"Who are you and why are you wearing my wife's bracelet?"

Tessa Grant was startled out of her daydream by an unfamiliar voice. She looked up into the chocolate-brown eyes of a strange man. He was tall, at least six feet, and broad-shouldered. His dark brown hair was cut conservatively short, and he wore a charcoal-gray, double-breasted suit that was tailored to his muscular form, but hopelessly out of style. He was impossibly handsome--or she was sure he would be if he weren't scowling.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I asked you first." His deep voice seemed more amused than threatening.

Tessa looked around, frowning at the unfamiliar setting. A moment ago, she'd been sitting in her own apartment, poking through a box of odds and ends she'd inherited from her great-grandmother, Amelia Richardson. Now, she appeared to be in a log cabin--and a primitive one at that. She was seated on one of the two chairs; the stranger stood in front of the other one. There were two side tables, one near each chair, and Tessa noticed they were not a matching set. On each table sat an identical hurricane lamp, both brimming with oil. The hardwood floor was covered with a braided rug, and a large sofa dominated the room. She could see into a kitchen area, and was alarmed to notice there were no modern appliances whatsoever. There appeared to be a stove of some kind, but no microwave. She also saw an icebox, but no coffee maker, no can opener; in fact, no appliances on the polished wood counter at all.

"Where am I?" she wondered aloud. Her heart began to pound furiously. "This isn't right. Who are you? What am I doing here?"

"As I said, I asked you first."

"My name is Tessa Grant, and I demand to know who you are and why you brought me here. And while we're at it, how you brought me here."

"I didn't bring you here. One minute my wife was sitting in that chair, and the next, there you were."

"That doesn't make any sense." Tessa frowned, massaging her temples.

"Nevertheless." He shrugged. "I don't understand it myself."

"You didn't answer my question. Who are you?"

"My name is Alexander Richardson. I am the new schoolteacher here in Eden. Now, it's your turn."

"Eden?" She looked around at the room then lifted her eyebrow at him. "Are you trying to tell me this is paradise?"

"Eden, Alaska."

"Alaska? As in Alaska, the Great White North, Alaska?" Tessa blinked in confusion.

"Yes, of course," he snapped. He stepped closer, towering over her, deliberately trying to intimidate her, she thought. Not that it would work. She'd been living with the world's biggest macho man for over a year now, and if he didn't scare her, nobody would. She stood up and stepped toward him, intentionally invading his personal space. He took a step back in response, she noted with satisfaction.

"How did I get here?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Look, it's logical to start at the beginning, so I'll tell my version first, then you tell your version, and between them, maybe we'll figure out what's going on here."

"That makes sense." He nodded thoughtfully. "Although, I must admit, I've never met a logical woman before."