♫…Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh…♫

Winter moaned, “Do you have to play that song again?”

“Scrooge!” Charlie chuckled and turned up the volume.

Winter wasn’t a Scrooge. He’d just had enough with that jingle. He eased down the hall into the kitchen to get away from Charlie’s blaring stereo system. The aroma of sweet confection coaxed his empty stomach into a growl.

He perused the spread of baked goods on the countertops. Pecan-maple thumbprint cookies, cinnamon breads, peppermint twists, and spicy pumpkin bars cooled on wire racks. One thing about The House of Snow was that the owner loved to cook.

Winter lifted a chocolate, chocolate chip cookie to his mouth.

If he couldn’t find his true love, he’d enjoy the benefits of living through the holiday. Biting into the chewy morsel, a strong palm slapped the back of his head.

“Those are for the Boy’s Club.” Brooks’ low baritone reprimanded.

Winter smiled as he enjoyed the warm texture of melted chocolate and cocoa. It had taken weeks to get a sample. Nobody in the house had gotten past Brooks’ guard. After Winter swallowed, he chuckled, “Totally worth the bruise I’ll get on the back of my head.”

His mentor circled in front of him wiping his hands on a kiss-the-cook apron. He raised one blonde eyebrow. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint the boys by eating them all, would you?”

Brooks had offered to make cookies for the Boys Club earlier in the year. He had developed special recipes that he had stored in the locked den down the hall. Brooks’ custom-made cookies had generated enough Christmas money for every child at the Boy’s Club to get a special gift or give a gift for the holiday.

Winter shook his head while he licked his fingertips. “I only wanted one.”

“Good.” Brooks nodded once and shuffled to the oven. “Now get out of the way. These fudge ripple brownies are ready to come out of the burn. They’re going to the senior citizens center tomorrow for a community Christmas party they’re hosting. The money they’ll make will go to repairs on that old building they live in.”

The biggest man of snow, Brooks bent at the waist to withdraw a slight metal pan. Strong, wholesome in heart, Brooks kicked the oven closed with his foot. He set the hot pan down for cooling and brushed a strand of blond hair over his ear.

Men of snow started their last mission with pale skin, cool blue eyes, and pale hair. They were a white canvas without a heartbeat until they found their true love. Their body reflected that of a human albino male.

Currently, Winter hadn’t found his special woman and time ticked closer to the New Year. If he failed to find her and convince her that she had been his grounds of creation before the New Year, he’d melt. That clause had haunted Winter like salt-water.

He fingered the small bottle around his neck. It contained the letter written by his special woman. She had requested companionship over a year ago. His hand dropped from the vial as he leaned over the warm pan.

Winter sniffed the dark chocolate and his mouth watered. He moaned and closed his eyes with the sweet scent. “Brooks, you’ve outdone yourself. I wish you’d let me eat some more.”

“That one’s a chocolate Sunday treat and brownie fudge dream in one small bar.” Brooks leaned over the pan and took a long whiff. “Nice.”

Brooks leaned back and stood with a smile. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked at Winter. “Why are you still here?”

Winter glanced at the brownies to avoid eye contact and prepare himself.

“You should be outside, shopping, fraternizing, looking.” Brooks punctuated the last word with a slightly raised tone and big wide eyes. “The year is almost out.”

He didn’t need the reminder. He looked at the calendar behind Brooks and counted the twelve days left until Christmas Eve. His shoulders weighed with the responsibility to find his special woman.

“Charlie found someone to share Christmas with a few days ago, you can find someone too.”

“I don’t think so, Brooks.”

“That’s snow-flurries, Winter!” He rumbled. “There’s someone out there for each man of snow. Kris doesn’t create us without a wish letter.”

Winter rested his forearms on the counter in front of him and slouched. “How are you so certain, Brooks? I’ve searched for months with no luck.”

“We couldn’t be created unless someone called for us.”

“Yeah, I was called, just not by a woman!”

“What is that suppose to mean?”

Agitated, he rubbed his hand through his white hair. Kris used the men of snow as his Secret Service the first year. With his success in the toy industry, people and competitors stalked and threatened Kris for his secrets.

Winter and the guys had talked about the possibility that Kris had created men of snow simply to protect him because not all of them found their special someone. Melting by the New Year wasn’t a threat, it was reality.

“I was made for show of muscle, that’s it, nothing else. The rest of you are different. Once I was done with helping, I was done. The boss threw me out without even looking back. There’s something wrong with me, Brooks.”

