Jess was scared. The beautiful landscape suddenly seemed menacing. With the blue sky gone, the darkness rolling toward them seemed encompassing, as if she could drown in it. She mentally shook herself. This was no time for weakness.
She got up too fast, knocking the snowman’s arm down. “What do we do?”
Yrian looked around. “There’s a rocky outcrop not far back. We’re digging a snow cave.”
The three set off for the ledge covered with a small mountain of snow. Yrian removed a small spade from his backpack and started digging furiously. Derrick and Jess helped to hollow out the wall with their hands, digging a tunnel as fast as they could.
This was going to take all day. Jess bit her lip as she glanced at the black sky.
Yrian’s hand gripped her chin, turning her head to him. “Don’t look. We’ll be fine. I promise.”
She gave him a faint smile and continued to dig until her wrists ached. The hole wasn’t very big, but wide enough for three people to take shelter in. The wind picked up just as Yrian said, “I think we’ll fit.”
When the first flakes started to fall, they squeezed inside, Jess feeling claustrophobic, cold and frightened.
Derrick put his arm around her. “Relax, girl.” He kissed her cheek. “Think about tomorrow when we’ll be at the Ice Hotel.”
Jess huddled between the two men as the wind howled, and the snow piled up. After a while, it felt warmer with their breaths and body heat. Derrick’s reliable scent enveloped her, while Yrian’s spicy, male fragrance was a new odor thrown into the equation. She stirred uncomfortably, thinking about what Yrian had said in the train.
An hour later, the worst of the blizzard was over. The wind died down. Only the soft falling of the snow remained. The trio made their way along a frozen river until they reached another open area sheltered by a hill on one side and a cluster of trees on the other. At least the snow had stopped.
“This is where we put up camp for the night,” Yrian said.
Jess looked around but didn’t see buildings or igloos. When Yrian pulled a bright orange bag from his backpack, comprehension dawned on her.
“Give me a hand with the tent,” Yrian said to Derrick.
Within minutes, the two men had erected the small tent that stood out like a toxic mushroom against the white background. It was already getting dark. Yrian heated water with a portable gas stove for soup while Derrick went to fetch a battery operated lamp from his bag in the tent.
Yrian handed Jess a steaming mug. “The worst is over now.” His blue eyes became clouded. “By tomorrow night we’ll be at the Ice Hotel.”
Jess looked deep into her mug. “I started off so sure, but there were a few moments when I thought I wouldn’t make it.”
“What will happen next, Jess?” he said softly.
She looked up and saw for once that his smile was absent. “I kind of jumped the gun.”
“Meaning?”
“I booked the chapel for the day after tomorrow. I just thought...” She shrugged. “Derrick said he’ll marry me if I make it, and won’t it make the most beautiful wedding ever?”
“Ice Hotel weddings are spectacular. I’ve seen a few. But what I do know is that there’ll never be a prettier bride or a luckier groom.”
There was no appropriate comment to that. Derrick saved her from trying to think up one when he returned with the lamp and his bag. As he draped his arm around Jess, Yrian cleaned his mug out with snow and shot ‘goodnight’ at them over his shoulder, heading for the tent.
“What’s up with him?” Derrick said, watching Yrian crawl into the three-man tent.
Jess looked away. “We’re all tired. I feel like calling it a night, too.”
“Surely not without dinner?”
Her tummy rumbled in response. “What do we have?”
“An extra portion.” Derrick grinned.
She planted her elbow in his ribs. “That’s not nice.”
“What? If Yrian wants to go to bed without his ration, it’s his loss. I’m not carrying extra food tomorrow.”
He pulled his backpack close, unhooked his sleeping bag and spread it out on the snow.
“What are you doing?” Jess said.
“Setting up a picnic.”
She looked around. “In the dark? It’s freezing. We should get inside the tent.”
“In a minute.” He patted the fabric. “Come over here.”
Jess obeyed reluctantly. “I don’t know about this, Derrick.”
