“About that kiss…”

Jodie began. “I thought you were your brother, so I thought a kiss would be an icebreaker.”

“You don’t want me to tell my brother, is that it?” Donovan asked.

“That isn’t ‘it’ at all. I just didn’t want you thinking I went around kissing strange men like that.”

“I may be frustrated some of the time, but I’m not strange.”

Irritation tensed her jaw. “You know perfectly well what I meant.”

His golden-brown eyes laughed at her. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Would you stop…it’s not a secret.”

“You worry too much. It’s no big deal.”

It’s no big deal. Jodie drew a deep, calming breath into her lungs. It had seemed simple, coming to Alaska. She could give her children a father, build a new life in the place she’d loved as a child.

Simple.

Until she’d mistakenly kissed her fiancé’s brother.…

Dear Reader,

Looking for sensational summer reads? All year we’ve been celebrating Silhouette’s 20th Anniversary with special titles, and this month’s selections are just the warm, romantic tales you’ve been seeking!

Bestselling author Stella Bagwell continues the newest Romance promotion, AN OLDER MAN. Falling for Grace hadn’t been his intention, particularly when his younger, pregnant neighbor was carrying his nephew’s baby! Judy Christenberry’s THE CIRCLE K SISTERS miniseries comes back to Romance this month, when sister Melissa enlists the temporary services of The Borrowed Groom. Moyra Tarling’s Denim & Diamond pairs a rough-hewn single dad with the expectant woman he’d once desired beyond reason…but let get away.

Valerie Parv unveils her romantic royalty series THE CARRAMER CROWN. When a woman literally washes ashore at the feet of the prince, she becomes companion to The Monarch’s Son…but will she ever become the monarch’s wife? Julianna Morris’s BRIDAL FEVER! persists when Jodie’s Mail-Order Man discovers her heart’s desire: the brother of her mail-order groom! And Martha Shields’s Lassoed! is the perfect Opposites Attract story this summer. The sparks between a rough-and-tumble rodeo champ and the refined beauty sent to photograph him jump off every page!

In future months, look for STORKVILLE, USA, our newest continuity series. And don’t miss the charming miniseries THE CHANDLERS REQUEST…from New York Times bestselling author Kasey Michaels.

Happy reading!

Mary-Theresa Hussey

Senior Editor

Jodie’s Mail-Order Man
Julianna Morris

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Books by Julianna Morris

Silhouette Romance

Baby Talk #1097

Family of Three #1178

Daddy Woke Up Married #1252

Dr. Dad #1278

The Marriage Stampede #1375

*Callie, Get Your Groom #1436

*Hannah Gets a Husband #1448

*Jodie’s Mail-Order Man #1460

JULIANNA MORRIS

has an offbeat sense of humor, which frequently gets her into trouble. She is often accused of being curious about everything…her interests ranging from oceanography and photography to traveling, antiquing, walking on the beach and reading science fiction. Choosing a college major was extremely difficult, but after many changes she earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.

Julianna’s writing is supervised by a cat named Gandalf, who sits on the computer monitor and criticizes each keystroke. Ultimately, she would like a home overlooking the ocean, where she can write to her heart’s content—and Gandalf’s malcontent. She’d like to share that home with her own romantic hero, someone with a warm, sexy smile, lots of patience and an offbeat sense of humor to match her own. Oh, yes…and he has to like cats.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Chapter One

“You aren’t going to marry him, not really…Are you, Mom?”

Jodie pulled two suitcases down from the luggage rack, then looked at her eight-year-old son. “This is just a getting-acquainted trip, Tadd. I told you that.”

“Puleeze, the guy’s an accountant.” He slouched deeper in his airplane seat. Tadd said accountant the way some people said ax murderer, and Jodie sighed.

“You were the one who said I should get married again,” she reminded him. “I’m sure you’ll like Mr. Masters if you give him a chance. He’s a friend of your uncle David. They met when David was stationed here in Alaska.”

“I wanted you to marry someone like Dad,” Tadd mumbled, his face rebellious. “Not an accountant.”

Jodie’s heart twinged. She did not want to marry someone like her first husband. Air force pilot Mark Richards had been the most exciting, wonderful thing in her life—until he died in a routine training mission because he was going too fast and taking too many chances.

No, give her someone quiet and settled like a tax accountant. Forget romance; this time she wanted a sensible marriage based on common interests and goals. She didn’t need the heartache.

Jodie unbuckled her daughter’s seat belt. Penny looked up, a sunny smile on her little face. “New daddy, Mama?”

The tight ache in Jodie’s chest eased. Penny embraced life with a joyful exuberance. She didn’t worry or fuss or think about what might have been. And unlike her brother, she was thrilled about the prospect of getting a new father.

“Maybe, sweetheart.”

“Bye, Penny,” said an elderly couple as they edged past them in the airplane aisle. They weren’t the first to say goodbye—half their fellow passengers had stopped to say something before disembarking.

Jodie looked at her daughter and shook her head, laughing. Penny collected new friends the way some people collected baseball cards.

“Come on, munchkin. Let’s get out of here. Go with your brother.”

Tadd took his sister’s hand, leading the two-year-old down the aisle and out of the plane. As they stepped into the terminal, Jodie looked around, searching for the man whose picture she’d studied a hundred times.

There he is.

At least she thought it was him. The man standing a few yards away seemed different—more defined than his photograph, more mature and sensual than she’d imagined he would be. Her heart beat faster.

