Chapter 2

Two

Kami

I woke with a start . Opening my eyes, I examined my surroundings and it took me a full minute to figure out exactly where I was.

The Pine Hart Lodge Alaska. A home away from home. I worked here on and off when I was in high school. It was better than sticking around my place after what happened with my parents.

I sat up, allowing the faded patchwork quilt to fall to my waist. The warm sunlight streaming through the cabin's front window told me morning had started without me.

I hopped out of bed, my stomach plummeting. I never slept late. The Alaskan sunlight was playing tricks on me.

I fumbled for my phone where it sat on the nightstand and swiped my thumb over the face.

I blinked. Almost eight o'clock. How was that even possible? I never slept later than six in the morning. I shook my head and put the phone down. Idly, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, feeling more well rested than I could remember feeling…ever.

Without much thought, I wandered over to the front window. I couldn't have held in the gasp that escaped me if I tried. The sight spread out before me—the bay, the forest, the mountains— was beyond breathtaking. Until this second, I didn't realize how much I had missed it.

Concrete, blaring horns and hurling insults from taxi drivers did not compare the majestic beauty of this place.

The land surrounding the lodge sloped down to meet the lake's broad banks. The sun beamed through the tall pine trees, reflecting off the water. Colorful fishing boats bobbed up and down along the lake's shore. Birds glided overhead and then swooped down to dive into the water before surfacing and taking flight once again. And a light frost coated the grass and trees giving everything an almost ethereal quality.

A longing built inside me so fast and so strong, I forgot to breathe. I wanted to go outside and walk through the late winter landscape in front of me. I wanted to hear the birds calling across the water, feel the sharp bite of the wind on my cheeks, see the diamond shine of the icy morning frost, run my hand over the worn, wooden hull of one of the bobbing boats.

Energy coursed through me at the thought of exploring the wilderness before me. It was only when the window fogged with my breath that I realized I'd all but pressed my nose against the glass.

I touched the windowpane and the cold glass immediately brought me back to reality. I shook my head at my own silliness.

"Of course I have a ton of energy. I slept for like nine hours."

And if I were completely honest with myself, I would admit the chance of running into my old crush was as terrifying as it was exciting.

A quick glance back out the window started ideas churning, all bizarre longings to tromp through the wilderness forgotten as I made a mental note to add the dock at the shoreline here to my list of places for photo ops.

I added more to my mental to-do list as I headed for the bathroom to get ready for the day. A tiny sliver of relief slid through me as I refocused on the task at hand. The last thing I needed to do was come face-to-face with Trevor Ford.

Plan the wedding and get the heck out of Hartwood. I replayed those words over and over again in my mind and squared my shoulders. Time to get down to business. I was here to do my job and I'd never let a client down yet.

M y confidence carried me through my morning ritual—shower and careful makeup application, and choosing an appropriate outfit—and down to the lodge's dining room. It might have faltered just a bit when I realized my careful clothing choice of black skinny trousers, black fitted sweater and red flats were a bit of a stretch. What seemed like the perfect business casual outfit for a professional woman while I was in my room, it stuck out like a sore thumb in the lodge dining room. Seven years was a long time away from the mountain. I looked like exactly what I was—a city girl in the wilderness.

I was also the only woman in the packed dining room. Almost a dozen men, all dressed for a day in the outdoors, sat shoulder to shoulder around several large round dining tables. I paused in the doorway. I could almost feel my confidence leaching out of me.

"Good morning!"

I turned to see Mrs. Morgan, the owner of the lodge, bearing down on me, a pot of coffee in her hand.

Relief poured through me at the sight of the other woman. I mentally rolled my eyes at myself. I was a strong, confident woman, for goodness sake. Why on earth was a room full of men getting me so rattled?

But I knew the answer. It wasn't the men on their own. It was the men, and this place, and the fear of what could be lurking anywhere outside the doors of the lodge.

I pasted on a smile and gave myself one more mental reminder about why I was here.

"Morning, Mrs. Morgan! You're just the person I was hoping to see." And as I spoke the words, I realized they were true. Who better to give me advice about wedding planning than a local who hosts tourists on a regular basis? I might have grown up here but my younger self didn't pay attention to all the good spots. I was more about boys, books and mascara. One particular boy to be exact. A senior while I was a junior. The bad boy type my momma tried to warn me about time and time again.

She was right. He broke my damn heart.

The older woman flashed me a warm, familiar smile but didn't pause as she moved toward the table. "Aren't you sweet? Come sit by me, sweetheart, and have some breakfast before these men eat it all. Let's visit a bit. How's the big city treating you? I haven't seen you in forever."

She waved me over. By the time I reached the table, Mrs. Morgan had already topped off coffee cups and settled herself at a seat at a small two-seater table with fresh flowers in a tiny vase in the middle.

"Right here, Miss Mackenzie. We'll get a nice hearty breakfast in you." Mrs. Morgan patted the seat of the empty chair directly to her left.

The older woman's voice wasn't overly loud, but it carried across the room and was just enough to make every head turn in my direction.

If I hadn't been uncomfortable already, suddenly finding myself the center of attention of so many male eyes did the trick. I slowly pulled air into my lungs. I offered up the best smile I could muster and squared my shoulders as I followed Mrs. Morgan's instructions.

I can do this. I slid into the seat and pulled the napkin off the table to place it on my lap.

"Good morning." I let my gaze slide over the men and did my best to sound professional and upbeat as I spoke.

I got some head nods and jovial good mornings in return. It was only as the clinking of forks on plates and the swell of deep voices picked up again that I realized how quiet they had all gotten when Mrs. Morgan alerted them to my presence.

