Chapter Three

During the two months following the game when he met Lynne, John had received several invitations to dinner from different families. Judge Burns’ invitation came first. He wanted to discuss John’s possible return to the Saturday game. The city fathers didn’t have a good substitute should one of the regular players not be able to attend, and they immediately thought of John Biebe. They felt the judge could convince him better than they could. After a good meal and some excellent brandy, he did just that.

John began skating the river and working out with weights to increase his stamina and wind. It gave him positive direction and the exercise made him tired enough to sleep well at night, something he hadn’t done since Donna left.

Lynne was at Scott’s house the night John was invited there for dinner. He managed to relax and enjoy the evening. From that night on he began seeing her in a different light. She was charming, gracious and beautiful. She was also funny, intelligent and somewhat irreverent about things she considered contrite. The untouchable "Ice Princess" melted into a real, warm, caring person.

They began sitting with each other at the Saturday Game and John began smiling and laughing more. This did not go unnoticed. Rumors were that John and Lynne had a ‘thing’ going. When those rumors reached John’s ears, he adamantly denied any involvement with Lynne. "We’re just good friends," he growled.

Skank Marden moved a step back, surprised at John’s tone. "Hey, I’m just telling you what I heard. I didn’t say it was true. But since you aren’t involved, would you mind if I…"

John’s eyes sparked. "Yes, I would, Skank! She’s a lady. She deserves your respect, not just a quick roll in a snow bank." Skank was the local lothario. He made it a point to bed any woman over the age of eighteen and under the age of sixty. He was Mystery’s unofficial sex hound.

Skank couldn’t wait to tell the other members of the team about John’s reaction. "I’m telling you, he has it bad."

Birdie Burns came to John’s defense. "Well, if he does, I could think of a lot worse women for him to get involved with. Besides, he deserves better than to waste his time pining over Donna."

Not one of the men in the locker room could blame the sheriff for being attracted to Lynne. Any one of them would be proud to have her on their arm, even the younger ones like Birdie.

Except for the Saturday Game, John and Lynne never went anywhere alone. Each time one was invited for dinner the other was also invited. They unwittingly became dinner companions but their relationship remained in the open. That is, until one night, after dinner with Scott and Mary Jane.

John drove Lynne home and they sat for a moment talking before he walked her to her front door. He said good night and returned to his old Bronco intending to drive back to his lonely, little apartment.

The damn thing wouldn’t start. He’d had major problems with the old truck and was currently waiting for a new replacement. Mystery allowed him to use the truck for personal business since he was technically always on call. He would have to get one of the Winetkas to tow him to the garage in town. The brothers, Galen and Ben, owned the only auto shop in Mystery.

He walked back to Lynne’s door and was surprised when it opened before he knocked.

"It won’t start?"

John looked a little embarrassed. "No, would you mind if I use your phone? I left my cell phone at the office."

"Take off your coat, the phone’s over there. How about I pour us a night-cap while you call?" Lynne pointed to where the phone rested on a stand then went to get two snifters and some brandy.

John nodded, slipped off his boots in the foyer, hung his coat on the rack next to the door. Glancing around the room as he walked to the stand, he picked up the phone and dialed. It rang over and over but no one picked up. Just his luck. He’d heard the brothers were planning a hunting trip. They must be gone.

Now what was he going to do? Mystery didn’t have taxi service, and Lynne had loaned her car to Sarah Hines for two days so she could drive to Whitebrook to take the final test that would qualify her as a registered nurse.

"Is there a problem?" Lynne handed John a snifter with the golden liquor.

"Yeah, I think the Winetkas are on a hunting trip. They aren’t answering the phone." He thought for a moment, "I guess I’ll have to call Tree and see if he can come pick me up."

"No, it’s too late to drag someone out on a night like this. You can stay here."

"What?! What if someone found out?"

"So…what if someone did? They all think we’re doing it anyway."

"But, but," John stammered. "I don’t want your reputation ruined."

God he was cute. "Are you sure it’s my reputation you don’t want ruined…or yours?"

John wasn’t sure what to say at that point. He wasn’t even sure exactly what she meant. She was probably just offering accommodations. After all, this is a four-bedroom house. He shouldn’t have assumed she meant he should sleep with her. A woman like her would never consider a nobody like him.

Lynne removed all doubts when she put her hands on his face and drew him into a kiss. Since Donna left, business south of his belt had been basically non-existent, except when on occasion he would wake up hard and hurting after a dream of being home with her. On those occasions, he would relieve himself with his hand. It was a far cry from being wrapped in a woman’s comforting embrace while making love.

He was hard so quickly it startled him. He immediately backed away.

Lynne stood there embarrassed as she stammered an apology. "I’m sorry, John. I…I…I’m sorry."

A little voice inside his head yelled, "What is wrong with you! Go for it!" John blinked, hesitated a moment longer, then, moved to pull her into his embrace. "I’m sorry," he whispered. "I guess I’ve been either married or closed off for so long I don’t know how to react when someone as wonderful as you does something so unexpected."

Lynne slipped her arms around his waist and just enjoyed the solid warmth of his body. He called her wonderful. She very much wanted him to feel that way. Her only fear was that he wouldn’t be pleased with her in bed.

John wasn’t sure how to proceed. He wanted nothing more than to throw her on the floor and screw the daylights out of her. But she deserved better than to be treated like a two-penny whore, so he tried to slow his breathing and did his best to calm himself.

When John made no immediate move Lynne pulled back and looked in his eyes. "Perhaps you don’t want this. I don’t want you to feel you have to…."

How could she think he didn’t want her? Every man in Mystery, from puberty to eighty, wanted her. Didn’t she realize that?

