Chapter One
Nova
“I hate it when a handsome duke blackmails me into marriage,” I mutter as I restock the historical romance shelf at my local library.
“That’s only because you haven’t found your twin flame yet,” my bestie and fellow librarian, Chloe tells me.
“What the hell?” I ask her. As soon as I say the phrase, I look around for Mrs. Kay, the head librarian. She’s always giving me dour looks. Fortunately, she’s not here. The advantage of the incoming snowstorm is that it’s just me and my bestie working at the library today.
“A twin flame,” Chloe says, ignoring my swearing, “is the other half of your soul. It’s the connection you were always meant to have.”
I snort. “Yeah, OK.”
I don’t believe in love. But I do believe in abandonment and coming home in third grade to hear your mom telling you that dad left again because that’s what men do—they leave.
“It’s a connection on every level. Emotionally, mentally, sexually.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Everyone has one.”
Chloe should know better than to buy into this bullshit. Her husband abandoned her when testing revealed their five-year-old son is autistic.
Speaking of, she probably needs to go pick up her little one if she’s going to beat the incoming snowstorm and make it safely home. I tell her that as I lug the squeaking cart that’s overloaded with books.
“I can’t leave you alone,” she protests.
Shaking my head, I say, “It’s fine. I’ll finish these two carts and be home in plenty of time before it starts.”
I step around the bucket on the floor that’s catching water from the leaking roof. This whole place is in desperate need of an overhaul. But Mount Bliss is a tiny town with a tiny budget. Most residents live at poverty level which means luxuries like a new roof for the library just aren’t an option.
“I’m going to help you find your twin flame,” Chloe insists as she quickly adds two books to the biography section. “As soon as this snowstorm is over, it’s time for Operation Bag a Hunk.”
Despite the fact that I’m not interested, I still smile at the name of the operation. “I can get a hunk if I want to.”
She frowns at me. “You have to go on more than just two dates. You need to give a man an actual chance.”
She thinks just because I have a foolproof system for my dating life that it means I’m lonely or something. But I’m not. Two dates is enough to tell what type of guy he is. Thanks to my methods, I’ve never once had my heart broken. The system is flawless.
“You’re going to be late,” I remind her because I don’t want to keep talking about this. Chloe might have an open heart and she goes on her fair share of dates. But I’ve also shown up at her house with ice cream to comfort her many times after she’s kissed yet another frog. It’s your girls you can count on. Not the men in your life.
She glances toward the window where the sleet is starting to ping off the ground. “Alright, but text me when you’re home safe and sound.”
I dutifully nod as I add two more books to the section. I love working in the library and I don’t mind spending the extra time in it alone. “You too, sweetie.”
It only takes me an hour to get the remaining books shelved then I pack a canvas tote of a few books for myself. The coming snowstorm means lots of extra reading time, which is my idea of paradise.
As soon as I’m done, I lock up and hurry to my car. It’s an aging Toyota that I should probably trade in, but my salary only stretches so far. Besides, old reliable has always been reliable…until now.
My stomach sinks as I twist the key, and nothing happens. No matter how many times I try again, it doesn’t start. The sleet from earlier has changed into big, fat snowflakes that are accumulating across the pockmarked asphalt.
I reach for my cellphone only to find the battery is dead. Fortunately, the library still has a landline. Outside in the cold air, I shiver as snowflakes melt in my hair. Hefting my tote bag, I spot movement behind me in the woods. Something big and dark hovers just outside of my peripheral vision.
My heart pounds as I imagine one of the black bears that are common in this area emerging from the dense forest surrounding the library.
Keeping my head down, I sprint toward the building and manage to get inside just as I hear a snarl. At least, I think I do. I don’t bother to turn back and see.
Inside, I discover the phone lines aren’t working. It’s not uncommon for them to go down during a snowstorm here. It just usually takes a bit longer before it happens.
Since the phone isn’t an option, I head to the employee’s lounge to see if perhaps someone left an old cellphone charger in there. It’s a bit of a long shot since Mrs. Kay is such a stickler for keeping the place pristine but a girl can hope.
I search through the bin for lost items but so far all I’ve found is one doll, two hair clips, and a little gnome figurine that’s head has been broken off.
