“Oh, it’s nothing dear. I saw what a nice job the kids did with the park’s gardens, and I thought: why can’t my yard look this nice, too? So I asked Sam if they were for hire, and he arranged the whole thing.”
“Hi, Miss Gold,” called one of the kids from Sam’s church, while hauling a section of white trellis from the back of Sam’s car.
“Hi, Hei!” said Judy, one of her own youngsters, as she carried a pot of pink tulips toward the backyard. “Don’t you just love tulips?” she added before disappearing around back.
“Yes, don’t you just love all these beautiful new flowers?” Judith asked.
Heidi shrugged since answering all these inane questions didn’t seem to be getting her anywhere.
Now Sam had a question for Judith. “I heard you made some falafels. Would you mind serving me up a plate?”
And Judith slung her arm around him and guided him toward the dining room. “Of course, of course!”
Heidi trailed behind them, more confused than ever. “Umm, Sam, what about our plans?”
“Consider this a starter,” he answered with a cadence that was oddly reminiscent of her mother’s—so much so that it sent a chill right through her.
“Here’s your plate, Sam.” Louise stood waiting near the table with a fresh plate as if she’d known all along that Sam would be joining them. “You should finish your plate, too, Heidi. You don’t want me to think you don’t like my recipe, do you?”
“Or my cooking?” Judith added. “If you take too long they’ll get cold. Finish up already.” Then, as she watched Heidi reluctantly take another bite said, “Ahh, there’s my good girl.”
Heidi was more than ready for this whole charade to be over, so she finished her food in three quick bites. And when she did so, she noticed that the swirls on the plate’s surface spelled something out. She pushed the remaining mound of yogurt over to the side to uncover the letters, which spelled her name. Heidi.
“Ma, these plates are definitely new. Since when do you have a plate that says my name on it?”
“Oh, we all have them.” Judith chuckled. “Look.” She held up her plate to show Heidi, but it didn’t say Judith or even Mom. Instead it said Will.
“Mine does, too,” Louise said, displaying a plate that read You.
Brady held his up next. Marry.
She looked around for Sam who had snuck away from the table without her realizing it. And there he was at her side bending down on one knee to reveal a fifth plate that read Me?
Heidi, will you marry me?
He set the plate down and then extracted a gorgeous diamond ring from his shirt pocket.
Sam took her hand and gave it a kiss. “Heidi Gold, I love you with all my heart and soul. Will you do me the honor of giving me your hand in marriage?” His eyes sparkled brighter than the diamond he held out before him as he awaited her response.
Heidi didn’t even need to think about what she should say. “Yes” was the only answer she could ever give to this person she loved so dearly. She nodded vigorously and then opened her arms to embrace the man who was now her fiancé.
“I love you today, tomorrow, forever,” he said as he slipped the ring onto her finger.
Sam stood, pulling Heidi to her feet as well, and they kissed amidst a dining room full of cheers—not just from Judith, Louise, and Brady, but also the kids who were now pouring into the dining room to join them in the celebration.
Heidi felt tears of joy fall to her cheeks, but she didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed. Only happy that she and Sam would be together forever and that the people closest to her had been able to share in this precious moment.
Judith pulled her into a tight hug. “Finally, Heidi! I’m so happy! And I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law than Sam.” She reached over to pinch his cheek affectionately. “But might I ask for one last favor?”
“What is it, Ma?”
“I’ve spent so much time trying to find you the perfect match and then you ended up finding him all on your own, it’s truly unbelievable. But now that you’re finally spoken for once and for all, well, I’ll have a lot more free time on my hands. Let me hold the wedding here? I’ll handle everything, and you will love it, I promise!”
“Oh, Ma, of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way.” And she meant that, because at the end of the day, all she wanted was to be Sam’s wife.
“I’m so happy,” Judith gushed. “I already have it all planned out. Can I show you what I’m thinking?”
Heidi laughed as her mother tugged her toward the backyard, presumably to show her where she would set up the altar, the band, and any other wedding arrangements for the big day when it came.
The moment Judith burst through the door, the beautiful melody of a flute began to play a classical piece that felt vaguely familiar. Stepping outside with her mother, Heidi quickly saw that they were not alone.
The backyard was filled to the brim with people who had come to… No.
This couldn’t be happening, could it? She spun around, and there stood Sam holding up that same plate that said Me? He flipped it over to reveal another word written on the bottom, Now?
“Heidi, I just can’t wait for our forever to begin. Will you marry me today, right here in your mother’s backyard before our dearest friends and family?”
“We’ve made all the arrangements,” Judith shouted with joy. “We just need you to say yes one more time.”
Chapter 12
Sam watched as his bride-to-be walked across the freshly cut grass, past the myriad guests who had arrived for their surprise wedding, and toward their shared future together. The pale pink dress Louise and Judith had chosen for her made the soft blush on her cheek appear all the more vibrant, and matched her perfectly to the freshly planted tulips that lined the altar.
Forever had come, a future full of gifts as they enjoyed each day for what it offered. Until now, Sam had never known such happiness could exist outside of Heaven—but now he had not a single doubt left. He was Heidi’s, and Heidi was his. God had given them to each other.
