Finding love in the heart of Alaska.
When New York CEO Renzo Gallini shows up with papers saying he owns the waystation Jess lives and breathes for, she laughs in his face. But things get tense when he’s got the paperwork to prove it…and her father, who apparently signed her home away, is nowhere to be found.
Alaskan native Jess Jenkins has lived most of her life at Last Chance Camp, a man’s world where femininity is relegated to wisps of time behind closed doors. Yet she’s proud of what they’ve built here. Last Chance is all she needs to be happy and no amber-eyed city-boy will convince her otherwise.
Ren left New York on his mother’s foolish errand, to turn an Alaskan truck stop into a vacation destination. He finds little of merit in the wide spot in the road until the small community, led by a fiercely loyal tomboy, shows him there’s more to Alaska than just ruts in the road. That survival depends not just on good planning, but on each other. And love can be found in places where you least expect it.
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An excerpt:
“Who are you, anyhow? I don’t have any single travelers scheduled for arrival today, so you didn’t make a reservation.â€
“You’re right. I did not make a reservation.†Now it was his turn to frown as he looked around. “Actually, I’m looking for the person in charge while the owner’s away. Somebody named Jesse.â€
“Why?â€
“I have business with him.â€
“Well, if it’s a him you’re looking for, you’re going to be searching for a long time.†She stuck her thumbs in her waistband and stared up at him. “I’m Jess. What can I do for you?â€
She had to give him credit. He registered only the barest hint of surprise and regrouped quickly, with only one raised eyebrow as any indication she’d caught him off guard. She enjoyed his fleeting shock. It almost made up for the man’s arrogance.
“You can speak legally in relation to Last Chance Camp?â€
She straightened. Who was this guy? “If you need something, I’m your person. You can either deal with me or wait until Owen gets back,†she answered.
“When will that be?â€
Jess shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t know,†she said.
“Don’t know or won’t tell?â€
“He takes off once in a while. Sometimes he’s back in a couple days, sometimes it’s a week or two.â€
“How long has he been gone?â€
“A couple days. Who are you, anyhow? And what do you want with Owen?â€
He paused for a moment, then, as if making a decision, he held out his hand. “My name is Renzo Gallini. Ren, if you prefer. I have paperwork that shows Owen Jenkin’s intent to sell Last Chance. My company will soon be the new owner of this,†he looked around the entry they stood in, “inn.â€
****
Jess Jenkins stood still as stone for three breaths, then erupted in laughter. And she kept on laughing. It spilled out like a happy song and even threatened to infect him. He could feel the edges of his mouth trying to lift.
Ren wasn’t sure what he’d expected in the way of reaction from this little spitfire, but this was definitely not it. He got the distinct impression that she held a very proprietary interest in this backwater facility and wouldn’t see any humor in a change of ownership.
Several times she opened her mouth to speak, but the laughter bubbled into a frenzy again. When she finally regained control, she surprised him yet again by walking away. Jesse headed down the hall, still chuckling. He heard the words “new owner†and renewed laughter followed it.
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Thank you so much for reading my excerpt. Northern Lights is very close to my heart because, when I saw them while in Alaska (my first and only time) I was awed. It was a bucket list item and I simply had to write a story around it. For more information about me or my stories, please consider signing up for my newsletter.
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