as to the whereabouts of your daughter. Rest a.s.sured, I shall not stop trying.

Thank you for the additional payment. I am considering another trip to the New York Orphan Asylum. Sometimes, after the pa.s.sage of time, people will begin to talk again.

Sincerely yours, Jeremiah Hoglesby.

Private Detective for Hire.

Six.

The sudden opening of the door interrupted her retro spection. A boisterous shout followed the noise. "Noah, come on man, get the door open!"

Noah pushed through the door with another tall man and a big, beautiful white dog following close behind.

"Wesley, you old dog, how're you doing up here on this slab of ice?"

Before Noah had a chance to answer, the blond man went on in an accent unfamiliar to Elizabeth. "I just returned from Seattle, can you believe little Juneau? That town is booming." His voice trailed off as he spotted Elizabeth by the table. Letting off a long whistle he said, "Didn't know you'd gone and gotten hitched." He gave Noah a leering grin. "Can't say as I blame you, though. She sure is pretty." Raking his floppy brown hat from his head, he nodded and said, "h.e.l.lo there, ma'am."

Elizabeth only nodded to him and looked at Noah questioningly.

Noah cleared his throat and said, "Uh, she isn't my wife, Jacko. She's a a friend." Walking over to Elizabeth, he took her hand in his and led her over to Jacko. "This is Elizabeth, and this is an old trapping buddy of mine, Jacko Cherosky. And this fellow"a"he ruffled the thick fur of the dog's necka""is a Semoya named Kodiak. A Russian through and through, both of 'em."

The blond man smiled with dazzling white teeth. His dog was beautiful, all white with a thick ruff about his neck and a curled tail. Kodiak frisked around the room, sticking his nose into everything, including Elizabeth's skirts. Jacko stretched out his hand. "Glad to meet you, ma'am."

Looking at Noah he boomed, "You better s.n.a.t.c.h her up while you can. She might just be the prettiest single woman in the whole Alaskan territory. The place is full of men, and she won't last long!"

Elizabeth didn't like the way he was talking about her as if she wasn't even there. "I didn't come out here to catch a husband," she said coolly.

"Well then, what did you come out here for?" There was a twinkle in his eyes that lit up his face.

She could feel Noah watching her as she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "For the gold, of course. A woman has as much right to that gold as a man, doesn't she?"

Jacko laughed and dramatically gripped his heart. "She's wounded me, Wesley!" Then he stopped and looked at her with a slow smile. "But in answer to your question, ma'am, any woman that has the grit to mine for gold deserves to hit the mother lode."

Elizabeth gave him a stiff smile. "I'm glad to hear it because that is exactly what I plan to do." She turned to Noah. "Shall I serve dinner? Your guest is probably hungry after his long trip."

Noah nodded, strode over to his chest of drawers and pulled out the bottle of liquor he kept around for his friend. "Some whiskey to warm you up, Jacko?"

Jacko threw his big parka over the back of the sofa and settled into a chair, "Of course, of course. It's cold enough to freeze the ba-a"a"he glanced at Elizabeth and continueda""um, that is, the tail off a s.h.a.ggy beast such as Kodiak here." Grinning broadly he shrugged. "The usual."

Elizabeth glanced over from the kitchen and frowned at the slushy tracks from the big stranger. Again she marveled how remarkably neat and clean Noah was in comparison to most of the men she knew. It would be interesting to see if his manner changed much around another of his kind. Her gaze wandered to the friend seated in a low wooden chair by the fire. He was a good-looking man, as tall as Noah but not quite as wide in the chest, with his long legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. Jacko. Hmmm, the name fits him. His voice and mannerisms bordered on boisterous, making wide sweeps with his hands as he talked with Noah. Then Noah told the story of how he had found her barely alive on his doorstep.

NOAH FOUND HIS attention wandering to Elizabeth. He couldn't seem to concentrate on Jacko's litany of the boom going on in Juneau. And, confound it, he was usually so glad to see his old friend. They only saw each other once or twice during the winter months. And when Jacko came to stay, he usually stayed at least a couple of weeks.

Noah returned his gaze to his friend and felt heat steal up his face for only the third time in his life that he could remember, two of them in the last few days. Jacko was looking at him with knowing eyes and a mocking grin. Noah wondered if he looked like the lovesick puppy that he was beginning to believe he was. No doubt he did. Shifting in his chair, he determined to give his friend his full attention when her sweet voice called out, "It's ready!"