Just nerves, she rationalized. She’d never been a mail-order bride before. Even now she could hardly believe she was doing anything so unconventional. Anyway, she should feel attracted to her future husband, even if she wasn’t in love with him. There was nothing wrong with warmth and a pleasant tingle, as long as they were mixed with mutual respect.

Right?

Gritting her teeth, Jodie put a brake on her thoughts. She was mentally babbling, something that happened when she got nervous.

The man straightened and locked gazes with her for a long minute. He seemed to be waiting for something and Jodie wondered if he was feeling the same quick rush of awareness.

“That’s him,” Tadd muttered. “The accountant.”

Penny dropped her brother’s hand. “Daddy,” she shrieked happily. She ran full tilt at the stranger and threw her arms around his leg.

A startled expression crossed his face. “Well…hello, there.” He disengaged Penny’s grip on his thigh and lifted her in his arms. She patted his cheek and gave him a noisy kiss.

Jodie smiled. Maybe her daughter had the right idea. Rather than standing around waiting for an awkward introduction, she should just give him a kiss and see what happened.

Putting the suitcases on the ground, Jodie stepped closer. A long time ago she’d been just as impulsive as Penny, just as enthusiastic about life. She drew on those memories now, to give her courage.

“Hi,” she murmured. Warm, golden brown eyes looked at her, equal amounts of surprise and question in their depths. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”

Before she could think better of it, Jodie slid her hand behind the back of his head and tugged. After a split second of hesitation, his firm lips moved over hers. There was a faint flavor of mint and coffee in the kiss and she instinctively drew a breath.

It was good, almost too good. The shiver that went to her tummy had nothing to do with fear. She’d dated a few times in the past year, but none of those men had made her feel a tenth this much response. Maybe it was a good omen.

Or maybe she should be scared out of her socks.

A second later he lifted his head and stared into her face. “I—uh.” He cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I’m not who you think.”

She’d kissed a perfect stranger?

Heat burned Jodie’s cheeks and she stepped back quickly. “I’m terribly sorry. You look just like…that is, I was expecting…Never mind. Come here, munchkin,” she said, holding her arms out to Penny. Unfortunately her daughter was clinging to the man’s neck like a limpet.

“Don’t apologize. I always enjoy kissing a beautiful woman, and I got lucky today with two of them,” he murmured, turning his head to give Penny a light kiss on her cheek.

“Oh.” The compliment flustered Jodie. “That’s nice, but we’re supposed to be meeting someone. Let go of him, Penny.”

“Daddy,” Penny insisted.

“No, this isn’t Daddy…er, Cole. Remember, we—we’re just here to visit,” she stuttered, non-plussed with both embarrassment and confusion. This whole thing had to sound insane to a stranger, and she wasn’t too sure it didn’t sound insane to her as well.

“No, my daddy.” Ninety-nine percent of the time Penny was sweetly good-natured, but in the remaining one percent she was pure stubbornness.

“It’s complicated,” she said to the man, feeling she should explain why her daughter thought a stranger was her daddy.

“It usually is.” Donovan looked at his brother’s bride-to-be and swore silently. How could Cole put him in a position like this? Okay, so Cole had gotten a last-minute chance to join a climb on Mount McKinley. Surely the arrival of his prospective wife was a little more important.

As for the youngsters? As usual, Cole had left out a few details—like the fact Jodie Richards would be arriving with a couple of kids.

Donovan surveyed Jodie again, fighting an edgy, masculine awareness. She was slim and not too tall, with the lithe, supple grace of a cat. A green silk blouse and skirt outlined her feminine curves to perfection. For all her cool elegance, he could sense the fire burning beneath her polished surface—a fire he shouldn’t have any interest in exploring. If only she hadn’t kissed him. Then he wouldn’t feel so…uncomfortable.

Shocked at the direction of his thoughts, Donovan cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m Cole’s brother, Donovan Masters,” he explained belatedly. “Pleased to meet you.”

Her eyes blinked. “I thought Cole would be here.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a long story. I’ll explain on the way.”

“On the way? Where are we going?”

Doubt had replaced the embarrassed flush in her face, and Donovan sighed. Cole owed him big-time for this favor. Of course, only Cole would write to a woman he’d never met, then propose marriage after a few letters.

“Uh…let’s get a cup of coffee,” Donovan murmured. “I’ll explain everything.” He glanced at the child in his arms and the solemn boy at Jodie’s elbow. “You guys feel like a milk shake?”

The little girl nodded emphatically. She was a mirror image of her mother, from the cat-green eyes to the gold silk of her hair.

“Obviously you’ve already met Penny,” Jodie said quickly. She urged the dark-haired boy forward. “And this is my son, Tadd.”

“Hello, Tadd.” Donovan set Penny on the floor so he could shake hands with the reluctant boy. They were nice-looking kids, though undoubtedly Tadd took after his father. There was nothing in his brown eyes and olive skin that resembled the feminine side of the family.

“Are you an accountant, too, Mr. Masters?”

Donovan’s eyebrows shot upward at the boy’s hostile tone.

“That’s enough,” Jodie ordered quickly. Donovan Masters would think her son was a rude little monster, and it wasn’t true. As a rule, Tadd was very well behaved; his grandfather made certain of that. She unconsciously winced at the thought of her father. General Thaddeus McBride was a career air force officer who treated his family with the same rigid discipline he drilled into his flight crews.

“Actually, I’m a pilot,” Donovan murmured.

Tadd’s face brightened. “In the air force?”

“No, I have an air-transit business here in Alaska.”

