Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology

by Melange Books, LLC

  Judith spoke softly. “It’s just a stuffed animal—”

  “That’s not it.” Tiffany stared at her grandmother. Why did I ever agree to come here? And why am I now so unwilling to leave?

  “Oh! I almost forgot!” Judith reached into her purse. “Brian said to give this to you when we got to the airport. He wanted you to open it before we left.” She pulled out an envelope and handed it to Tiffany.

  “What’s this?” She opened the seal and removed the contents as other passengers began to line up by the gate.

  Judith shrugged. “No idea.” But the slight grin on her face told Tiffany otherwise.

  The hand-written note on the top sheet read, In case you decide to change your mind. We’d love it if you could join us! It was simply signed, Brian. Attached to the note was a job application for Wave Peak Resort.

  “Grandma? Did someone put you up to this?”

  “It wasn’t Chad, I swear!” Her grandmother held up her hands in defense. “But, you gotta admit, it is quite a coincidence that they just happen to have a job opening for a chef, and you just happen to be a chef who needs a job.” Her grandmother shook her head.

  “But it’s so far away...” Tiffany folded the paper back up.

  “That it is.” Judith nodded in agreement. “But the universe has a way of arranging things when we need a little push now and then.” She reached out and touched Tiffany’s arm. “It takes courage to follow your heart. Believe me, I was young once, too. I know.”

  “Do you miss moving away from your home?”

  “My home is in San Francisco now. That’s where the possibilities waited for me so many years ago. I’ve never regretted that decision, and I never stopped to consider all the what-ifs. So the question you must ask yourself is this...where are your possibilities, Tiffany? My heart led me to California. Where is your heart leading you?”

  “I don’t know. It would be kind of drastic to just up and leave everything I know for a guy. I mean, the job offer is an added bonus, but really, when it comes down to it, Chad would be the deciding factor. He’s the one that could make or break my heart.”

  Judith looked away for a moment, then turned back to stare deeply into her granddaughter’s eyes. “What messes up most people in life is the picture of how they think things are supposed to be. When I was in my twenties, like you are now, I decided to not be afraid of what might go wrong. Instead, I decided to focus on what might go right. It’s a good rule to live by.”

  “Do you really believe that, Grandma?” Tiffany sounded hopeful.

  “I do. Plus...” she waved her hand in the air dismissively. “It was so obvious to everyone back there that the two of you had something going on. Would it really be so wrong to just take a leap of faith and be happy together?”

  Tiffany considered this for a moment. “What if I decide I really don’t like it here? What if everything fails?”

  “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. But, you know where I live. San Francisco’s just a plane ride away. You can always come back.” Judith’s voice was full of kindness. “Sure, you may have to live with some regrets. We all have them, but in the end, most people will tell you that the only real regrets they had in life were the chances they didn’t take. Pain is definitely real, my dear...but so is hope.”

  Tiffany’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ll miss you, Grandma.”

  Judith reached out and put her arms around her granddaughter. “I’ll miss you, too, my darling. But I promise I won’t wait as long the next time before I visit here again. You’ll see me soon.” Judith planted a kiss on her forehead. “Now go. Take charge of your life, and make your future happen.”

  When Tiffany was completely out of sight, Judith pulled out her phone and punched in a number.

  “Brian? It’s Judith. I left the moose in the van, and I gave her the application just like you said. And guess what? It worked! She’s coming back.”

  * * * *

  “You let her get away. Poof. Gone,” Chad mumbled as he looked at the moose that was now sitting on his desk. The driver had returned it to him after he’d found it in on the back seat. It stood now as a symbol of what was not to be. A knock on his office door momentarily brought him back to reality.

  “I know you’re in there!” Brian suddenly barged in without being invited.

  “Go away.” Chad’s voice was flat.

  Brian slapped his hand on Chad’s desk. “What are you doing in here anyways? There’s a lot going on today.”

