Page 5 of Falling For Alaska

Luckily, Bella comes to my rescue. “Welcome to Lakeside, Officer. I’m sure you’ll have a great time. There’s much to enjoy here.” Her expression shifts from friendly to businesslike. “Did you get a proper tour of the town yet?”

“A tour? Come on, Bella, we don’t have—” Jared starts, frowning.

She tsks him, counting on her fingers. “Shops, neighborhoods, lakes, forests, you’d be surprised,” she insists. Officer Parkson tilts his head to the side, unreadable. “Alaska could show you around, you know? Born and raised here, there’s no one better equipped to do that.” A thick silence stretches between the four of us as I glare at Bella, shaking my head discreetly. What is she up to? A tour? What would I do with this mountain of a man?

“That’d be great,” says Officer Parkson out of the blue, swallowing hard. “I-I just arrived. Haven’t seen much, uh—” he clears his throat, “yet.”

“I…I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I say, feeling like a pool of gasoline getting dangerously close to a flame. “You should ask Jared, he’s funnier,” I offer with a light smile. My shoulders stiffen as Officer Parkson steps into the booth, reducing the space between us while Bella and Jared start talking about tonight’s concert. He comes closer, as if he was about to tell me something. I stop breathing and scratch my knuckles with my left hand. Two local girls, about ten years old, with braids and thick wool sweaters, arrive in the tent and break our spell. They often come to Hidden Treasures with their grandma.

“Can we sign for the workshop, Miss Alaska?” the older one asks, her face angelic. I’m grateful for the diversion.

“Hi, girls,” I give a quick wave. “Yes, sure, you can sign up here, Lola.” I show her the pad of paper. “It’ll start at eleven. You’ll have to write a love letter for a person you’ve never met before.”

“Like a ghost?” Her question catches me off guard, but I shake it away.

“Um, why not? It’s a great idea.” She then takes her sister’s hand and squeezes it.

“Let’s go eat a waffle before it starts, Em,” she says with excitement, and we watch them barge out of the stand toward the nearest waffle tent. Their little interruption iced over the electricity still hanging in the air.

“We gotta go. Nice seeing you, Alaska,” says Jared as he rubs his fist on Bella’s head while she pushes him in protest.

“Come over tomorrow evening. We’re over at our parents’ for dinner. They’d love to have you,” he offers kindly.

“I’d love to. Thanks. Let me know what I can bring.”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Mom’s already testing new recipes since she found out Jack’s going to be there.” He smirks, motioning with his chin toward Officer Parkson.

Jack Parkson.

I blink, absorbing the information that I’ve unintentionally accepted an invitation to see him again tomorrow at Bella’s parents’.

“Well, off you go then,” urges Bella, pushing her brother out playfully, as the only person who could do that to a police officer. Jared shakes his head, chuckling.

“Bye, kiddo,” he says, annoying her with the nickname, while Officer Parkson, no, Jack, gives us a clipped nod.

“Ladies,” he murmurs before turning to follow Jared into the crowd. I deflate like a balloon, only then realizing I’d been holding my breath for almost a minute. He didn’t stutter this time. I wonder what triggers it. Is it like me with ice? Does he also have things that short-circuit his brain? I pretend to tidy up the books, but I keep him in the corner of my eye, aware of his body even away from mine. For some strange reason, he comforted me. Watching him control his speech and body, bracing for the sound of his own voice, made me feel less alone. I brace too. I hyperfocus too. The wrong trigger, the wrong item, or the feel in my hand, and I’m brought back to the incident. I may not have what he has, but I share his struggle, the constant anticipation of how my body will react to my surroundings. It’s exhausting and never-ending.

The difference is, his stutter is unfair. He didn’t choose it.

Whereas I deserve every bit of pain I inflict on myself.

Bella turns to me in one quick motion, satisfaction lighting up her face.

“You’re welcome,” she says smugly, crossing her arms like she just pulled off the greatest matchmaking scheme of the century.

“Bella,” I hiss, narrowing my eyes at her. “What was that?”

“That,” she says, grinning like the cat who caught the canary, “was me helping you get out of your comfort zone. You’ve been stuck in that bookshop too long, Alaska. Don’t you think it’s time to, I don’t know…connect with someone who doesn’t only exist on paper?”

I blink at her, my cheeks burning. “I…appreciate the thought, but…a tour? With a cop?”

She waves at the crowd, her tone gentle but insistent. “He’s new here. He doesn’t know anyone. And you’d be good at it. Besides,” she adds with a knowing look, “he seemed nice and interested.” How could a three-minute conversation give her any clue about that?

“Interested?” I squeak, shaking my head quickly. “I don’t think so, I’m sure I actually offended him when I didn’t offer to give him a tour, but⁠—”

“You’ll be fine.” Bella pats my arm reassuringly. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. I just…I think it could be good for you.” I sigh. Maybe this could be a way to try new things without going too far outside my comfort zone. It’s a tour, not a marriage proposal. Besides, he’s still a stranger, and there’s nothing that indicates I’ll have a great time. Friendship is okay, I guess…

It’s not like he’s going to uncover all my secrets, right?