Snowy Encounters (12 page)

“Honey?”

“Mom, I have to go.”

“Where are you going?”

Maddy smiled. “To get your son back.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Maddy rehearsed everything she needed to say
on the drive to the lodge. If Cole still loved her, and she hoped
he still did, then she was laying down the ground rules. And screw
what everyone else thought.

They were going to compromise.

As she maneuvered the rental around the
mountain, she slowed as she approached Death’s Peak, the same area
her car had gotten stuck at on her way into town only days ago. A
crowd blocked the road as she drew closer. Another avalanche. With
no choice, she pulled the car to the side and parked. Nosy people
milled around, talking and whispering to each other. She spotted
Brad Jr.’s police cruiser and frowned.

Maddy got out and jogged to the edge of the
crowd. Jumping up, she tried to survey the damage. Frustration
settled in. She needed the scene to clear so she could make it up
the mountain. To Cole.

“She’s in there!”

Maddy froze. The voice ran a chill down her
spine. She elbowed her way through the crowd until she met the
security tape. Buried under the avalanche, peeked the brake light
of a red car, but she didn’t notice anything else besides the man
digging away at the snow. Her heart constricted and tears surged to
her eyes.

Brad grabbed Cole’s arm, but he flung his
brother off. “Cole, just wait for help to come. They’ll be here
soon.”

“It’ll be too late! I can’t lose her again.”
Cole continued to dig through the snow with his bare hands.

Whispers broke through the crowd as she
stepped under the tape, ignoring them. They could hate her all they
wanted. Nothing mattered. But the man on his knees, clawing through
the wet cold.

Brad spotted her and opened his mouth to
speak. Maddy shook her head, cutting him off as she drew closer to
Cole. His pain clogged her throat, her nose. Now she couldn’t
remember why she’d believed he’d never loved her.

“Cole.”

He continued to dig.

Maggie drew a deep breath then slowly
released it. “If you’re planning on making a hole to roll into when
I push you off this mountain, that’s cheating.”

Cole stilled, slowly stood up and turned
around. Pressing her lips together, she held in her cry at the wild
confusion from his eyes. His hands clenched and unclenched at his
side. She watched his Adam’s apple jump as he swallowed. His gaze
sharpened, running over her from head to toe.

“If you leave, you can’t push me,” he
stated.

She gave him a watery smile. “I know. So I’m
not leaving.”

He took a step closer. “Why not?”

She spotted the insecurity in his face with
the quiver of his mouth, but it disappeared quickly. “Because I
love you and don’t want to live without you and I don’t care what
anyone else thinks but you.”

A sigh rushed through the crowd behind her,
but her attention stayed on her man.

“What about the lodge?”

She heaved a deep breath. “I decided that
it’s half mine and you should hire me to plan the events there, but
we’re going to have to work on your father together.”

His fingers flinched and he took another step
forward, his expression guarded. “How long are you planning on
staying?”

Maddy swallowed hard. Her whole body eaten up
with love for this one man. Now she’d felt foolish for ever
leaving. “Only forever.”

One second she stood staring at him, the
next, he closed the distance and wrapped her in his arms.

A sense of belonging rushed at her as she
kissed him, pouring all her love into him—her family, her future,
and her reason for living.

She was finally home.

Epilogue

New Year’s Eve.

“Have you seen Maddy?” Cole’s heart skipped.
Barely a week since he’d believed her stuck under an avalanche, his
world had changed.

Marie, the receptionist, looked up from the
marble counter. “I don’t know where she is.”

He frowned, his eyes swept over the lobby
filled with tourists and guests. He couldn’t find Maddy. Ever since
they’d shared a dance in the ballroom, she’d disappeared right
after. Glancing around, he spotted Ash and Jo swaying to the music
in their own little corner, while the people around them went about
their own business.

He passed the ballroom on the way to the
stairs. The party was in full swing. Maddy’s effort in planning the
extravagant event into a big bash had pleased the town with the
effort she’d made to involve everyone. The grand opening to kick
off the New Year was a success.

Now if he could only locate his wife.

When he reached the second floor landing, he
made his way down the hall to the French doors that led out onto a
balcony. Pushing the door open, he smiled. She stood at the far
end, face tilted toward the night sky. Moonlight kissed her pale
cheeks. He quietly closed the distance between them and drew her
into his arms.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked.

Maddy slid her hands around his neck and laid
her head on his shoulder. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

She tilted back to look at him. “You, me, the
open space, avalanches and night sky.”

He grinned, then pressed a kiss to her
forehead. “That’s Five Oaks in a nutshell.”

“Yup. It’s home.”

His heart skipped a beat every time she told
him something wonderful. “I feel like I haven’t really seen you
much all week.”

“That’s not true. I’m busy. I have events to
plan, parties to oversee, a business to run.”

With a smirk, he pulled her closer. Since
giving Maddy full reign of the event planning, she’d gone above and
beyond to organize Limestone and Tall Oaks’ events. Her partner had
been sad Maddy wasn’t returning, but they planned to continue their
business relationship with Maddy working from her new office
downstairs. Instead of her complaining about his commitment to
work, he worried he might be the one who had to drag her away. “The
party is going well. You did a great job.”

“I know. You don’t have to tell me. I’m good
at what I do.”

He chuckled at her confidence. The music from
downstairs floated around them. He tightened his arms, swaying with
her in place. “All right, Mrs. Harmon. When would you like to plan
this honeymoon of ours?”

