Flashy & Flirty Christmas Anthology Read online

  A Flashy & Frosty Christmas

  Charity Anthology Benefiting Cancer Research Institute

  All Contributing Authors

  Tricia Andersen

  Nina Valdez

  Miranda Lynn

  Misty Harvey

  Tracy Broemmer

  Linda Greene

  Sophie Wootton

  Carol Gyzander

  Cindy Webb

  Shellie Brown

  Teel James Glenn

  Mai Jagyar

  Maria Vickers

  Timothy Lee

  Ellie Mack

  Published by L. McAtee Marketing, USA

  © 2018

  All rights reserved.

  Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are the product of the authors’ imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, email, information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the authors, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover design: Shannon Nemecheck, Nemo Designs

  Formatting: Maria Vickers

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Introduction

  1. It Will Be A Happy Christmas by Tricia Andersen

  2. A Black Irish Christmas by Tricia Andersen

  About Tricia Andersen

  Other Books by Tricia Andersen:

  3. A Blue Christmas by Nina Valdez

  4. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Nina Valdez

  About Nina Valdez

  5. Christmas At Home by Miranda Lynn

  About Miranda Lynn

  Other Books by Miranda Lynn

  6. Dust Covered Christmas by Misty Harvey

  About Misty Harvey

  7. 4 Carat Christmas by Ellie Mack

  8. Not Like Last Christmas by Ellie Mack

  9. All That Glitters by Ellie Mack

  10. Rudolph The Red by Ellie Mack

  About Ellie Mack

  Other Books by Ellie Mack:

  11. Mistletoe by Tracy Broemmer

  About Tracy Broemmer

  12. Kerian Christmas by Linda Greene

  About Linda Greene

  13. Baby, It’s Warm Inside by Sophie Wootton

  About Sophie Wootton

  14. Under The Mistletoe by Carol Gyzander

  About Carol Gyzander

  Other Books by Carol Gyzander

  15. Mall-Knapped by Cindy Webb

  About Cindy Webb

  16. Feliz Navidad by Shellie Brown

  About Shellie Brown

  17. The Reindeer Game by Teel James Glenn

  About Teel James Glenn

  Other Books By Teel James Glenn

  18. God With Us by Mai Jagyar

  About Mai Jagyar

  19. Turned Around by Maria Vickers

  20. Snowstorm Surprise by Maria Vickers

  21. Did You Know? by Maria Vickers

  22. Christmas Wish by Maria Vickers

  About Maria Vickers

  Other Books by Maria Vickers

  23. The Assassin’s Guild by Timothy Lee

  About Timothy Lee

  Acknowledgments

  This book is dedicated to thousands of men, women, and children who are dealing with or have dealt with the varied forms of cancer and the families who support them.

  OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE

  Writing is a solitary act, but it wouldn’t be possible without a huge support system. All of the authors who have contributed to this project are part of my support system and I hope I am part of theirs. We help each other! Thank you to each author that collaborated on this project!

  Introduction

  By Ellie Mack

  In November 2017, I had a genius idea! It had been a while since I had utilized flash fiction for getting back on track for my writing. After going through cancer treatment, it was difficult to focus on much of anything, much less writing.

  My lightbulb moment; I thought, what if I invited some of my friends to take part in a flash fiction-a-thon?

  This is the culmination of that idea. Several authors who have contributed their time and work for the cause of charity. All proceeds for this combined effort will go to the Cancer Research Institute.

  My theme was Christmas and holiday songs. Each of the authors selected a song as their prompt to write a one thousand word flash fiction short. The authors write in different genres including Christian, paranormal, romance, YA, steampunk, and others.

  Our hope is that you enjoy these stories as much as we enjoyed creating them, and hope this adds to your holiday joy! - Ellie

  .

  The frozen snow crunched under Micah’s boots as he stormed across the camp towards his cabin. He watched as his youngest brother, Abraham, jogged toward his own home. Winter arrived long ago in Northern Minnesota, blanketing the forest surrounding the ancient summer camp they’d made their home in with thick white powder. Deep down, he wished the cold, cleansing snow would cover up the evil surrounding the Hallows as well.

  A simple trip for supplies to suffice all the Hallow mates for when the seven brothers changed into terrifying werewolves–as they did every full moon–turned into an unofficial investigation into the latest string of suspicious murders in Duluth. Seven of them could be easily associated with the club the vampires had taken control of–the very club that the brothers had frequented…before Rock and Cort, the leaders of the Bloodsuckers, bought into it and killed the owner.

  Based on the gore left at the first two murders, it was easy to tell that Rock and Cort must have done them. The other five were more human in nature.

