Stars Over Alaska

by Jennifer Snow

  Her mother, grandmother, Eddie, Montana, Katherine and Levi were all there, ready to get to work. They were doing this together.

  Leslie glanced at Levi, who was guiding the truck to a stop in front of the lot. She’d once thought her heart could never be mended, that the love she’d once had was as strong as love could get and there was no such thing as second chances... She’d been wrong.

  Levi was not Dawson, but she loved him just as fiercely. In a different way...a more mature, steady kind of way. A love that she felt in her entire being, one that was solid. One that would last.

  The last three months together, their connection had only grown stronger and she wanted to spend the rest of her life growing even closer, opening herself up to everything a life with him had to offer. She’d let her walls come crumbling down faster than she’d ever thought possible and being with him, she felt safer and more secure than she ever had in her life.

  Returning to work as a state trooper, she felt like she was back where she belonged and she and her mother were working through things at a weekly brunch. Somehow, Montana had talked her into becoming a freelance photographer for SnowTrek Tours and truly, it hadn’t taken much convincing. Spending time behind the camera again helped to balance the stress of her job. For the first time, she was optimistic about what the future would hold for all of them.

  Levi turned to look at her now and his wink had her heart racing. Dressed in old ripped jeans, a tight white T-shirt and work boots, his muscles on full display, Leslie knew she was going to struggle with focusing on the job ahead of her. They’d barely been able to keep their hands and lips...and all other body parts off one another for months.

  “Do you have the original plans?” Katherine asked, coming up behind her in full contractor gear. Hard hat, tool belt and work boots—her older sister was taking this very seriously.

  Leslie almost laughed. Between the eight of them, there was zero knowledge of how to build a cabin, but they were going to make a mess of it together. “Yes.” She handed the original cabin building plans to her sister, and Katherine headed toward the others to start implementing a game plan as Levi approached.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently. She’d never felt so content, safe and at ease in her entire life. “Okay. We have the wood. Now what?” he asked.

  “I have no idea,” she said, glancing at her family members, who looked equally lost about where to start, but they were eager.

  “Well, I do have something that might help us get started,” he said with a mischievous grin.

  “You do?” What was he up to? “What?”

  “Give me a sec.”

  She watched him go to his truck and open the back door. Her family joined them as he returned carrying a large, framed picture. When he turned it toward her, her eyes watered and a lump rose in her throat. The photo of her and Katherine and Eddie—the one that had hung in the cabin all those years, the one she thought had been lost in the fire, gone forever.

  Here it was. He’d somehow saved it and was giving it back to them.

  Beside her, her grandmother smiled and took the photo, staring at it. “Wow. Thank you, Levi...this is the most perfect gift you could give us, besides making our girl here smile, of course,” she said, squeezing Leslie’s shoulder.

  Her brother and sister laughed and made fun of each other’s goofy expressions in the picture and she caught her mother wipe the corner of her eye.

  Leslie’s heart was so full of happiness in that special moment that it was impossible to care that they were going to make a huge mess of the build. The walls might not be perfectly straight, the roof might leak, the doors might not be secure on the hinges, but none of that mattered.

  Because the best things in life often came without a blueprint.

  * * *

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you so much to my readers who have continued to support this series! I love spending my time in this small Alaskan ski resort town and you all make that possible. Thank you as always to my agent, Jill Marsal, who continues to keep me sane and to my editor, Dana Grimaldi, for always making each book that much stronger and more enjoyable to work on. And a big thank you to my husband and son who can always play another round of Fortnite (if they have to ;) ) to give me more time to write. Love you guys the most!

  A Wild River Match

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  CHAPTER ONE

  THIS HAD TO be a joke.

  When Mike Toledo had asked for a chance to prove he could lead his own Alaskan wilderness tours, the Valentine’s Day Blind Date Ice Fishing excursion was not what he’d had in mind.

  Normally, spending the weekend ice fishing was his idea of a great time. Fish and get paid to do it? Sign him up.

  But Valentine’s Day was really not his thing. He didn’t get the whole chocolate, flowers and jewelry thing. Candlelight dinners and rose petals weren’t in his wheelhouse. Not that he even had a wheelhouse...

  Maybe that was why he was still single at thirty-two.

  He stared at the adventure brochure, pretending to review all the details, but his mind reeled. What legit-sounding excuse could he use to get out of this one?

  The whole idea was ridiculous, but crazy enough, it was one of SnowTrek Tours’ most popular events. Outdoor enthusiasts signed up to be matched with other like-minded singles to fish and flirt out on a frozen lake for two days, in an attempt to find that elusive love connection. Cassie’s rationale made sense. Similar interests were a basis for a strong relationship, but Mike wasn’t exactly feeling the love that year, finding himself once again alone.

  His last semi-girlfriend, Jade Frazier, had been hot as hell but the least compatible match for him and his lifestyle. It was almost hard to believe they’d made it six weeks. His initial attraction to her had been solely based on her blond hair, gorgeous green eyes, amazing body... She’d definitely turned his head the night they’d met at The Drunk Tank, the local watering hole in Wild River.

