by Mimi Barbour
He shook his head and took in the sky. No sign of storms, but one had begun to brew in his soul, the moment he’d spotted that woman.
Could it be a sign?
Impossible…
Grateful he’d decided against taking the Cave of the Winds tour, he tucked the woman’s fetching beauty into his memory, and perused the itinerary he’d fetched from his pocket.
A reservation for a party of one at the Top of the Falls Restaurant about covered it.
“Damn, how boring can you get?” he muttered as he shook his head.
A text from his father replaced his self-disgusted expression with one of impatience.
“How’re you doing, son?” the message said.
Irritably, he texted back, “I’m fine, Dad.”
“Don’t mean to bother you, but I’m worried, and so is Cindy,” his dad replied.
Jace DeMatteo quickly tapped his smart phone, hurrying to get the conversation, such as it was, over with.
“For God’s sake, it’s all good. Will be home in a few days.”
Then, he shut off his phone and began the descent from the platform.
***
Hanging from the rail on the Maid of the Mist’s bow never failed to give her an adrenaline rush, and today was no exception.
Unaware she was observed from far above, the young woman tossed her head and let the cool air have its way with her hair, until it streamed behind her like a back veil swinging in the breeze.
Because she’d been conceived during her parents’ first anniversary at a nearby resort, the girl was called Niagara, and she had become a frequent flyer on this boat.
Visiting Niagara Falls several times of the year had become a must, ever since her parents’ death in an auto accident nine years before.
Her trips also enabled her to enjoy a few days of solace from her hectic day job, and to escape the lonesome nights that were fast becoming wearisome.
Too bad her relationship with Arthur had turned out to be such a blooming disaster.
Then she sniffed, her nose wrinkled with distaste.
Arthur had never sent her pulse racing, the way those heroes did in the romances she favored reading, nor did he make her body shiver with delight.
Their lovemaking had been mechanical at best, his kisses uninspiring.
That’s what you get when you date an idiot co-worker, she reprimanded herself as she disembarked The Mist.
There was, after all, have a dinner reservation she was obligated to attend, if only in keeping the tradition she’d maintained since her parents’ demise.
***
Jace may not have recognized the woman he’d beheld on The Maid of the Mist her, but for the elegant lift of her neck and that gorgeous dark hair, when he was waiting to be shown to his table.
That hair was now confined in a French twist, and he longed to rescue it from the pins holding it hostage.
What cool luck to find her here, after thinking he’d never see her again.
Her black cocktail dress was sleeveless, yet simple. Her bronze skin of her shoulders and slender arms ignited his blood, and he longed to caress her skin.
He wondered, too, how her legs looked, since the tablecloth covered them, but imagined they were as fine as the rest of her.
The bold thoughts shooting like meteors through his mind inspired a carefree attitude he hadn’t felt in forever, yet he welcomed it.
He was headed for the crazy zone, but he didn’t care.
When the host led him to a window table next overlooking the falls, Jace shook his head and pointed to a table closer to the raven-haired lady.
He wouldn’t be satisfied with a scenic view, when he could have a much better one.
The host nodded and led Jace to the table he’d indicated.
His gaze never wavered from the beautiful woman whose profile he could now observe to his heart’s content as he accepted the menu from the host.
“Something to drink, sir?” asked a server, interrupting his reverie.
“I want what she’s having,” the young man replied as he gestured towards the lovely woman sitting alone.
“That would be a dirty martini,” the server told him. “Hers has three olives. Will be you be having the same?”
Jace’s skin tingled with anticipation and he laughed aloud, a sound that hadn’t come from his mouth in a long time.
“See if you can make to make mine way dirtier. And include four olives, if you please,” he requested, and gestured towards Niagara once more. “While you’re at it, I’d appreciate you sending the lady with the black hair over there another as well. Tell her it’s on me.”
To Be Continued…
Falling For Niagara: http://amzn.to/1pwscen
About Susan Jean Ricci
An Award-Winning, From Women’s Pens Author, and Humorist, Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy’s Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These cherished characters are first introduced in the novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, and return to entertain you in the sequel The Sugar Ticket. Their mischief making continues in these shorts Two Miracles for Christmas, A Valentine’s Day to Remember, and The Blind Seer.
Ms. Ricci’s Christmas stories and novellas have been published in the beloved Annie Acorn Christmas Treasuries 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Other selections appear in Annie Acorn's Romance 2015 Treasury, Annie Acorn's Romance Treasury 2016, and Annie Acorn’s Spirited Tales 2015. All may be purchased as stand alone stories, as well as other her titles, including those smoking, hot novellas available in Ms. Ricci’s catalogue, The My Sexy Chef Series.
More recently, Ms. Ricci’s When Sailors Play has been included in Uvi Poznansky’s Bestselling Anthology Love in Times of War. Her current tales are offered in the following anthologies Unforgettable Heroes – Unforgettable Passion, and Sweet Heat – Where Love & Suspense Meet.
Susan and her husband Joe live in a beautiful town near the sea, and when time allows, they love to travel. Together they have seven children, ten grandchildren, and harbor their queen of the castle Emma the Lab.