  It was as Micah had feared. The vampires had turned the humans they’d brainwashed against each other. Life outside the forest was no longer safe. That didn’t sit well with the expectant father of triplets.

  He took the steps to the porch two at a time. Doing so was stupid, he knew that. With the snow and ice, he was certain to break his neck, but he wanted to be in his home with his arms wrapped tightly around his wife and mate, Eve. That was…if she wasn’t on her laptop. As the resident hacker of the Hallow family, it seemed as if she spent every waking moment in front of the computer trying to find an end to the war that was brewing. This wasn’t the way they wanted to raise their children.

  Micah stopped dead in his tracks as he stepped inside the cabin. Instead of finding the living room dark and empty, there was a fire blazing in the fireplace. Every lamp in the place was shining brightly. Strings of colored lights draped along the crease where the wall met the ceiling.

  The most beautiful sight of all was Eve dressed in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt as she decorated the large fir tree now standing in the middle of the room. By the size of it, he hoped that one of his brothers had brought it in for her. There was no way she could handle a tree that size with the baby bump she now had.

  John Lennon’s voice crooned Happy Xmas from the Bluetooth speaker resting on the mantle. The song was ironic compared to the world he left behind.

  He gently closed the door behind him. “What’s all this?”

  Eve spun around to face him with a smile that tu
rned his knees to jelly. “Joe was getting a Christmas tree for him and Sarah and asked if we wanted one too. With everything going on with the vamps, mermaids, and lord knows what other magical creatures out there gunning for us in order to get Momma’s amulet, Sarah wanted a little Christmas cheer. Caleb got one for him and Meg and baby Ruby. Sam and Henry wrangled a big, full one for them and Delilah. And Abe is in for a surprise because Kai has no idea how to decorate for Christmas. Momma showed us where all the spare decorations were stored. For it being just her, Poppa, and you boys before all of us mates showed up, that lady has a lot of decorations.”

  Micah chuckled. “So while Abe and I went for supplies, you all turned our camp into the North Pole?”

  Eve laughed. “Pretty much.” She suddenly frowned. “You were gone a long time. What happened?”

  Micah kicked off his boots then slipped his heavy winter coat from his body. He crossed the room and hugged her tightly. “Nothing we need to discuss now. Let’s just enjoy this. You, me, and our little ones having our first Christmas as a family.”

  Eve caught his lips with hers in a long, sweet kiss. As they broke it, she grinned at him. “I’m too short to put the star on top. Can you do the honors?”

  Micah kissed the tip of her nose tenderly. “How about we do it together?”

  “How do you propose we do that?”

  He let go long enough to reach into the old, dusty cardboard box and pull out the glittery gold star. He held one point and offered her another. She shook her head with a laugh as she took it. Eve lifted herself on her tiptoes as together they stretched the star toward the peak of the tree.

  Micah wrapped an arm tight around her to keep her steady, his hand splayed over her rounded belly. At least two of the three babes that were tucked safely in her womb kicked him in response. He sighed the happiest sigh he could as he secured the star on the top branch.

  Eve gazed into his eyes, her own blue ones brilliant. “Are you okay?”

  “I couldn’t be happier. This? This is perfect. I never want this to end.”

  “Me neither.”

  He caught sight of the mistletoe hanging overhead as their lips met again. Yes, the world they left behind was chaos. At some point, they would have to face it and find a way to end it.

  But now? Right now, it was just him and his mate. And it was the most perfect Christmas he could ever imagine.

  The wind howled outside the little hovel. It had since they got there. Abbey hugged herself tightly as she crossed the living area towards the roaring fire. She made a wide berth around the tiny tree sitting on the long wood crate that served as a coffee table.

  Boris had literally dragged the poor conifer through the snow by its pointed top into the cabin. He shook it free of the wayward snowflakes, built a base for it, and perched it on the crate. He smiled at her many times in hopes he would encourage her to help him decorate it as he draped a string of lights on it then hung the red glass balls.

  It was sweet of him to try to make her feel at home. But this wasn’t Minnesota. It was Siberia. It wasn’t her home. It was a shack in the middle of nowhere. She wasn’t surrounded by her children and family. She was living with a handful of Russians and her husband, who was ordered by the CIA to kill her and retrieve the microchip holding the plans to the bioweapon Snowfall. The microchip had been surgically embedded in her head. And, the last they knew, it was still there.

  This was the last place they could hide from those trying to find her for the bounty on her head. She heard Sloan talking to the others. The price for Snowfall tripled. She felt her life ticking away. Soon it would be over.

