Page 24 of An Alaskan Wedding (Alaskan Grooms 1)

“Keep your eye on the prize, Grace.”

By the time the call had ended, she felt a sense of urgency about her assignment. Tony had sounded fairly grim over the phone. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes politics involved with running a newspaper. She could only imagine what pressures he was facing, but now it was trickling down to her. Fear nestled its way inside her. She couldn’t lose her job! It was the one constant in her life. When her world had turned upside down two years ago, she’d buried herself up to her elbows in her work. It had been a lifeline. It served as proof that she wasn’t a total failure.

Later this afternoon Hazel was hosting a “welcome to Love” tea for all the new women in town. The social event would give her an opportunity to find out more about the participants in Operation Love. There were so many burning questions she needed to ask. What had motivated them to come all the way to Alaska to find love? Were they serious about marrying one of the men? Did they imagine themselves settling down here?

Now that she’d met and befriended Gunther, Lionel and Abel, she felt invested in the outcome of their romances. There was no way in the world she was going to sit by idly and watch anyone take advantage of their sweet natures and their eagerness to find love. She’d been on the receiving end of heartbreak, and she knew firsthand how it devastated a person’s life. Especially when it came out of the blue. She didn’t want the same thing to happen to them. If these ladies didn’t pass muster, she was prepared to do anything in her power to dismantle the relationships.

Before Grace knew it, several hours had flown by, and she and Sophie were making their way to the lodge to help Hazel prepare for the tea party. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked around at all the beautiful, decorative accents scattered around the room. The overall effect was lovely.

“Thanks for helping out, girls. What I know about tea parties would fit on a postage stamp,” Hazel said with a grateful smile.

“I think this is just about the prettiest table set for high tea that I’ve ever seen,” Sophie declared.

“I’ve had this china for thirty years. It was supposed to be part of my trousseau, but I never did get married.” Hazel’s voice held a note of wistfulness that was hard to ignore. “That ship sailed.”

“You never know, Hazel,” Grace said. “Love doesn’t have an expiration date.”

Stop the presses! Those words hadn’t really just come flying out of her mouth, had they? She was beginning to sound like a sappy greeting card.

“Grace is right, Hazel. Love may be right around the corner,” Sophie said in a chipper tone.

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Hazel said as she tilted her head and looked upward. Both Sophie and Grace laughed at the expectant expression on Hazel’s face. Grace had a sneaking suspicion that Hazel’s feelings for Jasper were not platonic, but she would never ask her outright. She prayed Hazel would find a love to sustain her through the good times and the bad.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Grace said as she reached for the floral bouquet. She placed the vase containing baby’s breath and forget-me-nots, the official state flower of Alaska, in the middle of the table. She stood back and looked at the table with a critical eye. Everything looked perfect.

Ten ladies in all would be coming today. Six of them had found matches in town already. She’d already peppered Hazel with questions about which of the ladies was actively in a relationship, so she had a good idea of which women she should pump for information during the tea. Helping out Hazel was so much fun, she’d almost forgotten that it wouldn’t be a purely social event. For her, it would be a means to an end.

The women began arriving two and three at a time. There was such a range in ages, heights, sizes and skin colors. Seeing such a diverse group made Grace smile. It reminded her of being back home and walking around New York City where she saw a melting pot of people on a daily basis.

Grace looked down at her outfit. She’d dressed up for the tea party in a cute black-and-cream dress with three-quarter length sleeves. Once she’d reached the lodge, her boots had been replaced by a pretty pair of red heels. Most of the women were dressed in slacks and sweaters. Almost all of them had arrived wearing Hazel’s boots, which they’d since taken off and replaced with flats. If Hazel ever decided to get serious about selling her boots, the women in this room could be a great marketing tool.

Her ears immediately perked up when a woma

n stuck out her hand and introduced herself as Wanda. Gunther’s girlfriend was a tall, big-boned woman with dirty-blond hair and an easy smile. One by one the women came into the lodge. Anabel. Lucy. Claire. After a while, Grace couldn’t remember all their names anymore. But it was nice to be in the midst of so many women. So far, she hadn’t seen all that many in town or at the Moose Café. There really was a serious woman shortage here in Love.

