8 Brand-New Romance Authors. Avril Tremayne

I like it. Does it have a special meaning to you?”

      “Yes. It does.” She didn’t want to explain it, so she kept it at that. He seemed to accept it as a sufficient answer, because he just nodded and kept working. It didn’t take long at all. She was surprised at how quick he was.

      Micah peered over her shoulder into the mirror to see her fresh ink. There on her left shoulder was the tiny heart that she had chosen. Looking at its dainty lines, she knew she had made the right choice. At least this way part of his heart would always be with her.

      It was perfect.

      * * *

      Taylor must have sensed that he wasn’t as into her as she was into him. After he’d handed her her drink at Hanna’s party, she’d walked away and he barely saw her the rest of the night. At one point, he saw her talking to a group of guys. Later, she left with one of them.

      His ego was bruised for sure. He had never had a date leave with someone else. Not ever. He must be losing his touch. At least it saved him from having to end it with her. He didn’t feel right leading her on, anyway. Now that he had finally come to grips with how he felt about Micah, he couldn’t stomach the thought of being with anyone else.

      His future looked bleak. Micah would never truly be his. And if he couldn’t date anyone else, he was headed for a long and lonely life.

      He was pathetic.

      He woke early and went for a run. Running always gave him clarity of mind to help him sort things out. It also released all his tension and eased his frustration. And to be honest, he was fraught with tension and frustration these days. With that in mind, he doubled up his normal route and picked up speed, pounding it all out on the pavement.

       TEN

      Micah had not dressed up for Halloween in years. It was a child’s holiday. Grown-ups passed out the candy. They did not participate. However, in going along with her newly adopted theme of making changes in her life, she succumbed to another one of Sabina’s wonderful ideas and dressed up as a butterfly for a Halloween party at Sabina’s new boy toy’s place.

      Her costume was far from what she would have picked out, but Sabina always had a way of making her do or wear something she would regret later. Note to self...stop doing everything Sabina tells you to do and learn to say no. Micah had no idea that butterflies had a skanky species, but here she was clad in a miniskirt and tights, with glittery wings and rainbow eyelashes.

      Since the party was being held at Sabina’s boyfriend’s place, she had left without Micah in order to help out with some of the hosting duties. Funny, she never helped with any of those duties when they hosted a party.

      Micah exited the apartment building, holding her wings in her hand, and pulled her jacket tighter around her. It had been snowing pretty badly, but she was Massachusetts born and bred. She could handle anything.

      Deciding she needed a cup of coffee, she forced her way through the heavy snow toward her favorite coffee drive-through only to find it closed. Hmm... She parked her car and trudged through the snow. It had to be open. Maybe their drive-through was just closed. But as she reached for the door, she came face to face with a large orange-and-black closed sign crushing her hopes.

      Great. Just great. What in the world were they closed for? It was Halloween, not Christmas.

      She turned back toward the parking lot and just then noticed it was empty. She should have seen that before getting out in this weather. She turned on the car and waited for it to heat up again, flipping on the music and singing along. Putting the gear in reverse, she turned to see behind her, but was surrounded by a blanket of white. She pressed on the gas, but nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing. Seriously?

      Micah was stuck. She was stuck in the snow. Stuck in an empty parking lot with no one around to help. While dressed like a skanky butterfly. Just great.

      She put the car back in park and pulled her phone out. Immediately she went to Josh’s number, but stopped just before hitting the green button. Instead she pulled up Sabina’s number. It rang, but no answer. That girl never answered her phone! She tried Hanna, but when it went straight to voice mail she remembered the big meeting she’d said she had tonight. Jamie was too far away. That just left Josh.

      She called, and just like she expected, he answered and was on his way.

      Why did he always have to play the role of her hero, her knight in shining armor? She would never learn how to make it on her own if she was constantly depending on him to run to her rescue.

      Sure, focus on your newly found need for independence. Ignore the way your whole body is teeming with longing at the thought of seeing Josh.

      As images of her dream the other night invaded her mind, she was forced to remove her scarf and undo the buttons of her heavy coat. She was so hot she could turn the car’s heater off and stay warm for days just thinking about that dream.

      Trouble up ahead.

      Deep, deep trouble.

      * * *

      She called, he came running. It was as simple as that. It didn’t matter that warnings about the impending snowstorm were blasting on every television and radio station. In fact, it only made him move faster.

      What he did not understand was why in the world was she out in this mess in the first place. Hadn’t she listened to the news? Forget that. Hadn’t she noticed the blanket of white that covered everything in sight? Even his big, heavy truck was sliding on the slushy streets. Her car would never survive in this.

      In the distance he could barely make out her white Camry, already blending into the snowy backdrop. He plowed through the snow building up in the small coffee shop parking lot and pulled up next to her. She hopped out of her car and quickly jumped into his truck.

      Her hood fell back as she settled into the seat, revealing part of a Halloween costume. Crazy-colored false eyelashes fluttered erratically as she buckled her seat belt. He shook his head.

      “You were going to a Halloween party in this? Are you kidding me? Are you insane?”

      “There’s no need to be rude. I understand now how foolish an idea it was.”

      “You think?” He carefully steered back onto the road, trying to catch a few peeks at her costume without losing control of the truck. “What are you supposed to be? Tinker Bell?”

      “No. I’m a butterfly.”

      “A butterfly? This just keeps getting better. What happened?”

      “I was headed to the party and stopped for a coffee. I thought the road conditions were doable.”

      “Well, Tink, your car should be fine here overnight. Hopefully we can get it out tomorrow. We might have to dig it out, though.”

      “Butterfly, you moron!”

      He kept his eyes on the road, fully aware that the conditions had drastically worsened since he had first left his apartment. It was almost impossible to see the lanes, and even if he could, he wouldn’t be able to stay in them. His truck felt like a puck on an air-hockey table, gliding back and forth. “Listen. These streets are getting really bad. I can take you back to your place, but then I’d be stuck there until it clears up. Or I can bring you back to my place, where you would be stuck.”

      “My place is closer.”

      The ride to her apartment was silent and awkward, at least on his side of the truck. This didn’t happen often for him. He liked to be in control of the conversation. If people weren’t comfortable and laughing around him, it just felt weird. He always felt responsible for breaking the ice and easing the awkwardness, but this time he was the awkward one. No amount of jokes or casual banter could dispel the tension making itself at home in his truck.

      Pulling up to the Victorian where she lived,