Read Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska for Free Online

plain sight.” Then she clapped her hands. “So, what has that nephew of mine told you about me?”
    “Only that you’ve run Rudolph’s single-handedly for the past five years.”
    “Accent on single-handedly .” And narrowing eyes the same shade of brown as Bryce’s, Olive jerked her head in his direction. “Even when he’s here, he isn’t. Doesn’t like being cooped up inside, doesn’t like handling what he calls ‘dainty little knickknacks,’ doesn’t like—” Olive stopped talking long enough to aim a phonily stern expression in Bryce’s direction. “Why are you still here?” she teased.
    One broad shoulder lifted in a slight shrug. “Guess I thought I could mind the register while you show Sam here what’s what.”
    “I think we can handle both.” She gave Bryce a gentle shove toward the door. “This place ain’t big enough for the three of us, so why don’t you see about cleaning up that nasty garage.” To Sam, she said, “He’s been threatening to turn it into a woodworking shop for years.” Eyes on her nephew again, she added, “You’re gonna need something to put food in your belly once this place sells.”
    Once it sells? Sam thought, gasping audibly as Olive gave Bryce another nudge that put him on the sidewalk. “Come back at noon,” she said as he grinned and backpedaled toward the curb, “and maybe we’ll let you buy us lunch at The Coffee Cart.” After flipping the C LOSED sign to O PEN , she faced Sam. “I take it he didn’t tell you the job is short-term.”
    It was all Sam could do to squeak a quiet “no” past her lips. The hotel was out of the question—unless they had an opening for a maid—and now this news? She’d promised to call home tonight. What would she tell her family? “Just how short-term?”
    Olive waved the question away. “Don’t you worry your pretty head about it, Sammie-girl. Bryce thinks he’s gonna sell this place, but no way that’s gonna happen. He can’t sell it, not only because it’s the only tie he has to his mom and dad, but because the real estate market just plain stinks right now. And we won’t even begin to list the mountain of bills my brother and his addle-brained wife saddled the poor boy with.” She winked. “You’ll see. In no time, he’ll come to his senses and stop pretending he wants to put a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window.”
    If Sam could believe that, maybe the lump in her throat would dissolve. “How can you be so sure?”
    “Honey, that boy’s the closest thing to a son this ol’ gal will ever have. My brother and sister-in-law were nothing but a couple of silly hippies, I don’t mind telling you. Always on the lookout for the next get-rich-quick scheme. No wonder they died poor as church mice.” Olive cocked her head and grinned. “Church mice, indeed,” she echoed. “One of these days, I’m going to look up that phrase and find out what it really means.” Dusting chubby hands together, Olive said, “Follow me, sweetie.” And with that, she led the way into the back room again.
    Oh, Lord, Sam prayed, please don’t let this be a temporary assignment . Or else her brothers would never let her live it down!
    “Samantha Sinclair, I want you to stop looking so worried,” Olive said, shaking a finger under Sam’s nose. “You’re as safe as a baby in her mama’s arms.”
    Sam shot Olive a half grin. “Baby, eh? Maybe that’s why I feel like crying.”
    “Bryce doesn’t know it yet, but you’re the one who’s going to teach him that he loves North Pole and that he doesn’t hate Christmas, either.”
    “What! Hate Christmas? How can anyone hate Christmas? It’s my all-time favorite holiday!”
    “Newsflash,” Olive said. “He doesn’t like chocolate, either.”
    “Good grief. Are you sure he’s human ?”
    Laughing, Olive explained how everything was falling into place just in time for her trip.
    “By the way, I haven’t told that jarhead nephew of mine the real reason I’m