An Alaskan Christmas. Belle Calhoune
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Alaska, awaits you.”
* * *
Once Maggie had settled Oliver into his seat on the seaplane, she sat down and buckled herself in. She couldn’t remember ever having traveled in such a small plane before. She might have felt a little apprehensive if Finn O’Rourke hadn’t been their pilot. Maggie knew instinctively they were in good hands. It was strange to feel that way since they hadn’t been in each other’s lives for quite some time, but Finn exuded an air of control and authority. And she knew he’d learned how to fly from the best—Killian O’Rourke.
As the plane took off, Maggie felt a burst of adrenaline race through her veins. They were really doing this! She and Oliver were on their way toward a brand-new life in the small hamlet of Love, Alaska. Maggie needed someone to pinch her. It was a surreal experience.
“Look, Mama. That mountain is ginormous!” Oliver’s chubby, chocolate-stained finger pointed at a spot outside the window. She reached into her purse for a tissue, then wiped his fingers clean.
Maggie Richards chuckled at the excited tone of her son’s voice as he pressed his face against the window of the seaplane. She leaned in and tousled his sandy head of hair, admiring his hazel eyes and infectious smile. No doubt she was biased, but Oliver was one adorable kid, even though he’d caused her a world of embarrassment with Finn at the airport. The look on Finn’s face when Oliver had told him about getting a new father had been priceless. Finn hadn’t known what to say and he’d looked at her with confusion etched on his too-handsome-for-his-own-good face.
Maggie hadn’t bothered to explain her son’s desire for a father in his life and her inability to convey to him that it wasn’t something she could order on demand. Somehow Oliver had gotten it into his head that Maggie was going to find him a new father. Nothing she said or did could convince him otherwise even though the last thing Maggie wanted or needed was a husband. Been there. Done that.
Her heart ached a little bit as she observed her son. He’d been through so much in his young life. If she had one wish, it would be to build a stable, peaceful life for him. Maggie was determined to create a strong foundation for Oliver in Alaska, and she would do it on her own as a single mother.
“Oliver, I’m not sure ginormous is an actual word in the dictionary.”
Oliver turned toward her with confusion radiating from his eyes. He appeared crestfallen. “It’s a word, Mommy. Honest.”
She pressed a kiss against his cheek. “I believe you, sweetie.” She reached for a napkin and wiped away the chocolate stains from the glass.
As she turned her head to peer out the window, Maggie let out a gasp as the majestic, snowcapped mountains came into view. Oliver was right. The mountains were ginormous. And magnificent. She couldn’t remember ever seeing such a lovely vista in her entire life, even though she had traveled the world extensively before settling down to marriage and motherhood. How could she have forgotten this spectacular sight? Granted it had been twenty years ago, but some places deserved a lasting place in one’s memory.
For most of the flight from the Anchorage airport, Maggie had been praying about this big move. Was she doing the right thing? By uprooting Oliver from their home in Boston she was taking him away from everything he’d ever known. On the other hand, she was determined to see her son grow up in a place where no one would judge him for his last name. Maggie had reverted back to her maiden name of Richards to avoid being blackballed. She had done the same for her son. He was now Oliver Richards. The town of Love wouldn’t know their family history. They would be judged on their own merits and not based on news reports or local gossip.
Maggie let out a sigh. The last year had been devastating. Gut-wrenching. Her husband, Sam’s death had left them reeling and trying to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Her beloved husband had been shot and killed while holding up a grocery store. In the aftermath, the bottom had truly fallen out of her world. Everything she’d thought about her life had been shattered in one devastating moment. To this day she still found it difficult to wrap her head around Sam’s criminal actions or the fact that she’d been blind to them for so long.
But with this relocation to the other side of the country, a whole new world would be awaiting them. Uncle Tobias had bequeathed her his home in Love, as well as his shop, Keepsakes, and a nice sum of money. It would allow them to have a fresh start. That’s what Maggie was calling it. She was relying on God to see them through the difficult weeks and months ahead. It wouldn’t be easy to re-create a whole new life, but she knew it was important for Oliver’s future and well-being.
Finn’s voice buzzed in her ear through the headset.
“We’re reaching our final descent. If you look out the window, you’ll see beautiful Kachemak Bay stretched out as far as the eye can see. You might remember it from back in the day, Maggie. It’s an Alaskan treasure.”
Finn’s voice was just as attractive as the man himself. It had been quite a shock for Maggie when she came face-to-face with her childhood buddy at the Anchorage airport. He was all grown-up now. With his dark brown hair and emerald-colored eyes, he was a serious looker. No wonder the town of Love had been luring women from all fifty states to their lovelorn town. If all the men looked like Finn O’Rourke, it was no small wonder Operation Love was such a successful campaign. Not that she wanted anything to do with it. Her dating days were over.
“It’s awe inspiring,” Maggie said into her mouthpiece. She turned and relayed the message to Oliver since he didn’t have a headset on. “Pilot O’Rourke just reminded me of the name of the water down below. It’s called Kachemak Bay.”
Oliver wrinkled his nose. “Kacha what?” he asked. Maggie giggled at her son’s attempts to pronounce the difficult word. Honestly, she could gaze at him all day long given the choice. This little boy was the joy of her life. She couldn’t imagine how impossible it would have been to get through the past year without Oliver. Sam’s death, and the circumstances surrounding it, had brought her to her knees. Her only saving grace had been Oliver. Sweet, funny Oliver.
“Kachemak Bay.” She said the words slowly so Oliver could understand how to pronounce it. She listened as he repeated it several times in an attempt to get it right. “That’s it,” she said after the fourth try. “You said it perfectly.”
“Yes! I did it.” Oliver raised his fist in the air, his gesture full of triumph. A tight feeling spread across her chest. He seemed excited about their new journey. Thank You, Lord. I’ve been so worried about him.
Losing his father at five years old had been a catastrophic event for Oliver. She knew her son had a lot of emotions he’d bottled up inside him. And even though a year had passed, it wasn’t a very long time for a child to grieve the loss of a parent. Oliver still struggled sometimes. He still asked for Sam. There were tears. And sadness. And tantrums. It broke Maggie’s heart each and every time. Sam hadn’t been a perfect father, but he had loved his son. And Oliver had been crazy about him.
Starting anew in Love, Alaska, might just be the very thing they both needed to get back on track and build a firm foundation for their future. They had been blessed by Uncle Tobias’s generosity. The uncle she hadn’t seen in twenty years had passed away four months ago. She had been remembered very generously in his will. Maggie felt a burst of joy at the realization that she was the owner of an establishment in a quaint Alaskan town. Between the shop and the house—it was so much more than she had ever dreamed of owning. Deep down inside, she didn’t feel worthy of it all. But she would do her best to live up to Uncle Tobias’s faith in her.
As the seaplane began to descend lower and lower toward the ground, Maggie gazed out the window and placed her arm around her son’s shoulder. A shiver of excitement trickled through her. They were mere minutes away from landing in their new hometown. So much was riding on this brand-new adventure, particularly Oliver’s happiness. Maggie hoped she’d made the right decision in bringing her child all the way to Love, Alaska.
* * *
Finn stood by the seaplane as Maggie and Oliver disembarked. He had grabbed their luggage and placed