  She turned as the heavy wood door that kept the occupants safe from the subzero temperatures creaked open. A large figure dressed in black shuffled in and slammed it shut behind him. He nudged the hood away from his head before pulling the thermal face-mask free.

  Abbey watched as Sloan peeled each layer of clothing free from his body and hung it up. He cocked a grin at her. “Room at that fire for two, Luv?”

  She shrugged as she took a step to the side. “Help yourself.”

  He crossed the cabin to the fireplace and tugged her into his arms. Despite the thick clothing he wore outside, his skin felt like ice.

  He kissed her softly. “Merry Christmas.”

  She huffed. “Christmas isn’t until tomorrow.”

  “Then Merry Christmas Eve.”

  “Does it matter?”

  Sloan frowned. “Why wouldn’t it?”

  “We’re not home with our children. They are terrified out of their minds having Christmas without their parents. We’re hiding from bounty hunters out to kill me. It’s just a matter of time before they find us.”

  “Enough of that talk,” Sloan chided. “Your Da and Ma are spoiling them senseless. Yes, they’re scared and they miss us, but they will be all right. And we are going to get Snowfall out of you. I swear to you, next Christmas we will be home with them.”

  “Sloan, it’s imposs—”

  His ice blue glare cut off her words. “Non-negotiable.”

  She couldn’t bite back the sigh that escaped her lips. “Where did you go?”

  His grin grew bigger. “I met with an associate in the village.”

  “The village is a hundred miles away.”

  “That’s what took so long, lass.”

  “What information did you get?”

  “This.” He let her go long enough to reach in his back pocket and pull out a long thin box. Abbey didn’t have to wonder where it came from. She recognized it instantly. He’d brought many of them home to her for holidays, birthdays, or just because, handing them over as he told her, he was crazy about her.

  “Sloan,” she murmured in protest.

  “I should make you wait until tomorrow. As you said, it’s not Christmas yet.”

  “You shouldn’t have. We are running for our lives.”

  “And that means we can’t celebrate?” He pulled out of her arms and set the box in her hands. “Open it.”

  She shot a glance at him then pried the lid of the box off. Inside, nestled deep in a bed of royal blue velvet, was a sapphire bracelet set in silver.

  Abbey gasped. “How did you get this? It’s beautiful.”

  “I’m not just a billionaire. I am one of the world’s greatest spies and mercenaries. I have my ways.”

  She felt her face grow hot. It wasn’t from the fire. “I didn’t get you anything.”

  “Yes, you did.” He pulled her close again. “You. You are my present. You’re here with me, alive and breathing.”

  He nuzzled his lips against the curve of her neck. He slid his hands under her thick sweater until his fingers were wrapped around her rib cage. She trembled at his touch. He growled to her. “I want to unwrap my present.”

  “Boris and the others will be back soon, and we share a room with them.”

  He nipped at her earlobe. “Boris and the fellas are spending Christmas Eve in the village at the tavern. They’ll be back with our Christmas dinner around noon tomorrow. So, may I, Luv?”

  Abbey couldn’t find her voice. All she could do was nod. Sloan parted her lips with a deep, sweet kiss. It may not be the Christmas she wanted, but it would be one she would never forget.

  About Tricia Andersen

  Tricia Andersen lives in Iowa with her husband and her three children. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Communications Media/Public Relations. For the past five years, Tricia has been a member of Hard Drive Performance Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an affiliate of Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has experience in kickboxing and currently trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Even though she has never competed in an MMA cage, she’s witnessed and been a part of a fighter’s journey from fight camp to their walk to the cage. She also has competed in jiu jitsu.

  Facebook Group:

  https://m.facebook.com/groups/13769831124213
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  Blog: www.insidethiswritersmind.com

  Other Books by Tricia Andersen:

  Blood Lust (Gods of DC #1)

  Welterweight (Hallow Brothers #1)

  Middleweight (Hallow Brothers #2)

  Heavyweight (Hallow Brothers #3)

  Corner (Hallow Brothers #4)

  Black Irish (Black Irish #1)

  Heartland (Black Irish #2)

  The Troubles (Black Irish #3)

  Trial By Fire (Black Irish #4)

  The Assassin (Black Irish #5)

  Family Ties (Black Irish #6)

  Hard Drive (Hard Drive #1)

  Breaking the Cycle (Hard Drive #2)

  Breaking the Silence (Hard Drive #3)

  Breaking the Violence (Hard Drive #4)

  The Heartbreaker

  Innocent ‘Til Proven Guilty

  The Thirteenth Knight