Snagged

Book 1: Copper River Romances

by Cherime MacFarlane

Synopsis

She saved his life, but he wants more. Old secrets, lies and lack of belief stand between them.
Number 3 in Listopia's Best of Religious & Inspirational Fiction
"Snagged" is the first of the Copper River Romances.
In some places in Alaska, there are only two places to socialize, the bar and the church. Dorcas' family chose the church. Trying to find her path, she is spending the winter in a remote cabin. The pilot of a small plane crashes on the river ice. Dorcas pulls James out, saving his life.
James has been working alongside his father building the business for years. When he goes to Fairbanks to scout out a second location, his father is not happy about it. James leaves a day early. Far off course, his plane develops engine trouble over the Copper River. When he is tossed from the aircraft into the icy water, James thinks his life is over until the girl pulls him from the river.
There is a family connection which goes back over twenty-five years, something neither of the young people discovers until her family comes to spend Christmas at the remote cabin. Will an old lie tear the young couple apart? Will James' father finally listen to the truth?

Release date: January 6, 2014

Publisher: Paper Gold Publishing

Print pages: 225

Sample

 

Dorcas laughed with pleasure as her dogs, Dav, Deb and Delilah sped up the bank of the river toward the cabin. The sled slued sideways as the dogs topped the frozen bank. Joyful yips filled the air when they made the turn into the straight stretch which brought them into the front yard of the cabin.

The race home was always fun for her and the dogs. Dav, her lead dog, in his prime stood eighty pounds of thick fur and solid muscle. The girls, Dav’s daughters, had received their training the previous year and were young and frisky. The team, sled, and Dorcas all came to a sliding halt just before plunging into the snowbank at the side of the woodshed.

Dav turned his head to look back at Dorcas. His tongue stuck out the side of his muzzle. The dog grinned at her, pleased with their run.

Dorcas unhitched her team before pushing the sled into an unused corner of the shed. All three Huskies rolled in the snow and one instigated a game of chase around the yard while Dorcas put everything away. When she walked toward the door, Dav trotted up. The girls responded to her whistle, dashing toward her. Dorcas pushed open the door; she and Dav stood to one side, letting the eager youngsters in first.

Once inside, she shoved the door closed and latched it securely against the cold of the bright Alaska winter day. With the door secure, she hung up her parka, hat, scarf, and gloves on the drying rack behind the wood stove.

A slosh of the big teakettle told Dorcas it was almost empty. After refilling it from the water container on the kitchen counter, she placed it back on top the woodstove. Before opening the cavity of the stove, she cracked both dampers. The stove access open, Dorcas placed several split logs into the interior from the wood box she replenished in the morning before their run.

"First a cup of tea, then food," she informed the dogs as they took turns at their water dish. "Great run kids!"

Dav wagged his bushy tail in agreement as he moved to stand close to Dorcas' left side. Her fingers stroked his head as she listened to the stove consume the fresh load of wood with a deep roar. When the changing tone of the stove let her know it had reached full throttle, the short young woman shut the stove down by adjusting both dampers.

"We’ll let the place get good and toasty before the sun sets," She told Dav.

A sandwich of leftover bacon, cheese and pickles sounded good. Some warm canned spinach and another cup of herb tea completed her meal.

Before settling down for the evening, Dorcas washed up the few items she used for dinner with a little of the hot water from the teakettle.

She must accomplish one more chore before sunset. Dorcas put on her thick lined flannel shirt and pulled on dry mittens. The five-gallon pail from the back of the stove in hand, she went outside. In the twilight, she hurried out to the snowbank at the side of the woodshed. Dorcas glanced at the mound to make sure none of it appeared yellow. Pristine, sparking snow shone up at her.

As the sun dipped behind the mountain, she packed snow into the pail, compressing it with both gloved hands. The dogs were good about staying away from this area for their potty needs. The three of them were on notice; this side of the cabin was off limits. Dorcas needed to keep the snow here clean for cabin use.

"Burr! It’ll be a cold one tonight!" Dorcas told the dogs as she kicked the door shut behind her with one foot.

Only Dav paid her any attention, twitching one ear backward as he glanced toward the sound of her voice. The young woman put the pail on the back of the stove. By morning, she would find the bucket about one third full of water.

