Chapter 19

Valentine

“I ask you, Logan, can they be any cuter together?”

He bumps his shoulder against mine as we both sip our beers. “You’re a regular matchmaker.”

We’re both watching April and Jorgen sitting at a table, enjoying a few beers together. They’re laughing and talking in that way that you know they like each other. April had informed me that the fishing trip really hadn’t done anything to pique his interest in her. They went out on the boat and they fished. She came away slightly dejected, but she didn’t bother me with it because that was the day Logan had practically kidnapped me to fly me to the Misty Fiords.

I did find out two days later, though, when I met April for breakfast that Jorgen showed up at Billiott’s Outfitters one day looking for a new fishing vest. He seemed to take an extremely long time trying to decide on what to buy, and ultimately just came up to the register and asked April out on a date.

She obviously said yes.

She told me last night during the dance and barbecue that he’d even asked her to be his partner in the Wild Wilderness Woman Contest and she accepted.

Now this contest may actually beat out the Moose Poop Drop as my favorite thing about this festival. Of quick note, the drop was this morning and amazingly, the golden poop landed in my square. I got a deep kiss from Logan, as he was excited I’d won, and then again when I’d donated my part of the winnings right back to the town.

Logan points his beer off to the left and says, “They’ll be starting the Wild Wilderness Woman Contest.”

“I can’t wait to watch it,” I say with excitement. Logan had told me this morning on our way into town that it was a series of events that the Alaskan women participated in to claim the title of East Merritt’s Wildest Woman. Logan said the events varied each year and were decided on by the town council, and the winner even got a gold trophy.

I thought the idea was hilarious and charming, and I was so excited to watch April. I’d be totally cheering for her.

“Well, Logan,” I hear from behind us and immediately tense up. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Logan and I both turn to see Darla standing there, holding a bottle of beer in her hand. It’s a mild evening but the temperature is dropping, and I was glad I brought my North Face jacket. Darla however is showing off her assets, which include tight jeans and a flannel shirt that is open so far down you can practically see the top of her stomach under her breasts.

My fists start to curl and I’m slightly mollified when Logan’s hand touches my lower back, where he rubs his thumb to soothe me.

“Darla,” Logan says in greeting. “Having a good time?”

“Sure am,” she says in a totally sexy way, and then she has the nerve to actually step up to him and ask, “I’d like to formally ask you to be my partner in the Wild Wilderness Woman Contest. There’s only one event where a man’s needed.”

Then Darla turns to me, acknowledging me for the first time, and says in a sickly sweet voice, “You don’t mind, do you, Valentine? I’ll only need to borrow this hunk for a little bit.”

Logan sort of freezes, his mouth hanging open. Darla looks back at him and bats her eyelashes. I’m pissed she called me Valentine, because only Logan calls me that, and most of all, she most certainly isn’t going to use him as her partner in this contest.

“Actually, I do mind,” I tell Darla politely as I snake my arm around Logan’s back. “Because he’s partnering with me.”

Darla’s jaw drops. “You’re entering the Wild Wilderness Woman Contest?”

“Yup,” I say with my chin held high. “And I’m really competitive.”

I feel Logan’s body go tight but he doesn’t say anything. Darla just nods and says, “Well…may the best woman win.”

“Good luck,” I say kindly, to show I can be a classy lady when I want to.

When Darla’s out of earshot, Logan turns and looks down at me. “Do you even have any idea what you signed up for?”

I shrug. “Not really. But I think I can handle it. You did see my dancing on the tables, right?”

Logan snickers and shakes his head. He then pulls me in and gives me a tight reassuring hug…or is that sympathy I feel radiating off of him? When he pulls back he says, “Babe, wildest doesn’t mean the type of wild you’re thinking of. It means more survival stuff. How to be an Alaskan woman.”

I think back to the five hours I was lost in the woods and ask, “One of the events isn’t figuring out how to navigate, is it?”

“Not this year,” he says with a chuckle. “But they are challenging, although they always throw in a few easy ones, and then there’s a surprise event at the end.”

“What do I have to do?” I ask with dread starting to mount.

