Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Stormy Kisses Read online

  Sweet & Sassy Anthology

  Stormy Kisses

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  Table of Contents

  Love Right by Rebecca Rode

  Waves of Deceit by Donna K. Weaver

  Secrets in the Storm by Cindy M. Hogan

  Back to You by Jo Noelle

  Twisters & Textbooks by Lindzee Armstrong

  Zoey’s Place by Rachel Branton

  Love Right

  Rebecca Rode

  copyright © 2016 by Rebecca Rode

  Corie McMullen doesn’t consider herself a man-hater. It’s just that being dumped by a fiancé via text has given her trust issues. Now, two years later, she’s written a bestselling relationships book, Love Right, and managed to avoid dating altogether. Even better, she’s scored an interview on a prestigious national morning show.

  So when her best friend, Sofia, drags her to Singles Week at a ski lodge in Colorado, she’s reluctant to jump into the dating scene again. Especially when the man who seems interested turns out to be Micah Calloway, a playboy from her high school who insists he’s changed.

  Then a blizzard hits while they’re snowshoeing, and the dating game turns dangerous. Now Corie’s very survival rests on an impossible decision. Not only must she trust Micah with her life, but somehow she must find the courage to trust him with her heart.

  1

  I ENDED THE CALL AND leaped up from my bed, whooping and pumping my fists to the ceiling of my tiny bedroom. My turquoise cell phone clattered to the wood floor, but I was too high on adrenaline to check the screen for cracks. “Sofia!” I shrieked.

  For a moment only silence echoed down the hallway, and I wondered if my roommate had left our condo without me noticing. But then her staccato footsteps pounded toward my door. It flung open. Sofia’s brown eyes, layered in dark-purple eye shadow, were wide in horror as she stood there panting. One eye was partially lined, like I’d interrupted her makeup session. “What’s wrong?”

  “You won’t believe who I just talked to.”

  A slow smile spread across Sofia’s face. “Rhett, calling to apologize?”

  I felt my smile slip. Why would Sofia even say that? Rhett lived in my past, in those naive and fantasy-ridden college days—before I’d learned that there was no such thing as The One. Rhett had married someone else, and I was very much over him. I was. “Fat chance. I just hung up with the scheduler for Wake Up America. They want me on the show next week!”

  She threw her hands into the air like a football referee and bounced up and down in her heels. “See? I knew it, Corie. You’re going to be famous!”

  That wasn’t at all what it meant, but I grinned anyway. I only had a six-minute slot, but it may as well have been my entire life. My dating book, Love Right, had leaped to the best-seller charts since its release nine weeks ago. Even my publicist had been surprised, muttering about filling a niche she didn’t know was there.

  And now I would be on national TV. With Susan Kerrington, the famous news anchor.

  My stomach dropped as the realization hit. “I’ll be seen by thousands of people.” I watched Wake Up America at the gym nearly every morning. And now I’d be the one gym-goers watched. Would anyone recognize me?

  Would Rhett and his new wife be watching?

  I mentally kicked myself. I didn’t care whether he saw me or not.

  “This is just the beginning,” Sofia said. “You’ll sell enough books to start your consulting business and make millions.” She closed the door behind her and plopped herself into my purple beanbag chair from my college days. Only Sofia could lounge in a giant beanbag while wearing a skirt. “Just goes to show that dating Rhett wasn’t a total waste. You made lemons out of orange juice, or however that goes.”

  I moaned and sank into the bed. “Don’t mention food right now. I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “When’s the big day?”

  I checked the notes I’d scribbled down on my sky-blue sticky pad. Good thing I’d written it down since I could barely remember my own name. “They’re flying me to New York next Thursday. I have to be at the studio at 4:00 a.m. Friday morning.” I winced. Mornings had never been my thing, even as a statistics grad student.

  Most of the other stat grads had gone into biostatistics or economics. I’d gotten a customer-service job at the only cell phone company in my hometown of Mission Verde, California. It paid decently, but that was as far as it went. My days consisted of trying to upsell customers into expensive plans they didn’t need and answering phones with a cheerfulness I didn’t feel.

  I wanted to change lives, not get customers more data on their phone plans.

  The only worthwhile thing I’d done at work in the past six months was help authorities find a missing hiker in the mountains. I’d discovered a ping from the hiker’s phone at a certain tower, and we’d triangulated the signal to locate her approximate location. The authorities had been ecstatic, as if I’d done something truly amazing. But anyone could have done it. I was just the one who’d answered the stupid phone.

  The moment my book sales justified it, I would quit and start my dating-consultation business. Thanks to this TV interview, maybe that time would come sooner than anticipated.

  I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I almost missed how Sofia’s face fell. Almost. My friend still sat there, picking the soft fabric, staring at the floor.

  I pulled myself back into the moment. “Is something wrong?”

  Her head snapped up. “Wrong? No, no. It’s just that . . . well, there’s something I need your help with next week.”

  Whenever Sofia needed help, it involved a man or a loan. I hoped for the latter. “What’s up?”