Forever.
Pastor Dan, his closest and oldest friend, stood beside him, ready to officiate their interfaith ceremony.
Judith Gold had tears in her eyes as she gave her daughter away, offering both Heidi and then Sam big kisses on each of their cheeks.
This was it. Forever.
And this was Sam’s miracle. For in that moment he realized miracles aren’t the big things that throw you off your feet, but rather they’re the little, everyday wonders that when added up, bring you to your knees.
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Must Love Movie Star
Dan & Josephine
Author’s Note
This book is for my family.
Dan is based on my brother, and Josephine Hannah is based on his real-life wife, Hannah. Dan is really a firefighter-paramedic—though in Michigan, not Anchorage. They are a great couple and truly in love even though he likes to drive too fast and take risks while she’s more of a play-it-safe kind of girl. Hannah doesn’t act, but she does make beautiful paintings and works from home as an artist and a mother. I know for a fact that she would not appreciate having mosquitos follow her everywhere, either!
By the way, my dad is a firefighter as well, and a few of my uncles, and my dad’s dad. It’s why I never planned to write a firefighter hero. How can firefighters be swoon-worthy hunks when they’re all related to me?
Thank goodness I write sweet romance!
That fire where our hero gets injured? It really happened. Or at least a version of it did. Not to my brother, but my father. When he and my mom were newlyweds, he fell through several floors and was seriously injured. He’s okay now. Many years have passed, and he’s an old man with a wicked cough now who frequently injures his ankle.
The Rockwell family is, in fact, based on my own. I’m one of five—two brothers, two sisters
—and my dad is one of eight! This means we have an impossibly large family that actually needs to rent out church halls for our gatherings.
There are so many of us that it’s a true test of wits to figure out how each is related to the next. It’s more like, “Here’s so and so. We’re family. I’m not sure how, but we are!”
My husband and his family hail from Anchorage, and they comprise the other half of my inspiration for Dan and Jo’s story. As always, my dear, sweet better half helped me with the true Alaskan details. That tour Dan gave Josephine is based on a tour he once gave me during my first visit to the Last Frontier. Some of the little stories Dan tells Jo are my husband’s personal stories as well.
So as you can see this story felt very real to me, because it included inspiration from many people and places I care dearly about.
I hope you, too, enjoyed getting lost in Dan and Jo’s story, and I can’t wait to show you what comes next!
Chapter 1
Josephine Hannah gathered her hair into a ponytail and tucked it into a plain black ski hat. After adding a thick scarf she’d picked up at Target and a pair of sport sunglasses, she was ready to hit the town.
Of course, the hat made her itch and the scarf felt way too warm around her neck, but that was the necessary price of fame. What had life even been like before she had to don a ridiculous disguise just to run out for a cup of coffee?
Josephine could scarcely remember.
Even worse than the costume was the jarring nickname the press had chosen for her—Jo-Han. It felt too cutesy, like she’d forever be relegated to romantic comedies and never even get the chance to be considered for a critical, dramatic role.
Romantic comedies were fine as far as movies went. She loved watching them, but the acting took some serious chops, which no one quite realized or appreciated. Especially since her most recent relationship had just gone up in flames for all the world to see.
She’d fallen hard and fast for the leading man in her last production, and while she was more of an up-and-coming Hollywood sensation, he was practically celebrity royalty. He never hid from the paparazzi. In fact, he took every opportunity to get both of them noticed.
The press pursued Josephine extra hard because of her good girl image. It seemed as though nothing would give them greater pleasure than seeing her mess up and her reputation take a nosedive. And her ex John loved all the added attention.
“They need to see you constantly. Otherwise they’ll forget who you are, Jo-Han,” he’d explained with a hammy grin as they walked down the streets of L.A. hand in hand with a trail of mosquitos bobbing after them.
Yes, mosquitos with constantly flashing cameras and invasive, probing questions.
Paparazzi seemed too sophisticated a word for the crowd of gossip rag reporters who accosted her every chance they got. That’s why Jo had opted to take it out of the Italian and go with the English “mosquitos.” A more perfect metaphor had never been made, least of all by her.
Jo herself was perfect at reciting the words that had been written for her. She could add the exact blend of emotional intensity and strong diction that made casting directors fall all over themselves to land her. But in real life—if there even was still such a thing for Jo—she was terribly, terribly shy.
And it made all the attention that much harder.
Her current project had brought her out of Los Angeles, away from New York, and straight to the wilds of Anchorage. Maybe “wilds” wasn’t the right way to describe Alaska’s biggest city, but compared to her usual haunts, this sweet, snowy town felt like the boonies.
And she loved it already.
“One caramel macchiato please,” she told the barista at Starbucks, happily relieved when she wasn’t recognized by her now-famous voice. No one recognized her as she waited for her order to come up at the end counter, either.
Could this place actually be heaven?
She took her drink outside and walked through the streets downtown, stopping occasionally to window shop. As she glanced into the storefront of a little clothing boutique, the worker inside smile and waved.
Oh, no. I’ve been found out!
