Mistletoe in Juneau, page 1
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Super-Simple, Amazing Chocolate Cake
About the Author
Sneak Preview
Mistletoe in Juneau
Copyright © 2021 Dahlia Rose
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Print: 978-1-952210-34-1
eBook 978-1-952210-35-8
www.hallmarkpublishing.com
To my hero, my veteran and love, Robert ‘Sarge’ Pearson.
You are stronger than anyone I’ve ever known, and I’m honored to be your wife.
Deployment sent you home hurt and bent, but it never broke your wonderful spirit.
This book is for you.
Army Strong! HOOAH!
Chapter One
Even before Halloween jack-o’-lanterns came down and the Thanksgiving turkey was carved, New York City came alive with holiday magic. Twinkling lights and decorations graced the store windows in Manhattan, and at Rockefeller Center, the massive tree made the perfect centerpiece for Christmas in a city whose buildings reached for the sky. By the time New Yorkers heard the first merry jingle of bells or the hearty laugh of a mall Santa, they were in the Christmas spirit.
Thirty-year old Danni St. Peters loved the city. A Brooklyn girl born and raised, she could get from Canarsie to Clinton Hills by bus or train, and she always knew which street had the latest fashions or the hottest new restaurant. She’d built her career around that adventurous spirit and had made a name for herself. Danni On the Run, her video channel, had over two million subscribers—and that wasn’t even counting all her other followers on social media. She was well known across the country and going worldwide.
“We’re ready for you on set, Danni.” The producer of the morning show segment, a young woman wearing a headset, looked in the room as the makeup artist made sure Danni’s face was flawless.
Danni met the producer’s gaze in the mirror with a wink. “Thanks a bunch!”
“You look marvelous,” a male voice added. “Are you ready to wow them with that Danni pizzazz?”
Austin Hammond, who had accompanied her to the morning show, stood at the door. His smile traveled to his eyes, making the blue even warmer. As always, Austin was dressed to the nines. His champagne-colored sweater was paired with dark dress pants and expensive, on-trend shoes. He’d left the jacket in the greenroom.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.
“Big smile.” He made a smile motion with his hand, and Danni gave him a rueful shake of her head. Then she put a bright smile on and followed the producer down the hall.
Today she had an appearance on the entertainment channel’s best-rated daytime show. Being featured on The Aisha White Show was another step up in her career. Aisha was a daytime drama actress whose career had taken off, and now she had her own line of clothes and shoes as well as the talk show.
Danni caught a glimpse of herself in one of the lighted mirrors offstage. Two barrettes pulled her hair back from her face to accent her cheekbones. Light bronzer made her teak-colored skin glow, like she’d just come from a beach in the Caribbean.
Danni stepped from the hallway into the shots of the cameras. When the lights hit her, she came alive. The audience clapped as she ran down the walkway, giving high fives and taking a selfie or two with guests before bounding up the two small steps that led to the stage.
“Danni, you look fabulous!” Aisha’s bright eyes were kind and caught the lights of the set, and her wide smile instantly put Danni at ease.
“White pantsuit in winter—brave girl!” Aisha held out her arms for an embrace.
“You look amazing yourself, Aisha. That red dress is perfect on you, and I’m jealous.” Danni hugged her lightly while they exchanged air kisses, and then did a little twirl. “I’m not a Hamptons girl, Aisha. We Brooklyn girls live a bit fashion-dangerously. Besides, I paired it with your red pumps and the look is fierce.”
“Yes, yes, it’s perfect.” The audience clapped their approval while she and the host got seated on a pair of comfortable plush chairs.
“Danni St. Peters,” Aisha said with warmth. “Your name is on everyone’s lips. You have millions of followers who just eat up your every adventure. Tell us how it started.”
Danni smiled. “It started because I was a dreamer. I didn’t just want to read about places in a book—I wanted to experience them. So, three years ago, after saving for two years before that, I took my first trip to Paris… on a budget. And let me tell you, visiting Paris, surviving on croissants and cheese, and exploring the city was the best time I ever had. I stayed in a low-rent hotel, I made videos and livestreamed the different places I visited, and people loved it because they could relate.”
Aisha said, “And you’ve gone much further than that. Danni on The Run is food, it’s dancing…I loved the one when you tried hot yoga for the first time. Oh! And the food truck Friday in Charlotte, where you ate that loaded mac and cheese.”
Danni threw her head back and laughed. “The food in that town is so decadent. Danni On the Run is going back for a second trip there for something called Queen Charlotte day, so look out for that in February.”
Aisha leaned forward conspiratorially. “What about the man in Danni’s life?”
