While Snowbound (Sensual Romance Series)

by McIntyre, Anna J.

  She wondered if he had tried to call her. It was possible, considering she only answered the phone at the cabin when she recognized the number, and she had never known his. While she wanted to think he had tried to call, she seriously doubted that was the case. If he really wanted to contact her, he could have done so through Kevin and Amanda.

  With a sigh, she set her cup of tea by her feet on the concrete pavers, opened her laptop and turned it on. She hadn’t been online to check her sales reports since leaving Canyon City and heading to the mountains.

  Kevin’s sister had given her the password to the beach house’s wireless Internet connection. In less than five minutes after powering up the laptop, she was online. The first site she opened was Kindle Direct Publishing, to check the sales reports for her eBooks sold at Amazon. She almost dropped the computer from her lap to the patio.

  Blinking her eyes in disbelief, she looked closely at the computer screen.

  “This has to be some sort of a glitch,” she said aloud.

  Convinced Amazon had been hacked, she opened the Nook Press site, to check her sales reports at Barnes and Noble. Like the Amazon site, her sales were off the charts.

  “This is impossible,” she muttered. With disbelief, she opened her Amazon AuthorCentral page and logged into her account. There she could check her author ranking and the ranking of her books published with Amazon. After reading the report, she was stunned. Ella Lewis was a bestselling author.

  From Nook Press she went to Goodreads. She was in for another surprise. The last time she checked Goodreads, her best book had been rated less than a hundred times. Now each book had been rated by over 40,000 readers. Her rating average was 4.74 stars, with 5 stars being the maximum. According to Goodreads, according to her sales stats—readers loved her.

  From Goodreads she went to Google search and typed in her penname. She was astounded by the results. Links to her personal blog, website and books were not the only pages to come up. Her real name and penname were all over the blogosphere and news sites, and on Twitter, both names were trending.

  When the sun began to set, it became too chilly to stay outside, so Ella went back in the beach house. After feeding Sam and making herself a sandwich, she took her laptop with her to the living room and curled up on the couch.

  Before resuming her surfing, she opened her email. Once again she was astounded. Her email box was flooded, and not from the normal spam. There were messages from agents, publishers, media and fans. While a few were unkind and rude, most were supportive.

  I think Brady Gates is hot and was curious about his mystery woman. That is the ONLY reason I bought the first book in your Montana series. I admit I expected to hate it. But I loved it! I couldn’t put it down! I already started the second one in the series. You rock! Ella received countless emails with similar sentiments.

  According to the messages, numerous talk shows wanted her as a guest. Apparently they had been unable to contact her by phone, and easily located her email on her author’s website. It was past midnight when Ella finally turned off the laptop and climbed into bed.

  The next morning the ringing of a telephone woke her. Groggy, Ella reached over to the nightstand and picked up the phone’s receiver.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, Ella,” came her sister’s cheerful voice.

  “Connie? What time is it?” Ella sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

  “I don’t know, after eight. You still sleeping?”

  “Well, I was. Remember, I didn’t get any sleep the night before last; I was driving.”

  “Oh, sorry, kiddo. Hey, why did you call me on that crappy cell phone yesterday and not this landline?”

  “What landline?” Ella tried to focus on the conversation. She wanted to go back to sleep, but once woken, it would be impossible.

  “The one you’re talking on now, silly!”

  Ella frowned and looked at what she was holding. Sure enough, it wasn’t her disposable cell phone.

  “Well, hell, imagine that,” Ella chuckled. “So, how did you get the phone number? And, what is the phone number, by the way?”

  “Amanda gave it to me.”

  “I don’t imagine I should be making long distance calls on it.”

  “Amanda told me to tell you it was okay. I guess she checked with her brother and his plan has unlimited long distance, so you can go ahead and use it, as long as you aren’t making international calls.”

  “Have you started your turkey?” Ella asked, remembering what day it was.

  “No, not yet. Hey Ella, they were talking about you on the morning show. They say you’re probably going to be on the New York Times Best Seller’s list when this week’s report comes out.”

  “Last night was the first time I’ve been online since before this fiasco. Connie, my sales are through the roof. You’ll never believe how much money I’ve made this week. It’s probably just a fluke, and when the story of me and Brady drops from the news, my numbers will go back to normal.”

  “Hey, Mom wants to talk to you. Hold on.”

  “Hi, honey. I am so proud of you! You’re a bestselling author!”

  “Thanks, Mom. It’s all pretty crazy.”

  “Of course, your father is still upset about that picture on the Internet.”

  “I know, Mom. Me, too.”

  “When do we meet Brady, dear?”

  “Mom, Brady and I aren’t dating. I don’t think you’ll ever meet him.”

  “What’s wrong, don’t you like him? He seems like such a sweet boy, and he obviously adores you.”

  “What in the world are you talking about?”

  Instead of an answer, Ella heard Connie snatch the phone from their mother.

  “Ella,” came Connie’s voice, “I was getting ready to tell you. Brady was on a talk show last night. Look it up online; I bet the clip will be there. That’s why I called Amanda, I wanted her take on this. Before you watch it, answer a serious question for me.”

