Mistletoe and Mr. Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2) - Sarah Morgenthaler Page 0,8

looked between Easton and Ashtyn, both of whom would—and had—braved storms and flooding and everything else the brutal Alaskan weather could throw at them.

“You poor innocent woman,” Graham said. “We’re terrified of it.”

“Maybe I can catch it.” The words had left Lana’s mouth before she realized what she was saying.

“You’re going to locate an unhinged and possibly nonexistent moose?” Zoey looked at Lana as if she had lost her mind.

She hadn’t meant to volunteer, but so many people were looking at her that she felt compelled to say, “If it’s a threat to the town? Well, I suppose I should at least try.”

Graham’s eyes flickered over Zoey’s head to meet Lana’s. “L, the last thing anyone wants is for you to get hurt.”

“Has this moose hurt anyone yet? Besides Christmas decorations?”

“Well…no.” He flashed her a grin. “All right, if you want to take on the trouble of tracking an untrackable moose, be my guest. And we’ll do you one better: if you personally save us from the Santa Moose, the town of Moose Springs will consider your trespasses forgiven.”

“Promise?”

“I’ll even pinkie swear.”

Graham was a big guy to pinkie swear, but he did so with the seriousness she expected from a man who had never taken a thing seriously in his life.

“Let me know if you need some backup.” He gave their tangled pinkies an extra squeeze. “For real, this moose is dangerous.”

“Don’t worry. I’m all the backup she needs.” Zoey waited until Lana was free of Graham’s pinkie, then bumped her fist.

And okay, Lana knew nothing about catching wildlife. If she failed, she would only reinforce the assumption she didn’t belong in Moose Springs. Her position could weaken, and maybe negotiations with the town council would become more difficult. If Easton couldn’t track this moose, no one would ever believe she could do it. Still, Lana knew her limitations, but she also knew her strengths. This wasn’t the first challenge she’d taken upon herself. If anyone could think outside the box, it was her. And if she didn’t fail…

She wanted a home. Moose Springs was worth the risk.

Jonah—having waited with the patience of a man with a newborn at home—continued his tired drone.

“Well, it seems Ms. Montgomery will be apprehending the Santa Moose. Are there any more announcements anyone wants to make?”

Nope. Just that she was officially in over her head. Completely, utterly screwed. Stuffing the rest of a hard, moisture-stealing cookie in her mouth, Lana swallowed, determined to ignore the eyes still watching her with thinly veiled curiosity.

She was going to make it through her first Christmas in Moose Springs, even if it killed her.

Chapter 2

Sometimes it was hard for Rick to watch his beloved town—his friends and family—be complete asses.

The poor woman had announced a Christmas party, not the bulldozing of their homes. And as someone who’d personally tried to catch the Santa Moose, Rick knew Lana had set herself up to fall spectacularly. The only difference was that too many in this room would love to see her fail. Someone should warn her the moose was dangerous—someone closer to her than Rick. Zoey might not know better, but Graham shouldn’t keep giving her pinkie swears and promises that catching the Santa Moose would change anyone’s mind.

Lana wasn’t going to win over the town. Not when she owned most of it.

“Last chance, is there anyone else who has an announcement?” Jonah asked, trying to draw everyone’s attention back to him. It wasn’t working.

Rick glanced at Lana, and for a brief moment, she let her breezy smile fall, her shoulders slumping as she nibbled on a bit of cookie. He hated being the center of attention, and everyone already knew he held a pool tournament every year right before Christmas. But too many people were staring at her, and not in the good way. Without realizing what he was doing, Rick shoved to his feet.

Standing there self-consciously, Rick said, “I’m doing the holiday pool tournament thing again this year. Same day as Lana’s thing, later that night. So…yeah.”

So far, the tournaments he held at the pool hall were still lucrative enough to keep running them. They were a pain in the ass, but they got people in the door. And lately, his door hadn’t been swinging open nearly as often as he needed it to.

“There’s a bigger prize this year,” he added. “A thousand dollars to the winner.”

Ash flashed the room a smirk. “What Rick means is I’m going to be a grand richer. If you’re smart, you’ll stay