“Yes, but—”

“It seems to me,” Lesley’s mother interrupted, “that neither of you has given the matter much thought. Lesley won’t last a month in this primitive lifestyle.”

Chase was fast losing his patience. “It seems to me that you don’t know your daughter as well as you think you do.”

“I beg your pardon,” she snapped. “Do you suppose I don’t realize what you did? You seduced my daughter, convinced her to marry you and then practically kidnapped her to get her to move north with you.”

Chase pulled over to the side of the road. He couldn’t concentrate on driving and hold on to his temper at the same time.

“Lesley mentioned that you’d spoken to Tony. I gather you’re repeating what he said. Unfortunately you and I don’t know each other well enough to be good judges of the other’s character. You see me as some psychopath who’s tricked your daughter into marriage.”

“You can’t blame me for that, after you charged into our hotel room, acting like a lunatic.”

Chase closed his eyes with mounting frustration. When he collected himself, he continued in a calm, clear voice. “Arguing isn’t going to settle anything. You believe what you must and I’ll do my best to stay out of your way.” He started the engine, intent on turning the vehicle around and heading back to the house. He’d tried, but hadn’t lasted five minutes with June hurling accusations at him.

“Listen here, young man—”

“The last person who called me ‘young man’ was my junior high teacher,” Chase retorted. “I’m a long way from junior high, so I suggest you either call me by name or keep quiet.”

She gasped indignantly, and Chase wondered how it was possible to love Lesley so much, yet feel so negative toward her mother.

“What you fail to understand,” he said, after a lengthy pause, “is that we have something in common.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

“We both love Lesley.”

“Yes, but—”

“There aren’t any qualifiers as far as I can see,” he interrupted. “She’s your daughter, the woman you’ve raised and nurtured and loved all these years. I don’t have the same history with Lesley, but I love her. Right now those may be only words to you, but I’d rather die than hurt her. If your main concern is that she won’t adjust to life here in Alaska, then let me assure you, we’ll move.”

“This all sounds very convenient. You’re telling me what I want to hear.”

“I’m telling you the truth.” His anger flared briefly, then died down just as quickly. “We were wrong not to make more of an effort to contact you about the wedding. If you want to blame someone for that, then I’ll accept the guilt. I was in a hurry—”

“You rushed her into making a decision.”

Chase had another argument poised and ready, but he’d recognized early on that there was nothing he could say that would alter June’s opinion of him.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to talk this out,” he said, not bothering to disguise his disappointment. “I’d never keep Lesley here against her will, that much I promise you. You’ve raised a wonderful woman and I love her more than my own life. I can’t offer you any greater reassurance than that.”

His words were greeted with silence.

“You and your husband will always be welcome here, especially after we start our family.”

She turned and glared at him as if he’d said something offensive, but Chase was tired of trying to decipher this woman’s thoughts.

“If Lesley wants to visit you and your husband in Montana, she can go with my blessing,” he added. It went without saying that he wouldn’t be welcome. “I apologize for making an idiot of myself earlier. I don’t blame you for thinking ill of me, but I’d hoped we’d be able to put that behind us and start again. Perhaps before you leave, we’ll be able to do that.” He switched gears, turned the vehicle around and drove back to the house.

Lesley was knitting in the rocking chair when he walked inside. She glanced up anxiously, but must have read the defeat in his eyes, and the disdain in her mother’s, because she sagged against the back of the chair.

“What are you knitting?” June asked, revealing some enthusiasm for the first time in hours.

“A sweater for Chase. One of the ladies in town sells yarn, so while I was there I picked up a pattern and everything else I was going to need.”

“You met Thelma?” Chase asked, claiming the recliner next to his wife.

“I had tea with all the ladies,” Lesley informed him. She was trying not to smile. Her mouth quivered and the need to kiss her felt nearly overwhelming.

So she’d gone into town on her own. Chase should’ve realized she was too anxious to meet the others to wait for him to introduce her.

“It’s stuffy in here,” June announced.

“There’s a chair on the porch,” Chase suggested. If his curmudgeon of a mother-in-law wasn’t standing guard over them, he might be able to steal a few minutes alone with his wife.

“I think I’ll sit out there for a while.”

“Good idea,” Chase said with just a smidgen of glee. To his credit, he didn’t lock the door behind her.

“What happened?” Lesley asked in a breathy whisper the instant her mother was out the door.

“She thinks I seduced you into moving up here with me.”

Lesley batted her long lashes at him. “You did, didn’t you?”