He smiled and kissed her lightly. "You have no idea how much I want you. I just need to move a little slower or it’ll be over before we start."

She took his hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom. Since she wasn’t sure what to do next, she simply stood holding his hand waiting for him to make the first move.

He drew her over to the bed and gently coaxed her to lie down. He began slowly with kisses and caresses, then removed her clothes and his. She responded to his kisses and avidly returned his hugs. But when he moved to cover her she kept her eyes closed. When he reached between her legs to make sure she was ready for him, she whimpered and screwed her eyes tightly shut, as if she was in pain.

"Lynne, are you alright? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, I’m just trying to keep it from hurting."

"Hurting? Why should it hurt? Do you have some sort of medical condition I should know about?" John sat back on his knees waiting for an explanation.

She finally opened her eyes and looked at John, mother-naked and beautiful in the moonlit room. When her eyes wandered to his groin her heart nearly broke. He was far larger than her dead husband had been and sex with him was difficult enough.

"Lynne?"

"I…I…don’t think I can."

"We’ll go slow, unless there’s some reason you can’t. I promise I won’t hurt you."

Lynne wasn’t too sure. Here she was forty-five years old, in bed with the most incredibly sexy man she’d ever met, and frozen with fear, fear that he would tell her the same thing her husband had every day of their married life.

Seeing her so uncertain, he decided to take another approach. "Look, we don’t have to do this." John lay down next to her and cuddled her to him. He slowly rubbed her back and slid his hand up and down her arm, until she relaxed.

He felt tears as they slid from her cheeks and onto his chest. His heart broke. "Were you ever with anyone other than your husband?"

He felt her shake her head. "Then he’s the one who hurt you?"

She nodded in the affirmative. "It always hurt. He told me it had to, to make a baby."

"What? Making love shouldn’t ever hurt, especially when you make a baby. Didn’t your husband love you?"

"No. He thought I would give him perfect children, that’s why he married me. When I didn’t get pregnant he stopped coming to me. He said I was useless."

John was outraged. Jonathan Hathaway had wanted nothing but a brood mare and hadn’t even been considerate enough to try to at least make it easy for her, much less give her pleasure. "Why didn’t you divorce him?"

"He wouldn’t let me. He kept me in a gilded cage. I wasn’t allowed to have more than $50 cash and my credit card was checked randomly several times a day to make sure I didn’t buy a plane ticket to get away from him. He said that if I tried to escape, he’d track me down and bring me back."

"God, Lynne, why?" He cuddled her closer and kissed her head.

"He wanted to punish me for not giving him children. He didn’t believe in divorce. He said it was something only low class people did. I rebelled, only once. He collected Lladros and had some very old, extremely valuable, irreplaceable pieces that he cherished. While he was away, I took them one at a time and dropped them off the terrace onto the stone patio. I thought he’d be furious when he came home and saw them destroyed. He wasn’t. Jonathan just gritted his teeth for a moment and then told me there was only one valuable thing in the entire house. Only one thing he couldn’t replace…me. You see I wasn’t his wife, I was his possession."

John hugged her again and asked, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then let me show you what making love means. I promise I will never hurt you."

John Biebe spent the rest of the night showing Lynne how beautiful sex with the right partner could be. He kept his promise not to hurt her. When he was finally convinced she was ready, the joining was perfect. She never realized it could be that way.

The next morning Lynne rose early, as was her custom. She was sore from the previous night’s activity, but it was a good kind of sore. She stood at the bathroom door and watched as John slept. He looked so peaceful, innocent, young…too young. She was ten years his senior and even though last night was wonderful, she couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel about it this morning. When he was ready to marry again, he’d surely want someone his age or younger, not a woman who could never give him children. Oh, she knew he had three already, but they were in New York. He was a man who needed to be a father, not just in name but in action.

John lingered between consciousness and sleep when he felt Lynne leave the bed. He wasn’t ready yet to surrender the warm comfort of her bed and was barely aware when she showered, dressed and went to the kitchen.

The smell of fresh-brewed coffee brought him fully awake. He thought for a moment about the night before. He couldn’t remember when he’d had an orgasm that intense. Lynne was certainly inexperienced, almost like a virgin. But once she got over her fear, she became a willing participant, even urging him into two more encounters.

Now that the day was here, would she regret what happened? He would have to go slow and see.

He got up, showered, and dressed, then wandered into the kitchen. "Good morning," he said.

Lynne was standing in front of the stove. She turned and smiled. "Good morning. I have coffee ready." She didn’t wait for him to indicate he wanted a cup, she just poured it and sat it on the counter. "Would you like breakfast? I have some bacon and…"

John’s walkie-talkie interrupted her. "John? Johnny? Sheriff, we have a problem, come in."

It was Gretchen Humbolt, Mystery’s dispatcher. John grabbed the walkie-talkie and keyed the mike. "Yeah, Gretchen, what’s up?"

"Martin Kinsey called in a report about a grizzly attacking one of his dogs. I guess the dog was killed and Martin is having a fit."

"Well, call wildlife animal control. Let them deal with it."

"I did, but they said they don’t have anyone available. What should I do?"

This was John’s day off and he didn’t really want to deal with a grizzly. First off, he didn’t have proper training and second, he was hoping to have breakfast with Lynne so he could get an idea of her feelings.

"I’m out at Lynne Hathaway’s place. My truck won’t start. Call Collin and tell him to pick me up." Shit! Now the whole town would know he was at Lynne’s early in the morning. They’d automatically jump to the conclusion that he spent the night. Shit!

Lynne could see he was upset. "Maybe you could tell Collin that you stopped by for breakfast."

"He’d never believe me."

"Why?"

"Because it snowed early this morning and if I had just driven here there’d be tire tracks, that’s why." How was he going to get around this? Shit!