“Wow. Did you hear that, Mom? He’s a pilot, just like Dad.”

Tension coiled tighter in Jodie’s stomach and she gave Tadd a warning glance. “I heard him the first time.”

In all the letters she and Cole had exchanged, he’d never mentioned that his thirty-six-year-old brother was a pilot. His descriptions had included phrases such as fun-loving, laid-back, and doesn’t take anything seriously. But not pilot.

Jodie swallowed. She didn’t need her son getting any smart ideas about playing matchmaker. She’d come up to meet Cole Masters, not his brother. Which meant she could just forget about that kiss, and Tadd could forget about her marrying a pilot “just like Dad.”

“I think coffee would be a good idea, Mr. Masters. Is anything wrong with Cole?”

An odd expression crossed Donovan’s face. “No, but it’ll take some explaining. At any rate, please call me Donovan.” He winked at Tadd. “The same goes for you.”

“All right, Donovan.” Tadd had the rapt face of a first-year cadet at the academy, listening to one of his favorite instructors.

Academy.

Jodie rolled her eyes. She’d grown up all over the world as an air force brat, and then she’d married an air force officer. Heck, she was so saturated with the air force, she couldn’t think in any other way. That was one of the reasons she wanted to marry someone not connected with the armed services. Her children needed to know there was a different world out there, with different possibilities.

“There’s a café down this way,” Donovan murmured. He took her suitcases.

“Fine.” Holding Penny’s hand, Jodie followed him down the airport concourse. It was larger than she’d expected for the size of Fairbanks, though she knew the town was a transportation center for the interior of the state.

A faint thrill of excitement crept through her, despite the unexpected turn of events. Her father had been stationed in Alaska when she was a child, right before her mother had died. She’d loved it—even the cold and wild storms of winter. It was a far cry from the heat and humidity of Florida where they’d been living for the past couple of years. There was a part of her that had always known she’d come back to Alaska.

“Have a seat, and I’ll get the coffee and treats,” Donovan said when they reached the coffee shop. He put the luggage next to a table, then pulled a chair out for Jodie. “That is…if it’s all right for the kids to have milk shakes?” he asked. “We could get sandwiches or something.”

“Milk shakes are fine,” Jodie said as she settled Penny into a chair of her own. “We ate on the plane.”

“Great. What flavor do you want, Tadd?”

“Strawberry. Penny likes it, too, but she can’t have any ’cause it makes her itch, so she has to have chocolate,” Tadd answered.

“Is that so, Penny?”

Penny sighed with a comically adult expression. “No taw’berries.”

He grinned. It was hard not to smile at Penny; she was a living ray of sunshine. A child like that could bring laughter into the darkest Alaska winter, yet it still boggled his mind that Cole was considering marriage at all, much less to a woman with two kids.

The thought nagged at Donovan as he waited in line at the cash register. The Masters family didn’t have a great track record with marriage, though his mom seemed happy enough with her second husband.

Did Cole know about the children?

Perhaps Jodie had failed to mention them in her letters. Donovan glanced at the young woman across the restaurant, then shook his head. She seemed pretty direct.

Hell, direct was an understatement. For all its innocent brevity, that kiss had sent his temperature up ten degrees. It was hard to imagine her concealing anything.

“Here you go,” he said a minute later, putting a tray down on the table. “One chocolate shake, and one strawberry. And two cups of coffee.”

Tadd’s eyes gleamed as he began drinking the concoction with a deliberate speed. “Grandfather doesn’t like us to have ice cream in the middle of the day,” he said between sips. “We can have it after dinner, but he gets upset when Mom gives us some early. Then they have a big fight.”

Hmmm.

The Richardses were getting more and more interesting. Donovan handed Jodie her cup and sat back with his own, watching her. A hundred questions begged for answers, such as: What had happened to her first husband? Were they divorced? And why would a woman with Jodie Richards’s face and body need a mail-order marriage? One thing was sure—she didn’t look old enough to have an eight-year-old son, but Cole had said she was in her late twenties.

“Sounds like you and your father have some disagreements over raising children,” he murmured.

Jodie took a sip of the steaming coffee. She shifted uncomfortably under Donovan’s curious gaze and shrugged. “Father can be rather strict. He believes in three square meals a day and a very limited amount of indulgence.”

“My grandfather is a two-star general,” Tadd contributed, his expression a peculiar mix of pride and ambivalence. “We live with him.”

“Look,” Jodie said, setting her cup down, “I’d like to know what’s going on with Cole. He said he’d meet us.”

“Yeah.” It was Donovan’s turn to look uncomfortable. “He tried to call a couple of days ago, but he couldn’t reach you.”

Her eyes narrowed. This didn’t sound good. “I decided to take an earlier flight and spend some time with a friend in Denver. So, where is Cole?”

Donovan tapped his fingers on the table. “Well, right about now he’s in the preliminary stages of climbing the West Buttress of Mount McKinley.”

Jodie stared. She didn’t know a great deal about mountain climbers, but she knew they risked their lives for the sake of climbing a chunk of rock. A rock. They couldn’t enjoy looking at the mountain from a safe distance, they had to see it close up, coupled with risk and danger and adrenaline. She understood all about adrenaline junkies. She’d married one of them.

“So,” she said carefully, trying to keep a grip on her temper, “Cole is an avid mountain climber.”

Donovan nodded. “One of the best.”

“That’s pretty great, Mom,” Tadd exclaimed. He’d finished his own milk shake and was polishing off his sister’s. “Maybe he won’t be so bad after all.”

