Whirlwind Redemption, page 1
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prequel
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Bonus Chapter
By
Copyright © 2024 by Raine Winters
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Whirlwind Redemption
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Email: Contact@RaineWinters.com
For more about Raine Winters
www.RaineWinters.com
To everyone who adores the tension of enemies to lovers, this is for you.
May you revel in the clash, the spark, and the journey from hate to love.
PREQUEL
SIX MONTHS AGO
Swirls of snow blow past the window of the town car, but the sight of them does nothing to dampen the excitement growing within me. My fingertips tingle with nervous energy. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about Christmas. We attend the tree lighting ceremony every year, but this year feels different. I can’t explain why.
Glancing over at my mother, I’m not surprised to find her buried in her phone. Of course, she’s still immersed in her work. It’s like she hasn’t realized we’ve arrived.
You’d think it wasn’t Christmas Eve.
“I guess I’ll see you out there.” There’s a hint of disapproval in my tone, but if she hears it or cares, she doesn’t show it.
Her only response is a single nod of her head. I don’t know why I expected anything more. My eyes roll of their own accord. She can’t even stop working for an hour to spend time with her kids. Typical Debra MO.
As I step out of the car, a cold gust of wind greets me with a sharp sting against my skin. A shiver runs down my spine, and I pull my hands into my sleeves to warm my shaking fingers. Snow clings to my boots as I make my way through the swarm of people moving towards the town square.
Flurries of snow mingle with the palpable excitement swirling through the air. Craning my neck, I search the crowd of people meandering near me.
Where is he?
My gaze pans across the crowd again. When I feel a poke at my side, my head swivels towards it, ready to give whoever touched me a piece of my mind. My brother stands beside me, towering over me like he’s been standing there the whole time.
“There you are.” My tone holds a thread of exasperation.
Twisting his head to look around, a frown pulls at the edges of his lips. “Where’s Debra?”
I huff out a laugh. Because where else would she be? “Where do you think?”
My words are heavy with sarcasm, but he understands my meaning immediately. He stares at me with unblinking eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m always serious.” The words escape me without a second thought.
He smiles despite himself. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
Peeking at him from the corner of my eye, I study him. His features are still soft and boyish, but it’s easy to see the hard lines hiding in his jaw. When did he grow up? It’s like I didn’t notice my baby brother grew up and is now a man. I want to remember him just like this, bright pink cheeks and a smile on his face.
My gaze shifts behind him, searching for a familiar brunette with green eyes who is never far from my brother’s side. When I don’t spot her lingering nearby, I turn my focus back to Riley. “Where’s Jade?”
His gaze follows mine, hope lighting his eyes. A flicker of longing crosses his face before shrugging his shoulders. The flash of emotion disappearing as quickly as it came. “She’s around here somewhere.”
The tone of his voice catches me off guard, wary but also dismissive. I nod my head, looping my arm with his. Sensing that he’s hiding something from me, I ignore his odd behavior for the moment. When he’s ready to tell me what’s going on, he will. “Let’s go get some hot chocolate. I’m freezing.”
With my brother in tow, we make our way through the crowd toward the line of food trucks selling everything from churros and hot chocolate to tacos and burgers. The overwhelming mixture of smells invades my senses, sending my gaze spinning in all directions. People rush through the tight space, pushing into one another as they move.
Riley takes the lead, stepping in front of me to cut through the crowd. I position myself in his shadow, easily following the path he provides to the closest food truck selling hot chocolate. While we wait in the seemingly unending line, I catch him scanning the crowd in search of Jade once more. My eyes follow his, silently helping him, but she is nowhere to be seen.
Giving his arm a small squeeze, I whisper. “She’s probably already in the crowd with her family.”
Riley gives a small shake of his head, like I’ve pulled him from his thoughts. “Who?”
Raising an eyebrow, I shoot him a confused look. “Jade?”
When I mention her name, he doesn’t meet my eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure she’s here somewhere.”
He repeats the same words as earlier. They sound even stranger to me now. My body tenses as understanding fills me. I know my brother better than he thinks I do.
Something is wrong.
His features smooth into a well-controlled mask I know all too well. Something’s wrong, and he doesn’t want to tell me about it. Fine, I’ll let him keep his secrets. For now.
He ends his search and steps up to place our order, knowing what I want without having to say a word. A frown tugs at the corners of my lips, despite his thoughtful action. When Riley places the steaming cup into my hand, he gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Stop analyzing me, Raven. It’s Christmas. Just let me enjoy tonight with you. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Staring up at him in shock, my eyes widen, instantly turning defensive. “I’m not analyzing you.”
He rolls his eyes and turns to head back the way we came. “Sure you weren’t.”