"Look, John, I’m sorry. It’s my fault…"

"Johnny. Sheriff." His walkie-talkie interrupted her again.

"Yes!"

Gretchen hesitated, "Um, I just wanted to let you know, Collin is only five minutes away."

"Fine, I’ll meet him outside." He turned to look at Lynne. She was so beautiful standing there he wanted to show her how much last night meant to him. Unfortunately there was no time and he’d already done irreparable damage to her reputation by staying. The best he could do at this point was to thank her and leave.

"Listen, Lynne, I appreciate everything." He walked over and kissed her on the cheek, "Thank you."

He sounded so stilted Lynne wanted to cry. I guess this is what it’s like to be a one night stand, she thought. It was all she could do to muster a wan smile. "Thank you."

He turned immediately and moved to the foyer and pulled on his boots. He grabbed his coat from the rack and went outside before even pulling it on.

At the truck he cursed himself for being stupid. He saw the hurt in her eyes, but there just wasn’t enough time to explain. God, what a jackass he was.

John had just about decided to go back and knock on her door when Collin arrived.

John snapped at him, "Let’s see if a jump will get this piece of shit started."

They managed and John drove the truck to the Winetka’s garage and left it. Collin and he drove out to Martin’s house and took his statement. They followed the tracks as far as the old Miner’s Creek area but had to turn back when the tracks ended along a rocky line.

By the time they got back to Mystery it was already seven-thirty at night. John had Collin drop him off at his apartment then gave him instructions to pick him up in the morning. He wouldn’t have transportation until the Winetkas could fix his truck.

He took a shower and threw a TV dinner into the microwave. He was just about to call Lynne and apologize when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"John? It’s Donna."

"Donna, what’s wrong? Are the boys okay? They aren’t sick or anything?"

"No, John they’re all fine. Well, except for Mike." Her voice sounded tentative.

"What’s wrong with Mike?" She could hear fear in his voice.

"Nothing’s wrong with him, John. Not medically anyway. He hates it here in New York and he constantly gives Charlie and me trouble. He’s not the sweet little boy he used to be. He’s angry and spiteful, vicious and sullen. I don’t know what to do with him."

"I wonder why that is?" The sarcasm in his voice left no doubt in her mind that he was blaming her for Mike’s attitude.

"I didn’t call to argue the merits of my leaving. I called because I need your help."

"So what do want from me, Donna? I’m forty-five hundred miles away. What can I do?"

"I want to send him to you. He wants to go home to Mystery."

John hesitated for a moment, "Donna, I’d love to have Mike here, but I live in an efficiency apartment. I had to sell the house to satisfy the divorce order, remember? I don’t have room for a growing boy, and I can’t afford anything better because I’m paying you child support and alimony."

She expected his bitterness, and in all fairness, she really couldn’t blame him. Her lawyer was smart and John had paid big time. "I realize that, John, but I’m asking for Mike’s sake. He needs you far more than he needs me. Please."

There was never a doubt in his mind that he would say yes. He only wanted to make Donna realize how difficult it would be for both him and Mike.

"Alright, Donna. When are you planning to bring him home?"

"I’m not bringing him. The airlines assured me that they would assign a flight attendant to make sure he changes planes in Seattle and gets to Fairbanks. You’ll have to pick him up there."

"Donna, he’s not even ten years old! You’re going to let him fly from one side of the states to the other without an adult!"

God, he was pissed. But she knew he would be and absolutely wasn’t going to give in.

"Well, perhaps you could fly to New York to collect him?"

"Donna, you don’t work, I do. I can’t take off that much time right now. Besides, I don’t have the money."

"You don’t have two small kids to take care of. I do. I can’t just leave them to bring him home."

In a low voice he said, "You’re right I don’t have two little kids. My wife took them and ran off with another man."

He heard her voice hitch as if trying to stifle a sob. "I’m sorry, John." The line was quiet for two heartbeats then, "Shall I send him or not?"

John knew Donna well enough to know he wouldn’t win. "Yes. Send me an email to the office with his flight numbers and arrival time."

"Thank you, John. ‘Bye."

All thoughts of calling Lynne flew away. He stood there listening to the buzz of the disconnected line and re-ran the conversation.

The next morning, he made Collin stop at Hattie’s so he could pick up his usual breakfast. Hattie smiled at him like she’d just been given a million dollars.

"What’s got you grinning like the cat with the cream?" He hoped it wasn’t because she knew about Lynne and him. Hattie was information central and would pass any gossip to everyone who walked in the door. Plus, she’d been trying to ‘fix him up’ since Donna left. She backed off only when she found out Lynne and he were spending time together.

"Oh…nothing!" Hattie grinned again and John was certain the word was out. He groaned. He would have to call Lynne and talk to her about the gossip he was sure Hattie was spreading. He would do it tonight.

That evening John decided to treat himself to some of Hattie’s venison stew and homemade bread. He promised himself to call Lynne once he got back to his apartment. He had just ordered when Mildred Knight walked in.

Mildred had been after John since the day he arrived in Mystery. The day he married Donna, Mildred blatantly told him at the wedding reception that if Donna didn’t satisfy him she was sure she could.

Even though she’d married and had a son, John knew Mildred still wanted him. After she and Terry Knight divorced and Donna left, she’d doubled her efforts to make him notice her. John had no intentions of indulging her and was wary of the pretty, dark-haired, dark-eyed woman.

This evening he sat by himself and Mildred considered the empty seat across from John an open invitation. She boldly sat down and asked him, "Mind if I join you?"