She spun her head around, her patience strained to the limit. “Not now, Tadd. Go look after your sister.” Penny had climbed down and was exploring a rack of brightly colored postcards.

Tadd opened his mouth to protest, but a single look from his mother silenced him. Jodie was a softer touch than his grandfather, but when she laid down the law, that was that.

She waited until her son was out of immediate earshot. “Cole never said anything about being a climber.”

Donovan whistled silently at the angry sparks in Jodie’s eyes. He was right—there was a lot of fire inside Jodie Richards.

He cleared his throat, uncertain whether she was angry about Cole not telling of his favorite hobby, or that he’d taken off on a climb when he was supposed to be meeting her. Or maybe she was angry about both.

“Jodie, he hasn’t changed his mind about the marriage, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“That’s big of him.”

Donovan leaned forward. “You have every right to be upset, but try to understand. Cole has wanted to climb McKinley ever since he was a kid. And he didn’t plan for this to happen—he signed up as an alternate on the team before you talked about getting married.”

Jodie took a deep breath. She understood about lifelong dreams, but it seemed as if every dire prediction her father had uttered about her trip to Alaska was coming true. That was the worst part, wondering how many times she’d have to hear “I told you so.” He meant well, but he couldn’t see that a family needed more than rules and hop-to commands.

“How long is this climb supposed to take?”

Donovan hesitated. “About three weeks.”

Her fingers curled into her palm. “Then Cole will get back only a few days before we’re supposed to leave.”

“If the climb goes well, he’ll be back even earlier.” Donovan didn’t say what would happen if the climb didn’t go well. McKinley wasn’t as dangerous as climbing a mountain like Everest, but it wasn’t safe, either. “Cole said if you got married, he figured this would be his last chance to climb McKinley. I think he’s planning to give up climbing if things work out…between you.”

She was silent for a full minute, obviously weighing what she’d heard and making decisions. He couldn’t blame her. She had her children to think about.

“Fine. We’ll fly home, then come back later in the summer when he’s ready.”

“You can’t do that.” The sharpness in his voice surprised Donovan, but he didn’t stop to examine the reasons. “That is, you won’t be able to get a flight out. Not easily. Cruise ships bring passengers up to Alaska, then they fly home after touring the state. Outbound flights are booked for weeks ahead during the summer.”

She didn’t say anything and he wondered if she was still angry, or merely thinking.

“You also came to see if you like Alaska and the family,” he said, using all his persuasive powers. “My mom and stepfather said you can stay with them as long as you want.”

“We planned to stay in a hotel. Anyway, I lived here when I was a kid, so I know what it’s like. I’ve always loved Alaska. I hated it when my father was transferred to Hawaii.”

The last piece of information surprised him. Jodie seemed like a butterfly, soft and golden and just as delicate. He didn’t know anything about that kind of woman. Didn’t she belong in the sun? Exotic butterflies should live on tropical islands with warm, scented breezes.

Both amused and annoyed at the direction his mind had taken, Donovan gulped the last of his coffee. It was going to be harder than he’d thought to remember Jodie belonged to his brother. He should just drop her at his mother’s house, then head south again.

“Mom has plenty of room and she’ll be disappointed if you don’t stay,” he murmured. “You want to get acquainted with her, don’t you?”

“Of course. But…” Jodie shrugged diffidently. “It’s awkward. Without Cole here, it doesn’t seem right to impose, especially with Tadd and Penny.”

“Believe me, it’s no imposition. The only thing Mom loves more than company is children.” The wry, amused tone in Donovan’s voice made Jodie smile. Family was important and she wanted to be sure she got along with her proposed new in-laws.

Sudden warmth flushed her body as the memory of kissing Donovan crowded her mind. Oh…she got along with Donovan, all right, but it wasn’t the kind of “all right” that was appropriate between in-laws. And just as suddenly, Jodie realized it was a good thing Donovan hadn’t turned out to be Cole. She wanted to feel a moderate attraction for her husband, not a soul-burning passion. If a single kiss made her so unsettled, then marrying a man like Donovan would be too much of a risk.

“Jodie?” His hand covered her fingers and she jumped. “What do you say? A few weeks with my mother would be a great vacation. She’s a good cook and you can see all the tourist spots around Fairbanks.”

Her mouth dry, Jodie stared at the large male hand clasping hers. The cautious side of her said no, but the impulsive side said yes. She’d taken a lot of chances in her life; why not try one more time?

“I guess we could stay,” she said slowly. “For a few days at least.”

“Great.” He stood and collected the suitcases from beside the table. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Two

Donovan frowned as he looked at Jodie’s two suitcases. “This doesn’t look like enough for a month, not for the three of you.”

“There’s a larger bag I checked through,” she said. “I hope it got here safely. We had to change planes a couple of times.”

“Okay, we’ll go to the baggage claim area first.”

She called the children, lifting Penny into her arms so they could walk faster. Donovan wondered how she’d managed at each of the airports, handling both luggage and children by herself, then stopped wondering when he thought about the determined tilt to her chin.

It was too early to tell, but Jodie might be exactly what his brother needed.

Just what he needed?

Donovan mentally smacked his forehead. Cole didn’t need to get married, he needed his head examined. Marrying a woman like Jodie Richards might be appealing for the obvious reasons, but Cole had never seen her outside of a photograph. No matter how gorgeous she looked in that photo, it couldn’t be enough to make his brother’s hormones scream “marriage.”