It’s with definite sympathy that Logan says, “There are five events. The first is who can clean and debone a salmon the fastest. Second is carving a saddle loin from a moose carcass. Third is building a fire with flint. Fourth is chopping wood. These events are all announced at least a month before the festival so the women can practice. And the fifth event, well…you don’t know what that is until you sign up for the contest, but it’s usually a really fun one. I haven’t heard what it is yet.”

Well, shit…I know nothing about those. I can eat a salmon filet, and I cut up some moose for that stew. Fire? Forget about it, and I could possibly chop wood. I’m pretty strong and did CrossFit and yoga back in New York.

“You totally don’t have to do this,” Logan says as he chucks his knuckles under my chin. “Darla was just trying to get your goat by asking me to be her partner for the surprise event, but you know I would never have said yes to her.”

“I know,” I say as my eyes stray over to where Darla is talking with a group of women. They look at me and laugh, and I know damn well they don’t think I have the chops to hang with them.

I turn back to Logan. “I’m totally entering. Just to show that bitch I’m not afraid of what Alaska has to throw at me.”

Logan smiles at me softly, maybe even a little sadly, as he knows I’m going down in flames, but he leans down and gives me a soft, lingering kiss that I’m glad about because I know Darla’s still watching.

Suck it, bitch. You might beat me in the Wild Wilderness Woman Contest, but I got the hottest, sweetest, best guy around.

“Let’s go sign up,” I tell Logan with a brave smile. He nods and takes my hand, leading me over to the contest booth.

Logan introduces me to Al Portney, one of the town councilmen. He’s young, probably my age, and I can tell by the laughter in his eyes that he thinks I’m nuts for entering. But he hands me the brown manila envelope that contains the rules as well as the information on the last event, and takes my entry fee of twenty-five dollars, which Logan insists on paying. I let him do this because I’ve also learned that it’s important to him to take care of his girl. Doesn’t matter that I’m a millionaire; he pays for shit, except I did refuse to let him buy my squares for the Moose Poop Drop. That was for charity and was different.

We walk away from the sign-up booth and I start to open the envelope.

“I’m going to go get another beer. You want one?” Logan asks.

I pull out the packet of papers and see the contest starts in less than an hour. I shake my head. “Nope. I need my wits about me.”

Logan chuckles and bends in to kiss the top of my head. “You’ll be fabulous, Valentine. You always are.”

He walks off to get his beer and my heart trips madly again as I watch him walk away with a goofy smile on my face. But then I remember I have business to attend to and I start reading the materials, only scanning the information on the first four events in which I’ll probably come dead last. When I get to the fifth event and read it, a wicked smile comes to my face.

Logan wasn’t joking…the surprise event is going to be fun.

And I know I can win at least that one.

When Logan returns, I stuff the papers back into the folder and tell him, “Put that beer down. I need you to run me back to your house.”

“What? Why?” he asks as he sets his beer down on the table.

“And we need to stop by the general store too,” I add.

I take his hand and start dragging him toward the side of the town square where his truck is parked. When we get in and are headed to his house, he asks, “What’s the fifth event?”

“It’s called the Welcome Home Honey event,” I tell him as my mind races on what I need to grab.

Logan laughs. “They’ve done that one before. It’s hilarious.”

I can only imagine. The event is simple. The premise is that your man is coming home after a long, hard day of work, and all he wants is to relax. How will you help him do it?

I’d totally give Logan a blow job, but obviously that’s not going to be allowed. The contest info said that there would be “props” allowed and most of the women competing had signed up over a week ago when entries were opened, so they would be prepared. I had less than an hour to gear up.

“Okay, baby,” I tell him as he drives to his house. “Give me some intel…what will my competition do?”

Logan snickers. “They definitely don’t get on their knees while handcuffed and suck their man off. And before you can even ask, no, you can’t do that. That’s private between you and me.”

I roll my eyes. “Seriously, what can I expect?”

“Well, this is a tough life out here, Valentine. The men work hard away from the home, and the women work hard in the home. These events are real life. They clean kills, chop wood, and have food on the table when their man gets home.”

“Doesn’t sound very romantic,” I mutter.

“For many of the families around here, it’s not,” he says. “But romance is what you make of it.”

He says this as a hand comes out to rest on my thigh where he gives it a squeeze. I smile back at him, put my hand over his. He’s told me enough to know what I have to do in this event, and at least I’ll show them I’m good at something when it comes to being in Alaska with my man.