Since it would be impolite to say no, John nodded affirmatively. Mildred engaged him in small talk and John managed to be civil. They ate while she explained her fascination for hockey players. It was a veiled invitation John was definitely not going to accept and he pointed out that he was only a stand-by player, not worthy of her attention.

She grabbed his hand and leaned suggestively across the table exposing her ample breasts to him. Just at that moment Lynne walked in with Sarah Hines and saw the entire display. John had his back to them and was unaware of their scrutiny.

Sarah saw the hurt look on Lynne’s face. She put her hand on Lynne’s arm and whispered, "Why don’t we go to Harley’s bar? Harley has a really good special tonight."

Lynne nodded and stumbled back out the door. She was aware of the gossip about John having spent the night with her, but she never affirmed it to anyone, not even Sarah.

Mildred had seen Lynne and her reaction. She made sure John was trapped for nearly two hours while she made small talk. She wanted everyone to see John and her together.

By the time he finally got away from Mildred, John didn’t feel he should call Lynne. It was just too late. He should have called her earlier. He wanted to let her know how much he enjoyed the other night but he just hadn’t had the time to call. Or maybe he was just stalling because he wasn’t sure he wanted to let himself in for heartache again so soon.

John checked his emails the next morning and found the information on Mike’s flight. It seemed as though Donna was anxious to get her problem child out of the house and out of her hair. He would be in Fairbanks the day after tomorrow.

It was a long drive to Fairbanks and John knew Mike would be jet-lagged once he got there. He made reservations at one of the small inns so Mike would have a good night sleep before the long drive home.

He still wasn’t sure about the sleeping arrangements once Mike arrived. His efficiency was large but had only one room and a bathroom. Currently, John slept on the bed that folded out from the sofa.

Bobby Michen reminded him that the office was out of stamps and John volunteered to go pick them up. The postage meter was broken and the only repairman was in Whitebrook. He’d come in a day or two to fix it.

John walked down to the post office. He enjoyed walking even when it was cold and windy. Galen Winetka promised they would have his truck done by this afternoon.

John pulled the post office door open just as Lynne pushed out. She nearly fell into his arms. He caught her and helped her get her footing. He smiled as she stepped back. "Hello, Lynne."

She didn’t return his smile but returned the greeting. "Hello, John."

She was colder than the wind that whipped them. He could understand her being angry. After all he hadn’t called her since that morning.

"Lynne, I’m sorry I didn’t call, I just thought maybe we should put some distance between us."

"I understand. It’s not a problem."

"No, I mean my oldest son, Mike is coming to live with me. He arrives in Fairbanks on Thursday and I’m going to pick him up. He’s having a hard time accepting the divorce and I want him to get settled before he has to deal with any relationships I might contemplate. I’d still like to be friends." Boy, that sounded ridiculous!

He had that ‘little lost boy’ look that always stopped her heart. "Okay, friends." Since he seemed lost for words she asked, "I thought your apartment was an efficiency. Where are you going to put Mike?"

The change in subject sparked John from his clumsiness. "Well, I’m not sure. I didn’t have much time to plan this."

"I went to college to become an interior decorator. Maybe I could make some suggestions. Why don’t you show me your apartment and maybe we could come up with something."

God, he missed her. "It’s just a couple of blocks over. How about I show you now?"

John was amazed at how quickly Lynne summed up what he would need and how to fit it into his apartment. They walked down to Mark Humbolt’s secondhand store and bought a captain’s bed with drawers underneath and a matching free-standing closet. She had Mark deliver it while John returned to the office.

When John walked in at five-fifteen he couldn’t believe it was the same apartment. Lynne had moved the couch to the middle of the room, facing the small fireplace. The walk area behind it gave access to the corner where Mike’s bed was tucked. His closet was in the corner by the head of his bed. It gave Mike a little more privacy and both John and Mike could watch the TV in bed. It now stood next to the fireplace.

Lynne had added her own touch by placing a pretty, brightly colored tablecloth on the small kitchen table and matching curtains on the windows. The louver blinds would keep out the light but the curtains added color to the formerly dull room. Since the wooden floors were cold, she had also thoughtfully placed a nice throw rug in front of the sofa and one next to Mike’s bed.

Lynne stood there smiling at the look on John’s face. "I never thought this place could look so good. Mike and I will manage just fine here. How can I ever thank you enough?"

"That’s what friends are for." She wanted to give him a hug or kiss, something, but the sight of Mildred holding his hand and offering her tits kept intruding. Remember, girl, you’re nothing more than a friend, she thought.

Late Thursday afternoon, John was waiting at the security check at the Fairbanks airport when he saw Mike walking with a woman dressed as a flight attendant. Before she would turn Mike over to his father, she made John show her his identification.

Mike was quiet on the drive to the inn. John asked him several questions about Joey and Bailey. He wanted to know if Mike would miss his brothers. He surprised John by saying he thought they’d come home one day, too. John didn’t know quite what to make of that but decided to let it be for now. They stopped at a McDonalds and took their food to the inn. Mike was so tired he barely finished his meal before falling asleep.

Chapter Four

Donna was right. Mike wasn’t the same child who left Mystery over a year and a half ago. He was happy being back with his father and friends, but he was also often sullen and disrespectful. He’d never been that way with his dad. They always had a good relationship and John rarely had to discipline Mike. Lately, however, they seemed to be at loggerheads on a regular basis. Mike had been back nearly two months now and hadn’t seemed to adjust.

They had just had a discussion about his being in trouble in school. Mary Jane had called earlier in the day and asked John to come to the school for a conference. She was acting-principle while Jake Woolbrite, the regular principal was at a state conference. She met John and took him into Mr. Woolbrite’s office.

