Dream by the Fire — Noelle Fox

Spring in North Pole Alaska can be unpredictable, and even though Christmas is eight months away, some children are still writing letters to the Elves.

Timmy McElroy asks Santa for a favor. His favorite teacher, Ms. Lucy, needs to be cheered up because there's a mean man who makes her cry.

Elementary school teacher Lucy Harper heads out to North Pole, desperate to leave her old life and her control-freak ex-husband behind. But she doesn't plan on the combination of a blizzard and a bear sending her car into the ditch. Thankfully, Sheriff Deacon Stone rescues her, giving Lucy a chance to ride a snow machine, the first of many new experiences in the Alaskan Wilderness.

Dealing with North Pole's recent problem with pranksters was bad enough. Deacon doesn't need the added hassle of Lucy, no matter how attractive he finds her. Yet somehow they end up working together when someone lets Rudy's reindeer loose to wander around town.

A relationship is the last thing Deacon wants, yet the more time he spends with Lucy, the more intrigued he becomes. No matter what happens, she always maintains a positive attitude, making him realize how jaded he's become. Spending time with Lucy is so exhilarating that when her ex-husband manages to find her in North Pole, despite Timmy's efforts to keep Lucy's location a secret, Deacon is willing to put his life and his heart on the line to protect her.