Jacko laughed heartily as Noah jumped out of his chair. "Looks to me like your bachelor days are numbered, my friend. That is, if she'll have you. She could certainly do better."

Noah would have taken exception to that remark, except for the sparkle in his friend's light blue eyes. Jacko was going to have a good time teasing him about this, no doubt about that.

"You wouldn't be thinking an old scoundrel like you would make a better catch, now would you?" Noah asked, with just a little more aggression than he meant. They were nearly locking horns by the time they made it to the kitchen area, where Elizabeth was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at both of them.

"What makes you two giants think I'd take either of you?"

She slapped the plates of food on the table with a bang for effect and turned back to the stove, trying to hide a smile. She lifted the heavy bowl of rice and moved it to the table, pulled out her chair, and sat down next to Noah. Folding her hands in her lap, she bowed her head and waited expectantly for Noah to bless the food.

Jacko cleared his throat and quickly ducked his head.

Noah said a quicker grace than usual and began to eat.

"So, Mr. Cherosky, what is the news from Juneau concerning the gold rush?" She darted Noah a look. "Noah may not be interested, but I'd like to hear anything you can tell me about it."

"Well, ma'am, I was shocked when I got back to this area. It's a regular boomtown, as you probably know. I've been in Seattle, doing a little trading and stocking up on goods. I was barely able to get pa.s.sage back up here when I did. The ships are loaded, and the price of fares is just plain thievery. But I had to get supplies for the trading post if this crowd is going to weather out the winter in Juneau. Has Noah told you we're partners?"

Elizabeth looked at Noah and raised her eyebrows. "No, he seems to have left that out."

"Well, we and a third man, Will Collins, own the only trading post in Juneau. We arrived before anybody was here but the natives and a few miners from the Juneau strike, which was about ten years ago, and it's already paid off, hasn't it, Noah?" He looked briefly at his friend with a wolfish smile.

Noah only nodded and continued to chew. He thought it best for his own self-preservation if he just kept his mouth shut for a while.

"Anyway, I was elected to go south for a heavy run of supplies, miners' supplies and food mostly, to hold all of us through the winter." Turning toward Noah, he exclaimed, "You wouldn't believe some of the schemes and gadgets they're trying to p.a.w.n off on those green, would-be miners. There's a cure for the scurvy, steam-powered sleds, and I even brought back a pair of *Klondike boots' for a good laugh on Will." He laughed uproariously. "They have spikes on the bottom and armor plating on the outside. A man wouldn't get a mile in them! You have to see them."

Turning back to Elizabeth he said, "There's more than one way to strike it rich in this gold rush." He winked at Elizabeth and cut into a big chunk of meat.

"Well, I must say, you have a hand in all the pies, Noah. You really should have let me know this before we agreed to become partners. I may have had a different answer."

Jacko looked back and forth between the two of them, asking with raised brows, "You two are partners?"

Noah was hesitant. A man didn't really like to admit that he had a woman as a business partner. He knew what Jacko would thinka"was already thinking. "Oh it's nothing really. She wants to mine for gold, so I thought we would take a look at the streams on my land come spring." He hoped that sounded neutral enough to suit both of them, but looking at Elizabeth, the way she sat straight up and stiff in her chair and didn't meet his eyes, he knew he had made a mistake.

Noah felt a rush of anger. The thought of not having an excuse to see her again after he left her in Juneau didn't sit at all well with him, and yet, with Jacko questioning their plans, making him speak them aloud, they sounded exactly how they really were. He just wanted her to come back; he just wanted her. Confound it, what was she doing to him? She wasn't right for him. She didn't have any of the qualities he needed in a wife. She was feisty, unpredictable, too young, too fragile, and worst of all, she tied his stomach up in knots half the time. It'd be a living h.e.l.l. What was he even thinking? Shaking his head, he looked down at his now-empty plate, wishing there was more food to keep his hands busy.

Elizabeth must have seen his confusion. She looked at him with a small smile, understanding, and something else in her eyes, like she was considering something, weighing it. It made him anxious, thinking he had really angered her.

She stood, taking his plate, walked to the stove and placed another steak on it. Setting it in front of him, she stated, "We're even. You may have filled my plate too full, but now I haven't filled yours full enough."

Noah nodded at her and cut off a thick piece.

She turned to Jacko. "Would you care for seconds, Mr. Cherosky?"

The blond nodded and winked. "Call me Jacko and I'll call you Liz. How about that?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "I suppose that would be all right."

Noah grasped the handle of his knife tightly and sawed at his meat, noticing how warm and inviting that smile was. She never smiled at him like that.

