I sit at the little desk in my room and mull over my last few weeks, amazed at how quickly I’ve settled into my new life. The wood-burner is crackling away happily and a wall of soft snow is falling outside my window. I’m just putting the finishing touches to the next ad that Jenn’s booked in the Local, advertising our new breakfast special. My ‘Monday Morning Muffin Freebie’ idea was a roaring success, and Jenn and Terry were thrilled when we started getting more customers in. It makes a pleasant change to create something that has nothing to do with mortgages or pensions.

I save the file and email it off to the classifieds editor, before taking a sip of the steaming cup of tea. My next job consists of trying to reply to a long roll of emails in my inbox. First on my priority list is Evie, who is losing patience with my sloppy correspondence record. I start tapping quickly on the keyboard.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Hello?

So, you don’t write, you don’t phone. Obviously, you’ve been eaten by a grizzly bear. Or did a sexy Mountie come and sweep you off your feet already? If so, is his name Dudley?

Miss you (not that you deserve it).

Vee

Xxx

I feel suitably chastised and I start typing like a demon, pausing every now and then for a glug of coffee.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Hello?

Hey poppet,

I know, I’m crap. You’ll be relieved to hear that I have neither been eaten by a grizzly or snapped up by a Dudley.

I can’t believe I’ve been here for over a month. We’ve had so much snow and Fraser looks so festive and pretty and very Christmassy… I’ve attached some pictures to show you. Check out the hot-tub! Dan is on the left, and Travis and Taz are the couple in the middle.

What else can I tell you? My room is much warmer than I hoped it would be and it’s looking proper cosy now. I’m getting pretty good at chopping wood – get me, I’m a proper lumberjack and I don’t care. The café seems to have picked up nicely, helped by the fact that all my mates tend to drop in and sit downstairs, which I thought might be a problem, but Jenn is totally cool about it. I’ve come up with a few ideas to get more punters through the door, and they seem to be working. Talk about a world of difference from Susannah. I mean, I know Jenn is my boss, but she’s so laid-back she’s practically horizontal. And as for her muffins, I need to cut back. My tummy is seriously bulging in all the wrong areas. Thank Christ the mountain opens for the season on Saturday.

Ooh – I do have some hot goss for you. Taz and Travis are officially ‘bumping uglies’, as they say… I’m really happy for them. They make a cute couple as you can see from the pictures. Dan, is, well… just Dan! He’s a one of a kind, that one. I think he’s got slightly hidden depths. He plays the big man when the lads are around, but he’s a very different individual when he’s by himself. I really don’t fancy him in the slightest, but I enjoy his company. I don’t think there are any hidden agendas with him. We’re just really good mates. I hardly see Tim anymore because he’s working full-time at the Mine now, but I’m glad to have found some solid mates.

I’m definitely enjoying being single. Yes, there are many lovely-looking boys here, but that’s all they are – BOYS. They drink a lot, talk a lot and fart a lot, and that’s about it. Or they talk about drinking and farting. Try and have a conversation about anything remotely unconnected to snow or beer and you won’t get very far, so I lose interest. I keep thinking about Henry and how different he is from anyone I’ve met out here. Don’t worry – I’m not missing him, but I can’t help feeling that all the guys I meet here are a bit immature, I suppose. There are so few girls here that it’s nice to have Taz and Emily around as we can talk about girly stuff and get away from all the testosterone.

Anywhoo, I gotta get writing some more emails to the rest of the gang, including your bro. I’ve got 32 emails and none of it’s porn,Viagra or cheap Swiss watches! I don’t think I’ve ever been this popular before. Sorry I’ve been a bit slack but I promise to do better next week. You can always CALL ME you know! ;-)

Miss you, love you,

Lex

xxx

After an hour of writing long emails full of news to my friends and family, my fingers start to ache. It smells like Jenn’s got something delicious bubbling on the stove downstairs so it must be close to lunchtime. When I think about how much I used to cram into my day back in London, it terrifies me - I honestly don’t know where the time goes here.

I pull on some thermal long-johns and a sweatshirt, run a brush through my hair and clean my teeth. The daily habit of putting on loads of make-up is a thing of the past… I slick my mouth with some Chapstick and dab a bit of powder on my face. Just as I’m padding downstairs to the kitchen, I bump into Taz on the stairs.

‘Hiya love. I was just coming to see you. Are you on the way out?’

‘Nah, just surfacing actually. I’ve been catching up on my emails. What you are up to?’

‘Well, apart from coming to see you, I wanted to go for a walk into town. Do you fancy it? Maybe do a bit of Chrissy shopping?’

‘Oooooh, now you’re talking! Shopping wins every time over soup.’

Fraser’s main shopping street is bustling with tourists as we walk along the pavement, which makes a pleasant change. I’m guessing they’ve come for the opening of the ski hill this weekend – the place definitely has a different feel now that the season is about to start officially.

Taz and I pop into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop and drool over the large copper cauldron that sits in the window, used to entice shoppers inside when they make large batches of chocolate or honeycomb. I buy some bear-shaped chocolates for Evie and Sam and a large box of gourmet truffles for my mum, knowing she’ll love them. Who says North Americans can’t do chocolate?

‘Boyoo ‘ancy bo toflicks ‘ater?’ Taz asks with her mouth full, munching on a free sample of honeycomb we managed to snag from Kendra. One of the advantages of living and working in a small town is getting to know everyone working in the shops, hence the freebie from Wade’s girlfriend.

