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Chapter One

Chloe Malders

Moose and mayhem

Busy taking a call for a reservation, I was entering the booking into the computer when I heard a loud thump outside my office window. Peering out, I shook my head.

“You stupid moose!” I exclaimed.

“Excuse me?” the woman prompted on the other end of the line.

“Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry. It’s… Well, a long story, but we have this moose and she keeps knocking things over in the yard.”

The woman laughed. “Oh, wow! I love that. It’s kind of like Northern Exposure.”

“You mean the television show?”

“Yes. Back when I used to watch it, I thought it was a joke that they had a moose walking down the middle of the road in that town.”

“Honestly, I thought the same thing,” I replied. “Until I moved here. I see some every week, if not every day in Alaska.”

“We can’t wait to see them!” she enthused. “Anyway, is there anything else you need from me for our reservation?”

Dragging my attention away from the moose currently pawing at something in the snowy yard, my eyes scanned the computer screen. Thank goodness I could do this job with both hands tied behind my back, because I had managed to get everything entered despite the distraction outside.

“I think you’re good to go. In a minute, you’re going to get a link from Heartfire Falls Resort in your email. Let me just confirm that.” I quickly recited her email address back to her.

“That’s it,” she replied.

“Okay, you’ll receive your payment link. You won’t be charged for the full amount, but you will have to put down a deposit, which is refundable up to a month before your reservation.”

“We will not be canceling. This is a lifetime trip for us,” she replied firmly.

“Heartfire Falls is a great place, and it’s even more beautiful than advertised.”

Just then, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I didn’t even have to look up to know exactly who it was.

“Thank you so much, Chloe. We can’t wait to see you. It’ll be a whole year, but I sure hope you’re still working there then.”

“Oh, I’ll be here.” I ended the call, cleared my throat, and schooled my expression to neutral before I lifted my gaze.

Lincoln Silver, my crush, one of my bosses, and my sort-of nemesis, was standing in the doorway. The nemesis part was mostly in my head, because I could not stand how unsettled I felt any time he was around.

His piercing blue eyes, truly piercing, no other word would do, locked with mine. “Even more beautiful than advertised?” he prompted.

I lifted my chin. “Yes. Alaska is amazing. Maybe you don’t appreciate it, but I didn’t grow up here, so it’s not old news for me. I love it. The views here literally steal my breath.”

“Literally?” Lincoln’s eyes narrowed, and his lips twitched.

I bit my bottom lip and nodded. “Yes. I mean that. Literally.”

“For what it’s worth, I agree,” he finally said.

“Well, great.” I glanced at my watch. “Oh, my God!”

“What?”

“I have to go!”