Falling for alaska, p.1
Falling for Alaska, page 1
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2024 by Sandra Calhoune
Cover design and illustration by Elizabeth Turner Stokes.
Cover copyright © 2024 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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ISBNs: 9781538758205 (mass market), 9781538758212 (ebook)
E3-20240103-JV-NF-ORI
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Discover More
About the Author
Also by Belle Calhoune
For my parents, who shared a beautiful love story that inspires me every day.
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PROLOGUE
Xavier Stone didn’t like to cry. He didn’t like the way it made his eyes sting or how his stomach twisted with every sob. Even worse, he hated to see his mom and brothers cry. Ever since they had left Moose Falls, his family unit had been falling apart at the seams. Packing up their belongings and leaving Alaska for Arizona had been terrible. The heat here was unbearable and nothing like what they were used to back home. He couldn’t wear any of his favorite sweaters here or his thick corduroys. Mama told them it almost never snows in Arizona. There wouldn’t be any sledding or snowboarding or dogsledding. Tears pricked his eyes, but he blinked them away.
Crying is for babies. His father’s voice buzzed in his ear, reminding him to always be tough.
He couldn’t cry. Wouldn’t cry. At ten years old he was the oldest, and it was his job to stay strong. Xavier was the man of the house now. They’d left their father behind in Moose Falls, and from what he’d overheard, his parents were getting a divorce. Things had been bad for a long time now, with fights and shouting and slammed doors. Those moments had always scared him and his brothers, exploding like fireworks in the night sky—noisy and unpredictable. They could have been having the best time of their lives right before the trouble started, when everything would suddenly go haywire.
Over time Xavier had learned to expect the explosions. He would clench his fists at his sides during the happy moments—Christmas morning, birthdays, Easter—because he’d learned not to trust the calm. And even though his father’s outbursts scared him, Xavier loved him with a fierceness that always confused him. He hadn’t wanted to leave his father behind, but he was angry at him for breaking their family apart. Xavier couldn’t stop thinking about him standing in the doorway with tears in his eyes as they had driven away, his deep baritone voice calling out their names. Daisy! Don’t leave me. Xavier knew it would be a long time before those cries would stop ringing in his ears. If ever.
His mother, Daisy Stone, was beautiful. Everyone said so. With her long, curly hair, toffee-colored skin, and big brown eyes, she was someone people always looked at. Whether they were at the supermarket or the bowling alley or church, folks always gravitated toward her grace and beauty.
She was at the center of their family. Everyone revolved around her the way the earth revolved around the sun. He thought of her as a living, breathing magnet. Grandpa Joe said she was pure sunshine and the brightest light in his life. He hadn’t stopped smiling since they had touched down at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Xavier didn’t know if Grandpa should be grinning so much considering the sad circumstances, but the old man was happy to be reunited with his baby girl. They were now living in the two-story home Xavier’s mother had grown up in.
The sound of his mother’s muffled sobs caused his stomach to clench as he walked down the hall. She probably thought they had all gone to sleep, but Xavier had stayed up to watch an episode of That’s So Raven and of SpongeBob SquarePants. Sitting on the couch and watching his favorite shows almost made him forget about the last twenty-four hours. He knocked on his mother’s bedroom door and slowly turned the knob. The room was softly lit by the small lamp on the bureau. His mother, startled by his appearance, looked over at him with puffy, reddened eyes.
Without saying a word, he rushed to her side and lay down beside her. “Mom, are you all right? Can I get you anything? A cup of tea?” He grabbed a box of tissues from the bedside table and slid them across the bed toward her.
“Don’t worry about me, Xavier. I’m fine.” She reached out and tousled his head. “We’re all going to be just fine once we adjust.”
Adjust? The word sounded so mechanical. What they’d left behind in Alaska were pieces of their hearts. There was now a hole in the center of his chest that would be impossible to fill. Moose Falls wasn’t just any place. It was home. His grandmother had always said there was magic in every snowflake.
“Do you miss Moose Falls?” He swallowed past the huge lump in his throat. He really wanted to ask if she missed his dad, but he worried that doing so might make her even more tearful.
“The real question is how are you doing? I know it’s a lot.” Her lips trembled. “And I’m sorry, but—”
Xavier shrugged. “I’m doing okay,” he said in a low voice, cutting her off. He didn’t need to hear her say out loud why they’d left. They all knew it was because of their dad.
“It’s important that you get a good night’s sleep. You have school in the morning.”
