Starting over is serious business
With her professional skiing career cut short by an accident, Hannah James is putting all her energy into transforming Snowy Sky Resort into something special. There’s only one obstacle. Famous pro-snowboarder-turned-consultant Tate Addison has his own ideas about taking the Rankins, Alaska, lodge to the next level. But Hannah won’t compromise her dreams. She gets that Tate is trying to create a stable home for his orphaned six-year-old nephew—a boy Hannah already adores. And if she isn’t careful, she could also fall for the boy’s too-attractive uncle. Is she risking heartbreak? Or do she and Tate really want the same things out of life?
“Hannah, maybe you should accept that I’m here to stay?”
She frowned. “I will accept that, Tate, around the same time I accept the bad recommendations you’ve made for Snowy Sky.”
“Hannah—”
Interrupting with her hands, palms up in a conciliatory gesture, she said, “Okay, shoot, I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to get into this again. I want to apologize for the snowball. I don’t lose my temper very often and I—”
“Good, because I don’t want to fight with you, either.”
Something hitched in her chest because his voice was low and smooth and his eyes were pinned on hers.
“Quite the opposite, in fact.”
Hannah’s face felt hot and her pulse began to pound because the opposite of fighting was...
I was fortunate to be born into a family of optimists. I’m talking about the kind of people who, if a car breaks down in the middle of nowhere on a dark night with no cell phone service, will say something like, “I only had to walk five miles.” Or “At least it wasn’t raining.”
Hannah James comes from this kind of family, too. She is just this type of person, dealing with every devastating blow life hands her with a steadfast and cheerful grace because, in keeping with her eternal optimism, she truly believes that things will improve. But even the most positive among us have our breaking point. For Hannah that point is rapidly approaching. The dream she’s worked so hard to achieve is in danger of being snatched from her grasp. And to complicate matters, she’s falling for the would-be dream-snatcher, Tate Addison.
Tate wants to make a home in Rankins, Alaska, for the nephew he’s gained custody of. To Tate, a home requires a family. But how can someone who’s never had a family make a home? Especially with such a broken and dysfunctional background as his? And even if he could, how could he ever expect to make a family like Hannah’s?
Thanks so much for spending some time with me in Rankins. Check out my website, carolrossauthor.com, for social media links, the latest book news and other titles in the Seasons of Alaska series.
All my best,
Carol
A Family Like Hannah’s
Carol Ross
CAROL ROSS lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs. She is a graduate of Washington State University. When not writing, or thinking about writing, she enjoys reading, running, hiking, skiing, traveling and making plans for the next adventure to subject her sometimes reluctant but always fun-loving family to.
For Aaramie, my niece, friend, fellow adventurer, food enthusiast, joke sharer, amusement parker and travel buddy. You are my “Hannah” inspiration.
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