Nila knew exactly what he meant. She fell asleep fitfully and only managed to do so when pretending she was still safe in his arms. Her heart broke every morning she woke up alone, and she repacked at least a dozen times with the intention of returning to Oswego before convincing herself she made the right decision. Alone, she cried. This happened daily. She had wept more in the last three months than she had in her entire existence up to the point when she left Thomas.
Still, Nila pulled back slightly and looked over at Walter Clark, who’d provided her with a home, funding and the necessary companionship to start a new life.
“I have a business now, Thomas. I am processing salt near the mines to be shipped all over the world. I’m just now on my feet with it.”
“Salt,” he said, mulling it over. “The more salt you mine and process, the more boats you are going to need to deliver it.”
Nila smiled at him. “I suppose that is true.” She stepped away from Thomas and stood in front of Walter. “You have been so kind to me. I cannot leave you in the same predicament as before I arrived.”
The older man grinned benevolently and rested a fatherly hand on her shoulder. “My dear girl, while I have enjoyed your company and admire your entrepreneurial spirit, I cannot imagine you’ve been any happier living a lie than I have.”
“No, I have not,” she admitted. She came all the way to America determined to do whatever was necessary to become a success on her own. She accomplished that in short order but found the achievement was hollow without having Thomas to share in it.
“You have done a splendid job setting up the business. Jeff can handle running the day to day affairs,” Walter assured her. He took Nila’s hands and gave his blessing. “Follow your heart, child. Fortunes come and go. We rise and fall professionally a hundred times, but love fit to last a lifetime, that is a gift not to be squandered.”
Nila turned to Thomas, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes. “I gave you one week. You’re late.”
“You didn’t make it easy on me,” he mused.
“I never will.”
Thomas laughed and took her in his arms again, so thankful to have her back that he never wanted to let her go. “I love you, Nila. Marry me.”
Her heart swelled with happiness and hope for the future. Yes, she would marry him. With Thomas by her side, the world was filled with nothing but possibilities. The winter could not touch her, not when they were together. Her cold defenses were forever melted.
“I love you, Thomas. I’ll marry you a thousand times.” Nila kissed him again, reveling in the joy. In a whisper, she said, “Now take me upstairs. We must make up for the three months we were apart.”
The lust turned his blue eyes dark, and he swept her over his shoulder. “Happily.”
The End
About the Author
Nicole Angeleen is a writer from Shawnee, Kansas. She has a BA in English from Coastal Carolina University and a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Kansas. When she is not writing, she spends her time reading on the beach, traveling, and being a rabid and obsessive sports fan. Nicole loves to buy clocks and look at maps. She is extreme. She currently lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with her two cats in a haunted townhouse. She has never been to North Dakota. Catch up with her latest news at www.nicoleangeleen.com or follow her on Twitter @NicoleAngeleen.
Other Works by Nicole Angeleen
Little Girls Dream Big
Frozen Dreams
by Elena Kane
To the coolest people ever! You know who you are. I wouldn’t have even attempted this without your gentle nudge.
Chapter One
Cara laid back on her pillows, her ample pile of blankets pulled up to her chin as she gazed at the crackling fire in the hearth. Another long, dreary, and lonely day had passed, without incident, but they were all starting to wear on her. She sighed heavily, fighting the tears that always were ready to fall at a moment’s notice as she watched the playful game the flames seemed to play. What would it be like to have someone to talk to that is my own age? Cara thought miserably. Her eyelids grew heavy with the weight of a depression that had settled on her at a very young age as she continued to stare at the dancing blue, orange, and yellow flames. Just one person besides Mary and my family to care about me, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
Cara shivered again, bitterness filling her, showing in the way she hunched her shoulders against the coldness. Shoving her hands even farther into her pockets, she managed to gain more unwanted attention from the people passing her by. You’d think they’d be used to her by now, seeing how she had grown up in this village.
It wasn’t enough that she was the only person with blonde hair and blue eyes in a land filled with dark haired, dark eyed people, but she also had the unfortunate pleasure of being the only one who was in a permanent state of freezing. The people of Arc were always warm from the fire magic that ran through their veins, but not Cara. She possessed water magic.
Suppressing the urge to kick a passing child as he laughed outright at her warm outer layer attire, she instead crossed the street, keeping her head down as she went. She stared at the snow under her feet as she continued toward her house, hating the whiteness of it, the way that it crunched under her feet. She hated the freezing temperatures that made up every day in Arc. In fact, there weren’t many things that she did like about her frozen world.
Cara looked up again at the sound of a voice that caused her heart to stop with fear. Across the street and down a little way, Cara could see Seth—who happened to be the mayor’s son—and his bully friends, heading her directions. He and his friends had made her middle and upper school years absolutely miserable. She knew she was capable of defending herself now, but years of torture had taken its toll on her, and she inwardly flinched at the thought of them seeing her out here, alone.
