Strangers in Paradise (A Paradise, Alaska Romance, Band 3) - Softcover

Dunlop, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593333004 ISBN 13: 9780593333006

Verlag: Berkley, 2022

Inhaltsangabe

A woman bush pilot in Alaska finds love where she least expects it in this new novel from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Dunlop.

Hailey Barosse always knew what her wealthy family expected of her: marry an affluent Georgia man, run a charitable organization, and provide her parents with two or three grandchildren. But Hailey rebelled. Instead, she moved far away from that suffocating life, and for six years she’s built her independence by flying bush planes in the tiny town of Paradise, Alaska. Then a suave, handsome businessman arrives, shaking up her world and reminding her of her controlling family. Parker Hall wants to invest in her boss’s airline, but Hailey doesn’t trust him at all. He might be confident and charming, but she knows all about self-centered cutthroat industrialists—and Parker is one of them.

Parker Hall prides himself on being a self-made entrepreneur. He earned his fortune by working day and night, expanding his gold mine and investing in new businesses that support his growing dream. His next opportunity is in Paradise, but his plans are quickly derailed by a fierce, beautiful pilot who both fights and fascinates him. The closer he gets to the feisty Hailey, the more she pushes him away. But Parker’s not giving up, not on Paradise and not on Hailey.  He’s come a long way in life by being laser-focused on his passions, and this time is no different…

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Barbara Dunlop is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty romance and romantic comedy novels. Brought up in a lively metropolis, she moved to the far north with her bush pilot husband, raising two children on the edge of a wilderness city. Barbara draws inspiration from the vibrant enthusiasm of her urban friends and from the independent spirit of her northern neighbors. Published in multiple languages across a worldwide market, her work has received numerous awards, and a number of her stories have been optioned for film and television.

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Chapter One

 

 

It was a glass-half-full kind of day for Hailey Barrosse. Sure, it had been a slow summer season in the tiny town of Paradise, Alaska. In fact, it had been an excruciatingly slow year, particularly for the bush pilots who flew for West Slope Aviation. They were paid by the mile. So, no miles, no money.

 

Not that Hailey had a lot of day-to-day expenses. She lived in WSA staff housing: a small rustic room, just a bedroom, a bathroom and a tiny sitting area. But it stayed warm in the winter and had a great view of the mountains during the long summer days. The company provided three tasty meals plus snacks in the staff cafeteria, so if her bank balance suffered a little in the short term, she could live with that.

 

Today, however, was a bright spot for the entire town. It was the first day of principal photography for the superhero action movie Aurora Unleashed. The production had brought new jobs to town. Local residents had been hired in catering, carpentry, hair and makeup, as well as in logistics. That wasn't even counting the business spin-offs for everyone from Galina Expediting and West Slope Aviation to the Bear and Bar CafŽ and Rapid Release Whitewater Rafting.

 

Today, practically everyone had assembled at Mia Westberg and Silas Burke's house on the banks of the Paradise River to check out the action. It was a picturesque location: a wildflower meadow with soaring mountains and snow-capped peaks in the distance with the newly built two-story villa at the center of it all. The spectators clustered behind the surveyor's tape boundary that ran to the river's edge. But as the official pilot to the location scouting team, Hailey was allowed on set with the rest of the crew.

 

"Grab a snack," Willow Hale told her, stepping up to the heavily laden craft services table.

 

"Is eating all anybody does here?" But Hailey joined Willow to check out the assortment of fruit and nuts, cookies and treats. In addition, enticing smells wafted from the catering tent, even though they were halfway between breakfast and lunch.

 

"We have to keep up our energy level," Willow said, selecting a peanut butter granola bar and peeling away the wrapper.

 

Hailey was tempted by a bag of white chocolate-covered cashews. The delicacy was new to her, but how could you go wrong with cashews, white chocolate and crunchy toffee?

 

You couldn't, that was the answer. She picked up a package.

 

"Besides," Willow continued between bites, "they're tossing me off the sundeck into the river this morning."

 

Hailey stopped tearing open the crimped foil. "They're what?"

 

"That's the first scene. I mean, not the first scene in the movie, but the first one they're filming. Probably want to get it done before the weather cools. I have to say, I'm all for that." Willow took another bite.