  “Do you remember that Singles Week ski trip I told you about?”

  “Uh . . . “

  “Really? I told you about it a few days ago.”

  I’d been a bit distracted lately with book stuff. I quickly resolved to be a better friend. “I’m totally listening this time. Tell me about it.”

  “Okay, Ridge Creek Lodge outside Denver has a tradition called Singles Week. It’s mostly Aspen College students and grads, but anyone can come, and people fly in from all over. It’s kind of like a grown-up spring break, only at a private ski resort. Mimi always paid for me to go, but since she passed . . .” Her voice trailed off as her face twisted into a frown.

  Sofia’s grandmother had died two years ago, just weeks before Sofia’s graduation from Aspen College in Colorado. Sofia had paid off Mimi’s outstanding medical bills with funds from the sale of their modest home in Colorado, but there was nothing left for herself. She’d been forced to accept the first personal-trainer job she could find—in small Mission Verde, of all places. We’d met at the community center gym and become fast friends.

  When Rhett broke off the engagement, Sofia had invited
me to split the rent on a condo with her. It had seemed a temporary solution then, a place to stay until Rhett came to his senses. Instead, it had become my safe place, my haven from which I’d watched Rhett move on.

  Sofia cleared her throat. “Earth to Corie.”

  “Sorry. So you’re going to the retreat?”

  “Getting to that. Remember those three guys who are friends? The ones I met at work?”

  “You said they were, and I quote, ‘The most delicious bunch of man flesh that ever walked out of a locker room.’ Yep, I remember.”

  “I saw them at Drawney’s Restaurant last night. I told them about the retreat and they agreed to come. They’re coming, Corie. You may even know one of them. He went to Mission Verde High, same as you.”

  There hadn’t been a single guy in my small high school worth dating, so that didn’t offer much hope.

  Then something occurred to me. “Wait. Weren’t you out with Kevin last night?”

  “We ended early.”

  “As in he had to leave, or you guys broke up?”

  “We broke up, but that’s a different story. So anyway, I used most of my savings to book this retreat as a birthday present to myself, you know? My favorite lodge, skiing, and three hot guys all to myself. Mostly. Except it’s not like I can get to know them adequately in only six days. So, uh, I need your help deciding which one to pursue.”

  I let out a long breath. “I thought you liked Kevin. Why didn’t you tell me you broke up?” She’d dated him longer than any of her previous boyfriends, and he was the first one I’d actually liked. “Did you initiate that, or did he? Was there a reason?”

  “Can we save the twenty questions for later? We’re discussing the lodge here.”

  I gritted my teeth. “So when is the retreat?”

  She paused. “Next week. Monday through Saturday.”

  Crap. Monday was Sofia’s birthday. I’d been planning a surprise party for her that night. I had invited all our friends and her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend now, it seemed—and collected recipes for her favorite treats. I’d even practiced perfecting my carrot cake recipe. I couldn’t stand the stuff, but Sofia loved it.

  Now I’d have to cancel everything so she could fly back to Colorado and catch a new guy. Sofia often complained I didn’t date enough, which was ridiculous to me. She dated enough guys for both of us. With some to spare, even.

  “Sofia,” I began. “You know I want to support you. But I’m leaving for New York on Thursday.”

  “I know, I know. But you can catch the first few days. I booked a double room for us. The only thing you need to pay for is the flight. Please? How am I supposed to pick the right guy without you to steer me in the right direction?”

  “There is no right guy, statistically speaking. Only guys who seem to fit your preconceived notions at a particular time. Just spend time with each of them separately. By the end of the trip, one will stand out to you.”

  “Right, like Kevin? Braden? Gabe, Asher, and Benjamin? I thought each of them was The One, and you know how those relationships ended. I always date the wrong guys. Always. It’s like you say—numbers never lie. Your little scoring system is genius. Even Wake Up America knows it.”

  Crap again. She didn’t know what she was asking of me. “So learn the system. There’s a spreadsheet on the website—”

  “I don’t need a piece of paper to analyze them, Corie. I want you with me. It’s my birthday.”

  Panic pulsed through my body. “It’s not just the TV interview. I have to work. Plus, I have to pack and gather my notes, and there’s the interview outfit to shop for. You want me to drop everything and leave in two days? I don’t know how it’s possible.”

  “You never take vacation days. I’m sure you’ve got a few stored up somewhere. And we can go shopping tonight for your outfit. Your little town here is charming, but I really miss the mountains. I’ve got to get away for a while. Just be spontaneous for once in your life and come, please? I need you there.”

  I frowned. Last time Sofia had begged like this, the evening had ended up being a surprise double date—her latest crush and his younger brother, a political-science geek. After being grilled about my views on gun control and socialism over an overpriced salad, I finally pulled the “emergency at the office” stunt and left.

  Sofia had been furious, but the guy was at least two years younger than I was, with a Love Right score of 62. I only dated men who were at least a 90.

  Not that I’d ever met someone that high, but still.