  “I’m busy feeling sorry for myself and brooding. Is there anything else you’d like to know?” Chad snapped.

  “Oh yeah, I’d forgotten that girl who just broke your heart. I suppose that’s what’s gotten into you.” Brian waved nonchalantly. “Well, there’s plenty of fish in the sea. You’ll snag someone else eventually, and if not, well, there are lots of old ladies down at the bingo hall that would just love to go dancing with you.”

  “You’re not helping,” Chad warned.

  “Fine. Sit in here and sulk!” Brian playfully punched him in the arm. “But first, I have someone I want you to meet. I’ve just hired a new chef...with your approval, of course.”

  “Fine. Whatever. I don’t care. This is your baby.” Chad covered his eyes with both hands and slumped further over his desk. “Now please, just go. I want to feel sorry for myself in peace.”

  He felt a hand land gently on his shoulder. “That’s really bad for your posture. You’ll get a backache, you know.” Tiffany’s voice made him bolt upright.

  “Tiffany?” Chad face lit up. “What? Where? Did you miss your plane?” He looked confused.

  “No. The plane left. My grandmother was on it.”

  “Then what happened?”

  She reached across his desk and picked up the stuffed animal. “I forgot my moose.”

  “That’s it? You missed your plane because you forgot the moose?”

  “Pretty much... yeah.” She nodded. “And while I was at it, I decided to stay and interview for a job.”

  A smile spread across Chad’s face.

  “And guess what? I was hired!” She looked happily at Brian.

  “Oh, duh!” Brian slapped his hand to his forehead. “I forgot to give you something. I’ll be right back!” He quickly left the two of them alone.

  “I want to show you something.” Chad turned his laptop toward her so she could see what he was pointing at on the screen. It was the website for an airline. “I was booking a ticket to San Francisco. I will also go there, if you want,” he offered.

  “Nah, I think I’ll learn to like it here.” She gave him a sideways grin.

  “I can’t believe you stayed.” Chad stood and looked down into her face.

  “Yeah, of course, now I’ll have to find a place to live—”

  Brian barged in with a box. “Here you go! Your grandmother left this here for you. She thought you might need it.” He handed it to Tiffany and left.

  She lifted the lid and peered inside. It was the parka from the clothing shop they’d visited the other day, the parka she’d admired.

  “She knew I’d stay...” Tiffany said softly.

  “Yeah, I guess she did.” Chad stared into her eyes. “Grandmothers sometimes see things we don’t.”

  “She saw that life is full of possibilities.” Tiffany lovingly touched the sleeve of the coat and then shrugged. “Like the possibility that I might see a moose.”

  “But you didn’t see a moose.” He placed both of his hands on her arms.

  “That’s because...I didn’t really try. If you want something, you’ve got to try. It doesn’t just fall in your lap.” She looked up into his hopeful eyes. “I ran out of time, and then it was too late for me to tell you what I was feeling. I blew that possibility as well. I guess I was frozen, in a way.”

  Chad shook his head. “I was frozen, too. I should have embraced the possibility that you might have been feeling the same way I was.” He reached down and stroked her cheek. “I
don’t want to make that mistake again.”

  Tiffany smiled softly. “Then let’s start on our possibilities...together.”

  Just as they were about to kiss, Brian charged back into the office. “Sorry if I’m interrupting, but there’s something you need to see! Come quick!” He motioned for them to follow.

  A small crowd of curious guests had formed in the lobby. Brian pointed toward the main entrance. “Look outside! Quick! By the edge of the trees! Can you see it?”

  Tiffany’s eyes grew wide in surprise as they approached the window. “A moose! It’s a real live moose!”

  “Well now, there’s something you don’t see every day.” Amazement filled Chad’s voice. The moose stopped walking for a moment and slowly looked at them before disappearing into the woods.

  “It happened! I saw a moose! I saw a real moose!” Not able to contain her excitement, she flung her arms around Chad. As their lips met in a passionate kiss, several people applauded.