  “What?”

  “Are you in love with him?”

  “That is none of your business,” Ella snapped.

  “Okay, baby sis. But maybe you need to ask yourself that question before you watch the video. Because I have a good hunch that cute guy is in love with you.”

  When Ella hung up the phone a few minutes later, she retrieved her laptop and turned it on. It took her only a few minutes to find Brady Gate’s interview from the night before. Starting the video, Ella’s heart gave a little lurch when she saw Brady sitting on the couch across from the show’s host. Maybe he’d only been in her life a relatively short time, but walking away from him hurt far more than her breakup with Craig.

  “You’ve survived an exciting adventure. Lost in a blizzard and rescued by a beautiful woman. But there’s been some talk that all of this was some sort of publicity stunt.”

  “Publicity stunt? I hadn’t heard that one,” Brady laughed, yet Ella could tell by his body language the question irritated him.

  “This has definitely helped Ella Lewis’s career.”

  “Ella is an extremely talented writer. I think it’s wonderful readers have discovered her work. I’m only sorry it had to be done at the expense of her privacy. She didn’t deserve any of that.”

  “You mean the photographs?”

  “That and the paparazzi camping out at her cabin. Just because she rescued me in the middle of a blizzard and provided me a safe harbor, that is no reason for the press to invade the sanctity of her home.”

  “Oh, Brady, you know it’s more than rescuing you. The pictures….”

  “Any discussion regarding those photographs should be limited to how the photographer stepped across the line and broke laws. I understand that in my career choice, I’ve forfeited the right to privacy. Ella made no such bargain.”

  “It sounds like you care a great deal for her.”

  “That’s an understatement. She’s the only person I’d ever want to be snowbound with.” The clip ended.

  Ella wa
sn’t sure how she felt about the video, or what it meant. If he cared so much, why hadn’t he tried contacting her? After turning off the computer, she dressed in a pair of jeans and pullover sweater. She went to the kitchen and ate a bowl of cereal. Too restless to write, she turned on the television and did some channel surfing, but most of the programing was holiday related or reruns, and nothing captured her attention because she couldn’t stop thinking of Brady.

  Needing to clear her head, she decided to take a walk along the ocean. For a moment, she considered taking Sam, but not sure dogs were permitted, she left her behind.

  It took her just a few minutes to walk to the beach. When Ella reached the sand, she slipped off her shoes and held them while she walked along the water’s edge. Only a few people shared the beach with her and they were some distance away.

  Enjoying the solitude, she walked for about five minutes before sitting in the sand. She sat there for about twenty minutes, staring into the ocean and watching the breakers. Her solitude was interrupted when a shadow fell over her. Someone was standing behind her. Jerking her head up she turned around quickly to see who was standing so close in such an isolated area.

  It was Brady. He stood, looking down at her, a quiet smile playing on his lips. Casually dressed in denims and a long-sleeved shirt, he looked relaxed.

  “Brady,” she whispered, not believing he was there. Her heart began to race and it took incredible willpower not to jump up and throw her arms around him.

  “Hi, Ella, can I join you?” he sat down beside her before she could answer.

  “How did you know where to find me?” She wondered if he could hear her heart beating. It sounded thunderous in her own ears. Taking a deep breath, she tried to stay calm.

  “Your friend Amanda. You know, she can’t keep secrets.”

  “Are you alone?” Ella asked, looking around, wondering who was watching them.

  “I came alone. Although, that’s not entirely true. Kevin and I drove to his sister’s in Cayucos and she loaned me her car.”

  “You need to get your own car,” Ella teased with a soft smile.

  “You’re probably right. I think I’m going to buy a house too. I’m a little tired of living in hotels.” He glanced around then added, “A beach house would be nice.”

  “Why are you here, Brady?”

  “I missed you. I understand you’re a hot shot bestselling author now.”

  “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

  “No, Ella, I’ve read the reviews. Readers love your books. In fact, my agent called. Apparently you are impossible to contact, so agents and producers have been calling him, trying to get ahold of you. I understand there is serious interest in making several of your books into a mini-series for the History Channel. Sorry, Ella, but you’re famous now. Maybe if you didn’t have talent, all this would die down and you could slide back into anonymity.”

  “You don’t think it will eventually die down?”

  “Sorry, no. Even if I never see you again, you will always have fans wanting a part of you. That’s just part of the business.”

  Gazing out to the ocean, Ella silently considered his words.

  “Here’s the thing, Ella.” Brady draped one arm around her. “I figure the privacy cat is pretty much out of the bag. You can’t put that kitty back in there; he’ll scratch your eyes out. So if that’s the case, I see no reason for us not to be together.”

  “What?” Ella turned to look at him. In spite of the teasing tone in his voice, he looked utterly serious.

  “I’m crazy about you, Ella Lewis. I think I’m in love with you.”

  Ella smiled; tears filled her eyes. She reached up and stroked the side of his face.

  “I know I’m in love with you, Brady Gates.”

