Suddenly Jasper appeared at Hazel’s side and began tugging her by the arm. “Come on, woman. Give the lovebirds a little privacy.”
Sophie cocked her head to the side as Hazel and Jasper walked away, bent together as they whispered back and forth. “Is it me, or were they acting strangely?”
“To be honest, they’re always a little odd,” Noah said with a shrug. “Nothing more than the usual.”
Sophie giggled and lightly swatted his arm. “That’s not nice.”
“I mean it in a totally good way, of course,” he added. “Those two are incredible. Matter of fact, everyone in Love is pretty fantastic. I’ve been welcomed like I was born and bred here. It makes me feel like I’m back in my hometown.”
Sophie’s grin was infectious. “Me, too. Being in Love reminds me so much of Saskell and all of the wonderful things I experienced there. I think what it boils down to is that we feel at home here. And there aren’t many places in the world that feel like home.”
“Now that you mention it, I think home is a feeling.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “You make me feel at home, Sophie. When I’m with you, I know I’ll never need anything more than the two of us to be completely over-the-moon happy.”
“Oh, Noah. I feel the same way. I’ve always dreamed of being loved by someone who sees me as I am and loves me just the same.”
He leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Who wouldn’t love you, Sophie? You make it effortless.”
Sophie let out a contented sigh. “We sure owe this town a debt of gratitude. If it wasn’t for Operation Love and Jasper’s extraordinary vision, we might never have ended up together. And God made sure we were both planted right here in Love so we could find each other.”
Noah held her face between his palms and looked deeply into her emerald eyes. “I would have found you, Sophie. If I had to look in all of the fifty states, I would have tracked you down. My heart would have led me straight to you.”
“Call me crazy, but I believe it,” Sophie said, sniffling back tears. “You make me feel as if anything is possible.”
Noah pushed the coffee cup toward her. “You’re sure you don’t want to give this another try?”
Sophie scrunched up her nose. “I didn’t want to hurt Hazel’s feelings, but it’s pretty awful. It tastes like mud.”
“This was supposed to be a little more seamless,” Noah muttered. He let out a sigh. “Sophie. Look at the spoon.”
She gazed down at it, then shrugged. “What? It’s just an ordinary spoon. It looks pretty old, now that you mention it.”
“Really look at it, sweetheart,” Noah said in a coaxing tone.
Sophie pulled the spoon out of the cup and gasped. “There’s something written on it.”
“It’s a Catalano family heirloom,” Noah explained.
Sophie reached for her napkin and wiped off the liquid residue. She blinked a few times, then swung her gaze up to Noah. “‘Will you...marry me?’” she asked, reading the words engraved on the spoon.
Noah locked gazes with her. His heart began thumping wildly in his chest. There was so much riding on this moment, so many things he wanted to say to this woman he loved so dearly. “I love you, Sophie. I’ve told you that a hundred times or more. But more importantly, I hope that I’ve shown you my love and devotion. I came to this town in a bid to save my company. At the time it seemed as if it was the most important thing in my world. It didn’t take me very long to discover I was wrong. You, Sophie, you are my world. Nothing is more important to me than you. And the scariest feeling I’ve ever known is when I thought I’d lost you.
“I never want to feel that sense of loss. Not ever again. Because you’re a keeper, Sophie Mattson.” He stood up from his chair, then promptly got down on one knee. The sound of Hazel squealing in the background rang in his ears. He knew that dozens of people were gawking at him from their tables, but he didn’t care one bit. If he could, he would shout his proposal from the rooftops of Love. He no longer had a single thing to hide.
Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring with a yellow string tied around the band. He looked up at Sophie, who was staring at him with a shocked expression etched on her face.
“Sophie, I want to be your husband. I want to show you for the rest of your life that I appreciate you for who you are and not for your father’s riches. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about that. From the moment I first laid eyes on you I felt a pull in your direction. You just kept tugging at my heartstrings even though I tried my best to ignore it.”
He let out a shaky laugh. “In the end, I tumbled right over the edge in love with you. And I know with a deep certainty that I’m going to love you for the rest of my days. Will you marry me? Will you say yes to a lifetime of loving each other?”
Sophie was now openly sobbing and wiping tears from her face. In one hand she was clutching the sterling silver spoon. Before he knew it, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and was hugging and kissing him.
When she finally let him go, Noah asked, “Is that a yes? Because it sure seems like one.”
“Of course it’s a yes,” Sophie said, tugging him to a standing position. She rose on tiptoe and placed a resounding kiss on his lips. The sound of wild clapping rang out in the Moose Café, along with shouts of congratulations. Right on cue, Noah reached for her ring finger and slid the diamond solitaire onto it.