“You got awfully quiet all of a sudden,” Jodie murmured, breaking his train of thought.

He cast a glance at her, noting the healthy pink color brought to her face by the exertion of walking and carrying Penny. Maybe he was silently arguing the merits of Cole’s proposed marriage because he was attracted to Jodie himself, but couldn’t make any moves on her. Only a heel would flirt with his brother’s fiancée.

“I was just trying to guess how you and Cole got hooked up together,” Donovan answered, more or less honestly. “He mentioned you lived in Florida, but he didn’t have time to explain much else.”

A small frown creased Jodie’s forehead, though he didn’t know if she was just thinking, or annoyed again. “My brother was stationed at Eielson Air Force Base a few years ago, and they got to be friends. As the story goes, David told Cole about me and suggested we start writing to each other.”

“Hmm.” Donovan suspected there was a lot more to the “story” than Jodie was saying. “Sounds simple enough.”

Jodie wrinkled her nose. “Not really. David is a lot like my father—which means he thinks he has the right to arrange everyone’s lives. At the beginning I wasn’t going to write back, but the first letter sounded interesting, so I…” She shrugged. “The McBride men can’t always be wrong, even if they do have the tact of stampeding buffalo.”

Donovan swallowed a laugh. He’d gotten an absurd image of Jodie holding a toreador’s cape as she fended off the men in her life. “How many ‘McBride men’ are there?”

“Five. Four brothers, one father.”

“All air force?”

“Except for Robert. He’s the black sheep in the family—he enlisted in the navy.”

“I see.” Donovan didn’t ask how Jodie fit into the picture, black sheep or otherwise. It was obvious that her family caused her a great deal of amused exasperation.

“You can imagine how well my father accepted the news,” she added, giving him a droll smile. “‘Third-generation air force and he wants to wear white sailor pants,”’ she mimicked.

“I guess the rivalry between the different armed services is just as intense as I’ve heard.” Donovan steered the small group downstairs.

Jodie shrugged. “At least it is for anyone who serves under my father’s command.”

“Including his family?”

“Especially his family,” she corrected. “It’s worse than being born into a dynasty. At least a dynasty doesn’t operate under military rules of engagement.”

Everything she said raised more questions for Donovan, questions he didn’t feel it was his place to ask. “Here we are,” he said as they approached the baggage claim area.

To his surprise, Jodie’s third suitcase wasn’t much bigger than the two she’d carried onto the plane. From his experience with flying tourists around Alaska, he’d gotten the notion that women always packed too much. Apparently she wasn’t guilty of that problem.

In the parking lot they belted Tadd and Penny into the back seat of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which he’d borrowed from the local branch office of Triple M Transit. It was convenient being one-third owner of a business that provided service over most of Alaska. Whenever he visited from his home on the Kenai Peninsula, he was able to have his own ground transportation in Fairbanks.

He’d reached to open the passenger door when Jodie shifted her feet uncomfortably. “Uh, Donovan?”

His hand dropped. “Yes?” he asked cautiously.

“About what happened at the terminal…?”

“Yes?”

“I was just trying to be spontaneous. And I thought you were Cole, so I thought a kiss would be an icebreaker.” Jodie stopped, deciding her explanation was just making matters worse.

“You don’t want me to tell Cole, is that it?”

She gave him an annoyed look. “That isn’t ‘it’ at all. I just didn’t want you thinking I went around like that, kissing strange men.”

“Boy, that hurts.”

He sounded serious and she frowned. “What hurts?”

“I may be frustrated some of the time, but I’m not strange.”

Irritation tensed her jaw. “You know perfectly well what I meant.”

His golden-brown eyes laughed at her. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Jodie’s fingers tightened on the strap of her purse. It wouldn’t be civilized to hit him over the head with it, but she was tempted. “Would you stop…It’s not a secret.”

“You worry too much. It’s no big deal. And I’m to blame—I should have said something when Penny ran up calling me ‘Daddy.”’ He opened the door and bowed, sweeping his arm down and around in a grandiose gesture. “I bet my mother is planning a great dinner to welcome you to Alaska, so we’d better head out.”

Still glaring, Jodie hiked her slim-cut skirt up a couple of inches and climbed into the high seat of the vehicle. She should have worn slacks for the flight, but feminine vanity had won out over common sense.

It’s no big deal.

In all honesty, she wasn’t so upset about the teasing, it was the way he’d brushed off their kiss. Her lips still tingled from the brief contact with Donovan’s mouth, but he said it wasn’t a big deal.

Jodie drew a deep, calming breath into her lungs. She needed to get a grip. Women invested too much meaning into things like kisses. Men were better off without the kind of feminine second-guessing she went through.

Like now.

She twisted in the bucket seat of the vehicle, wishing life was a little simpler. It had seemed simple, coming to Alaska. She could get her children away from the stifling life on an air force base, give them a father and build a new life in a place she’d loved as a child.

Simple.

Until she’d mistakenly kissed her fiancé’s brother and gotten more confused than she’d felt in a long time.

Jodie looked around with restless energy. Donovan stood just outside the driver’s door, talking on a cell phone. She surreptitiously studied him, trying to understand the reasons he’d affected her so strongly. Anticipation? Perhaps that was the answer. For weeks she’d anticipated meeting Cole, hoping they’d like each other in person as much as they’d liked each other in their letters. The kiss was just a culmination of all that expectation and hopeful thinking.

Donovan punched a button, then dialed another number into the phone. He said a few words, waited, then said something else, his mouth tight with apparent irritation. After a long moment he nodded and opened the door.

