Chapter 1
Blair
What the hell have I done.
What kind of smart, successful, independent woman puts her life on hold to travel thousands of miles across the continent on the advice of a psychic off the internet?
Me, apparently.
It started six weeks ago during a rare Saturday wine night with my two best friends, Alex and Cate. We’ve been as thick as thieves since meeting at college in Boston. We even call ourselves the ABC’s.
They’re my calm in the hectic storm that is my life–what I have of one, anyway–and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Literally, it seems, since it was them that dared me to get an online tarot reading from a woman called Starchild. Did I mention the wine?
Since I was feeling a little free and easy–a rare feat for me given I work eighty-hour weeks more often than not–I figured why not…
Little did I know, that choice somehow led me to accept my beloved uncle’s offer to cover his long service leave at a district hospital in Timber Falls, Alaska.
It’s a small mountain town with a desperate need for more health services, especially in my specialty area of cardiology and respiratory medicine.
Now I’ve made a six-month commitment to work as an attending physician in his place.
While I’m there, I’ll also work on identifying the most needed services and coming up with a plan for how to implement them alongside the head of the hospital, Tabitha.
The goal is to reduce the need for patients to travel hundreds of miles to the city.
At first it sounded like a lot of work, something I knew I needed like a hole in the head given my current overloaded schedule. But Uncle George assured me there would be no eighty-hour weeks required and I found myself accepting his offer without question.
To say that Alex and Cate were all for me taking this sabbatical-of-sorts is an understatement.
Especially after the psychic told me that there would be a fresh start on the horizon and it would give me a much-needed new outlook on my life.
Parking up at a lookout on the outskirts of my new home for the next six months, I wonder what my time here might bring.
As if they have a sixth sense, my phone rings with an incoming call, ‘Alex’ flashing on the screen.
“Are your ears burning?” I ask by way of a greeting.
“Why, yes. Yes, they are,” Alex replies with a laugh. “Or maybe I got a notification that you’d stopped outside of town and wanted to check you hadn’t been attacked by a rogue moose or something.”
I splutter out a laugh. “Is that even a thing?”
“Oh my gosh, yes. As soon as you decided you were moving to middle of nowhere, Alaska, I did a search for all the dangerous animals you might encounter. And a Mama Moose was right up there, especially when she feels threatened.” Wow, I guess you learn something new every day.
I quickly take in my surroundings, catching sight of a one-legged duck with his butt in the air in a nearby pond. “The only living being I can see around me right now is a duck and I don’t think it’s going to attack me. So, I think I’m good for now.”
“I’ve heard they can be vicious little things when they want to be. Just keep an eye on that waterbird,” she replies seriously.
“How much mischief can it really cause?”
“Remember those books I tried to get you to read? There’s a duck in there that brings havoc to all of those around him,” she informs me.
“Was it possessed?”
“Nope. He’s just a menace. It’s OK, though. He’s a lovable brat. You should read them since you’re visiting the Last Frontier. Maybe you’ll find a mountain man to call your own while you’re living there.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m here for six months, A. That’s all. That’s not exactly conducive to starting a worthwhile–let alone long term–relationship when it would start with a finish date.”
“Starchild did say that you’d get a new outlook on life. Maybe that includes a handsome, rugged stranger who wears plaid with his painted-on jeans and boots who likes throwing gorgeous women over his shoulder and taking them back to his log cabin on the mountain.”
“That’s oddly specific,” I reply.
“If you’d read Aster Hollingsworth’s books, you’d know that those Alaskan mountains are apparently full of big, tall, and buff mountain men.” She laughs. “That’s what we’re hoping you’ll find, anyway.”
“You do, do you?” I muse. “Let me guess, that’s when I’ll be gettin’ a surprise visit from you two?”
“Of course! There’s no way we’re not seeing you for six months.” Did I say I love my best friends?
“Let me get this straight, you two encouraged me to get that tarot card reading and to take this job so that I’d get the chance to ‘see my life with fresh eyes’ and now you’re telling me you also want me to be your mountain man matchmaker?”
“Nuh uh. Everyone who reads Aster’s books knows there’s only one matchmaker needed,” she replies.
“And who’s that?”
Alex sighs. “The mountain, of course.”
