Page 16 of An Alaskan Wedding (Alaskan Grooms 1)

“Boone.” The sound of Jasper’s voice sounded as sweet as honey to his ears. “Here I am. Way over here.”

He moved quickly toward Jasper, who was leaning against a cave wall with his leg propped up on a rock. His grandfather grimaced as he pulled up his pant leg. There was no question he was injured, judging by the red and swollen appearance of his ankle.

“Are you okay, Jasper?” Boone asked, crouching down so he was at eye level with his grandfather.

“I’m fine, Boone,” Jasper answered. “My ankle just aches a bit and I’m a little chilled.”

“Where’s Grace?” Boone looked around the cave with his flashlight before turning back toward Jasper.

Jasper’s eyes widened. “Grace? Isn’t she with you? She went for help hours ago.”

Hours ago? Everything went still for a moment as the implications of Jasper’s statement sunk in. Grace, who had no knowledge of the Nottingham woods or the conditions out here, was all alone after leaving the caves to seek rescue. His throat went dry as he thought of all the various ways that this could end in disaster. Panic gripped him by the throat. Reminding himself to keep calm, he swallowed past the fear. Turning toward the search-and-rescue team, he said, “Grace Corbett is out here in the woods, presumably lost. She’s been out in the elements for hours, and she’s not familiar with this terrain or how rapidly the weather can change. We need to find her...as fast as we possibly can.”

* * *

It was getting darker by the minute. A big fat moon hung in the sky. Stars began to fill the nighttime sky. And it felt even colder than it had five minutes ago, if that was possible. Although she was thankful for her two layers of mittens, her furry hat and her comfy down jacket, Hazel’s fur-lined boots were the real blessing. She could still move her toes. But she was freezing. Her fingertips were beginning to ache, and she couldn’t feel her face anymore, with the exception of her nose. It felt as if it had been wind burned.

How she wished she had a piece of paper and a pen. If she was going to meet her demise out here in the Alaskan wilderness, it would be nice to be able to write a goodbye letter. Perhaps she could pen one last column for the Tribune. “Alaska: The Final Frontier.”

“Hello. Goodbye. From Alaska.” She began to giggle at the ridiculousness of it all. None of her acquaintances in New York City would believe that she’d perished in Alaska in a town called Love.

“Grace! Grace!” Frostbite was setting in, as well as delusions. The sound of Boone’s voice was now streaming into her consciousness. If she was going to perish out here she might has well have her last thoughts center around a scrumptious lawman. Too bad they’d never kissed. It would have been one memorable, earth-shattering kiss, she imagined.

She felt someone shaking her. Her eyes blinked open. Boone. He was next to her, his dark chocolate eyes full of concern. “Grace! Are you all right? I need to get you out of here and see that you get checked out by a doctor.”

“You’re here. You’re really here,” she said as she reached out and pinched his arm through his jacket. “I thought I was seeing a mirage.”

“You can thank Sophie later. She raised the alarm when you didn’t return to the cabins.”

Sophie had noticed she hadn’t made it home. The very thought of her new friend hunting down law enforcement on her behalf made her chest tighten with emotion.

“Jasper! I left him in the cave when I went to find help.” How could she have forgotten about poor, sweet Jasper?

“He’s been found by the rescue team. He was sheltered from most of the elements by sitting in the cave right where you left him. He’s beside himself with worry about you.” His eyes flickered with emotion. “We all were.”

“I never thought it would be so easy to get turned around,” she said sheepishly. “Then I figured it was best to stay put so I wouldn’t get even more lost.”

“Can you feel your fingers and toes?”

“A little bit.” She tried to wiggle them as a shooting pain speared through her fingers. “Ouch. That hurts. These boots saved my b-bacon.” She felt a warm sensation on her cheek. There was a dog with Boone. And he was licking her. She nuzzled her face against his neck, appreciating the love fest.

“Kona! That’s enough,” Boone ordered, his voice stern and authoritative.

“No, Boone. He’s fine.” She turned toward Kona and nuzzled his head. “Thanks for helping to find me, Kona.”

Boone pulled out a walkie-talkie and began to speak. “Hank. I found her. I’m going to take her to be evaluated for hypothermia. Tell the team thanks for all the help. And make sure you let Sophie Miller know Grace has been found. She’s staying up at the Black Bear Cabins.”

A crackly voice came across the line. “That’s good news, Boone. Jasper was taken to the clinic to see about his ankle. He’s in good shape. I’ll let him know about Grace.”

“Thanks for the update.” Boone signed off and placed the walkie-talkie back in his hip pocket.

“Let’s get you out of here.” Boone reached down and swung her up against his chest. Her face was so close to his she could see the copper colored flecks in his pupils.

Suddenly, she didn’t feel half as cold as she had a few moments ago. There was a warmth spreading through her chest like wildfire.

“Boone. Thanks for rescuing me,” she murmured. “I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do since my grandfather was the one who got you into this predicament.”

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