Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Read online

  FROZEN

  A Winter Romance Anthology

  Featuring Stories By

  Charmaine Pauls

  Valerie J. Clarizio

  April Marcom

  Nancy Pennick

  Christina Kirby

  Rhonda Brutt

  Nicole Angeleen

  Tara Fox Hall

  Elena Kane

  Marilyn Gardiner

  Bess Kingsley

  Published by

  Satin Romance

  An Imprint of Melange Books, LLC

  White Bear Lake, MN 55110

  www.satinromance.com

  The Ice Hotel Wedding Test, Copyright 2014 Charmaine Pauls

  Love Thaws a Frozen Heart, Copyright 2014 Valerie J. Clarizio

  Lord of Ice, Copyright 2014 April Marcom

  Frozen Moments, Copyright 2014 Nancy Pennick

  Frozen In Time, Copyright 2014 Christina Kirby

  Frozen With Possibilities, Copyright 2014 Rhonda Brutt

  Frozen Heart Thawing, Copyright 2014 Nicole Angeleen

  Frozen Dreams, Copyright 2014 Elena Kane

  Her Frozen Heart, Copyright 2014 Tara Fox Hall

  The Thawing of Holly's Heart, Copyright 2014 Marilyn Gardiner

  Falling On Ice, Copyright 2014 Bess Kingsley

  ISBN: 978-1-61235-917-5

  Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published in the United States of America.

  Cover Design by Caroline Andrus

  Table of Contents

  The Ice Hotel Wedding Test by Charmaine Pauls

  Jess and Derrick have been together for twelve years. When Jess finally gives Derrick an ultimatum, tie the knot or set her free, he proposes a bizarre test to decide their destiny.

  About the Author

  Love Thaws a Frozen Heart by Valerie J. Clarizio

  Casey is hell bent on getting Noah to sign divorce papers. Hiding out at his camp, Noah is hell bent on not signing. Procuring a snowmobile, Casey sets out in a blinding snowstorm to find him. After crashing, she is near death when Noah finds her. Will a few cabin-bound days cause either of them to change their mind?

  About the Author

  Lord of Ice by April Marcom

  Jack Frost gave his heart to Lilly the day she was born, making her the perfect leverage for a fire spirit whose heart is set on becoming Lord of Ice.

  About the Author

  Frozen Moments by Nancy Pennick

  Drew keeps proposing. Kate keeps saying no. It’s their little game. Can the holiday season change that? Kate has lost her best friend, and Drew does his best to cheer her up in this delightful story of love and memories.

  About the Author

  Frozen In Time by Christina Kirby

  Lizbeth travels the world as a freelance photographer and answers to no one. After her last relationship, that’s exactly how she wants her life to be, easy and all her own. Jonas is staying at his family’s cabin while he deals with the loss of a fellow fallen solider. He wants nothing more than to be left alone and to avoid Christmas. Neither plan on spending Christmas with a stranger or finding the person who’s exactly what each other needs.

  About the Author

  Frozen With Possibilities by Rhonda Brutt

  A resort on the shores of Lake Superior in the middle of December was not exactly what Tiffany had in mind for a mid-winter vacation. But when she agreed to accompany her progressive grandmother on this frozen trip, she discovered that life is filled with possibilities, if you only go after them.

  About the Author

  Frozen Heart Thawing by Nicole Angeleen

  In the depths of winter, Thomas Everett grudgingly meets his betrothed, Nila Sarvani, the daughter of a powerful sheikh. The passion they share takes them both by surprise, but the ruthlessness of American business threatens to tear them apart. Nila must decide if her dreams can be realized if she allows herself to fall in love.

  About the Author

  Frozen Dreams by Elena Kane

  In a world surrounded by snow and magic, Cara finds herself grossly out of place. Ridiculed by all, she lives her life in terror from perpetual bullies until she runs into a stranger in town. Ben is everything she always wanted, but never expected. Better yet, he sees past her differences. Could Ben be her dream come true?

  About the Author

  Her Frozen Heart by Tara Fox Hall

  Alaric has always loved the winter season, second only to his love of spells and sorcery. When his beautiful neighbor Cassandra reveals she’s a natural witch, he’s instantly smitten, even as he despairs of attracting her interest. Is there hope for a magical couple who thrive in different seasons?

  About the Author

  The Thawing of Holly’s Heart by Marilyn Gardiner

  What happens when a single mother meets an old friend and, despite the conviction that she will never again open her heart to another man, finds herself falling in love?

  About the Author

  Falling On Ice by Bess Kingsley

  After the horrible year ice sculptor Sam McLeod has had, falling off a ladder at Nationals into the arms of her nemesis is the absolute last thing she needs. Or is it?

  About the Author

  The Ice Hotel Wedding Test

  by Charmaine Pauls

  Jess studied Derrick sideways from the deckchair on his veranda. Her boyfriend of twelve years had his eyes closed, his head tilted to the setting sun. A brush cut left dark stubble on his scalp, matching his weekend beard. As always, the weekend had ended too soon. It was almost time to head back to her Johannesburg flat. She dreaded the four hundred miles she drove every weekend to the game lodge near White River where Derrick was a ranger.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go.”

