Chapter Six: Confrontation

Despite the fact that Katie had requested her to not get mad at Jerry, Emily decided to fly out to Victoria as soon as possible and talk to him about it. Katie appeared to get over him, but in the last two weeks, Emily had found plenty of evidence supporting the opposite – tear-stained pillows, Katie mooning over some of the pictures they had of Jerry, the wistful look in her eyes when his name was mentioned, and Emily had even caught her crying herself to sleep the night before – and she had resolved to talk to Jerry.

So, without alerting Katie, she slipped out of bed early one morning and dressed in the bathroom, then grabbed her coat, boots, and snowmobile keys and snuck out of the bunkhouse. When she entered the hangar, Bryan Rice looked up with interest. "Where are we going so early this morning?" he asked cheerfully.

She crossed over to him. "I have no other engagements today and tomorrow and –"

"You'd like a date," Rice interrupted, leaning forward and grinning flirtatiously.

"–I have an errand I need to run to Victoria this morning," she finished, glaring at the flight sergeant. "It's important, Rice."

"Sure it is," he replied flippantly, "We all know how much you enjoy the company of a certain dog-sledder."

"Enough, Bryan. This isn't about him. Just register my flight information and give me the keys to my plane."

He eyed her for a moment, then nodded slyly. "Well, there's nothing in the rules that says you can't fly to a station to see a boyfriend… but a pleasure trip? You can't do that."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Fine, put whatever you like."

"Deal," he said with a grin as he turned to the wall of keys and found her set, tossing them to her. "Have fun with your boyfriend, Hawkins," he said as she growled at him and turned away.

As she landed and rolled to a stop in front of Victoria, Andy Harris opened the door curiously, his eyes brightening as he recognized her plane. "Miss Hawkins!" he called as she killed the engine and jumped out of the cockpit, "what brings you here? Come in, come in."

She smiled as he ushered her indoors. The staff had just sat down to breakfast, and all heads turned to her, making her feel a little conspicuous. "Can I talk to you, Jerry?" she asked, clearing her throat awkwardly.

He met her eyes for a moment before nodding. "I'll get my coat."

When he'd dressed, he followed Emily outside and walked beside her in silence, waiting for her to speak. At length, she did. "Do you know why I'm here, Jer?"

He studied her green eyes for a minute. "This is about Katie, isn't it?"

Emily nodded slowly. "You hurt her deeply, Jerry. How could you do it? Couldn't you have been at least a little more understanding of how she felt?"

Sighing, Jerry shook his head remorsefully and said, "I know you're mad at me for breaking it off, Emily. But I don't believe it's your place to interfere. Now I don't mean that rudely," he continued hastily as her mouth opened to utter a stinging reply, "It's just that this is something between me and Katie. She agreed to it, remember?"

"That doesn't mean she's okay with it!"

"Do think I like it?" Jerry retorted, stopping in his tracks, forcing Emily to stop as well and turn back to face him. "Do you think this is easy for me? It kills me to do this, but I don't have another choice! I invested everything I own in those dogs and this is the only way for me to make a living. This is my life! Surely you understand that! Would you give up the career of your dreams just because your boyfriend couldn't handle the danger involved? Katie will have to understand. I don't expect her to stop flying and if she really loves me, she'll have to accept that she can't expect me to walk away from my job." He took a deep breath to force himself to relax, then continued, "I know you're disappointed in me, Emily. You were happy for us, I know. You hoped that I had changed. Well, I have," he said fiercely, gripping her shoulder and looking directly into her eyes. "I care about things that I never used to when we knew each other so long ago. You're angry with my 'insensitivity' but you don't realize how much it hurts me, too. I loved Katie. Very much. And I wish to God that we could make it work."

Emily stared at him, dumbfounded. His eyes radiated the deep passion and turmoil he was obviously feeling and suddenly, she felt very embarrassed and childish for accusing him of insensitivity and heartlessness. He was suffering as much as Katie. "I'm sorry, Jerry. I didn't know."

In a tender gesture that surprised her, he reached out and touched her cheek, where the heat of blush tinted it pink. "I didn't expect you to, unless I told you. After all, I did a horrible thing to you… why would it have been different for Katie?" He tilted his head, regarding her seriously. "Have you ever wondered what would have happened if it had been different? If we had never broken up?"

She smiled wryly. "A million times. But," she continued, her eyes taking on an equal measure of gravity, "neither of us would ever have made it here. We're both much wiser because of it, and I wouldn't trade my life for anything. No, Jerry, that's in the past… and it should stay there."

"I didn't mean to…" he started, turning contrite, "I wasn't trying to start anything. I understand as well as you that 'we' don't exist anymore. It would be cruel and heartless to entertain thoughts of you and me so close on the heels of my relationship with Katie – which, I might add, was nothing more than it appeared to be."

"I know, Jer," she said, a slight twinkle in her eye, "I would have noticed if Katie ever left my side at night."

He blushed deeply, then met her eyes again. "I'm glad we have this second chance, Em. I owe it to you to make you happy, but I can only do that as a friend."He looked down and shovedhis hands into his coat pockets,"My heart belongs to Katie."

She slugged his shoulder gently. "I never doubted that for a second." Then she grinned bashfully and looked around at the barren landscape and the small blotch of Victoria in the distance. "We should get back – I don't want Cooper getting any ideas about us." Jerry nodded in agreement and offered his arm, which she took. As they walked back, she caught him sending her a sidelong glance filled with humor. "What?"

"I was just thinking…you and Cooper would make a cute couple…"

"Jerry!" she cried, her eyes flashing indignantly. "I'm not that desperate yet!"

"Ouch. Score for you," he retorted in a perfect imitation of Cooper's voice.

"You're mean, you know that?"

"So are you, that's why we get along so well."

She tossed her head in frustration, shoving him away. He walked complacently beside her, sending her mischievous glances occasionally. "Jerk," she growled out of the corner of her mouth.

He responded with a ready grin. "Jerk's friend."

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