  “I just love happy endings!” Brian exclaimed when they finished.

  “Endings?” Tiffany smiled as she pulled back to look at Chad.

  Chad put his arm around her shoulders and corrected his friend. “This is not an ending. This is what I call a happy beginning, Brian. A very happy beginning.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Rhonda Brutt moved to Minnesota over twenty years ago after growing up in Florida. A lifelong reader, she finds herself still pouring over young adult novels as well as science fiction and romance. When she’s not reading or writing she enjoys visiting coffee shops, swimming, traveling, rock music, attending concerts, going to the theater, and trying to come up with creative excuses to get out of cooking. Rhonda attended Florida State University but withdrew and moved to Minnesota. It was several years before she returned to finish her schooling. She graduated from Normandale Community College, Phi Theta Kappa, with high academic honors. Rhonda is proof that it is never too late to finish your education or achieve your goals; a message that she stresses to the young people she now mentors in her community, as well as to her own three children. Her first Young Adult novel, Voyance, was published in 2011 and the sequel, Redeemed was released in 2013.

  She lives with her husband in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. Visit her on the web at:

  http://RhondaBrutt.com/

  Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhonda-Brutt-Author/114258105319952?ref=hl

  Other works by Rhonda Brutt

  "When It’s Real" in 'Romancing the Lakes in Summer Minnesota'

  Frozen Heart Thawing

  by Nicole Angeleen

  For G Dubs

  Oswego, New York-October, 1810

  Chapter One

  The cold penetrated Nila Sarvani deep into her bones. The weather was only going to get worse as autumn was crushed in the frozen grasp of winter’s fist. This was her first day in Oswego, and it was by far the most chilled she had been in her life. Even in unseasonably frigid seasons, the temperature in Delhi never dropped so low. Of all the things Nila prepared for in this impossibly long voyage—shipwreck, illness, pirate attack, starvation—somehow she had not foreseen her warm blood’s response to her first brush with winter.

  Wearing a fashionable blue dress, the empire waist tightest just below her bosom and flowing into a billowy skirt, long white gloves and shoes that resembled flat ballet slippers, Nila felt like she needed an additional ten layers before she retained any of her warmth. She traveled with a hardier yet unbecoming woolen mantelet. The housekeeper who welcomed her took it to hang, and Nila did not want to make a poor impression by insisting she keep it. Now alone, she wished she had not been so worried about propriety. After all, it was not as if it mattered how she was perceived.

  Thomas Everett had to marry her regardless.

  The Everett home on the shore of Lake Ontario was a wonder. Made entirely of logs with glass windows and brick fireplaces in every room, the spaces were large, and the numerous hallways twisted unpredictably. She thought she might lose herself in them. Though the residence in India where she was raised was barely shy of being a palace, this was a stately manor made for a family, where children would be born and reared, the elderly could die peacefully surrounded by loved ones, and the harshness and heartache of the outside world could be shut away simply by closing the heavy draperies. The view from the window was of endless water, frozen solid near the banks, sparkling like diamonds in the pale midday sun, and the other three sides of the estate were shrouded by mighty trees larger than any Nila ever imagined.

  The promise of America was romantic and distant. The reality was a land where the untapped resources and adventures were far grander than anything a young woman from the subcontinent could conceive of, even a woman as educated, well traveled and jaded as Nila.

  The study where she waited to meet her betrothed was distinctly masculine, decorated in dark tones and smelling of pipe smoke. The lady of the house had long passed, and the small army of maids could not stop John Everett and his three sons from slowly eradicating every feminine flourish. Nila was surprised to discover she did not mind the overbearingly male motif. In an unexplainable way, instead of smothering her, it instilled a sense of security.

  Though Nila’s logical mind told her the journey was far from over, her wearied heart wished otherwise. She could picture herself creating a life here. A wisp of a smile crossed her lips, as she thought of diving naked into the chilly water of the lake under a full summer moon.