“Duh,” I reply wryly. A mountain?
“You really should read her books. You can get some tips on how to land a handsome mountain man to call your own.”
I roll my eyes but do it with a smile. “I’ll get right on that in between getting settled in a town where everyone likely knows everyone already and working at a new hospital with new people where I’m supposed to work out how to make it better for said townsfolk.”
“Pfft,” she scoffs. “That’s easy for you.
Have you met you? You don’t have to worry about anything but being you.
You’re cool, calm, and collected in a cute blonde, curvy package.
Mark my words, you’re going to make moves and create waves in Timber Falls.
And if you just happen to meet a sexy, rugged, plaid-wearing mountain man to show you the ropes while you’re there, so be it. ”
My eyes sting a little. “Damn, I miss you, A.”
“I miss you too, B. Even if it has only been four days, three hours, and twenty-two minutes.” I snort. “But Cate and I are always just a phone call or text message away. Remember that.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Not that you’re going to need to. You’ll become one of those small-town implants that arrive and never leave.”
“I–”
“And maybe that’s what you need, Blair. Maybe that’s what Starchild meant when she told you there was a fresh start on the horizon. Maybe, you’re there, in Timber Falls, Alaska, for a reason.”
“And what’s that?”
“I don’t know yet. But something tells me you’re going to find out.
After chatting a little bit more, we say our goodbyes, and I take one last look at the town. Then I decide there’s no time like the present. I get back in my SUV and follow the GPS to the road leading up a breathtaking mountain that stands sentry over the town.
Ten minutes and a few scary moments later, I come across a seen-better-days sign on an old wooden gate that confirms I’m in the right place–Cooper Ranch.
Driving onto the property, a mix of excitement and trepidation churns in my stomach.
The lush green grass and scattered wildflowers amongst it paints a serene picture that’s a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the life I left behind in Rochester, Minnesota.
There are tall trees dispersed amongst smaller bushes, native plants that have honed their survival instincts over the years and weathered the storm of being on the mountain.
When I see an older-looking house appear at the center of it all, I see that even that has a rustic charm that is as welcoming as it is homely.
The wooden exterior is half-painted, combining new with old but it looks sturdy, a testament to its years of standing strong against the elements.
I can only imagine the stories its walls hold and the memories of generations past that echo through the halls.
The love stories, the scandals, the births, marriages, and passing away of those who’ve gone before.
Parking my car, I step out and close the door behind me, taking a moment to soak in the beauty around me. The air is crisp and clean, carrying the scent of pine and earth. A sense of peace washes over me because in a lot of ways, this ranch reminds me of my childhood home.
Deep down, I’m still a country girl from Idaho who left the potato farm to go out into the big wide world and discover myself. That led me to Boston, then New York, then Rochester, Minnesota, which is where I’ve been based up until Uncle George’s surprising call.
But my heart will always be back on the farm. It’s why, when I was searching for accommodation in Timber Falls, I knew the guest cabin at Cooper Ranch would be a perfect fit for me.
I take a deep breath and walk toward the house, the wooden porch creaking under me as I climb the steps, my heart pounding with anticipation. As I raise my hand to knock on the door, I wonder who will greet me on the other side.
Before my knuckles can meet the wood, the door swings open and a tall man with rugged features—and yes, a plaid shirt and painted-on jeans–appears.
His dark eyes twinkle in the sunlight as he offers me a warm welcoming smile.
I stand there frozen for a moment as I take him in, not missing the small dimple that appears on the left side of his cheek as he extends his hand towards me.
"You must be Blair," he says as he greets me. "Case Cooper, my brothers and I own this ranch.”
I shake his hand with a smile. "Thanks. I’ve been looking forward to staying here ever since I made the booking. It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.” He steps back and sweeps his hand out. “Come on in. I’ll grab you the keys and then I’ll take you to where the cabin is.”
“That’d be great,” I say, following behind him into a big living area.
On one side there are couches and a fireplace with a bigger-than-expected television sitting on the wall over it.
There’s a huge bay window at the front of the house looking over the driveway and down over the valley.
There’s a big farmhouse dinner table with a lot of chairs around it in the middle of the room with a half-renovated big country kitchen set at the far side.