Page 27 of Echoes of Twilight (Dawn of Alaska #4)

27

H ome. He was finally home.

From his position behind the helm of the Aurora , Mikhail ran his eyes over the small town of Sitka, nestled on the shore of Baranof Island. The air smelled different here, crisp from blowing over hundreds of miles of open water, briny from the salt in the ocean, and woodsy with spruce from the surrounding forest.

The buildings of the town clustered along the rocky shoreline, the reds and whites and blues standing out against the evergreen forests and snow-covered mountains. Even from the entrance to the sound, he recognized the green dome and spire of St. Michael’s Cathedral, where his family worshiped.

The other building that was instantly recognizable was the Russian governor’s mansion. It sat atop Castle Hill, though it was no longer used as a mansion. The Americans had turned it into an administrative building that housed offices upon offices for bureaucrats, all of whom thought they could understand Alaska by reading reports rather than venturing into the wilderness themselves.

Between the ship and the town, calm waters stretched beneath a milky winter sun. It was the perfect day for a homecoming, and though he’d never admit it aloud, he couldn’t wait to feel Alexei’s warm arms wrap around him or be pulled against Sacha’s enormous chest or Yuri’s slender one. As much as he never turned down a chance to venture into the wilderness, nothing compared to the feeling of coming home to the familiar white house on the rocky point that jutted out into the harbor.

To his family.

Captain White stomped into the wheelhouse, his mouth pressed into a frown beneath his thick mustache and beard. The man had been captain of the Alliance for several years before moving to the Aurora after Sacha decided to hand over the helm, and he’d done a good job with her. “Your brother’s going to strangle you.”

“Alexei will hug me.” Mikhail raised an eyebrow at the captain.

His oldest brother might not be the most affectionate man to have ever lived, but he was always glad when someone from their family returned home. Not that there were too many wayward siblings these days.

“Well, he’ll probably hug you first.” Captain White stroked his beard. “But when the RCS starts searching the ship, your brother will want to strangle you.”

They’d had this discussion yesterday, when he’d told Captain White to have the Aurora take them to Sitka before continuing on to Juneau, where the ship had been headed. The captain had informed him about the governor having the RCS search his family’s ships whenever they stopped in Sitka.

He hadn’t been overly worried. “You said the RCS searched the Aurora a few weeks ago. They won’t search it again so soon.” It was unheard of.

The captain’s lips pressed together into a flat line. “Would you care to place a wager on that?”

Mikhail narrowed his eyes.

“They’re searching every time.” Captain White shoved his hand toward Sitka. “It doesn’t matter how many times the same ship comes into port.”

Mikhail glanced toward the buildings growing larger by the second. “I just can’t see it happening, not even with Simon Caldwell being the new governor. Surely someone will notice the Caldwells singling out Sitka Trading Company ships, and the unfairness will cause trouble.”

The captain huffed. “It’s already causing trouble—for your brother. He’s not going to be pleased if it takes the RCS three days to search this ship like it did last time.”

Three days? The captain hadn’t mentioned that detail yesterday. The RCS searches usually took a few hours. A ship wasn’t held for days unless the RCS actually found something illegal, and as far as he knew, they hadn’t found anything.

“How else would you have had me get the team back to Sitka?” Mikhail gestured to the deck, where Heath, Dr. Wetherby, and Dr. Ottingford were all standing at the railing watching as they approached the wharf. “And even if the new governor is somehow getting away with searching all of our ships that come into Sitka and holding them for three days, I expect him to show leniency, since I found his missing scientists.”

“I hope you’re right,” the captain muttered.

Mikhail hoped he was right too, but a hollow feeling formed in his stomach as he stepped out of the wheelhouse. He was intending to go belowdecks and grab his pack so he was ready to leave the moment the ship docked. But Bryony was standing at the railing just past the wheelhouse, her journal propped open and resting on the railing. She’d left her hair down, the long red tresses spilling over the green wool of her coat.

She’d given the parka back to him when they boarded the Aurora , saying she wouldn’t need it anymore.

He’d wanted to tell her to keep it anyway. That he liked the thought of her having it, even though she’d be laughed at if she traipsed around Washington, DC, cloaked in seal fur.

He knew he probably shouldn’t walk up to her, just like he knew he shouldn’t have kissed her again last night. But she looked so lonely standing on the upper deck while everyone else was on the main deck.

So he headed her direction, trying to find something to say about last night, a way to apologize for the kiss. He’d never intended to trifle with her emotions, and yet he’d done so not just once but twice.

But when she turned to him, he couldn’t seem to form the words.

Her journal was open, but the page she’d turned to was blank, and deep shadows haunted the skin beneath her eyes, almost as though she hadn’t slept last night. “What’s going to happen once we dock?”

“Ah... my family will storm aboard, and I’ll hug everyone three times over.” Was this what she wanted to hear? “By then, word will have spread that I’m on board with the missing botanists, and a reporter will rush down to the wharf and start questioning everyone. Sometime in there, the governor will get word that we’ve returned, and he’ll come over and invite your family and Dr. Ottingford to a fancy dinner tonight.”

