Read Online Alaska Heart by Christine DePetrillo - Free Book Online

fireplace, he whistled a light, upbeat tune. He struck a match, and the kindling he had layered beneath the logs flared. Taking a step back, the man admired his work. When a book dropped from my arms, he whirled around with wide eyes.
    “Hi there,” he said with the same cheeriness Gwen had.
    “Hi.” I bent awkwardly to pick up the book.
    “Let me get that.” The man ambled over to me and swiped the book off the ground. He set it on a table next to a deep, leather upholstered chair facing the fireplace.
    “Thanks. Hope you weren’t disturbed lighting that fire.”
    “Naw,” the man said. “Davey.” He extended his hand to me, and I dumped the rest of the books on the table.
    “Alanna.”
    “If I know my wife, she said I was sleeping in the medieval section, which I wasn’t.” He rocked back on the heels of his boots.
    “I didn’t believe it for a moment.” I walked toward the warmth of the fire. By this time, a large blaze snapped and popped almost musically.
    “I only sleep in the medieval section on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
    Laughter erupted from me. Davey joined in and causally poked at the fire. “Dare I ask where you sleep on the other days?”
    “Wednesdays and Fridays are in the woodworking section. Saturdays are in the Children’s Room where they have the good cartoon books. Sundays, I nap at home, because the library’s closed and Mondays, today, I snooze amongst accounting textbooks.”
    “Accounting textbooks? That’ll surely put you to sleep.”
    “Nearly killed me.” Davey rolled his brown eyes. “Is this fire okay?”
    “Perfect.”
    “Good luck with your research. I’ll come by in a little while to check on the fire.”
    Davey saluted me and slipped out of the room. I sank into the leather chair and dug out my laptop. As it powered up, I flipped through the first book in my pile. The photos drew me in right away. Moose, looking majestic with a picturesque mountain background, stared from the page. The gentle breeze swaying the tall grasses surrounding the moose nearly ruffled my own hair.
    “Here’s your tea, dear.” I jumped at the sound of Gwen’s voice behind me. “I’m sorry, Alanna. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
    “I guess this picture hypnotized me or something.”
    “Oh, Denali will do that to ya. It’s got a magic all its own. It’s where Mother Nature herself calls home. That’s what I think anyway.” Gwen set down a mug. A husky stared at me from one side of the mug, the words “Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race” emblazoned across the other side.
    Raising an eyebrow at Gwen, I said, “You a fan?”
    Gwen’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “Never miss it. I’ve seen every Iditarod race since I was five years old.”
    “What do you know of this year’s winner?” Slippery, I know, to ask this poor woman for information on Dale, but he could still be a serial killer. I slid my hand into my jeans’ pocket and fingered the multi-tool Meg had made me promise to carry at all times while in Alaska.
    “Dale Junior deserved every bit of his win this year. That boy knows how to work hard, and you should see how he takes care of those dogs of his. He’ll make some woman happy if he takes care of her like he does those dogs. Trouble is, he never dates.”
    “Never?” Interesting. I’d think someone as smooth as he was in the tavern last night would have dates all the time.
    “Nope. He pretty much keeps to himself, training the dogs and such. He’s so focused. If he didn’t work at his father’s place between training, we’d probably never see him in town. Dale sometimes stops in here on the way to the bar to pick up books.” She leaned closer as if telling me a secret. “I always let him keep the books longer than the other patrons. He likes to take his time reading.”
    “I see.”
    Gwen was doing wonders sketching in the gray areas for me.
    “So, he’s the quiet type.”
    “The quiet, gorgeous type.” Gwen giggled.
    “I’d have to