Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

HANNAH

W hatcom County Courthouse

Bellingham, Washington

Hannah Compton sat in one of the dimly lit courtrooms of the Whatcom County courthouse, the familiar scent of wood polish and old paper mixing with the stale air. She was entering what was supposed to be the end of a very long divorce proceeding. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Theodore Compton, was tall, confident, and all charm in the witness box, his voice carrying the smooth calculated cadence that had once charmed her. Now, each word felt like a dagger, sharp and unforgiving, as he spun his web of lies.

Professor Teddy, as he was known to everyone at Western Washington University, was determined to secure half of her thriving graphic design business, a business she had built from the ground up with her blood, sweat, and tears after working two jobs to pay to get Theodore his doctoral degree in art history.

"He contributed nothing," she whispered to herself, fingers gripping the edge of the wooden bench. The judge glanced her way, a stern reminder to maintain her composure. Teddy's attorney, a smug man with a permanent smirk, lobbed questions designed to paint Teddy as a pivotal part of her success. She bit her tongue, knowing any outburst could jeopardize the final decree she desperately wanted and needed.

Teddy's new fiancée, a young, barely legal blonde with an air of entitlement, sat smugly in the front row, her manicured nails tapping against her phone screen. Hannah's stomach churned at the sight of them together. She could feel the disdain radiating from her soon-to-be ex-husband's newest piece of eye candy, and wondered if the girl had any idea what she was getting into. It didn't really matter to Hannah. The girl had latched onto Teddy and had lied through her teeth throughout the trial. She was a stark reminder of everything Hannah had lost and the betrayal that had shattered her world.

Hannah had believed that finding them in bed together in the hotel room in Seattle would have been the worst of it, but she'd been so wrong. By the time Hannah had driven back to Bellingham, Teddy had emptied their joint bank accounts and begun hiding any and all assets he might have had. Hannah had been forced to sell their waterfront home, give Teddy half of the proceeds and live over her graphic arts studio in order to get by.

Teddy, on the other hand, had landed in bed with the blonde, whose father was some muckety-muck on the university's board. The two of them had moved into a luxury condo paid for by daddy. All of their friends from the university and most everyone else had taken Teddy's side, believing Hannah could have done more to help Teddy and had spent too much time growing her own business.

Fuck them all.

Her attorney, a fierce and determined woman named Suzy, waited until Teddy's attorney was through before standing and beginning her cross-examination. Hannah watched as Suzy systematically dismantled Teddy's arguments, exposing the holes in his story. Despite her resolve, Hannah's heart pounded in her chest. She knew the final divorce decree would grant Teddy half of what she had earned in the past, but she was determined he wouldn't be able to touch anything in her future.

The judge's gavel struck, echoing through the room, signaling a recess. Hannah took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She caught Suzy's eye, and her attorney gave her a reassuring nod.

"Remember," Suzy said quietly as they left the courtroom, "he gets half of anything you earn in graphic design for the next ten years. But anything outside of that, it's all yours."

"But I can do graphic designs for my own business, and that won't entitle him to anything."

"Correct. I'm going to say this again; you're giving him too much."

"I don't want anything from him, Suzy. All I want is what my grandmother left me: her jewelry and the two small pieces of artwork we specified."

"You're entitled to more. You put that little bastard through school, paid off all his loans, and most of what went to buy the house was from your hard work."

"I know, but he didn't get to keep the house, either. I guess blondie didn't want to live in the same house he'd shared with me, and what blondie wants, daddy makes sure she gets."

Suzy snorted. "Are you still going to Kodiak?"

Hannah nodded. "I've always wanted to have my own bakery. I didn't open one here as Teddy thought the graphic design business would be cheaper to start. I saw an ad for one up there and thought, ‘why not?' After all, I fell in love with Alaska when we took our tenth anniversary cruise up there."

"Won't it remind you of Teddy?"

Hannah grinned. "Yes. He hated Alaska, was seasick the entire time and fell off the dock and almost drowned. Happy times."

Suzy laughed. "You're so bad. No wonder I'm going to miss you."

"You are always welcome to come see me."

"You're never coming back, are you?"

"To Bellingham? No. Never."

"We'd better head back in and get this over with," said Suzy.

Hannah nodded, a sense of grim satisfaction settling over her. Teddy could have her past, but her future was hers and hers alone. Later, as she walked out of the courthouse, the weight of the last few years began to lift, replaced by a sense of purpose and a glimmer of hope. She had a plan, and it was time to put it into action.

Kodiak, Alaska

Hannah stepped off the small propeller float plane onto the dock and into the crisp, invigorating air of Kodiak, Alaska. After the somewhat harrowing ride and water landing, she resisted the urge to kneel down and kiss the ground. The small, picturesque city before her was a stark contrast to the bustling university town she had left behind. Snow-capped mountains rose majestically in the distance, and the scent of the sea mixed with fresh pine filled her lungs with every breath.

