Page 2 of His Determined Mate
Hannah stepped off the small propeller float plane onto the dock and into the crisp, invigorating air of Kodiak, Alaska. After the somewhat harrowing ride and water landing, she resisted the urge to kneel down and kiss the ground. The small, picturesque city before her was a stark contrast to the bustling university town she had left behind. Snow-capped mountains rose majestically in the distance, and the scent of the sea mixed with fresh pine filled her lungs with every breath.
The sheer beauty of it all took her breath away, and a sense of excitement bubbled within her. She wondered how many others had stood in this place, feeling what she was feeling? This was her new beginning, a place where she could rebuild her life on her own terms.
She drove through the quaint streets, her heart fluttering with anticipation as she neared her destination. The bakery, “Hannah’s Hearth,” stood proudly on a corner, its charming storefront promising a cozy haven. She had seen pictures of it online, but nothing compared to seeing it in person. The rustic sign with its elegant script made her smile. As soon as she’d closed the sale on her bakery, she’d had the sign made by a local artist, Max Renner, and he’d had it installed for her. This was it, her dream come true.
Taking her keys, she unlocked the door and felt as though there must be a mistake. Her excitement diminished the moment she opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was much worse than she’d been led to believe. Dust coated every surface, cobwebs hung in the corners, and the once-bright walls were faded and peeling. The kitchen equipment, which she had hoped would be in working order, looked ancient and neglected.
Hannah took a deep breath, refusing to let her disappointment take hold. She was made of sterner stuff. She had survived worse than a rundown bakery. She had survived Teddy, and if she could survive him, she could survive anything. Knowing she had a lot of work to do, she moved her bags into a corner and headed for the local hardware store. She figured it was the one place that would have the essentials: dust cloths, broom, mop, buckets, Murphy’s oil soap and various hand tools. The salesclerk was friendly and helpful, offering to have their delivery guy drive her and her cleaning supplies back to the bakery.
“Nice sign,” the kid said, trying but failing to hide a smirk.
“Yeah, leave it to someone from the Lower 48 to buy this place without seeing it in person. But don’t you worry. I’ll get things in tip-top working order and be open for business in no time.”
“If you say so,” the kid said doubtfully, helping her unload her supplies inside the building.
After he left, she refused to give in to the tears that threatened to fall and told herself they were the product of being overly tired from her journey to Alaska. Rolling up her sleeves, she surveyed the space with a determined gleam in her eye. No matter its current state, the store and the apartment upstairs would suit her just fine. She could see the potential buried beneath the grime and neglect.
There was a knock on the door. Hannah pushed a piece of her strawberry blonde hair that had escaped her messy bun out of her face and opened the door.
“Hi there! I’m Nicole Asher,” said a lovely woman, extending her hand. “I heard someone had bought this place and wanted to introduce myself.”
Hannah shook Nicole’s hand, grateful for the friendly gesture. “Hannah Compton. It’s nice to meet you, Nicole.”
“Oh dear, I’m afraid this is worse than I thought it would be.”
Hannah laughed. “We already have something in common. It’s worse than I thought, too.”
Nicole laughed with her. “Okay, well show me around, then we’ll go to lunch and make a list of what you’re going to need. I’ll see if I can’t help you source what’s missing.”
“But why…”
“This is Alaska. It’s different up here. And in Kodiak, we women business owners look out for each other. Come on, show me around.”
“How about if we show each other around. I’m afraid I opened the door and immediately retreated to the hardware store.”
“Good plan.”
The two of them spent the next two hours walking through the bakery and the apartment upstairs, agreeing that Hannah would need a place to live at least for a while.
“I have a room above my place. It’s not much and it’s not fancy, but it’s a good landing spot until you can at least get the place upstairs livable.”
“I can’t let you…”
“Oh, sure you can. I know what it’s like for people moving up here. Let’s go to lunch and get started on a plan.” She opened her cell phone and talked to someone about a table.
Hannah looked down at her dirty jeans and sweater. “I don’t think I’m dressed enough for a place that needs reservations.”
Nicole laughed. “The Black Bear Diner doesn’t take reservations. It is truly a diner and has some of the best food in Kodiak. Rick’s a good friend of my husband’s. I always call ahead because if Rick sees me waiting, he gets all pissy with his staff. I just save them the aggravation.”
Nicole linked her arm through Hannah’s, and they walked the short distance to the diner. The aromas coming from the place made her stomach growl. Over the best patty melt and onion rings she’d ever had, Hannah learned why Nicole was such a successful event planner. Organized didn’t even begin to cover her skills.
By the time they shared a piece of blackberry cobbler, heated and topped with enough French vanilla bean ice cream to feed a small army, Nicole had arranged for one of her staff to meet them back at the bakery where they could pick up Hannah’s things to take to the studio apartment over Nicole’s offices on the waterfront.
“Rick has to have all of his baked goods shipped from Mystic River. The bakery there is overrun with business. My guess is they’d be happy to see the business they have here in Kodiak go to a local baker, and I know Rick and the others would love that. Most of us try to source the things we need with other locals.”
Hannah shook her head. “That would be amazing.”
All through lunch Hannah had watched a tall, ruggedly handsome, well-muscled man making his way through the dining room, back into the kitchen, and behind the bar. She had believed her erotic response system had gone permanently offline, but each time he got close, Hannah felt disoriented and a bit nauseous.