Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 60

Happy Birthday, Kathleen! Birthday Blog Hop and Contest!!

 H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y , K A T H L E E N

 Welcome to the birthday blog hop! In honor of Kathleen Grieve's birthday, I'm running a contest! Unscramble one of my heroes' names, leave it in a comment with your email addy and you'll be entered to win your choice of one of my books. Two winners will be drawn. Good luck!



Hero Names


1. Cam  Claldwel
2. Nadny  Aimne
3. Vangi   Laidey
4. Kime Strofe
5. Regy  Drenaws
6. Tincl  Wayhorth

Unscramble first, last or both names. Don't forget to leave your email addy!!

Spotlight on the Now and Forever Series

Now and Forever 1, a Love Story
 Callie Richards was no stranger to heartache. Her parents were killed when she was sixteen. Left with her older sister, she fell into a romance with good-looking, Kyle Maine. They became engaged and Callie's future was set until he was killed in Iraq. Two years later, she pulls herself together to get her Master's degree and restart her life on her own.
Working and studying at Kensington State University, Callie meets Mac Caldwell, the handsome dean. Together they fall in love, then fight a deadly campus drug ring with heart-breaking results. This is an emotional story, not a cookie-cutter romance, that will make you laugh and cry as Callie struggles to make a new life, find love and her happy ending.
Only $3.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks
Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny
Can the newest professor at Kensington State escape his previous life as a killer? Leaving the Army didn't mean the war left him so Capt. Danny Maine, now teaching English, must find a way to lead a normal life. Finding love and rekindling an old friendship are not enough to defeat old demons. Danny Maine reaches fights to free himself from war memories and dangerous men, hoping that a new love and a new Glock will bring him peace.
250+ pages for only $4.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks  Check out my books on my website
 To continue hopping, click on any of the links below!










Drea Beacraft
www.dreabecraft.wordpress.com Doris O'Connor
http://thetardisscribbles.blogspot.com/
 
Lee Ann Sontheimermurphy
http://leeannsontheimermurphywriterauthor.blogspot.com
 
 Lorraine Nelson
http://lorrainenelson.wordpress.com
 
Kathleen Grieve
http://kathleengrieve.blogspot.com
 
Kerrianne Coombs
http://kerriannecoombes.wordpress.com/blog-hop-fun/  
 
CR Moss
http://crmoss.blogspot.com/  
 
Sandra Sookoo http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/birthday-bash-blog-hop-for-kathleen-grieve/



Stacey Espino
http://www.staceyespino.blogspot.com
  
Jennifer Labelle
http://labellebooks.blogspot.com

Sweet Saturday Sample of "Champagne for Christmas"

Here is a sample of my newest release for the holidays.

Nina returned home, arriving before Clint. She ducked into the bedroom to change. While she had her shirt off, she faced the full length mirror on the back of the closet door. She looked at herself with a critical eye, her gaze roving over her form from head to toe. Trying to be objective, she admitted she didn't look too bad. True, everything may have been a touch lower than it was ten years ago, but she still looked good.
Rummaging through her drawer, she found a raspberry tee shirt, rather low cut and slipped it on and faced the mirror again.
Don't be ridiculous! He's gotta be at least eight years younger than you! Grow up! Still, he's so handsome and sexy.
But she brushed her dark, straight hair, refreshed her make-up, emphasizing her large clear blue eyes and inched the neckline of the shirt a little lower, giving her cleavage more exposure. Nothing wrong with flirting. I need practice and he's perfect since he'll never be interested in me!
She descended the stairs quickly, a new lightness in her step and got busy in the kitchen. While she was rummaging through the refrigerator for something more than coffee to serve, she heard the buzz of the doorbell at the back door. It was Clint and all of a sudden her heart was racing and her mouth felt dry. About the Book  Can a craving for mint chip ice cream and a passion for the theater turn a summer romance into everlasting love? Clint is a high school English teacher and a budding playwright. Nina is a former actress, now a beautiful and wealthy widow...who is more than a little lonely. A chance meeting over mint chip ice cream brings them together. Their love of the theater keeps them meeting while their love blossoms despite a gap in their ages. But ultimately, the theater may present the one hurdle they can't clear. Take the journey with Nina and Clint through their discovery of each other, their joy and the ultimate compromise they must make to live their dream of footlights, fame and love. Buy Links - STEP INTO THE GLAMOROUS LIFE OF THE WEALTHY IN NYC FOR ONLY $.99!  AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE

Lynda Kaye Frazier Interviews Her Character, Mercedes Kingsley!

