When Nate Porter left Helen, Alaska, to become a firefighter with the Forest Service, he claimed it was because he craved adventure. The truth was, he couldn't stand to hang around, pining for a girl the town's century-old feud meant he could never have. But Nate got over Lydia Lipin years ago, or so he thought, until he learns that an old rival has come sniffing around. The solution—a trip home with his rescue puppies to prove to himself he completely extinguished that old flame.
Lydia Lipin has always been satisfied being the "good" Lipin daughter—dutiful, practical, and always putting others before herself. But that role begins to chafe as Nate's return ignites old memories. No one in town knew about their secret friendship or those forbidden kisses they stole the summer after graduation. Suddenly, Nate and his puppies are everywhere, and sparks are flying.
When Nate realizes he never got over Lydia, he'll risk everything for a second chance. But Lydia's not a risk-taker, and she must make a choice—play it safe and pretend their summer fling was just puppy love or step out of her family's shadow and unleash her heart.
"I've
got a guest checking in who says he was a friend of yours, and he asked if you
were around?" Shawn sounded uncertain, and he kept his voice low, suggesting
whoever this friend was, he might still be hanging around the lobby.
Theresa
made a disapproving face. "You're in a meeting. It's not appropriate for
the staff to be bothering you if it's not an emergency."
Shawn,
who was on speaker, likely heard the comment, and Lydia gritted her teeth.
"Did he leave a name?" she asked, ignoring her grandmother. Damn it,
this was her hotel now. She'd run it how she liked, and she was meeting with
family, not a client or a guest. Which Shawn knew.
Shawn
also knew that whenever Theresa Lipin stormed into the hotel, searching for one
or the other of her granddaughters, Lydia hung an invisible "Please
Disturb" sign on her door.
Shawn
lowered his voice further, but some excitement crept in. "It's Cody
Miller. Isn't he the Hitched guy?"
Lydia
froze for a second as her brain processed this information. Cody Miller,
friend, and Hitched were not three things that were meant to go together. Yes,
she'd been friends with Cody in school. More than friends at times, actually.
And yes, Cody was the guy who'd built Hitched-a travel and ride-share app. But
super-wealthy, tech darling Cody and friend Cody had always been two different
people in Lydia's mind, even though logically she understood that they were one
and the same. Probably it had something to do with the fact that she hadn't
seen Cody since before college, and they'd lost touch completely soon after.
So
how was it that Cody was in her hotel and asking after her? Cody might be from
Helen, but the town was not the sort of location that was likely to draw tech
magnates. The only explanation that made sense was that Cody was visiting
family, but Lydia could have sworn his family no longer lived here.
Regardless,
Cody was here, he was an old friend, and perhaps just as importantly, he was an
ideal distraction.
"I'll
be right out," Lydia told Shawn, and she ended the call.
"Hitched?"
her grandmother asked. "That's an app, correct?"
Lydia
was only mildly surprised that Theresa was familiar with the app. Her grandmother
might dislike most technology, but she wasn't precisely a Luddite. She simply
preferred face-to-face interactions. It was easier to turn a critical eye on
someone that way.
"Yes."
Lydia stood, slipping her phone in her back pocket. Most days she tried to
dress in a style that Taylor referred to as Alaskan professional, a snarkism
that proved you could take the sister out of L.A. but you couldn't take the
L.A. entirely out of the sister. But today was a Friday, and Lydia hadn't
dressed to impress-jeans and a simple cowl-necked sweater would have to do for
meeting a billionaire. After all, tech darlings got away with wearing whatever
they wanted, so why not her? Lydia had never seen a magazine or news photo of
Cody wearing anything other than jeans.
"Cody
is the boy you went to your prom with, isn't he?" her grandmother
continued.
That
was much more surprising than Theresa knowing what Hitched was. But then, she
and Cody had been an on-again, off-again thing for years. "Yes."
Theresa
nodded thoughtfully, the savage anti-wedding beast soothed, her invitation
forgotten about on Lydia's desk. "He was a nice boy. Smart."
Cody
had been smart, no doubt. He'd beaten out Lydia for valedictorian. Yet Lydia
assumed her grandmother's praise had more to do with Cody's family being firmly
pro-Lipin in the feud.
"Rich
now, too, I'm guessing," Theresa said. "Interesting that he came by
to see you."
It
was interesting, but that was Lydia's cue to make a hasty retreat for the
lobby. The next sentence out of her grandmother's mouth would likely involve
the state of Lydia's ovaries. Her grandmother had been determined to get Lydia
married to the right sort of guy-that was, one of her choosing-for years. While
Theresa and the rest of the family might not approve of Taylor's choice of
husband, her younger sister getting married had only made the nonsense Lydia
had to deal with worse.
Late
January was not a typical time for people to visit Helen, although true outdoor
recreation enthusiasts were never deterred by the weather or lack of sunlight.
As such, the hotel was one-quarter booked, but that didn't mean corners had
been cut. Flames crackled happily in the oversize fireplace, casting flickering
light over the rustic wood decor, and the air smelled faintly of pine thanks to
the scented candles lit at the reception desk. The inn's complimentary homemade
cookies and coffee sat out near the glass doors that overlooked the patio. It
was almost time for Taylor to bring out the evening wine, which meant Lydia had
to shake their grandmother soon. Cody had distracted her, but for how long?
Speaking
of Cody, it took Lydia a second to recognize him sitting in one of the
armchairs by the fire. For some reason, she'd expected him to be surrounded by
an entourage, like a rock star, but he sat by himself, playing with his phone
in one hand and holding a peanut butter cookie in the other. He looked totally
at home and was dressed to Taylor's exacting Alaskan professional
standards-rugged khaki pants, thick sweater, and durable boots. Lydia suspected
those clothing items were made by a brand that the average Helen resident
couldn't afford, but for the first time, her brain was able to reconcile the
two Codys it carried around.
He
jumped up as she strode over to him. "Lydia! It's so good to see
you." Cody pulled her into a hug that she hadn't been anticipating, and
she had to course correct before smacking her nose into his shoulder.
Well, that was unexpected, but they had been close during school. Lydia decided to shrug it off and follow his lead. "It's good to see you too."
Cody
beamed at her, holding her hands while he assessed her. "You look
fantastic. Haven't changed a bit."
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About the Author
Growing up, Alanna Martin wanted to be an astronaut, a doctor, and an actor--possibly all at once. After nine years of studying psychology, she somehow became a writer instead. This turned out to be the best career choice of all because she can work in her pajamas while drinking wine. She firmly believes in the power of fluffy books, long walks in the woods, and that there's no such thing as too much coffee.
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