“You’ve got the believer’s letter, right?”

He fingered the small vial around his neck again. “Yeah, but…”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you.”

Winter looked into those green eyes. Something inside told him that Brooks was the wrong this time. It was near the end of the year and he hadn’t found her. It was like finding a snowball in a snowstorm. He’d rather enjoy his holiday than run around town wasting his time looking for a ghost.

“What’s wrong with you is that you’re sitting on your ice block in front of me telling me a blizzard of a story about how you gave up on the search.”

Winter sat up and glared. Anger and frustration boiled in his ice cold veins. “The Sahara I gave up. She’s just not out there.”

He wanted to live a long human life full of love and family too. But there was one problem with his future. He couldn’t find his believer no matter how hard he’d tried.

The woman who wrote the request to Kris hadn’t left a return address. Kris assured him that if he stayed on course, he’d find her within the year, like she’d just walk in the front door or he’d run into her around the neighborhood. Winter shook his head. Powdered dreams.

“Hello,” Anna greeted as she glided into the room. Warm love and humanity wafted through the kitchen as the true believer approached Brooks. She kissed Brooks’ cheek. “Hi Love,” she smiled.

Brooks blushed and wrapped his believer in his arms. “Hi, babe, did you sleep well?”

She moaned and sighed as she melted into Brooks’ arms. “Yeah.”

“Good.” Brooks kissed her on the lips.

Winter looked away.

“I need to eat.” Anna protested.

Winter glanced back when she laughed.

She shoved Brooks’ arms. “Winter looks like he just swallowed yellow snow. What were you talking about before I came in here?”

Brooks frowned and resumed cooking by moving one set of cookies off the cooling rack and putting another set on. “Winter has given up the search.”

Glass shattered on the floor. Winter looked at Anna, her eyes widened, her body stiff. She put the hot kettle on a clear spot of the counter before she turned her entire body towards him.

“Honey, don’t move. I don’t want you to cut your feet.” Brooks hurried down the hall.

Anna stared at Winter. “You can’t give up, please, you can’t.”

He opened his mouth to argue that he hadn’t, but she continued before he could say a word in his defense.

“I know from experience.” She quickly glanced at Brooks with a broom and dustpan. Then back at him. “You can’t give up on her. She wouldn’t want you to give up. We all write the letters knowing that deep down inside we want to believe in the magic of Christmas because we’re so lonely.

“I know she didn’t sign her name because she probably felt embarrassed that she even wrote Father Christmas as an adult. She probably doesn’t even know, or believe, her letter was answered. But, I promise you, she does want you.”

Anna’s brown eyes filled with emotion. “Don’t give up finding her and making her the happiest woman alive.”

“I want you out of the kitchen while I vacuum the floors. I don’t trust that there aren’t shards of glass left.” Brooks picked up Anna.

“I can walk.” She protested with a laugh.

“Come on, babe, let me take care of you.” Brooks disappeared with Anna down the hall.

Winter smiled. He lifted three more cookies and rushed out the back door.

The cool Seattle air teased his cheeks as he savored bites of a soft, sugar cookie and enjoyed with view of Lake Washington. Humidity restored his cells, improved his mood. Happy that clouds covered the sun’s rays, he circled a front corner of the manor.

“Ahhh.” A brown-haired woman lost her footing in the slush, hit her head on the bumper of a car, and careened down the hilled driveway, screaming.

Winter dashed to her rescue. He caught her before she plunged into an icy puddle.

With her in his arms, a sharp pain streaked through his chest. Gasping for breath, he stumbled.

His strength diminished but he shifted out of the water and gently set the woman down safely in the powdered snow before he collapsed beside her.

“Oh, who-what-are you okay?”

Eyes closed, the pain shot through his entire body like a severe heat wave. He hugged the cramps in his stomach and yelled. Muscles cracked, heat spread, his fingers stung.

He curled into a fetal position to breathe. The crisp air tunneled down his throat, through is windpipe, inflated his system and ignited his lungs.

“Fudge and Christmas,” he swore through clenched teeth.

“Hold on, hold on, I’ll run for help.” She panted.

“No,” he yelled. “No. Please. No. Stay. Wait.”

The blast of pain explained one thing, she was his special woman. There she was, right when he’d signed his melting certificate. He wasn’t going to let her go without finding out her name first.

