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Noah was trying to take it all in. From the looks of it, this town wasn’t like anything he was used to. Small shops with brightly colored doors and decorative wreaths beckoned him. So far he hadn’t seen many villagers out and about. He couldn’t help but grin at the rustic Welcome to Love sign hanging in a store window. Love, Alaska, had a folksy charm most would find hard to resist.
The streets were dusted with snow, courtesy of a January storm that had pummeled a large portion of the state. Even a week later, there was still an abundance of snow on the ground. That was par for the course for Alaskan winters.
Noah took the crumpled photo out of his pocket and smoothed it down on the steering wheel until it was flat. The woman staring back at him was easy on the eyes. With her fiery red hair, the slight freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and the expressive emerald eyes, she was stunning. No wonder her ex-fiancé was having a hard time letting her go. Maybe his client, John Sussex wasn’t crazy, after all, in asking him to keep tabs on his former fiancée.
“You’re a beauty, Sophie Miller. I’ll give you that,” he muttered, before stuffing the photo back inside his coat pocket. “No wonder Sussex can’t just let you go.”
He let out a low whistle as the full impact of what he’d agreed to do hit him over the head like a sledgehammer. For the next six weeks he was going to be living in this small fishing village in Nowhere’s-ville, Alaska, and working a very lucrative gig—keeping tabs on Sophie Miller. He had arrived last night, having been flown in by Declan O’Rourke, a pilot who ran a plane charter business and lived here in town.
As a private investigator, Noah went all over the country following the paying gigs. And he was moments away from beginning his undercover assignment. His company, Catalano Security, had hit a financial rough patch, which had made refusing this job near impossible. And even though he could think of much better assignments than this one, he’d had no choice in the matter. A paying job like this meant that his Seattle-based company might hold on for a little bit longer. He wouldn’t have to shutter the doors just yet. And he could pay his employees and allow them to run the fort while he was away. Watching his company go down the tubes wasn’t something he could allow to happen.
So, for the foreseeable future, he was going to be posing as a cook for the Moose Café, an establishment owned and operated by Cameron Prescott. It was the same eatery where Sophie worked as a barista and waitress. Noah was going to fulfill his obligation to his client, then head back to Seattle where he belonged, and focus on building up his business.
He knew that he was going to have to be on his A game in order to pull this off. He’d done a little research on Cameron, whose brother, Boone, was the town sheriff. Noah couldn’t do anything to raise suspicions about his background. Local law enforcement might run a check on him and hit pay dirt by linking him to his profession as a PI. His company provided personal and corporate security, as well as conducting investigations. It had been rather simple to provide references to his new boss via his connections in the world of private investigations and security. He didn’t want to be too cocky about it, since in his experience, that’s when people made mistakes.
While in Love, he was going by the name of Noah Callahan. Noah had called in a few favors to make this operation run smoothly. As a result, there was really no reason for anyone to suspect that he was anything other than a man who was seeking to reinvent his life as a cook at the Moose Café. And he had no intention of blowing his cover. His future—and that of his company—was riding on this assignment. Failure wasn’t an option.
* * *
Sophie waved goodbye to Jasper as he sailed out the door of the Moose Café. Just as he exited, a tall, broad figure stood for a moment in the doorway before crossing over the threshold. Another customer! It was shaping up to be good day for tip money. She loved days like this, when the place was full of hustle and bustle. Interacting with customers was the best part of her job.
The man stood inside the doorway and looked around the premises as if he was soaking in all the details. When he looked up, Sophie sucked in a deep breath.
He was gorgeous, with jet-black hair and striking blue eyes. A dimple on his chin added to the overall wow factor. He had a strong jawline and a commanding air. Although he was on the tall side, it was his leanly muscled physique that really packed a punch. He looked like he could handle himself in a dark alley if needed. He exuded strength.
Sophie let out an involuntary sigh. This man was spectacular. A little piece of Alaskan eye candy.