Taking his plate to the stove, Elizabeth dished up the last of the meat. Then she refilled all their coffee mugs and sat back down.

Between bites Jacko asked, "So, Liz, Noah said he found you on his doorstep in the middle of a blizzard. I must say, the good Lord must have had a guardian angel looking out for you that night. It's a miracle you found this place."

Elizabeth nodded, cup suspended under her lips. "Yes, I was very lucky. I do believe Noah saved my life."

"I didn't do that much," he heard himself remark, remembering all that he had done. G.o.d help him, he was turning into an idiot right here in front of her. Fighting for control, he made himself lean back in his chair, keep his mouth closed, and drink his coffee.

"I'm sure that isn't true," Elizabeth said sincerely, looking him square in the eyes. "I will be forever in your debt, Noah Wesley." Her voice had softened and taken on an almost seductive tone.

The room was silent. The undercurrent of emotion between them was impossible to repress.

"Noah mentioned you'll be going back to Juneau? Can I help with anything?" Jacko asked with grinning enthusiasm, breaking the tension.

"Actually, yes," Noah replied. "It would help tremendously if you could stay here and take care of the animals while I take Elizabeth down to Juneau. I'd like to stay in town two or three days to get supplies and help her get settled." Looking over at Elizabeth he said, "If that's all right with you."

Elizabeth nodded, giving him that unreadable look of hers.

"Sure, I'd be glad to help out. I was planning to stay at least a week." Patting his flat stomach, Jacko added, "I need to get back to the wilderness anyway. Keeps a man on his toes, and I could use a little toughening up after being in Seattle for a month. The climate's downright balmy by comparison down there."

Looking back and forth between them, Jacko asked, "When do you leave and what's the plan once you reach Juneau?"

"I'll get things ready tomorrow. We can head out early the next morning. The days are so short now, and I would like to make it in the daylight. As far as the plan, I'm taking her to the trading post in Juneau. Will and Cara have their hands full with all the miners waiting out the winter. I'm thinking they could use the extra help."

"You're probably right. I forgot to mention it before, but Cara's expecting. She would be glad to have an extra pair of hands, especially after the baby's born."

"When is her baby due?" Elizabeth asked.

Jacko shrugged as he took a bag of tobacco from his front shirt pocket. "Didn't ask, but I could tell she was carrying so probably not too long."

Directing her gaze to Noah, Elizabeth inquired, "What will I be doing at the trading post?"

Noah shrugged. "You would probably learn to measure gold dust on the scales and trade it for the goods the miners need to buy. With your experience, you could help outfit a miner with supplies for the trail."

Jacko looked thoughtfully at her and added, "Will wouldn't hide you in the back, that's for sure. He's one to take advantage of an opportunity to make extra money, and with a pretty woman dishing out the goods, he'll figure you to be good for business."

Noah saw the nervous look in her eyes and reached out to grasp her hand. "You'll be fine with Will and Cara. Will is like a brother to me, and Cara is a wonderful woman. They will take good care of you, I promise. I wouldn't take you there if I didn't know that for a fact. You understand?"

"Yes, of course. I guess it just took me by surprise, so soon and all." She closed her mouth, hesitated, and said, "I guess I'll miss you."

Noah looked at Jacko and then back at Elizabeth, flushing around the collar. Would the blushing ever stop now that it had started? "I'll come and see you as often as I can," he a.s.sured.

Jacko laughed, "And I'll stop by, too. Why, I live right in town. I can stop in every day if you get lonesome."

Elizabeth squealed as Jacko dodged a bone that suddenly sprung up from Noah's plate and propelled itself toward his head.

Jacko roared with laughter. "OK, OK, I'll only come every other day."

May 24, 1885 Dear Mrs. Rhodes, Please know my desire to be of service to you is unflagging, but I have unfortunately been unable to find further clues. The New York Orphan Asylum has threatened to have me arrested should I show up again. This, of course, makes me all the more determined. I am sure they are covering up the unsavory details of Elizabeth's flight, and I suspect they are being paid for their silence as they have just finished an additional wing from an anonymous benefactor. The more I have prodded into the details of the addition, the more threatening to my person the orphanage and builder have become. I have begun to carry a gun. At the risk of sounding cracked, I sometimes feel as if something dark is looming over my shoulder. It's very disquieting, really, but again, makes me more determined than ever. Rest a.s.sured, we will not stop until we have found her.

Sincerely yours, Jeremiah Hoglesby.