  He stretched. “Me, too.”

  “If we were married...”

  Derrick opened his eyes to look at her, a weary light in the chestnut depths. “It’s not that I don’t love you. I’m just not ready yet.”

  They had been high school sweethearts, for crying out loud. “How much more time do you need?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s not a button I can press on or off.”

  This conversation wasn’t new. Jess knew exactly how it would play out. She was going to give him all the reasons why she wanted to settle down, and he was going to counter argue that he wasn’t quite there yet. Whatever there was supposed to mean. The truth was she was tired of the commuting, of living apart and of hoping. Jess loved children. She was long since ready for her own. Attending her friends’ babies’ baptisms and anniversary parties left her aching for that missing part of her life.

  A new rebelliousness rose inside of her. Maybe it was desperation sprouting from the ticking of her biological clock. How she hated that clichéd expression. Jess tried to bite her tongue, but it had a will of its own.

  “I won’t wait forever,” she said finally.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She had sworn she’d never do this, but she had reached the end of her patience. “I’m giving you an ultimatum.”

  “Whoa!” He got to his feet. “Are you telling me if I don’t marry you, you’re leaving me?”

  “I’m telling you it’s time for us to be hone
st about what we want from life.” She took a deep breath. “I love you, Derrick. But I want a family. Do you?”

  “Of course I do.” He moved to the rail, peering into the bush where a grazing giraffe raised his long neck above the thorn trees. “I just have to be sure.”

  She threw her hands up. “Of what?”

  “That you’ll make it out here.”

  This was no new dispute either. Derrick was an adventure junkie, an outdoor explorer. She was a city girl, and he hated that about her.

  “I can make it,” she said, lifting her chin. “I make it every weekend.”

  “A weekend is not the same as forever. It’s as different as going someplace on holiday or relocating there.”

  Jess regarded him quietly. The argument was as worn out as a hollow mattress. Enough. She had allowed him to keep her on a string for too long. Either he used that string to tie her to him, or they were going to cut it. Today.

  “It seems you have a decision to make, Derrick.”

  His hands clutched the wooden sleeper. “Slow down, girl.”

  “That’s the problem. We’ve been slowing down for too long.”

  He pursed his lips. “You’re not giving up on this, are you?”

  He knew her well enough. Once her mind was made up... “Nope. I want to know before I leave tonight.”

  “Alright,” he said slowly, turning to face her. “Tell you what. Let’s go to Lapland, and I’ll give you your answer.”

  “Lapland?”

  He smiled. “Yep. Swedish side.”

  “Why?”

  “My dad used to say, before you marry a girl take her on a trip abroad, and you’ll know if you’re doing the right thing. No better compatibility test.”

  Derrick was a black and white kind of guy. He never did anything on impulse, and he only believed in what he could see or what could be proved.

  “But why Lapland?” she said.

  “Because it’s covered in snow.”

  “I didn’t know you had such a passion for snow.”

  She couldn’t say the idea didn’t fascinate her. Being born and bred in Africa, the only snow she’d ever seen were the pictures her aunt had sent from Canada.

  “Here’s the deal,” he said, “we backpack to the Ice Hotel in Sweden. If you make it to the end, I’ll marry you.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “You mean like making a bet?”

  “More like a test.” He supported his elbows on the rail.

  “If I don’t make it?”

  “If you don’t make it,” he held up a finger, “or you complain once, or you exceed the daily travel budget, I don’t have to marry you, and we carry on as we are now.”

  “And if I make it to the end without complaining or overspending?”

  “Hell,” he laughed, “if you can do that, I’ll marry you right there and then in the Ice Hotel.”

  Jess narrowed her eyes at him. She could be tough. She could hike and carry a backpack. She had done it many a weekend on the game farm, after all. How hard could it be doing it in snow? If Derrick needed this silly test to convince himself, to overcome his unfounded fear of tying the knot, she’d give him that.

  She lifted her hand for a high-five. “You’ve got a deal.”

  “Sweet.” He slapped his palm against hers. “We leave in February when the holiday season is over, and the farm is quiet.”

  * * * *

  Three months later, they stood thirteen thousand feet high on top of the Jungfrau in Switzerland, staring out over the Bernese Alps. They had taken a flight from Johannesburg to Berne with a connection in Zurich, and a train to Interlaken via Grindlewald.

  It was the end of winter. The sun and clear sky seemed to be a good omen, a lucky beginning for their trip. The rays shone over a valley of snow that summited into rocky peaks of the kind Jess had only seen on Toblerone wrappers. The white powder-covered nature looked like a glittered veil. It was so breathtaking her eyes hurt the air so pure it burned her lungs.

  “It’s magnificent,” Jess whispered, reluctant to crack the quiet, glazed beauty with her voice.

  Derrick grinned. “They don’t call it the top of Europe for nothing.”

  They were waiting for Yrian, the guide who was going to escort them to Lapland.