My name is Lynda Kaye Frazier and I write Suspense Romances. I've finished my first book, Rescued from the Dark, and I'm half way through my second. Yet to be published, but hopeful.
A little background on the story.

Rescued from the Dark:
     What if you woke up from a nightmare to find you're trapped in a world of darkness, with no memory of how you got there?  Rescued from the Dark is a passionate, gripping story about an FBI agent, Jason Michaels, who risks everything, even his life, to save Mercedes Kingsley, the FBI intern who stole his heart, then walked away.
      Mercedes finds herself caught up in and International nightmare, trying to remember who she can trust and who she can't. With the kidnappers vowing to get her back, no matter what the cost, for their secrets that are locked in her memory.  In a race against time Jason and Mercy struggle to fight their attraction, and put their differences aside, as they launch a manhunt with the FBI to save their country and each other.

       I am interviewing Mercedes (Mercy) Kingsley. She is an FBI intern waiting on a response from her application to the Academy. She's struggling with her need to be part of the FBI and her attraction to a fellow agent, Jason Michaels, while hiding a secret that will destroy everything she has worked so hard to build.


 Lynda:  "Welcome Ms. Kingsley. I've asked you here to go over a few items in your application for the Academy.  I've reviewed your paperwork and would like you to tell me about the incidents that caused your father's retirement 10 years ago."

Mercy;   Mercy swallowed hard and rubbed her sweaty palms together. "It was a botched kidnapping that ended my father's career."  They just don't need to know what else ended that night.

Lynda; "Could I have details please, I need it for the application. You failed to give information that we will need for the review board."

Mercy:  "My parents are partners in a software firm. There were threats made to the company and I was kidnapped because of them. My Father, and his partner Ron Daily, found out where I was. My Dad did not follow protocol and he came in without back-up. But because he did, I was saved. His career died that night and so did my dream to be an agent. I could not apply for the Academy as long as my dad struggled to get his life back.  But, as you have read, it's been 10 years and I realized that being an agent was the only think I wanted to do. So I pursued the internship and applied to the Academy."  Mercy's heart was racing, stay in control, this will be over soon.

Lynda:  "Are your parents fine with the decision? You know your father will be interviewed, and I know him. His opinion will be taken into account."

Mercy:  "I know how this will affect my parents but they will back my decision.  I didn't want to tell them until I had my acceptance letter."  Mercy swallowed past the lump of fear that swelled in her throat. I don't want to tell them until I'm in the Academy. Ron said they weren't going to talk to my dad. What changed?

Lynda: "I see that you had counseling after the kidnapping and treatment for anxiety. You also suffer from claustrophobia.  Those are issues that need to be resolved before the board review. It will affect your ability to be an agent."

Mercy: Mercy clenched her fists so tight her nails dug into the palms of her hands. How did they find out? Ron said no one would know, and I would have time to figure a way around it. What else can go wrong? "My counseling was complete and I was released. I attached my past medical records in my application. My issue with claustrophobia is in the past. That should also be stated in my medical papers."

Lynda: "It is. I just wanted to hear you say it, and make me believe it.  During the Academy you will be working closely with Ron Daily and his team. Will that be a problem for you? I see you have a close relationship with them, and a personal one with Jason Michaels. Have you read the rules Mercy? We have guidelines, and if this is an issue I want to know now."

Mercy; Mercy's chest tightened and her hands shook under the table. Her throat burned as she struggeled to catch her breath. She had to stop the panic attack before it ruined everything. It will kill her application quicker than that kiss. The memory still warmed her lips but she knew the rules, and the pain she saw in his eyes as she walked away will always haunt her.  "It will not be an issue. Agent Daily and his team have helped me during my internship, and that's all. We have a close working relationship only. Mr. Michaels and I do not have any kind of relationship, nor do we plan on having one. We both are aware of the rules and what is at stake if any are broken."

