The following morning Jess exited the Ice Church on her husband’s arm, wearing a white snowsuit with cream faux-fur trimming.
“Congratulations, Mrs. Kruger,” he said softly in her ear. “Shall we advance to the honeymoon suite?”
Jess’s gaze was pulled to the reception counter where a tall, Nordic Viking with wild blond curls leaned. He didn’t notice them because his eyes were fixed on a white-haired beauty with pale skin and very green eyes. His hand rested casually on her shoulder, and even as he smiled, he had a familiar, sad expression on his face.
“That’s Miss Sweden,” Derrick whispered, pointing at Yrian’s companion.
“I know,” Jess said. “I saw the photo shoot announcement in the bar.” She hugged Derrick. “Some things in life are fleeting, but others are forever.”
“This hotel, our beautiful room, will soon turn back into water, but I promise you my vow is forever.”
“Wow, Derrick, that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said.”
“I’m learning. And I intend to become a very, very good student.” He pushed back her cloche to kiss her properly.
THE END
About the Author
South African born Charmaine Pauls followed a writing career path in all the facets of her communications degree, including public relations, journalism, advertising, and brand marketing. She resides in Chile with her husband and children.
www.charmainepauls.com
Other works by Charmaine Pauls
Between Fire & Ice
The Winemaker
Second Best
Love Thaws a Frozen Heart
by Valerie J. Clarizio
To all my U. P. friends.
Chapter One
Casey pushed her way through the front door of the Iron Mine Saloon, drawing the attention of the clientele cozied up to the bar. She ran her gaze along the length of the bar until it landed on Brian. Shock flashed through his dark brown eyes. It didn’t surprise her at all to find him at the saloon already on a Friday at three o’clock. Drinking all afternoon was what he did in the winter months when laid off from work. Though Casey knew he didn’t want to see or speak to her, she was here for that very reason.
He cringed at her first step toward him, and his jaw knotted upon her second step.
“Casey,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Where is he?”
Brian shrugged, spun on his stool and took a swig of his beer. Casey caught his reflective glare in the mirror lining the back of the bar. The smug look on his face irritated her. She never cared much for him in the first place, and the past thirty seconds with him only reinforced her feelings for her soon to be ex-husband’s best friend.
Casey edged her way between Brian and the old man on the stool next to him.
“Dang it, Brian, this isn’t funny. Now where is he?”
Brian swung his angry gaze in her direction. “I don’t know.”
“That’s bull-crap. You guys don’t do anything or go anywhere without each other knowing.”
“Whatever.” Brian shrugged and took another swig of his beer.
“Whatever,” she repeated, “what are you, two?”
His glare grew angrier. “Why don’t you just leave him be? Haven’t you done enough already?”
“Me? Me? Are you kidding? He’s the one who didn’t make good on his promise, and you know it,” Casey snapped before she could think better of it. On the drive up from Wisconsin, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she vowed not to have this same argument with Brian again.
Casey drew in a calming breath. “Brian, please tell me where he is, and I promise this is the last time you or he will have to lay eyes on me. Once he signs the divorce papers, I will never show my face in the U.P. again. Guaranteed.” This would not be a hard promise for her to keep. She hated the remoteness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Surprise flashed through his eyes as he spun to face her more directly. “What are you talking about? He said he signed those last month when you came up here and ruined his Thanksgiving.”
“Well, he lied. He chucked them into the woodstove and mumbled something about being married for life before he stormed off, and I haven’t seen or talked to him since. I had to have my lawyer draft another set. And now he doesn’t answer my calls.”
Brian studied her for a moment before his gaze softened. She knew he believed her. He sighed. “He’s at camp. Been there for nearly a month. No cell phone reception.”
“There’s a big surprise, no cell reception in this godforsaken place.” There she went, running off at the mouth again. She couldn’t seem to control herself around Brian, but she knew better, or she wouldn’t get any help from him. She worked to soften her voice, “I don’t know how to get there. Can you take me?” His hesitation told her he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, but she didn’t know which. “Can you?”
“No.”
“No. That’s it?”
“Honestly, Casey, at this point I wish I could, so I could hold him at gunpoint until he signed those damn papers and rid himself of you forever, but I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Have you looked outside lately? There’s three feet of snow, and the roads to camp aren’t plowed. You would need a snowmobile.”
“I’ll go rent one.
Brian shook his head. “First of all, though the snowmobile trail heads in that direction, it only goes within a mile of camp. That means you would have a mile of off-trail riding, and with this amount of snow that would be dangerous on a rental, not to mention your limited snowmobiling experience.” He smiled slyly. “Or does our perfect little city girl know how to ride?”
“Noah and I rode some. You know that.”
“Yeah, on groomed trails with Noah driving. This would be a different type of ride, not your family Sunday ride. Plus, have you noticed the weather forecast for the next several days?”
Casey shook her head. In her haste to drive to the Upper Peninsula and get the papers signed, she didn’t bother to look at the forecast.