"John, I’m worried about Mike. He’s been disruptive in class and he got into a fistfight with Tommy Knight today. Now, I know he’s having a hard time adjusting to the divorce, but you have to talk to him about his attitude. I’ve never known Mike to be mean or vicious before, but he’s definitely changed."

John sighed, "I know, Mary Jane, he’s different with me, too. I can’t seem to get him to open up and talk to me. I can’t help him because he closes me off. I’m not sure what to do about it."

They talked a little longer then John went to retrieve Mike from the detention room.

Once they reached the apartment, John tried to talk to Mike, but it didn’t go well. John hated confrontation with people he loved. Mike had shouted that nobody loved him and ran sobbing to his bed. Lynne chose that moment to knock on the door and John went to answer it.

When he opened the door Lynne stood there with a smile. "Hi! I baked some cookies and I thought maybe Mike would like some." She had barely seen John for the last eight weeks and had never met Mike. She felt it was time to see if he would introduce her to his son. There were rumors about John and Mildred Talbot. She wanted to see if they were true. If he turned her away, at least she’d know there was no longer a chance for her.

He didn’t look too happy to see her. "Did I come at a bad time?"

He glanced over at Mike still crying on the bed. "Yeah, we were just working through some problems."

"Oh." Her smile fell away. Since he didn’t seem inclined to invite her in, she felt she had her answer. It would be best to leave; she didn’t want him to get the impression that she couldn’t take a hint. "Well, I’ll just leave these with you." She handed him the covered dish and turned to go.

"John, Johnny. We have a problem." It was Gretchen again.

"Wait a minute, Lynne. Come in. Let me answer Gretchen and then we’ll talk."

Lynne walked in and closed the door while John went to answer the walkie-talkie. She glanced over at Mike who was curled in a ball facing the wall. She could hear him crying and wondered what happened.

"Yeah, Gretchen, what’s up?" There was annoyance evident in his voice and Lynne also wondered if it were because of his and Mike’s ‘problem’ or because Gretchen always seemed to interrupt when something important was happening. Probably both.

"Sheriff, Martin Kinsey’s wife just called. She said the grizzly came back. Martin went out to run him off and he got mauled."

"Did you send rescue?"

"Yes."

"How bad is he?"

"How bad?"

"Yes Gretchen, how bad was Martin mauled?" Sometimes she exasperated him.

She hesitated, "He’s…he’s…he’s dead."

"Oh fuck," he whispered. "Alright, Gretchen, I’ll call wild animal control and see what they want to do."

John made several calls then asked if Lynne would mind staying with Mike while he went to the office. She of course said she would.

John went to Mike and asked him to stay with Lynne until he got home. When he tried to introduce the two, Mike refused to acknowledge both John’s request and Lynne’s greeting.

Lynne motioned John to leave and mouthed silently, "Go on, we’ll be fine."

John hated to leave with Mike like this, but he had to go, his job demanded it.

Since Mike obviously wanted to be left alone, Lynne walked to the TV, turned it on and sat down on the sofa. She really wasn’t in the mood for television, but she thought it might help Mike feel less noticed. Eventually, he got up from bed and walked quietly behind the sofa to the small kitchenette at the far side of the room. He stood looking at the dish with the cookies in it.

"Since it’s so close to dinnertime, I think we should walk down to Hattie’s and get something to eat. When we come back, you can have cookies and milk for desert. Okay?" Lynne hadn’t even looked away from the TV.

"My dad said to stay here."

"I’ll tell you what, I’ll leave a note on the table so he’ll know where we are in case he comes back."

"Can I have a whole chicken dinner?"

Lynne smiled, "If that’s what you want."

"O…Okay."

Lynne quickly wrote a note and left it next to the cookies. Hattie’s was only two blocks from John’s apartment, but they were chilled through by the time they walked in.

Mike and Lynne enjoyed their meal and Lynne was a little surprised that Mike opened up and talked with her. She found him to be smart and funny and far more introspective than most kids his age seemed to be. Of course, never having been a mother, she really didn’t have much experience to base her evaluation on. She noted that Mike didn’t look much like John, except the eyes. He had the same expressive, greeny-blue eyes his father had.

They just got to the punch line of a joke Mike was telling her, when Tommy Knight walked in with his mother. Mike frowned and stopped.

"What’s wrong, Mike?" Lynne turned and looked over her shoulder. She mirrored Mike’s face with a frown of her own.

"It’s Tommy Knight," Mike whispered.

"So?" Lynne turned back to Mike and saw the frown deepen.

"So, he’s an asshole."

Lynne couldn’t help but grin. "Mike," she chided, "your dad wouldn’t appreciate that language.

"Well, he is." Mike began shoving what was left of his food, around on his plate.

"So why is he an asshole?" She used the same word to let him know she wasn’t personally offended.

"He told me the other day we were going to be brothers. He said his mom was going to marry my dad."

Lynne was stunned for a minute. Was John actually considering that? Maybe the rumors were true. "I take it that wouldn’t please you very much."

"No."

Tommy walked right up to Mike and said, "What are you doing here with her? Why don’t you come sit with us? Mom says we should start acting like a family if we’re going to be one."

"Says her! My dad wouldn’t marry your mom if she was the last person on the planet!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Boys, that’s enough!" Lynne stood up placing herself between Mike and Tommy. She didn’t want this to get out of hand. Mike had told her during dinner, about the fight he and Tommy had at school that day. She already came to the conclusion that the fight was the problem between him and his dad when she arrived. Fighting in school wasn’t tolerated.

"Is there a problem?" Lynne turned to see Mildred approaching.

"No, no problem, just boys being boys. I think it would be best, though, if Tommy went back to your table and left Mike alone." She hadn’t meant it to sound like a challenge but that’s how it came out. Or did she?

"Are you insinuating that Tommy is starting trouble?"

