Northern Vows (Paperback)

Pages : 264
ISBN : 9781838164317
Weight : 258g
Dimensions : 203 x 15 x 127 mm

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- Sapphic romance
- Wedding
- Reunion
- Travel romance

“Wow, it’s…” Kristine stared out over the rugged landscape and swallowed down the lump in her throat. “It’s so pretty here.” She and Hannah were standing on top of a hill, the spectacular view revealing a narrow path that led down to a large tree-lined, lake below them. Behind the lake, mountains rose as far as the eye could see, their snow-covered tops a vivid contrast against the vivid blue sky. The nearest farms and homes were mere colored specs in the distance, and it felt incredibly secluded, with the dense pine forest behind them and lush green fields stretching out to their left and right.
“And so peaceful.” Hannah wrapped her arms around Kristine’s waist from behind, rested her chin on her shoulder and inhaled against her hair. “We’d better enjoy this quiet time together before our lives change forever over the coming months.” They were in the process of adopting two foster children—a brother and sister—and it had been a long journey from their caseworker completing the home study, to the adoption agency monitoring pre-placement visits. This and the anticipation of coming here, not knowing exactly what to expect of their wedding location, had made her tense but now, she couldn’t be happier. “So, so pretty.”
“Welcome to Valdres,” Espen said as he started lifting their suitcases from the trunk of his car.
“We totally love it here.” Hannah helped him and passed one of the suitcases to Kristine.
“Good. So do I. Dani was worried your guests might be bored if they’re staying for a while; there’s not much to do around here.” He slammed the trunk shut and scratched the stubble on his chin. “But we have a couple of boats, and I can take people out fishing if they want, and there are plenty of hiking trails. There’s also a shortcut to Fagernes through the woods, so you’ll be able to walk there if you get cabin fever. Although it’s very traditional and has more of a village feel, it’s the biggest town in the district of Valdres.”
“I doubt our guests will be bored,” Hannah assured him. “In fact, I think they’ll be delighted to have some quiet time to themselves, and this seems like a great place to catch up with everyone. It’s so private.”
Espen, who ran the small eco-resort together with his wife Dani, had picked them up from the airport and as each mile passed, the more they’d slipped into the wilderness. The last evidence of civilization had been the quaint town they’d driven through fifteen minutes ago, but even that seemed like a world away now. He’d parked the car just behind the gates of a large fenced-off field, filled with fruit trees and wildflowers. Rustic, traditional wooden cabins were dotted around, and to the rear stood a house with an outbuilding next to it. A Norwegian flag was flailing from a pole by the house; most people seemed to have one here. In the middle of the field, a tall wooden cross with rings on both sides rose from the ground and two men were balancing on ladders, decorating it with leafy greenery.
Hannah cast a curious glance over the pagan looking pole. “What is that?”
“We’re setting up the maypole for Midsummer’s Eve,” Espen said. “And since it’s also your wedding night, we’ll make sure it looks extra spectacular this year. These guys are attaching the foliage and we’ll add the fresh flowers last minute.” He waved at the men and shouted something in Norwegian before he turned back to Hannah and Kristine. “In most countries they decorate maypoles in May to celebrate the start of spring, but we don’t get flowers here until June, so in Norway, we decorate it for Midsummer.”
“It looks like something from the movies but without human sacrifices, I hope.” Kristine sniggered and nudged Hannah. “I love you more than anything, darling, but if it comes to that, it’s every woman for herself.”
Espen laughed and shook his head. “No human sacrifices here, don’t you worry.” His eyes lit up when he saw his wife Dani walking up to them with a little girl on her hip. “I see the little pork chop has woken up.”
“Hi, guys! Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here.” Dani greeted them both with a sideward hug and lifted the little girl higher. “This is Evi, our daughter.”
“Hey, Evi.” Kristine smiled as Evi fisted her hand and waved it around wildly while shooting her a toothy grin. “She’s grown so much since the last pictures you emailed us.”
“Yes, she’s almost two, now. A Midsummer child,” Dani said, looking at her daughter lovingly. Evi started screeching and pointed to the ground. “And she wants to do everything herself at the moment, so she’s also a handful,” she added, putting her down in the grass.
“You’re very cute, but I bet you know that already, huh?” Hannah pulled a face at Evi, which made her laugh.
“She’s great, we feel very lucky.” Dani turned to Espen. “Do you mind taking her inside so I can show the ladies around?”
“Not at all.” Espen took Evi’s hand, said something to her in Norwegian, and lifted her up on her feet so she could toddle along back to the house with him. “Hannah, Kristine, make yourselves at home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