“I’d certainly like the opportunity to do so again,” he said, waggling his brows suggestively. “I’m not going to last another five days without making love to you. Maybe not even another five minutes—”

“Chase!” Lesley whispered, as he moved toward her. “My mother’s right outside.”

“She already thinks I’m a sex fiend as it is.”

“You are!”

Chase chuckled, but his humor was cut short by a piercing scream from the front porch. Never in his life had Chase moved faster. Lesley reacted just as quickly. Her knitting needles and yarn flew toward the ceiling as they both raced out the front door.

June was backed against the front of the house, her hands flattened over her heart. Even from several feet away, Chase could see she was trembling.

“What happened?” he demanded.

June closed her eyes and shook her head. Luckily Lesley was there to comfort her. She wrapped her arms around her mother and gently guided her toward the door.

“Something must have frightened her,” Chase said. He debated going for his hunting rifle, then decided against it. Whatever the danger had been, it’d passed.

“It was…huge.” The words were strangled-sounding.

“A bear, Mom. Did you see a bear?” Lesley’s eyes widened with fear, but her mother shook her head.

“It must’ve been a moose,” Chase speculated. He recalled the first time he’d come nose to nose with one. It was an experience he’d rather not repeat.

“No.” June shook her head again.

“A wolf?” Lesley pressed.

“No,” his mother-in-law moaned. Lesley led her into the house and urged her down in the rocker while Chase went for a glass of water.

“It was a…a spider,” June said, gripping the glass with both hands. “A black one with long legs. I…I’ve never liked spiders.”

Judging by June’s reaction, that was an understatement.

“A spider?” Chase whispered. The woman had sounded as though she’d barely escaped with her life.

His wife shrugged and rolled her eyes.

“Suggest she go to bed and rest,” he said in hushed tones.

Lesley’s lips quivered with the effort it took to suppress a smile.

“Maybe you’d better lie down,” Lesley said in a soothing voice.

“You’re right,” June murmured, clearly shaken by the encounter. “I don’t usually overreact like this. It’s just that this spider was so big. I didn’t expect there to be spiders here in Alaska, of all places.”

“We all have a tendency to overreact under certain circumstances,” Chase said, using the opportunity to defend his own behavior earlier in the day. “Later we realize how foolish we must have looked to everyone else. People generally understand and forgive that sort of thing.” As far as sermons went, he felt he’d done well. He was no TV evangelist, but he figured he’d got his point across. He only hoped June had picked up on his message.

“I do feel like I should rest.”

“I’ll check out the room first,” Chase offered, “and make sure there’s nothing there.” All he needed was for June to interrupt him and Lesley. He didn’t know how well his heart would stand up to another bloodcurdling scream.

“Thank you,” June whispered as he hurried out.

When he came back to signal that all was clear, Lesley accompanied her mother to the bedroom. After five minutes Chase was glancing at his watch, wondering how long this was going to take.

Another ten minutes passed before Lesley returned to the living room. “Mom’s resting comfortably. I gave her a couple of aspirin to settle her nerves.”

“I need something to settle my nerves, too,” Chase said, reaching for her and pulling her onto his lap.

“Chase.” She put up a token struggle.

“Kiss me.”

“I…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Considering what I really want, a kiss seems darn little. Don’t be stingy, Lesley, I need you.” If they’d been alone, he’d have had her in bed fifteen seconds after they got home. As it was, he’d been forced to sit through an uncomfortable dinner and then deal with her dragon of a mother before and after the spider attack. A kiss was small compensation.

He nibbled at her ear. He’d settle for kissing her. It was all he wanted right now, just enough to satisfy him until he could tell her all that was in his heart.

He could feel her resistance, the little there was, melt away.

She turned her head until their lips met. The kiss was slow and deep. It demanded every shred of stamina he had to drag his mouth away from hers. By then, Lesley’s arms had circled his neck and she was sighing softly. She laid her head on his shoulder and worked her fingers into his hair.

Now was the time to tell her. He forced his mind from the warmth of her body pressing against his, her moist breath fanning his neck.

“When I spoke to your mother…” The words wouldn’t come. Maybe this would be easier after they’d made love.

“Yes?” Lesley lifted her head, curiosity brightening her eyes.

“I told her something I’ve never told you.” Their eyes met and her mouth widened with an enticing smile.

“I love you, Lesley.” There it was, out in the open for her to accept or reject. His heart was there, too, along with his dreams for their future.