The two women had the attention of everyone sitting in the diner. Everyone was waiting for Lynne’s retort. They had all seen what a bitch Mildred could be and expected the verbal claws to come out. That coupled with her declaration several weeks ago that she would get John Biebe down the aisle, made them wonder what Lynne would do. None of the audience had ever seen Lynne as anything but sophisticated, demure and friendly. However, they also knew she and John recently had an affair and no one knew for sure if they were still involved. From the look on Lynne’s face, Mildred just might be courting more trouble than she expected.

"No, I’m not insinuating it, I’m coming right out and saying it. He’s taunting Mike and I don’t like it. Take his nasty little ass back to your table and tell him to leave Mike alone."

Mildred grinned wickedly. "This isn’t about Tommy and Mike, it’s about you and me. You can’t stand to think you lost Biebe to me."

"That’s a joke! John Biebe has better taste than that. Mike, come on let’s go."

"No wonder John is with me. The first sign of trouble and you run. He needs a real woman, not a fancy powder puff." There was the challenge. Mildred was hoping for the confrontation but couldn’t possibly know that this seemingly pampered lady was, underneath, a born and bred Alaskan with all the guts and determination that Alaskan women need to face the harshness of this kind of country.

Lynne put twenty dollars on the table and took Mike’s hand. Mildred made the mistake of grabbing Mike just as Lynne started to pull him to the door.

"Let go of him." Lynne said it so low and with such intent Tinker Connelly, sitting in the next booth, stood up. He could see Lynne was ready to do something she’d regret. He didn’t want John to have to come and arrest her for aggravated battery.

"What will you do if I don’t?" Mildred was too stupid to realize she’d pushed Lynne too far.

Lynne seemed to contemplate her course of action for a moment and said, "I’m going to knock you on your ass, all the way from here to the Winetka’s garage." Then she smiled the most feral smile any of them had ever seen on the face of a woman.

"What’s going on here?" Both women turned at the sound of John Biebe’s voice.

Mildred immediately smiled, "Nothing, John, we were just discussing…marriage."

Lynne still had hold of Mike’s hand and brushed past John. He swept the crowd with a "get on with your business" look and turned to Mildred.

"John, why don’t you come and sit with us? Mike is in good hands with his baby-sitter."

He shot her with a look that would melt steel and left.

"Lynne! Lynne, wait up!"

Lynne was moving so fast Mike could hardly keep up while trying to keep his balance on the icy, somewhat rickety, wooden sidewalk. When John finally caught up with them he grabbed Lynne’s arm and turned her around. Unbalanced, she slipped and went down on the ice.

John immediately knelt and grabbed her, helping her up.

"I’m sorry, Lynne, I didn’t mean to knock you down. Are you alright?"

"I’m fine, I’m fine."

"Dad, you should have seen Lynne, she was going to knock Mildred’s head off!" Mike stood grinning at his dad.

He looked at Lynne with one of his eyebrows raised in that, "Oh really" look.

"It was nothing, John. Just let it go."

The look on Lynne’s face, even in the half-light, told John he should do what she asked.

Once they reached the apartment, Lynne busied herself by pouring milk in a glass and putting cookies on a plate for Mike.

John talked the entire time about what happened during the time he was at the office.

"Ralph Kettering, one of the wildlife managers, is coming down tomorrow. He, the Winetkas, Tree and I are going to hunt the grizzly."

Lynne gave him a startled look. "But John, you don’t have any training for that. It could be dangerous."

"Can’t be helped. He’s hunting too close to humans and he isn’t afraid. Besides, he’s wounded. Martin managed to shoot the grizzly before it mauled him. That make’s it more dangerous. He should be hibernating but he isn’t. That could mean he has rabies. At any rate we can’t leave him out there. He’s liable to come after someone else." John hesitated, "Lynne, I hate to ask this of you, but could you keep Mike while I’m gone?"

"Of course I will, but I still don’t think…"

John overrode her, saying, "We’ll be gone probably four or five days, depending on whether we get a break and find him sooner."

Lynne tried to talk him out of going. She cited the fact that none of them, except Ralph Kettering had experience hunting grizzly bears. He argued that Tree and the Winetkas both had experience hunting bears, and he would only be along to help. Somehow, she didn’t believe him. Hunting brown bear and black bear was bad enough, grizzlies were in a category all their own.

In the end, she acquiesced and told him she needed power of attorney over Mike if anything were to happen while he was gone, and that they would stay at her home for the duration. She would drive Mike to school each day and pick him up afterwards.

John could see Lynne was afraid for his well being and Mike had been concerned as well. It wasn’t until after Lynne left that Mike made his feelings known. He didn’t come right out and tell John that he was afraid he’d get hurt or killed, but he did ask what would happen to him if John didn’t come back. Of course John reassured him that everything would be fine. But he could see Mike wasn’t comforted by his words.

John had to admit his son’s concerns were not unfounded. On the rare occasions that he did open up and confide in his dad, Mike made it clear that he never wanted to go back to New York. Somehow Donna had managed to completely alienate him and he hated Charlie. If anything were to happen to his dad, Mike was fully aware that he would be sent back to live with the two people he never wanted to see again. It bothered John to think Mike no longer loved his mother. She had managed to hurt both of them more than he could have imagined. In the end, the best he could do was to assure Mike that he would be careful.

The conversation gave John the opportunity to question Mike about his attitude lately. "Mike, is there something bothering you that I can help with? Since you’ve been home you seem angry all the time. What’s going on?"

Mike finally stuttered through an explanation about the fight he’d been in at school. He told his dad about what Tommy Knight had said and how Lynne was ready to ‘mop the floor’ with Mildred. Mike seemed to appreciate the fact that Lynne would stand up for him. He also told John in plain words that he didn’t want him to marry Mildred, in fact he didn’t want him to marry anyone.