Turning quickly, she headed into a store. She checked to see if they had seen her yet, her face turned in their direction, when she stepped through the door and directly into someone.
“Oof,” she said, bouncing off the body and onto her backside. She looked up to see whom she’d ran in to, preparing to apologize profusely as most people did not seem to care for her or to be near her. She believed most of this animosity stemmed from her differences, but it could have been her bitterness at always being cold, too. This was something she had never really figured out. Either way, between her unique looks and magical abilities, then throw in the fact that she was Seth’s favorite person to torture, Cara was a person with very few friends; in fact, she could count them with one finger.
When her eyes made it up to the face of an incredibly tall man, her jaw dropped and she had to consciously make an effort not to drool. He was gorgeous.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” he said with a pleasantly warm voice. He bent down, offering her a hand, which she took, feeling slightly mystified with the gesture.
What? No laughing?
“I don’t know you,” she said rather bluntly. Great first impression, she thought. She considered slapping her forehead at this statement, but figured that would only make her seem even crazier.
“And I don’t know you. So I think that puts us on even ground,” the stranger said, still smiling at her. He was looking at her in such a way that made Cara squirm uncomfortably, mainly because he was actually looking at her face and not her hair or strange clothing. She wasn’t exactly used to so much eye contact.
“I’m Cara.”
“I’m Ben. I was just passing through your village. I was kind of tired of the people from my own, so I thought I might do a little traveling and visit other places. Your village is the first one that I have passed through,” Ben said, looking around as he did.
Cara couldn’t help looking over her shoulder to see what he saw and instantly felt sick when she did. Seth and his stupid goonies were heading directly for her, having spotted her in the store entrance.
; “Nice to meet you,” she said quickly, dodging around him so that she could hide in the store until Seth grew bored. She wasn’t interested in being burnt, beaten or, in other words, tortured, even if it meant a black eye or two for Seth. Not that she ever felt in the mood for such activities.
Just as she passed Ben, though, she felt a hand grab her arm through the many layers of clothing that she wore. She felt the heat of his fire that was common in all Arcians through her clothing. Looking up, she saw that he was watching her curiously before turning his head to take in the approaching bullies. Putting her behind him, he stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest. The trio walked up to him, smiling cruelly at Cara as she poked her face from behind him.
“Cara, we were just looking for you,” Seth called, attempting to sidestep Ben.
“I don’t think she reciprocates those feelings,” Ben said, his voice, so warm moments before, now held a steely edge.
“And you are?” Seth asked, sneering slightly up at him. Given the look on his face, Cara could tell that this was a situation with which Seth was unfamiliar.
“Just a passerby,” Ben said calmly enough, even though Cara detected that he felt anything but calm, judging by the way that he clenched and unclenched his hands.
Cara couldn’t help but take a step closer to his warm back and further from the sight of her tormentors.
“I’m pretty sure this has nothing to do with you,” Seth retorted, the frown on his face turning his expression ugly. He put a hand on Ben’s chest and gave him a little shove.
Ben stepped back a bit, but other than that, remained where he was. “Actually it does. Cara, are you ready to get something to eat?” he asked, turning around and smiling at her.
If Cara hadn’t been so terrified, she would have laughed at the expression on Seth’s face. Not trusting her voice, she smiled back and nodded.
Ben winked at her casually before grabbing her hand, startling her even more.
First, he looks at me, and now he’s holding my hand. Cara didn’t know what to do in this situation. Most people avoided talking to her altogether, something that she had gotten used to during her eighteen years. The way Ben acted toward her was a whole new concept in her mind.
“You were going to show me some of the greenhouses, too, weren’t you?” Ben asked, pulling her past Seth and his friends who followed the couples’ progress out the store with their eyes bugging out of their head and their chins somewhere around their chests.
Once they left the store and walked down the road a little, Cara pulled her hand from his. She still wasn’t exactly sure what to make of this whole situation.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, stopping and turning so that she faced him. She found that he was still smiling and looking anything but uncomfortable with her. “I’m sure there was something you wanted to do besides help me out, so I’ll let you be.” She turned to leave, the events of the last few moments still replaying in her mind, but didn’t even make it a few steps before she felt a hand grabbing her arm again. She looked down, shocked to find the large hand of her savior holding her back gently.
“Would you like to join me for a meal?” he asked, clearly amused with her reaction.
“Why?” Cara asked, suspicion creeping into her mind.
“I take it you don’t get asked out very often,” Ben said, smiling even broader at her.
“Or at all. Listen, I really do appreciate what you did for me back there, but unless you want to be ridiculed, I wouldn’t invite me anywhere.” Cara’s cheeks grew warm with the blush creeping up. There was something interesting about this man, and she was drawn to him, but she didn’t want him to be singled out because of her. It just wouldn’t be right.
Ben looked at her curiously, his smile diminishing slightly at the look she gave him. She looked nervously down at the white snow on the ground, her quota of eye contact having long been met.
