Sugared & Spiced, page 1
Sugared & Spiced
Seasons in Snowhaven - Book 1
Nellie K. Neves
Copyright © Singled & Spiced by Nellie K. Neves
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
. Chapter
. Chapter
About Seasons in Snowhaven
1. Episode 1 Coming Home
2. Episode 2 All-Purpose Flour Fight
3. Episode 3 Family First
4. Episode 4 Sleigh Me
5. Episode 5 Flirt and Run
6. Episode 6 Apple Pie Sniffer
7. Episode 7 Snickerdoodle Subterfuge
8. Episode 8 Ho, Ho, Oh No
9. Episode 9 It's a Rat-Eat-Dog World, Duke Monroe
10. Episode 10 Lies My Parents Told Me
11. Episode 11 Walking in a Winter Wonder-- Emotional Minefield
12. Episode 12 Breakfast with a Side of Reality
13. Episode 13 Yuletide Ambush
14. Episode 14 Doesn't-Get-Out-Much Syndrome
15. Episode 15 Mistletoe Mayhem
16. Episode 16 Baking with the Enemy
17. Episode 17 An Unexpected Shoulder to Cry on
18. Episode 18 Holy Shirtless Hottie, Batman!
19. Episode 19 Date Night with Ms. Pasternak
20. Episode 20 I Think We're Alone Now
21. Episode 21 Baby, It's Cold Outside
22. Episode 22 Motives & Mitigating Circumstances
23. Episode 23 Fair Trade: A Kiss for a Tree
24. Episode 24 One, Two, Three, Four, I Declare a Chocolate War
25. Episode 25 The High Cost of War
26. Episode 26 Find a Loophole
27. Episode 27 Two Rooms at the Inn
28. Episode 28 Just Desserts
29. Episode 29 Your Shot, Duke Monroe
30. Episode 30 Freezing to Death: A New Olympic Event
31. Episode 31 Cocoa for Two
32. Episode 32 Do You Want to be a Snowman, Duke Monoe?
33. Episode 33 Ghosts of Christmas Future
34. Episode 34 Setting the Christmas Scene
35. Episode 35 Always...
36. Episode 36 Find a Way
37. Episode 37 Winter Storms
38. Episode 38 All I Want for Christmas is You
39. Episode 39 Repercussions of a Ring
40. Episode 40 Christmas Confessions
41. Episode 41 Meet the Monroes
42. Episode 42 Colette Roasting Over an Open Fire...
43. Episode 43 Christmas Eve Take Two
44. Episode 44 Pull the Pin
45. Episode 45 A Surprise Visitor
46. Episode 46 New Year's Wishes
47. Epilogue Epilogue
48. Afterword Afterword
Connect and Follow
Also By
To Shelby- Always consider not only the consequences but the prosequences as well. Keep thinking outside the box, remember who you are, and always be brave enough to stand for something that matters.
"There is enough heartache in this life without adding to it with our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment."
–Dieter F. Uchdorf
About Seasons in Snowhaven
Dear Reader,
Sugared & Spiced was originally printed as a Vella story in the Kindle Vella library. After 30 days of completion, the story can be released in Kindle, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited versions. Kindle Vella is an serial reading platform where stories are released one episode at a time. Because it was written as serial fiction in the beginning, this version has more detail but still follows the same storyline with extra swoony pizazz you've come to love.
Much love,
Nellie
Chapter 1
Coming Home
Colette
I'd always found the whole story of Romeo and Juliet absolutely absurd. How on earth, even in disguise, could Romeo have a romantic encounter with someone from across battle lines? What warring family doesn't keep track of every member of their enemy's ranks? At some point in time, didn't he think: ‘Oh shoot, she's one of the bad guys. I shouldn't be here. I better scoot.’ No. That didn't cross his dense mind. I know it sure would have crossed mine. It should have crossed Juliet's pea-brain a whole lot sooner than that speech about roses and thorns. I guess that's my curse, growing up like a Capulet and knowing the Montagues are bad news.
Except I wasn't a Capulet, I was a Caplan. And our enemies weren't the Montagues. They were the no-good, fence-pushing, cow-stealing, recipe-poaching, orchard-busting, Monroe family.
Maybe we just took feuds more seriously than those Capulets.
Slackers.
We passed it all down like Granny's pot roast secrets. I grew up hearing the stories from my parents about how Isaac Monroe's daddy had swindled Grandpappy, Jed Caplan, out of twenty acres of land, and how Isaac had stolen twelve cows the year I was born because he knew Dad would be busy fawning over his only daughter. Mama took the time every Christmas to remind me of the time Naomi Monroe stole Grandma's recipe for cherry cream cheese pie and won first prize at the county Christmas bazaar. That injustice had spurred my own love of baking into fruition. Nothing like spite to spice up a pie.