I run a little to catch up to his long strides, a slight huff leaving my lungs from the exertion. “When did you get so tall?”
He looks down at me, a glint of happiness replacing the distress in his eyes. “When did you get so short?”
Bumping into him playfully with my shoulder, I laugh. “I’m not short.”
Just because he’s a giant at six foot three, doesn’t make my five foot nine-inch height any shorter.
“Ah, that’s right. You’re vertically impaired.” His laughter booms across the crowd, and the tension from our earlier conversation slips away. Postponed, but not forgotten.
Bringing the cup to my lips, I blow on the hot liquid before taking a tentative sip. Rich chocolate bursts across my tongue. The warmth seeps through my extremities until every inch of my body buzzes with warmth. This cup of hot chocolate is so close to being the best I’ve ever had. Memories of Julie’s homemade hot chocolate dance through my mind, tempting my taste buds. I bet they are around here somewhere sipping it without me.
The thought of Julie sends a pang of sadness through me. Abby. She should be here with us. It doesn’t feel right without her. It’s like missing a piece of our trio, one that can’t be replaced.
The disappointment that flooded through me when she texted she had to work over Christmas almost killed my holiday cheer. But for Abby and Riley’s sake, I couldn’t let it. I wouldn’t want Abby to think she ruined my Christmas. I was just looking forward to seeing her. It’s been too long.
What kind of boss makes their employee work over Christmas? The shitty kind, that’s who. If he were my boss, I would have quit a long time ago. I don’t care how good looking he is, or what connections he might have. I have more than enough connections for the both of us, but Abby would never use them. And that’s what I appreciate about her and our friendship. Even though we are from separate worlds, she’s never tried to use me. Even when I’ve offered, she’s rejected any help.
Much to my displeasure.
I have a few choice words I’d like to say to Mr. Heart of Ice Grant, but I’ll keep them to myself for now. Only because Abby asked me to. No other reason could hold my tongue. My self control might be flawless, but I’d be willing to make an exception.
An idea pops into my head, and I turn to Riley. “Hey let’s take a picture to show Abby what she’s missing.”
He nods his head and laughs, taking a step closer to me. “I can’t believe she’s not here. It’s not Christmas without her.”
His words slip under my skin, but I try not to let
I wait a moment, hopeful she’ll respond. When she doesn’t, I tuck my phone back into my pocket. She’s probably just busy with work. Despite how much I want her here, I push her from my mind and turn my attention back to Riley.
The chilly breeze slips beneath the edges of my coat, but the cup of hot chocolate in my hand fends off the cold. I point wordlessly towards a spot at the edge of the crowd, and Riley nods his head in agreement. I’ve never been a people person, so the fringes of a crowd always make me more comfortable. Riley knows that and is always willing to go along with my weird quirk.
My gaze travels over the crowd as we move into position. A quick glance at my watch tells me the event should start any minute now. Riley bumps his shoulder with mine, and I follow his gaze to our mother making her way through the crowd towards us. How she found us, I’ll never know. A smile slips across my face. Warmth fills my chest, and for the first time in months, I am happy and content. Nothing makes Christmas better than having my family together.
It’s a rare occurrence for us.
When she falls into place beside us, I’m grateful for the proximity of so many ears. She can’t nag at us to stand up straight or move to the front of the crowd where everyone can see us. Two of the things I hate more than anything else she does. One because my posture is always perfect and two because I hate being the center of attention. If Debra had it her way, we’d be up on that stage pressing the button for the lighting. But thank goodness she has no control over that.
A hush falls over the crowd as the Mayor steps up to the microphone. Static crackles through the speakers as he pulls everyone’s focus. The noise of the crowd slowly fades away, and the Mayor begins his typical holiday speech about how Christmas is the time of year that brings us together.
For once, I couldn’t agree more.
Riley leans in close to whisper in my ear. “The Mayor really needs to get a new speech. This one’s getting a little old.”
A laugh pours out of me before I can stop it. Debra shoots a sharp stare in our direction and we both muffle our laughter behind gloved hands. Even her deadly glare can’t stop us once we get going.
The Mayor drones on, but my attention snaps back to the stage when a familiar name is called up to the microphone. I blink my eyes in utter disbelief at the sight of the man I hate most sauntering his way into the spotlight.
It was only a few days ago that his name was splashed across every headline in the state. When someone like us makes a mistake that big, it’s hard to come back from it. But it’s not impossible.
It makes me wonder whose pockets his mommy lined for him to be up on that stage. After the stunt he pulled, I don’t think I’d be able to show my face in public, much less give a speech.
Blake Emerson steps up to the podium, looking like a new man in a suit and tie. Long gone are his graphic t-shirts and flip-flops. With his blond hair chopped short, he looks like a mere shadow of the man I once knew. He twists his hands in front of him before he raises his head to meet the piercing judgment of the crowd. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he’s nervous. He clears his throat, the deep timber of his voice sending an unwanted shiver down my spine.
