Dr. Bethany Morrison is used to being the responsible one. The serious doctor everyone relies on. She isn’t used to needing a rescue--especially from a sexy, lighthearted firefighter like Nate Prudhoe. And yet ever since she moved to Lost Harbor, Alaska, he’s been there for her. Is it any wonder she turns to him in her most embarrassing moment—when she needs a fake boyfriend?

Nate’s more than aware that Bethany doesn’t take him seriously. And that’s fine; relationships, a family of his own…those things aren’t for him. Not when he knows how painful the loss of a loved one can be. But when he discovers a mysterious injured runaway hiding out in the firehouse, it’s his turn to ask the lovely doctor for help.

As winter closes in, the line between fake and forever keeps disappearing. How could Nate know that every moment spent with Bethany would chip away at the shield around his heart? How could Bethany guess that Nate’s brand of laid-back fun was exactly what she needed? It may take more than a snowstorm to make them see it’s okay to want it all…and to grab it before it disappears forever.

Excerpt

First dates were always awkward, but a hundred times more so when the man across the table had already seen her in nothing but a towel.

Oh yeah—and a plunger.

Bethany Morrison tried not to think about that mortifying moment, but Nate wasn’t making it easy. As he stood to greet her, the gleam in his gray eyes told her he remembered every second.

“Hi, Bethany. Nice to see you again.”

Again. An obvious reference to the locked-out-of-her-house-in-a-towel incident.

“Here we go,” she muttered under her breath. Commence the teasing. Mustering a smile, she gave Nate a dignified nod of her head. She was a doctor, after all. Doctors had dignity. “Hello, Nate. How are you?”

“Good, how—”

She cut him off. “I don’t have a lot of time before work, so how about we get our orders in?” She sat down in the chair that he’d pulled out for her. They’d met for dinner at Lost Harbor’s best seafood restaurant, the Nightly Catch. Heavy silver, scarlet linen tablecloths, servers dressed in black. But since this was Lost Harbor, a town of hardworking fishermen and women, fish-and-chips and mac-and-cheese were also on the menu.

Obligingly, Nate sat back down and signaled for the waitress. Bethany looked at the menu cover, which featured an etching of a fishing boat against the backdrop of Misty Bay. Beautiful.

She opened it and stared at the menu options, but couldn’t make herself focus on food. Everything was a jumble in her head—which was ridiculous because so what if Nate Prudhoe had seen her practically naked? As a doctor, she’d seen various body parts of thousands of people. It was no big deal.

“Do you have to get back to the hospital?” Nate asked, his tone nothing but polite. Which he’d been ever since she walked in, come to think of it. She was being rude, not him. Somehow that irritated her even more.

“Yes, I’m working an overnight shift tonight.”

“I know that drill. I recommend protein, no carbs. Carbs can make you sleepy, sneaky bastards. Before you know it, you’re nodding off and forgetting routine things.”

She looked at him sharply over the edge of the menu. Forgetting routine things…was that a reference to her locking herself out that night?

But he was studying the menu, a picture of innocence. With his laughing eyes and lean face, she had to admit he was good-looking. Not her type, obviously. She went for the overeducated brainy types, not the players.

“Call me crazy, but you don’t seem like you want to be here,” Nate murmured.

She started. Were her anti-date thoughts written across her face? “Sorry. It’s just…I’m not a fan of setups.”

“Mrs. Bellini is hard to say no to.”

After they’d placed their orders, Nate sat back in his chair, forcing her to notice his wide shoulders and lean physique. He wore a thick blue cable-knit sweater, which was about as dressy as men got here in Lost Harbor. She had yet to spot a single blazer or dress jacket around town.

“We could always drop the date part, and just have a conversation,” he suggested.

“What about? I’m sure we have nothing in common.” She slanted a glance toward her phone to check the time. One hour until she had to get to work. But one hour in “date time” could seem like five in normal time.

“Really? We’re both in the medical field. We could talk triage techniques and blood pressure readings.”

“I might need triage after that,” she murmured.

Nate laughed. He had one of those contagious laughs that made everyone around take note. “You have a sneaky sense of humor, don’t you? It kind of springs out from the bushes when you aren’t expecting it.”

And there it was. Another reference to the night they’d met, when she’d been hiding behind some alder bushes in her towel. “Would you please stop doing that?”

“Doing what?” He cocked his head at her. He had a thick thatch of brown-butter hair that never looked entirely smooth.

“And now you’re playing innocent. It’s very annoying.”

A bit later, Moira, the waitress, appeared with two steaming plates of scallops. Plump and lightly browned, they were the largest scallops Bethany had ever seen. The fragrance of lemon and garlic and butter made her stomach rumble. “Is Nate annoying you? He has a knack for that.”

Nate scowled at the waitress. “Turncoat. See if I babysit for you guys again.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” she added. “He’ll make you laugh too. Through the tears.”

Moira made a sassy little face at Nate as she positioned the plate in front of him.

“That’s just great, Moira. I should come here and get all my dates sabotaged. And this isn’t even a date. It’s just a conversation between two people with nothing in common.”

Bethany laughed. Then stopped herself the second she realized Moira was right. Nate did have her laughing.

“Welp, I’ll leave you two to your scallops. At least you have that in common.”

Moira smiled and left them to their meal.

Nate shook a cloth napkin across his lap. “Okay, before we plunge in, I should apologize.”

Plunge? Was that a plunger reference?

Bethany stabbed a fork into her scallop. “You just did it again. You can stop it with the innocent act.”

Nate actually looked confused for a moment, then he laughed. “Oops. That one slipped in there, I swear. Sometimes things just happen without you planning it.”

Was that another one? She pressed her lips together, refusing to fall for his baiting anymore. Besides, her mouth was full of the most delicious scallop she’d ever tasted, so she couldn’t stay mad. The butter-lime sauce was tart and sweet and made her practically moan with happiness.

She zoned out for one blissful stretch of time, finally coming back to herself when she realized that Nate was watching her with a slight smile and attentive eyes. “What?”

“You’re not frowning at me. I’m just soaking in the moment. It may never happen again.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m usually very cordial.” She dabbed the napkin to her lips. “People have to make a real effort to get on my bad side.”

“Really? For me it comes so easily.”

“What can I say, you’re a natural,” she said dryly.

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About the Author

Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea. Sign up for her newsletter for book news and fun exclusives.