The last snowfall had been dry. Powder snow contained little moisture. It meant she must keep on top of melting snow for water. But the fine, light snow was fun to play in.

At 5:00 p.m., the news would be on. She kept glancing at the clock as she did not want to miss the broadcast. Right after the weather report, the Tundra Telegraph would come on. She needed to listen in case her family put on a message for her.

Expecting to hear something, Dorcas waited for word from her parents telling her when to expect their arrival. Her mom hadn’t been enthusiastic about her spending the winter out at the old cabin which belonged to her father’s family.

Dorcas slid her Bible toward her from its resting place on one side of the table. She had been working her way through Isaiah. The previous evening Dorcas finished reading Chapter 6 of the book. Each time she read it, she marveled over the text about Isaiah seeing the Lord. It contained powerful imagery which never failed to move her.

The first verse; "in the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple," brought so many images to her mind. It was no wonder Isaiah had said "Woe is me!"

The leather-bound book she opened was a gift from her parents upon her baptism when she turned twelve. For twelve years it had provided comfort when she needed it. It had seen her through many seasons of her school years. Now, finished with school she felt ready to begin a new stage of her life.

The problem was how did the Father want her to go forward from here? She had been seeking His will since graduation but had received nothing concrete. Dorcas felt the need to get away from the distractions of the city and hoped a stay at the old cabin for the winter would provide the solitude she needed. This was her attempt to seek His will for her life.

Her earthly father had given her his blessing to stay out in the bush for the winter. Both Dorcas and her father tried to reassure her mother by promising at least two visits during the season. She felt the peace of the Father about this move, but so far little else.

The freedom to read her Bible in the evening and often in the morning gave her a sense of wellbeing. Dorcas took it on faith that the Lord would reveal to her the ministry she would embark on. All her family and several people in the church were praying for her to hear from the Lord.

With a chuckle, Dorcas acknowledged her mom was likely praying hardest for revelation to come sooner rather than later. No matter how old she was she would always be her mommy’s little girl, not a bad thing at all.

Isaiah called, Dorcas took a sip of tea and began to re-read Chapter 6 again. When she closed the Bible with a loving pat, it was almost time for the Telegraph. She turned on the battery-operated radio in time to catch the last of the statewide news.

Messages called in during the day to the radio station got broadcast after the news for those not having regular communication with the outside world. She understood the next message would be for her because the announcer said it was for the "four Ds." That meant Dorcas and the dogs to her.

"Mom and dad want you to know they will be out on the twentieth. Look for them about sun down. And mom says to be sure to heat the other room the night before."

The announcer cleared his throat and went on. "Don’t worry about food; they’re bringing in a big load. They send love and God Bless."

The man didn’t stumble over her parents' blessing at the end. An old family friend, he knew the identity of the four Ds. The Hite family had been in the area for quite a few generations. By using the code, newcomers wouldn’t know Dorcas was out here on her own which suited her and her parents’.

A few odd types had moved out to the area over the years. Some were stranger than others. Dorcas didn’t mind her parents being careful about what became public information.

On her runs into town, interacting with people one on one didn’t bother her. Those who had been here for ages chatted and asked after her folks. New people kept to themselves more. Most of them were running from something.

After a jaw cracking yawn and stretch, she gave the dogs' one last potty run outside. While they took care of business, three more logs went into the stove then she shut it down for the night. A scratch at the door meant the dogs were ready. Dorcas let them in, turned off the lantern and crawled into bed in the bottom bunk. The last thing she did was say her prayers before snuggling under the covers.

She woke from a dream that faded before she could remember all of it. Details eluded her, but it had been disturbing. Danger and fear were two things she still sensed, but the dream wouldn’t come back into focus. There was a warning aspect to it, and she wished she could bring it back to remembrance.

Dorcas turned over any anxiety the incident caused her to the Father then asked the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance anything she needed to recall concerning the dream. It would do her no good to worry about it, if the Lord wanted her to be careful, she would do as instructed. Exact details weren’t necessary, everything lay in His hands. She turned over and went back to sleep.

Dav woke her. He kept pushing his nose into her hand. Then she heard the noise that had alerted him to trouble. A plane, one almost overhead had a problem. The engine coughed and sputtered as she listened. Dorcas dressed hurriedly. Someone would need help; it was clear the aircraft had to land.