John was totally taken aback. He assured Mike that he had no intention of marrying Mildred. She was in fact the last woman he would entertain in that regard. They had a good laugh when John said, "I can’t marry her, where would we park her broom?"

After Mike went to bed, John sat in front of the fireplace and contemplated his son’s words. Mike was a quiet kid; he didn’t often let his feelings show. John should have realized Mike was struggling to adapt after so much turmoil. He would have to double his efforts to give him a feeling of stability. This hunting trip certainly wasn’t going to help, but there was nothing John could do about it. At least Mike would be with a good person while he was gone.

John’s thoughts turned to Lynne. He had missed her over the last two months. He had pulled away from his feelings for her in favor of giving Mike his attention. The truth was, he was afraid. More and more, Lynne stole into his mind. When he was sleeping, he dreamed of her, when he was awake, he thought about her. Mike made it clear, he didn’t want John to marry. Was he destined to be without the woman he came to realize he loved simply to make his son happy?

The next morning John dropped Mike off at school. He reassured his son that he would be fine and that Lynne would take care of him. Mike wasn’t worried about staying with Lynne; he was worried that his dad might meet the same fate that Martin Kinsey had.

Mike stayed with Lynne three days while his dad was gone, and, he had to admit, he had a good time. She was funny, interesting and didn’t take exception to his language (not too often anyway). She was a good cook and liked hockey. All in all, she wasn’t bad for a woman or an adult.

One night they talked about the day his mother took him and his brothers to live with Charlie in New York. Mike was bitter when he said, "I tried to make them let me stay, but Mom told me to get in the car."

"So what made you angry? Was it because you were leaving or because your mom ordered you to go?" Lynne said it quietly so Mike would know it wasn’t a challenge, only a question about his feelings.

Mike struggled with the answer. "I just didn’t want things to change." Mike had tears running down his cheeks. Lynne sat on the sofa next to Mike and put her arm around him.

"I know how hard change can be, Mike. But sometimes, it happens and we can’t do anything about it. I’m not saying you have to like it, but sometimes you have to accept it."

"I want it the way it was!" Mike was crying like his soul was lost and it hurt Lynne to hear it. She closed her arms around him and hugged with all her might.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. But we all have to face things we don’t like. When my parents were killed in a car accident I had to come home to Mystery to bury them. I hated the thought that I’d never see them again and that I’d have to leave Mystery. But I had no choice. They were dead and I had to accept that. I had to return to my husband, and I had to accept that, too. I didn’t want to but I couldn’t change it."

She thought for a moment. "My dad gave me a beautiful plaque once. It was a prayer and said "God give me the strength to change what I can, the courage to accept the things I can’t and the wisdom to know the difference." I still have that plaque in my bedroom. Next to it is another plaque my father gave me. It says, "Change is like a river, move with the flow or be lost in the eddies." It just means that life is change. Change isn’t good or bad. It’s what we make of it. You might not see any good in it now, but later on you might see it was for the best. You just have to move with the river and not get lost in the eddies."

The next day Lynne received a call from Sarah Hines at the little emergency room in Mystery where she assisted Doc Hamilton with patients who needed as little as bandages on cuts to whooping cough and other normal malaise. It was nine-thirty in the morning and Lynne had just returned from dropping off Mike and picking up food for the evening meal.

"Hello."

"Lynne, it’s Sarah, I just wanted to let you know, John is being air-lifted to Mystery. They caught up with the grizzly and John was hurt. I don’t know how bad he is yet. But I thought you’d want to be here when they brought him in."

"Oh, God! I’ll get there as fast as I can." Lynne nearly fainted. She grabbed her purse and left the groceries on the counter. The drive to the little medical facility seemed endless. She kept telling herself John would be okay, He had to be, his son needed him; she needed him.

By the time she walked in, half of Mystery knew that John Biebe and Ralph Kettering had been brought to emergency. As emergency rooms go, it wasn’t much. Lynne knew they weren’t staffed well, and weren’t properly set up for life-threatening situations. This gave her a little hope. Surely air rescue would not waste time bringing badly injured victims to a facility so ill equipped. But when she saw Tree lying on a gurney giving blood, her heart nearly stopped.

"Lynne, Lynne!" She turned to see Scott Pritcher making his way through a crowd of maybe twenty people.

"Scott, what’s happening? How’s John?"

"We don’t know yet. He and Ralph just arrived. Apparently it was bad enough to alert everyone in Mystery with O negative blood. I just gave and the others are here to donate as well."

For the second time that day Lynne thought she’d faint. Her hands trembled and she was sheet white. Scott immediately grabbed her and sat her down in one of the waiting room chairs.

"Are you alright? You look like you’re going to pass out."

Lynne composed herself. "Yeah, I’m fine. I guess I’m just worried about John. I mean, Mike would have a hard time if anything happened to him." She was trying to convince Scott her concern was only for Mike, but she was sure her own feelings were equally apparent.

Sarah Hines had been steadily taking the donors, one by one, to different places where she could start the process of taking their blood. When she got to Lynne she asked, "Are you going to give blood?"

Scott immediately replied for her, "I don’t think that’s a good idea. Lynne nearly fainted a moment ago, I’m not sure she’s up to it."

"Where’s John? How is he?" Lynne’s voice was shaking along with her hands. She felt cold and slightly nauseous.

Sarah picked up on her symptoms and asked Lynne to come with her. They moved to a small examining room where Sarah took her temperature, blood pressure and a vial of blood. When Sarah asked her to give her a urine sample, Lynne asked why.