“Will you be at the dinner?”

He shifted. “I’ll probably be invited, but Maggie, my sister-in-law, will cook a meal fit for a king, so I’ll spend the evening with my family.”

Her face brightened. “Will your sisters be there too?”

“My sisters?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s right. I was going to introduce you. No. They won’t be in Sitka, not today at least. But word will be sent to Juneau, where they live, and they’ll probably be here to visit by week’s end. If you’re still here, you can, um, you can come over for lunch.”

Something about his words made his chest tighten. All too easily, he could see Bryony sitting at the table in his family’s kitchen, drinking tea that Evelina made and answering Kate while she narrowed her eyes and peppered Bryony with a hundred different questions.

Just like he could see her walking down the beach with him, dressed in a shimmery green gown that brought out the green in her eyes and made her hair look like flames.

He didn’t need either of those images in his mind.

Because she was going back to Washington, DC, where she was going to get her journal published.

And he was staying here, where he would go on another expedition next summer.

Back when he’d told her that he would introduce her to his sisters, he’d been trying to encourage her, to show her she could find a way to do what she loved, even if she was a woman.

But that was before... before...

Before what? Just what was this thing growing between him and a woman he’d never see again?

And why was he letting it grow?

“Do you think we’ll still be here when your sisters come?” Hope laced Bryony’s voice. “I imagined that whoever is coordinating our departure would send us home as soon as possible.”

His throat felt suddenly dry. “They might send you home right away. It’s possible we could even hold the Aurora for you so you can leave on it in the morning, though you’d have to stop by Juneau and Wrangell before going to Seattle. But that’s not much of a detour.”

“I can tell by the sound of your voice that you don’t think we’ll be leaving that quickly.”

“Considering Richard’s death, no. People will have questions. They’ll want those answered and their reports properly filled out before sending you home.”

“I see.” She shifted, turning her head to look out at the water. The movement caused the wind to catch a strand of her hair and plaster it to her face.

He nearly reached out to tuck it behind her ear, just like he had last night, right before he’d kissed her. But he stopped himself. They were about to dock in Sitka. He couldn’t just up and touch her whenever he pleased.

She swiped the hair away from her face, her eyes meeting his for a fraction of a second. And all he could do was wonder if she was thinking the same thing he was—that had they still been in the wilderness, he would have set her hair to rights. And maybe he’d kiss her for a third time.

“Will you stay here for the winter?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but a shout from the wheelhouse cut him off, the captain issuing orders as the ship slowed and angled toward the open wharf directly in front of his family’s warehouse.

People on land had already lined up to greet the ship, and he spotted his three brothers among them.

“Alexei!” He waved his arms.

“Mikhail?” Alexei’s familiar voice rang over the water. “Thank heavens!”

Mikhail made his way toward where the gangway would soon be lowered. Two crewmen had already removed the boards in the deck where the gangway was stored, and Mikhail helped them heft it out while other crewmen threw ropes overboard to those on the wharf.

The moment the gangway was in place, Alexei was the first one to board the ship and wrap him in a hug. Mikhail sank into the familiar feel of his brother’s arms.

“You’re home.” Alexei pulled back just far enough to grab his shoulders and look him over. Then he shook his head. “I swear you look healthier than you did when you left. We were worried. With you leaving so late in the year, and the early snow we’ve had?—”

“I’m fine.” Mikhail nodded toward where the Wetherby family and Dr. Ottingford stood on the deck. “It took me longer to find the team than I expected, and we lost two members. Jack was the first, in a grizzly attack before I found the team. The second was under my watch. Richard Caldwell. He fell while crossing a canyon.”

Alexei’s eyebrows raised. “The Caldwell who was on the expedition died?”

“Unfortunately.”

Alexei’s lips flattened. “People will have questions.”

“They’re free to ask them. I tried to save him, but I was too far away to help.”

“Sounds like the paperwork should be nothing more than a formality, but I’m still sorry you lost someone. I know that weighs on you.” Alexei searched his eyes for another moment, as though trying to see something deeper.

But whatever his older brother wanted to know, Mikhail would rather it stay hidden.

“Come on.” Alexei clasped him on the shoulder. “The rest of the family is waiting to greet you.”

He turned, expecting to find Sacha and Yuri headed his direction. But Sacha was standing near the gangway, his face stern as he argued with an RCS agent. Yuri was right beside him, and Mikhail couldn’t remember the last time his happy-go-lucky younger brother looked so serious.

“Everybody off the ship,” the agent shouted over the commotion. “Immediately. This vessel is under the authority of the US Revenue Cutter Service until a thorough investigation can be conducted.”

“Is he serious?” Mikhail looked at Alexei.

“I tried to tell him.” Captain White stormed up, shoving a hand at Mikhail. “He didn’t believe me.”

“It’s all right.” Alexei clasped him on the shoulder again. “You brought my brother back to me. That’s worth a few days’ delay.”