She sent a quick prayer to the Lord asking Him to help the pilot choose the eastern bank of the river as a landing place. If he came down on the other side of the river and went through the ice, she couldn’t get across the river in time to help. Because of an opening in the ice, she would have to go down the river before doubling back to the opposite bank.

Dorcas opened the spare sleeping bag on the top bunk and hung it on the drying rack behind the stove. She took a few extra minutes to load the stove with firewood, but didn’t have time to wait for the wood to catch. The fire wouldn’t go out. When she returned, she would open the dampers to full throttle.

After pulling on her parka, she pushed her feet into a pair of bunny boots. Hat and gloves came next. The engine coughed once and went silent just after passing over her roof. The pilot seemed to be heading for the river channel, the only place clear of trees. On her way out of the door, she scooped up the blankets from her bed.

The dogs barreled out ahead of her. All three ran to the woodshed. The sled came sliding out, and she swung it around to face out of the yard. As she clipped the end of the harness to the bridle line, Dorcas called the dogs to her. With the dogs harnessed, two steps took her to the runners. As she hopped on the sled, her left hand hit the handlebar and her right reached for the anchor.

“Hup!” The command had Dav straining into his harness. Within a few feet, he hit top speed with the girls pounding along behind. Her lead dog understood what she wanted him to do. Dav raced along the trail then down the bank, and out onto the river ice.

Dav had the sled under control which enabled her to take a quick look ahead. On rounding the first bend, Dorcas looked out across the river channel. The pilot tried to set the plane down on its skis as she watched.

Thank you, God! She thought. He aimed the plane at the east side of the channel. Dorcas breathed a sigh of relief. The pilot seemed in control until the left ski caught on something hidden in the deep snow.

With a jerk sideways, the left wing of the plane broke through the river ice, opening a small lead wider. The plane shuddered hard several times. As it came to a grinding halt, the door flew open. Someone tumbled into the freezing water.

The river wasn’t deep at that spot, Dorcas guessed about six feet, but it was enough to soak the pilot through and could bring on hypothermia within a matter of minutes. A figure tried to get out of the water by grabbing onto a strut. But the cold drained his strength as she watched.

Near enough to see the pilot was a man, she yelled encouragement as loud as she could. "Hold on! I’m coming! Don’t let go!"

The dogs came even with the tail of the plane.

"Halt!" She shouted at Dav as she dug in the anchor. A quick hop took her to the other side of the open lead in the river ice. Dorcas made her way up the ski toward the man. On reaching the strut, she wrapped her right arm around it and took a firm hold on his wrist with her left hand.

"Pull yourself up!" Dorcas yelled at him. Together, they got him out of the water onto the ski. The man shivered uncontrollably.

"Passenger?" She asked.

Unable to speak, he shook his head. Dorcas helped him off the ski. With his arm over her shoulder, she supported him. They had to go far enough up past the edge of the opening in the ice for her to drag him across without getting into the water. On reaching the anchored sled, she found his coordination failing. He stumbled frequently.

After guiding the man to the sled, she positioned him against the basket. With no time to waste, she gave him a hard push and he collapsed into the cargo bed. Dorcas covered him with the blankets she brought along. A quick command had Dav turning the sled as she hopped aboard.

A hurried glance revealed the pilot nodding out. With the knuckle of her right hand, Dorcas thumped him on the top of his head as the dogs ran toward the trail back to the cabin.  

"Ouch!"

"You’re not to go to sleep! You stay awake, or I’ll thump you again."

"All right, all right!"

He rubbed his head with one shaking hand. Dorcas lowered her voice.

"You know you can’t go to sleep right now. You know it!"

"Yeah, I get it," he mumbled

Dorcas heard his acceptance of the situation in the pilot’s tone. With one shaking hand, he pulled the blankets up over his head.

In a swirl of snow, the team crested the hill into the yard of the cabin, Dorcas steered the sled right up to the porch. Although she didn’t worry about the dogs running away, Dorcas set the anchor as a precaution. The two young females could damage the sled if they played around.

The first order of business would be to get the man into the shelter of the warm cabin. Able to walk a little better than when she first dumped him into the sled basket, he still stumbled with every other step.