The sheer beauty of it all took her breath away, and a sense of excitement bubbled within her. She wondered how many others had stood in this place, feeling what she was feeling? This was her new beginning, a place where she could rebuild her life on her own terms.

She drove through the quaint streets, her heart fluttering with anticipation as she neared her destination. The bakery, "Hannah's Hearth," stood proudly on a corner, its charming storefront promising a cozy haven. She had seen pictures of it online, but nothing compared to seeing it in person. The rustic sign with its elegant script made her smile. As soon as she'd closed the sale on her bakery, she'd had the sign made by a local artist, Max Renner, and he'd had it installed for her. This was it, her dream come true.

Taking her keys, she unlocked the door and felt as though there must be a mistake. Her excitement diminished the moment she opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was much worse than she'd been led to believe. Dust coated every surface, cobwebs hung in the corners, and the once-bright walls were faded and peeling. The kitchen equipment, which she had hoped would be in working order, looked ancient and neglected.

Hannah took a deep breath, refusing to let her disappointment take hold. She was made of sterner stuff. She had survived worse than a rundown bakery. She had survived Teddy, and if she could survive him, she could survive anything. Knowing she had a lot of work to do, she moved her bags into a corner and headed for the local hardware store. She figured it was the one place that would have the essentials: dust cloths, broom, mop, buckets, Murphy's oil soap and various hand tools. The salesclerk was friendly and helpful, offering to have their delivery guy drive her and her cleaning supplies back to the bakery.

"Nice sign," the kid said, trying but failing to hide a smirk.

"Yeah, leave it to someone from the Lower 48 to buy this place without seeing it in person. But don't you worry. I'll get things in tip-top working order and be open for business in no time."

"If you say so," the kid said doubtfully, helping her unload her supplies inside the building.

After he left, she refused to give in to the tears that threatened to fall and told herself they were the product of being overly tired from her journey to Alaska. Rolling up her sleeves, she surveyed the space with a determined gleam in her eye. No matter its current state, the store and the apartment upstairs would suit her just fine. She could see the potential buried beneath the grime and neglect.

There was a knock on the door. Hannah pushed a piece of her strawberry blonde hair that had escaped her messy bun out of her face and opened the door.

"Hi there! I'm Nicole Asher," said a lovely woman, extending her hand. "I heard someone had bought this place and wanted to introduce myself."

Hannah shook Nicole's hand, grateful for the friendly gesture. "Hannah Compton. It's nice to meet you, Nicole."

"Oh dear, I'm afraid this is worse than I thought it would be."

Hannah laughed. "We already have something in common. It's worse than I thought, too."

Nicole laughed with her. "Okay, well show me around, then we'll go to lunch and make a list of what you're going to need. I'll see if I can't help you source what's missing."

"But why…"

"This is Alaska. It's different up here. And in Kodiak, we women business owners look out for each other. Come on, show me around."

"How about if we show each other around. I'm afraid I opened the door and immediately retreated to the hardware store."

"Good plan."

The two of them spent the next two hours walking through the bakery and the apartment upstairs, agreeing that Hannah would need a place to live at least for a while.

"I have a room above my place. It's not much and it's not fancy, but it's a good landing spot until you can at least get the place upstairs livable."

"I can't let you…"

"Oh, sure you can. I know what it's like for people moving up here. Let's go to lunch and get started on a plan." She opened her cell phone and talked to someone about a table.

Hannah looked down at her dirty jeans and sweater. "I don't think I'm dressed enough for a place that needs reservations."

Nicole laughed. "The Black Bear Diner doesn't take reservations. It is truly a diner and has some of the best food in Kodiak. Rick's a good friend of my husband's. I always call ahead because if Rick sees me waiting, he gets all pissy with his staff. I just save them the aggravation."

Nicole linked her arm through Hannah's, and they walked the short distance to the diner. The aromas coming from the place made her stomach growl. Over the best patty melt and onion rings she'd ever had, Hannah learned why Nicole was such a successful event planner. Organized didn't even begin to cover her skills.

By the time they shared a piece of blackberry cobbler, heated and topped with enough French vanilla bean ice cream to feed a small army, Nicole had arranged for one of her staff to meet them back at the bakery where they could pick up Hannah's things to take to the studio apartment over Nicole's offices on the waterfront.

"Rick has to have all of his baked goods shipped from Mystic River. The bakery there is overrun with business. My guess is they'd be happy to see the business they have here in Kodiak go to a local baker, and I know Rick and the others would love that. Most of us try to source the things we need with other locals."

Hannah shook her head. "That would be amazing."

All through lunch Hannah had watched a tall, ruggedly handsome, well-muscled man making his way through the dining room, back into the kitchen, and behind the bar. She had believed her erotic response system had gone permanently offline, but each time he got close, Hannah felt disoriented and a bit nauseous.

"You okay?" asked Nicole, who already felt like an old friend.

"No. I just think the events of the day are catching up with me."

"Tell you what—how about you give me a set of keys and we'll go get you settled in the apartment, and send one of my people for your stuff?"

"I hate to be any more of a burden than I already have been."

