Carter's eyes never left Janelle's except to blink, then his arm lowered to his side as he slowly turned and left the bathroom.Janelle exhaled. She hadn't known she'd been holding her breath and her chest hurt. Tomorrow was supposed to be their wedding day and she wondered if Carter was even here. Her heart raced, and a bead of sweat trickled down her spine.She slipped on a nightgown and ran a brush through her hair then collapsed on the floor. How could she live without him? She cried. Her heart was breaking, and it hurt so much.Eventually, she calmed down, blew her nose and washed her face with cold water. She had to face it. Either she and Carter were getting married or they weren't. She slowly opened the bathroom door and peeked into their room. Carter lay on the bed, arms behind his head, asleep, or so she thought. He hadn't left her.She walked to the bed with the 'stick,' she hadn't looked at the results yet, fear of the unknown wouldn't allow her. Putting the stick o
The roads to the diner were treacherous and hadn't been plowed out yet, but Carter's high-off-ground truck could make it through this amount of snow. After they parked, Carter said, "I'm glad we had four-wheel drive and good traction tires."They recognized a few vehicles in the parking lot then decided to make a run for the front door. Susan greeted them and introduced them to whoever she thought they hadn't met yet. The decorations were beautiful. The wedding ones mixed with Christmas were gorgeous."Carter, Mitch brought your mother, and they're already in the party room." Susan took Carter's overcoat and hung it up. "Janelle you should probably get changed. Everything's ready except for the minister, and he's probably delayed because of the roads. But don't you worry, he'll be here."Susan showed them to the new office area where she could change. Edie said, "Your makeup looks great, by the way. Maybe touch up your lipstick. Oh, your hair. You didn't get a veil, so what do yo
VOLUME EIGHT: THE SHERIFF'S CHRISTMASDecember 15thMitch smiled; he knew it was early. Mitch was an early riser, always had been and now he was used to sleeping in short intervals. Ronnie, not so much. He lifted his knee onto Ronnie's hip and "spooned," snuggly warm under sheets, blankets and a quilt. It was chilly in their bedroom, but a comfortable sleeping temperature. His arm wrapped around Ronnie and he held a breast in his hand. Moving a couple fingers, he found a nipple and tweaked it between his thumb and index finger. It was hard and erect, just like him. He pressed his erection into her butt cheek, but she ignored him. Surely, she can't be that deep in sleep, he thought. He leaned over and kissed her neck, and along her jawline. Her hand waved across her face to get rid of the annoying "bug." He chuckled. He wasn't that easy to get rid of when he wanted something. And he really wanted her. They'd married last summer, a few short months ago, and he still couldn'
The boy shook and snow crystals danced to the floor. "I was freezing out there, so I came in. The nice lady told me you were in here," his bright blue eyes wandered around the room, taking everything in. Vic placed her hands on his shoulders, somewhat protectively. "Is this where I'm going to live?" The boy asked, looking directly at Mitch. "My name's Ronnie, what's your name?" Ronnie held out a hand, he placed his small one in hers, shook once, and said, "Wyatt Morgan and I'm five and a half years old. I need a place to live since my parents got burned up in the house.""Oh, I'm so sorry," Ronnie said.Then Mitch leaned down and said, "I'm Sheriff Mitch Rogers, it's real nice to meet you, Wyatt Morgan." They shook hands but Wyatt's eyes never left Mitch's face."You're not going to take me back to that big, cold house with all those other kids, are you? Because I'll just run away again. I know when I'm not welcome.""That's enough Wyatt, please, let me handle this." Vic tur
"Victoria is leaving, she's going to stay somewhere in Jackson," Mitch raised his hands when Ronnie was about to interrupt, and then continued, "and we'll catch up with her tomorrow as we told Wyatt.""And, what else is going on? Is Wyatt your son, Mitch?" Ronnie stared in her husband's brown eyes with the gold flecks she loved so much. Mitch stared into her eyes, "No, he's not." He stepped to her, pulled her up against him. "That's the truth, I have no reason to lie. I'm not letting you go, ever, no matter what.""Wyatt is exactly who is says he is, his parents did die in a house fire, he has no siblings and no real family. I remember how much Mitch enjoyed kids and came here first but-""What else, Mitch. I want to know now." Ronnie had venom in her words."She's nothing, nothing but an old friend to me." Mitch stared at Victoria. "And there never will be anything between us, really never was."Ronnie turned away, relief filled her, and she exhaled a breath she hadn't kn
The ride was exhilarating; the near hyperthermic cold air emasculating.They were on a trail of some kind, she knew, because she could see tracks in the snow; horses and snowmobiles or quads, as well. When they seemed to reach the top and ready to go down the other side, Mitch turned left, and they rode along the ridge. Ronnie looked left and then right in search of the perfect tree. There were small clusters of trees and then some lone ones. She could see right away why they were still there.At a trail head, or so the sign read, Mitch turned right, and it seemed as if they were in Santa's wonderland. Beautiful pine scent wafted in the air along with the frigid air, and an outcropping of all kinds, sizes and shapes of pine trees. Mitch stopped in the middle of the path and turned the motor off. He held up his hand and she waited in silence. And, she waited. Another minute or so, he turned around and faced her."Do you hear it?" He whispered to her."Hear what?"He held his h
Arriving at the house, they went inside first to make way for the trees. As Ronnie opened the door, she heard out-of-tune singing of "Rudolf" and the fragrance of peanut butter and chocolate, baking sugar cookies and some other scent she couldn't identify lingered in the air. She stopped before she turned the corner from the living room into the family kitchen and den area. Mitch wasn't prepared for her sudden stop and ran into her, almost knocking them both to the floor. Mitch peeked around her. Wyatt sat on a bar chair, dressed in one of Aunt Sally's old aprons, trays of cookies in front of him and based on the flour on the sleeves of his shirt, he'd helped make cut-out sugar cookies.Now he was decorating. Wyatt held in his hand a medium-sized pastry bag filled with what looked like brown frosting; a reindeer cookie placed in front of him. "Ms. Marie, should I make him all brown and then a red nose? I think this one looks like Rudolph.""Wyatt, sweetie, you can make it any color
After numerous way-too-many trips up and down the stairs, they had all the decorations ready for on the tree. Mitch, with the help of Wyatt was setting it up now. "Wow, it smells so foresty." Wyatt looked at everyone. "You know, like in the forest of trees.""Oh, the pine tree smell. You're right, it does smell foresty," Ronnie answered. "Wyatt have you ever had a real tree for Christmas?""No, I've never really had a Christmas." Wyatt answered as he rang a jingle bell he'd picked out of the box."This is my first real tree, too. And our," she pointed to Mitch and herself, "first Christmas together. My parents never had a real one when I was little. And my mom always decorated the fake one while I was at school, so I've never decorated one either." Ronnie held out her hand to him for a low five. "Are you ready to learn how with me?""Okay, but Ms. Marie said we're going to sing Christmas carols and have hot chocolate.""And I'm sure we will. After all, we have lots of holi