Raquel Torres sat on a wooden bench by the frozen lake. The cottage she had rented set to her side, warm light emanating from the window A layer of freshly fallen snow covered the ground, reflecting the pink, orange, and yellow sunrise that pierced the early morning sky... the promise of a new day. Raquel woke early every morning just to come out here and watch the sun rise over the frozen lake... a far cry from her roots.

Raquel had grown up in Mexico. Even though they were not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, she and her parents were rich in love. Growing up, she had dreamed of moving to America, not to become a movie star or to become famous, but to just live comfortably. To not have to worry about money. To be able to have healthcare and all the things that Americans seemed to take for granted. After her parents died, she vowed that she would make good on her promise to go to America, and she did. With no family, she went from town to town until she landed in Christmas Cove. When she came here and saw this lake, she took the cabin, sight unseen. Luckily, the cabin was warm and decent, but in need of repair. Although it was small, she had fixed it up and it was perfect for her.

After the sun rose, Raquel hurried inside, dressed for work in a business dress suit, and pulled her long brunette hair up into a low bun, wanting to look as professional as possible. Then she locked up the cabin and headed out to her pickup truck. She would have preferred a car, but with the heavy snow in Washington, she needed something sturdy to ensure that she would never miss work. Working was the only thing that would save her now, that would ensure that she would never be poor again.

She drove through the town square, past Santa’s Cafe; Santa’s Workshop, a toy store; and the Christmas Cove Jewelry Store... all businesses that she couldn’t frequent, wanting to save every dime she had to buy a place of her own, to have security. Before she moved to Christmas Cove, she had never felt secure at all, knowing they were just one meal away from starvation. Now, since she had started working at The North Pole Lodge and had found her cabin, she was beginning to wonder if she had finally found her home.

Raquel drove past the living Christmas tree in the town square, perpetually decorated. Christmas Cove was the Christmas Capital of the United States. On one end of the square set a gazebo, across from the jewelry store, and at the other end was a tree lot. She drove out of town and turned left onto the road leading to The North Pole Lodge, adorned with evergreens on either side dusted with snow, resembling a Christmas post card. As she pulled up to the lodge, she never tired of seeing it. The lodge had been built from the plans of a real castle but modified to accommodate guests. Raquel pulled her truck into a parking spot and headed inside, just as a flurry of snow began to fall upon the earth. Even though she had only been there a few months, Christmas Cove seemed to have perpetual snow. She wondered what it would be like in summer.

Not wanting to be late, she hurried up the steps to the huge glass double doors as a rush of warmth came over her. Raquel wiped her shoes on the huge mat, not wanting to mess up the floor any more than necessary.

“What are you doing here?” Mrs. Bennet asked, a smile lighting her lips as her eyes darted to the clock on the wall, her impeccable white bob swaying just over her shoulders. “You’re not supposed to be here for another hour!”

Raquel shrugged. “I wanted to make sure I got to work on time,” she said in her thick Spanish accent.

Mrs. Bennet laughed. “I’d say! I think coming to work an hour early would be considered as ‘on time’.”

“I hope so.” Raquel let out a deep breath. “I’m trying hard not to lose my job.”

Mrs. Bennet smiled benevolently. “Sweetie, there’s more to life than working.” Then she turned to file some papers. “Who knows? Maybe a tall, dark, handsome stranger will walk through that door and whisk you away from all this, just like my great, great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Bennet.”

One corner of her lips curled into a smile. “Elizabeth Bennet?”

The staff had told Raquel that Elizabeth Bennet was one of the greatest fictional characters ever created in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, but Raquel played along. If the woman thought she was the descendant of a fictional character, then so be it. She was nice enough, even if she was a bit eccentric. And from what Raquel could tell, Mrs. Bennet was the one who kept everything at The North Pole Lodge running.

“Good Morning, Ms. Torres,” said Mr. White, the general manager, his eyebrows scrunching together in concern. “What are you doing here so early?” Raquel was amazed that he always knew everything that went on at the lodge, including the names and schedules of all his employees.

“I don’t want to be late, Mr. White,” Raquel replied. She didn’t tell him, but she would do just about anything to keep her job. And if it meant working extra hours, then okay. She didn’t have anything else to do.

Mrs. Bennet laughed. “I keep telling her that a pretty, young girl like her should be out dating. Having fun. Not here working constantly.”

Mr. White nodded, giving the older woman a kind smile, and then turned to Raquel. “Just make sure you adhere to your schedule. You know... because of insurance. Also, Mrs. Bennet is right. You need to take some time off to rest.”

Raquel smiled. “I’ll rest when my future is secure.”

Mr. White nodded once, gave the two women some last-minute instructions, and then headed off to check on the goings on of the lodge.

Mrs. Bennet stepped close. “So, tell me. Why haven’t you met Mr. Wonderful yet?”

Raquel shrugged, wishing the older woman would leave it alone. “If he’s out there, then I have not met him yet.”

“Well, then... make a wish!”