Turning my focus away, I look anywhere but at him. Blood rushes in my ears and the smile on my face slips as my gaze wanders to the other people on the stage. Even if I wanted to listen, I can’t hear anything over the surging in my ears.
The last person I expected to see standing on the stage catches my attention. Abby. My best friend, Abby. The one who hates Aspen so much she can’t bear to visit outside of Christmas and major family events.
She’s standing with the man who drove her out of this town and, subsequently, out of my life. The blood in my veins turns to ice, but it has nothing to do with the snow beneath my feet or the temperature of the air.
This must be the client her boss deemed an emergency and had to rush to help.
My hands shake with disbelief and anger. They curl into fists at my sides, the force of my anger having nowhere else to go. I want to lash out - I want to scream. But I can’t do anything. I can only stand there as my world falls to pieces around me.
Riley glances nervously down at me, sensing my body going rigid beside him. “What is it?”
My glare remains fixed on Abby, but out of my peripheral vision, I see his eyes follow my line of sight. His shoulders tense beside me and I know he sees her. When he speaks again, it’s low, only for my ears. “What is Abby doing up there with him?”
The indignation in his voice is clear. He hates Blake as much as I do.
Blood boils beneath my skin, and the force of the heat burns tears in the corners of my vision. Through gritted teeth, I force my words out while praying the tears stay in. “I don’t know.”
With a swivel of his head, he stares down at me, his own surprise written all over his face. “She didn’t tell you?”
A single tear slips free, gliding down my cheek, leaving a wet path in its wake. The only evidence of the turmoil inside of me. For a moment, I can’t speak. I am frozen in place, helpless to the scene unfolding before my eyes.
I shake my head, because that’s all I can do.
A smile lights her face as her eyes move to scan the crowd. It’s strained, I can see that from here. I want to believe that she doesn’t want to be here, but if that were true, she would have called me.
Just one more reason to add to the list of why I hate Blake Emerson more than anyone else in the world.
The anger rushing through my veins burns me. My thoughts circle in my mind, running on a repeating loop.
She didn’t tell me.
She’s in town, and she didn’t tell me.
She’s with him, and she didn’t tell me.
Betrayal and rage sweep through me. In an instant, I’m turning my back on the crowd. “I’ve seen enough.”
My voice carries further than I expect it to. A dozen people turn in my direction to give me dirty looks as I press past them. But I don’t care. I couldn’t care less what they think of me.
Riley rushes after me, calling out my name, but I don’t stop. If I stop, I don’t know what will happen. I refuse to fall apart.
Abby’s smiling face burns itself in my mind beside Blake’s as I pull the car door open and sink into the back seat. Riley holds the door open for our mother before sliding into the back of the car himself. “Where are we going now?”
Mom says nothing, seemingly unbothered that we are leaving at all. She pulls her phone back out of her pocket. I’d be surprised at the lack of nagging if I wasn’t so numb.
“Home.” The single word parts my lips. If I open my mouth to say anything else, I don’t know what will come pouring out.
I say nothing else, as the driver backs out of the spot and heads out of the parking lot. As darkness engulfs us, I struggle to hold myself together. Silent tears roll down my face even as I fight to hold them in. Riley’s fingers intertwine with me, a silent show of his support. His hand is strong and unyielding. He’s the only thing holding me together, even as I shatter into pieces.
A wall erects itself around my heart, and the tears cease as I press it into place. If I can’t rely on her to be honest with me, then I can’t rely on her at all. If our friendship means nothing to her, why should it mean anything to me?
CHAPTER ONE
THE PRESENT
MY phone vibrates on the seat, jolting me awake from much-needed rest. A groan escapes my lips. Can’t I have ten minutes to myself? My eyelids are heavy with sleep. Blinking repeatedly, I try to clear my blurry vision. I don’t remember dozing off, but it must not have been for long. I run a hand down my face and shake myself awake. It doesn’t help dissipate the lingering fatigue from my body.
My hand slips into the side pocket of my purse, pulling the phone out with knowing fingers. Glancing at the name, my finger hovers over the screen. Hesitating, I stare at it longer than I should before I answer. This is one phone call I can’t keep avoiding and sending to voicemail.
No matter how badly I want to.
“Hey.” My tone is sharper than I intend and I regret it instantly. I’m not trying to be short with her. I’m just exhausted. Glancing out the tinted window of the town car, I take in the green surrounding me. The color of the trees unintentionally reminding me I am home. I can finally relax and release myself from business mode. But tonight, it does nothing to ease the anxiety twisting knots inside me.