  There were worse fates.

  In the hallway, she heard muffled voices, and she moved closer in order to better eavesdrop. The door was not completely shut, and she could hear the conversation clearly if she stood silently just inside the room.

  “You really have gone senile if you believe I am going through with this harebrained scheme, Father.” The voice was low and gruff. Angry.

  The response was in the same timbre but calmer. “Our family, the business, we need the partnership with Nila’s father. It is a good match.”

  Her heart stilled. She wasn’t sure she truly wanted to hear what her future spouse thought of this arrangement, but curiosity outflanked fear, and she continued to listen.

  “Both of my brothers married for love, yet I am forced to claim a bride for the sake of a business we can revive without the aid of an ill-reputed wealthy sheikh,” the young man insisted. “I see no reason to forfeit my future.”

  “You’ve bedded most of the eligible debutantes on the eastern seaboard, Thomas, and you are yet to settle,” John Everett said with a mild chuckle. “Your definition of a search for love is one that leaves behind the carnage of smitten girls and incensed fathers, not a wife. It is time to put away such childish things.”

  Thomas growled his next words in a menacing tone. “I returned home to fix the business, and that is what I intend to do. On my own. I will not wed this stranger.”

  “Have pity, son. She traveled half the world alone, braved disease and peril, all to fulfill her family’s wishes and meet you. The Thomas I know is neither selfish nor unkind. So you will shout down your many demons and allow your better angels to prevail. Go into the study, and meet your wife.”

  The sigh was resigned. “I promise nothing.”

  Nila quietly shuffled to the other side of the study and gazed out the window, pretending to be enthralled by the scenery.

  Behind her, the heavy door banged against the wall, but she did not jump. Though dying to lay eyes on the man who enabled her exodus from India, pride kept her from turning until he spoke.

  Thomas Everett was ready for disappointment but found himself unprepared for the opposite and clueless as how to respond. The woman standing by the window was tall and thin as a willow reed. Not demure, she stood upright, like a sapling braced against a gale. Instead of wearing her hair pinned tight beneath a hat, as was the fashion, her lustrous black locks spilled lose all the way down to her waist. Haloed by sunlight, it held streaks of blue, and his eyes followed
the thick waves down to the curve of her hips and then lower, to her elegant legs.

  He meant to speak to her with confidence and flippancy, but what came out sounded more like a question. “Miss Sarvani?”

  She turned around slowly, and Thomas’s breath hitched in the back of his throat. Nila Sarvani was exquisite. Her skin was as smooth and flawless as porcelain, much fairer than he thought she would be, glowing like burnished copper. Her plump lips were ruby red, and her eyes were the most amazing shade of gray. They sparkled like drops of silver and had the ability to penetrate every aspect of the superficial veneer he worked his entire life to cultivate.

  He reminded himself to keep his wits. It wasn’t as if he’d never seen a pretty girl before, but he knew the description was inadequate. She was not simply pretty. She possessed the kind of rare beauty few are fortunate enough to experience firsthand.

  Nila felt her lips part but was unable to speak. During her voyage, she pictured Thomas as every type of man she had ever encountered, but this she was not expecting. He was at least a foot taller than she was, with broad shoulders and a wide chest tapering down to a thin waist and powerful thighs. His hair was the color of sun-kissed sand on a beach. It curled around his ears and the nape of his neck. His jaw, cheekbones and nose were straight and defined, with a hint of stubble softening his handsome features.

  And his eyes. As turquoise as a tropical sea and just as warm and deep, she could drown in them.

  “Miss Sarvani?” he repeated.

  She smiled faintly and took a step toward him. “You must be Mr. Everett.”

  “Thomas,” he said, finding his bearings. Her English was flawless, and she spoke with a British accent that was somewhat flattened by the Indian influence. She only got more intriguing. “How was your trip?”