Chapter 1

Morgan

"Isn't this exciting?"My mom asks me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders.

The motion is stiff, her arm bent at a weird angle, and I force a smile on my lips as I glance at her. I'm just as tense, my back ramrod straight.

"Yeah, exciting," I agree.

The truth is that I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have been ever since my parents first told me about this spur of the moment trip.

My parents and I aren't close; we never have been, and that's why it was so strange when they brought up spending ten days in Alaska. They pretty much ignored me when I was growing up, and when I moved out and went to college four years ago, we drifted even further apart.

When they first brought this trip up, I thought that perhaps having me gone for four years had made them regret how they treated me growing up. I was hopeful that this trip was their way of trying to make it up to me. There's still a part of me that feels like this is a trap.

"Let's get checked in," my dad says as he grabs his bag and my mom's.

I drag my own suitcase out of the back of the rental car and trudge behind them up to the Aspen Ridge Ski Resort.

I know my guard is still up around my parents, but I'm actually looking forward to trying skiing for the first time. I grew up in southern California, where the temperature never drops below fifty degrees so Alaska sure is a shock to my system. I pull my parka tighter around me as we hurry into the resort.

My dad heads over to check us in, and I look around the place, taking in the giant windows. The resort is made of wood and I'm kind of surprised that my parents picked this place. I'm actually shocked that they picked Alaska at all.

My parents are total snobs. They like the finer things in life, which is fine, but they also look down their nose at literally everyone who isn't on their social standing. It's all about looks and appearances with them and always has been. They've gone on vacations over the years, a lot of them, but it was always to places like Aruba, Paris, or Greece. Whatever the newest hot spot was to visit, they were there.

Maybe Alaska is the next big vacation spot,I muse, though I doubt that.

Aspen Ridge, Alaska, is a tiny town far from anything. That's why it doesn't make sense to me that my parents wanted to come here.

"Here's your room key, Morgan."

"Thanks."

I take the key from my dad and follow them dutifully over to the elevator bank. We step on and ride up to the fourth floor in silence. It's awkward and tense as I follow them down the hallway to our rooms.

"I'm going to freshen up," my mother says, and my father nods.

"We have dinner reservations at the restaurant downstairs at seven. Randolph is meeting us."

That has me freezing in my tracks and I turn to face them.

"Randolph?" I ask, and they share an anxious look.

"Yes," my mother says, trying to appear unphased. "He's here on vacation too."

I don't like this. Randolph is one of my parents' stuffy friends. He hits on me every time I see him, and I've been trying to ignore him. I mean, he's old enough to be my father.

"Oh, is that a coincidence?" I ask, my voice tight.

"Yes," my mother says at the same time that my father says, "no."

I look between them, and my mother shakes her head at my dad.

"No, it's not a coincidence," my dad admits, and my mother sighs.

"Oh," I say softly, my stomach sinking.

"He's here for your wedding," he says, and I gasp.

It feels like I've been punched in the stomach and all of the air has left my lungs.

"My wedding," I shriek, and they both shush me.

"Yes, now that you've finished school, it's time to settle down."

"I'm twenty-one," I say, and then laugh.

I'm not sure where that thought came from. I mean, how ridiculous to force marriage onto your daughter as if she's an old maid.

Suddenly, this trip to the middle of nowhere, Alaska, makes sense. I'm trapped here and they know that. This is their way of ensuring that I go through with the wedding. Back in California, I have resources. I have friends that would let me stay with them. I have money socked away there. I could have left and gotten away. Here, though, I'm trapped. They paid for this trip. I doubt that I could afford the return flight.

Besides, if I try to leave, I know that my parents will threaten to pull the funding for Susan's nursing home. She was my nanny growing up, and now that she's too old to work, my parents have been funding her care. I know they only did it to look good and charitable for their friends, but I still appreciated it. If I run away, then what will happen to Susan?

I start to panic. I'm not marrying Randolph, that's for damn sure. So, what can I do?

"Go get cleaned up," my mom orders, and I nod, heading to my room next door in a daze.

The door closes behind me and I lean against it, trying not to let the panic swallow me whole. I can feel the hysteria building up inside of me and I take a few deep breaths, but it doesn't help.

I can't leave. I only have a few hundred dollars on me, and I know it would cost at least that much to get back to the airport. I could try to get a new credit card, but it would take me a week just to get the actual card, and I need to be out of here before then. All of my friends are recent college graduates who are just as broke as I am, so I know they won't be able to help me out either.

So, what can I do? How can I get out of this?

An idea starts to form in my head and I laugh as I think about it more.

If it's a wedding that they want, then that's what I'll do.

Now, I just need to find myself a groom.