Lynda: "Ok as long as you are aware that they will also be interview"

Mercy: Mercy took a deep breath as the phone rang.

Lynda: "I need to take this. I believe I have everything I need. I will contact you when the board reviews your application. Make sure you discuss this with your family. We will be contacting them soon"

Mercy quickly left room as her heart pounded in her ears. She had to find her parents and talk to them, but she had to see Jason first, if he'll see her.  Mercy swallowed past the fear in her throat. She has told so many lies to hide the truth, and hid a few secrets she's not ready for anyone to know, and it's all closing in on her fast.
      Follow my steps to publishing 'Rescued from the Dark' on my website and blog.
http://www.lyndakayefrazier.comhttp://www.lyndafrazier.blogspot.com

WORD SCRAMBLE CONTEST!

Unscramble the name of characters in my new release, Champagne for Christmas, a hot contemporary romance novella and leave in a comment with your email addy. I will award 1 copy at the end of the day. You only have to unscramble one name to enter:

Uncramble these names:

1) Anin

2) Tlicn

3) Rocy

4) Rafn

5) Marnon

6) Xam

7) Nela

8) Slelw   (last name)

9) Wrayhoth (last name)

10) Lafnol  (last name)
 
A bit about the book:

Can a craving for mint chip ice cream and a passion for the theater turn a summer romance into everlasting love? Clint is a high school English teacher and a budding playwright. Nina is a former actress, now a beautiful and wealthy widow...who is more than a little lonely. A chance meeting over mint chip ice cream brings them together. Their love of the theater keeps them meeting while their love blossoms despite a gap in their ages. But ultimately, the theater may present the one hurdle they can't clear. Take the journey with Nina and Clint through their discovery of each other, their joy and the ultimate compromise they must make to live their dream of footlights, fame and love. Or buy a copy for only $.99: Amazon Barnes & Noble
Another sexy novella, "The Marriage List"
 also only $.99.
A bit about the book:

Can happily ever after start with a list? Grey Andrews thinks so. After ten years of working, saving and investing, Grey finally achieved a level of wealth that allows him to do what he wants with his life. He needs a woman to share it with, but not any woman, the perfect woman. A woman who has the three essential qualities on his marriage list. But after three years of searching he isn't any closer to finding her than he was when he started out.
 Carrie Tucker, an aspiring mystery writer and divorcée struggling to make it in the world of advertising, turned her focus from men to her career after dating too many creeps and losers. She's finally earned her big break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the first female creative director in a hot New York ad agency. So what if it means working nights and weekends? It's not like she has a social life anyway. 

Is the marriage list a failure or will a chance meeting at a fiction-writing conference prove the list to be the key to Grey's happiness after all? 
Only $.99 at: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY WEBSITE, SEE ALL MY BOOKS.

TUESDAY TALES - Prompt: "Fire"