I'd grown up learning the misdeeds of the Monroes right alongside learning my ABCs and Baa Baa Black Sheep. It was standard Caplan education.
That's why Juliet had no excuse, in my opinion. That's why, no matter how handsome a Monroe ever got—and they did grow them in the drop-dead gorgeous, knees weak and wobbly, draw hearts in a journal around his name kinda way—I could never date a Monroe. Not for a million dollars, a choice orchard, or a thousand head of prime steer could I ever cast a flirty eye in the direction of any of them, especially not Duke Monroe.
The king jerk of them all.
I'd grown up with Duke. We were in the same grade since kindergarten. Maybe in other places that might not mean seeing him much, but in Snowhaven—population hardly anyone, and possibly more livestock than people at times—we definitely crossed paths.
That's the joy of a small town. It's like a big family. Except, the Monroes were the kind of family we wished wouldn't come around for the holidays, or anything at all for that matter.
No such luck.
Being in the same grade in Snowhaven meant we were in the same class.
Every. Single. Year.
There was one year where it looked like we might finally have thirty-four kids in the sixth grade and we'd have to split it. I remember praying every night that I would end up in the other class and not have to see stupid Duke Monroe every day. My chances looked good until the week before school when not only did the Jessop family move to Texas, but the Remmy twins also tested up a grade and left us all behind. That dropped our class to thirty-one students and the school board decided no one would get left behind. I had to sit next to Duke Monroe for seventy-two percent of the school year.
I did the math.
Maybe someone might have encouraged me to bury the hatchet, and not in his back, or their heritage apple trees either. But Duke never gave me the chance.
He hated me as much as I hated him.
He tied my braids through the slots of my chair. He stole my lunch and fed it to the class hamster. Better believe that pudgy thing ate it all. He copied off my homework and refused to do the work himself. When I complained, he twisted the whole thing around to make it look like I'd copied him!
Everyone knew my name was Colette and that I preferred to be called Lettie. I wore a polka dot dress one time and Duke called me 'Lettie-Lottie-Polka-Dottie,' and it stuck with me until junior year of high school.
I was awkward back then too, so the name didn't help. My ears were too big for my head, and my eyes followed suit. Old people called me a kewpie doll. Whatever that was. Boring brown hair was my curse, with enough curl to refuse to go straight and not enough to ever become anything but huge. I wore hand-me-downs from my older brother, and it didn't help my image. Everything hung off me like a tent, but we never had much extra money to buy something nice. That's why I loved that polka dot dress. It actually showed off my figure, and the light purple hue made my brown eyes pop. Which was nice because it distracted from my crooked smile we couldn't afford to fix back then.
I showed up for school that day actually feeling like a girl for once. But then stupid Duke went and made fun of me. I never wore that dress again. For years, I gave up trying to look like a girl. Junior year, something happened. I grew about four inches over the summer in a freak growth spurt. I got my braces off. I spent the summer with cousins who showed me how to style my hair, apply makeup, and they gave me a whole new wardrobe.
It only took two weeks before friends started calling me ‘Cole,’ a much more sophisticated name to go with my new look. I was a new person to everyone.
Everyone except Duke Monroe. Cheetahs can't change their spots, and rattlesnakes are too proud of their pattern to even consider changing for something better. I was all too happy when Duke announced before graduation that he was moving away and never coming back. I felt like I should salute him and tag on a ‘good riddance’ for fun, but decided the most Christian thing would be to never say another word to him again.
Being rid of one Monroe didn't mean we were rid of them all. Our land bordered theirs and always had. Back when Snowhaven was being settled, it was a Caplan and a Monroe who grabbed up the la
But, even with my cynicism, that felt like a stretch. Being honest, Dad had a tendency to blame bad fortune on others. Not saying the Monroes didn't deserve it, they certainly did, but the guy blamed the weather for bad crops, even while everyone else had a bumper year. He claimed we had a bad herd of cows, even though others did just fine with the same bloodline. He never learned to take responsibility for his failures.
In fact, if you asked him, he'd tell you he's never failed.
Maybe that's why I left home for a while. I needed a break. My brother, Crispin, stayed on to help. I took a lot of heat for leaving, but in reality, I did it for the ranch. I got a degree in business on a full-ride scholarship, so I didn't tax my parents, and I worked for three years straight with no breaks. I didn't stop there. Knowing we needed something new around the ranch to revitalize things, I went to pastry school for two years. I'd seen my family here and there over the years. We met up in California twice. I made it to my great-grandmother's funeral in Oregon and saw everyone then, but in reality, I hadn't been home in five years.