“I really should get help.” She shifted.

He grabbed her ankle and shook his head. Warmth cascaded up his arm to his head. He started to laugh as his entire body throbbed.

He was alive for the first time, with the first touch. His heart had started to beat. Elated, relieved, and suffering growing pains, he glanced at her.

“Just, wait a minute.”

She wore a cherry red coat. Her messy, long hair was soaked on the ends. She gestured behind her towards the front door and rubbed her forehead where a knot had started to form. Her brown eyes darted this way and that.

“I’m here to collect the goodies for the Emerald City Senior Center. I thought I could get the bags out of my car without help, but…” Her voice trailed.

“What’s your name?”

She looked back at him. “I…ah…my name is Elizabeth.”

He inhaled and coughed at the new sensation of breathing air for the first time.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

He nodded.

“Do you live here?”

Unable to speak, he nodded again.

She wrapped her arm around him and shifted to his side. “Come on, let’s get you inside. You must be freezing out here without a coat. That ice water bath you just took couldn’t help either. We’ve got to get you warmed up.”

Her body heat soothed the unfamiliar aches in his body as he draped one arm over her slim shoulders.

He gained strength with each step, by the time they hit the front porch stairs, he carried most of his bulk. He didn’t want to remove his arm from her, so, he played along.

Brooks rushed through the door. “What happened?”

“I was told that someone here has cooked a bunch of treats for our community event this year. I tried to get bags from my car and I fell. I slid and he caught me before I fell in a puddle, but he’s hurt.”

Brooks hoisted one of his arms over his broad shoulder. When Winter didn’t lean on him, Brooks locked stares while he lead the group passed Charlie’s blaring music into a small cove off the kitchen. Winter dropped to a love-seat and exhaled in awe.

Elizabeth backed more into the kitchen and bumped the countertops with her backside. She twirled around and saw hundreds of cookies.

“Oh my! I hope that not all of these cookies are for us. This is way too many.” Her heart raced from all the excitement. She stared at her hero and ignored the burn of her cheeks. When she glanced at the larger man, he wore a kiss-the-cook apron.

“Are you the cook?”

The blonde man smiled and nodded. “Yes, my name is Brooks.”

She held out a hand in greeting. “I’m Elizabeth. I could smell the cooking from outside.”

“That’s a huge bump you have on your head.” Concern dotted the older man’s green stare.

“I—ah—hit my head.” To avoid the men staring at her like she was some crazy person, she dropped her hand and leaned over a plate of reindeers to deeply inhale the aroma. Sugar, flour and fresh chocolate from the frosting tantalized her love for sweets. She pointed at the plate in front of her and gulped. “Are they sugar cookies?”

“Yeah,” Brooks answered. He marched into the kitchen, opened a drawer and grabbed a towel. “Go ahead, try one.”

She looked down at the plate and then back at Brooks. “Are you sure?”

Brooks chuckled while he opened the fridge. “Yes.”

Elizabeth delicately lifted a cookie by the edges. She looked at Brooks again and smiled. “Thanks.”

When she bit the cookie, she closed her eyes and sighed. The confection melted in her warm mouth like cold snow. Her head instinctively rolled back. She moaned with enjoyment before she realized what she had done.

The senior’s had insisted she order cookies from The House of Snow. Now, she completely understood why. She had never experienced a perfect cookie.

“Good, huh?” The deep voice came from the man on the love-seat.

She opened her eyes with a nod. A blush heated her skin once she’d realized she had lost herself with one bite of a cookie. She must’ve hit her head harder than she’d thought.

“It’s my mom’s recipe.” Brooks offered the towel from his hands.

“You don’t…”

Brooks glared at the man on the couch.

She set the cookie down, not wanting to embarrass herself further and took the towel. She realized he had made an icepack for her head. “Thanks.”

Licking her fingertips, she swayed.

The man on the couch was at her side in a blink. “Here, sit down.”

“It seems you’ve recovered.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She eased to sit and placed the icepack on her forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m such a klutz.”

“I’m not.” The strange man yanked a chair from the small corner table and sat beside her. “My name is Winter. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Winter, seems appropriate.” She covered her mouth with shock. “I’m sorry…I—”

“It’s the albino appearance, right? Don’t worry. I get that a lot.”

“Do you?” She shook his hand and noted the strange expressions that crossed his alabaster features.

“Not really,” he laughed. “People don’t like to talk about my lack of pigment, but I’m not bothered by it.”