At the moment he was heading straight toward her, his gait full of power and ease. She wasn’t certain, but she might just have to pick her jaw up off the floor. This man was pure poetry in motion. He stopped right in front of her, his gaze focused on her brown apron, which advertised the Moose Café with a cartoon moose sipping a cappuccino. Needless to say, her boss, Cameron Prescott, had a zany sense of humor.
When he swung his head up, Sophie locked gazes with the stranger. “Why, hello there, good-looking.” Woops. The words had just slid out of her mouth like a rushing river.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Her mother’s voice buzzed in her ears. After all these years, Sophie was still trying to learn that lesson. She might benefit from having a zipper on her mouth to prevent this very thing from happening.
She bit her lip, wishing she could take the words back. From the looks of it, tall, dark and handsome didn’t seem too impressed by her.
The man raised an eyebrow. His expression displayed a mixture of surprise and a measure of disapproval. Sophie let out a low groan. He appeared slightly humorless. He might have at least cracked a smile at the compliment.
She felt her cheeks blush. “What I meant to say was, hello there, stranger.” Why was she fumbling so badly with her words? She didn’t want the hottest man in Alaska to think she was a babbling fool. Something told her it might be too late to correct a bad first impression.
“Hello,” he said in a deep, calm voice.
She smiled at him, stuffing down her discomfort. “I’m Sophie. Welcome to the Moose Café.” She waved her hand in the direction of the seating area. “Feel free to take a seat wherever you like. I’ll be right with you with a menu and the most delicious coffee drink you’ve ever ordered.”
He shook his head. “I’m not here to eat,” he explained. “My name is Noah. Noah Callahan. I’m here to meet Cameron about the open cook position.”
This was the new cook? Marta’s replacement? Sophie had completely forgotten that Cameron had said to expect the new hire to show up today. In her wildest imagination she never would have envisioned he would look like this. Sophie had imagined an older, wizened man. The new hire had the appearance of a professional athlete or a fitness model for a sports magazine. Sophie knew it was rude, but she couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. In a town full of hot Alaskan bachelors, this guy was perhaps the most gorgeous one she’d laid eyes on yet. And his cornflower blue eyes were magnetic.
“You’re the new hire?” she asked, her voice oozing shock and awe.
“Unless you know something I don’t,” he quipped. “I hope I haven’t come all the way to Love for nothing.”
“No! No! Of course not. Cameron told me to expect you, but I forgot that you were coming by today. And I wasn’t expecting someone so...” Her voice trailed off.
“So what?” he asked, his brows knitted together. His eyes were as piercing as laser beams.
So dreamy. The words popped into her head, although she didn’t dare utter them out loud.
“You must be Noah.” The sound of Cameron’s voice coming from directly behind her caused Sophie to let out a huge sigh of relief. Saved by the boss from any further embarrassment! She wasn’t sure exactly how she would have answered Noah’s question without humiliating herself even more.
Cameron stepped forward and said, “Cameron Prescott. Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand and shook Noah’s vigorously. “I see you’ve met Sophie.”
“Yes,” Noah said with a nod. “Nice to meet you, as well, Cameron. And thanks for letting me rent your place. It saved me the trouble of having to search around town for digs.” Noah grinned from ear to ear. Mmm. So the man did know how to smile. And what a nice smile it was. Pretty white teeth and dimples for days. Something told Sophie that Noah Callahan was going to leave the women of Love in quite a flutter, starting with herself.
“No problem at all,” Cameron said. “I moved into my wife’s home after Paige and I got married, so I’m happy to rent the place out.”
Noah was going to be living at Cameron’s old place! Sophie let out a little sigh of disappointment. Why hadn’t she thought of asking Cameron to rent it to her? Her cabin at the Black Bear Cabins was a tad on the small side. In the past year she had filled up the small space almost to overflowing. Relocating to Cameron’s former home would have been amazing. The backyard had a lovely view of the mountains. Oh, well. She didn’t believe in crying over spilled milk or lost opportunities.
Gratitude. She had to remind herself that she’d vowed to be thankful for all the things in her life, great and small. She wouldn’t dwell on the size of her living quarters or lament the fact that Noah had scooped up Cameron’s place. God had already blessed her in so many ways. She wasn’t about to grumble.