This is a snippet from my newest release, "Champagne for Christmas"
          The heat she felt for him rose in her chest…flirting came back so easily, like riding a bicycle. She looked right into his eyes. He stepped closer to her, staring at her lips as she raised her chin, bringing her gaze to his. His mouth came down on hers, softly, gently, testing the way, waiting for her response.
Nina could not believe the electricity traveling through her body at the touch of his lips. She grasped the table to steady herself but it was unnecessary as his arm snaked around her waist and held her fast, pulling her slowly up against him. Then he stepped back.
"Nina…I…"
She put her finger on his lips and he stopped talking. Her hands grasped the lapels of his shirt and pulled him down to her. She closed her eyes and his lips found hers again. A soft kiss progressed to a passionate kiss as she melted in his arms. He angled his head and deepened the kiss. Nina relaxed as he pulled her flush up against him, crushing her breasts into his chest. She drove all thought from her mind and allowed her senses to take over. He tasted like champagne and smelled woodsy. Her hands touched his neck and crept up into his hair, the strands tickling her palms. His hands slid down over her behind and squeezed gently. She uttered a soft moan as her excitement grew. She wanted him, wanted him as she had not wanted a man in a long time.
Clint broke from her and stood back. They stared at each other, waiting for their breathing to return to normal. Nina could see the fire in his eyes and knew hers matched his.
"Dinner," he said.
"Must we?"
  Nina clapped her hand over her mouth, surprised at her bold suggestion. A wicked grin spread across his face.
"You're my guest. Choice is up to you…if you would like to start with dessert first, who am I to refuse…"
She reached up and gently moved a lock of hair out of his eyes. She had mussed up his carefully combed hair so she felt responsible for righting it. He took her hand and kissed the palm.
"The choice is yours, my lady."
"Am I?"
"Are you what?"
"Your lady?"
"I hope so."
Keeping hold of her hand he slowly pulled her closer until she was in his arms again. She rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. He tilted her chin up for another kiss. No holding back.
While their tongues danced, his hand circled her breast, feeling its weight, the fingers closing gently around the soft flesh. Nina gave a tiny gasp but didn't change her position.  His fingertips came up to caress the exposed top of her breast and she moaned at the skin-to-skin contact. Her small hand unbuttoned one button of his shirt and slipped underneath to feel the hardness of his chest and the soft hair there. A groan escaped from his throat as his passion became evident to her.
Feeling heat consuming her, Nina stepped back from Clint and took his hand.
"Dessert first," she announced.
He smiled at her and moved toward the stairs, keeping hold of her hand, pulling her gently along behind him.
Nina thought of all the things she should say, the excuses about her body and what breast feeding does to one's breasts and how eight more years of gravity pulls things down…but she held her tongue. After all, this was Clint. He knew all that and she saw by the heat of his gaze he didn't care. She was his lady and he wanted to make love to her.
So she shut her mouth, smiled, and followed him up the stairs.  
A bit about the book
Can a craving for mint chip ice cream and a passion for the theater turn a summer romance into everlasting love? Clint is a high school English teacher and a budding playwright. Nina is a former actress, now a beautiful and wealthy widow...who is more than a little lonely. A chance meeting over mint chip ice cream brings them together. Their love of the theater keeps them meeting while their love blossoms despite a gap in their ages. But ultimately, the theater may present the one hurdle they can't clear. Take the journey with Nina and Clint through their discovery of each other, their joy and the ultimate compromise they must make to live their dream of footlights, fame and love.


To go back to Tuesday Tales, click HERE
Buy Links ONLY  $.99!!
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Check out all my books, click HERE for my website

Holidays and Loss

  I know about loss haunting your holidays. In November of 2006 my mother died. In November of 2007 my adored mother-in-law died. In November of 2009 my beloved aunt, Nan, my friend and companion died. Traditions die hard and when you have lost someone special in your life it can take a long time to get over it. 

Whenever I pass colorful fall leaves on the ground in Central Park, I hesitate, for a moment. I used to gather leaves and enclose them in the weekly letters I wrote to my mother in Florida before she died. 
I was speechless when, on my trip to bid her a final goodbye, I discovered that she had saved all my letters. 

When I see holiday lights, I remember the drive around Bethlehem, PA, my mother-in-law (Ruth) took me on at Christmas time. Since it is called "The Christmas City" the lights were always breath-taking. Even though she had five children, she took only me on those rides. I looked forward to that special trip every year.

My aunt, Nan Cohen, was a friend and companion. We went to many movies together. I'd call her every week to tell her what was playing. She made her olive and cream cheese sandwich and I brought tuna fish. We'd switch halves and have lunch in the movie or go out to the diner on the corner after the movie. We went to events together at the fashion college where I taught direct marketing. She'd read my students' papers and make comments. She would have been my biggest reader if she had survived to see my novels published.

Losing a loved one in the fall can impact your holidays. There is one less person to buy a gift for, send a holiday card to or make plans to see during the holidays. You may find yourself walking toward the phone to share something funny, happy or sad with them, only to be stopped short when you remember they are no longer here. Or times when you stop at a store window saying to yourself, "Oh Ruth would love that" or "Ma needs one of those."