I was planning to come home for Christmas for the first time this year anyway, but after the accident, it wasn't a choice.
"Sweetheart," Mom threw her arms around me, "where's your coat?"
"I'm wearing a coat, Mom."
She pulled back and stared at me like I'd lost my mind in that airport terminal.
"This," she picked at my peacoat, "is not a coat. This is hardly a jacket." She took my hand and started for the exit. "Don't worry. I found a thick one for you at the Salvation Army. It's not real fashionable, I suppose, but can you believe it was only three dollars?"
Strangely, yes, I could absolutely believe it was only three dollars because even the Salvation Army does markdowns when something doesn't get sold for months on end. The lower the price got, the uglier the coat. But I loved my mom, and I would wear it to make her happy. It wasn't like I had anyone to impress in Snowhaven.
To her credit, the second the icy wind hit me, winters at home all came rushing back. I'd spent the last three years in California, soaking up the sunshine. Coming home to a real winter was going to shock my system. I worried I might beg for the coat before we walked through the front door.
"I thought Crispin was coming to pick me up." I reached for the keys, knowing Mom wasn't supposed to be driving. Her eyes were okay, but when the clouds started to thicken with pending snow, she didn't see as well.
"There was a problem with the sleigh. With opening day tomorrow, we need that thing up and running." She set the keys in my hand and headed for the far side of the truck. "I don't have to tell you that this year is a make it or break it one. If it doesn't go well, I think we'll have to call the realtor."
"Don't say that." I tossed my bag in the bed of the truck and unlocked the door. I climbed up and leaned across the cab to unlock her side. With a couple small hops, my short mother managed to climb inside. I rested my hands on the steering wheel and paused. "If we sell another ten acres to the Monroes, there won't be hardly any left."
She stared at me with mournful eyes. "Honey, we won't be sellin' land. If we call the realtor, we'll sell the whole thing."
My mouth fell open. Frigid air seeped inside, threatening to chill me all the way through. "It can't be that bad, Mom. You said you were making it. I would have come home and helped if I thought—"
"What good would it have done, Colette? Other than pull you away from a future worth living? We knew better."
She turned to face forward. I shouldn't push it. She didn't want to talk about the last five years. When Mom shut things down, she meant it. I jammed the key in the ignition and turned up the heat.
"What else is happening around town? Anything exciting?" I wished I could chase the foreboding gloom from the air as quickly as the heater started to warm the car.
"Melissa Bonderay just had a baby. He's the cutest little porker there ever was. Mandi Sacks is home for the holidays. Maybe you can all catch up."
I pulled out of the airport parking lot and headed for the highway. What a delight. Meet up with all the girls I graduated with and see their babies and husbands and homes of their own.
"Maybe," I agreed, though I had no intention of calling or seeing anyone. I didn't even know how long I'd be staying. I couldn't make that decision until I saw how bad it had gotten while I was gone. "Anything else?"
I focused on the road, knowing she wouldn't stop talking for the majority of the trip. Sure, small-town living was wholesome and everything, but the downside was that everyone, even my saintly mother, knew everyone's business.
I wondered how long it would take before the whole town knew I was home.
It wouldn't be long before the Monroes knew, that was for sure. And if Duke was around, it wouldn't be long before he started making trouble. Just the thought of him got my heart pumping. With his arrogant, crooked smirk and dark hair that always looked good, even when he wasn't trying. Picturing his dark eyes and the way they could send a message without saying a word. I'd watched him turn half the student body into little ducklings who waddled after him and had always avoided being under his spell.
Mostly.
In all honesty, no one should ever be allowed to look as good as Duke Monroe. He had some kind of magic about him, because while my rational brain knew he was trouble… the rest of me wondered what it would be like to…
I cleared my throat and thought of peeling off a few layers to compensate for the heat.
Hopefully he was still gone.
There was no telling what trouble I'd get into if Duke was back in town.
Chapter 2
All-Purpose Flour Fight
Colette
"I'll be so quick, honey. You don't even have to come in with me."
"Don't be silly, Mom." I parked the truck outside Oh, What Fun Grocery. "Of course, I'm coming with you."
Christmas lights were strung across Main Street. A wreath hung on every light pole. The people who lived in Snowhaven, located in Cringle County, decided long ago that the name was the greatest tourist attraction. And they turned into that skid… hard.
The shops were all Christmas themed.
The roads all had connections to holiday cheer.
In fact, one of my elementary friends lived on Holiday Cheer Avenue.
Even two days after Thanksgiving, with the town already dripping in decorations, I knew we weren't even close yet. Within a week, we would become a winter wonderland, and the tourists would roll in. Granted, our ranch depended on that, and I had plans to steal center stage this year.