“Hi.”

Elizabeth looked at a blonde woman with perfect skin and a perfect figure. “I’m Anna, Brooks is my husband. Welcome to The House of Snow.”

Elizabeth shook hands. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for sponsoring the senior citizen bake sale again this year. It brings in a lot of money and we hope we’ll be able to expand living quarters with the funds.”

“We love to help the community.” Anna smiled. “What happened to your head?”

Elizabeth glanced at Winter. “I fell.”

“Oh, are you okay?”

She stared into Winter’s crystal-blue eyes. “Yes.”

“I just took out the fudge brownies for the Center. They’re still warm and gooey in the pan.” Brooks’ deep voice cut her focus. When she looked at him, he gestured to the countertop in front of him. “I’ll pack them up for you and Winter can help you load them into your truck.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth said.

She enjoyed a few more cookies and laughed at the family banter. She had lost her mother this past Christmas and couldn’t afford a visit home this holiday. It was nice to share a friendly moment amid the loneliness.

She couldn’t believe how easily she had fit in. She had connected with Winter faster than anyone else in her life. He was so easy to talk with and he seemed to understand everything about her.

Time flashed by and she had to get going or she wouldn’t make all of her stops before the day ended. Reluctantly, she said goodbye to her new friends.

“Well, that’s all of them.” Winter shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Is there anything else I can do for you, like, take you to dinner?”

“After all those cookies?” She grinned, rubbed her head. “Actually, I’ve got a stop to make that’s only a few blocks from here. I could use some help with this delivery. My head is still pounding, do you mind? I’ll bring you right back here when were done.”

Winter’s smile broadened. “Not a problem. Do you want me to drive?”

“Ah, no, I get sick when I don’t drive.”

“Okay.” He climbed into the passenger seat.

She settled behind the wheel and smiled at him. “We’ll be at least twenty minutes, is that okay?”

“No problem.”

Winter considered her profile. Her small nose and high cheekbones fit her features perfectly. She reminded him of a princess as she drove down the road in silence. He wanted to talk with her but couldn’t find anything to talk about. All he could do was try not to stare at her perfection. Elizabeth the beautiful, he silently mused looking out the front window.

She took two more turns before she slowed and parallel parked. Her hands glided along her jean-clad thighs. “Winter, I wanted to warn you. There’s a little boy in there. He’s very sick.” Her eyes cloud with tears. She shook her head. After a moment, she locked stares with him.

“Well, he doesn’t get visitors often. He loves to play cards. You don’t have to play, just…just be…kind.” She smiled shyly and blushed. “Please.”

He opened his mouth to answer, but she moved fast.

She quickly wiped at one eye, reached behind the seat for a red sweater, and hurried out of the truck.

Winter caught up with her after she had knocked. A dark-haired woman answered the door with a smile and hugged Elizabeth. The woman stood back and held the door open for both of them. When Winter stepped into the space, apple-cinnamon assailed his senses.

Now that his heart beat, everything became vivid. Smells were stronger. A simple touch reverberated through his body. He loved the new sensations and didn’t want to lose any of them. He had little time to convince Elizabeth about her letter to Kris, about his purpose for creation.

“I’m Veronica.” The woman offered her hand with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Winter,” he greeted. He took her hand with care. She seemed warm but fragile boned.

“I’m so glad you came today, Beth.” The woman took her hand away. “Ben has been looking forward to your visit.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it too.” Elizabeth smiled.

“You know the way to his room.”

“Would it be awful to introduce Winter to him?”

“No.” Veronica’s eyes softened. “He likes to meet new people. And today he’s doing better than he’s done before.”

“Okay, we’ll head up there.” Elizabeth led him up a flight of stairs and whispered, “This is always so hard for me. I used to be Ben’s babysitter before they diagnosed him with cancer. He was an active boy when I watched him. To see him in this state…” She shook her head and waved a hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I told you that. I’m not the type to gush in front of a stranger.”

He lifted a finger to trace her high cheekbone. “I want to hear.”

“You’re really nice, you know that?” She stared at him.

He could see thankfulness and a bit of fear in her stare. He dropped his hand and looked down the hall. “Introduce me.”

He didn’t want to scare her with details about his creation all at once. He needed time to figure how to really introduce himself. Maybe, while he played cards, he’d puzzle it all out. If she didn’t still believe that was the end of him.