So if you have a friend or relative who has lost someone special in their life, please go out of your way to understand that they may be sad from time to time during this time of year. Be a good listener and a patient pal. Here's hoping your holidays this year are only filled with laughter and love.

Sweet Saturday Sample of "Champagne for Christmas"

This is the opening from my newest book, coming out tomorrow, "Champagne for Christmas". Hope you like it. 


The sultry August air felt heavy around Nina Wells, and it quickly melted the ice cream in her sundae. Gazing up at the clear night sky to look for the Big Dipper, Nina dribbled fudge sauce on her white0 tee shirt. She reached for a napkin, realized she'd forgotten to take one, and doubled back to the ice cream stand before the stain set. She rushed up to the tiny counter with the napkin holder right as a tall, good looking man holding a double mint chip cone turned. They collided. His ice cream fell onto her chest, causing her to gasp at the shock of cold against her skin. She looked up into his light brown eyes as she reached for the melting ball of ice cream. He grunted and slipped one arm around her to keep her from losing her footing. She stood wobbling, mesmerized by him; he was almost a whole foot taller than she with light brown hair and shoulders a mile wide. Nina shifted the ice cream ball from hand to hand, not knowing what to do with it."I don't think you can put that back on the cone. Maybe the garbage?" He suggested with a grin.Nina jerked back to reality and stepped toward the garbage, tossing what was left of the melted ice cream ball in.            "I'm so sorry. I'll buy you another one," she said, reaching for napkins to wipe her shirt and hands.            "It was my fault…completely. You don't have to buy me another. I still have one scoop here and I'll just…" he said, approaching her with napkins in his hand, then stopped his hand in midair, color suffusing his face."It's okay. I've got this. Get your other scoop," she said, raising a hand to stop him from wiping her shirt.



To check out my other books on my website, click HERE

To return to Sweet Saturday Samples, click HERE

Linet Fenna Interview - from Captain Andrew's Flying Christmas!

Linet Fenna, a character from Heather Hiestands  new book, Captain Andrew's Flying Christmas will be interviewed on my blog today:

December 24, 1892

Eliza Dunney:  Welcome to London Housemaid Monthly, Miss Fenna, and thank you for being our subject for this month's feature. How long have you been in service?

Linet Fenna:  Three years now.

Eliza Dunney:  Did you start out as a housemaid?

Linet Fenna:  No, I was a maid-of-all-work for a small household, starting when I was seventeen. Last year I came to the Guterman's house as second housemaid.

Eliza Dunney:  Is it your dream to be a housekeeper one day?

Linet Fenna:  Well, if I don't marry. Not many other choices these days.

Eliza Dunney:  Did you once have different dreams?

Linet Fenna:  She smiles. My early life was anything but traditional. Of course, I can't speak about it, since my family was a bit, well, unusual.

Eliza Dunney:  What happened to change the course of your life?

Linet Fenna:  Prime Minister Gladstone decided only the British Air Force, the Blockaders, belonged in the skies. Anyone who was known to have an airship was arrested. She shudders.

Eliza Dunney:  Wasn't anyone who owned an airship an air pirate?

Linet Fenna:  A free trader, more like. Don't you think taxes on luxury goods are too high?

Eliza Dunney:  You do have a point. Did you have help escaping during the arrests?

Linet Fenna:  No, I'm completely on my own now.

Eliza Dunney:  The sound of chugging can be heard in the air. That sounds like an airship, Miss Fenna.

Linet Fenna:  Yes, I suppose you are correct. Looks wistful. I remember when that was a happy sound.

Eliza Dunney: Do you think the free traders will ever rise again?

Linet Fenna:  The prime minister is an old man. Hopefully the next government will be less restrictive. But Gladstone wiped out a generation of airship captains. When the new captains emerge, they will be young and hungry.

Eliza Dunney:  And handsome, I hope?

Linet Fenna:  She grins. Airship captains? Trust me, they are always handsome, and very sure of themselves!