‘Translation: Do I fancy going to the flicks later? As in the cinema?’

She nods. ‘Kendra said there’s a good film on.’

‘Yeah, we could.’ I sigh. ‘I suppose I need to make the most of you before you’re at work all the time.’

She hands me another bit of the honeycomb to cheer me up. ‘If I worked in that shop, I’d the size of a house.’ I say, taking a bite.

‘Yeah, but Kendra told me she doesn’t even like chocolate. No wonder she looks like a twig. Anyway, let’s not talk about work, eh?’

‘Okay.’ I mumble, kicking a bit of ice out of the path with my trainer. ‘Should we check if Emily want to come with us?’

Emily said she barely remembered what happened at the Colt45 party, but I’m not sure I believe her. She reminds me of one of those girls at school who always seemed really nice, but occasionally showed a mean streak. Maybe there’s a bit of childish jealousy on her part that Taz and I get on so well or perhaps I’m just a bit wary of her since I found out about her preference for hard drugs. Three is most definitely a crowd when she tags along. Taz seems to read my mind.

‘Nah, mate. We’ll just go by ourselves, eh?’ she replies, as we stop and look in the window of the Elk Valley gift shop. A beautifully decorated tree sparkles back at me and I spot an incredibly cute, fat, furry moose toy that totally reminds me of Pot Belly Bear. Taz would love it but I don’t show it to her, making a mental note to tell Travis about it, because he was asking me if I had any ideas for Christmas presents. I’m about to ask her what film she wants to see but I realise she’s not standing next to me anymore. I turn and see her chatting with someone further along the pavement so I go over and join them. I recognise the man from my first night in The Pub, and he’s wearing a SkiTours fleece with the company logo embroidered on the front.

‘Have you met Lexie?’ Taz asks, introducing me. ‘This is Rick.’

No wonder Dan declared he was as a ‘fitty’ and got the piss taken out of him for days afterwards. Rick is most definitely gorgeous. His black hair is speckled with melting snowflakes and the piercing blue eyes that are looking me up and down make me appreciate that Mother Nature wasn’t messing around when she made some of these Canadian men.

‘Hey. I’ve definitely seen you around.’ He grins, his voice smooth and low as I smile shyly in return. He takes his glove off and extends a large, warm hand, gripping my fingers tightly while I try not to melt into a puddle on the floor.

‘Woah, you’re hands are cold!’

I try not to snatch my hand back from his large, warm one too quickly. ‘Sorry. I know. I didn’t bring my gloves out with me. Doh!’

I can’t believe I just did a bad Homer Simpson impression.

He smiles again as I stare at the row of perfectly white teeth in his mouth. It’s official… he could definitely pass for McDreamy’s younger, better-looking brother.

‘That might explain why your cheeks are so pink too. Would you like to borrow my gloves?’ he asks.

‘Er, thanks, but my pockets are fine.’ As if to illustrate my point, I ram both hands in my jacket and hurriedly look down at the ground.

‘So, … you’re from the UK?’

‘Yes. London.’

‘London, eh? I’ve always wanted to go there. See the sights – Big Ben, the Tower, London Bridge. What made you come to a little place like Fraser?’

‘Oh, you know… The snowboarding, the lifestyle…’ I tail off.

Thankfully, Taz seems to have remembered the art of conversation. ‘So, what are you up to, mate?’ she asks. ‘Getting some last minute present shopping done before all the tourists arrive?’

He laughs. ‘I wish! I’m trying to find somewhere to get my skates sharpened.’ He gestures to the large bag slung over his shoulder. ‘It’s the big game tonight. Are you guys coming?’

I have no clue what he’s talking about. ‘Er, no. I don’t think so? Where is it?’

He looks slightly bemused. ‘It’s at the ice rink. We tried playing on grass, but the puck didn’t really slide that well...’

Taz snorts, trying to hide a laugh.

‘Oh…’ I smack my forehead, feeling like a complete idiot. ‘Ha ha… I meant, whose playing?’

‘It’s the pub team against the hill team – I’m on the pub team. I played hockey in college and someone found out, so I’ve been roped in to play.’

‘Oh, I see. Well, I’ve never been to an ice hockey match before. We were talking about going to the cinema, but maybe we could go the game instead. What do you think, Taz?’

He looks shocked. ‘You’ve never been to a hockey game? Do they not have hockey back in England?’

I shrug. ‘Well, I’m sure they do, but I’ve never been. It’s really not a big thing back at home. We’re more into football, I suppose.’

‘Wow…that’s… crazy.’He seems completely bemused.

Taz grabs my arm. ‘We should get a move on and finish our shopping. Maybe we’ll see you at the rink tonight.’

‘Absolutely.’ I add.

He pauses, as if he’s about to say something else but thinks again. ‘Well, I really hope I see you both there. It was very cool to meet you, Lexie.’

I grin. ‘You too.’

‘I really hope we meet again soon.’ He winks, before turning and walking back up the street with his bag slung over his shoulders.

‘What?!’ I exclaim, tearing my eyes away from the vicinity of his perfectly formed backside as we both watch him walk away.

‘He was so obviously flirting with you!’ Taz exclaims, giving me a nudge.

‘No! He wasn’t at all – it’s this whole North American thing. They’re just friendly here.’

‘Sod going to the flicks, let’s go to the hockey instead. A bunch of guys sliding a puck around just got way more interesting!’