One Winter Weekend

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

H annah Reid loved Christmas.

She loved the cheery feeling in the atmosphere, the twinkling, festive lights and most of all, the sense that at this magical time of the year, anything was possible.

She couldn't add frost or snow to the list though; a born and bred Californian, Hannah wasn’t familiar with more traditional wintery Christmas weather.

Yet.

Andy Williams’ warm vocals filled the buds in her ears as she reclined in her seat and peered out the window of the aircraft to an ocean of darkness and lights below.

It would be her first holiday season away from home. Her first ever white Christmas.

It was indeed the most wonderful time of the year …

Hannah hummed the cheery festive tune and glanced down at the cover of the magazine on her lap, a broad smile spreading across her face.

It still felt like a dream.

Discover Wild, one of the biggest wildlife magazines in the country, was sending her - Hannah - on assignment.

She ran her hand over the cover shot of a tigress and her cub as they nuzzled together.

It was an amazing photo, one she would have killed to have taken herself.

“Soon,” she mused. Soon it could be my stuff on the cover. All I have to do is get one perfect shot and I’m on my way to a permanent gig with Discover Wild.

She hugged the magazine to her chest and closed her eyes, relaxing back against the soft leather seat.

It felt like just a moment, but when Hannah woke it was to the sound of the pilot announcing their descent into Anchorage.

She sat up immediately and looked out the window.

Everything was white!

She’d never seen anything so beautiful. The mountains surrounding the airport were blanketed in thick snow, and a light dusting covered everything else.

She could see the men on the tarmac clearing away the snow, as half a dozen planes in every size - large Boeings to small Cessnas - lay waiting, along with a row of buses to the side.

She wondered which one of those would be taking her to the holiday village she’d chosen as her accommodation while here.

‘Nestled deep in the Alaskan wilderness, Christmas World is a true holiday fairytale if ever there was one.

Set amidst lush forest on the South banks of the Yukon River, escape to a magical land where Santa comes to visit every year, and you can find a helpful elf around every corner. Immerse yourself in our idyllic winter paradise and enjoy a Christmas you will never forget …’

Hannah couldn't wait to experience the true, out-and-out winter wonderland the online description promised.

Now, the flight was on the ground, but no one was moving. There was a backup of some sort, and passengers were asked to stay on the plane while it was resolved.

Hannah wasn’t too bothered; they’d arrived half an hour early in any case, which meant she still had plenty of time before her transfer.

She preoccupied herself with her phone and more online information and picturesque photographs of Christmas World.

The resort homepage featured a group of happy smiling visitors, with various green-and-red-clad elves in their midst.

In the background, picture-perfect buildings akin to colourful gingerbread houses dusted with snow framed a traditional town square. It was exactly the kind of Christmas experience Hannah had always dreamed about as a child.

She couldn’t wait to be there.