“I want you to know that I asked your father for his blessing.” Noah smiled tenderly at Sophie. “And he gave it to me wholeheartedly.”
Sophie appeared to choke back tears. “That means the world to me.”
“I thought this ring was perfect for you. I knew it had to be beautiful just like you, but more importantly, I knew you wouldn’t want anything flashy or over-the-top. So I picked something that sparkled like the sun, because that’s what you do, Sophie.”
She looked down at the ring on her finger. The smile on her face let Noah know in no uncertain terms that he’d made the right choice. “It’s gorgeous. Just perfect. I almost want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
“You’re not dreaming. Pretty soon we’ll be walking down the aisle and picking out a house to live in. A wonderful life is waiting for us. Right here in Love. I can run Catalano Security remotely from here in town and travel back to Seattle when necessary.”
Jasper approached Noah and clapped him heartily on the back. “I’m sorry if I gave you a hard time, Noah. But your fiancée is near and dear to my heart.” Tears pooled in his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I consider Sophie to be an honorary granddaughter. I’m mighty happy the two of you found each other. Not that you need it, but you have my full blessing.”
“I appreciate that,” Noah said, clasping Jasper’s hand. “Sophie thinks the world of you.”
“She’s been like a ray of sunshine in this town. She has a knack for making everyone feel happier for having been in contact with her. No one knows how to turn a frown upside down like Sophie,” Jasper declared.
“That’s my girl,” Noah said, reaching out to Sophie and pulling her close to his side.
“I am your girl, Noah. Now and forever,” she promised, then planted a tender kiss on his lips.
Afterward, Noah sheltered her in the crook of his arm. “I can’t believe how blessed we are,” Sophie whispered, looking up at her fiancé with love shimmering in her eyes.
As Noah glanced around at all the people who were supporting their engagement and future marriage, he knew with a deep certainty that their union would be blessed by their families and the entire community of Love. He pulled Sophie even closer. “With love, everything is possible,” he told her, knowing in his heart that they would always be surrounded with an abundance of love.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed HIS SECRET ALASKAN HEIRESS, look
for the other books
in the ALASKAN GROOMS series:
AN ALASKAN WEDDING
ALASKAN REUNION
A MATCH MADE IN ALASKA
REUNITED AT CHRISTMAS
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER HILL COUNTRY COWBOY by Myra Johnson.
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Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me on this Alaskan adventure. I hope you enjoyed Sophie and Noah’s love story. I really enjoyed writing His Secret Alaskan Heiress, particularly since Sophie has always been one of my favorite characters. I really wanted her to find her happily-ever-after. The town of Love, Alaska, serves as the perfect backdrop for falling in love. Snowy tundra. Moose crossings. Reindeer pizza. The Moose Café! There’s so much to love in this wonderful town.
Sophie and Noah are both suffering from the same ailment. Both characters have been betrayed in the past by someone close to them. As a result, they are both wary of falling in love. They both have scars that need to heal. And thankfully, they find joy and a happy ending in each other’s arms. Noah and Sophie find a warm community in the small fishing village. The town of Love provides Sophie with a loving, supportive home where she is accepted for reasons unrelated to her bank balance. Likewise, Noah finds a warmth and acceptance in Love that reminds him of his hometown and the family values he grew up with. In the end, forgiveness is a big theme in the story and Sophie, in particular, needs to forgive Noah and her father in order to move forward with her life.
I feel very fortunate to be writing for the Love Inspired line. Being an author is my dream job. I enjoy hearing from readers, however you choose to contact me. You can reach me at [email protected], at my Author Belle Calhoune Facebook page or at my website, bellecalhoune.com. If you’re on Twitter, reach out to me, @BelleCalhoune.
Belle Calhoune
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Her Hill Country Cowboy
by Myra Johnson
Chapter One
Christina Hunter flexed her stiff fingers gripping the steering wheel and shot an anxious glance at the GPS display on her smartphone. Good, still following the blue line.
“In five hundred feet, turn right.”
“Thank you, Map Lady.” Flicking on her right blinker, she slowed as she approached the intersection.
Driving through the quaint downtown area of Juniper Bluff, Texas, felt like stepping back in time, but after her near-fatal auto accident two years ago, followed by a slow and difficult recovery, she was more than ready for a change of scenery. Small shops and businesses bordered a central square with a fountain at one end and a gazebo at the other. In the middle stood a statue of a horse and rider. A local hero, maybe? If Christina’s new job worked out, she might get to stay long enough to learn something about the guy.
But these days, everything in her life was a big if.
After making the turn, Christina patted her sweet, unflappable golden retriever, curled up in the passenger seat. “What do you say, Gracie? Ready to try small-town living?”