Eliza Dunney:  Thank you for sitting with us today. I'm sure you must get back to your duties.

Linet Fenna. Oh yes. The first housemaid is ill and the Gutermans have many guests arriving later today for the holidays. I have much to accomplish!

Eliza Dunney:  Good luck to you, Miss Fenna!

Author bio:

Heather Hiestand is the author of seven novels as well as many novellas and short stories. Her imagination keeps her entertained with romance, mystery and futuristic/fantasy story ideas, many of which eventually become words on a page. She lives in Washington State with her husband and son. For more information, see her website at www.heatherhiestand.com.

Captain Andrew's Flying Christmas  Blurb:

Housemaid Linet Fenna would rather be an air pirate than a servant. When she finds the ladder to an airship dangling outside her garret window on Christmas Eve, 1892, she ascends to the skies above London on her late father's flagship dirigible, the Christmas. The new captain is someone she never expected to see again, a dangerous, sexy foe. Is the Fenna family nemesis offering Linet her heart's desire or a dastardly trap? Captain Andrew's motivations are as foggy as the coal-soaked sky. Prime Minister Gladstone's Blockaders, a horde of automen and a teenage girl named Hatchet want Linet to fail in her quest to discover what happened to her missing family, but she is determined to have a happy Christmas.

Captain Andrew's Flying Christmas links:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Christmas-Steampunk-Smugglers-ebook/dp/B005WASTQK

Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96889

BN:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Captain-Andrews-Flying-Christmas/Heather-Hiestand/e/2940013314191



ARe:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-captainandrew039sflyingchristmas-624819-339.html

Christmas Letter I'd Like to See

Did you ever receive one of those disgusting Christmas letters from someone you haven't seen in a while, perhaps, jammed into a Christmas card? They make me retch. You know the ones where everyone is doing great, junior is the star quarterback with a grade point average of 4.0, sis is captain of the cheerleading squad, president of the debate team and star of the school musical, and the little one is playing travel soccer, teaching the coach a few tricks and at the top of his class?

I hate those letters. So to all you phonies and braggarts who want to use Christmas as an excuse to lie about your lives and make everyone else feel crummy, I give you "the Christmas letter I've always wanted to receive."


Greetings!
    We had the best year ever. We are so thankful this year, Grandma has given up crack and agreed to go to rehab! We're hoping that by Valentine's Day she'll be able to come home to us and not have to serve the rest of her jail term. Grandpa continues to spend his day at the race track, but hey -- they're building a Casino up the street from us! So we hope Grandpa won't be wasting his money on carfare for much longer. It's so much better when he can lose his money and still come home for lunch.
     The kids are bringing us many blessing this year. Little Bobby turned his switchblade over to the cops without a fight, so his sentence will be lighter. Of course the cops broke his nose subduing him, but hey, Jackie Chan broke his nose a few times too and it didn't hurt his career. 
     Violet has actually been attending school more than she's cutting these days. We think it's because she's got a crush on the new football coach. How did we guess? She spends a lot of time at football practice and comes home about an hour after the team has gone home. We're delighted she's banging a coach instead of the no-account Sidney Smith she was hanging out with. She had to give him up when he got busted for armed robbery. Fortunately they moved him to a prison too far for her to visit. Violet says the coach is going to help her with her grades. She assured us he knows how to hack the school computer system and we expect she'll be bringing home all "A's" soon!
       My dear husband, Carl, is still hanging on to his job. When he accused his boss, Martin, of making a pass at him in the men's room, we knew he'd get job security. We feel very lucky to have it, too, in this year of such unemployment.
       I am still a stay-at-home mom...just until the cops take the ankle bracelet off. Then I'm going to be looking for work. I've been working out at home and am pretty buff, so turning tricks pays better and is less risky than shoplifting anyway. I bought some spandex duds I'll be declaring as a business expense on my tax returns this year and looking for a good neighborhood to get started. 
       One sad note, our dog, Dribbles, got kicked out of obedience school for biting the instructor. We were heartbroken but figure he'd probably excel at guard dog school, so Carl enrolled him there.
       Hope everyone at your house is as happy, well adjusted, successful and well off as we are. And if you're not, too damn bad. Some of us have got it and some don't.