There was a buzz of activity in the room that reminded Grace of a hive of bees. Everyone seemed happy to be at the lodge, mingling and enjoying cucumber sandwiches, pastries, blueberry tarts and an assortment of teas. The atmosphere was upbeat and friendly. All the ladies seemed completely at ease.

Hazel, wearing a floral skirt that hung well past her knees, clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Thanks for coming, ladies. Everyone take a seat.” Hazel motioned toward the elegantly laid table in the dining room. Once everyone had taken their place at the table, she continued. “The main reason for us gathering here today is to officially welcome you to Love and to be able to meet in fellowship as women who are living the Alaskan lifestyle. It’s important when you live in a community like Love to establish the bonds of friendship and solidarity. It can be an isolating experience due to the weather and the lack of sunlight. That’s one of the reasons we’re having the ice-skating social on Saturday.” She let out a hearty chuckle. “I know from firsthand experience how intimidating it can be to acclimate to Alaska. The driving conditions. The frigid temperatures. Trying to make sense out of reindeer sausage.” A collective laugh rose up among the group. Grace noticed a few women making faces at the mention of reindeer as a food source.

“I asked Pastor Jack to stop by to offer his support and prayers. If you haven’t met him yet, he’s the good-looking guy in the room. The only guy I might add,” Hazel said with a laugh.

Grace had never seen a pastor like the one who’d arrived a few moments ago. He was young—way younger than the pastor at her family’s church. Early thirties, she would guess. He was a handsome man with cocoa-brown skin and a smile that wouldn’t quit. He was wearing fashionable jeans and a chunky wool sweater. Everyone welcomed him with enthusiasm and huge grins.

He looked around the table, a beautiful smile etched on his face. “Let’s hold hands everyone. It’s a simple way of connecting with one another. We’re all pieces of the same puzzle, after all.” Everyone reached out and held hands around the table as Pastor Jack began to recite his blessing. “Dear Lord, we ask that You bless this wonderful group of women on their journey. They’ve come here as an act of faith and in order to live in love, the way You intended. Lord, please safeguard and protect them during the rough moments that may crop up on the road ahead. Hold each of them in the palm of Your hand and point her toward everlasting love.”

A hush fell over the table as Pastor Jack’s words seeped into the atmosphere. In all her life, Grace had never listened to a prayer as poignant as the one she’d just heard. It humbled her to be included in such a rich and moving prayer. When was the last time anyone had prayed for her? Again, she felt a sliver of discomfort at the knowledge that she wasn’t in the same category as these other women. She didn’t deserve to be included in Pastor Jack’s prayers.

Later, as the social wound down, Grace found herself reluctant to say goodbye to all her new friends. She made a point to invite them to stop in to the Moose Café for a complimentary cappuccino, per Cameron’s instructions. Although she knew he regarded it as a business promotion, she’d be thrilled to reconnect with these women and see them on a regular basis.

“Grace.” She turned around to find Wanda looking at her with a contented smile. “I just wanted to say thank you. I know you helped Gunther put all those beautiful words down on paper.”

She shook her head. “Those were his sentiments. I just helped him shape them a little bit. He deserves all the credit.”

“Well, he sure speaks highly of you. He said you were incredibly generous with your time.”

She felt her cheeks flushing with all the praise Wanda was heaping on her. “It was my pleasure,” Grace said. “He’s a wonderful guy.”

“He is,” Wanda gushed. “I feel so blessed to have met him right off the bat. When I first arrived here in Love, I wondered whether or not I’d made a mistake in coming here. Everyone in my family told me I was all kinds of crazy to pack up and leave Oregon for Alaska. But I really feel that God pointed me in this direction after I read Mayor Prescott’s article.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “This may sound strange, but I felt as if Jasper was talking directly to me.”

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