“Who’s the unadventurous one now?” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
At that, Jess remained quiet, watching him remove crackers, cheese, a tin of smoked oysters and two plastic flutes with removable stems.
He put the glasses together and handed them to her. “Hold that.” Next, he pulled out a demi bottle of champagne. “I saved this for tomorrow, but with the adventure of this afternoon, I reckon you can do with some perking up.”
Jess was suddenly rushed by overwhelming emotions. “You brought this,” she motioned at the spread, “all this way?”
He kissed her nose and filled their glasses. “To my girl.”
“To us.” She took a sip. “This is so special. Thank you, Derrick.”
“I’m glad I have you alone. I was thinking...” He nuzzled her neck with his cold nose.
“Is that champagne?” a voice said.
Jess looked up to see Yrian hovering above them. “Great.” He rubbed his hand together. “I could do with something to warm my veins.”
“What are you doing?” Derrick scolded.
Yrian threw his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the forest. “I was just,” he cleared his throat, “you know?”
Derrick got to his feet stiffly. “I’ll follow your example.” He thrust his glass into Yrian’s hand and marched into the darkness.
“I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” Yrian’s smile almost looked innocent.
Jess narrowed her eyes at him. “No,” she said sarcastically.
“Good.” He looked her over. “I was starting to become jealous.” His tone was playful, but his eyes weren’t.
* * * *
A surprise awaited Jess the following day. Instead of covering the remaining miles on foot, snowmobiles awaited them a short distance from their campsite. Yrian carried their bags on his, while Jess shared with Derrick. Gliding over the snow at a speed that made her dizzy was the most fun Jess had had so far. Shortly before noon, Jukkasjärvi came into view.
Yrian stopped his snowmobile on the outcrop overlooking the postcard village. “Who’s keen on a hot meal?”
“You know it, man,” Derrick said, already pointing the nose of his snowmobile in the direction of the town.
They parked at a wooden shed on the outskirts.
“This is where we leave the mobiles. From here it’s only twenty minutes on foot to the Ice Hotel.” He pointed at a wooden chalet style building in the main road. “Meet you there as soon as I’ve dealt with this. Order me a burger.”
The sign read ‘Old Homestead’. Jess and Derrick walked to the restaurant and entered its welcome warmth. They ordered three burgers and beers, and just as the waitress placed wooden boards with farm style beef patties, roasted vegetables and cloudberries in front of them, Yrian walked through the door. All the females in the room turned their heads to stare at him.
The waitress smacked Yrian with a dishcloth on the backside. “Welcome back, handsome.”
“Hey, Natascha.” He pecked Natascha on the cheek and sat down opposite Jess and Derrick.
He handed Jess a parcel with a red bow. “For you.”
“For me?” She glanced at Derrick. “It’s not my birthday.”
“It’s a reward. For how well you did.” He looked pointedly at Derrick. “Without complaining.”
Derrick lifted his beer and downed half in one go.
“Open it,” Yrian urged.
As Jess fiddled with the ribbon, she was uncomfortably aware of Natascha
’s glare. She opened the bag and pulled out a fur-trimmed Moscow cloche style hat.
“Wow. I don’t know what to say.” Her fingers skimmed over the soft faux fur. “It’s beautiful.”
Yrian smiled at her. “Try it on.”
She pulled it over her hair and glanced at her reflection in the mirror on the wall. “Thank you. I love it. You’re so kind.”
“It looks great on you.” His grin was even wider than usual. “That’ll keep you warmer.”
“Food’s getting cold, guys.” Derrick took Jess’s hand and kissed her fingers, his eyes fixed on Yrian.
* * * *
Nothing could have prepared Jess for the Ice Hotel. It consisted of nothing but frozen water. Even the decorations and furniture were sculptured from ice, everything as clear as crystal. While Derrick signed in at reception, she walked down the pillared hallway lined with sculptures. An ice-carved chandelier suspended from the ceiling.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Yrian commented. “This is the twenty-fifth year it has been built. Every winter it is constructed from a thousand tons of ice and thirty thousand tons of snice from the Torne River, and every summer it melts and returns to the Torne.”