"Judging by the duds you have on, I guess it's safe to assume you won't be joining us on our fishing expedition," the man seated across from me stated with a friendly grin.

I smiled back, shaking my head. "I'm afraid not. I have to work today."

"Coffee, dear?" Mrs. Morgan held up the pot and I nodded.

"That's too bad," the man said. "Would have been nice to have you along instead of having to stare at all these ugly mugs all afternoon." He jutted his chin to indicate the men around the table who all looked excited about their recent retirements if my assumptions were correct. None of them looked older than my dad.

I laughed and felt the ball of anxiety that formed as I walked into the room start to ease.

"Let's get you some eggs." Mrs. Morgan reached for a platter and like magic within seconds, a heaping plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, homemade hashbrowns, and biscuits landed in front of me.

My eyes grew wide. "Oh my goodness, this looks delicious, but I don't think I could possibly eat all of this." As if on cue, my stomach gave a loud growl, giving lie to my words.

Mrs. Morgan patted my hand. "You might surprise yourself. You know the air here helps you work up an appetite."

"I'll do my best to do this food justice." I dug into my breakfast and after the first bite, had to fight to keep from shoveling it in. Mrs. Morgan was right. I was unusually ravenous and the simple breakfast tasted like a gourmet meal.

"Too bad you have to work," the man across from me said. "I hope you have a little time while you're here to enjoy the outdoors."

I managed not to flinch at the thought. "I'm afraid my stay is mostly for business. I'll be scouting out some potential spots for a wedding."

"You getting married?" he asked.

"No, not me." I paused to take a bite of crispy bacon. "I'm a wedding planner. My clients wanted an outdoor wedding and fell in love with my home town, so my only time I spend outside will be to find locations for a ceremony and reception."

"That's a shame," he said. "We found a great guide. A local Navy boy is leading us on a fishing trip today. He had us doing all sorts of stuff this week—fishing, hunting, hiking. Believe me, you don't want to miss out on the scenery and wildlife around here."

My back stiffened and there was an odd stuttering of my heart.

Local Navy boy.

I released a heavy sigh.

Trevor Ford. Who else would it be?

Instead of stating just how much I really rather be back in the city, I said, "Sounds like you guys are having a great trip. But to be honest, I'm not that big on outdoor activities anymore. Unless you count sitting on a lounge chair on a tropical beach, sipping a margarita is an outdoor activity."

The man laughed and shook his head. "You don't know what you're missing."

Wrong again.

I raise my coffee mug. "I used to live here. I've probably seen everything you're talking about already." And with the same man.

Mrs. Morgan pats my arm. "Which reminds me, you'll have to scout some outdoor locations for the wedding, won't you? Do you need any help with that? Or do you remember a few places? Maybe the meadow off of Bear Creek Lane? And all those wildflowers." Mrs. Morgan asked.

"I definitely need help. I was hoping to pick your brain a little, too. I'd like to plan a really elegant wedding. You know, black tie, fine china, a tent with crystal chandeliers. A mix of big city with small-town mountain."

As I spoke, my enthusiasm grew. I'd been so nervous about getting here and looking forward to getting out of here as fast as possible. I hadn't spent much time thinking about the actual wedding.

But I was good at my job and as I told Mrs. Morgan about my plans, a picture formed crystal clear in my mind. I could see the wedding I wanted to put together clear as day.

"I want everything to be polished and sophisticated, like something you might find in a ballroom in New York City. But I want to do it all against a really rugged backdrop. And we can use beautiful table settings, but maybe serve simpler local foods. The couple getting married loves the outdoors. I think having truly elegant glittery details in the middle of the lush forest would be incredible. Like something from a fairytale."

As I turned my attention from the details playing through my mind, I found Mrs. Morgan staring at me wide-eyed.

I offered her a grin. "Sorry, I have a tendency to get carried away when I talk about my plans. I just want my clients to have something magical on their special day. I guess I am kind of remembering what it was like living here. I want them to experience the magic of this place and to give them something unique, but that totally fits them."

"Well, I can't say we've had anything quite like that around here." She patted my hand again. "But it sounds just beautiful."

"Now I just need to figure out some locations." I tried not to think about the fact I'd have to tromp through the forest. The picture I had of this wedding was too gorgeous to let a little thing like getting dirty and revisiting places I shared with him get in the way.

I picked up my coffee cup and took a big gulp to cover the fact that I was having a little trouble breathing.

"Oh, I had a thought. The men are leaving tomorrow." Mrs. Morgan gestured to the men seated around the room. "Today's their last day. We're sort of between seasons here with spring still nipping the air and summer having a hard time pushing out the cold. I don't have anyone but you staying here until the weekend. I wonder if Trevor has any more bookings this week. He'd be the perfect person to help you find an outdoor location."

"Trevor." I repeated dumbly.

"Someone looking for me?"

The sexy, deep voice that came from behind me was velvet over gravel. At the sound of it, the hair at my nape rose, and every nerve ending in my body crackled with energy. I went stock still, like prey caught in the sights of a predator. My breath came in a harsh gasp, and I could feel some tiny, almost intangible something spark to life deep down inside me.

My brain screamed at me to get up and run. My heart carried a different message with every beat. Turn around. Turn around. Turn around.

After breaking into a million pieces, I prided myself on being the kind of girl who ignored her heart now and always, always took the advice of her head. I knew too well the consequences of letting your heart have its way.

Too many people liked to trample all over it.

But some instinct I never knew I possessed took control. My head had no chance. My heart was firmly in the driver's seat, and all I could do was grasp the edge of the table in a white-knuckled grip as my heart forced me to turn my head and look over my shoulder.