Living in Love was a world apart from the rarefied atmosphere she’d grown up in. As the daughter of a very wealthy man, there had truly been nothing she couldn’t have procured with a single phone call or a word with her father. A private jet. Shopping sprees. Front-row concert tickets. Diamond earrings. The world had been her oyster. Once Java Giant had taken off, her family had relocated to New York City from her small hometown of Saskell, Georgia. They had moved from a modest, ranch-style home to a penthouse in Manhattan.
Sophie wasn’t sure she’d ever managed to adjust to being the Java Giant heiress. Most times, she’d yearned to go back to simpler times, when picking peaches and attending church picnics had been the norm for their family. Everything had changed when her father’s business took off and went national. Their lives had transformed in an instant. Her upbringing had been lavish, yet it had never brought her true happiness. She’d vowed to strip herself of the luxuries and get down to basics here in Alaska. So although she felt disappointed about Cameron’s house, she wasn’t going to dwell on it. Material things were fleeting.
“Sophie, can you show Noah around?” Cameron asked, drawing her out of her thoughts. “He’ll be starting tomorrow morning, bright and early. I’m going to finish out the cooking shift and show Noah how the kitchen works in a little bit. Hazel will work the tables.”
A loud banging sound, following by shouting, emanated from the kitchen. Cameron raised his eyebrows and let out a nervous laugh. “Excuse me. I need to go check in with Hazel. She’s a little swamped at the moment. Welcome, Noah. It’s great to have you on board.”
Sophie smirked, knowing her close friend Hazel Tookes probably wasn’t at her best at the moment. As Cameron’s honorary mother figure, Hazel was, for all intents and purposes, a silent partner in the café. She allowed Cameron to manage the restaurant and act as the public face of the establishment. Outspoken and lively, Hazel didn’t hesitate to let Cameron know when something didn’t sit well with her. Working the grill wasn’t her forte. Waitressing suited her more, due to her tendency to be a social butterfly.
Noah’s gaze trailed after Cameron. Then he looked around the café. “This seems like a popular spot.”
“It is. We’ve been blessed with a loyal following and enough customers to keep this place up and running. Did you know that most businesses fail within the first year?” Sophie couldn’t count how many times her father had shared that fact with her. It made her doubly proud of Cameron’s success. He’d worked hard for it.
Noah scratched his jaw. “I think I’ve heard that statistic. It’s tough to get a business started, not to mention keeping it profitable.”
“That’s for sure,” Sophie said with a nod. “The Moose Café is a testament to Cameron’s hard work and vision. Before I arrived in town, Love endured a recession that caused quite an economic downturn. A lot of businesses didn’t make it. But that didn’t stop Cameron from stepping out on a limb of faith and opening up this establishment. And the town has rebounded and we have a new factory that mass produces genuine Alaskan boots. They’re called Lovely Boots and they’ve really taken off.”
“It’s pretty courageous to start up a new company in the shadow of such hard times,” Noah said. “It’s a testament to his work ethic and vision.”
“No guts, no glory,” Sophie proclaimed as she raised her fist in the air, earning another raised eyebrow from Noah.
“Let me show you around,” Sophie said, wanting to fill the awkward silence. She motioned for Noah to follow her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was staring at her as if she was somewhat of an odd duck. His expression was a bit shuttered and he seemed to be quite serious about everything. Maybe he was nervous about the new job. It would be a shame if this hottie was a stick-in-the-mud with a sour disposition.
Life was too short not to smile. Ever since she’d been knee high to a grasshopper, this had been her personal motto. So many people made storm clouds when their lives could be filled with rainbows and glitter and cupcakes.
As Sophie showed Noah around the establishment, she couldn’t help but notice that he was a man of few words. Other than some nods and monosyllabic replies, he’d given her nothing but silence. Perhaps he was the strong, silent type—observing everything but giving away nothing. Maybe she just needed to pull him out of his shell.
“How about an espresso or a mochaccino?” she asked, as she led him past the area where they were made.
“No, thanks, Sophie. I’ll take a water, though.”
