Page 32 of An Alaskan Wedding (Alaskan Grooms 1)

Northern lights. She let out a gasp as a myriad of colors undulated across the sky. Greens. White. A splash of red appeared. Violet streaks of light shimmered across the sky.

She tilted her head back and stared up at the heavens in wonder. “How is this happening?”

Boone’s explanation came swiftly. “It’s a storm of sorts. The effect comes from energy surging down the earth’s magnetic field. Our ancestors thought it was past and future events being displayed across the sky.”

She raised her hand toward the vibrating lights. It felt as if she might be able to reach out and grab hold of the bright, flashing waves.

“It’s magnificent,” she said. It was almost as if a painter had made a canvas of the sky and splashed paint all over the heavens.

“Beautiful,” Boone said with a sigh.

When she turned toward him, his eyes were focused solely on her. He wasn’t even gazing at the aurora borealis. He reached for her hand and clutched it tightly. Their arms were touching, and even though layers separated them, she felt an electric charge as they brushed against each other. Boone was looking at her with such wonder and appreciation it made her knees almost buckle underneath her.

He pulled her close, dipping his head down and capturing her lips in a wonderful, tender kiss that took her breath away. Despite the cold, his lips were warm and toasty. A groundswell of emotion surged up inside her. For someone whose heart had felt frozen for entirely too long, this kiss demonstrated that she was rapidly coming back to life. As his lips moved over hers she couldn’t help but wish it might go on forever. She leaned in closer and kissed him back with everything she had stored up inside her. Every hope. Every dream. Every wish made its way into the kiss.

As the kiss ended she felt Boone’s bare hands moving through her hair before sliding down to caress the side of her face and neck.

“Gracie,” Boone murmured. “I’ve been wanting to do that since the first time I saw you.”

She couldn’t stop herself from grinning, even though a little voice told her to keep it cool.

“The first time we met I kind of thought you were a wet blanket.”

Boone arched an eyebrow. “Seriously?” She nodded her head, stifling a chuckle. “But I saved you from slipping on the ice.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “And you criticized my shoes and failed to appreciate my song.”

Boone threw his head back and roared with laughter. “The ‘Sheriff of Love’ song? I thought you were making fun of me.”

Grace shook her hand at him. “You need to learn to appreciate quirkiness.”

She snuck a glance over at the ice, wondering if Boone would be game for another go-round. A tall, sturdy-looking man with a pint-size companion immediately drew her attention. The little munchkin was tugging the man toward the ice.

“Boone,” she cried out. “It’s Liam. And Aidan.”

Boone followed the direction of her gaze, his face lighting up when he spotted them. “Wow. I can’t believe they came! Let’s go say hello,” Boone said, his voice laced with enthusiasm as he grabbed her hand and they made their way over to the lake’s perimeter.

By the time they reached Liam and Aidan, a storm was brewing between father and son. Aidan had his arms folded across his small chest. His eyes flashed warning signs.

“Hey, buddy. What’s that pout all about?” Boone asked as he swung his nephew into his arms.

“I want to go skate, but Daddy says no,” Aidan said, his lip jutting out as tears pooled in his eyes.

Liam let out a ragged sigh. “Aidan, there’s nothing more I’d like to do than take you skating, but Daddy never learned how. You need to learn from someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“I want to use my new skates,” Aidan sobbed. He pointed to the dark brown pair of skates in his father’s hand.

Grace leaned over and grabbed hold of Aidan’s chubby hand. “How would you like it if I took you out there on the ice? I love to skate.”

Aidan stared at her with big brown eyes. His little brows were knitted together.

Boone whispered loudly in his ear, “And she’s a terrific skater, too. She’ll whip you around the ice like lightning.”

Aidan’s eyes widened even farther. “Whoa. Lightning,” he said. Turning toward Grace he said, “I wanna skate with you.”

Grace held out her hand. “I’m Grace. Nice to meet you, Aidan.”

“How do you know my name?” Aidan asked in a stunned voice.

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