"I don’t like the way you look. I just want to be sure you’re not coming down with anything."

"Sarah, I’m taking you away from your duties. You should be finishing with the donors not worrying about me." Then the thought hit her, "Why aren’t you helping Doc Hamilton with John and Ralph?"

"Mildred Talbot is helping him. She’s a surgical nurse and has more experience than I do. Besides, we have plenty of whole blood now. I’ll finish with the donors as soon as you’re done. Now go get me a urine sample, okay? Once you’re done, come back here and wait for me. I’ll check and see how John is doing."

Lynne had been incredibly tired lately. Even though she slept through the night she woke lately feeling as though she hadn’t slept at all. After filling the little cup with urine and putting it in the place Sarah had indicated, she returned to the room to wait. The examining table was comfortable and she lay down and fell asleep.

Sarah woke her only a short time later. "Lynne?"

Lynne woke with a start. The first words from her mouth were "How’s John?"

Sarah smiled, "The grizzly clawed him pretty badly, but he’ll be fine. From what Tree and the others said, John was a hero. The bear went for Ralph and was tearing him up. John distracted him long enough for Ben Winetka to get a clean shot. Unfortunately, Ben didn’t get that shot until the grizzly had a chance to hurt him. But, he’s going to be fine. They airlifted Ralph to Fairbanks, but John’s good enough to stay here."

Before Lynne could say anything, Sarah continued, "Now that John’s well being is established, I need to ask you some questions. When was the last time you had your period?"

Lynne blushed, "About two or three months ago, why?"

"Didn’t that seem a little odd?"

"No, Sarah, I’m in menopause."

"You’re sure?"

"Well, not absolutely, but I’m erratic. That’s one of the symptoms, right? " Lynne looked at Sarah with concern. "What are you getting at?"

Sarah looked embarrassed. "Are the rumors true, about you and John Biebe? Did you sleep with him?" Though Lynne and Sarah were best friends, Sarah had never questioned the rumors about Lynne and John. She felt it was not her business.

"Look, Sarah, I can see where this is going and you’re wrong. We only spent one night together. I was married for twenty-five years and never got pregnant."

"Maybe your husband was sterile. Maybe he didn’t know it or maybe he wouldn’t admit it. You know how men can be."

Lynne’s eyes filled with tears, "But…but I can’t be." This should be the happiest day of her life. She was carrying the child of the man she loved beyond reason, yet it was unwelcome news.

"I’m sorry, Lynne, but the tests I ran, that I ran twice to be sure, say you’re pregnant."

"You can’t tell anyone, Sarah. Not anyone!"

Sarah looked appalled, "Of course I can’t. It would be unethical. Besides, I’m your friend, I wouldn’t say anything."

Lynne thought for a moment. "I’ll have to leave Mystery. Once I begin to show everyone will know. I can’t embarrass John that way."

"Lynne, you should tell him. He has the right to know."

"No! I don’t want him to do the ‘honorable thing’ and marry me. That’s the kind of man he is. I want him to have a choice."

"Well, what kind of choice will he have if you’re gone?"

Lynne clammed up and Sarah left her to think.

Sarah had three more volunteers to gather blood from. One of them was Skank Marden. She left him to last.

When she finally got around to him, she said, "Skank, what are you doing? You don’t have O negative blood."

Skank looked a little wounded. "I know, I just wanted to help, even if it meant just replenishing another blood type."

"I’m sorry, Skank, but we don’t need type Bud Lite."

He looked over her shoulder and seemed nervous. "You’re still sore about what happened nearly two years ago, aren’t you?"

Sarah could barely speak professionally to him. He had humiliated and hurt her beyond words when he told all the men on the hockey team that she was a walrus. At that time, the cute blond had been a little over weight. She had just lost her sister to cancer and the death had caused her to find comfort in food. Sarah was not a woman who slept around. In fact, she was a virgin when Skank had indicated he wanted to sleep with her. She knew his reputation before he asked her to go to bed with him but she had been convinced that he wasn’t as shallow as his reputation indicated. She had been in love with him.

"Why should I be sore?"

"I didn’t mean to hurt you, Sarah. I just didn’t think." Skank hesitated. He had been attracted to Sarah, but at the time he didn’t think he was good enough for her. He was surprised and somewhat touched that she had given him the honor of being her first partner. His feelings were confused and the easiest way to cover them up was to act as though he didn’t care. So he told the guys she was a walrus.

Although she was slightly heavier than other women he’d slept with, she was also cuddly and comforting. The next time he asked her to sleep with him he seriously considered dating her, something he had never done before. Unfortunately, Sarah had been told by a friend what he called her and she hit him with a snow shovel, twice, then called John Biebe to report the attack. Since then it had been impossible for him to make amends.

Explaining his feelings had never been easy for Skank and he was stressed to the limit trying to apologize to Sarah. "No, I did think. You see, I’m not good for much other than playing hockey and romping in bed."

"That’s because you don’t look to be worth anything more." Sarah grabbed his hand cleaned his middle finger with alcohol and stuck him with a small razor.

"Ow!"

"Oh, buck up! It was just a finger stick." Sarah caught three drops of blood in a very thin tube, and took it to check the iron in his blood. She came back a moment later. Sorry, Skank, you’re on the anemic side. I can’t take your blood today."

He looked disappointed and turned to go. He turned back, "How about dinner tonight?"

"What?"

"Dinner, I’d like to take you to dinner."

Sarah was stunned but recovered enough to say, "Why, so you can tell the guys Saturday that you fed the local wildlife?"

"Well, if I did, I’d tell them this time it was a beautiful blue-eyed doe." With that, Skank strode away.

Sarah stood there with her mouth open. "Did he just call me beautiful?"

ON TO PART 5

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