  Sofia lay back in the chair, studying my face. “Just think of all the marketing you can do for your consulting business. There will be a hundred potential clients there, at least. It’s a win-win. I get my best friend there with me on my birthday, and you can fly to New York out of Denver and save two hours of travel time, rested and ready for your interview.”

  I sighed. I couldn’t be upset at Sofia for setting up her own birthday celebration, especially when it was something she really wanted to do. But being surrounded by single men wasn’t my idea of a break.

  Most young girls watched movies about women falling in love with the perfect man. I had spent my childhood watching my mom’s heart get broken over and over again by men who were anything but perfect—my father, then a second husband, then a series of boyfriends. Each one made promises; each one shattered them.

  I’d finally made a promise to myself. This woman went solo.

  And then I’d met Rhett, and everything changed. For the first time, I got what all the hype was about. I’d allowed him into my heart, tentatively at first, then wholly and completely near the end. I’d fallen hard, and he’d smashed me into the ground just like I should have known he would.

  Sofia frowned at my hesitation, and I knew her hurt was growing with my silence. She’d paid for us both to take a vacation on her birthday. Would it be so bad to support her? Perhaps I could bring a suitcase of books and make a real vacation out of it.

  “You said it’s nonrefundable?” I asked.

  Sofia’s purple-caked eyes gleamed. “Very much nonrefundable.”

  “Okay, but as long as you understand I have zero interest in dating. And I’m paying you back for the room.”

  Sofia squealed again and leaped to her feet. “You won’t regret it. I have a good feeling about this. I really think I’m going to find The One.”

  She was so eager, so hopeful, that I hated to disappoint her. “You know, The One—”

  “—doesn’t exist. So you keep telling me.”

  I tried again. “Even if he did exist, the chances of you two meeting and both being single and equally attracted are astronomically low. I don’t want you to get hurt.” It was a matter of mathematics, of scores. Physical appearance, athleticism, intelligence, interests, drive to succeed. Cleanliness. Goals. All factors in a scientific puzzle I’d managed to solve and share with the world.

  “Well then, I’ll take great pleasure in proving you wrong.” Sofia’s eyes gleamed. “Now call your boss to tell her you’re leaving town next week, and then I’m taking you to the mall. We have some serious shopping to do.”

  2

  THE MOMENT I WALKED INTO Ridge Creek Lodge, I felt like I’d stepped into a cheesy romantic comedy. The hum of overly excited conversation and giggling assaulted my ears from the sitting area to my right.

  This is for Sofia, I chanted in my head. For Sofia.

  A big-screen TV stood in one corner, although none of the guests seemed interested in watching the political news station. They were too busy talking, trying to impress, flirting. Sofia hadn’t been kidding when she said this place was a grown-up spring break for singles. No, worse. More like a speed-dating nightmare.

  Sofia sighed, setting her bags down next to me. “Amazing, isn’t it? I got a great deal on our room. They usually charge twice as much. Something about the high avalanche risk this week, I think. They’ve closed half the slopes as a precaution.”

  I turned my focus to the lodge itself.
The lobby easily stood four stories tall, with an expensive-looking timber-lined ceiling. A stacked river-rock fireplace loomed over the room, its stones too rough and varied to be fake. Clean-lined leather sofas formed a U around the hearth, and a contemporary chandelier with two-dozen lampshades took up an entire floor overhead.

  “It’s incredible,” I said. I’d never been to a high-end lodge like this before. My mom and I had been more of a cheap-and-tiny-cabin-at-Yosemite family.

  Sofia checked us in, then picked up her bags. “We’re in room 206. I’m going to drop off my stuff and come back down. I bet my three guys are here by now.”

  “I’ll meet you up there. I just wanted to ask the clerk about something.”

  She tossed her dark hair and strode to the elevator. “I get first choice of bed, then.”

  I inched my way back to the desk, waiting until the elevator doors had closed behind her before rushing back to the clean-cut young man behind the desk. I placed my hands next to a pile of fliers and leaned forward. “The pamphlet said there’s a restaurant here with a private event room. Can I go take a peek?”

  The clerk blinked. “It’s locked up, and the manager is gone until four. Is there something I can help you with?”

  I checked my phone. 2:11. “It’s my friend’s birthday, and I wanted to surprise her with a nice dinner. Her name is Sofia Fuentes. Is it too late to reserve the private room, do you think?”

  The clerk checked the computer. “I’m sorry, but it’s already been reserved.” He squinted at the screen. “Actually, the reservation is under that name. Sofia Fuentes, you said?”

  I stared at him. “But—” Sofia wouldn’t have reserved it herself. This made no sense.

  “I put it under her name,” a deep voice said over my shoulder. “To protect the guilty and all.”

  I whirled to face the man, who peered down at me beneath a dark-gray beanie. His coat hung well on his wide shoulders, and a stripe stitched across his chest accented his build. A strong jawline boasted a day’s worth of stubble and a grin that made my cheeks warm. He sized me up just as I had him, and then his grin widened into a crooked smile.