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pocket.
“Didn’t know how you take it, so I brought both.” He busied himself putting
sugar into his coffee and stirring it before he spoke.
    “You know
that speech you gave back there…the one about honesty?”
    She nodded;
she might have said something, but she was too stunned.
    “It got me
thinking. It’s time for me to be honest, too.”
    Her face
fell. “You’re not going to do the documentary.” She tried unsuccessfully to
smile. “It’s okay, I understand.”
    He reached
out and touched her hand, effectively silencing her. “Jamie, would you let me
talk?”
    She looked at
him, confused. “I just thought…”
    “I know what
you thought, and you’re wrong.” He stared into his coffee then raised his eyes.
“I have some rules when I’m out in the field. One of them is that I don’t get
romantically involved with the people I’m working with.” He made a broad
gesture. “The people who might benefit. It’s not ethical.”
    Was he saying
what she thought he was saying? An orchestra should be playing in the
background right about now.
    “I’m attracted
to you, Jamie. You must know that.” He looked over at Goldie, who was drinking
out of a dog dish by the burger shack. “I even like your dog.”
    “You’re
interested in me?” It came out as a squeak.
    “Since the
first minute I saw you with a can of bear spray in your hand.”
    “Oh,” she
said. “I thought maybe it was just me who was attracted to you.”
    “No.” He
looked into her eyes. “I won’t make a syrupy speech or anything, but you make
me feel like life’s worth living again.” Nettie brought their burgers and he
looked up. “I’m trying to tell Jamie that I’d like to get to know her better,
but she doesn’t seem to believe me.”
    Something
unspoken passed between the two women. “She knows,” the older woman said
simply, then walked away.
    Jamie ignored
her burger and leaned forward. “Are you saying I have to choose? You or the
documentary? Is that what you’re saying?”
    He was about
to bite into his hamburger but paused. “You get right to the heart of the
matter, don’t you?”
    She ignored
his comment. “Because if that’s what you’re saying…”
    He stilled.
    “I can get
along without the documentary.”
    Joy mixed
with relief flooded his face. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He finally took a
bite of his hamburger and washed it down with a swallow of coffee. “Eat up,” he
said with a smile. “Nettie told me how you usually give Goldie most of your
hamburger, so I got one for her, too.”
    The dog was
wolfing down a burger. Jamie watched for a moment then tried to talk, but her
throat was clogged with emotion. When she could finally speak, her words were
barely audible. “Thank you for thinking of Goldie.”
    He gave her a
tender smile. “Now eat,” he repeated. “You’ll need your strength if you’re
going to take me flying tomorrow.”
    “Really?
You’ve decided to go up?” Suddenly energized, she downed the hamburger like she
hadn’t eaten for a month. “What made you change your mind?”
    He shrugged.
“I was thinking back to the day I arrived at the Lodge and saw you jump down
from the Beaver. I could see how much you loved flying. If I’m going to get to
know you, I need to give it another try.”
    Her heart
expanded as she listened to him. “You won’t regret it. I’ll take you somewhere
special.” She looked at her watch. “I suppose we should get back. Brooke runs
the place, but there’s always something. I haven’t helped out much the last
couple of days.”
    They rose
together. Craig wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Are
you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.
    Jamie could
feel his heart beating. “I’m more than okay,” she murmured. “But there is
something I’d like from you, please.”
    He pulled
back slightly so he could look into her eyes. “What is that?”
    “Another
kiss, please.”
    She raised
her lips and he