Christmas in Alaska

All I want this Christmas is to escape to a cozy Alaskan cabin.

Just me, a crackling fire, and a lowkey feast for one. It will be my first holiday without my parents, and I don’t have it in me to force a festive smile.

But my city girl skills fail miserably when my attempt at lighting a fire turns the cabin into a smoke-filled disaster.

Luc, a ruggedly handsome caretaker, barges in. After accusing me of trespassing, he helps me settle in and prepare for the Christmas Eve snowstorm.

He’s a retired Marine and as frosty as the Alaskan winter, but I sense warmth beneath his scowl.

I ask him about the winter festival. It might be my only chance to see the town before I'm snowed in over the holidays.

Despite his bah, humbug attitude, this grumpy mountain man agrees to join me.

Can two lost souls who want to avoid Christmas cheer let a little of its magic into their hearts?

Luc:

Something caught my attention above the tree line. What was that? Smoke?

My heart dropped. No, no, no. My mind jumped to the worst-case scenario—a fire. No... Forest fires were deadly. Devastating. They could take out acres, destroying everything in its path with catastrophic speed.

I rushed forward to assess the situation and then stopped short. An alarm was sounding. The smoke came from the cabin. A window was wide open and smoke poured out. What in the—

No one was supposed to be there. Who was starting a fire in the cabin? Was it arson?

Every instinct kicked in as I ran toward the cabin. I tore off my gloves and fumbled with the key code, the chill of the metal biting into my fingers. My fingers moved with urgency as my stomach tied into knots. Finally, I unlocked the door and swung it open.

The scene before me couldn't have surprised me more.
A woman with auburn hair crouched near the fireplace, waving a dish towel at the thick gray smoke that rolled from it.

I barked out, “What the hell are you doing?”

She turned to me with a surprised squeak, stared with wide eyes, and dropped the towel. My gaze followed in slow motion as the edge of the fabric snagged embers and caught fire.