Once inside the cabin, Dorcas left him by the door while she went to open both dampers on the stove. The wood inside caught when the rush of air entered the firebox. Dorcas went back to where he still stood, trembling.

"Let's get the wet stuff off you right now." She pulled his shirt off, loosened his belt, ran down the zipper and peeled the wet pants from his body.

"What’s your name?" Dorcas asked as she helped him get his shoes off and step out of the wet pants. If she kept him talking, he might not go into shock.

"J..James." He stuttered past still stiff lips.

"Lean up against the wall for a moment. I don’t want you to fall."

Dorcas, still dressed in her outdoor gear, pulled the sleeping bag from the drying rack, and wrapped it around James. He sighed in pleasure as the warm flannel surrounded his body.

"Can you get your shorts off on your own?"

"I’ll try it, but you might have to steady me."

"Okay," she responded. The bulky parka she still wore hampered her movements. But Dorcas took hold of his shoulders to steady James while he struggled to get the wet underwear off.

He leaned into her for a moment. "Got em."

"Lean back on the wall again. I have to get this stuff off so I can help you get into the top bunk. It'll be warmer up there. We also need to get something hot in you, and I need to see to the dogs. They can’t stay out there for too long without being cared for."

"Yep. Do what you have to. I'm okay for now."

Dorcas wasn’t too sure about his being "okay", but there were things she must take care of no matter what. After moving the kettle onto the hottest spot on the stovetop, she shrugged out of her parka and gear before hanging it on the drying rack.

A sharp shove with her foot pushed one of the old wooden kitchen chairs over to the bunk, Dorcas turned to James. "Let’s get you into bed now. I’ll take care of the dogs and then make you a good hot cup of tea."

Both of his hands clutched the old sleeping bag to his chest, and he took a step forward. The man stumbled, tried to right himself and almost lost his hold on the sleeping bag. Dorcas caught him and pulled the cloth around his still shivering body.

"Easy there. Take your time." Dorcas helped James over to the chair and steadied him as he balanced on the wooden seat. One arm went on the old log frame of the bunk and he tried to hoist his body onto the mattress. Dorcas put her shoulder under his behind and pushed him into the top bunk.

She thanked God that her dad had removed the old rails after there was no further danger of one of his rambunctious offspring falling out of bed. Dorcas doubted she could have gotten James over the old railing.

"Oh, this is great. Thanks... what's your name?"

"It’s Dorcas. Are you getting warm yet?"

"Not yet, but, at least, I’m not as cold as before."

He lay quiet for a moment. "Thanks, Dorcas."

"Don’t thank me James, thank God. He’s the reason I’m out here anyway," No response came from him.

Dorcas thought he might go to sleep. It was okay now. She needed to take care of the dogs. Afterward, she would deal with taking care of James. He would need something warm to eat and drink.

Outside, in front of the porch, Dav stood waiting for her to unhitch them. She noted her lead dog had subdued the two junior members of the team. They would need breakfast soon, but today it would be a quick helping of dry dog food with hot oatmeal poured over the top.

James and the dogs would share the warm oatmeal. Her mom called oatmeal medicine and nourishment all rolled into one. They always kept plenty on hand in the cabin.

With another person to care for, water was a major consideration. The amount she had been melting must now go up by at least a third. It amazed those not familiar with an arctic winter how difficult it could be to keep drinking water available.

It was an impossible chore to get water from the river without something going wrong. The sled ride back up the steep slope to the cabin made hauling full water jugs tricky. Melting snow had always been easier to do so long as there was an available supply of clean, moisture laden snow.

The cold spell they were experiencing produced dry snow when it fell. The last snowfall hadn’t contained a lot of moisture. A good thing if you had to shovel it, not so good for keeping the water container full.

She must dig out the big old stew pot. The same pot her grandma had used for many years to feed people when the cabin doubled as a summer fish camp. Combined with the pail, the added capacity of the big pot might provide sufficient water for them all.

The oatmeal came to a boil as she stirred the pot. Continuous stirring kept the cereal from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Burned oatmeal wasn’t proper food for dogs or people.

Dorcas made the oatmeal thin as it would be easier for her patient to drink on his own. Trying to force feed a grown man on the top bunk held no appeal.

A generous helping of the gruel went on the dog food laden old pie plates. She added honey to the steaming soup mug of oatmeal for James before giving it a stir. A quick taste test told her it was sweet enough but too hot to drink.