  “Up to now it has been planes and trains. This is where our trip stops being easy,” Derrick said.

  Easy? The backpack weighed a ton. It was hard to believe she only carried a change of clothes, a sleeping bag and a few toiletries. But she wasn’t going to say anything. That was a trap she wasn’t going to fall into. She had already reserved a wedding outfit at the Ice Hotel. It was going to make a lovely surprise for Derrick. She shifted the weight on her back.

  “Here he comes.” Derrick pointed in the direction of the cable cars from which they had stepped a short while ago.

  A tall man with a broad chest resembling a Nordic Viking exited from the last car and was making his way toward them. His skin was tanned, creating a striking contrast with his blue eyes. His face was square, and his full lips tilted in an easy-going kind of way.

  His smile reached them long before he did. “Howdy.” He extended a hand. “Yrian. How was your flight?”

  Blond curls fell from under a red beanie. He was dressed in khaki snow pants and a red impermeable jersey. Jess admired the ease with which he carried a backpack twice the size of hers.

  “Nice to meet you,” Derrick said. “Thanks for cutting your other trip short. This is my girlfriend, Jessica.”

  “Call me Jess.”

  After they shook hands, Yrian peered down the valley. “Once you’ve taken your pics, I suggest we get going. It gets cloudy in the afternoon, and we may have fresh snow. The path’s still covered, but we can make our way down with the gondola.”

  Derrick shook his head. “Uh uh. We’re going to smack this one with our soles, I’m afraid.”

  Yrian regarded him with his hands propped on his hips. “You want to go down on foot?”

  “Yeah.” Derrick gave them his innocent smile.

  “Why?” said a baffled Yrian.

  “Call it a test between me and Jess.”

  Yrian scratched his head. “Alright. There’s a lumber station halfway down. If the weather turns, we’ll take shelter there.”

  While Derrick pulled on his gloves, Jess walked to the end of the ledge and looked down. She swallowed. It looked steep.

  “First time in snow?” Yrian asked next to her.

  “Why would you say that?” Did she look so inexperienced?

  He motioned at her jeans. “Not very clever for a snow hike. Path’s still knee deep. Got snow pants?”

  She shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

  She should have read all those web pages Derrick had forwarded her about the trip. If only she hadn’t been drowning in work at the office.

  Yrian smiled. “Let’s go then.”

  With the first step Jess took, she sunk into the powder up to her thighs. A few yards more and her jeans were soaked. Thank goodness she had bought those watertight hiking boots. They were worth every cent of the two months’ salary she had spent on them. A few minutes longer, and her socks were getting wet, sucking the coldness to the tip of her toes. Her lungs burned, and her knees ached from the shock she put on her joints. When Derrick looked back at her over his shoulder, she fixed a smile on her face. This wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be. So much for sun and good omens. This was only the beginning.

  Two hours later Jess felt like fainting. She was exhausted. The extreme exercise was barely enough to keep her body warm. Earlier, it hadn’t been too bad with the sun, but now the wind had picked up, and it felt as if the wet fabric was frozen to her skin. Yrian walked in front with big strides. His long legs obviously helped. He seemed to go no deeper than his ankles. Derrick whistled along, not falling far behind Yrian in the height department. She wished she wasn’t so short and that she had invested in those snow pants.

&n
bsp; “How far to the lumber station?” she called to Yrian.

  Derrick stopped and turned. “Getting tired?”

  “No, no. Just wondering.”

  Yrian’s eyes moved over her, resting on her wet jeans. “About an hour. We can take a short break.”

  If they stopped now she would turn into an ice pillar. “No break. Let’s hurry.”

  Yrian looked like he wanted to say something, but finally turned and resumed making his way down the steep mountain. Good thing Derrick insisted they take a guide. The markers that lined the path were snowed over. By now, they would have been as lost as Hansel and Gretel in a never-ending pine forest.

  Jess stared at the men’s backs, trying to catch her breath. She wiggled her aching shoulders. Stuff this. She was going down on her backside. Scanning the direction in which Yrian was moving, she reckoned she had a smooth path ahead with no rocks or trees. The men were already a few paces ahead. Jess sat down on the slope, feeling the nip of the ice bite through her pants. The heels of her Hi-Tecs dug into the snow made a sufficient enough break, until she lifted both feet and felt her body starting to slide. She leaned back a little, using the smooth fabric of her backpack as an accelerator. Without warning, her body shot forward. As she picked up speed, sliding down the slippery incline, she heard her own sky-splitting scream echo down the valley.

  She shot past the stunned men with alarming velocity, her arms and legs flailing uselessly into the four wind directions. It then occurred to her to try and break, but the hill suddenly slanted more, projecting her faster over the serene landscape with a chilling scream marking her descent. Using her fingers as hooks, she dug them into the snow at her sides while kicking her heels down in front. The only result of her actions was an abrupt halt that had her somersaulting with her head and arms folding over her feet. She cruised another few yards like a roll mop until she landed on her tummy with a thump, then slid sideways and rolled the remaining distance to a level patch. She hit the ground with a soft thud, sprawled out on her face.