A Wild River Match

by Jennifer Snow

  Praise for USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Snow

  “Jennifer Snow is one clever writer.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Set in the wilds of Alaska, the beauty of winter and the cold shine through in this romance.”

  —Fresh Fiction on An Alaskan Christmas

  “An Alaskan Christmas, the first book in the Wild River series, drew me in from the first page to the last. I tried to read slower so that I could savor the story and feel every emotion. I reveled in every nuance, felt the cold, the wind and snow, and loved the small town and the mountains… I can’t wait to return to Wild River.”

  —Romance Junkies

  “Never too late to join the growing ranks of Jennifer Snow fans.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “An exciting contemporary series debut with a wildly unique Alaskan setting.”

  —Kirkus Reviews on An Alaskan Christmas

  “Ms. Snow brings the drama, heat, and heart along with a great cast of characters.”

  —Harlequin Junkie on Pushing the Limits

  Also by Jennifer Snow

  Wild River

  An Alaskan Christmas

  Under an Alaskan Sky

  An Alaskan Wedding (A Wild River Novella)

  A Sweet Alaskan Fall

  A Wild River Retreat (A Wild River Novella)

  Don’t miss Stars Over Alaska,

  the next book in Jennifer Snow’s Wild River series!

  Coming from HQN Books April 2021.

  A Wild River Match

  Jennifer Snow

  To my Uncle Bill, who taught me how to bait a hook. Still love the fishing. Still hate the wiggly worms.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER ONE

  THIS HAD TO be a joke.

  When Mike Toledo had asked for a chance to prove he could lead his own Alaskan wilderness tours, the Valentine’s Day Blind Date Ice Fishing excursion was not what he’d had in mind.

  Normally, spending the weekend ice fishing was his idea of a great time. Fish and get paid to do it? Sign him up.

  But Valentine’s Day was really not his thing. He didn’t get the whole chocolate, flowers and jewelry thing. Candlelight dinners and rose petals weren’t in his wheelhouse. Not that he even had a wheelhouse...

  Maybe that was why he was still single at thirty-two.

  He stared at the adventure brochure, pretending to review all the details, but his mind reeled. What legit-sounding excuse could he use to get out of this one?

  The whole idea was ridiculous, but crazy enough, it was one of SnowTrek Tours’ most popular events. Outdoor enthusiasts signed up to be matched with other like-minded singles to fish and flirt out on a frozen lake for two days, in an attempt to find that elusive love connection. Cassie’s rationale made sense. Similar interests were a basis for a strong relationship, but Mike wasn’t exactly feeling the love that year, finding himself once again alone.

  His last semi-girlfriend, Jade Frazier, had been hot as hell but the least compatible match for him and his lifestyle. It was almost hard to believe they’d made it six weeks. His initial attraction to her had been solely based on her blond hair, gorgeous green eyes, amazing body... She’d definitely turned his head the night they’d met at The Drunk Tank, the local watering hole in Wild River.

  But when she’d tried to make him wear a suit jacket and tie for a dinner party with some of her friends, it was obvious that they weren’t the right fit. He wasn’t looking for someone to change him. He was who he was. A six-foot-three burly guy raised mountain tough by another big burly dude along with his three big burly brothers.

  Plaid was their family crest.

  To say he lacked finesse would be an understatement. His mother had left when he and his older brothers were young, and growing up in a house full of men who enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and roughhousing hadn’t taught him how to have a softer side. But when had it become necessary for men to be both strong and vulnerable?

  Clearly he’d missed the memo.

  “So, what do you think?” Cassie asked him from across her desk. His boss was an amazing, fiery ball of energy in a five-foot-nothing frame. She’d built her company from the ground up and had successfully survived a big adventure chain store opening on Main Street because of her smart business sense and grit. He had respect for what she’d accomplished and the reputation she’d built in Alaska as one of the best adventure tour companies in the North. If he wanted to prove to Cassie that he was a team player and could handle any tour she gave him, he needed to accept this challenge.

  He’d been working at SnowTrek Tours for two years, he had all the proper certification and even wilderness survival skills based on his volunteer position with the Wild River Search and Rescue, so he was more than qualified to handle group tours on his own.

  He could keep this group alive out in the Alaskan wild. Helping them fall in love...that would be the hard part.

  “Yes,” he said, nodding with more enthusiasm than he felt. “This is...great. I won’t let you down.” He stood and left the office determined to survive the toughest challenge his boss could have thrown at him.

  * * *

  MADDIE FRAZIER OPENED her duffel bag on her bed and scanned her packing list for a weekend of ice fishing and finding her perfect match out on the lake.

  “You’re insane,” her sister said as she entered the bedroom. Jade picked up a thin, silky-looking nightie from Maddie’s drawer and tossed it into the bag.

  Maddie shot her a look and stuffed it back into the drawer, opting for her fleece pajamas instead. Sexy could wait until summer. February in Alaska meant practical clothing unless she was out to catch more than just fish and feelings that Valentine’s Day weekend.