Two large spoonsful of fresh snow from the not quite defrosted snow pail on the stove brought the gruel to a reasonable drinking temperature. But it was still hot enough to help James warm up from the inside out.

Dorcas climbed onto the chair before shaking the still form. "Okay, wake up and let’s get this stuff down you."

A groan was all she got in response.

"That won’t cut it, mister!" Years of experience dealing with younger cousins came to her aid. "Wake up. Let’s get this stuff down you or I’ll have to spoon it in. I promise you won't like that one little bit!"

James groaned again but rolled over to face her. He lifted his head a little. With one hand Dorcas shoved a pillow beneath him. "All right. Good boy. It’s drinkable, so down the hatch with it."

He turned onto his back again and lifted his head enough to take a large gulp of the liquid.

"What is it?" He questioned.

"Nice, sweet stuff that will help you get warm. Don’t get any ideas about not finishing it. Get it all down then you can rest awhile."

"Jeez, I’m doing the best I can," he complained.

She helped him to finish up the warm oatmeal by holding up his head with one hand and supporting the cup with the other. When done, Dorcas lowered his head back onto the pillow.

He sighed and mumbled, "It’s not every day I crash land ya know?"

"I suppose not." Dorcas laughed. "Sounds like you’ll make it fine, flyboy. Rest for a while. By evening, you should feel better."

A slight nod of James' head was his only reply.

Dorcas hopped down from the chair then went to the back room to locate the old stew pot. It was time to put more snow on to melt; they would need it.

James woke near sundown. Dorcas sat at the table; with her Bible and a paperback after having finished the day’s chores. The last rays of sunlight made long shadows on the far wall across from the kitchen window.

She heard the rustling of the sleeping bag in the top bunk. Soon he would look for his clothes. Once they were dry, she had folded them and then laid everything at the foot of the bed. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Sorry, I know this sounds ungrateful, but I don’t remember what you said your name was."

"It’s Dorcas, Dorcas Hite." She looked up and smiled at him.

James lay on his side facing her; his head pillowed on his arm.

"I’m not surprised you didn’t remember. It was kind of intense there for a while."

"Yeah, no joke. I don’t usually land quite that way. I have come in hot a time or two when I was just learning how to pilot, but this is the first time I've ever had to dead-stick for real."

He was silent for a moment. Deep in thought, his gaze focused on a point well past her face. Then his brown eyes met hers. She could see the puzzlement before he voiced his thoughts.

"You know I just don't understand what happened. One minute the engine was humming right along. The next it started sputtering and flat quit on me."

"Yes. It woke Dav, and he woke me. I heard it cough and die as you passed over the cabin. We knew someone was in trouble."

"Thank you very much, Dorcas, for coming out to rescue me from the river. I don’t believe I could have pulled myself out. Even if I had managed it," his voice quavered ever so slightly. "I would be a James-cicle anyhow!"

He tried to lighten the conversation. She would go along with that. "Yeah, and probably not too tasty either."

They both laughed as they tried to let the somber realization of how close to dying he had come fade away.

"What happened to your safety harness? Did it pop when you hit?" Putting a book mark into the paperback, she closed it.

James shook his head. A lock of brown hair fell across one eye.

"I unbuckled it, cause I was afraid the plane might catch fire. I didn’t want to fry. Yeah, I know." He pushed his hair back. "Dumb move. If I had kept the thing buckled, I wouldn’t have fallen in the river and wound up almost hypothermic either. When the old man hears about it, he will peal hide off me for doing something so dumb."

"It's what parents do once they’re sure we're safe and sound. I’ve gotten chewed out a few times for garden variety stupidity."

Dorcas rose from the table. It was time to think about dinner. With her back to James, she looked through the cupboard. She sought something quick and filling at the same time.

"Your clothes are dry," she said while pushing cans to one side. "They're at the foot of the bed if you want to get up."

"Thank you again. I want... well, I need to get up. I’ll need outhouse instructions as soon as I get up from here."

"Ya, and you need a parka. I’ll get you some gear. It’s way too cold to be out in just jeans and tennis shoes. Let me know when you're ready. I’ll dig out some of my brother, Abe’s things. He's somewhat heavier than you but about the same height, maybe a little shorter. None of Matthew's stuff will fit. What size boot do you take?"

