Page 2 of My Mail Order Valentine

Chapter 1

2 years later

Elena

"What do you mean you're getting married? You aren't even dating. What's going on with you, Elena?"

My friend Jenny is on the warpath since I just told her I’m getting married and moving to a town called Hope Peak.

I'm making margaritas in my small kitchen and gently slide a glass over to her, where she's sitting behind the kitchen counter. She takes it and gulps it down in one go. Then, she slides the glass back so I can refill it. I eye her warily, but top it off.

"I've told you my dream, Jenny."

She shifts on the bar stool and stares at me over the rim of her glass. We've shared our hopes and dreams with each other since we were small kids. This is the first time I've taken action without telling her.

"Just tell me. Tell me every detail so I can understand."

She won’t like what I have to say. But she's my bestie, and I owe her an explanation.

"I consulted a mail-order bride agency. After many interviews and filling out a profile, they told me last week they had a match for me. He lives in Hope Peak."

"Why can't he come to you?"

"I can do my work anywhere. I want a family, Jenny. Time's running out."

"For god's sake, you're twenty-five. There's plenty of time for you to find someone to make a life with."

Jenny seems to have forgotten that I'm not the most social person and hardly ever go out. Where am I supposed to meetthis perfect man when I spend all my time reading romance novels?

"And The Perfect Bride Agency has found that someone for me. I leave on Friday."

Jenny takes a deep breath and exhales. I know she's trying to calm herself to avoid a screaming match. It doesn't matter. I know I’ll win. I’ve made up my mind. I want a family, and it's in Hope Peak.

The bus ride from the nearest airport to Hope Peak took two hours. When it finally pulls up to the bus station, I descend the stairs and wait for the bus driver to get my luggage. I look around and see a quaint little town covered in snow since it's late January.

I've got butterflies in my stomach and can't seem to get settled. I walk for a bit and see what looks like a cozy coffee shop with a bright sign readingPerfect Brews. I walk in, pulling my suitcase behind me. There's a table in the corner hidden away from view, and I go straight for it.

Before long, the woman managing the place approaches to take my order. I'm in the mood for hot chocolate, and I notice they have some fresh pastries available, so I order a few. While I wait, I pull up my match's profile picture on my phone and gawk at it like I've been doing ever since the agency informed me that I had matched with someone.

Hunter Granger looks incredibly handsome in the picture, with his reddish-brown hair and green eyes. He's smiling, and I feel a twinge of jealousy for whoever took this picture and what they said to make him smile like that.

I turn off the phone when the server comes to drop off my food. My stomach grumbles loudly, and I want to hide from embarrassment. Her smile is friendly, though.

"Hey, my name is Carly. I own this place. Are you new in town?"

"Hi Carly, I'm Elena. Yes, the bus just dropped me off a few minutes ago."

"Are you here for a visit?"

"Not exactly,” I say. “Ah, do you have a few minutes to tell me about Hope Peak?"

Carly's face lights up, and she immediately sits down across from me.

"This is a lovely little town. Everyone knows everyone, and while that can get annoying at times, the community is the best part of this place. We watch out for one another. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a medical transcriptionist, so I can work remotely from anywhere in the world."

"That's amazing. And you chose to work in this town?"

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