“C’mon. Live a little,” she teased. “Our coffee drinks are the best thing since sliced bread. Once you taste one of ’em, you won’t be able to resist them.”
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m not really a coffee drinker.”
Sophie felt her eyes widen. Not a coffee drinker? And he was going to be working at a popular coffee joint in town? Humph! As the daughter of a coffee magnate, Sophie had a hard time wrapping her head around the notion that Noah didn’t like coffee. It was downright peculiar.
He shrugged. “Sorry. I just never took to it.”
She didn’t know what to make of that statement, but didn’t want to hurt the new cook’s feelings by poking him about it. Because she’d grown up in the midst of a coffee empire, she found Noah’s philosophy rather shocking.
Sophie led him down the hall toward the kitchen. She paused to grab a cold bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to Noah. “No need to apologize. Speaking for myself, I’ve always loved coffee. When I was little girl I remember waking up to the smell of it.” She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nostrils. “Daddy always loved coffee. All types. He would make all these specialty drinks at home right from our kitchen. Mama used to make coffee ice cream for him with one of those old-fashioned ice-cream makers. I used to love when she’d let me turn the handle. I think the love of coffee was imprinted on my DNA.”
Sophie blinked back tears. A sudden wave of homesickness washed over her. Despite everything that had transpired between them, she missed Daddy terribly. Home was still etched on her heartstrings. Everything she’d ever learned about coffee had come straight from her father. There’s love in the bottom of every cup. That was the Java Giant motto. Just thinking about it triggered a feeling of loss so vast it made her heart ache. Even though her father had transformed over the years into a man whose sole focus was his coffee empire, she still loved him and she always would. Ditto for Mama, who was now in heaven. Her parents’ divorce had shattered her childhood, but it hadn’t made her love them any less. All her memories from her childhood in Georgia were still imprinted on her heart like a permanent tattoo.
Noah seemed to be studying her. “Hey. Are you all right?” His voice was infused with concern. Sky blue eyes radiated compassion.
She sniffed back tears. “I’m fine. Just feeling a little nostalgic today. I love being here in Alaska, but I miss my folks like crazy.”
“I’m not surprised to hear that. Family is the most important thing, bar none,” he said.
Sophie nodded. “I feel very fortunate to have a family right here in Alaska. Cameron. Hazel, who you’ll meet in a few minutes. My best friend, Grace. Jasper, the town mayor. They’re not blood related, but they treat me like one of their own. I love them very much.” She knew she was gushing, but she couldn’t help herself. When it came to Love, Alaska, she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve.
Something resembling understanding flickered in his eyes. He nodded. “That’s called community. It’s the beauty of a small town. I grew up in one, so I know what I’m talking about. You’re very blessed, Sophie.” For the first time Noah’s voice had a sweetness that warmed her insides. So he wasn’t a robot, after all.
Sophie knew she was fortunate to have landed in a heartwarming town like Love just when she’d needed it the most. Her world had crumbled in all around her back in New York City, and she had found a soft place to fall right here in Alaska. For the past year Sophie had been taken under the wing of the townsfolk and treated like gold. In return, she had fallen in love with the small fishing village and its folksy charms.
“I do feel very blessed,” she murmured.
For some reason, Noah’s words wormed their way inside her and caused her to feel a groundswell of guilt. She had been a resident of this fishing village for more than a year, and for the entire time she had not been forthcoming about her identity or the fact that her father was a billionaire. Although she had tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter, she knew deep down inside that withholding the truth from the residents of Love was an act of pure selfishness. In the beginning it had seemed like self-preservation, but with each and every day that passed, Sophie became more and more uncomfortable with the omission. After all, this town had endured near bankruptcy, an embezzlement scandal and severe financial hardships.
Bile rose up in the back of her throat at the mere thought of confessing all to the townsfolk. How in the world would they ever understand her situation? This town had endured business closures, a failed cannery, foreclosures and a severe economic downturn.
No matter how she sliced it, Sophie knew she had to be honest about her family connections before the truth ever came bubbling to the surface. If not, she might risk losing the goodwill and friendship of a whole community of people who trusted her.