Danni swallowed uncomfortably and looked toward backstage. What should she call Austin these days? They had morphed from manager and client to couple, and she honestly didn’t know when it had happened. Now he practically beamed…and before Danni could say a thing, Austin jogged out waving at the audience.
Dude! she thought. This is not your interview!
But she tucked away her irritation, because as always, Austin didn’t mean any harm in his actions. He was just…excitable? Yeah, that was the word.
He was the quintessential New York man, from the top of his blond head down to the loafers on his feet. His smile was perfect—white even teeth. Danni almost expected the little sparkle she saw in toothpaste ads. And Austin Hammond was accustomed to being in front of an audience. His family vacationed in Martha’s Vineyard and played racquetball with the elite. He had tickets to all the best events, and he’d hinted they would need to coordinate their outfits for New York Fashion Week next year.
“Austin Hammond,” Aisha said. “We all know who you are, and now we see why you have that gleam in your eyes.”
With his hands placed on Aisha’s shoulders, Austin kissed her on both cheeks. As he sat down in the chair next to Danni and held her hand, the host continued. “When did you guys meet?”
Danni opened her mouth to answer, but Austin beat her to the punch. “I met the lovely Danni last year at the Harlem Wine Festival. I saw her, and I knew she was the one.”
Am I? And was Austin really the one for her? Even as confusion filtered through her mind, Danni kept her smile pasted firmly on her face.
“So, love at first sight, hmmm?” Aisha turned to her audience. “And they said romance was dead.”
The rest of the interview consisted of Danni answering questions when she could. Austin also touted being her manager and anything else he could get out before the interview was over. She was tired by the end of it.
“That went wonderfully,” Austin said, once they were offstage and heading toward the exit.
“It went,” Danni murmured.
He frowned. “Not happy with it, honey?”
She cast a sidelong glance at him. “Well, you did all the commentary. You tell me.”
“I gave the audience what they wanted.” Austin grinned. “We are building your brand.”
“I’m not a puppet. Austin, I can speak for myself,” Danni said firmly. “It was my brand before you stepped in, and it will continue to be so.”
“Don’t be mad, babe, it went great,” he said and patted out a little beat on his leg.
He never listens.
But he was only trying to help, she told herself. She was running on fumes—no food and plenty of caffeine—and it was making her oversensitive. She should quit being so hard on the guy.
She pasted a smile on her face as they stepped outside. “It went great. I’m just a bit tired. It’s been a whirlwind of a year, and I honestly need a break.”
“Ah-ah-ah, not the ‘b’ word again,” Austin said.
A sleek black town car pulled up, and the driver came around to help her in. When they were settled in the back seat, he spoke again.
“This went fantastic. Did you see how they practically got out
Danni said nothing as the car pulled away from the curb. Austin kept talking while she half-listened.
She was going to every event, every weekend—new restaurant openings, shows, clubs. When she’d first started out, she’d been able to choose what she did, but since he’d become her manager, she hadn’t said no to a single invite. She no longer got her videos out after one simple edit. Now, it was tweak and re-tweak, take and re-take to get the perfect shot. The organizers who invited her wanted to be showcased in the best light.
Some of the clubs were not her scene. They were loud, hot, and crass, where egos were built on how someone dressed—usually, the more scantily, the better. That wasn’t her.
She missed the days when it was just about her bucket list. The brochure for the butterfly exhibit she wanted to visit was still on her desk. Danni smiled, thinking about when she could actually go sit and film while butterflies flitted all around. Maybe they’d land on her hands or shoulders…
“Danni… Danni, are you listening to me?” Austin took her hand and patted it in concern. “Do you need to eat? Low blood sugar and Danni St Peters do not mix.”
“Sorry,” Danni apologized. “Slight headache. You’re right though, I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.”
“I have protein bars, or should we stop and get you a quick sandwich? Danni, you need to take care of you, too,” Austin said with worry in his voice. “You have to be on the ball. You still have that meeting for the makeup brand. If you get this campaign, you’ll be worldwide baby, so you have to think about when you eat.”
“Okay, Austin. I’ll handle it… I know you’re trying to help, but right now it’s a bombardment of words.” Danni sighed and leaned forward to tap the glass barrier between them and the driver. “Charles, can you take me to the Renaissance Hotel, please?”
“Yes ma’am.” The driver made a left turn at the light.
“You don’t have to see them until noon, and I can go with you.” Austin smiled and picked up her hand to kiss it. “You need me to work this deal for you, honey.”
Danni gently removed her hand. “Austin, I did this by myself before we met last year. Thank you, but this one I can manage on my own. I’m going to grab a quick lunch…alone, then freshen up for the meeting.”
“Will I see you tonight?” His tone was subdued.
She shook her head. “I need to shop for my family get-together and go home to wrap gifts. I’ll see you Sunday for dinner, how’s that?”
