Page 7 of His Determined Mate

As the day wore on, they moved from painting walls to painting trim. Rick proved to be an excellent teacher. He even managed to make her laugh, his dry humor catching her off guard several times. For the first time in a long time, Hannah felt a sense of calm.

"Hey, Rick," she said, pausing to catch her breath. "Thanks for helping out today. I couldn't have done all this without you."

He shrugged, but she could see the hint of a smile on his lips. "Glad to help. And, again, I'm sorry for how I treated you. I shouldn't have dismissed what you were saying."

Hannah reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "Apology accepted. Let's put it behind us."

Rick looked down at her hand, then back at her, his expression softening. "Deal, but only if you let me buy you dinner."

“Deal, but only if we eat at the diner. That place of yours is addictive.”

“With the addition of your baked goods, it’s going to become even more so. I’m going to go with your suggestion and use your bread as well. We tried it for toast, and customers were raving. My waitresses were telling everyone when the bakery opened, they’d be able to buy their own. And that brioche bread as French toast? Oh my god, off the hook.”

As they left the bakery, Hannah felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the hard day’s work they’d put in. She had seen a different side of Rick today, a side that made all of her erotic systems come back online and the butterflies in her belly take flight. She knew if she told anyone what she was thinking, it would sound dippy, but it was true. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Rick than she had initially thought. And as the northern lights began to dance in the sky above, she couldn't help but feel that this just might be the beginning of something special.

The following morning, Hannah arrived at the bakery, the crisp winter air biting at her cheeks. Dinner last night had been so much fun. Tanner, Melisandre, Nicole, and Asher had all joined them. She realized she was building not just a business, but a life here in Kodiak.

She unlocked the door, her mind already racing through the list of tasks for the day. As she stepped inside, a pungent, unmistakable odor hit her—gas. Panic surged through her veins. She rushed through the bakery, covering her nose with her arm, her heart pounding. The first floor seemed fine, so she hurried towards the stairs, the smell growing stronger with each step. She felt lightheaded, but she pressed on, knowing she had to find the source before it was too late.

Halfway up the stairs, the dizziness became overwhelming. She stumbled, reaching for the railing, her vision blurring. She managed to make it to the top, but the gas was overpowering. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed, the world fading to black.

When she came to, she was outside in the snow, Rick's arms wrapped tightly around her. The cold air stung her lungs, and she gasped, struggling to focus.

"Rick?" she croaked, her voice weak.

His face was a mask of concern and anger. "What were you thinking, Hannah? You should have called for the Fire Department or me or help of some kind. At the very least, you should have gotten out of that building. You could have died in there!"

She winced at the sharpness in his tone but knew he was right. "I... I thought I could handle it."

Rick set her down gently, then turned back towards the bakery. "Stay here. I need to make sure it's safe."

Hannah watched, shivering, as Rick disappeared inside. Moments later, she saw him through the windows, moving quickly to turn off the gas and open the windows to air out the building. She hugged her knees to her chest, the reality of what had just happened sinking in.

A few minutes later, Rick emerged, his face pale and drawn. He knelt beside her, his eyes searching hers. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, tears stinging her eyes. "I'm sorry, Rick. I didn't mean to be so reckless. You should have called somebody, too."

“Probably, but the door into the alley had been open, and I could tell the gas was coming from upstairs.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair, his anger seeming to melt away in a kind of weary relief. "I know. But you have to be more careful. You have a lot of friends here who don’t want to lose you, not to mention your baked goods."

The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard, and she looked up at him, seeing the depth of his concern. "Got it. No dying until I’m successful enough to have an assistant who can carry on.” He shook his head, waggling his finger at her. She grasped it in her hand. “Seriously, thanks for saving my life."

Rick reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Just promise me you'll call for help next time, okay?"

Hannah managed a small smile, nodding. "Okay. I promise."

As they sat there in the snow, the bakery slowly airing out behind them, Hannah felt a newfound respect and gratitude for Rick. He hadn’t called someone else, hadn’t waited for someone else to do something; he’d just jumped in and done what needed doing. There was a lot about the owner of the Black Bear Diner to like… and maybe even something more.

And while the idea of that made her all warm and fuzzy, Hannah was certain she hadn’t left the gas on. She was absolutely OCD about things like that. So how had it happened?

CHAPTER 4

HANNAH

Kodiak was buzzing with excitement as the annual Northern Lights Festival approached. The streets were festooned with colorful lights and decorations, and the crisp winter air was filled with the hum of activity. Artisans from all over Alaska and northern Canada were gearing up and setting up their booths in various event spaces as well as different shops. There would be horse and caribou-drawn sleighs to take people to and fro, and everyone seemed to love it.

People were coming into Kodiak via plane and ferry—some were even using private boats—with everything ranging from intricate carvings to stunning pieces of artwork, handmade jewelry, and food items. Many of them shipped stock in as it was too burdensome to carry. Several of the existing businesses helped out by storing things for people for free. It seemed as if everyone wanted everybody to do well. For many of them, the festival was the highlight of the year, the time when they made most of their annual sales.

Hannah stood in the middle of her bakery, a sense of both excitement and trepidation coursing through her. With a little more work, she just might be able to make her self-imposed deadline. She had offered space in the bakery, either way, to some of her suppliers. The festival was just days away, and her grand opening was set to coincide with it. She had dreamed of this moment for so long, but now that it was here, the sheer scale of the preparations was practically overwhelming.