Nicole laughed. "A burden? You think you're a burden? Sometime over nachos and tequila, I'll tell you about how I came to live in Alaska and almost got myself killed."

Hannah grinned. "It's a date."

Hannah spent the next few days immersed in cleaning, testing equipment, and making far more extensive plans than she had thought she would need to. Nicole proved to be an excellent source of information and supplies, including the necessary equipment for her bakery. Nicole knew the owner of the bakery in Mystic River, who was only too happy to introduce her as a new local bakery to his clients in Kodiak. By happenstance, he was expecting his new bakery equipment to be delivered any day. He made Hannah a deal for his old equipment, which was in excellent condition, so good that she truly couldn't refuse.

Armed with cleaning supplies and an unyielding resolve, she scrubbed, polished, and painted until the bakery began to resemble the cozy haven she had envisioned. She focused on the bakery so she could start bringing in money, and Nicole had assured her the apartment was hers for as long as she needed it.

Armed with that knowledge, Hannah had chosen to turn the space upstairs from two small bedrooms and one bath to a large airy one bedroom with an attached bath plus a powder room. She took it down to the studs and reconfigured the space so she had a cozy gas fireplace and a really lovely gourmet kitchen, managing to buy last year's floor models from a local high end appliance store. She was also able to include her own washer and dryer. It was a lot of hard work and long hours, but little-by-little, it was coming together. Each stroke of a paintbrush or furniture put into place brought her closer to her dream. She had clients ready to go as soon as she could take them, and people routinely stopped by to see how the work was coming along.

Instead of the usual rustic Alaskan look, she'd gone for more of a chic, seaside cottage feel. Everyone who came in seemed to like it, and Hannah managed to get some kind of daily treat made at Nicole's before heading over to the bakery and getting her prized commercial K-cup coffee brewers opened for business. One by one a lot of professional local businesspeople were making it a routine part of their day to stop by on their way to work.

Nicole knocked before stepping inside. "Oh my, you have made such a difference in this place."

"Thanks to you and all your contacts. Seriously, you and your staff are never paying for anything in my bakery. Ever."

"Keep that up, and you'll go broke."

Nicole stayed for a while, chatting about various people Hannah had met and those she had introduced her to. It seemed a lot of people wanted to know about the woman behind the new bakery. There was Ben, the jovial fisherman with stories of the sea; Linda, the librarian with a passion for history; and several others who welcomed her with open arms. Hannah quickly sensed the tight-knit community's warmth, a stark contrast to the cold indifference she had felt in Bellingham after she and Teddy had split.

As the days turned into weeks, Hannah's Hearth began to take shape. The bakery's scent of fresh bread and pastries began to waft through the air, drawing in curious customers. Hannah's days were filled with baking and learning the rhythms of her new home. She quickly became a part of the community, her friendly demeanor and delicious treats earning her a place in many hearts.

Despite the long hours, she found time to explore the town and surrounding area. One morning she spotted an abnormally large black bear loping through one of the city's green spaces. She knew that the only bears native to the island were the fierce Kodiak grizzlies. When she asked Nicole about it, she explained that sometimes other bear species made their way over to the island, and if she saw one to give Nicole's husband, Asher, a call. He and his team would work to track and trap the bear, returning it to the mainland.

The Black Bear Diner became her favorite spot to eat, but no matter how many times she went, it seemed the owner was determined to avoid her. Well, that was on him. As long as he didn't throw her out and was planning to give her his business, he could stay as far away from her as he liked. It wasn't like they were going to date. Rick Fraser was gorgeous, tall, black-haired, dark-eyed, and possessed of a body that spoke of a lifetime lived outdoors doing a lot of manly things. He was broad-shouldered with a tapered waist and chiseled jaw that looked as if you could cut a diamond on it. He also had an air of quiet strength that was hard to ignore and was continually surrounded by a bevy of beauties. Hannah was sure he had his pick of bed partners. Guys like him didn't even tend to notice girls like her, who could be generously described as curvy. Hannah was fit—more so now than when she'd left Bellingham—but tall and willowy she was never going to be.

Hannah often saw him working behind the counter or chatting with customers, his presence commanding yet approachable. She couldn't help but notice that often when she looked up, he seemed to be watching her closely, though he never approached her. There was something in his gaze that made her heart skip a beat, a mix of curiosity and something deeper she couldn't quite place. He seemed to always keep the same distance and whenever he came closer, the feeling of dizziness swept over her.

She'd seen kindness in his interactions with his customers and staff, and he was quick to step in when a situation looked like it was about to escalate. The way he seemed to know everyone by name and remember their favorite orders was amazing. Hannah was certain there was more to Rick Fraser than met the eye, and she found herself wanting to know more about him.

But for now, she had a bakery to run and a life to rebuild. The people of Kodiak had welcomed her with open arms, and she was determined to make the most of her fresh start. With each passing day, she felt the weight of her past lifting, replaced by the joy of her new beginning. And though she had yet to meet Rick Fraser properly, she sensed that their paths would cross soon enough.