Ms. Ricci blogs at http://www.susanjeanricci.com/blog.php
You can friend her at facebook.com/DinosaursCherryStems, and you can follow her on Twitter at @Susanjeanricci.
Other Books by Susan Jean Ricci
Please check out the list below for my other works.
Anthologies:
Love in Times of War
http://BookShow.me/B01M0SOXQW
Unforgettable Heroes – Unforgettable Passion
http://amzn.to/2ug5u0r
Sweet Heat: Where Romance and Suspense Meet
http://bookShow.me/B074XKZ95J
My Catalogue
Turning Up the Heat: http://amzn.to/2xYJUw0
His Sacred Vow: http://amzn.to/2r4PoWh
Falling For Niagara: http://amzn.to/1pwscen
Heart Marks the Spot: http://amzn.to/1vnVTvk
A Super Sandy Christmas: http://amzn.to/1bR1j9Y
Twilight & Chickadees: http://amzn.to/1bOVqKp
When Sailors Play: http://amzn.to/2qiQj5m
My Sexy Chef: http://amzn.to/2qiQj5m
Chaos in the Kitchen: http://amzn.to/1GYPGkx
The Blind Seer: amzn.to/1Tugsma
A Valentine’s Day to Remember: http://amzn.to/1zHFKWO
Two Miracles for Christmas: http://amzn.to/TiSjWX
The Christmas Cardinal: http://amzn.to/1l7OleV
Annie Acorn’s Valentine’s Anthology:
http://amzn.to/1EXXxtd
Annie Acorn’s Spirited Tales 2015
http://amzn.to/2xrPgAv
Annie Acorn’s Romance Anthology:
http://amzn.to/1EXXxtd
Christmas Anthologies
Annie Acorn’s Christmas Anthologies
2014: http://amzn.to/2wiWiaz
2015: http://amzn.to/2wDGzWb
2016: http://amzn.to/2fB5Wjz
You can also follow me on Facebook:
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k.com/DinosaursCherryStems/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Susanjeanricci
Christmas In Mistletoe
Leanne Banks
NYT & USA Today Best-selling author
Copyright © 2017 Leanne Banks
Book Description
A Novelettte by Leanne Banks
What happens when city girl Evie Fitzgerald gets fired from her fancy-pants job and must take a temporary retail gig in small-town Mistletoe, Virginia? After tall, strong Deputy Michael Benson rescues her by changing her flat tire, he promptly issues her a ticket for broken tail-lights. Evie is hoping her luck will change fast. All she wants is to get through this job and return to NYC. But then she makes a connection with Michael's adopted son, Will, and some other town folk. Suddenly, Michael is invading her dreams, and there's a ghost, or angel trying to change her mind about her plans. Is it just her imagination, or does Christmas mean more than it ever has before?
Praise
When life gets tough, read a book by Leanne Banks.” ~ Janet Evanovich
“When everything goes wrong with your day, you need a dose of loving warmth from favorite author Leanne Banks.”~ Romantic Times Book Club
Chapter One
“Mistletoe,” Evie Fitzgerald muttered to herself as she drove closer to her destination in western Virginia. “A town named Mistletoe? What a hokey name. It can’t be real.”
She cranked up the volume on her car stereo and screamed along with her favorite alternative rock group to drown out all her reservations about taking this job. Suddenly her car pulled to the left and wobbled as she drove forward. Her heart pounding in alarm, she swerved to the right. “No, oh, no, no, no…”
Evie landed on the curb of the two-lane road and swore. What? Hadn’t she been through enough? Taking a deep breath, she got out of her car and immediately saw that one of her tires was deflating to flatsville. Great, she thought. How long would it take her to get help from a car service?
She pulled out her cellphone and lifted her finger to push the button for her car service. Flashing lights distracted her. Shielding her eyes from the lights, she glanced up as a patrol car approached her.
The car pulled in behind hers and a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped from the vehicle. Evie felt a flurry of nerves. What if he wasn’t really a lawman? What if he was an ax murderer? She was on a mountain road.
“Hello, Ma’am. Deputy Michael Benson. You have a problem?” the handsome man asked and flashed his ID.
Biting her lip, she nodded. “I think I have a flat tire,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It happens,” he said, walking around her vehicle. “Usually at an inconvenient time.”
Something about his tone and the trace of a southern accent in his voice eased her fear. She took a deep breath. “So true. I was driving toward Mistletoe. I’m starting a job there.”
“You’re not far,” he said. “Do you have a spare tire?”
“I think so,” she said. Truthfully, she didn’t know because she’d bought the car used a few years ago and left it in the cheapest parking lot she could find in Manhattan.
“You have a driver’s license?” he asked.
“Yes, I do,” she said, suddenly remembering he was law enforcement and she should be uncomfortable. Right? She pulled her license from her wallet.
He glanced at it, nodded and gave it back to her. “Got a key?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said, still fighting a bit of reluctance. She pressed the key into his warm palm and he opened her trunk.
“There’s your spare,” he said and pulled it out.
She watched him change the tire and her anxiety dropped a notch. If he was an ax-murderer, then he would just kill her on the spot. He wouldn’t do hard labor by changing her tire.