“Okay.” She took another deep breath before they entered a room.

Posters of Superhero’s decorated the walls. A stack of playing cards sat next to the bed on a table. A sickly little boy peered from under the covers. The boy’s tired expression lit up at the sight of Elizabeth.

Winter’s new heartbeat skipped.

Elizabeth introduced him. New lines of stress formed on her face while she sat in a chair beside the bed and talked with the boy. When the boy mentioned his relapse, she encouraged him to think about the future, enjoy the present.

Winter stood behind her. He laced his fingers with hers to add to her strength. He admired that she kept the boy thinking about positive things rather than his hair falling out or his friends not coming to visit.

Elizabeth apologized for the short visit but explained she had to deliver cookies to the senior center.

They unloaded the truck with little to no conversation. Worry scored the middle of her forehead. Winter wrapped her in his arms for a quick hug before she drove him back to The House of Snow.

She parked off to the side of the road and leaned into him to cry. When she pulled away with a sniff, he rubbed the tears from her soft cheeks.

“What can I do to help?”

“I just wish…” she gulped and shook her head dismissively.

“Wish what?”

“It’s silly,” she sighed. When she moved to her side of the truck, she studied him.

The women chosen for the men of snow were special because they gave something back to the community. It was explained to him that these women had made a positive impact in people’s lives and they deserved happiness.

Staring at Elizabeth’s beauty, listening to her, spending time with her, Winter understood why Elizabeth had been chosen. She had a kind heart and soul. It’d be his pleasure to show her the same happiness and compassion that she shared with others for the rest of her life.

“Ben is such a wonderful little boy. Through him, I see how life is so precious. We need to live it the best we can.” She laughed, brushed her long hair back from her face.

“I-ah-made a wish a long time ago.” She laughed again. “It never came true. But that boy in there, he’s so full of life and faith. It makes me think that maybe…” her voice trailed.

Winter decided to take the leap. “What was it that you wished a long time ago?”

She shook her head. “It seems childish now. Almost selfish.” She locked eyes with him. “But, do you believe in the impossible?”

“Yes.” He smiled.

“Oh, boy. The hit on my head must’ve done something to me. I’m not usually this sappy.” She looked away, than back at him. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but, I actually wrote Santa and asked for a man. Someone to share life with,” she laughed. A bright blush colored her skin from forehead to neckline.

“I don’t know why or if Santa even exists, but I wrote the note thinking it couldn’t hurt. I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life. I know I can’t order a husband, but, I just want someone to love. You know?”

Winter’s chest tightened with excitement. He reached to the small tube around his neck and pulled it off. He handed the small vial to her. “You wrote Santa?”

She nodded with a giggle, wiped at her nose, and took the necklace. “What’s this?”

“It’s yours. Open it.”

She looked at him with narrowed eyes but began to open the small container. She slipped out the piece of rolled up paper. As she unrolled the scroll, she silently read the copied print. Her eyes widened. She looked back at him. “Where did you get this?”

His smile widened.

“Nobody knew about my note. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone.” She looked at the note again. When she looked at him, she saw honesty. A smile emerged on his lips. A laugh rumbled from his chest.

She stared at him a while longer. There was no way he could have gotten the note unless he told the truth. His alabaster skin, how well they got along, she wouldn’t have to spend Christmas alone. She reached out to smooth her warm fingers over his cool cheek. “Are you…I mean…could you be…”

“I’m him. The man you’ve always wanted.”

She smiled. “Are you serious?”

He knew he just struck sub-zero temperatures, a man of snow’s dream. She understood and she didn’t scoff or turn away. She believed. His smile widened with his relief.

Her eyes roamed his features as if she wanted to study everything about him. She leaned back. Her attention riveted on his expression.

“Why are your eyes changing color?”

He laughed again. “Because of you, Elizabeth. I’m adapting to be your perfect man right before your eyes. I can’t wait to see what I look like.”

She fingered his hair. “This is so hard to believe.”

“But you do or I wouldn’t be changing.” He kissed her hand. “Believe in me, believe in us, and I will make you the happiest woman on earth, Elizabeth.”

She exhaled, wonder in her stare, she said, “How can I not?”

He kissed her long, hard, and deep.

Breathless, she inched back to whisper, “Thanks, Santa.”

~~

Thanks for reading “A Colorful Winter”. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

The first Men of Snow novel is now available on kindle:

Click here to buy “A Secret Gift”

~~

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