  Chapter Eighteen - One Year Later

  “This is amazing!” Amanda shifted the squirming baby from one hip to another as she looked out the enormous picture window and admired the stunning ocean view. She knew exactly what this prime piece of California real estate cost Brady and Ella, because they’d asked her to help them find a California real estate agent before they started shopping for a new home. The sweet referral commission she earned on the transaction enabled her and Chad to join family and friends for a Thanksgiving holiday along the coast while adding to their son’s college fund.

  “Here, let me take him,” Ella offered, snatching the wiggly baby from Amanda. He went without protest and immediately started tugging on Ella’s necklace while examining the diamond pendant attached to the gold chain.

  The two women were alone in the living room. Sounds of a lively conversation drifted in from the kitchen area, reminding them it was a full house. Ella’s last Thanksgiving would be remembered as her favorite, spending it alone with Brady at the Morro Bay beach house, dining on leftovers.

  She was looking forward to this week, spending it in her new home with the people she loved most in the world. It had been an exciting and life-altering year, and she was looking forward to a peaceful holiday surrounded by close friends and family.

  “I’m really glad you invited Chad and me up here for the week. Thanks again.”

  “You know you’re always welcome. I do miss going up to the cabin, but that’s not really possible these days. And I absolutely love this house.”

  “On the upside, it’s been great for cabin rentals,” Amanda chuckled. “Yours is booked for the next nine months, and I never had people interested in winter rentals before.”

  “I had hoped the interest in Brady and me would have died down by now. I imagine it will eventually.”

  “At least you have this amazing new home. A gated community is probably the best option.”

  Gazing out at the panoramic ocean view, Ella silently agreed with her friend. She never intended to move in with Brady so soon, considering they had known each other such a short time. Miraculously, the press didn’t discover her Morro Bay hideaway. When Brady wasn’t in rehearsal or concert, he’d steal away to the borrowed beach house so they could spend time together.

  In spite of the seclusion at Morro Bay, Ella’s professional life was becoming more complicated. Keeping up with the flood of emails was becoming a fulltime job and she found it difficult to find the time to write. Even her personal life was getting strange. Suddenly forgotten classmates and cousins she hadn’t heard from in years were contacting her mother, wanting to know how to reach the now famous Ella.

  Thinking it might be easier to organize her life at her own home, Ella returned to the condo by the end of January. Unfortunately, the loss of her privacy continued to complicate her life. Strangers were showing up at her door, as well as the family members and old acquaintances who’d initially contacted her mother.

  Brady was done with hotel living, and during that time, had decided to rent a beach house in a gated community. Knowing they would have no privacy at Ella’s condo, it was decided they would get together at the beach rental. During Ella’s first visit, Brady asked her to stay beyond the weekend. She only intended to stay a few extra days, but never went home. With Amanda’s help, Ella’s personal belongings were packed up and shipped to the beach house, and the condo sold.

  Brady talked her into hiring a personal assistant, which helped organize her professional life. Through his connections, she signed with a reputable agent and sold her books’ print rights to a major publishing house while retaining all her digital rights. Ella Lewis was a very rich woman.

  “What are you two plotting?” Chad teased as he and Brady walked into the living room. Upon seeing his daddy, the baby in Ella’s arms began to squirm. Chad quickly took his son from Ella and gave the boy a hug.

  Brady stood next to Ella and wrapped one of his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly to him.

  “You look good with a baby in your arms,” Brady whispered, yet loud enough for his friends to hear.

  “I heard that!” Amanda chimed. “I think you need to get married first.”

  “No o
ne gets married anymore,” Chad said as he bounced his baby boy in his arms.

  “We’re married!’ Amanda reminded. Chad responded with a laugh.

  “Should we tell them?” Brady asked slyly, giving Ella a little squeeze.

  “I thought we were waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to make the announcement?” Ella scolded. “You just can’t keep a secret!”

  “Oh my god, you are getting married!” Amanda squealed.

  “Not exactly,” Brady chuckled.

  “You’re pregnant?” Amanda asked, looking Ella up and down for signs of an impending pregnancy.

  “No I’m not pregnant!” Ella laughed. She shoved Brady with her hip, flashing him a mock scowl. Brady laughed, delighted at the guessing game.

  “I can’t marry this jerk,” Ella told her friend.

  “Why?” Amanda asked, wondering what the secret was.

  “Because we’re already married!” Ella laughed. “But don’t say anything. We want to make the announcement during Thanksgiving grace, when we all share what we’re thankful for.”

  “I don’t understand. When did you get married? Why wasn’t I invited?” Amanda asked.

  “Don’t be mad at us Amanda,” Brady told her. “But considering the way we’ve been hounded by the press, we decided we wanted our wedding day to be completely out of the limelight. We felt the only way to do that was to elope.”

  “Do your parents know? Your sister?”

  “Not yet, but considering those photos of me and Brady on the Internet, my father will be relieved.”

  They all laughed. Ella thought it felt wonderful to laugh at something that last year was so excruciatingly embarrassing. The four chatted for a few minutes longer before the baby started fussing. Amanda and Chad left the room with their son, leaving the secret newlyweds alone.

  “You really can’t keep a secret,” Ella teased, leaning into Brady.

  “Funny thing, Ella, this is one secret I want to shout to the world. I’m just so damn happy.”