“It’s Cole. He wanted me to call once you got here,” he said, handing over the phone.

Jodie swallowed and took the cell phone. Ah, the miracles of modern life. A man could take off for a climb on Mount McKinley and still apologize to the woman he’d promised to meet.

“Hello?” she murmured into the receiver.

“God, Jodie, I’m so sorry,” Cole exclaimed, his voice eerily similar to his brother’s. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, I swear. But they would have been forced to cancel the expedition if I didn’t go.”

She bit her tongue, literally, not wanting to say something she’d regret.

“You there, Jodie?”

“Yes. I understand this was the opportunity of a lifetime,” she murmured, congratulating herself on her steady tone. “I’m glad you were able to join the climb.”

“That’s great of you. I’ve go—”

Static crackled the line and she waited, wondering what else needed to be said. “Cole?”

“Sorry. This damn phone doesn’t get good reception up here, and it’ll be worse the higher up we go. I can’t talk long, but how did the kids take the trip? It’s a long way from Florida.”

“They’re fine. We stopped over in Denver for a couple of days.”

“That’s why I couldn’t reach you. Well…” His voice trailed and she could hear the sound of impatient voices in the background.

“You’d better go. We’ll talk when you get back,” Jodie said.

“Okay.” Another crackle of static followed, then silence.

She handed the phone to Donovan, who slipped it into his shirt pocket. “Did Cole straighten everything out?”

“What’s to straighten out?” she asked evenly.

“You know what I mean.”

Yeah, she knew. Donovan might be easygoing and laid-back the way Cole had described, but nothing seemed to escape his notice. Donovan realized she was upset that Cole had left, and that she was upset because she ought to understand his dream of climbing Mount McKinley. And she did understand, except now she had to question all over again whether Cole was the right man for her to marry. Men who craved dangerous challenges didn’t make ideal husbands.

“I think this is something between Cole and me,” she said firmly. It didn’t do any good to avoid Donovan’s knowing gaze, so she met it squarely.

“Fine.” Donovan started the engine and drove out of the lot.

Jodie glanced into the rear seat. Tadd and Penny were gazing around, curiosity in their eyes. Despite the turmoil in her thoughts, Jodie smiled at the way Tadd held his sister’s hand in a protective grasp.

It had always been that way. Since the moment Penny was born, her brother had assumed the role of protector. Though hardly old enough to understand, he’d realized she was small and defenseless. For an instant her smile wavered. She’d been pregnant with Penny and had almost lost her in those terrible months after Mark died.

“Hey. It’s not so terrible,” Donovan murmured, watching her face. “I’m sure Tadd will decide that a mountain climber is almost as good as a pilot.”

Jodie stiffened. She knew Donovan was just teasing her again. He didn’t know her husband had been killed in a plane, so he couldn’t understand how she felt. How could he? He was a pilot, just like Mark. And if Mark had survived that damned crash, he would have climbed aboard another jet as soon as he was able.

“Jodie?” Donovan’s teasing smile faded into concern. “I didn’t mean to say anything to upset you. Honest, you can’t take me seriously. I joke around too much.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m sorry Tadd was rude,” she said quietly, still keeping one eye on the back seat. Neither Penny or Tadd seemed aware of their conversation, but as the old saying went, little pitchers had big ears.

“At least Cole will always know where he stands.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

Donovan chuckled at Jodie’s droll tone, though he sensed a forced quality in her voice. Something had brought a shadow to her catlike eyes.

With an effort he focused his attention on the road ahead. If Cole hadn’t gone on that climb, then he’d be here, worrying about Jodie’s eyes and the things that made her sad. Instead, it was big brother Donovan, always safe to call in an emergency. And it might have been safe if Jodie hadn’t mistaken him for Cole and given him a kiss that nearly knocked his shoes off.

A frown creased the space between his eyes. As kisses went, that one was utterly chaste. But it had made him see her first as a woman, instead of as a potential sister-in-law.

“Do your parents live far from here?” Jodie asked a few minutes later. They’d passed the city limits and were getting into a less-populated area.

Donovan flashed her a reassuring smile. “It’s just a few miles. I don’t really think of Shamus as my father. I’d already moved out and was working on the Alaska pipeline when Mom remarried.”

“That’s too bad.”

“But Cole is closer to Shamus. He was sixteen at the time, so it’s more like a father-son relationship between them.”

After another fifteen minutes Donovan turned down a neatly laid driveway of crushed rock. They wound through the trees for a quarter of a mile, then pulled up next to a massive log house halfway down the hill.

“It’s beautiful,” Jodie breathed, staring at the structure and surroundings with obvious pleasure.

“Not too bad.” He went to help her out, carefully ignoring the way her skirt rode up her legs. Earlier he’d caught a glimpse of Jodie’s smooth, tanned thighs and his temperature had gone up another few degrees, no doubt explaining his foul temper when he’d called Cole.

Donovan winced, thinking of the brief, biting comments he’d passed on to his little brother. He should have kept his mouth shut. The last thing Cole needed on a dangerous climb was something to break his concentration.

“Welcome to Alaska,” cried a voice. Donovan looked up in time to see his mother pull Jodie into a hug. “I’m so happy to meet you.”

“We’re happy to be here, Mrs. Carney. Cole wrote about you in his letters.”

“No, dear, please call me Evelyn. I’ve waited too long for a daughter-in-law to waste time being formal. Heavens, I thought neither one of my sons would ever get married.”