 

"Do you know what you're doing?" It was a twenty-foot drop from the sundeck into the water. And the water was freezing. Well, nearly freezing, just barely liquid. The river was fed year-round by glaciers high up in the mountain peaks.

 

Sure, Willow was athletic. But she wasn't a professional stuntwoman. She was a Californian who loved adventure sports and had been drafted by the production based mostly on her enthusiasm for Paradise and the project.

 

"Not exactly," she said.

 

"Well, did you rehearse it?"

 

"Are you kidding?" Willow's voice rose. "Do it twice?"

 

"Good point." Hailey had to agree. "Plus, the first time might kill you."

 

"Well, hopefully not dead, dead," Willow said matter-of-factly. "There'll be a safety diver in the water."

 

"It's three minutes to hypothermia in that river." Hailey didn't see how a safety diver would help in such a tight race against time.

 

Willow pulled the high collar of her shirt down to show a patch of white fabric. "Dry suit. I'm brave, not suicidal."

 

Hailey felt a little better about that precaution. She tore open the bag of cashews. "What about the current? If the diver misses, you'll be swept all the way to Weaver Lake."

 

"Riley and Nicholas are downstream in rafts. If it all goes bad, they'll catch me."

 

"Oh." Hailey popped a nut in her mouth.

 

"See that?" Willow grinned and squeezed Hailey's arm. "You're not getting rid of me today."

 

"These are delicious," Hailey noted, taking an appreciative look at the shiny blue bag. "Where have you been all my life?"

 

"So, that's it?" Willow asked on a pout, gesturing to herself up and down. "No more worrying about me?"

 

"You said it yourself, Riley will save you." Riley had had a soft spot for Willow since her first trip to Paradise nearly two years ago. Hailey held out the bag. "Have you tried these things?"

 

Willow took a couple of nuts, biting one in half and checking the inside. "Yum."

 

"Right?" Hailey ate another.

 

Willow focused on a spot past Hailey's left shoulder, her gaze holding there. "Oh, hello. Who is that?"

 

Hailey turned to look then convulsively swallowed. Who was that? Had they replaced Cash Monahan, the actor playing Archvillain Dax Vanquich?

 

"Is he the new Dax?" She was embarrassed by her fangirl reaction. She wasn't a fangirl of anyone. But this guy was . . . it was hard to find the right words: rugged, sexy, buff? The camera had to love those deep mysterious eyes.

 

"They didn't replace Dax," Willow said. "They'd have replaced his stunt double too. And look"-she pointed to where the crew was getting the shot set up on the sundeck-"Buzz is still here."

 

Hailey didn't want to look at the stuntman. She wanted to keep watching the man striding their way with such power and composure, like he owned the place.

 

"He looks like money," Willow said.

 

Hailey agreed with that. "An executive producer?"

 

"Mia's the executive producer."

 

"Maybe she needed another backer. Does he look like he's from LA?"

 

The film's financial backer, Mia Westberg, was a former fashion model who had moved up from LA nearly two years ago to marry local pilot Silas Burke. Not that this guy's demeanor said fashion industry, not by a long shot. Although, he was wearing a dark, custom-fitted suit with a crisp white shirt and a blue silk tie, so he was definitely dressed the part.

 

"I wouldn't say LA," Willow answered. "No tan, and that body doesn't look like it was sculpted in a gym."

 

"It looks good," Hailey said, trying to keep her voice even but wanting to sigh like a teenage girl.

 

The stranger caught her gaze. He stopped walking and his eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to place her but couldn't.

 

It was then that Hailey noticed the woman beside him. She was dressed as suavely as he was in a black-and-white-checkerboard blouse, a short, tailored steel-gray jacket and a matching slim skirt. Her dangling earrings looked terrific below her short dark hair. But she'd made a bad choice in shoes. The heels were too narrow for walking over the meadow.

 

"She looks more like New York," Willow said.

 

"What are they even doing here?" Hailey wondered.

 

"On set?"

 

"In Paradise."

 

The woman said something to the man. He tilted his head to listen but kept his quizzical gaze on Hailey.

 

"He's staring at you," Willow...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Berkley
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593333004
• ISBN 13: 9780593333006
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 320
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland