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functioning in society. At least functioning in her own “controlled society.” Hell, even he cared more than he was ready to admit.
    “Look at it this way,” Tom said. “We have two weeks paid vacation. In Alaska of all places. If we get a story out of it, great. If we don’t, at least we’ll have a fabulous trip before we lose our jobs.”
    He had a point. Cache glanced out the window. He had to experience this place. Had to see it up close and personal. Plus, he needed to know what Amelia had made of her life. “Okay, we’ll meet her and then decide.”
    A smile spilt Tom’s face. “Okay, here’s our cover—”
    “Cover?”
    “Yeah, you think Amelia Bennett isn’t going to recognize the name of the great C.S. Calder? Good thing you publish under your initials. No way would she forget the name Cache. After all, the picture you took of her received national exposure. It probably changed her life as much as being kidnapped did. I, for one, don’t want to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere with killer mosquitoes. So, this is what I came up with. We work for an environmentalist group and are registered under the names of Tom Spears and Cache Cruise.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding.”
    Tom pulled at his collar. “When I made the reservations, I had a copy of People lying on my desk. Tom Cruise and Britney Spears were both featured on the cover.” Tom shrugged. “I couldn’t very well take Cruise, now could I? How unbelievable would that be? So I took Spears. I think they both sound quite fetching.”
    At that moment, the flight attendant came by.
    “Could I get you gentleman a drink?” she asked.
    “Hell, yes.” Cache pointed to Tom. “Britney here’s buying.”

    Nicole Bennett—formerly Olsen—was so tired she didn’t know what kept her upright. She wished she could find a place to sleep away the next few months. She might as well kiss the hope of ever sleeping this summer goodbye. It had been close to midnight when their plane landed in Anchorage, and the sun lay hooked on the horizon. She’d forgotten that Alaska was called the Land of the Midnight Sun.
    How had she gotten here? Alone in Anchorage with two kids who were looking at her to take care of them when she couldn’t even take care of herself. She was a bitter thirty-four-year old divorcee with no home, no job, and no money, betrayed by the only man she’d ever loved. Seventeen years she’d shared a life with that cheating bastard. Seventeen years of worshipping a man not worthy of her love. They’d been high school sweethearts, love at first sight and all that crap.
    It seemed like everything in her life happened before she was ready. From getting pregnant with Emily her senior year of high school, to the shotgun wedding her mother had arranged without her input, to the falling apart of her marriage without her knowing it had been in trouble.
    Now she faced starting a new life when she still wanted the old one back.
    “Mom.” Quentin bumped her shoulder, the action bringing her back to the rapidly emptying baggage area. “When’s Aunt Mel going to get here?”
    When Quentin had been three and had met Amelia for the first time, he couldn’t pronounce the mouthful “Aunt Amelia” and had come up with Aunt Mel. It had stuck. Where had the time gone? When had her adorable little boy, so quick to flash his dimples and laugh, turned into a gangly, always starving preteen?
    “Soon. She’ll be here soon.” Nicole glanced around the baggage claim area again. What was she going to do if Amelia didn’t show? She’d taken the coward’s way out and invited herself to where she knew she wasn’t wanted, and she’d done it in a way that manipulated Amelia into accepting. At least, she’d hoped so, but then what if Amelia hadn’t received her letter? She wasn’t sure how the postal system worked when you lived in the middle of nowhere. Of course, even if Amelia had received her letter, she had every right not to show. Nicole