“Th-thank you. But we’re not married yet.” Jodie tried to catch her breath. Evelyn Carney crackled with bustling energy and good humor. She was surprisingly youthful, with just a few threads of silver in her brown hair and a fan of laugh lines at the corners of her eyes.

“But you will be, very soon. And I can’t wait to meet your children,” Evelyn said happily. She opened the Jeep’s door. “Aren’t you a darling?” She lifted Penny and held a hand out to Tadd. “And goodness, you’re so grown-up and handsome, young man.”

The genuine warmth and friendliness in her voice broke through Tadd’s usual reserve and he puffed with pride. “I’m eight.”

“That old? But you still like peanut butter cookies, right?”

Tadd nodded quickly.

“Oh, good. Because I have a whole plateful inside, along with a big pot of cocoa. I’ve always wanted a couple of grandchildren to spoil. Now I get my chance.”

Jodie watched bemused as Evelyn Carney disappeared into the house with Penny and Tadd. A warm hand at the small of her back made her jump.

“Mom does that,” Donovan murmured. His eyes, so much like his mother’s, were filled with affection. “I told you she loves kids.”

“Yes. She’s wonderful.” Jodie caught her lower lip between her teeth and dealt with a nagging stab of guilt. Evelyn had greeted her affectionately, but what would she think if she knew her much-anticipated daughter-in-law was already having doubts whether a marriage would take place?

Not that anything was decided. She couldn’t decide anything until Cole had finished his climb and she met him. But the climbing? She’d never feel comfortable about something so dangerous. On the other hand, maybe things could work out if Cole honestly intended to give it up.

“Cole said this would be his last chance to climb McKinley?” she asked, needing some kind of reassurance.

Donovan dropped his hand. “I got the impression he didn’t think it was a proper hobby for a married man,” he said carefully.

“It isn’t.” Without intending it, the words came out harsh, almost angry. Closing her eyes for an instant, Jodie took several deep breaths.

She wished she could explain she wasn’t angry with Cole, she was angry with herself. She’d married a man who cared more about going supersonic in his jets than being a family man. As a result, her children didn’t have their father, and that was the hardest part about losing Mark.

“Well,” she said finally, “I’d better go inside and make sure your mother doesn’t spoil Tadd and Penny too much. They aren’t used to doting grandparent types.”

“If you think my mom is bad, just wait until Shamus gets home.”

“Oh?” Jodie lifted her eyebrows as they climbed the steps to the porch.

“Yup. Shamus never had kids of his own, so he’s just as eager for grandkids as Mom.”

“You sound fond of him.”

Donovan paused. He’d never thought of it that way. Shamus Carney had always been somebody his mother cared about, someone who made her happy after years of being alone. “He’s all right.”

Jodie shook her head and stepped through the door he was holding for her. “Would it kill you to admit you like him?”

“Of course I like him.”

She shook her head again. Men had trouble expressing their feelings—at least the men she’d grown up with. It didn’t surprise her to discover Donovan had the same trouble.

Inside, Evelyn looked up with a pleased smile. “Donovan, give Jodie a tour of the house. I want you to feel right at home, Jodie. Shamus and I couldn’t be happier to have you.”

“Thank you.”

“See? Didn’t I tell you?” Donovan whispered as they left the kitchen. “Mom lives for company.”

The interior of the house was just as warm and welcoming as Evelyn herself. A number of bedrooms were in the back and on a second floor, but the front half was a large, unbroken space of wood and light, with high windows that encompassed the valley and mountains beyond. Colorful braided rugs were scattered on the polished oak floor, and native art accented the walls.

“That’s a Tlingit mask, right?” she asked, gazing at a rather fierce woodcarving over the couch.

Donovan blinked. Not only had Jodie correctly identified the cultural artisan, she’d used the proper pronunciation. “I guess you did live in Alaska.”

“You didn’t believe me?” Her hand trailed across the pattern of a Chilkat blanket hanging on another wall. She turned and looked at him with an odd intensity in her slender body. “Did you ever feel there was a place that waited for you, a place where your soul belonged, even when you were thousands of miles away? A place where the north winds call your name.”

The last was said so softly, Donovan barely heard, yet his scalp tightened in primitive response. It was as if she’d reached inside and opened a part of him he didn’t know existed. He’d traveled, sometimes for pleasure, sometimes for business, but Alaska was in his blood. It was, indeed, as though the north winds called his name.

“Never mind.” Jodie looked flustered. “I get carried away. Too poetic—at least that’s what my father used to say.”

“I don’t agree,” Donovan said simply. “Not everyone hears Alaska calling. I’m glad you do.”

Her smile took his breath away. “Even if I don’t marry Cole, I’m glad we came.”

Alarm and his growing sense of guilt drove other thoughts from Donovan’s head. “Even if you don’t marry Cole? You’ve changed your mind?”

Jodie shrugged. “You have to admit this isn’t the most promising beginning.”

“It’s just a…a…” Donovan thought furiously, trying to think of something that would keep Jodie from dumping his brother before she’d ever met him. Even if he didn’t agree with this marriage, he didn’t want to ruin things for Cole.

“It’s a what?”

“It’s just a temporary condition,” he muttered finally. “Maybe it’s even good. You can see Fairbanks and get acquainted with the family without any distractions.” Even as the words left his mouth, he silently groaned.

Jodie laughed. “Right. Every marriage should begin without the distraction of a groom.”