Captain White’s lip twitched beneath his mustache. “Not if we lose our shipping contract in Seattle because we’re late, and they find another shipping company to contract with.”

“I received word from Charles earlier this week,” Alexei responded. “He understands the situation and is asking if there’s anything he can do to help. So it sounds like at least that contract is safe.”

Mikhail looked between the captain and his brother. “Just how much did I miss while I was gone?”

Alexei’s lips flattened into a thin line. “Too much, I’m afraid, and none of it’s good.”

“I said everybody off,” the agent shouted again, clearly not pleased with the fact that no one seemed to be listening. Then the man stormed straight toward them. “This ship is temporarily the property of the Revenue Cutter Service, and I need you off the vessel. Immediately.”

Mikhail had never seen the skinny little man before, but he carried himself with a sense of authority—and he clearly expected obedience.

“We’ll get off,” Mikhail muttered. “Just let me grab my pack first. It’s in the bunkroom.”

The agent raised his nose, his eyebrows slashing down into two severe lines. “Perhaps you don’t understand the gravity of the situation, Mr. Amos. Nothing can leave the ship until it’s been searched. We have reason to suspect this vessel is transporting illicit contraband.”

“And just what reason is that?” a feminine voice sounded from behind him.

Mikhail turned to find his sister Evelina had come aboard. He hadn’t even known she was in Sitka, but there she was, her chestnut hair falling down her back and covered with a patterned scarf.

Her green eyes shot little sparks of fire as she glared at the agent. “Perhaps you’re not aware, but the Sitka Trading Company has a pending lawsuit against your office for harassment.”

The agent stiffened. “Filing a lawsuit won’t stop me from doing my job. But I feel it wise to inform you that I’m required to report all threats and intimidation attempts to my superiors.”

“It’s not a threat.” Evelina took a step forward. “It’s a fact. We’ve filed a harassment lawsuit against both your office and Governor Caldwell.”

“I hate to interrupt this little debate, but it looks like you need to go confiscate luggage from the botanists. They’re leaving the ship with their things.” Alexei gestured toward the gangway.

Mikhail looked over to find Dr. Wetherby, Dr. Ottingford, Heath, and Bryony making their way to the gangway, each one of them carrying their packs.

“And it looks as though some of your RCS men are carrying a giant trunk for them.” Yuri crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t tell me you’ve had the time to search it thoroughly.”

The agent glanced toward the gangway, then turned back to them. “The governor doesn’t wish for the botanists to be waylaid any longer than necessary.”

“Meaning you’re not searching their trunk or packs, but you’re insisting on searching Mikhail’s pack?” Evelina had pulled a pencil and notepad from her pocket and was scrawling something down.

The agent snapped his fingers. “Remove her from the ship.”

“Wait. No. I’m just asking?—”

“It’s all right. We’ll go. All of us.” Alexei clamped a hand on Evelina’s shoulder. “Come on, Lina. You too, Mikhail.”

He didn’t like the thought of leaving without his pack. He carried it with him everywhere, but it was clear that arguing would only cause more problems, so he followed Alexei and the rest of his family down the gangway.

He spotted Bryony in the crowd, moving toward the road that led into town, but once he reached the wharf, the rest of his family was waiting for him, even Kate, who threw herself into his arms with a giant hug.

“I was worried I’d never see you again.”

He wrapped his arms around his younger sister, holding her for a full minute longer than was necessary. “I don’t know why. I’m a good frontiersman.”

She smacked his shoulder. “You know very well why. Leaving on the brink of winter? To face the wilderness alone with the hope you might be able to rescue a lost team of scientists? But here you are, hale and hardy.”

“Here I am.” He looked around to find that Nathan and Jonas, Ilya and Inessa were all waiting to greet him too. “But why is everyone else here?”

She gave him a confused look. “Thanksgiving, you dolt.”

“Thanksgiving?”

Nathan came up and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, a grin on his face. “Did you lose track of just how long you were gone?”

He must have. He scratched his head, then wrapped Kate’s straight-laced husband in a giant hug. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

The man smiled and hugged him back. “Happy Thanksgiving to you too.”

“Thanks. But, ah... is today Thanksgiving?”

Nathan smirked. “Today’s Tuesday. You have two more days.”

Two more days until Thanksgiving. He’d come home at the perfect time for everyone to be together again. Except...

He looked over Nathan’s shoulder to see Bryony being herded even farther up the road, not the one that led toward Castle Hill and the governor’s office, but the one that led toward the Caldwell mansion.

Would he have a chance to see her again before she left? Was it too forward of him to invite her over so she really could meet his sisters?

And there he was, letting his thoughts run away with him again. If the RCS released the Aurora tonight, Bryony could be on her way back to Washington, DC, as early as tomorrow morning.

But if she wasn’t...

If she was still in Sitka for Thanksgiving, then maybe...

He slammed his eyes shut and dragged a breath of salty air into his lungs. Then nothing. Their paths were set. Nothing good would come of introducing her to his family.

So why couldn’t he get the idea out of his mind?