Chapter Two (#u0db49dd9-bebf-5684-93ca-b3a530153a54)
As he headed out of the Moose Café, Noah raised his hand to his chest to steady himself against the feelings rising up inside him. It felt like he’d just run a mile. His heart was beating faster than a drumbeat. It always felt like this when he took on a new assignment. Ever since he’d stepped foot into the Moose Café, pure adrenaline had been racing through his veins.
Noah had ended up working the grill and helping out in the kitchen, finishing the shift alongside Cameron. He’d left right before they locked up the place for the day. He had to admit that cooking at the café hadn’t been half bad. It reminded him of working at his family’s restaurant, the Highline Diner, in Homer. Before too long he’d fallen into the familiar rhythms of food prep in a kitchen.
He wrinkled his nose. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what had just transpired. Spending time with Sophie and observing her had been his goal, but he wasn’t sure he’d been prepared for the experience. Noah hadn’t been expecting someone so down-to-earth...and nice.
He shook the feeling off, knowing he was heading into unsafe territory. Once upon a time Noah had seen life through rose-colored glasses when it came to women. Once bitten, twice shy. Life had shown him that he was far too trusting. As a result, he had chosen a career path that involved digging up information to prove without a shadow of a doubt a person’s true character. Facts didn’t lie. Pictures of husbands stepping out on their wives didn’t lie. Money stashed away in secret accounts gave a snapshot of deception.
He was a man who dealt with facts. So far, he knew that Sophie was a woman capable of twisting a man’s heart up in knots and abandoning him at his lowest moment. Despite the fact that she was able to plaster on a picture-perfect smile and act as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, Noah knew this woman had another side to her.
He needed to get his head out of the clouds and focus. What did it matter if she was nice or nasty? She was a job. Sophie Miller was his target. He didn’t want to be friends with her. Didn’t want to know her family history. He didn’t have any intention of kissing those heart-shaped lips. And he couldn’t care less about her adorable Southern twang.
It shouldn’t matter to him that Sophie emitted rays as shimmery as the sun and as sugary sweet as an ice-cream sundae. He let out a groan of frustration. He wouldn’t be feeling this way if Sophie had been as mean as a snake or bucktoothed and homely.
Don’t forget who she is. What kind of woman ditched her fiancé without warning and took off for parts unknown, leaving nothing more than a curt goodbye letter? John Sussex had been emotional and worried out of his mind when Noah had met with him in New York City. Sussex had flown him in to meet with him face-to-face about the assignment.
The way he figured it, there was a sucker born every minute. Sussex had it bad for Sophie Miller. And even though she’d treated him like the gunk underneath her shoe, he still wanted her back. He’d hired Noah to keep tabs on Sophie and to report back to him regarding her romantic attachments. Although he felt a little bit conflicted at first about spying on Sophie, Noah knew his line of work often revolved around surveillance. He wasn’t sure why this particular gig left him feeling so out of sorts.
As he got into his car and began driving down Jarvis Street, he looked around at the shops and local scenery. As he passed the Moose Café he spotted the sheriff’s office directly across the street, along with a toy store, a barbershop and a trading post. He grinned as he passed a small bookstore called The Bookworm. Tomorrow he might stop in to see if they carried his favorite mystery writer. Suddenly, he noticed a familiar mane of long titian hair with a hot-pink hat perched on top. Sophie! She was bundled up in a winter parka and a pair of sturdy boots. He wondered where she was going, since he’d just heard her say earlier that she was getting a ride home from Hazel.
Given the gloomy-looking sky and a few flakes falling, he hoped that Sophie wasn’t venturing too far. Not my problem, he reminded himself. Sophie was a big girl, fully capable of making her way around town. So what if it was snowing? Alaska and snow went hand in hand. Sophie was probably used to it by now, even though she was a New York City girl.
He swung his gaze back to the road, then glanced over again at her. The snow seemed to be falling at a faster clip now. He watched as she slipped a little, before managing to catch herself so she didn’t fall.
“Atta girl,” he said. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like cheering Sophie on. There was something about her that made him want to root for her.