Private Detective for Hire.

Seven.

She couldn't sleep. The room was cozy warm with the perpetual fire crackling and popping, the quilt tucked up tight under her chin. Tomorrow they would prepare for the trip to Juneau and the next day they would leave. Just two more days with him.

Noah had given Jacko the bed, while Noah slept on a thick fur between the fire and where she lay on the sofa. He had fallen asleep right away tonight, with the kind of deep and even rising and falling of his broad chest that spoke of easy contentment, of a peaceful, steadfast nature. His blanket was another long, dark fur. Elizabeth couldn't help but think about what it would feel like to lie between those two silky surfaces. She turned away and closed her eyes. She didn't want to watch him. She told herself it was impossible to consider anything with Noah other than a surface friendship, a sham business partnership. But still, she couldn't sleep. She could hear Jacko's loud snoring from the bed. A movement from Noah regained her attention. He had rolled over onto his back and the fur had slipped down a few more inches. Firelight danced over his dark form, illuminating then shadowing, revealing and hiding, mesmerizing her. Turning her face to the ceiling, she squeezed her eyes shut. What was wrong with her? Not even Ross, the only man she had believed herself in love with, had made her feel like this man did. Turning back she stared at him, trying to reason it out in her mind.

His feet must be cold, sticking out from the bottom like that. Glancing around she saw the heavy cotton shirt she had mended after dinner while the men talked. He would probably kick it off, but she thought it was worth the effort. After all the care he had given her, he could use some in return, couldn't he? She slipped out of her makeshift bed and sidled over to the shirt. Whisking it from the back of the rocker, she crept over to the sleeping form and spread out the shirt, letting it float gently onto his feet.

She jumped when a hand suddenly clamped around her wrist. "Elizabeth?" the groggy, deep voice asked. "What are you doing? Is something wrong?"

She'd been caught. Biting her lower lip and standing in her thin undergarments, she started shivering, her teeth chattering. "I-I-I w-wasn't doing any-anything," she said, trying to pull away from the grip on her arm.

Noah easily drew her closer until she was kneeling in front of him and whispered, "You were doing something. Why are you up? Are you all right?"

Elizabeth looked down at his chest and sighed. She couldn't possibly tell him the truth. It was ridiculous.

NOAH WAS FULLY awake now and growing more uncomfortable by the moment. She was sitting there in front of him with the firelight casting dancing shadows on her curves, her gown tangled up around her bare legs. Forcing his eyes to her face, he concentrated on keeping them there. But all he could see was the top of her silky hair. Putting a thumb under her chin he tilted her face up. That was a mistake. When he saw the smoldering depths of her eyes, he knew. G.o.d help him a she wanted him.

He fought a quick internal battle and lost, unable to resist her quiet calla"had even been waiting and hoping for it in some innate part of his soul. Slowly he pulled her toward him, her knees sliding across the silky surface toward him, until she was close enough to touch him. He leaned up, bracing himself with one arm to reach for her, leaning toward her until he could feel her quick breaths across his face. He lifted higher, feeling the fur slip down to his waist, feeling the cool air in front of him and the warmth of the fire on his back, feeling the rush of blood pound in his ears as he reached for her lips.

They were cold and she was still shivering. Whether from cold or something else, Noah wasn't sure, but he wanted her warm and comfortable. Putting a strong arm around her waist, he pulled her closer, down into the fur nest with him, feeling her stomach come flush against his, feeling the small mounds of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his chest, and all the while pulling the fur over them where it could warm her.

"Elizabeth," he whispered into her hair, next to her ear, sending a shiver through her body.

His lips grazed the line of her delicately made jaw, then into the crook of her neck, then back to where her breath mingled with his. His hand slid up to the back of her neck and then around, his thumb caressing her cheek. Their breaths intermingled, becoming one. Her eyes looked like dark pools, their depths unreadable, unfathomable. Her lips were still as he touched them, wanting a response, wanting what her eyes just moments ago had promised him.

An eerie feeling a.s.sailed him. Something was not right. He lifted his head and gazed into her eyes once again. Noah suddenly knew she was somewhere else, that she wasn't in the room with him anymore. He touched her cheek gently. "Elizabeth?"

As reality returned to her eyes she became alive. Bracing her free hand on his chest, she pushed away and whispered desperately, "No. Don't touch me."

He looked back into her eyes, holding her to him by her wrist, to find fear had replaced the nothingness. Some sense told him fear was the better of the two. "What's wrong, Elizabeth? I won't hurt you."