“Okay, you got me. You now know the Masters family secret—we have incurable foot-in-mouth disease. Mom?” he called. “Come rescue your son.”

Come rescue both your sons.

Evelyn had been ecstatic that Cole was considering marriage. And when Donovan had called from his cell phone to let her know about the children, she’d gotten more excited than ever. It didn’t matter that it was a mail-order marriage—she felt her sons were irresistible, and that any woman alive would fall in love with them.

His mother came out of the kitchen, smiling. “Is Donovan being difficult?” she asked Jodie. “You have to forgive him. He means well.”

“He’s relatively harmless,” Jodie said. “I’ve just been admiring your home. It’s lovely.”

Evelyn beamed. “And I’ve been admiring your children. Penny is the sweetest thing, and Tadd is so smart. You must be proud of them.”

A faint, pleased blush colored Jodie’s cheeks as she nodded. Donovan sat back in a chair, trying to decide why she was so damned attractive to him. He’d always avoided dating women with children. Somehow it didn’t seem right to have casual affairs with single mothers—sort of disrespectful, and certainly ripe for disaster. It might be different if he wanted to get married, but he didn’t.

“Daddy, cookie?” asked Penny’s voice next to him. She held out the cookie, bits of it crumbling away between her fingers.

“Oh, dear,” Jodie said, hurrying to her daughter. “You’re making a mess, munchkin. We’d better clean you up.”

“It’s all right, she won’t hurt anything,” Evelyn called, but Jodie had already swept Penny up and was disappearing into the kitchen. When the door had swung closed, Evelyn looked at her son and raised an eyebrow. “Daddy?”

He squirmed under her questioning gaze. “It’s a misunderstanding, that’s all.”

“A big misunderstanding. In case you’ve forgotten, your rank in this arrangement is ‘Uncle,’ not ‘Daddy.”’

Donovan agreed; he just didn’t know how to repair matters. “Jodie tried to explain it to Penny, but she just assumed I was going to be her new daddy…and for a little angel she’s remarkably stubborn.”

“She is an angel,” Evelyn agreed thoughtfully. “And I like Jodie, too, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Donovan shot to his feet and paced the room. “She’s okay. Look, I’ve been thinking I’ll head back home to Kachelak. You and Shamus can show Jodie and the kids around Fairbanks, and I’ll get back to work.”

“Certainly not. You’re going to stay right here and get acquainted with your new sister-in-law. Besides, you can work out of your Fairbanks office. You’ve done it before.”

He turned and looked at his mother. “She isn’t my sister-in-law yet. And it’s not as convenient to work up here. It’s easier in Kachelak.”

“But you were coming up in a few days anyway,” she said stubbornly, “along with Mike and Ross and their families for the Golden Days celebration. You know, it’s been so nice since they got married—they’re all so happy together,” she murmured as though it was an entirely new thought, which it wasn’t. She played hostess to his partners on a regular basis and often urged her eldest son to find a “nice wife” of his own.

“Don’t,” Donovan warned.

“Don’t what, dear?”

“Don’t start in on the joys of marriage.” He usually laughed off her matchmaking efforts, but not today.

His mother’s smile was edged with mischief. “What’s wrong with marriage?”

“Of anyone, you ought to know,” he said tightly.

Most of the time Donovan didn’t think about the way his father had walked out, leaving a wife and two young boys to fend for themselves. It was harder to forget his mother struggling to clothe and feed them, not knowing what had happened to her husband, much less getting any support from him.

“Are you still that bitter?” Evelyn asked, her smile fading. “I’m not. I don’t think I ever was.”

“You were too exhausted to be bitter. Marriage is too much of a crapshoot to be worth the chance. I don’t know what Cole is thinking about, much less going about it in such a cockeyed way.” Donovan resumed his pacing, consumed by a restless energy he didn’t understand. “For God’s sake, it’s a mail-order marriage.”

“Not exactly. I know that’s what he calls it, but he’s friends with Jodie’s brother. Cole said that David talked about her all the time, and after a while he got curious.”

“You don’t propose out of curiosity.”

Evelyn sat on the couch and watched her eldest son pace. “Cole doesn’t feel the way you do about marriage. And now he’s the odd man out. One by one his friends here in Fairbanks have all gotten married and are starting their families. I think it’s why he bought the house, instead of staying in that tiny apartment. He’s lonely, Donovan.”

“Tell him to get a dog.”

She laughed softly. “I don’t think it’s that kind of lonely.”

In the kitchen Jodie heard enough of the conversation between mother and son to wish she were on a different planet. Donovan thought she was “okay,” but that his brother was crazy to marry her.

It hurt, though she didn’t understand why. Donovan was a stranger. His opinion shouldn’t count. Besides, she’d expected some resistance to the idea, especially since her own family—with the exception of David—thought it was crazy, too. She supposed Cole’s family had even more to worry about than she did. Jodie Richards was a mystery to them, an unknown woman who’d suddenly appeared, bringing two children with her.

At least she had her brother’s friendship with Cole to trust. And her father had investigated Cole with the zeal only a two-star general could muster. If Cole or his family had any unsavory secrets, Thaddeus McBride would have uncovered them in short order.

She glanced at Penny and Tadd. They were absorbed in playing with a litter of kittens, though they probably wouldn’t understand what Donovan had said, even if they’d heard him.

Silently Jodie rinsed the cloth she’d used to clean Penny’s face and fingers. There were cookie crumbs to clean up from the floor. If these people were going to become family, they’d have to accept her the way she was.

Even Donovan Masters.

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