Brian pointed out the window. Big snowflakes swirled in the wind. He glanced at his watch and then back toward her. “They’re predicting forty mile an hour winds and twelve inches of snow tonight, another ten to twelve inches tomorrow night, and that’s just the start of the storm. Nobody’s going anywhere, in or out of camp. You’re just going to have to wait until he returns.”
“When will that be?”
Brian shrugged. “He’s in no hurry to return. He’s got all he needs at camp.”
Chapter Two
The wind howled around Noah as he hurried from the sauna to the front door of camp. Nothing beat a sauna on a subzero day while a blizzard kicked up.
After he stoked up the fireplace, he glanced out the front window and studied the dark clouds forming in the west. Judging from the looks of them and the snow falling already, he knew that it was a good thing he’d snuck into town earlier in the day to get supplies, as it could be a few days before the opportunity presented itself again. The weatherman was predicting one heck of a storm. Good thing he purchased that Ski-doo Mountain Sled last year, or he would have never made it through the overabundance of snow that had already fallen in the past several weeks, and there was more on the way.
He pulled his rocking chair up to the window, took a seat and rested his heels on the windowsill. Watching the swirling snow relaxed him. This was just what he needed, a season at camp. Time alone to figure out what he was going to do with his messed up life. Less than a year ago, everything was great. He’d just been promoted, and he and Casey were talking about starting a family. Everything was on track, then boom, his company decided to close their shop and transfer him to the Chicago plant. He couldn’t stand the thought of moving to a big city, so he up and quit, deciding to move back home to the Upper Peninsula, and take over his father’s construction company. Unfortunately, Casey couldn’t stand the thought of living in such a remote area, so she left him. Deep down he alwa
ys knew he’d return home, and he hoped Casey would learn to love the Upper Peninsula as much as he did, but she didn’t even have the will to try.
Noah’s cell phone rang. He snatched it off the end table, expecting to see Casey’s picture flash across the screen like several times earlier in the day, but much to his surprise Brian’s picture stared back at him. Thank God.
“Hi, Brian, what’s up?”
“Hey, sorry pal, but I’m afraid you have a problem.”
Brian’s grim tone alerted Noah to the fact it was serious.
“What is it?”
“Casey’s on her way to see you.”
Noah’s cheeks heated and sweat beaded on his brow.
“Did you hear me?” Brian asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Another glance out the window at the blizzard swarming in full force caused a shiver of fear to snake up Noah’s spine. “Exactly how is she planning on getting here, and how does she even know how and where to find me?”
Brian informed Noah of the exchange that occurred between him and Casey at the bar, and then he went on to explain that Sam, from U.P. Motorsports, came into the bar a short time later and talked about the city girl who came into his shop and rented a snowmobile for the weekend. Though he gave her directions to the camp, he also advised her to wait until the storm passed over.
“Once Sam told me what happened I was concerned that she might risk leaving for your place right away. She was madder than a wet hen when I talked to her. I thought you said you signed the divorce papers?”
Noah paced the floor. He had lied to his friend, telling him he signed the papers just to get him off his back. Everyone had been hounding him to do this or that or offering their uninvited opinions in regard to his life, so he started telling people what they wanted to hear in order to find some peace.
After swallowing the golf ball sized lump in his throat he fessed up, “I’m sorry I lied to you, but I just couldn’t bring myself to sign the papers yet. And I couldn’t take you and everyone else badgering me anymore.”
“I’m sorry, too, but right now we have a bigger problem at hand.”
“What do you mean?”
“She already left.”
“What?”
“I just checked at the hotel, and the receptionist said she saw Casey leaving on the snowmobile a few minutes ago. Man, we can’t see three feet in front of us in town right now, so I can’t imagine how she’s going to find her way to your place. Not to mention, she’s going to lose daylight fast.”
“Shit!”
“I know. The conditions couldn’t be worse. It’s below zero and snowing like crazy here already.”
“It is here, too. Have you checked the trail along the highway? Maybe she turned back before she rode into the woods.”
“I already checked. There’s no sign of her or anyone else on the trail for that matter.”
Oh God, what have I done? If I had just signed the papers when she asked this wouldn’t be happening.
“Are you still there?” Brian asked.
“Yeah.”
Another long pause fell over the air.
“I know what you’re thinking, and this isn’t your fault. Both Sam and I warned her.”
No matter what Brian said, this was his fault, and he knew it without a doubt.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to head out and look for her. I hope to hell Sam gave her directions to follow the river once she turned off the snowmobile trail.”
“Check back in with me, and let me know when you find her. I’ll keep an eye out here and let you know if she returns to town. I hope the cell reception lasts through the storm.”
Noah disconnected the call. His churning stomach pushed the bile into his throat. If I had just signed the papers, she wouldn’t be out there.
Chapter Three
Casey squeezed the throttle ever so lightly on her rented snowmobile. A glimpse of the speedometer told her she was traveling at about ten miles per hour now. She had been moving about twenty miles per hour on the mile-long straight trail along the highway, but once she turned off that trail and into the woods, the blizzard swarming around her nearly shut out her visibility. She forged ahead slowly, knowing she’d be okay if she kept her skis straight on the railroad right-a-way Sam had told her would bring her to the small wooden bridge crossing over the river that ran right past Noah’s camp. Sam had also told her not to cross the bridge, but to turn north off the marked trail and ride alongside the river. Noah’s camp was roughly one mile off the main trail.