The dog thumped her tail, and those big brown eyes, so full of loyalty and affection, tugged hard at Christina’s heart.
“I couldn’t do this without you, girl. You know that, right—?”
Brake lights ahead jerked Christina’s attention back to her driving. A pickup swung over to the curb, and a tall man wearing a cowboy hat jumped out. Trotting to the middle of the road, he waved his arms in a frantic signal for Christina to stop. She slammed on the brakes and thrust out one hand to steady Gracie. Good thing the dog was safely secured in her harness.
Unfortunately, the sudden stop killed the car engine.
Heart pounding, Christina lowered her window and leaned out. “Is there a problem?”
“Sorry,” the man yelled. He stooped to pick up something in the street—a turtle?—and carried it across to the other side.
“Good grief. Really?” Glancing skyward, Christina shook her head. Was it a thing in small-town Texas to stop and help wildlife safely across the road?
Then she noticed the two anxious faces peering through the rear window of the pickup. A solemn-faced little boy held fast to a smaller girl and patted her shoulder. Even at this distance, Christina could see the girl’s chin quivering as she swiped wetness from her cheeks.
Poor kid.
But what a great dad.
Christina’s irritation eased. Formerly a social worker who’d championed children in trouble, she’d encountered too many fathers who didn’t deserve the title. How could she not admire a man willing to risk life and limb to protect his kids from witnessing a poor, defenseless creature crushed beneath the wheels of an automobile?
On his way back to the pickup, the man caught Christina’s eye and tipped his hat, briefly revealing sun-kissed caramel-colored hair in need of a trim. His crooked smile, combined with the happy cheers of his kids as they hung out the driver’s-side window, more than made up for the alarm Christina had suffered as a result of her abrupt stop.
Time to settle her nerves and get back on the road so she could meet her new employer. But when she turned the key in the ignition, the only response from under the hood was a rumbling groan. Another try, and the rumble faded to a sputtering cough.
“Not now. Oh, please, not now!” Christina slapped the steering wheel as a fresh surge of anxiety threatened to choke her.
Gracie whined. Rising on her haunches, the dog licked Christina’s ear and rested a paw on her thigh.
“I know, I know.” Forcing slow, deep breaths, Christina sank her fingers deep into the soft fur behind Gracie’s ears.
The man in the cowboy hat appeared at her window. “Everything okay, ma’am?”
“I—I can’t get my car started.” Christina despised the helpless-female quaver in her voice.
“Pop the hood. I’ll take a look.”
“That’s okay. I can—”
Too late. He’d already moved around to the front of the car. Oh, well, as a newcomer in a strange town, it wasn’t as if Christina had a lot of options. A call to the auto club could mean waiting an hour or more, especially this far away from a good-sized city, and she was already a day overdue to start her new job.
Wearily, she found the hood release and pulled the lever. Now all she could see in the space between the dashboard and the hood was the man’s strong, capable-looking hands. He fiddled with a car part here, another one there, then told her to try the ignition again.
The car started right up. Christ
ina released a shaky cry of relief as the man slammed down the hood. With an elbow resting on the window frame, she called a relieved “Thank you!”
“No problem. It was kinda my fault, anyway. And thank you for stopping.” He tilted his head toward the kids watching from the pickup. “If I hadn’t rescued that critter, I’d have caught all kinds of what-for from those two.”
“Well, we couldn’t have that.” A pang of envy caught Christina by surprise. Did his wife know how blessed she was to be married to such a caring husband and father? With a quiet sigh, she reached for the gearshift. “I should get going. No more, uh, critters in the road, are there?”
The man looked both ways. “Coast is clear.” He hesitated. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
Christina attempted a light laugh. “What gave me away?”
“No front license plate. Texas cars and trucks have both front and rear.”
Right. And in Arkansas they didn’t. Two days on the road and Little Rock already felt like a lifetime ago.
“If you need directions or anything...”
Christina pulled her lower lip between her teeth. She’d been driving almost nonstop since leaving the motel north of Dallas that morning, and she only wanted to reach her destination, meet her new employer and start settling in. Unwilling to risk the GPS getting her lost in the middle of nowhere, she glanced up with a tentative smile. “Maybe you could tell me if I’m heading in the right direction for Serenity Hills Guest Ranch.”
One eye narrowed. “You have a reservation?”
“Sort of.” It wasn’t any of this stranger’s business, but her employment arrangement did include the use of a private cabin.
Dipping his head, the man looked past Christina and frowned toward Gracie. “Then you should know the ranch has a no-pets policy.”
His Secret Alaskan Heiress Page 18