He brightened. “I’ll get Salvador to make us something fantastic at Ciao’s.”
Danni nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
“Oh, that other show called, The Scoop. They still want you for next week.”
“No. I won’t be anywhere near that guy. He demeans people, and he glorifies misery. Don’t even respond, and he’ll go away.”
“But—”
“No,” Danni cut him off firmly. “I won’t be fodder for his rumor mill.”
Austin took her hand in his. “You’re right, of course. That’s not the image you’re going for. I’ll ask the street team for input.”
When had she gotten a street team? Shouldn’t she have heard about that? Still, she warmed pleasantly at his support. It wasn’t usual for him to follow her direction when it came to her career, so it was wonderful when he listened and turned on his boyish charm.
“That’s great,” she said. “Thank you for seeing my point of view.”
The car pulled to a stop outside the hotel, and she gathered her purse and the satchel that carried her laptop, tablet, and even a tripod in case she was inspired to shoot something interesting for her show.
She kissed him on the cheek. “See you Sunday. Go visit your parents, take them a gift.”
Austin laughed. “Danni, you are so innocent sometimes. We haven’t exchanged gifts since I was fourteen. They can literally buy anything they want.”
She shook her head at his response. He blew her a kiss as the car pulled away.
Danni took a huge breath, clearing her lungs with the cold winter air, then walked toward the hotel and went directly to the posh restaurant on the bottom floor. The truth was, she could’ve seen him before her family’s holiday get-together.
The dinner always happened early because her parents spent the holiday in Florida. It was the luxury they spent the entire year saving up for: a month in a warm climate to get away from the New York chill. This year, Danni had the perfect gift for them. Their month would be spent in a luxury condo instead of the cramped timeshare with two other couples her mother always complained about.
The waitress came over with a smile. “Good afternoon. Lunch menu?”
“Please,” Danni said gratefully. “Can I have the molten hot chocolate, extra warm, please?”
“And extra whipped cream?” the waitress hinted. “It’s perfect to beat the cold.”
“That sounds amazing. Put me down for that.”
She studied the menu while waiting for her drink. The first time she’d tasted the hot chocolate at the hotel, she’d been surprised to learn it had red wine in the recipe. She’d loved the idea so much, she’d done a livestream with the chef as he made his signature winter drink. He explained how the heat evaporated the alcohol content of the wine, leaving only a rich flavor that enhanced the chocolate.
The waitress was quick to return with her beverage and Danni ordered the salmon burger with steak fries for lunch. After the first delicious sip, she impulsively pulled out her phone and started to record.
“Have you ever just missed reading by a window while the rain falls? Or going thrift shopping for that perfect pair of retro jeans? Lunch in the park with girlfriends, watching cute guys play Frisbee or flag football? I miss that. Sometimes the glitz and glamour takes away from the small things,” she said into the camera. “Even this drink right now…it should be shared with someone who wants to snuggle up next to a fire, or watch a movie at home wearing mismatched socks.” Danni gave a soft laugh. “Or maybe I’m just crazy, and I should be grateful for what I have?”
She stopped the recording, knowing she would never post it to her site. It was against the grain of what she posted now, and it was one more sign that she wasn’t living her truth.
No, this recording was just for her. She would still enjoy the small things now, in the middle of this new, more glamorous life. Danni made a promise to always make time for herself, before she forgot exactly what that entailed.
After her meeting with the cosmetics company, Danni was jazzed. The representatives had loved her laugh and the clever little euphemisms she used when she talked. Living life like a platinum record was one of their favorite expressions of hers, and she saw one of the reps make a note of her wording.
But what if they went another route? She knew they were also talking to another influencer, one with more experience and more followers.
Stop worrying, Danni chided herself, knowing she tended to overthink things. What she didn’t have would be made up with her personality, and she was ready to wow them at the second meeting.
Shopping therapy did her a ton of good. And her night only got better when she walked into her apartment, changed into her comfy pajamas, and piled her hair on the top of her head in a messy bun.
With festive music playing, she set up her artificial Christmas tree in the corner of her living room and decorated it. While the lights twinkled off the various ornaments and tinsel, she wrapped her gifts for her family. Honestly, she loved this part: making precise tight corners, curling ribbons, and figuring out how to use the paper on an oddly shaped item.
Danni smiled wide and wiggled her toes in the socks that featured dancing reindeers. She hoped they all loved their gifts. There had been a time when she’d only been able to afford small tokens of her love. Now she could spoil them and make their holiday bright.
Every time she thought about her family, it made her heart ache just a bit. The next day, she’d be at the customary family holiday dinner. Although she was happy, Danni was nervous about her lifestyle becoming the topic of conversation.