Xavier let out a groan. He didn’t want to think about his first day at a new school. The other kids would probably think they were just some weirdos from Alaska. I mean, who started a new school in October? Everybody had probably known one another since kindergarten.
“Can’t I just stay here with you, Mom? You need me.”
She reached out and grazed her fingers across his cheek. “And you need to settle in and meet all the special friends who are going to be part of this new life of ours. I bet you’ll come back with a list of names and phone numbers as long as your arm.”
He let out a mutinous groan. Nothing would be as perfect as she imagined.
“Being the oldest means setting an example for Landon and Caleb. If you stay home, there’s no chance of me getting them to go.”
“Just once I want to be the youngest so I don’t have to set an example,” he grumbled. Xavier folded his arms across his chest and stuck his lip out. He was only ten years old, not a grown-up.
“Oh, Xavier. You’re just who you were meant to be. I’m the luckiest mom in the world to have you as my very own.” She nestled him against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her. “If you could only see the way Landon and Caleb look at you. In their eyes, you hung the moon. But if it ever gets too much for you, I want to know. Okay?”
He nodded. It was kind of cool being the oldest and having two brothers who looked up to him. But sometimes, he wished it didn’t feel like such a huge responsibility. What if one day he simply cracked under the pressure? He’d heard his grandmother talking about how his dad couldn’t handle pressure. Xavier didn’t want to be anything like him. Never in a million years.
“All right,” he agreed, wanting to soothe his mother. “I’m going to get ready for bed so I can be up bright and early for school.” He made his voice sound cheerful even though he felt lower than an ant’s belly.
“That’s my boy,” she said, a smile tugging at the sides of her mouth. “I already tucked your brothers in a while ago, but I can tuck you in if you
At ten years old, he was getting too old for tuck-ins, although it sounded so comforting. He needed to focus on helping his family adjust to life away from Moose Falls. He needed to be a big boy.
“It’s okay. Just get some rest.” He winked at her. “You’re going to need all your strength to make me chocolate chip pancakes in the morning.”
Xavier padded down the hall toward his bedroom after brushing his teeth and splashing his face with water. Getting used to a new house was hard. Everything was different here. He kind of missed sharing a room with his brothers, while at the same time he was looking forward to more privacy.
As he walked past his brothers’ room, the soft glow of the moon-shaped night-light drew his attention. Landon had trouble sleeping without one, and he was fascinated by space. The sound of sniffling reached Xavier’s ears, and he gently pushed the door open. He knew immediately it was Landon. Xavier quickly looked over at Caleb’s twin bed. He was lightly snoring with his sheets all tangled, his legs sprawled.
“Hey, buddy. What’s wrong?” Xavier asked as he sank down on the bed beside Landon.
Landon rolled over so they were face-to-face. “I’m scared.”
“Of what? You’ve got your night-light. You’re safe and sound,” Xavier said, trying to reassure him. He ran his hand across his brother’s short-cropped hair in a gesture meant to provide comfort.
“This house makes creaking sounds,” Landon whispered. “Like there’s a ghost or something. I was watching this documentary about houses with paranormal activity. How do we know this isn’t a hot spot?”
Xavier stifled a chuckle. Landon was only seven, but he was the smartest kid on the planet. He loved documentaries, the solar system, and anything science related. “There aren’t any ghosts here,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “Mom grew up in this house. She woulda told us.”
“Xavier, will you sleep with me? Please! Just tonight.” Landon crossed his hands in front of him and pleaded.
Normally Xavier would just say no and leave it at that, but his mother’s words were fresh in his memory. In their eyes, you hung the moon.
“Okay, just this once,” he said, pulling back the covers and sliding beneath them.
“You make everything better,” Landon said as he snuggled against Xavier’s side.
He was thankful for the room being mostly dark. Xavier wouldn’t want Landon to see the tears pooling in his eyes. He had a tough image to uphold, after all. His brother’s heartfelt words cut straight to his heart.
Before he knew it, Caleb was standing by the side of the bed. “Scooch over and make room for me.” Landon moved over so that he was sandwiched between his two younger brothers. Even though the bed felt way too crowded for a comfortable sleep, Xavier wouldn’t have it any other way. In this moment he was exactly where he was meant to be.
CHAPTER ONE
Twenty Years Later
The moment tall, dark, and handsome walked into Northern Exposure, True Everett’s stomach lurched as if she’d taken a ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the carnival. The last time she had gone on that particular thrill ride, True had been twelve years old and eager for excitement. At twenty-eight years old, she knew better than to look for adventure in a good-looking man. Been there, done that. Having her heart smashed into little pieces had taught her a huge life lesson. She was never going down that road again.