  But when she’d tried to make him wear a suit jacket and tie for a dinner party with some of her friends, it was obvious that they weren’t the right fit. He wasn’t looking for someone to change him. He was who he was. A six-foot-three burly guy raised mountain tough by another big burly dude along with his three big burly brothers.

  Plaid was their family crest.

  To say he lacked finesse would be an understatement. His mother had left when he and his older brothers were young, and growing up in a house full of men who enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and roughhousing hadn’t taught him how to have a softer side. But when had it become necessary for men to be both strong and vulnerable?

  Clearly he’d missed the memo.

  “So, what do you think?” Cassie asked him from across her desk. His boss was an amazing, fiery ball of energy in a five-foot-nothing frame. She’d built her company from the ground up and had successfully survived a big adventure chain store opening on Main Street because of her smart business sense and grit. He had respect for what she’d accomplished and the reputation she’d built in Alaska as one of the best adventure tour companies in the North. If he wanted to prove to Cassie that he was a team player and could handle any tour she gave him, he needed to accept this challenge.

  He’d been working at SnowTrek Tours for two years, he had all the proper certification and even wilderness survival skills based on his volunteer position with the Wild River Search and Rescue, so he was more than qualified to handle group tours on his own.

  He could keep this group alive out in the Alaskan wild. Helping them fall in love...that would be the hard part.

  “Yes,” he s
aid, nodding with more enthusiasm than he felt. “This is...great. I won’t let you down.” He stood and left the office determined to survive the toughest challenge his boss could have thrown at him.

  * * *

  MADDIE FRAZIER OPENED her duffel bag on her bed and scanned her packing list for a weekend of ice fishing and finding her perfect match out on the lake.

  “You’re insane,” her sister said as she entered the bedroom. Jade picked up a thin, silky-looking nightie from Maddie’s drawer and tossed it into the bag.

  Maddie shot her a look and stuffed it back into the drawer, opting for her fleece pajamas instead. Sexy could wait until summer. February in Alaska meant practical clothing unless she was out to catch more than just fish and feelings that Valentine’s Day weekend.

  “Seriously, you’re actually hoping to find love out on a frozen lake in a tiny stinky fishing cabin?” Jade wrinkled her nose as though she could already smell the bait.

  “Why not? I love fishing, so if the guy isn’t ‘the one,’ I’ll have a few rainbow trout as a consolation prize.” She shrugged, hoping to make light of how optimistic she was about this matchmaking process. But SnowTrek Tours had an amazing success rate with this annual event. Three couples who’d met on previous years’ excursions had already gotten married. One couple had a baby on the way.

  At twenty-nine, Maddie wasn’t quite ready for that, but she was overdue for a relationship that lasted more than a few weeks. Her last long-term relationship had been in high school and it had ended horribly with her boyfriend dumping her for her best friend. Former best friend. That had been the toughest part—losing the guy she loved and her closest friend at the same time. But her heart was finally over that and she was ready to trust again.

  Optimistic with zero hang-ups—that was the goal.

  “How are we related?” Jade asked, shaking her head.

  Maddie had asked herself that same question a lot over the years. They were only two years apart, but more different than any sisters could be.

  Jade was studying to be a fashion designer through an online degree program. She had impeccable taste and never left the house without her hair and makeup done. Which was one of the reasons she hated camping and hiking and anything outside, really. Too messy, too dirty... Rain and wind were not a friend to Jade’s two-hour beauty routine.

  Maddie was definitely more like their father. Maybe it was because he had two girls and not the son he’d wanted that he’d taken her fishing and camping and hiking... Either way, she loved the outdoors. As an educator at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, she spent most of her time in the wild, protecting nature from humans and vice versa. Hiking, mountain climbing, biking, off-roading were all ways she loved to spend her days off and growing up in a ski resort town gave her ample opportunity.

  Unfortunately acting like “one of the guys” meant that the guys she’d grown up with had trouble seeing her in any other way.

  “Are you going to be okay here alone all weekend?” Maddie asked. They’d been roommates since their parents died and she hated the idea of leaving her sister alone on Valentine’s Day after her recent breakup. She’d been dating Mike Toledo for almost two months but had complained about the guy almost as long. Maddie hadn’t said anything but she hadn’t really seen the connection between the big quiet guy and her outgoing, extroverted sister the few times she’d seen them together. It had surprised her that her sister was dating an adventure tour guide who was over six feet tall and beefy. Jade preferred shorter, fitter, more...polished men. Still, Jade had seemed really distraught when things hadn’t worked out, claiming Mike was an insensitive brute that she’d wasted her time on.

  And while February 14 was just another day to Maddie, Valentine’s Day was one of Jade’s favorite holidays. Usually she had a boyfriend more than willing to make it special for her, so her first year single in forever would be a tough one.

  Maddie had signed up for the weekend away before Thanksgiving...before Jade’s breakup.

  Still, if her sister wanted her to stay...