Noah let out a frustrated groan as he watched her continue to trudge onward through the snow. Ever since he was a kid it had been ingrained in him by his father to help out a lady whenever necessary. Chivalry. This time would be no different.
He slowed his car and veered toward the snow-covered sidewalk until he was parallel to Sophie. He pushed the button to let the window down and called out, “Hey, Sophie. Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
She whirled around, her face reflecting surprise. Then she shifted from one foot to another and rubbed her mittened hands together. “I don’t want to put you out, but I’m not sure I can walk all the way to the Black Bear Cabins. It’s pretty frosty out here.”
He waved her over. “Come on. Hop in.”
A cold blast of air assaulted him as soon as Sophie tugged the passenger door open. Her cheeks were rosy as she settled into her seat and put her seat belt on. “You’re a lifesaver. I usually get a ride home from Cameron or Hazel, but I think they must have gotten their wires crossed today. I went to get my things, and they’d locked up the place and left.”
“No problem. What are the Black Bear Cabins? Sounds like something out of a fairy tale.” He couldn’t stop thinking about porridge and bears and chairs being broken in a tiny house nestled in the woods. He hadn’t been much of a reader as a kid, but he seemed to remember something to that effect.
Sophie chuckled. “Just go straight along this road until you come to the Moose Crossing sign. Once you pass it, you take a right about a half mile down the road and keep going until you see the sign for Black Bear Cabins. That’s where I live. I rent out one of the cabins from Hazel, who owns the place. So do a bunch of others who came here for Operation Love.”
Noah wrinkled his nose. “Operation Love? That’s what brought you here? The matchmaking program?” Noah had heard about it on the Seattle news, and when he’d researched the town of Love it had popped up in the search engine. From what he gathered, it was a program created to pair up single bachelors from here in town with women who came from across the United States. He wondered how successful it had been so far.
Had Sophie found someone? Was she no longer single? Although he suddenly felt tongue-tied, he had to find out if Sophie was romantically attached to anyone here in Love. It was his job to know these things and pass them on to his client.
Something told him John Sussex had no idea that Sophie was part of the matchmaking program. He hadn’t mentioned it to Noah when he’d hired him. Had his client been holding out on him? Was there more to Sussex than met the eye? Noah considered himself a pretty good judge of character, but it was possible he’d missed something.
Sophie nodded, her long hair swirling around her shoulders. “Yes. In a way. I came here to reinvent my life, and Operation Love seemed like a good way to find a husband and a loving home.”
A husband? Love? Ouch. It wasn’t going to be easy relaying that information to Sussex. Noah wanted to shake his head in disbelief, but he didn’t want to alienate Sophie, who was giving him the information he needed. Picking her up and taking her to the Black Bear Cabins had yielded more information than he’d imagined.
“You really think your future is here in Love?” There was a tinge of incredulity in his voice that he couldn’t manage to mask. He didn’t want to sound like a jerk, but he felt amazed that women actually ventured to this town and stepped out in such a massive leap of faith. What if they ended up with a serial killer?
Sophie grinned at him. “The way I figure it, God has always been faithful to me. He placed me here for a reason. I just have to be patient and let it all unfold.”
Noah snorted. He hadn’t meant to, but it slipped out. One quick glance in Sophie’s direction showed that she wasn’t pleased in the slightest. Her pretty face was now scrunched up in a massive frown. Her eyebrows were knitted together. He was pretty sure steam might be coming out her ears.
“Excuse me, Noah Callahan, but that was quite rude of you,” she huffed. Anger radiated off her in waves.
“I’m sorry, Sophie,” he said, feeling contrite. One look into her big green eyes made him feel like the worst person in the world for hurting her feelings. “It just sort of slipped out. Kind of like this morning, when you first saw me and called me good-looking.” He winked at her. He wasn’t trying to flirt with her, but she was a pretty girl and he liked the way she became easily flustered. That didn’t happen too often with the women in his circle. They were all way too polished for his liking.
Noah tried not to grin as he watched Sophie turn several shades of red. She opened her mouth, then closed it, while making a sputtering sound.
