Rescued by the Magic Of Christmas. Melissa McClone

      

      With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, the last thing Melissa McClone ever thought she would be doing was writing romance novels. But analysing engines for a major US airline just couldn’t compete with her ‘happily-ever-afters’. When she isn’t writing, caring for her three young children or doing laundry, Melissa loves to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea, her cats and a good book. She enjoys watching home decorating shows to get ideas for her house—a 1939 cottage that is slowly being renovated. Melissa lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with her own real-life hero husband, two daughters, a son, two loveable but oh-so-spoiled indoor cats and a no-longer-stray outdoor kitty that decided to call the garage home. Melissa loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at PO Box 63, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, USA, or contact her via her website: www.melissamcclone.com

      Melissa McClone on RESCUED BY THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS:

      ‘Christmas time is about love and affirming life. My youngest child was due in January, and I drew upon my own experiences for writing Hannah. Like her, I prepared endless lists, hoping to make the holiday the “best ever” for my toddler and preschooler while preparing for the new arrival. Unlike me, Hannah didn’t have things go quite as planned, but what better way to celebrate this special season than with the birth of a child?’

       Recent titles by the same author:

      WIN, LOSE…OR WED!

      MARRIAGE FOR BABY

      PLAIN JANE’S PRINCE CHARMING

       Dear Reader

      In December 2006 three climbers went missing on Mount Hood in Oregon. The story captured media attention as rescuers struggled against weather conditions to find them.

      Hoping to learn more about their fate, I stumbled across an on-line climbing forum where rescuers were posting about the search and rescue (SAR) operation. Sadly, the climbers perished, but the courage of the men and women on the mountain rescue units inspired and intrigued me. I knew I had to write this book.

      One problem. I knew nothing about climbing. My husband climbed before we married, and he wanted to climb again, but I didn’t want him anywhere near Mount Hood’s summit. I decided not to ask him for help. Lucky for me, he wasn’t offended. Through the internet I met climbers—some members of mountain rescue units—who not only helped me with my research, but became friends. The more I learned, the less I had to fear about climbing. I even gave my husband a guided trip up Mount Hood as a gift for our twelfth anniversary. He reached the summit during a climb in May 2007 and loved every minute of it.

      My curiosity about climbing grew. Though I’m scared of heights, I took a class at a local rock gym for some hands-on research and discovered I loved climbing! I’ve been climbing ever since.

      I’ve written several books, but not one has changed my life the way RESCUED BY THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS did. For those who helped me discover a new passion to pursue, all I can say is thank you and climb on!

       Melissa

      RESCUED BY THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

      BY

      MELISSA McCLONE

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), Central Washington Mountain Rescue (CWMR) and all the dedicated men and women who volunteer their time and talents to mountain rescue units.

      Special thanks to Michael Leming, John Frieh, Mark Westman, Paul Soboleski, Lyneen Norton, Iain Morris, Steve Rollins, Keith Langenwalter, Hugh O’Reilly, Debra Ross, cascadeclimbers.com and Virginia Kantra. Any mistakes and/or discrepancies are entirely the author’s fault.

      PROLOGUE

      JAKE PORTER double-checked the gear in his pack, his motions driven by habit and a sharp sense of purpose. Bivy sack. Avalanche transceiver. Probe. Shovel.

      His friends were somewhere up on Mount Hood in the middle of one of the worst weather systems to ever hit the Cascades in December. And Jake was going after them.

      Carabiners rattled as he closed the pack. Now came the hard part—waiting.

      The other members of the mountain rescue unit sat at cafeteria tables inside the Wy’East day lodge, their faces tight and their voices low as they checked their own gear. Yawning reporters grabbed quick interviews between sips of coffee. Eager photographers snapped pictures of the early-morning mission preparations.

      The overhead lights made everything look pale, stark and ominous, matching Jake’s mood. The weather, too.

      Outside, visibility sucked. The wind howled at forty miles per hour. The morning temperature hovered around thirteen degrees. The threat of frostbite and the very real avalanche danger made going to a higher elevation a fool’s errand. But in his five years as a member of Oregon Mountain Search and Rescue, Jake had never been more eager to confront the elements for a mission.

      He wasn’t the only one. Every single OMSAR member had responded to the alert. More than a few had already heard the news and been waiting for the call. Others hadn’t waited and had come here on their own. All they needed was the go-ahead to start moving out. Up.

      Radios crackled as someone asked for additional gear from the rescue cache.

      Jake tightened the strap around his shovel, ignoring the knot of concern in his stomach. The whiz of the rough nylon brushing through the buckle intensified his unease. His friends should have made it off the hill with no problem.

      Where the hell were they?

      Iain Garfield was one of the most talented climbers in the Pacific Northwest. Only twenty-three, he’d already made a name for himself, gaining sponsors and gracing climbing magazine covers with his numerous first ascents of peaks around the world. He could climb the Reid Headwall solo. Backwards. With his eyes closed.

      And Nick Bishop. He knew the mountain better than almost anyone in the unit. When they were students together, Nick had once climbed the route overnight and made it to class the next morning for a midterm. After getting married and becoming a dad, he wasn’t such a daredevil now. Nick knew challenging the mountain was always a stupid idea. The mountain never lost. That was why after seeing a nasty weather system moving in, he and Iain had changed their plans from a more challenging route to an easier climb.

      Radios sprung to life once again as someone asked for the ETA on a Sno-Cat. About time. Except what Jake really wanted was to see his friends walk through the doors with an epic tale to tell.

      He stared at the door. No sign of Nick or Iain. Only two rescue leaders talking in hushed tones.

      Damn. A heavy weight pressed down on Jake.

      Nick had been his best friend since kindergarten class. They’d grown up together. Learned to climb together. Joined OMSAR together. Done everything together. Well, almost everything.

      Jake swallowed around the lump of guilt in his throat. He should have been on the climb with them—a climb to celebrate Iain’s upcoming marriage to Nick’s younger sister, Carly—but Jake had said no. Attending the wedding was enough for him. A climb would have been salt to the wound. Okay, his heart. He thought he’d been following his gut, but maybe the decision not to climb had been selfish. If he’d said yes…

      Sean Hughes, one of the rescue leaders who’d been talking by the door, motioned for Jake and two other experienced members, Bill Paulson and Tim Moreno, to come over. “Here’s the plan. Avalanche hazard is high and the weather isn’t the greatest. A Sno-Cat will take us to the top of Palmer. When we get there, SAR base is expecting us to call in a condition report to decide if we’re staying put or if any searching is possible.”

      Every one of Jake’s