They waved at them, and Hannah took two of the suitcases they’d brought. Kristine also took two and Dani the last one, leading the way up to their cabin.
“I’ll show you your little hideaway first, so we don’t have to drag these around.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “We feel so honored that you guys want to get married here in our new resort.”
“We’re so excited,” Kristine said. “And it made total sense for us to get married in Norway as we met here; that week in Kirkenes holds such special memories.”
“I know you wanted to get married in our hotel up north, and I’m sorry we couldn’t make that happen,” Dani said. “When you called me to set a date, we were just in the process of selling. The buyer had big plans for renovations, so he wasn’t sure when he was going to reopen.” She carried the case up to the steps of the small porch and searched for the keys in her pocket. “But if you ask me, this part of the country is way more romantic for a wedding.”
“You’re right; it’s even better.” Hannah put down the cases, took off her hoodie, and tied it around her waist as she glanced over the charming porch. The thatched roofs of the wooden cabins were covered in moss and flowers, red and white checkered curtains hung behind the windows, and a padded porch swing, a coffee table, and two recliners made for a lovely outside seating area next to the front door. “I never thought I’d be wearing just a T-shirt; the weather is amazing.”
“We get very nice summers here. It doesn’t get too warm, but warm enough to take a swim in the lake and get a nice tan.” Dani opened the door and let them in. “I was actually really excited myself when we moved here. It’s nice to have lots of daylight again, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it.”
“Why did you leave Kirkenes?” Hannah asked.
“Well, we had Evi, and everything changes when you have a baby. Espen and I have traveled a lot, and we both lived in cities when we were younger. We weren’t sure if it was fair to our daughter to bring her up somewhere so secluded, so we started thinking about different options. She got very sick when she was around three months old—she caught pneumonia—and I lived in the hospital in Oslo with her for two weeks. When we came back, I was uncomfortable about being so far away from a good children’s hospital, so that sealed our decision to sell the hotel.”
“That must have been quite a challenge; I remember how dark it was when we visited, and that was only for a few days. I can’t imagine many people wanting to live in the dark for most of the year,” Kristine said. “Even though it’s beautiful up there.”
“Actually, it wasn’t challenging at all, and you’d be surprised how many nature freaks would kill for a life like that. It’s pretty unique, of course, so that helped, too. When we had our hotel valued, we were a little shocked to learn how much it was worth, and it was sold only two weeks after it went on the market.”
“And now you’re here…”
“Now we’re here, and we have more space than we ever dreamed of, plus a private strip of land beside the lake, and we’re only ninety minutes away from Oslo.” Dani opened the curtains to let in the light. “I hope you’ll be comfortable in your ‘hytte’. It’s the Norwegian word for cabin.”
“Are you kidding me? This is adorable.” Kristine squeezed Hannah’s hand as they took in the cozy space. There was a little seating area to their left in front of the windows, and a small kitchenette with a table and four chairs to their right. Handmade blankets were draped over the couch and the armchairs, and the walls were adorned with watercolor paintings of local scenes. Behind a dividing wall in the back stood a big bed, and there was another sleeping area in an alcove in the living room that doubled as a reading space with built-in bookshelves and a reading light.
“Good.” Dani smiled. “The bathroom is in the back, and there’s also a tiny sauna next to it. The cabin is big enough to sleep three more people—one in the reading nook and two on the couch that can be pulled out and made into a bed—but I figured you honeymooners should have your privacy, so don’t worry; you won’t have to share.”
“So, everyone’s okay with the sleeping arrangements?” Hannah asked. “If not, we can share, it’s no problem.”
“Absolutely not, it’s all arranged.” Dani pointed to the field outside. “We had three additional camper vans—or RV’s as you Americans call them—delivered today. They’re luxury ones that come with a tent and a portable firepit, so they should be comfortable enough for everyone, and they’ll provide plenty of additional space.” She handed Kristine the key. “Want me to show you around the site, or are you tired?”
“No, we’d love to see everything.” Kristine gave her a beaming smile. “I saw on your website that you grow your own vegetables. I have a veggie patch myself, so I’m super excited to see it.”
“Kristine is obsessed with growing stuff,” Hannah added with an endearing smile. “You have no idea how many hours she’s slaved over seedlings, caring for them like a newborn.”
“I think you’re going to love our vegetable garden, then. Of course, the climate is very different from Louisiana, so we’re limited to the vegetables and fruits that thrive here.” Dani walked to the kitchen and opened a cupboard. “Let me show you where everything is before we do a tour of the premises.”