“Where did you want to go?” She laid her hand
against his shoulder and stared at her sparkling diamond ring set.
He’d slid her rings back on twenty-four hours after he’d realized
he hadn’t lost her. The car buried under the avalanche had been
luckily empty and abandoned because of the flat tire. After he’d
brought her home to their house, he’d made love to her in front of
the fireplace until he’d been reassured she was alive. Unwilling to
wait, he’d flown them out to Vegas for an impromptu wedding.

He nuzzled her jaw, loving the feel of her
against him. He’d never get sick of holding her or loving her.
“Anywhere you want.”

“Hmmm…I don’t think I want to go anywhere. I
kind of like it here.” Maddy grinned.

“We could have a reception party here….”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t need
anything but you.”

Taking a step back, he stared down at her.
Her eyes shone her love. “You know I’d give you anything,
right?”

“I know. You tell me everyday.”

“Is there anything you want?” He kissed her
forehead then rubbed his nose against hers.

“There is,” she said softly.

“What is it?

Maddy pressed her palms against his chest. “I
want a baby. I want lots of babies.”

His heart melted. He lowered his head, and
she rose on tiptoes to meet him halfway, her lips brushing against
his, sweetly. Who knew his wife would return and offer him the
whole world?

Cole turned towards the black canvas dotted
with sparkling lights. The white landscape glittered before him.
Maddy hugged him tighter. They watched a swirl of snow dance across
the air and disappear.

The rumble of voices from inside reached
their ears.

“Guess the New Year started,” said Maddy.

He tilted her chin up. “No, ours started the
day you came home to me.”

***

~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

An avid reader and writer, Clarissa spends
most of time with her head stuck up in the clouds and lurking
behind her romance novels when she's not writing up a storm.
Currently residing in Hawaii, Clarissa enjoys traveling all over
the United States, so you'll never know where you'll find her. She
also loves video games, scrapbooking, trying new foods, and of
course, shopping.

If you'd like to draw her
out of her cave, please drop her a note on her website at:
http://clarissayip.com
or email
her at
[email protected]
. She loves
visits by her readers and friends. And check out what she’s up to
on Twitter @clarissayip.

Love by Auction

Copyright © 2010 by Clarissa Yip

Intent on leaving the Date for Charity
Auction, billionaire Mark Passmore vows not to bid—until he sees
the gorgeous blond strut across the stage. Need overwhelms his
senses. He has to have her.

With an etiquette drill sergeant and society
snob for a mother, Rebecca Hathaway, a.k.a Ice Princess, accepts an
extraordinary dare—one that lands her in the arms of her ex, except
he doesn’t know it’s her.

After an explosively passionate night with
Mark, Rebecca sneaks back to her mundane life of tea parties and
book clubs. But she knows she’ll never be the same again.

Although he ended their relationship three
years ago, Mark never stopped loving Rebecca. When he learns the
truth of Rebecca’s role in the auction, will he forgive her for her
betrayal or walk away once and for all?

~Excerpt~

“I can't do this.”

Rebecca Hathaway drew in a deep breath and
wanted to pass out. The satin corset hugged her bones like steel
bands around her waist, cutting off circulation. Microscopic lace
underwear and garters bared her ass, and red four-inch heels
threatened to snap her neck with each little step she took toward
the vanity table in the dressing room.

“Yes, you can. Think about where all that
money is going to go. It'll give the sick children a new pediatric
wing at the hospital. Or part of a wing.”

Rebecca whirled around, the movement knocking
her onto the nearby couch. She glared at her friend, Erin, who
stood staring at her up and down, admiring her fine handiwork of
transforming Rebecca into a trampy-looking prostitute.

She waved a hand down over her outfit. “And
you think the men are going to auction for this? It's demeaning for
a woman to stand up on stage and have men try to buy her.”

“It's for a good cause, and all they get is a
date. What harm could a date be? Besides, you haven't had any fun
in a while.” Erin tugged her off the couch and helped her to the
full-length mirror.

Flustered, Rebecca replied, “I have fun.”

“Yeah, if going to those boring tea parties,
planning social gatherings and hosting book clubs is your idea of
fun then I truly worry for you.”

Rebecca frowned at her
reflection. Her breasts threatened to spill over the tight satin,
the lace barely covered her privates and to top it off—she was now
blonde-haired, blue eyed. She dropped her face into her hands and
groaned. “How did I get talked into this?
I'll
just donate the money
myself.”

Erin wrapped an arm around
her waist, leading her to the vanity table, surrounded by bright
light bulbs like a make-up station for movie stars. “That's not the
point. You're the one that took on Kelly Marsh's dare just because
she called you a
prissy society
snob.
”

“Just kill me. I don't know why I let that
woman rub me the wrong way.”

“It's competition. She's jealous. She's
always been jealous of you. If you win this dare then maybe she'll
finally give up.”

Rebecca scoffed. “I doubt it. I grew up with
her. She hates my guts for no reason, and all I've done is be nice
to her my whole life. Even those times she spilled tea in my lap at
those tea parties or tripped me at the balls.”

“Well then, this is your
chance to show her that you're not the ice princess you pretend to
be in public
and
put Kelly Marsh in her place.”

“Why couldn't she have entered us in a beauty
pageant or just put me on a pie throwing stand at a circus?” Her
stomach swirled in chaos. “My mother is going to disown me, and
I'll never be able to hold my head up at any social event
again.”