Casey leaned forward and eyed the odometer. She was just about to the three-mile mark on the old railroad bed. She knew she should see the bridge soon. If only she could see more than three feet in front of her that would be great. How had it come to this, renting a sled and driving through the woods in frigid temperatures in the middle of a blinding snowstorm? Despite the built-in hand warmers and dressing in so much winter-weather gear, making her look as big as a whale, she was still cold. If he had just signed the stupid papers, already I wouldn’t be doing this.
The nearly useless headlight shone on the wooden bridge. Casey stopped and assessed the area. She could see a hint of an indentation in the snowbank lining the marked trail, indicating that another snowmobile had turned off the trail immediately next to the bridge. That must be the unmarked trail Sam told me about.
Casey lined her sled up the best she could to hit the indentation as head-on as possible, hoping she wouldn’t tip over. She passed through the slot and headed practically straight down about ten feet or so until the ground leveled. Not so bad.
The wind kicked up and nearly knocked her off the sled. It probably would have if she hadn’t been white knuckling the handlebars already. Her numb fingertips dug in tighter. Though the handlebars were equipped with warmers, they weren’t doing anything to combat the frigid temperature.
The whistling wind blew the falling snow in a tornado-like pattern around her, blinding her completely. She stopped the sled to get her bearings. The snow funnel whipped around her for a few more seconds before it simply blew sideways. At least she could see a few feet in front her now. She squeezed the throttle lightly and rode the berm along the riverbank. A quick glance down alerted her to the fact that if she slipped off the narrow berm the snowmobile would surely roll over before she, and it, would land in the drink.
Sweat rolled down her sides as she forged onward, her spine tense and her eyes dry from fear of blinking and missing something. She took some comfort in knowing that each spin of the track brought her closer to Noah’s camp. Closer to her divorce.
Even with the beam of the headlight and her eyes opened as wide as possible, she still couldn’t see but a few feet in front of her. This was getting old. All of a sudden, her left ski rode up and over something, tilting her to the right. Though she half stood and shifted her weight onto the left running board, it wasn’t enough. Her sled slowly slid down the berm to the right before it rolled over the top of her. The thin skim-ice cracked beneath her back, and the weight of the snowmobile pinned her beneath the surface of the water.
Ice-cold water flooded into her helmet. Between the wall of the riverbank, the weight of the snowmobile, the rocky river-bottom, and wearing so much heavy and now saturated gear, she could hardly move, let alone free herself. She squirmed in the frigid water, holding her breath, making every deal with God she could think of if he would just get her out of this mess. Anything...she’d give anything for a miracle.
The pricks of a thousand needles penetrated her freezing body, and she was running out of air. This was it. This was how she was going to die.
Chapter Four
Noah slid into his snow gear and forged through the blinding blizzard and waist deep snow in his yard to reach the shed housing his snowmobile. With one yank on the pull-start, the engine roared.
The forty mile per hour winds slammed into his chest when he pulled out of the garage. He prayed Casey had the
sense to turn around and go back to town, but in his gut, he knew the truth. She was out there somewhere, trying to get to him, so he’d sign the papers and free her.
The sick feeling he got every time he thought about the divorce coursed through his veins, but it was ten times worse now that he knew she might be lost in this awful storm. Though he couldn’t see but a few feet in front of the nose of his snowmobile, he pinched the throttle tighter. He needed to find her. He needed to know she was okay.
Snow blew in a horizontal pattern, blinding him more than his iced-over shield. Thank goodness for the river, he’d use it as a guide, hoping Casey was doing the same. He stopped, pulled his left hand from his glove and used his fingernails to scrape the ice off his shield. Now would be a good time to have a heated shield; he didn’t have time to mess with scraping his shield every ten seconds. He blindly forged on. He’d driven this trail a thousand times before and often joked he could do it blindfolded. Well, now was his chance to prove he could.
Instinct told him he’d soon be coming upon the large branch that had fallen over the trail earlier in the day. At the time, he’d shoved it off the trail the best he could, but part of it still stuck out on the path. It was something he planned on dealing with after the storm settled. He couldn’t finish clearing the trail without the help of a chainsaw. If Casey got that far, he hoped she would be able to avoid hitting the obstruction, and if she did see it, he hoped she wouldn’t swerve too far over and slide down the riverbank berm. Noah inhaled deeply. This whole situation was simply not good.
He slowed, knowing he’d be coming upon the branch soon. The wind stilled, and the snow stopped. The woods went completely still. Eerie.
A hint of unease snaked up Noah’s spine. This wasn’t right. Now able to see, he pinched the throttle, but only momentarily before he caught a glimpse of a snowmobile upside down in the river, pushed up against the berm. The only parts of the sled not submerged were the track and part of the skis. Shit!
Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Page 5