"A size ten, but I can get around in an eleven with thick socks."

She heard the zipper of his jeans close, then looked behind her. James sat in the chair with one leg up as he pulled on a sock. His chest and shoulders were more muscular than she had realized.

Dorcas thought about spending the night with a man she didn’t know at all. The enormity of the situation slammed into her. Hands clenched together, she turned back to the sink and leaned against the counter for a moment, contemplating matters. Her parents wouldn’t be happy about it but given the circumstance neither of them could do anything different. Where else could he go in the cold? There was no other option.

"If you tell me where to look for your brother’s winter gear, I’ll take care of it."

"No, no." Dorcas took a deep breath and turned back toward him. "Come with me. We keep everything in the back closet in the other room. I haven’t been heating it because I didn’t need it yet."

James followed her into the back bedroom. When she opened the door, cold air flooded into the warmth of the main cabin. Barely enough light filtered in from the front room to let her see the contents of the large closet.

Abe’s work parka hung in its usual place. His bunny boots were right below the army surplus arctic parka on the plank floor. Several pairs of woolen socks sat on Abe’s shelf along with mittens. Dorcas took what James would need from the neatly stocked shelves.

"Come on! Let's get out of the freezer!" She pushed James toward the door.

Together, they dashed out of the cold room and Dorcas shut the door behind her. "Here you go." She placed the articles in James' arms before going over to the shelf by the sink. "The outhouse is behind the shed on the left-hand side of the cabin. You might need this."

Dorcas placed a flashlight on the tabletop, then reached up for the camp lantern hanging over the table. "It’ll be dark in a little while. I better get this lantern pumped up."

While he attended to business, Dorcas busied herself with dinner preparations. She decided two cans of hearty beef soup over some quick rice would fill the bill of being quick, easy, and filling.

The small teakettle lid rattled away. Dorcas moved the large pot she had filled with snow earlier to a cooler part of the stove. It held their water for the night, and she didn't want it to boil away.

An old commercial size tomato can served as the dogs’ gruel pot. The water in it was hot enough for her to pour in the oatmeal. She did so then gave the contents a quick stir with the stick she kept hanging from a hook on the drying rack.

The door opened with a creak. James came back in with an armload of wood. He kicked the door shut with his foot and then made sure it closed all the way by smacking it with his rump.

Dorcas grinned at him. "Good idea."

He dumped the wood he carried into the wood box then peeled off his gear. "Yeah, well, I was cold enough today to last me for the rest of my life."

He hung up the parka, placed the gloves on the drying rack and put the bunny boots underneath. Gear stowed, he went back to the wood box to straighten the logs.

Dorcas finished fluffing the quick rice and moved the pot to the table where she placed it on a hot pad. The soup pot went on the stove’s hottest surface close to the stovepipe and she stirred it a few times. James was quiet. Dorcas did not feel a need for idle conversation.

From the corner of her eye, she noted James sat quietly on the chair they used as a ladder for access to the top bunk. He ran a hand down the sturdy spruce pole that held up one corner of the bunk beds. "It looks like this cabin has been here quite a while."

Dorcas looked around at the snug old cabin. The log walls were dark from age. Her father had taken up the ancient plank floor several years ago. Once the foundation underneath got shored up, the crew insulated the subfloor and put the old planks back into place. Where planks had to be replaced, her dad milled them with the chain saw from trees they felled. The newer, rough cut stuff sat under the bunks and cabinets where things wouldn't catch on the sharp edges.

The additional insulation under the floor made it easier to heat the old place. All the walls got re-caulked that same summer. Since her great grandfather had done a good job in the first place, the logs fit snugly together with no large gaps to offer places where small rodents could infiltrate.

"My great granddad built this place years ago." She stirred the soup again making sure it didn’t scorch. "He and great grandma lived here until they died. My family has used this cabin ever since."

"Wow! Your family has been here a long time."

She took a firm grip on the handle of the pan she had been stirring with the potholder before moving it to a second hot pad on the table.

Her smile gentle, she glanced up at him. "Centuries, my father’s family has been here for centuries, James. I’m part Athabaskan and part Irish."

She took bowls from the cupboard then gathered up cups and spoons. Dorcas set the table for supper.