        Merry Christmas,
                                                                  Your loving friend,
                                                                   Anna

TUESDAY TALES - Prompt: "ice"

A slight continuation of the couple from The Marriage List, Grey and Carrie at Christmas.


            Carrie rolled over in bed and placed her hands flat against Grey's bare chest.             "Good morning," she whispered, unwilling to disturb the quiet of the house.            "Merry Christmas," he whispered back, sliding his hand down the smooth skin of her side and over to squeeze her rump.            "We can't…everyone will be up soon…but tonight…"             "We can linger here a moment and remember," he sighed, his fingers combing her hair.            Carrie giggled and buried her face in his neck. Grey pulled her naked body close to his for a hug, holding her against him. She lay there for ten minutes enjoying the feel of his hard body against hers, dreaming about making love with him before he stirred.            "Come on, let's take a walk before the insanity starts."            He got up and quietly put on his warmest clothes, tossing Carrie's clothes to her. She slipped into her underwear while staying under the warmth of the down quilt. Once her thermals were on, she ventured out of the bedclothes into the icy air of the bedroom.            "Was it this cold in here when you were growing up?"            "Yup. I learned to dress quickly."            Carrie slipped on fleece pants, cashmere socks and a flannel shirt that matched Grey's, an early Christmas gift from his sister, Jenna. Once he was dressed, too, they crept downstairs trying to be as quiet as possible. Grey filled the coffee maker and turned it on, pulling down two mugs with brightly-painted roosters on them.            Once the coffee was made, they took it into the living room and went to the window. On the way they passed a healthy Christmas tree about seven feet tall covered with glass balls and a hodge-podge assortment of ornaments gathered over the years. Underneath the tree, gifts were piled high, their brightly-colored wrappings shouting their presence and begging the recipient to open it first.            Carrie looked at her hand. The three-carat diamond resting on her fourth finger twinkled its brilliance and clarity at her, reminding her of her new engagement. She smiled as Grey pulled her onto his lap. They sat at the window seat in front of a bird feeder. She wondered if there were any birds left up this far north, at his parent's house in Pine Grove or if they had all gone on to warmer climes. Neither one spoke but Grey slipped his arm around her waist, steadying her and she rested her head against his.             "Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the back door.            They pulled on down parkas and gloves and trudged out into the cold, their shoes crunching on the thin layer of frozen snow. Grey took her hand again and she followed him down a well-worn path to the lake. The bright sunshine bounced off the frozen water blinding her temporarily. She could see the thick ice on the lake and a smile came to her lips.            "Let's go," she said, pulling on Grey's hand and moving out onto the frozen surface.             A sudden sharp tug on her hand pulled her back with a jerk.            "No!" Grey hollered at her, folding his arms around her so she couldn't move.            Carrie looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.            "Don't go there." He tightened his grip.            "But it's frozen. Solid. And it's so much fun to walk on a frozen lake."            "It isn't frozen solid."            "Yes, it is. Look," she said, squirming to get away but he held her fast.            "No, no, no Carrie."            She saw him blink back tears.            "What?"            "The ice, it's wrong. It looks frozen but it isn't. When I was eight, my best friend, Tom, dared me to go out on the ice. I tried to keep him from going but he wouldn't listen. He fell through and died before I could get help."            Carrie rested her head on his shoulder and hugged him. He placed his head on top of hers and closed his eyes.            "I'm so sorry. I won't go there. I promise."            "I couldn't stand to lose you, too. I love you so much," he whispered.            "I love you, too."            They held onto each other while the sun melted the ice coating the tree branches and the air began to warm up. A few drips from trees above them forced the lovers to move. They returned to the house where other family members were moving around. Noise began to build in the once quiet old Victorian as Grey's brother, sisters and parents awoke to celebrate Christmas together.  Refilling their mugs, Carrie and Grey sat cross-legged on the living room floor as the exchange of Christmas gifts began.

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