  “Seriously, you’re actually hoping to find love out on a frozen lake in a tiny stinky fishing cabin?” Jade wrinkled her nose as though she could already smell the bait.

  “Why not? I love fishing, so if the guy isn’t ‘the one,’ I’ll have a few rainbow trout as a consolation prize.” She shrugged, hoping to make light of how optimistic she was about this matchmaking process. But SnowTrek Tours had an amazing success rate with this annual event. Three couples who’d met on previous years’ excursions had already gotten married. One couple had a baby on the way.

  At twenty-nine, Maddie wasn’t quite ready for that, but she was overdue for a relationship that lasted more than a few weeks. Her last long-term relationship had been in high school and it had ended horribly with her boyfriend dumping her for her best friend. Former best friend. That had been the toughest part—losing the guy she loved and her closest friend at the same time. But her heart was finally over that and she was ready to trust again.

  Optimistic with zero hang-ups—that was the goal.

  “How are we related?” Jade asked, shaking her head.

  Maddie had asked herself that same question a lot over the years. They were only two years apart, but more different than any sisters could be.

  Jade was studying to be a fashion designer through an online degree program. She had impeccable taste and never left the house without her hair and makeup done. Which was one of the reasons she hated camping and hiking and anything outside, really. Too messy, too dirty... Rain and wind were not a friend to Jade’s two-hour beauty routine.

  Maddie was definitely more like their father. Maybe it was becau
se he had two girls and not the son he’d wanted that he’d taken her fishing and camping and hiking... Either way, she loved the outdoors. As an educator at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, she spent most of her time in the wild, protecting nature from humans and vice versa. Hiking, mountain climbing, biking, off-roading were all ways she loved to spend her days off and growing up in a ski resort town gave her ample opportunity.

  Unfortunately acting like “one of the guys” meant that the guys she’d grown up with had trouble seeing her in any other way.

  “Are you going to be okay here alone all weekend?” Maddie asked. They’d been roommates since their parents died and she hated the idea of leaving her sister alone on Valentine’s Day after her recent breakup. She’d been dating Mike Toledo for almost two months but had complained about the guy almost as long. Maddie hadn’t said anything but she hadn’t really seen the connection between the big quiet guy and her outgoing, extroverted sister the few times she’d seen them together. It had surprised her that her sister was dating an adventure tour guide who was over six feet tall and beefy. Jade preferred shorter, fitter, more...polished men. Still, Jade had seemed really distraught when things hadn’t worked out, claiming Mike was an insensitive brute that she’d wasted her time on.

  And while February 14 was just another day to Maddie, Valentine’s Day was one of Jade’s favorite holidays. Usually she had a boyfriend more than willing to make it special for her, so her first year single in forever would be a tough one.

  Maddie had signed up for the weekend away before Thanksgiving...before Jade’s breakup.

  Still, if her sister wanted her to stay...

  But Jade shook her head quickly. “Yes, I’m totally fine. Go. Have...fun.”

  Maddie wasn’t convinced and her protective instincts over her baby sister outweighed her desire for a romantic weekend. “You know what, I’ll stay home and we can have a Galentine’s Day instead.” Decision made, she started unpacking.

  Jade stopped her. “No way—you’re going. I’m one hundred percent over the breakup. Believe me, he was not worth the tears. I just wish I’d found someone else in the last few months, but I can buy my own chocolate and flowers this year.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely,” Jade said reassuringly, then she paused. “But if you see Mike, feel free to slap him with a fish for me.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  OF ALL THE TOUR GUIDES at SnowTrek Tours, Mike Toledo was assigned to her excursion. Fantastic. That wouldn’t make things awkward at all.

  Maddie took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She wouldn’t let this bother her. She wasn’t there to spend time with Mike. She would just ignore him. Once they were paired up, she’d be too preoccupied getting to know her match to even notice him. She scanned the group as everyone arrived and loaded their gear into the back of two vans that would be taking them out to the lake.

  They hadn’t been assigned their matches yet, but there were a few great-looking guys so far...

  “Hi, everyone!” the owner of SnowTrek Tours, Cassie Reynolds, addressed them. “Thank you all for signing up for our fifth annual Blind Date Ice Fishing event. My expert tour guide Mike Toledo will be hosting you all this weekend. He’s very qualified and capable of ensuring everyone’s safety and comfort...”

  Yeah, except when it comes to matters of the heart.

  So far, Maddie wasn’t entirely impressed with SnowTrek’s choice to allow this guy to be in charge of whether they found love that weekend.

  But she refused to worry about him. Her Mr. Right could be standing right next to her right at that moment.

  “Most of you are here already, but a few are running late, so Mike will load one van and then I’ll drive the others up to the lake once they arrive,” Cassie said. “Have fun!”

  Everyone was all smiles and chatter as they loaded into the van and headed out to the lake. But sitting behind the driver’s seat moments later, Maddie couldn’t help her gaze from shifting to Mike’s reflection in the rearview mirror as he drove.

