Is she saying Jonah and I should get married?
“Excuse me, everyone! Can I just grab your attention for a minute.”
My skin tingles as I turn toward the front desk, where Max balances on a chair, his hands in the air in a sign of surrender, waiting to collect the attention of the people in the room. “Sharon and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for coming out today to make this send-off extra special. But also, for making our time in Alaska something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.” He’s smiling wide as he talks to the crowd, his voice mid-timbre. “I’ll admit, it was a bit of a shock when we first moved here. Can’t say I’m gonna miss the long, cold winters, though something good did come out of that.” He gestures to Sharon’s belly with a red-faced chuckle, and someone lets out a whistle. “And I’m definitely not gonna miss the whole honey bucket thing in some of the villages.” A round of chuckles erupts, and I make a mental note to find out what a honey bucket is. Something tells me it has nothing to do with honey. “But what we will no doubt miss are the people. How caring you are. How close you all are, how hard you work to keep your way of life. No matter where we go, we’ll never find the same thing. I’m sure of it.”
My gaze drifts over the crowd, to see plenty of proud smiles and nods, and a few tears.
“So, again, thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts.” Max’s hands press against his chest, over his heart, the sincerity pouring from him palpable. “And I promise, we’ll be sure to bring Thor back for a visit as soon as we can.”
Sharon clears her voice and shoots Max a glare.
“Okay, okay, so we haven’t agreed on the name yet.” He grins. “But if you guys all wanna do me a favor and start calling him that, I figure it’ll be harder for her to deny me when the time comes.”
A round of laughter goes up and Sharon shakes her head, but she’s giggling now, too.
“Just a couple more things. I want to say an extra special thanks.” He seeks out Jonah, who still has Josephine’s boy in his arms. “Damn, man, a baby sure looks good on you.”
Another round of laughter erupts, along with Jonah’s holler of, “Don’t rush me!”
“But seriously, Jonah, I’ve learned more about flying from you in these past three years than I’ll learn the rest of my life. I still think you’re one crazy son-of-a-bitch, landing on that mountain ridge not once, not twice, but three times just to get those climbers off there, but man, do you know how to fly, and I hope I get the chance to work with you again one day.”
“Just come back to Alaska and you’ve got it, buddy,” Jonah throws with a grin. “’Cuz you know I ain’t ever leaving.”
Everyone laughs.
Meanwhile my lungs constrict.
Jonah is not ever leaving Alaska.
I’ve been acutely aware of it since our first kiss, and trying to ignore it every time he rolls his body off mine, curls his arms around me, and we drift off into the quiet night. I’ve known and still I’ve gone to him, day after day, night after night, happy to take everything I can have while I can.
Never expecting to feel this much for him.
I haven’t even left yet and already it hurts.
“Damn straight we’ll be back. Five years. Tops.” Max chuckles softly and then turns to search out my dad, who’s milling in a back corner, his hands clasped casually in front of him, smiling quietly. Max takes a deep breath. “Wren, I want to thank you for believing in me enough to hire me—”
“Best thank Agnes, then. She’s the one who pulled your résumé out of the pile and called you up for the interview.”
“I just liked his smile,” Agnes says with a shrug.
Another round of laughter.
“Well, you didn’t just give me a job, but you gave one to Sharon, too. Lord knows she would have gone crazy here if you didn’t, and I think you knew that. I mean, happy wife, happy life, right?”
A chorus of agreement sounds from the married men in the room.
“Whatever the reason, I owe you big-time for that, and for all the memories we’ve gained over these past three years with the Wild family. Sharon and I, we’ve been layin’ in bed at night, reminiscing. Like, just this past January, when we got slammed with that massive storm and then it was, like, minus twenty for five days straight? Everyone was going stir crazy, so what do these guys do but throw a freaking luau, wi
th Hawaiian music and food, and everything. Wren showed up wearing a grass skirt and coconuts. I swear, I’ve got the pictures!” Chuckles roll through the room. “And then there was that time last winter when we built that gigantic snow cave out back and lit it all up with candles. Wren hauled out the old grill and started grillin’ burgers. It was like a summer barbecue, except with your nose hairs stuck together.” Max sighs. “Man, we’ve had so many good times with you and everyone at Wild.” He holds a hand up. “I am still sorry about the wallpaper. I didn’t know how much those ducks meant to you, but if it helps at all, it was all Jonah’s idea and I was drunk as a skunk.”
And thus, the mystery of the duck nipples, solved.
My dad shakes his head, but he’s smiling.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is . . . thank you, for giving me a chance to fly up here for you, for letting us be a part of the Wild family, and all the laughs. And . . . uh . . .” He bows his head a minute, clears his throat, and when he looks up again, I see the sheen in his eyes. “I sure am gonna miss you,” he manages to say through a hoarse voice.
Sharon’s hand goes to her mouth as she dips her head, trying to hide the tears that now roll down her cheeks. Other sniffles sound then. I dare to let my gaze wander, to see the awareness and sadness in everyone’s eyes, the tense jaws, the resigned smiles. We all know what Max really means.