“What’s your job in Mistletoe?” he asked as he did something with nuts or bolts.
“I’m the manager of a temporary ornament store,” she said. It had taken her an entire year to get this position due to the scandal created by her previous boss.
He nodded. “Everything’s about Christmas in Mistletoe. Everyone wants to visit. Get married. Buy things. Then everything shuts down in January.”
“I guess that’s why my job is temporary,” she said.
He gave the bolt or nut one last hard twist and stood, looming over her. “Guess so. I hate to give you the bad news, but both your tail lights are out. You gotta get them fixed. I’m writing you a ticket, but if you get them fixed within three days, you won’t have pay.” He pulled a packet of paper from his back pocket.
Evie blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You need to get these tail lights fixed or you’ll have to pay a fine,” he said. “I need to see your license again.”
“But?”
He extended his hand and she gave him her license. This really sucked, she thought. He was so strong and handsome and had rescued her. But now he was going to be a pain her butt.
As he scribbled out her ticket, she sighed. “Where do I get the tail lights fixed?”
“I’m not allowed to give official recommendations, but check out Bob’s Auto Repair on Main Street. He’s pretty fast. Sorry about your tire and tail lights, but welcome to Mistletoe.”
Evie drove into town and collapsed at one of the very few local economy hotels. She would move to a rooming house in a few days after she worked like a dog to get the ornament shop set up. Evie had spent the last year trying to get a job after the VP she’d worked for had been caught in a scandal that had landed him in trouble with the law. She had been dismissed and no one had wanted to hire her until now. A temporary job in the middle of nowhere with the hope of much more. That meant she had to work like crazy.
Last year had been so different. Last year, a hired car had driven her to work to her and to her Manhattan high-rise. Last year, she’d had money to spend. Manicures and pedicures twice a month, highlights every three weeks, facials every week.
Now, she was struggling and her back-up funds were nearly depleted. Her bank account laughed at the prospect of getting a haircut, let alone highlights, facials and manicures. She’d sent her resume to every possible corporation, but they didn’t want to take her on because of her association with her ex-boss, who was now headed for prison.
But now she was drinking hot tea in her shabby chic hotel room. Not her usual night. It was so quiet. She took another deep sip and then a deep breath. Deputy Michael Benson’s angled face filled her mind. She had thought about him too much. His eyes were dark, yet compassionate. He’d recued her at the same time he’d given her a ticket.
She squished her eyes closed and shook her head. No.
Taking a shower, she collapsed into bed. She needed to find Bob’s Auto Repair and her shop tomorrow. She wasn’t sure how she could do both.
The sound of her cell phone alarm jarred her awake way too early. Evie glanced at the clock. Six o’clock. A cruel time. She dragged herself from her bed and took another shower to wake her up more. Putting her hair in a ponytail, and with no cosmetics on her face, which happened never for her, she headed for the shop and opened the door with the key she’d been given. Tiny, but promising, she thought after she turned on the lights. Boxes piled in the back of the store beckoned her attention. Marshalling her determination, she pursed her lips and began to unload them.
Suddenly, she noticed the time at 3 pm and panicked. She needed to get her head lights fixed. Running out the front door of her shop, she quickly locked it and glanced both ways down the street. Where was Bob’s?”
“Hello, there,” an elderly woman greeted her. “Are you looking for something?”
“Yes, Bob’s Auto Repair. I don’t remember what street,” she said.
“Main Street,” the woman said and nodded. “Go up two streets and turn right. Four street down on your left.”
Evie tried to memorize the directions. “Up two, then right four. I hope I can remember it. Thank you.”
“You’ll be fine,” the
woman said.
Evie walked to her hotel and tried to reroute herself. She turned several times, but finally found the auto service. “My tail lights need replacing,” she said to the man at the counter.
“What kind of car?” the man asked.
“It’s an eight-year old BMW,” she said.
The man winced. “Oooh. We don’t have a lot of those. It could take some time.”
“I don’t have time. Your deputy Michael Benson only gave me three days to get them fixed.”
The man at the counter gave a knowing glance. “Michael. He’s a soft touch. We’ll find a way to get you a pass, but you might not be able to drive your car right away.”
Evie blinked. “Excuse me?”
“It’s gonna take more than three days to get those tail lights.”
“How many days?” she asked.
“We’ll get them as soon as we can. It may take a week,” he said.
“As week?” she echoed.
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “We’ll do our best. We don’t get many older BMWs.”
Evie took a deep breath. “But you can fix it so I don’t get a ticket.”
“Oh, yeah. Michael’s a good guy. We can work with him.”
“Okay,” she said. “Please try to get those parts soon. I can google—“
The man shook his head. “We’re your best bet.”
Frightening and sad, she thought. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll trust you to move as quickly as possible.”
Swearing under her breath, she walked back to the shop. How was she supposed to deal with this? How was she supposed to survive without a vehicle? Huffing and puffing, she inserted the key into the lock of her store and tramped inside. The display window looked great, but she needed to work on the rest of the store. As much as Christmas aggravated her, she hoped she somehow knew how to decorate to draw people in and make them want to spend.