Of course, she knew who the man was on sight. Xavier Stone, a ridiculously handsome ex–football player for the Arizona Cardinals. The Storm was what the fans called him, according to her little brother. There weren’t many men in the universe who checked off all the boxes at first glance. This guy packed a solid punch visually.
Easy there, girl, she reminded herself. He had “handle with caution” written all over him.
True inhaled a deep, steadying breath as he walked straight toward the bar where she was taking orders. Her insides were now nothing but mush. Even meeting her ex, Garrett, for the first time hadn’t yielded this type of visceral reaction. Although Garrett was easy on the eyes, he wasn’t a showstopper. Not like this fine work of art handcrafted and dipped in the finest chocolate.
He had to be at least six feet tall. Skin as smooth as a Hershey bar. Full, wide lips. A strong jaw. When he shrugged out of his jacket, True could see his amazing physique. Even while wearing a sweater and jeans, his body popped—strong legs, a powerful chest, and muscled arms.
Body for days! It was enough to make a girl’s eyes pop out of her head.
Good grief! This man was going to create a feeding frenzy in Moose Falls. Sheer pandemonium would ensue at the mere sight of him. It was almost the setup for a joke—a hot football player walks into an Alaskan tavern. Not a single person can stop staring at him, including the tavern’s manager. Ba dum tss.
True cast a quick look in his direction. He’d almost made his way over to her. Every step he took was full of swagger. She began the countdown in her head as Xavier advanced, her body tensing with every step he took. Why am I such a nervous wreck? This is ridiculous.
“Hi there. Can I put in an order over here? The dining area is pretty packed.”
Dang! Even his voice was spectacular. Deep and velvety, like maybe he sang R & B ballads in his spare time.
Don’t look him directly in the eyes!
Don’t look him directly in the eyes!
DON’T LOOK HIM—
Before she could stop herself, True locked gazes with him. BAM! Eyes the color of cognac stared back at her. They were framed by the most striking black lashes. A nice smile showcased perfect white teeth. His pictures hadn’t done him justice. A sigh slipped past her lips. She’d just made a huge mistake by looking straight into his soulful brown eyes. True had immediately been swept away into this vortex of warmth and dreaminess and knock-your-socks-off charm.
“Of course. What can I get you?” True asked. Stay calm, she reminded herself. Xavier Stone was the last person on earth she wanted to fangirl over. From what she’d read about him, he already had an ego the size of the Chugach Mountains. That’s what happened when you were an NFL football player with thousands of fans and buckets of money.
“Great. I’ll do a salmon burger with coleslaw and rosemary fries,” he said. “And let me have two Yukon Ciders. Apple crisp and wild berry. Please.”
“Sure thing. The food will be ready in fifteen minutes or so.” She pointed at a spot in the distance. “There’s a spot that just freed up over by the pool table. We’ll bring your drinks right over.”
Instead of walking away to grab the open spot, Xavier couldn’t seem to look away from something behind her. “What’s with the contest?” he asked, jutting his chin in the direction of the sign hanging on the wall.
“We’re having a hot wings promotion. If you can eat a whole platter of wings in five minutes, you win a prize,” she explained.
“What’s the prize?” Xavier flashed her a wide grin that caused butterflies to flutter around in her stomach. The feeling took her by surprise. Not even her ex-boyfriend, Garrett, had made her feel this way.
“A Northern Exposure T-shirt. And bragging rights.” Judging by his expression, he wasn’t impressed. “Want to take a whirl?” she asked.
Xavier smirked. “No thanks.”
She gave him her best bless-your-heart smile. “I don’t blame you. It’s not for the faint of heart. Most people can’t hack the heat.”
Xavier chuckled and shook his head. “Trust and believe, I can eat hot wings with the best of ’em. Matter of fact,” he said, puffing out his chest, “I’ve won my fair share of contests.”
“You don’t say,” True drawled, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
“No, seriously. I’ve got a really high tolerance for heat.”
“These are pretty hot,” she cautioned. “I’ve known a few grown men who’ve been on their knees after eating these.”
“I can handle it,” he said. Xavier sounded cocky to True’s ears. Humph. He wasn’t even trying to listen to her words of wisdom. A true know-it-all.
“So you’re in?” she asked. When he nodded, she said, “It’ll be on the house, sort of a welcome to Moose Falls gift.” It was the least she could do, considering he was about to be in a world of hurt.