“That’s incredible,” she whispered. She hadn’t read the brochures Derrick had given her on purpose. She wanted to experience it without preconceived expectations, and it was the biggest surprise of her life. “It’s enormous. I expected something like a big igloo.”
He chuckled. “Three thousand five hundred square miles, sweetheart.” He took her hand, startling her. “It’s ephemeral, yet consistent. Just like love.”
She pulled her hand away awkwardly. “That’s very romantic.”
Derrick walked up to them. “Our room’s ready. I guess this is where we say goodbye.” He extended his hand. “Thanks for getting us here safely, Yrian.”
Yrian shook his hand, but looked at Jess as he said, “I’ll be around until tomorrow. I leave at midday.”
“I got us one of the art suites,” Derrick said, leading her away. “When I booked, they told me those were even better than the snow rooms.”
Jess looked back to see Yrian staring after them, looking very lonely standing there in the midst of the ice statues all by himself.
A porter met them at the end of the hallway to lead them to their suite. It was a spacious room with subtle blue lighting, giving it a fantasy feel. It was the most unbelievable thing Jess had ever seen. The bed was a block of ice resting in the petals of an enormous ice flower, each leaf carved into an intricate snowflake design. A thin, black plastic mattress was covered with fur and reindeer skins, adding the only stark color to the room. Behind their flowerbed was a cathedral style ice window in the shape of a snowflake, with blue and green light shining a spearmint-colored glow onto the matte snow walls that surrounded the carved art. Ice flowers hung like crystals from the arched dome ceiling, each illuminated with a hidden blue spotlight.
“Your suite is called Frozty Flower,” said the porter. “It was carved by the Japanese artists Natsuki and Shingo Saito.”
Jess couldn’t utter a sound. She clasped her hand over her mouth.
“Shingo is an ice sculptor and builder with more than fifteen years’ experience,” continued the porter, “and Natsuki is a designer and architect who is the creative director of the Lake Shikaribetsu Igloo Village. You’ll find a brochure on this year’s artists in reception.”
“Thank you.” Derrick tipped him, seeming in a hurry to get rid of the man.
He had scarcely left the room before Derrick took Jess in his arms. “I think this calls for a celebratory drink at the Ice Bar.”
“We just got here,” Jess said, wanting to enjoy the room.
“And we’re here for the next three days. Go on. Order me a Vodka. I’ll put away our bags and meet you there.”
Jess hesitated. There was something she had to say to him. She owed him the truth. “Derrick, I–”
“Quickly,” he said. “I’m right behind you.”
With a resigned shrug, she went to the bar. What weighed on her mind would be easier expressed after a shot of Vodka.
The Ice Bar was a hall with many tables and chairs carved from ice. The bar was busy with people enjoying brightly colored cocktails. A waiter came over the minute she sat down on a fur-covered chair.
“What’ll it be?” he said, chewing gum.
“What Vodka cocktails do you have?”
He handed her a menu. After going through the list, she said, “Blushing berrytini.”
“Good choice.”
He left and came back a short while later with pink liquid in chunky ice glasses. Jess took a sip. It was delicious. Everything was perfect. Almost. The setting was amazing. The atmosphere was unreal. The only spoke in the wheel was her mind. She had thought a lot during this journey. She had learned many things about herself, one that she was stronger than she thought. The knowledge filled her with new self-esteem. She always believed she needed Derrick...that he was so much tougher and better than she was, yet now she knew that she was enough. Yrian had been fun, and he liked her. Very much. He had made no secret about it. In his own way, he had taught her much about her self-worth.
Jess chewed her lip and pondered her decision. The wedding attire was booked, and the church, too. She had passed her test fair and square. Tomorrow she could be Derrick’s wife. But the picture suddenly seemed wrong.