  But Jade shook her head quickly. “Yes, I’m totally fine. Go. Have...fun.”

  Maddie wasn’t convinced and her protective instincts over her baby sister outweighed her desire for a romantic weekend. “You know what, I’ll stay home and we can have a Galentine’s Day instead.” Decision made, she started unpacking.

  Jade stopped her. “No way—you’re going. I’m one hundred percent over the breakup. Believe me, he was not worth the tears. I just wish I’d found someone else in the last few months, but I can buy my own chocolate and flowers this year.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely,” Jade said reassuringly, then she paused. “But if you see Mike, feel free to slap him with a fish for me.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  OF ALL THE TOUR GUIDES at SnowTrek Tours, Mike Toledo was assigned to her excursion. Fantastic. That wouldn’t make things awkward at all.

  Maddie took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She wouldn’t let this bother her. She wasn’t there to spend time with Mike. She would just ignore him. Once they were paired up, she’d be too preoccupied getting to know her match to even notice him. She scanned the group as everyone arrived and loaded their gear into the back of two vans that would be taking them out to the lake.

  They hadn’t been assigned their matches yet, but there were a few great-looking guys so far...

  “Hi, everyone!” the owner of SnowTrek Tours, Cassie Reynolds, addressed them. “Thank you all for signing up for our fifth annual Blind Date Ice Fishing event. My expert tour guide Mike Toledo will be hosting you all this weekend. He’s very qualified and capable of ensuring everyone’s safety and comfort...”

  Yeah, except when it comes to matters of the heart.

  So far, Maddie wasn’t entirely impressed with SnowTrek’s choice to allow this guy to be in charge of whether they found love that weekend.

  But she refused to worry about him. Her Mr. Right could be standing right next to her right at that moment.

  “Most of you are here already, but a few are running late, so Mike will load one van and then I’ll drive the others up to the lake once they arrive,” Cassie said. “Have fun!”

  Everyone was all smiles and chatter as they loaded into the van and headed out to the lake. But sitting behind the driver’s seat moments later, Maddie couldn’t help her gaze from shifting to Mike’s reflection in the rearview mirror as he drove.

  Please don’t let this inconvenient coincidence ruin my weekend.

  * * *

  MADDIE FRAZIER.

  Wonderful. He was stuck hosting Jade’s sister for the weekend. He assumed Jade had told her all about him. Or her version of him anyway.

  Didn’t matter. He wasn’t the one needing to impress her. That job fell on her match. And what an impossible feat that poor guy had if Maddie was anything like her sister.

  “Okay, everyone, gather around.” Mike called the group in to the edge of the frozen, glistening lake.

  His gaze fell on Maddie, and her piercing look revealed she wasn’t thrilled by this turn of events either. Well, hopefully they could both be adult enough to get through the weekend.

  “So, this is how the event will work,” he said. “You’ve all been expertly matched by our selection process and questionnaire. But, you will also get a chance to meet everyone at tonight’s firepit dinner, where we’ll have a speed dating opportunity. If you’re not feeling your connection or want to explore something else, the option will be there.”

  The group nodded and he saw a few of the guests sizing each other up.

  The heat sizzling off these people already could potentially melt the ice and they hadn’t even gotten started yet.

  Mike scanned the matchmaker sheet Cassie had given him and then forced all the enthusiasm he could muster as he glanced up at the hopefuls waiting to be shot
by Cupid’s arrow.

  Unfortunately, there was an uneven number. Shit, someone was missing. He scanned the name tags on everyone’s jacket and then reviewed the list.

  Darrel Lovejoy wasn’t there. Maddie’s match.

  “Um... I just have to make a quick call,” he said. Cassie had dropped off the last of the group a few moments ago but she hadn’t said anything about the missing guy. He walked farther away and dialed her cell.

  “Hey, Mike, everything okay?” she asked.

  “Darrel Lovejoy isn’t here... Maddie Frazier’s match.”

  “Shit. I knew I forgot to tell you something. He canceled last minute...”

  “So, do you want to come back for Maddie?” He hated that he had to call Cassie with a problem only two hours in, but he could hardly be blamed for this.

  “Not really,” she said. “I have another tour scheduled... Unless, of course, she wants to leave.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t told her yet,” he said, dreading the conversation. No doubt she’d cause a scene and demand her money back.

  “Well, there’s still a possibility that she’ll connect with someone at the speed dating thing, so maybe try to convince her to stay and in the meantime, just make sure she has fun?”

  Damn it. He clenched his teeth. “Yeah. Of course.”

  Disconnecting the call, he returned to the group. “Okay...as I pair you all up, meet your partner at your sled, load your gear inside the wooden box and you can head over to your shared hut. Get settled, get to know one another and I’ll be around to make sure everyone’s comfortable and has everything they need.”

  The group nodded, eager to get started.

  Mike called all the names and everyone looked pleased as they headed off toward their huts. Except for Maddie, who was left standing there alone. He approached with caution. “Unfortunately, it looks like your match couldn’t make it.”