“Okay,” he drawled. “Then hopefully I’ll see you around?”
Cara returned her gaze to his face, trying to determine if he was joking or not. Why would he want to see me again? He wasn’t smiling, just looking at her intently, his eyes squinting thoughtfully.
“Are you going to be staying for a while?” Cara couldn’t help asking, intrigued despite herself.
“I wasn’t, but now I find myself drawn to this little village.” A ghost of a smile touched his lips, and his eyes lit up in merriment.
Cara narrowed her eyes suspiciously, sure that he was picking on her now. “Oh yeah, and why would that be?” she said, a bit more harshly than she intended.
“The differences.” With that, he turned and headed down the road and back into the main part of the village, leaving behind a thoroughly mystified Cara.
Chapter Two
Cara paced the length of her bedroom, the warm fire blazing in her fireplace the only source of light. Puzzled over the events of the day yet again, she came to a stop and flopped down onto the chair next to the warm heat emanating from the licking flames. She watched it dance to and fro, reaching high into the chimney, like it was trying to escape the very logs that held it prisoner.
It just doesn’t make sense, she thought dully. She had never had a friend, let alone a kind face, save that of her own family. So, why would this stranger take it upon himself to provide her with the words that every girl dreams of hearing?
“Of course,” she said, understanding finally dawning on her. Seth hadn’t been able to torture her as he once had. Cara had learned to defend herself better and avoid him more; he was apparently stooping to new levels. Clinching her jaws painfully, she shook her head. She couldn’t believe that she had almost convinced herself that this handsome stranger might have actually been interested in her. That he had seen her as something more than a difference, a flaw in the society that she called home.
Angry tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was done crying over bullies. She vaguely found herself wondering what Ben was getting out of this. Surely, Seth was paying him for his kind words and looks of endearment. Just how much was the question? Her throat tightened, almost strangling the breath from her lungs. For the first time that she could remember, someone had talked to her, looked her in the eye. She couldn’t bear the thought of that going away or even being a lie. Why did Seth hate her so much?
Cara’s gaze returned to the fire, tears running down her face like little streams, tears that she had not given permission to fall. She was so tired of being alone. So tired of only ever really talking with just her family. Her boss, Mary, was friendly toward Cara, but what she wouldn’t give for just one true friend, someone who liked her in spite of her.
* * * *
Stepping through the library door, Cara paused, giving her eyes a moment to adjust from the blinding whiteness that she had left outdoors. She blinked several times, her eyes searching the room that was as familiar as her own until objects started to come into focus. The library was one of the few places that Cara found respite from the constant stares of the people of Arc.
It contained her means of escape from a life that she hated. She stopped taking the books from this sacred place, having paid for one too many that Seth destroyed in order to hurt her, but she always came back to them. She would sit in the corner of this warm building for hours on end, devouring book after book.
As objects started to come into focus, she made her way across the room, carefully avoiding pulled out chairs and tables that stood between the door and the bookshelves. She noted the librarian, sitting in her customary spot, dutifully ignoring Cara as she always did. It was the same with everyone in this ridiculous village.
Cara found her thoughts straying back to Ben as they had for the last couple of days. She hadn’t seen him, like she had hoped too, but that didn’t stop her from constantly obsessing over whether or not he was someone Seth had gotten, just to torture her. She couldn’t get the kind stranger out of her mind, and that bothered her more than anything else did.
Choosing a book, she went to her favorite spot, away from the windows and the cold draft that blew through them. She pulled her legs up to her chest and propping her book up on her thighs, started to read, but soon discovered she couldn’t concentrate. Ben’s handsome face kept blocking her mind’s eye from the words on the page. She could see his silky, brown hair grazing his shoulder, and his warm, brown eyes, pulling her in, beckoning her with promises that she was sure he would never keep.
Shaking her head, she mentally scolded herself for letting her mind drift down that path. It wasn’t even realistic, so why even consider it. Refocusing on the words before her, she started again, firmly keeping her thoughts on what they said. Her mind was finally entering into the world the book offered when she heard the tinkle of a bell, indicating the arrival of someone new. Distracted by the noise, Cara glanced up briefly and then returned to her book, only to have her eyes shoot up again at the visitor.
Ben looked around the library, just as she had done moments before, until they rested on her. Smiling, he strode across the floor and directly to her. Grabbing a chair, he placed it quietly next to her, and straddling it, he sat down. Placing his arms on the back of the hard wooden chair, he looked at her, a smile still upon his handsome features.
Cara felt her heart flutter at the sight of him. Her hands grew sweaty on the book that she held. Why is he here?
“Hello,” he said his voice as rich and warm as she remembered.
“Hi,” Cara said somewhat reluctantly. “Why are you here?” Along with the butterflies that seemed to have taken up residence in her stomach, Cara felt the urge to get up and walk out of the building before anything bad could happen to her. She looked over his shoulder, expecting Seth and his goonies to come walking through at any moment.
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