She looked up to see Derrick making his way to her, his handsome face nervous, his intense eyes serious. He stopped in front of her with his hands clutched behind his back.
“You made it, girl.”
She smiled sadly. “I did.”
“You didn’t complain or overspend.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I didn’t.”
His shoulders were tense. She knew what was coming. He never expected her to make it. It was a set-up for failure all along. She was set on proving him wrong, and now that she had, she didn’t feel the joy she was supposed to.
“You thought I’d fail, didn’t you?” she said somberly.
“Yes. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
That was Derrick for you. Always honest. “And now you regret it. You’re sorry you lost.”
Derrick smiled slowly. “I was always going to marry you, girl. Even if you didn’t make it. I wanted it to be a surprise and to show you how committed I was. After all the years we’ve been together, giving you this is only fair.” He went down on one knee and brought his hands forward. In one, he held a velvet box, in the other a red, frozen rose. “I brought this with me, all the way from home, for this moment.”
Jess stared at him, not sure what to feel. A second ago, she expected him to try and talk his way out of the bet. This was what she always wanted to hear. Until this trip.
“Take it.” Derrick thrust the box and flower at her. “People are starting to stare.”
Jess shook her head. “I can’t.”
Derrick’s eyes widened. He got to his feet slowly, placed the box, and rose on the table. For a while, he said nothing, just stood there with his head down and his hands shoved into his pockets.
When he looked at her again, his eyes were moist. “Maybe it’s not the most romantic proposal in the world, but you know I’m not good with words or expressing my feelings.”
“It’s not that.” Jess searched her mind for her own words.
“Then what? I thought this is what you wanted.”
“That thing your dad used to say, about getting to know someone when you travel, it’s true.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? That you saw a side of me you don’t like?” When she didn’t reply immediately, he gave a cynical laugh. “That’ll be the most ironic thing in the world. Imagine.”
“It’s not you. I think I learned a lot about myself.”
“If you’re going to say you’re too good for me, you’re right. I know that. You’ve always deserved better. You deserve better than a shed and cow dung and a ranger who’
s bad with words, who can’t tell you what he feels.” He paused. “But I hoped that it wasn’t too late. I’ve realized things during this trip, too. Watching you and Yrian, I knew I couldn’t lose you...ever.” He stared at her imploringly. “Is it him?”
“No. It’s me. I’ve realized that I’ve bullied you into this whole wedding thing without taking your needs into consideration. You never wanted the ball and chain and four kids that come with it. You’re happy the way you are. I agreed to this test to make you do something you didn’t want to.” She took his face between her hands. “And I love you too much to do that to you. I’m not going to hold you to this stupid test, Derrick. I love you. That means respecting your wishes, and what you want. I’m done forcing you into this.”
“And Yrian? There was a spark between the two of you. I’m not blind, girl. I’d be lying if I say I wasn’t jealous as hell, but I tried to give you the space you needed to find the truth in your own heart.” He paused, looking pained. “Am I even the one?”
“You are. You’ve always been the one, Derrick.”
He grabbed her to him, kissing her cheeks and eyes and lips. “I’m scared of what marriage implies, but I don’t want to go home without you as my wife. Marry me. Please.”
Tears streaked her cheeks, but they were happy ones.
He pointed at the box. “Open that and put that on your finger, for crying out loud.”
She laughed through her tears. “This is the point where you open the box, slip the ring onto my finger, and tell me how much you love me.”
With a sigh he flicked open the box. “Does it matter how it’s done? It doesn’t change how I feel.”
“Yes,” she said sternly. “It matters. Now, do it right.”
He pulled a ring shaped like a snowflake imbedded with hundreds of sparkling diamond chips from the velvet box and grinned at her. “Give me your hand.” He took her fingers and kissed each one before he pushed the platinum band over her ring finger. “I love you, Jessica. Always have. Always will.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “Good. Because I’ve already paid for the church and the outfit. We can’t wait forever because I do believe the church is going to melt soon.”
* * * *
Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Page 4