  Please don’t let this inconvenient coincidence ruin my weekend.

  * * *

  MADDIE FRAZIER.

  Wonderful. He was stuck hosting Jade’s sister for the weekend. He assumed Jade had told her all about him. Or her version of him anyway.

  Didn’t matter. He wasn’t the one needing to impress her. That job fell on her match. And what an impossible feat that poor guy had if Maddie was anything like her sister.

  “Okay, everyone, gather around.” Mike called the group in to the edge of the frozen, glistening lake.

  His gaze fell on Maddie, and her piercing look revealed she wasn’t thrilled by this turn of events either. Well, hopefully they could both be adult enough to get through the weekend.

  “So, this is how the event will work,” he said. “You’ve all been expertly matched by our selection process and questionnaire. But, you will also get a chance to meet everyone at tonight’s firepit dinner, where we’ll have a speed dating opportunity. If you’re not feeling your connection or want to explore something else, the option will be there.”

  The group nodded and he saw a few of the guests sizing each other up.

  The heat sizzling off these people already could potentially melt the ice and they hadn’t even gotten started yet.

  Mike scanned the matchmaker sheet Cassie had given him and then forced all the enthusiasm he could muster as he glanced up at the hopefuls waiting to be shot by Cupid’s arrow.

  Unfortunately, there was an uneven number. Shit, someone was missing. He scanned the name tags on everyone’s jacket and then reviewed the list.

  Darrel Lovejoy wasn’t there. Maddie’s match.

  “Um... I just have to make a quick call,” he said. Cassie had dropped off the last of the group a few moments ago but she hadn’t said anything about the missing guy. He walked farther away and dialed her cell.

  “Hey, Mike, everything okay?” she asked.

  “Darrel Lovejoy isn’t here... Maddie Frazier’s match.”

  “Shit. I knew I forgot to tell you something. He canceled last minute...”

  “So, do you want to come back for Maddie?” He hated that he had to call Cassie with a problem only two hours in, but he could hardly be blamed for this.

  “Not really,” she said. “I have another tour scheduled... Unless, of course, she wants to leave.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t told her yet,” he said, dreading the conversation. No doubt she’d cause a scene and demand her money back.

  “Well, there’s still a possibility that she’ll connect with someone at the speed dating thing, so maybe try to convince her to stay and in the meantime, just make sure she has fun?”

  Damn it. He clenched his teeth. “Yeah. Of course.”

  Disconnecting the call, he returned to the group. “Okay...as I pair you all up, meet your partner at your sled, load your gear inside the wooden box and you can head over to your shared hut. Get settled, get to know one another and I’ll be around to make sure everyone’s comfortable and has everything they need.”

  The group nodded, eager to get started.

  Mike called all the names and everyone looked pleased as they headed off toward their huts. Except for Maddie, who was left standing there alone. He approached with caution. “Unfortunately, it looks like your match couldn’t make it.”

  Disappointment clouded her face momentarily before she hid it. “Oh, well, should I leave?”

  He shook his head. “There’s still the speed dating round tonight. Cassie suggested you stay and see if you find a connection there... But it’s up to you.”

  She nodded and shrugged. “I guess a solo cabin retreat doesn’t sound all that terrible.”

  It would in a minute.

  He cleared his throat. “Actually, our release form requires two people in a hut
for participants’ safety...so I guess you’re stuck with me.” He’d been looking forward to a hut all of his own for two days with forecasted perfect winter fishing conditions but that had been shot to hell.

  “Like a fill-in match?”

  Her horrified expression at the prospect would be reason enough to say no, if that was the situation. “No. I’ll just be filling the vacancy from a safety perspective.”

  “Oh really? I’m safer with you?” she huffed.

  Just let it go...

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Maddie shrugged but it was anything but a casual gesture. She obviously had a lot to say. “Just that you’re not exactly the most...attentive.”

  “According to your sister?” Jade’s idea of attention bordered more on doting. He couldn’t even check his cell phone while out with her or she thought he was being rude or ignoring her. Constant talking was the only way to convince her he’d been engaged in their conversations and her frequent texting and calls when they weren’t together had been borderline stalking... It had been exhausting.

  “Are you telling me she’s wrong?” Maddie asked.

  Mike sighed and fought the urge to set her straight. “It doesn’t matter.” He picked up the handle of the wood sled box containing their gear and headed toward their fishing hut.

  What mattered was making sure everyone survived, most had a good time and he proved to Cassie that he could handle anything the great outdoors threw at him.

  Even Maddie Frazier.

  * * *

  THIS WAS JUST GREAT.

  Not only did she miss out on an opportunity to connect with a like-minded outdoor enthusiast, but now she was trapped in a six-by-ten hut with her sister’s ex for forty-eight hours.

  Only her own stubbornness prevented her from leaving.

  That and the fact that she really wanted to ice fish. Who knew when she’d get another opportunity to use her favorite fishing pole in such comfortable surroundings.