Josephine put her head down and rushed for the crosswalk so she could make her escape. She’d only parked a couple of blocks away. If she ran fast, she could make it before the swarm descended.
Before she could even reach the stoplight, however, her heel snagged on the sidewalk and she fell face forward to the ground. Worse than the pain that shot through her ankle was knowing that this little mishap would be all over the nightly news. How embarrassing!
The shopkeeper from the boutique raced her way. “Are you okay?” she cried. “That spill looked super painful.”
“I’m fine,” she sobbed, searching the ground for her sunglasses, which had skittered off during her fall. “But please leave me alone. I just want to enjoy a normal day about town.”
The woman’s brows knitted in confusion. “If that’s what you want, but can I help you back on your feet first?” She glanced down at Josephine curiously, then offered a hand.
“Don’t you want to take my picture?” Jo asked, astonished it hadn’t happened already.
“I want to help you. That’s all.”
Josephine reluctantly took the shopkeeper’s hand. Maybe she didn’t watch many movies, or read magazines, or…
Pain ripped through her and she fell back to the ground, almost bringing the other woman down with her.
“Oh, gosh!” the shopkeeper cried. “It might be broken. I’m calling an ambulance!”
“Please hurry,” Josephine urged. This woman might not recognize her, but it didn’t mean that others wouldn’t. The longer she sat crumpled on the ground, the more she had a chance to get discovered—and mocked.
Maybe she didn’t like Anchorage so much after all.
Dan Rockwell flipped on the siren and directed his ambulance toward the intersection at Minnesota and Northern Lights. Normally this time of year he stayed busy with hunting accidents and your run-of-the-mill medical emergencies. It was kind of unusual to get the first slip and fall of the season weeks before first snow, but hey, any run beat waiting around at the station for something—anything—to happen.
As a firefighter-paramedic, Dan lived for the thrill and loved knowing he was not just making a difference in people’s lives, but literally saving them every time he signed in for a shift. And, oh, the stories he had to tell from his adventures!
He’d treated gun wounds, rescued cats from trees, and even helped to calm a blaze set at a dog-fighting ring hidden in plain sight within a Mountain View strip mall. Dan never knew what he was going to get each day, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Pulling up on W. 29th Street now, he had to do a double take. His slip and fall wasn’t some little old lady, but rather a gorgeous woman he guessed to be somewhere in her twenties. Even with the thick hat, scarf, and sunglasses hiding her features, he could still make out high cheekbones, a pert nose, full lips, and the graceful body of a ballet dancer.
Which made it all the more strange that she’d somehow managed to slip on pure concrete and now couldn’t get up without the aid of an ambulance.
“Thank goodness you’re here!” a middle-aged blonde woman shouted as Dan hopped down from his vehicle. “She’s been hysterical, and for some reason she’s quite afraid. I don’t know if someone is maybe chasing her or what, but she keeps looking over her shoulder like she expects something awful to happen.”
Dan stole another glance at the woman on the pavement. She didn’t look like a victim of domestic violence, but then again, looks could be deceiving. Whatever the reason behind her injuries, he’d be sure to treat her to the best of his ability and offer her a safe place if she needed it.
“You did the right thing by calling us,” he said. “We’ve got it from here.”
The caller nodded and backed away to watch from the shelter of an awning.
“Let’s go see what we’ve got.” He motione
d for his partner, Ted, to follow him, and together the two tall uniformed men marched toward the slight woman crouched on the pavement and clutching at her ankle.
“Good afternoon, Miss,” Dan said, always minding his manners. “We’re here to help.”
“I didn’t want a scene,” she sobbed. Standing close to her now, Dan saw that a stubborn tear had fallen from beneath her glasses and onto her cheek. “Can we do this somewhere else?”
“Let’s get her into the back of the ambulance,” Ted said with a nod to Dan.
Dan reached down to offer his hands and help her up, and she accepted with only a brief moment’s hesitation. As she rose to her feet, her sunglasses clattered to the ground revealing sharp green eyes, the likes of which Dan had only seen one other time.
“I’ve got the glasses,” Ted said. “You get her inside.”
She kept her head angled down, refusing to make eye contact with Dan or anyone else who was watching the scene unfold before them.
“So, how long have you been in Anchorage, Josephine?” he whispered, keeping his face neutral so as not to notify others of the star among them.
Her head jerked up to reveal a face chock full of emotions—everything from embarrassment to fear and maybe even a little gratitude, too.
So this is why the much acclaimed Josephine Hannah was such a great actress—because she truly felt the full gamut of emotions and apparently knew how to call them on cue. He watched as she settled her features into a neutral mask once again, but it was too late.
He’d seen her vulnerability, the real person that lay hidden beneath designer labels, paid endorsements, and scripted performances. He saw Josephine Hannah, and she was far more beautiful than he ever could have imagined.
Chapter 2
As soon as the ambulance doors shut behind her, Josephine ripped off her suffocating disguise and turned toward the paramedic. She arranged her features into an ingratiating expression. “You took an oath to serve and protect, right?”
The Alaska Sunrise Romances: A 9-Book Sweet Romance Collection Page 57