There’s a noise behind me, an animalistic groan. Chloe is forgetful and often leaves the back door open. Since I was in a hurry, I didn’t think to come through and check it.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and all I can think about is black bears. Do they eat people?
I don’t know if they eat people but if I were woken after sleeping for weeks, I’d want a fat juicy snack. With my curvy thighs and ample hips, I surely fit the bill.
Leaning over, I grab the heaviest book I can find. It’s some nine-hundred-page reference tome that no one has used in probably twenty years. Still, it makes for an effective weapon, I hope.
I close my eyes tightly and spin around. Then I smack the would-be bear with it as hard as I can. I pray I’ve stunned him long enough to get away.
As the heavy book collides with something solid, I hear a very loud, very masculine noise. It definitely doesn’t sound like a black bear.
I open my eyes to see a man swaying on his feet.
“Angel,” he says the word so softly that it feels like a caress. There’s blood on his forehead and he finally loses the battle with gravity, pitching toward the floor.
“No, no, no.” I do my best to stay upright as his body slumps onto mine. I half-carry, half-drag his very large frame to the fuchsia-colored couch that Mrs. Kay loves so much. She’s going to kill me for getting blood on it.
“You can’t be dead,” I hiss at the unconscious man.
***
Aiden
“You’re telling me that when you meet the right woman you’re just going to know it?” Ben, my buddy and fellow firefighter, demands with disbelief dripping from his tone. He’s looking at me like I’m a few rungs short of the full ladder.
“Yes, it’s going to hit me,” I insist. Normally, I wouldn’t talk about shit like this with anyone. I’ve learned that for most people believing in the idea of soulmates is like being a teenager and still believing in Santa Claus. But despite the fact that I’ve only known him for a couple of weeks, Ben already feels like another one of my brothers.
“You ever been hit, like maybe in the head?” Ben teases.
I pick his pocket, stealing the basketball from him. Snow is already starting to cover the ground but inside the firehouse, the two of us are tossing hoops. I sink the ball into the net easily and turn to give him a cocky grin. “You don’t believe there’s someone out there for you?”
He shakes his head. “It just seems weird.”
I dribble the ball again, faking to my right and when Ben falls for it, I move to the left and shoot. Another perfect basket. “My woman is out there.”
As soon as I say the words, an image of the curvy librarian flashes in my mind. I saw her at the diner last night. But she left before I could get a chance to wade through the crowd and talk to her.
“Best two out of three?” Ben asks.
I glance toward the window and shake my head. “Nah, I’m going up the mountain before this mess rolls in.”
He can’t leave. He’s the man on duty during this snowstorm. He’ll call me if he needs backup, but I doubt it’ll be necessary. Most of the residents of Mount Bliss are familiar with the weather patterns here and they’ve already hunkered down with the supplies they’ll need to get through it.
“Keep me updated on how the soulmate search goes,” Ben says.
I flip him the bird as I grab my stuff and sling it into the cab of my truck. I’m not even close to my mountain when my vehicle hits black ice. I try to correct but as the truck begins to hydroplane, I already know it’s a lost cause.
I’m not sure how much later it is when I wake up, but the truck is in the ravine and my head is pounding. A little bit of blood drips from my forehead and the whole world is spinning.
There’s more snow on the ground than there was earlier, making me wonder how long I was out for. I know I’m on the edge of town. I just need to find somewhere to take shelter for a few hours until I feel better. Besides, there’s a shortcut around here. Somewhere.
The sky is too bright, and these damn trees all look alike. Somewhere in the back of my mind, it registers that leaving my truck may not have been my smartest move given how dizzy I am. But it’s too late now.
I’m tired enough that I want to lean against the nearest tree and take a nap. But then I spot her. An angel in the distance with red flaming hair in the middle of an empty parking lot. She jogs toward a big, brick building.
Still swaying, I force myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I have to see the angel again. There’s a force I’ve never felt before, one that’s compelling me to keep going.
I nearly sigh with relief when I make it through a doorway in the building. She was here. She has to still be here.
Before I can call out for her, something solid slams into my chest. The breath is knocked from my lungs and pain registers somewhere. Maybe everywhere.
“Angel,” I murmur the word right before the darkness claims me.