Beth Carpenter - An Alaskan Proposal

Can he teach her survival skills—

without endangering his heart?

When Sabrina Bell taps Leith Jordan for a crash course in conquering the great Alaskan outdoors, he figures he’s on safe ground. They’re polar opposites and his spectacular home state’s just a pit stop for the hotshot fashionista. So no one’s more surprised than Leith when he starts falling for her. Now he’s a man with a plan: get Sabrina to fall in love with Alaska...and, hopefully, with him.

BETH CARPENTERis thankful for good books, a good dog, a good man and a dream job creating happily-ever-afters. She and her husband now split their time between Alaska and Arizona, where she occasionally encounters a moose in the yard or a scorpion in the basement. She prefers the moose.

Also by Beth Carpenter

Harlequin Heartwarming

The Alaskan Catch

A Gift for Santa

Alaskan Hideaway

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

An Alaskan Proposal

Beth Carpenter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09470-2

AN ALASKAN PROPOSAL

© 2018 Lisa Deckert

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“While you’re here, in Alaska, you can count on me as a friend.”

“A friend?”

“Yeah, a friend, Sabrina. You know. People you like, who you enjoy spending time with. Who will pick you up when you have to leave your car at the shop or take care of your dog while you’re out of town or tell you when you’re about to marry the wrong person.” Leith probably shouldn’t have said that last part, but Sabrina just smiled.

“And you want to be my friend.”

“Yes, I do.”

“All right, then. Friends it is.” She smiled up at him, her dark eyes shining, and he was suddenly overcome with a more than friend-like urge. He touched her face, stroking his finger over the wondrously smooth skin of her cheek. Her eyes grew wider.

He bent to kiss her, stopping just an inch away. Suddenly, he wondered if maybe he’d assumed too much. But then she reached up to slide her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Dear Reader,

How far would you go to feel secure? When Sabrina was a girl, her father’s business failed. Rather than stay to deal with it, he left Sabrina and her mother to start a new life with another woman. Overnight Sabrina lost her father, her home and her way of life, and her mother was in no shape to help her adapt. Sabrina learned that the only person she could trust to take care of her was herself. For Sabrina, everything was different.

It’s never easy to start over. I’ve always been an avid reader, but it wasn’t until much later in my life that I started writing. I had much to learn and it took time and effort, but eventually I was published. This is my fourth book for Harlequin, but I still feel a little giddy when I tell someone I’m an author.

So if you’re ever frustrated because it seems like you’re starting from scratch, remember that’s how dreams come true.

I hope you’ll stop by to say hello at bethcarpenterbooks.blogspot.com, where you can find my links to Facebook, Twitterand email. While you’re there, you can subscribe to the newsletter to keep up with all the book news, plus recipes and fun giveaways.

May your fondest dreams come true.

Beth Carpenter

To Drew and Kelsey, with love.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

HARD TO BELIEVE people did this for fun. Sabrina climbed over a sodden log and hurried around a boulder to catch up with the rest of the group. A sudden gust whipped the hood of her borrowed plastic poncho across her face, momentarily blinding her. In that instant, she stepped on a wet root and slipped, falling to her knee. A flash of pain shot up her leg.

“Are you okay?” Clara, Sabrina’s temporary supervisor, offered a hand up.

“I’m fine.” Sabrina managed to puff the words out between gasps for air. She accepted Clara’s hand and got to her feet. “Thanks.” She rubbed her knee. There would be a bruise tomorrow, but it wasn’t bad.

“It’s not far now,” Clara said. “And I think we’re winning.”

“Great.” Sabrina forced a smile, but she needn’t have bothered. Clara had already turned and hurried up the trail, which left Sabrina to bring up the rear.

What was she doing here, climbing a mountain, in Alaska, in the rain? Sabrina didn’t hike. She didn’t wear ugly boots and plastic ponchos. At least the old Sabrina didn’t. The new Sabrina—the one she’d pretty much created out of thin air—loved spending time outdoors. At least that was the story she’d sold Orson Outfitters’ management during her job interview, and that was the story she intended to live up to. Today’s team-builder outing was her first test.